John L. Walters
@johnlwalters.bsky.social
Writer, composer, editor, musician, record producer.
It requires expertise to be able to say, “I do not know the answer to that question, and that is becauae thus far scholarly consensus is that we do not have the knowledge needed at this time to answer that question.” Sometimes “I don’t know” is a far more rigorous answer than people might think.
‘Cosmic Gall’ by John Updike. A cast of a thousand neutrinos.
Jesse Hawken@jessehawken.bsky.social · last wk.Studio execs are going to want to adapt more poems for the big screen now
Note to all journalists: If you are tempted to describe what you are trying to report on as "ripped from the pages of a sci-fi novel", you have been taken in by the marketing department. >>
This is very well done, I think: leidendeclaration.ai A few choice quotes, that should be of interest well beyond mathematics: >>
Leiden Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Mathematics
This declaration calls for action to address the challenges posed by the use of artificial intelligence within mathematics research.
leidendeclaration.ai
Glad to discover this upbeat Friday column I wrote more than 21 years ago, www.theguardian.com/culture/2005... It’s a review of albums by @patmetheny.bsky.social and EST in @theguardian.com Last sentence ends: ‘maybe the music business is in better shape than we deserve.’
Buried pleasure
Pat Metheny and EST get better with each listen. Do our short attention spans deserve such treats? John L Walters reports.
theguardian.com
The wisdom of Joseph Weizenbaum. Great thread by M.J. Crockett.
M.J. Crockett@mjcrockett.bsky.social · last mo.Joseph Weizenbaum's 1976 book, Computer Power and Human Reason, has long been out of print - used copies sell for hundreds of dollars. It's wild that this is not more widely available given how much his ideas still apply to the world we're in now. 🧵/
Exclusive: I have seen OpenAI's audited financials for 2024 and 2025. In 2025, OpenAI had $13.07 billion in revenue and $34 billion in costs. $867 million of its revenue came from SoftBank, and $303 million came from Microsoft. www.wheresyoured.at/exclusive-op...
Exclusive: OpenAI Losses Increased Nearly 8X in 2025, With Spending Hitting $34 Billion
Soundtrack: In Flames - Colony To further support my independent journalism, please subscribe to my premium newsletter. It’s $7 a month or $70 a year. If you’re subscribed to the free newsletter and ...
wheresyoured.at
Sticks in the mind, eyemagazine.com/feature/arti... Does anyone care about posters, or are they just an ego-trip for the designers who still make them? Essay by the late Véronique Vienne in #Eye69
The Poster Festival in Warsaw, www.the-poster.com @slanted.bsky.social @baugasm.bsky.social @martinlorenz.bsky.social @timrodenbroeker.bsky.social @johnlwalters.bsky.social
The Poster
Join The Poster Festival in Warsaw, June 11-14, 2026. Featuring talks, lectures, exhibitions, performances, and special events. Register free today!
the-poster.com
‘AI is the money-losingest thing the human race has ever done.’ Cory Doctorow on Today, BBC Radio 4.
BBC Radio 3 Night Tracks Now Playing Laurence Crane & Cikada Simon 10 Holt 50
More Ghost in the Machine screenings worldwide – do see it, notaidoc.com/events @valerieveatch.bsky.social @ghostdoc2026.bsky.social
Events | Find Screenings Near You — Ghost in the Machine
Engage with "Ghost in the Machine" at screenings, Q&As, and discussions with leading experts on AI and technology.
notaidoc.com
I wrote about Ian Carr’s biography of Miles Davis in 1998, www.independent.co.uk/arts-enterta... @theindependent.bsky.social
Remembering Tom Phillips on what would have been his 89th birthday. Portrait by Philip Sayer.
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 28: Know when to stop. It's easy to spend ages refining bits of text and telling yourself you're "polishing", when in fact what you're really doing is postponing the inevitable moment of sending the work to an editor, who will flag all the big problems you've missed.
A Harvard study just published estimates Elon Musk's destruction of USAID has already caused 600,000 deaths 2/3 of them children. That is his legacy in this world.
More London screenings: go! dochouse.org/event/ghost-...
Ghost in the Machine - Bertha DocHouse
Ghost in the Machine reveals the fantasies behind the hype and explores the philosophical, cultural and political forces driving the AI boom.
dochouse.org
John L. Walters@johnlwalters.bsky.social · 3mo agoGhost in the Machine (@ghostdoc2026.bsky.social) is a must-watch documentary, now showing in London @berthadochouse.bsky.social dochouse.org/event/ghost-... With @emilymbender.bsky.social , @adambecker.bsky.social & many smart people documenting the dark roots of so-called ‘AI’. #notai #quitgpt
curious how Trump decided to attack NATO right after his long phone call with Putin
