Ben Klug
@silkandstone.itch.io
I'm not mad, this is actually an opportunity to experience amor fati for me
he/him
SF studies podcast: https://www.abnormalmapping.com/starboard
TTRPG: https://silk-stone.itch.io/detect-or-die
Contact: [email protected]
he/him
SF studies podcast: https://www.abnormalmapping.com/starboard
TTRPG: https://silk-stone.itch.io/detect-or-die
Contact: [email protected]
Reposted by Ben Klug
Reposted by Ben Klug
This is a smart, well-reported article on what space war is and is not. Spoiler: explosions tend not to be involved.
"McDowell has identified 17 small U.S. satellites as likely jammers; all of them were launched as secretive payloads over the past four years. These satellites are in geostationary Earth orbit" www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-...
Weapons in space probably aren’t what you think
Elusive, satellite-stalking spacecraft could unleash space war—or help keep orbital peace
www.scientificamerican.com
October 5, 2026 at 6:34 PM
This is a smart, well-reported article on what space war is and is not. Spoiler: explosions tend not to be involved.
Reposted by Ben Klug
Kant had an ethical theory about animals where he thought it was an impermissible category mistake to treat them as ends in themselves as if they were persons, but every "disrespectful" treatment of animals is impermissible anyway because we're obliged to not habituate ourselves for disrespect
one thing that i do not understand is the fact that the "alexa teaches children that women may be treated like machines" and "it is a sign of psychosis to treat a machine whose interface is social cognition with any respect" are the same group of scholars. sometimes even precisely the same scholars.
October 5, 2026 at 2:50 AM
Kant had an ethical theory about animals where he thought it was an impermissible category mistake to treat them as ends in themselves as if they were persons, but every "disrespectful" treatment of animals is impermissible anyway because we're obliged to not habituate ourselves for disrespect
Reposted by Ben Klug
John Carpenter's "The Thing" but each time a muppet is infected and exposed, they turn into a real person. End scene is Kermit and Rolf sitting across the fire from one another.
Horror remakes where everyone but one actor is replaced by Muppets.
Starting with Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Starting with Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
October 5, 2026 at 7:14 PM
John Carpenter's "The Thing" but each time a muppet is infected and exposed, they turn into a real person. End scene is Kermit and Rolf sitting across the fire from one another.
Reposted by Ben Klug
chat is this good
October 5, 2026 at 5:29 PM
chat is this good
Reposted by Ben Klug
A billion dollars is the socio-political equivalent of a loose nuke, and we should work as ruthlessly and diligently to prevent the acquisition of the former as we do the latter.
Elon Musk has repeatedly used his platform to support authoritarian political figures. His backing of the AfD, Marine Le Pen, Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele has been accompanied by interventions in Brazil, Italy and Hungary, as well as direct involvement in the UK’s far-right political landscape.
Beyond AfD: Tracking Elon Musk’s Support for the Global Far Right
Elon Musk is backing the far right across multiple continents. From Germany’s AfD and France’s Marine Le Pen to Spain’s Vox, Argentina’s Javier Milei and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele, the tech billionai...
globalextremism.org
October 5, 2026 at 5:54 PM
A billion dollars is the socio-political equivalent of a loose nuke, and we should work as ruthlessly and diligently to prevent the acquisition of the former as we do the latter.
Reposted by Ben Klug
A Hark! A Vagrant classic
![Watson: Oooh, what’s that you’ve got?
Franklin: My final report
Watson: Little Rosie Franklin’s research! I bet it’s something!
Franklin: ROSALIND.
Crick: Oh, that’s a big name
W: You’re getting fancy on us! Tell me—
F: Ah. I love this game.
W: Is it a scientific breakthrough in feelings?
F: Well, I suppose I have to go into hysterics or have a baby somewhere, good day gentlemen
W: GO, GO
[W and C slip a look at F’s notes]
C: Nice
W: Quit hogging](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:otnyifxylzlruotgn6ys6nqv/bafkreif6jjclwaolojv3xk7yw6ir2u5jjrxj77qkl76uv7itrix2oqwxiy)
October 5, 2026 at 5:58 PM
A Hark! A Vagrant classic
Reposted by Ben Klug
One of my relatives commented on FB they were very surprised that I would hunt a bird given that I'm an ornithologist, and sometimes I forget that "have you eaten your study organism?" is one of those common conversations biologists have that the general public is completely unaware of lmao
Went hunting today for the first time! I, uhh, need to practice my aim, but I will be enjoying some grouse this evening.
October 5, 2026 at 4:24 AM
One of my relatives commented on FB they were very surprised that I would hunt a bird given that I'm an ornithologist, and sometimes I forget that "have you eaten your study organism?" is one of those common conversations biologists have that the general public is completely unaware of lmao
Reposted by Ben Klug
I unfortunately have to monitor Twitter for work somewhat regularly and I was struck today that while we think of it here as a radicalization engine (and it surely is that too), it also serves as a nihilism factory. Everything is toxicity, doom, cringe, betrayal - nothing can be authentic or earnest
"Against edgelordism in all its forms" is becoming a foundational principle for me. Civilization is impossible without an unflinching commitment to pro-social behavior and a willingness to marginalize any deviation.
October 5, 2026 at 7:43 PM
I unfortunately have to monitor Twitter for work somewhat regularly and I was struck today that while we think of it here as a radicalization engine (and it surely is that too), it also serves as a nihilism factory. Everything is toxicity, doom, cringe, betrayal - nothing can be authentic or earnest
Reposted by Ben Klug
Reposted by Ben Klug
All prisoners should have the right to vote while in prison
October 5, 2026 at 3:07 AM
All prisoners should have the right to vote while in prison
Reposted by Ben Klug
Brazil’s intelligence agency has confirmed interference by the US government in Brazil’s election in support of Flavio Bolsonaro, son of jailed former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro
October 5, 2026 at 3:25 AM
Brazil’s intelligence agency has confirmed interference by the US government in Brazil’s election in support of Flavio Bolsonaro, son of jailed former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro
Reposted by Ben Klug
B91.5.2.1
Lake-serpent
(monster)
in form
of woman.
Lake-serpent
(monster)
in form
of woman.
October 5, 2026 at 7:44 AM
B91.5.2.1
Lake-serpent
(monster)
in form
of woman.
Lake-serpent
(monster)
in form
of woman.
Reposted by Ben Klug
Reposted by Ben Klug
morning landscape :>
October 5, 2026 at 8:51 AM
morning landscape :>
Reposted by Ben Klug
what an asshole
Samuel Alito: We won't overturn Obergefell because it's engendered reliance interests.
Jan Crawford: Well, many people had organized their lives around Roe v. Wade.
Alito: No, they didn't. Women merely had an "abstract" interest in "ideas about the kind of society that they were going to live in."
Jan Crawford: Well, many people had organized their lives around Roe v. Wade.
Alito: No, they didn't. Women merely had an "abstract" interest in "ideas about the kind of society that they were going to live in."
The Alito Court: A rare interview with the influential Supreme Court justice
Justice Samuel Alito discussed his opinion in the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the leaked draft and its aftermath, same-sex marriage rights and why he's not retiring yet.
www.cbsnews.com
October 5, 2026 at 11:44 AM
what an asshole
Reposted by Ben Klug
I feel like more people should be talking about this part
October 4, 2026 at 10:14 PM
I feel like more people should be talking about this part
Reposted by Ben Klug
The marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) looks like a ferret dressing up as a cheetah for Halloween.
They're native to a semi-desert grassland strip from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.
Like a skunk, they can spray a foul-smelling fluid from anal glands.
Let's talk about them.
(📷: Petra Prager)
They're native to a semi-desert grassland strip from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.
Like a skunk, they can spray a foul-smelling fluid from anal glands.
Let's talk about them.
(📷: Petra Prager)
October 4, 2026 at 5:08 PM
The marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) looks like a ferret dressing up as a cheetah for Halloween.
They're native to a semi-desert grassland strip from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.
Like a skunk, they can spray a foul-smelling fluid from anal glands.
Let's talk about them.
(📷: Petra Prager)
They're native to a semi-desert grassland strip from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.
Like a skunk, they can spray a foul-smelling fluid from anal glands.
Let's talk about them.
(📷: Petra Prager)
Reposted by Ben Klug
children should get progressively more modern animals as toys as they age. Want a bird, little johnny? only when you're older. Have this devonian fish.
July 2, 2026 at 10:53 PM
children should get progressively more modern animals as toys as they age. Want a bird, little johnny? only when you're older. Have this devonian fish.
Reposted by Ben Klug
I routinely see kids products that come in the 2 options "Dinosaur" or "Unicorn"- which apart from the obvious, annoys me because one gets science and one gets mythology. This could easily be fixed by swapping dinosaurs with dragons, or, hear me out, aggressively marketing Cambrian sea life to girls
July 2, 2026 at 10:46 PM
I routinely see kids products that come in the 2 options "Dinosaur" or "Unicorn"- which apart from the obvious, annoys me because one gets science and one gets mythology. This could easily be fixed by swapping dinosaurs with dragons, or, hear me out, aggressively marketing Cambrian sea life to girls
Reposted by Ben Klug
Darrell suspected someone had once again slipped him a trick spoon with the concave side reversed.
October 4, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Darrell suspected someone had once again slipped him a trick spoon with the concave side reversed.
Reposted by Ben Klug
2. small break with the hunter and bff chapel dweller ☺️✨
#Soulstober
#Soulstober
October 4, 2026 at 8:31 PM
2. small break with the hunter and bff chapel dweller ☺️✨
#Soulstober
#Soulstober
Reposted by Ben Klug
I get why some folks miss it, but women are the majority in Christian fundamentalist denominations, and in a lot of cases are the “intellectual” backbone for a lot of conservative men.
This is a powerful article. Infuriating how every time the trucker was trying to find empathy for Pierre and Haitians in general, his girlfriend and mom kept intervening with some racist logic or conspiracy.
A Haitian man legally immigrated to Ohio, then was given an ankle monitor bc Trump withdrew his status.
He threw himself in front of truck. The trucker, who voted for Trump, is haunted.
“Pierre was doing what he was supposed to do. We did not do right by him.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
He threw himself in front of truck. The trucker, who voted for Trump, is haunted.
“Pierre was doing what he was supposed to do. We did not do right by him.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
October 4, 2026 at 6:49 PM
I get why some folks miss it, but women are the majority in Christian fundamentalist denominations, and in a lot of cases are the “intellectual” backbone for a lot of conservative men.
Reposted by Ben Klug
This is good content
October 4, 2026 at 9:29 PM
This is good content
Reposted by Ben Klug
Here's another sketch I did this afternoon of an evil lady knight:
October 4, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Here's another sketch I did this afternoon of an evil lady knight: