Reposted by Sunyam
Mindscape Ask Me Anything | September 2026. This month: If you were innocent of a serious crime and the evidence needed to establish the truth was available, would you rather 12 human jurors or 12 AIs decide your fate?
#MindscapePodcast
preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026...
#MindscapePodcast
preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026...
September 14, 2026 at 11:03 AM
Mindscape Ask Me Anything | September 2026. This month: If you were innocent of a serious crime and the evidence needed to establish the truth was available, would you rather 12 human jurors or 12 AIs decide your fate?
#MindscapePodcast
preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026...
#MindscapePodcast
preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026...
Reposted by Sunyam
An excerpt on AI & robots from the “Machines” chapter of HUMANS: A MONSTROUS HISTORY, 1st published by @ucpress.bsky.social, now out from @westlandbooks.bsky.social in a South Asian edition, is out in Newslaundry!
🧪💙📚 🗃 #ancient #medieval #earlymodern #histsci #histmed #18thCentury #politics #HAMH
🧪💙📚 🗃 #ancient #medieval #earlymodern #histsci #histmed #18thCentury #politics #HAMH
If the only value lies in what machines can mimic, humanity will be over
Drawing on the histories of science, exploration, race, gender and nation-making, the book ‘Humans: A monstrous history’ examines how “monster-making” has repeatedly been used as a means of defining, ...
www.newslaundry.com
September 13, 2026 at 4:47 AM
An excerpt on AI & robots from the “Machines” chapter of HUMANS: A MONSTROUS HISTORY, 1st published by @ucpress.bsky.social, now out from @westlandbooks.bsky.social in a South Asian edition, is out in Newslaundry!
🧪💙📚 🗃 #ancient #medieval #earlymodern #histsci #histmed #18thCentury #politics #HAMH
🧪💙📚 🗃 #ancient #medieval #earlymodern #histsci #histmed #18thCentury #politics #HAMH
Reposted by Sunyam
An especially clear and insightful piece on AI from Melanie Mitchell
Misleading Metaphors and Real Risks
aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
Misleading Metaphors and Real Risks
aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
Misleading Metaphors, Real Risks
What To Fear from AI Agents and How to Reclaim Our Human Agency
aiguide.substack.com
September 11, 2026 at 2:39 AM
An especially clear and insightful piece on AI from Melanie Mitchell
Misleading Metaphors and Real Risks
aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
Misleading Metaphors and Real Risks
aiguide.substack.com/p/misleading...
Reposted by Sunyam
Very forceful statement by Terry Tao about AI and math.
terrytao.wordpress.com/2026/09/11/a...
Note, he is not claiming the models aren't real and powerful. He's talking about how that power should be used. This, I believe, is what all AI discussions should center.
terrytao.wordpress.com/2026/09/11/a...
Note, he is not claiming the models aren't real and powerful. He's talking about how that power should be used. This, I believe, is what all AI discussions should center.
A Severe Misalignment of AI in Mathematics
I am proud to be among the list of 25 initial signatories — all Fields Medallists — to the declaration below, which grew out of discussions between ourselves over the last week. We have…
terrytao.wordpress.com
September 11, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Very forceful statement by Terry Tao about AI and math.
terrytao.wordpress.com/2026/09/11/a...
Note, he is not claiming the models aren't real and powerful. He's talking about how that power should be used. This, I believe, is what all AI discussions should center.
terrytao.wordpress.com/2026/09/11/a...
Note, he is not claiming the models aren't real and powerful. He's talking about how that power should be used. This, I believe, is what all AI discussions should center.
Reposted by Sunyam
The wealthy countries seem to have a core of 15-30% of their voting populations who *just fucking hate foreigners*. This section of the electorate are for various reasons disproportionately well represented among the ultra-wealthy and thus are able to secure some favourable media coverage.
The normalisation of far right rhetoric and policies across Western Europe and including Scandinavia is utterly depressing this century
How Sweden lost its soul – and stopped being Sweden | Martin Gelin
In 2022 my country entered a new era of cruelty. It will take more than one election to get the old, tolerant Sweden back, writes Swedish journalist Martin Gelin
www.theguardian.com
September 11, 2026 at 11:34 AM
The wealthy countries seem to have a core of 15-30% of their voting populations who *just fucking hate foreigners*. This section of the electorate are for various reasons disproportionately well represented among the ultra-wealthy and thus are able to secure some favourable media coverage.
Reposted by Sunyam
In country after country the story is remarkably similar. The ascendant far right has succeeded in getting center-right and center-left parties to accept their issue frames, and no one to the left of the far right is making a compelling case for an alternative. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
How Sweden lost its soul – and stopped being Sweden | Martin Gelin
In 2022 my country entered a new era of cruelty. It will take more than one election to get the old, tolerant Sweden back, writes Swedish journalist Martin Gelin
www.theguardian.com
September 11, 2026 at 9:24 AM
In country after country the story is remarkably similar. The ascendant far right has succeeded in getting center-right and center-left parties to accept their issue frames, and no one to the left of the far right is making a compelling case for an alternative. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Sunyam
"As the world heats up, permafrost in the high latitudes is thawing, fiercer wildfires are burning in drying forests and wetlands...All of these changes are themselves causing the release of planet-heating methane and carbon dioxide locked in trees and soils"
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Climate ‘feedback loops’ could worsen global warming by 30%, study finds
Emissions of planet-heating methane and CO2 from natural sources are worsening the climate crisis, paper says
www.theguardian.com
September 10, 2026 at 3:15 PM
"As the world heats up, permafrost in the high latitudes is thawing, fiercer wildfires are burning in drying forests and wetlands...All of these changes are themselves causing the release of planet-heating methane and carbon dioxide locked in trees and soils"
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Sunyam
my 2 cents on material conditions and right wing politics for @hammerandhope.bsky.social
"The portrayal of economic anxiety as a standalone rather than complementary explanation to the machinations of plutocratic bigots also flies in the face of what we know..."
hammerandhope.org/article/econ...
"The portrayal of economic anxiety as a standalone rather than complementary explanation to the machinations of plutocratic bigots also flies in the face of what we know..."
hammerandhope.org/article/econ...
September 7, 2026 at 6:04 PM
my 2 cents on material conditions and right wing politics for @hammerandhope.bsky.social
"The portrayal of economic anxiety as a standalone rather than complementary explanation to the machinations of plutocratic bigots also flies in the face of what we know..."
hammerandhope.org/article/econ...
"The portrayal of economic anxiety as a standalone rather than complementary explanation to the machinations of plutocratic bigots also flies in the face of what we know..."
hammerandhope.org/article/econ...
Reposted by Sunyam
A right wing fever dream has consumed our culture. None of us can escape it grasp.
In Power Map, we look at how fascism is spreading through all of our minds and how we can keep our sanity.
powermapmag.substack.com/p/the-fascis...
In Power Map, we look at how fascism is spreading through all of our minds and how we can keep our sanity.
powermapmag.substack.com/p/the-fascis...
The Fascist Mind Virus will Destroy You
Fascism is ruining our culture and our brains.
powermapmag.substack.com
September 10, 2026 at 2:14 PM
A right wing fever dream has consumed our culture. None of us can escape it grasp.
In Power Map, we look at how fascism is spreading through all of our minds and how we can keep our sanity.
powermapmag.substack.com/p/the-fascis...
In Power Map, we look at how fascism is spreading through all of our minds and how we can keep our sanity.
powermapmag.substack.com/p/the-fascis...
Reposted by Sunyam
Ever wonder what "information" really means? Here's our new paper, led by @frosas.bsky.social, that lays out the multiple ways the term is used in natural science.
rdcu.be/fCDGv
rdcu.be/fCDGv
August 29, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Ever wonder what "information" really means? Here's our new paper, led by @frosas.bsky.social, that lays out the multiple ways the term is used in natural science.
rdcu.be/fCDGv
rdcu.be/fCDGv
Reposted by Sunyam
“Dutch people cycle an average of 2.6km each per day. If this pattern was replicated worldwide, annual carbon emissions would drop by 686 million tonnes.
This mammoth figure exceeds the entire carbon footprint of most countries, including the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Australia.” @euronews.com
This mammoth figure exceeds the entire carbon footprint of most countries, including the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Australia.” @euronews.com
Cycling like the Dutch would slash the world’s carbon footprint
If everybody cycled like the Dutch, we could offset the UK or Australia’s entire carbon footprint.
www.euronews.com
August 29, 2026 at 6:15 AM
“Dutch people cycle an average of 2.6km each per day. If this pattern was replicated worldwide, annual carbon emissions would drop by 686 million tonnes.
This mammoth figure exceeds the entire carbon footprint of most countries, including the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Australia.” @euronews.com
This mammoth figure exceeds the entire carbon footprint of most countries, including the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Australia.” @euronews.com
Reposted by Sunyam
tl;dw: the job of the dem majority over the next two years, should it materialize, is to make life hell for the white house, not find points of cooperation
What Democrats can learn from Mitch McConnell
YouTube video by Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie
www.youtube.com
August 24, 2026 at 4:11 PM
tl;dw: the job of the dem majority over the next two years, should it materialize, is to make life hell for the white house, not find points of cooperation
Reposted by Sunyam
Many new followers! Welcome all. This means it is time to re-share the starter packs! go.bsky.app/H61xswq
August 24, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Many new followers! Welcome all. This means it is time to re-share the starter packs! go.bsky.app/H61xswq
Reposted by Sunyam
BREAKING:
After the Washington Post fired me last year for speaking the truth in the wake of the Charlie Kirk killing, I fought back.
And I'm happy to announce: I won my case against the Washington Post.
They have been ordered to reinstate me immediately.
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/b...
After the Washington Post fired me last year for speaking the truth in the wake of the Charlie Kirk killing, I fought back.
And I'm happy to announce: I won my case against the Washington Post.
They have been ordered to reinstate me immediately.
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/b...
Washington Post Ordered to Rehire Fired Columnist Karen Attiah
An arbitrator ordered the newspaper to reinstate Karen Attiah, who was fired after posting about “white men who espouse hatred and violence” following Charlie Kirk’s killing.
www.nytimes.com
August 24, 2026 at 11:12 AM
BREAKING:
After the Washington Post fired me last year for speaking the truth in the wake of the Charlie Kirk killing, I fought back.
And I'm happy to announce: I won my case against the Washington Post.
They have been ordered to reinstate me immediately.
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/b...
After the Washington Post fired me last year for speaking the truth in the wake of the Charlie Kirk killing, I fought back.
And I'm happy to announce: I won my case against the Washington Post.
They have been ordered to reinstate me immediately.
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/b...
Reposted by Sunyam
help me catch up youtube.com/@jamelle-bou...
Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie
I am a columnist for the New York Times and I have a lot of takes! Here is where you can find a few of them.
youtube.com
August 21, 2026 at 2:11 AM
help me catch up youtube.com/@jamelle-bou...
Reposted by Sunyam
Such a crazy and amazing experience to be on a podcast of which I'm a huge fan!
Mindscape 330 | Petter Törnberg @pettertornberg.com on the Dynamics of (Mis)Information. #MindscapePodcast
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025...
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025...
September 29, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Such a crazy and amazing experience to be on a podcast of which I'm a huge fan!
Reposted by Sunyam
Thing is, if most Americans well and truly want Trump to be an authoritarian dictator, we are well and truly doomed. The only hope for the country is if most people don’t want that.
Therefore, reasonable people should proceed on the assumption that authoritarianism is not popular.
Therefore, reasonable people should proceed on the assumption that authoritarianism is not popular.
Chris Cillizza says Trump doing expressly authoritarian and dictatorial things right now is a political winner for him, and Democrats shouldn't do anything about it.
www.thedailybeast.com/why-dems-hav...
www.thedailybeast.com/why-dems-hav...
Why Dems Have It So Wrong: Trump Is Spoiling for This L.A. Battle
These scenes on everyone’s phones and screens are just what he wants.
www.thedailybeast.com
June 10, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Thing is, if most Americans well and truly want Trump to be an authoritarian dictator, we are well and truly doomed. The only hope for the country is if most people don’t want that.
Therefore, reasonable people should proceed on the assumption that authoritarianism is not popular.
Therefore, reasonable people should proceed on the assumption that authoritarianism is not popular.
Reposted by Sunyam
Nobel Prize Laureate Kip Thorne speaking yesterday at the Albert Einstein Institute in Postdam, Germany:
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
June 4, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Nobel Prize Laureate Kip Thorne speaking yesterday at the Albert Einstein Institute in Postdam, Germany:
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
Reposted by Sunyam
The idea of a competitive Congressional district is disappearing. This is obviously bad for representative democracy, but the people with power to change things are precisely those who benefit from the system, so there's little reason for optimism.
www.outsidethebeltway.com/a-graph-to-p...
www.outsidethebeltway.com/a-graph-to-p...
A Graph to Ponder
A fundamental flaw illustrated.
www.outsidethebeltway.com
February 18, 2024 at 4:52 PM
The idea of a competitive Congressional district is disappearing. This is obviously bad for representative democracy, but the people with power to change things are precisely those who benefit from the system, so there's little reason for optimism.
www.outsidethebeltway.com/a-graph-to-p...
www.outsidethebeltway.com/a-graph-to-p...
Reposted by Sunyam
It's very hard for public figures to win defamation suits, but climate scientist (and former Mindscape guest) Michael Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social just did, since the lies about him were so egregious. Good for him!
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
My one sentence summary of @michaelemann.bsky.social's defamation case:
"The case came down to whether people who appear to be incapable of incorporating evidence into their opinions should still be able to voice those opinions without consequences, even if doing so has consequences for others."
"The case came down to whether people who appear to be incapable of incorporating evidence into their opinions should still be able to voice those opinions without consequences, even if doing so has consequences for others."
February 10, 2024 at 7:12 PM
It's very hard for public figures to win defamation suits, but climate scientist (and former Mindscape guest) Michael Mann @michaelemann.bsky.social just did, since the lies about him were so egregious. Good for him!
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...
Reposted by Sunyam
Can't wait for the Super Bowl, where Taylor Swift will come out at halftime and endorse the Many-Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.
February 2, 2024 at 3:23 PM
Can't wait for the Super Bowl, where Taylor Swift will come out at halftime and endorse the Many-Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.
Reposted by Sunyam
Mindscape 264 | Sabine Stanley @planetsabine.bsky.social on What's Inside Planets? #MindscapePodcast
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024...
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024...
January 29, 2024 at 12:56 PM
Mindscape 264 | Sabine Stanley @planetsabine.bsky.social on What's Inside Planets? #MindscapePodcast
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024...
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024...
Reposted by Sunyam
Great news for physics and astronomy: Europe gives the go-ahead for LISA, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission. We’re headed for a deluge of gravitational wave data that will reveal a lot about how gravity works.
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
January 25, 2024 at 3:15 PM
Great news for physics and astronomy: Europe gives the go-ahead for LISA, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission. We’re headed for a deluge of gravitational wave data that will reveal a lot about how gravity works.
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...
Reposted by Sunyam
Last week CNN asked me how I explain the downturn in the news industry: big layoffs, scant investment, no recovery in sight.
A list of factors is not an explanation, I said. But that is what I have.
So here's my thread. None of it should be news to people in the business. 0/
A list of factors is not an explanation, I said. But that is what I have.
So here's my thread. None of it should be news to people in the business. 0/
January 28, 2024 at 3:56 PM
Last week CNN asked me how I explain the downturn in the news industry: big layoffs, scant investment, no recovery in sight.
A list of factors is not an explanation, I said. But that is what I have.
So here's my thread. None of it should be news to people in the business. 0/
A list of factors is not an explanation, I said. But that is what I have.
So here's my thread. None of it should be news to people in the business. 0/
Reposted by Sunyam
When the history of the early 21st century is written, the collapse of newspaper journalism will be a much bigger deal than contemporary discourse treats it as.
I'm sure making the product noticeably shittier by laying off a bunch of people will solve readership growth problems. Totally makes sense.
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
L.A. Times to lay off at least 115 people in the newsroom
The L.A. Times began laying off 115 newsroom employees on Tuesday. Owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong said the cuts were necessary to trim heavy financial losses.
www.latimes.com
January 23, 2024 at 10:14 PM
When the history of the early 21st century is written, the collapse of newspaper journalism will be a much bigger deal than contemporary discourse treats it as.