Dr Elen Shute
@lonerangifer.bsky.social
Palaeontologist | Conservation biologist | Cellist | Coveter of yarn | Puerile fun aunt
The Bunnings experiment with creepy AI facial recognition software (courtesy of Palantir) appears to have been so unsuccessful that expensive gear is now in locked cabinets (an assistant has to open it & escort you to the counter), & checkouts have barrier gates you have to be let through.
The Inquiry the major parties refused to hold - "the security establishment, unmuzzled by retirement, saying what serving officials dare not" Andrew Brown - devastating on #AUKUS #auspol michaelwest.com.au/aukus-the-in...
Nothing says we love and respect this land like setting it on fire with fuel-laden drones. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
Israel deliberately starting wildfires in southern Lebanon, firefighters say
Emergency services, residents and environmental groups say military dropping flares to destroy forests and crops
theguardian.com
My uni have just withdrawn Geography, History & Geography and Politics & Geography undergrad courses run from our Penryn campus. Terrible for Cornwall. How did the staff find out? When UCAS clearing opened at 8am 😡
Now we have to be concerned that doctors won’t proof read AI scribe notes FFS www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
Doctor forced to apologise after AI makes 'scary' error about illegal drugs
Artificial Intelligence is listening to many people's medical appointments, but it is not always hearing things correctly.
abc.net.au
I don't think there should be a defibrilator on Snowdon. And that's a hill I'm prepared to die on
Very funny to see 'where is Australia's Zohran Mamdani' discussions that don't mention the fundamental fact it is obscenely harder for a brown skinned person to make it to an equivalent leadership position in Australia
Week 18: Glued the front purfling in place. Trimmed the back purfling flush with the plate. Carved a channel all around the edges. Back to hardcore carving of the back to get the arching right. Part way there 🙂 🎻
Exceptionally low water levels on the Danube have exposed parts of the foundations of the ancient Constantine Bridge, giving archaeologists a rare opportunity to document what they describe as one of the Roman Empire's most impressive engineering achievements. www.reuters.com/business/env...
The TikTok girlies are referring to Amanda Palmer as “steampunk Ghislaine Maxwell” and damn
There is a secret report into the failures of senior Defence leadership that allowed war crimes to happen in Afghanistan. It was commissioned by the Inspector-General of the ADF. The Coalition have joined together to hide it, because of course they will.
The QLD Crisafulli gov made new laws that say it's ok for child Boot Camp operators not to report child abuse if it will incriminate themselves. WTF?? This law makes no sense. It will draw more predators to these kinds of jobs. #PaedoProtectionist #qldpol www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...
Concerns planned boot camps may allow child abuse to go unreported
The Queensland government wants to allow Circuit Breaker Program operators to not report child harm if doing so would incriminate themselves. Welfare groups are concerned this would leave children vul...
abc.net.au
You can/should read Emily Wilson's latest take on the Odyssey, but I'm logging on to convey my hairdresser's reaction. She was AGHAST that Nolan, with his million $ budget, gave Matt Damon ONLY 6 hair extensions. As a result, his hair did not blow around properly, & that ruined the film for her.
NDAs for NFPs? Environmental groups hide funding from carbon credits advocate Stephanie Tran reports. Read it here: https://michaelwest.com.au/ndas-for-nfps-environmental-groups-hide-funding-from-carbon-credits-advocate/
Week 17: Marked out the viola neck & scroll. Nailed(ish) the purfling. A lot of strips ended up in the bin - but I was pretty happy with the end result. Happiness is a crisp mitre 😘🎻
Ah, this warms the cockles of my cold, dead heart. Wait til you see the price a TERF had to pay for lying about a trans woman. "...also be required to publish a court-approved apology that must remain pinned on their social media channels for three months" www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/07/an-a...
An anti-trans activist lied about a trans athlete injuring cis women. Now she has to pay the price. - LGBTQ Nation
Kirralie Smith admitted in court she didn't have any evidence to back up her claim about a trans woman injuring two cis women.
lgbtqnation.com
This is INCREDIBLE news
Ada Palmer@adapalmer.bsky.social · 2w agoEndometriosis takes nine years to diagnose. That’s about to change. NICE has approved two tests: a saliva test reading microRNA markers, and a gut-sensor test returning results in 45 minutes, sparing women the keyhole surgery currently needed. buff.ly/QX3jHk8 #ShareGoodNewsToo
‘More than just objects’: Australian book sellers raise alarm over ‘horrific’ destruction of rare titles to feed AI
‘More than just objects’: Australian book sellers raise alarm over ‘horrific’ destruction of rare titles to feed AI
Secondhand booksellers believe they may have been caught up in the AI supply chain that sees old books scanned then destroyed “Sometimes books tell you more than the content,” says Tim White, as he lines up carefully dust-jacketed books and pamphlets in plastic sleeves on temporary shelves in Melbourne University’s Wilson Hall. He’s preparing his stall for this weekend’s Melbourne Rare Book Fair. For people like White, who runs independent bookshop Books for Cooks, the book as a physical object is just as important as what’s inside it. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
This loophole in land clearing legislation is overdue to be closed for good. Our precious semi-arid woodlands safeguard so many species—clearing them to maintain sheep and cattle pastures is indefensible.
ABC News Australia@news.abc.net.au · 2w agoLand-clearing concerns spark call to scrap NSW invasive native species code
Half the planet is having a massive fight about how to correctly interpret an Ancient Greek poem but go ahead, close some more humanities departments.
Full of despair today. Massive lay offs in social sciences and humanities across the country, Burnham puts out a video saying 'AI can write an essay', and my university is busy integrating co-pilot into all staff and student computers. We are being told we're defunct and there's no resistance.
Pauline Hanson has updated her parliamentary register of interests for her European trip - disclosing that Gina Rinehart paid for the flights www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentar...
How many times do you let someone meander around the block slowly, looking lost/suspicious, before you ask them if they’re lost? 🤔
Week 16: A few odd jobs. Adding some spare timber to the neck block to make it square & easier to work with. Trimming the linings. Then the part I have been waiting for - learning how to fit the purfling! It’s going to be a fiddly (pardon the pun) task but it’s going to look amazing! 🎻
"Australia’s modern political and media class...puts a primacy on order above almost anything else – including good policy." @amyremeikis.bsky.social 💥🎯 Precisely why Labor's national conference has been judged a success, while achieving little. #auspol 1/2 www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politic...
Albanese's 'disciplined' Labor risks making a very big mistake
The Australian Labor Party, under Anthony Albanese, has been a model in what political watchers like to call "discipline".
thenewdaily.com.au
