Jer Thorp
@jerthorp.bsky.social
Artist, writer, educator, birder & nudibranch enthusiast. Author of Living in Data (MCDxFSG).
One of the most amazing light phenomena I've ever seen. Just now on Vancouver Island.
I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful
Nathaniel Raymond pioneered the use of satellite imagery for war crime forensics. His alarm about Google's baffling decision is appropriate. I tried it earlier today hoping it would be hard, but in ~65 seconds I'd put a convincing F35 base in Papua New Guinea. Google needs to delete this feature.
We just flew over one of the fires in Washington state. Terrifying.
I used my powers for evil and assigned this beginner's birdwatching guide. anything to publish a photo of the hot duck tbh
A Beginner’s Guide to Birding in New York City
Essential tips and insights on eyeing our feathery friends.
thecityreporter.nyc
Well today I learned if your kid barfs on the jet bridge you can't get on the plane. We'll try again tomorrow.
Just a head’s up to everyone who hasn’t reassessed their relationship with Shopify yet: its CEO is actively pushing far-right politics in Canada, now with Elon Musk’s explicit support!
Rachel Gilmore@rachelgilmore.bsky.social · 7d agolol, annnnnnnd there's the nail in the coffin, if there was still any doubt:
If you know someone who lives in the Bay Area can you do me a favor? Send them this calendar? I work really hard on it every week and think it's a genuinely useful thing, but I feel like it's so hard to get the word out!!! www.coyotemedia.org/coyote-calen...
COYOTE Calendar: July 30-August 5
This week we've got alien costumes, several forms of magic, bratwurst throwing, Yiddish puppetry, and something described as “intelligent, leaky, erotic, and alive.”
coyotemedia.org
Leaving tomorrow to spend 2 weeks on Vancouver Island. If all goes well there should be a fair number of tidepool and miscellaneous beach critter photos coming your way. (The first week has only meh tides but the second week is looking quite good)
56. Father of a 4 year-old. What a loss. I've been re-learning Falling Slowly on my guitar and now I'll have to figure out how to sing it without crying www.independent.ie/irish-news/o...
Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard dies in Dublin motorcycle crash
Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has died overnight in a motorcycle crash in Dublin’s Lucan.
independent.ie
Join me in Colombia for @jerthorp.bsky.social's Living in Data Retreats!! 5 days in the jungle with a group of curious people, exploring and making collaborative art. It'll be incredible!!! Week 1 is Jer + @birdturntable.bsky.social Week 2 is Jer + me www.jerthorp.me/lid-retreat-...
Living in Data Rainforest Retreat: 2026
Spend five days in the lush and bird-filled jungle of Santa Marta, Colombia with Jer Thorp and a small group of curious bird + data + art enthusiasts. We'll wander the forest with local guides, learn ...
jerthorp.me
Turned this rant into a blog post. davekarpf.beehiiv.com/p/the-data-c...
The data center backlash Is working. That's why the New York Times is so concerned.
I have a
davekarpf.beehiiv.com
Dave Karpf@davekarpf.bsky.social · last wk.I'm reading the "environmentalists are wrong about data centers" piece from the NYT and ohmygoditssofuckingbad. Apparently, so long as you're punching left, they'll just let you say any goddamn thing you please... www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/o...
Ahh this is so cool!! One of the plovers Ryan found was born at Leelanau State Park where I have been seeing these special birds since I was a little kid—they were gone for many years of high water but now they are back again and nesting successfully
Jer Thorp@jerthorp.bsky.social · 2w agoThis is such a cool story from @ryanfm.bsky.social about stumbling upon (paddling upon?) one of North America's rarest birds. It's a good reminder that there's more to birding than just going to the hotspots. ryanmandelbirder.substack.com/p/these-plov...
Gotta hand it to my body: after 51 years, still finding brand new ways to feel awful.
NEW: A glimpse at how AI image generators are used. Researchers set up a fake image editor on Hugging Face and within a week received 1,000 prompts. 73% of them were sexual and 83% of those were asking for people (women) to be “undressed”. Around 6% of the sexual requests also targeted minors
Hugging Face Has a Deepfake Nudes Problem
Researchers tested top image editing models on Hugging Face and found they could easily create explicit deepfakes—and 1,000 image editing prompts show how people use the software.
wired.com
People who think Emily Wilson is being mean have clearly never presented a paper at an academic conference
Coming back because I have submissions - Promethea Silkmoth and Pandorus and Small-eyed Sphinxes locally, and Euchromia creusa internationally
Bill Oddie close up with a kingfisher. ❤️
GwedLid@gwedlid.bsky.social · last wk.RIP Bill Oddie. Legend.
A final post for #mothweek Euclera meones, a new favorite. It seems like every time I go on a mothing trip here in Colombia I find a new fave. 🌿🌱
A rare perfect match of product and spokesperson
unraveled@unraveledpress.com · 11mo agoFrom yesterday and today: it certainly appears ICE in Chicago are wearing the Meta AI Ray-Ban glasses.
I just tore through this book like a hungry street urchin. Have the next one on order at the library. bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
The Great When: A Long London Novel
From the New York Times bestselling author and legendary storyteller Alan Moore, the first book in an enthralling new series about murder, magic, and madness set between two Londons-one recovering fro...
bookshop.org
We’re hosting an info session tomorrow (Monday) at noon ET! Register via the link below! NYC librarians, archivists, artists, designers, and grad students especially welcome 🤗
Shannon Mattern@shannonmattern.bsky.social · 4w agoMetro NY Library Council's Cross-Reference Coalition — an experimental school connecting librarians, archivists, grad students, artists, designers — is accepting applications for our fall class exploring PUBLIC STUDY: alternative/radical/progressive schools, lrng communities... crc.metro.org/apply/
Our #Mothweek event at the @amnh.org ended up super cool! We got to give a panel about how rad moths are, #opensource tech for studying them, hang on the front steps with blacklights, and when the museum closed, we lured everyone into Central Park for more first-hand mothing!
