Maybe I've just constructed an impenetrable silo where any and all news about genAI/LLMs is hot garbage. Is there any actual "good news" regarding genAI (*not* to be confused with analytical AI)? Anything beyond "feckless incurious person makes quick buck by flooding market with utter horseshit"?

In light of Hank Green disappointing us all, a thread of science communicators that do not brainlessly parrot LLMs as reference. Miniminuteman. A Tiktok import who now posts long form archeological/pseudoarcheology-debunking vids to YouTube. They're fantastic. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFA4...

The Giant Skeletons of Lovelock Cave - DEBUNKED

YouTube video by Miniminuteman

youtube.com

I'm really *really* hoping that he learns that surface-level, seemingly innocuous use of AI is anything but; that intelligent, sure-footed critical thinkers can be surprised as to the slip of the slope they're on; and that deep reflection, personal growth, and a well-funded anti-AI campaign follows.

Finally, someone in this field says what so many others have FAILED to mention throughout this film’s discourse.

Rhea Classical Reviews@rheaclassical.bsky.social · 7d ago

New Rhea Receptions essay for a hot Thursday morning! Dr. Jeremy Swist (@metalclassicist.bsky.social) explores modern Greek identity, ancient Greece, and Homer in heavy metal, with a focus on the band Triumpher.

A reminder for everyone that SW5e, a fantastic complete Star Wars fan build for D&D 5e, already exists. For free. Maintained by a loving team of humans, and created by credited human artists.

Madilynn the Alchemist (they/she) 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈@madilynnalchemist.bsky.social · 6d ago

Next up in Universes beyond DnD edition: Star Wars. *screams into pillow*

Film you've watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Star Trek, Star Wars, LOTR, Marvel, Disney, or Ghibli.

Master And Commander Far Side Of The World

Alt: Russell Crowe playing Captain Jack Aubrey in the film Master And Commander: Far Side Of The World, saying, "What a fascinating modern age we live in."

static.klipy.com

Patrick Wyman@patrickwyman.bsky.social · 7d ago

Film you've watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Star Trek, Star Wars, LOTR, Marvel, Disney, or Ghibli.

Orwell's oft-repeated quote: "Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past," would be tiresome by now if it weren't so emphatically salient currently.

You know when you're chatting away and you stop as your brain searches for a word. And the word is right. there. but you can't remember it. But you spend so long trying to remember the word that you forget what you were talking about in the first place? Ushabti. Remembered now. Convo was days ago.

Here it is, available for preorder! 'Graveyards of Eastern Newfoundland' is available for preorder, with its final cover! The book is with the printer now & we have a release date of Oct 19th! 🎉 Book preorders is so important, so please consider! 🏺 #graveyard #nfld

"oh everything is misogyny/ableism/racism to you," folks, fellas, lads, I have news for you

Reviewer 1: "Yeah, it was fine. Not how I would have done it, but fine." Reviewer 2: * inhales deeply* An Uncomplicated Man www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Emily Wilson · An Uncomplicated Man

As they say at the awards shows, I was humbled to learn that Christopher Nolan has read at least the first line of my...

lrb.co.uk

Are you interested in how interactive video games could inspire interest in heritage across new audiences? My student Sophie has designed a trailer for 'Ancient Kernow' - she would love you to watch it and take her short survey: youtu.be/Ilau7-52GAE

Ancient Kernow Trailer

YouTube video by Sophie J Art

youtu.be

Headline: Woman successful because of man. After looking into it even a little bit: Very successful author with multiple best-selling books has one of her excellent, best-selling books chosen for adaptation into a movie because it had already proven to be very successful.

Ignacio Gallup-Diaz@igallupd.bsky.social · 2w ago

“A Penn professor thought she’d sell 1000 copies of her ‘Odyssey’ translation. She sold a million this year alone, thanks to Christopher Nolan.” “West Philly's Emily Wilson, who penned a highly acclaimed translation of the epic poem in 2017, is having a big summer.”

Happy #AskAnArchaeologist Day! What do you want to know?! I'm Dr. Lacy, & I'm a mortuary archaeologist, #gravestone conservator, & heritage researcher! 🏺

It's #AskAnArchaeologistDay 🏺! I'm running errands today as I continue to prep for my upcoming fieldwork, but when I can I'm happy to talk about the archaeology I do (see bio for details) on the south coast of BC, & I can help point you in the direction of fellow archaeologists in other subjects 😊

Hot dog! My "Learn to Read Ancient Akkadian, Vol. I" just arrived! I'll fit nicely on my hyper-focus shelf. Thanks, @digital-hammurabi.bsky.social! Looking forward to digging in! 🏺

Bring back clip art community flyers taped to café windows. Bring back cut+paste+xeroxed band advertising glued to light poles. Bring back paint on plywood farm stand sandwich boards. Bring back the ubiquitous Guy Buffet paintings in Italian restaurants. AI art enshittens everything it touches.

⚔️🎀 𝔉𝔦𝔞𝔡𝔥 🎀⚔️@fiadh.bsky.social · 3w ago

i am begging venues & bands to rediscover clipart

Why are people taking the piss out of others lamenting about spoilers? Sure, I know how The Odyssey ends. And The Clouds. Enuma Elish, Gilgamesh, and Inanna's Descent, too. I know these things now, but once I didn't. And it was a joy to find out. Let people experience new (to them) things!

I can’t quite believe this news - my book Domination is the NUMBER ONE topselling history paperback of 2026 so far! A huge thank you to all my readers! And all the booksellers of course! www.thebookseller.com/bestsellers/...

Please blow up the public comment (included below): BREAKING NEWS (7/15) — The administration wants to destroy Chaco Canyon without consulting Tribal Nations. It’s an irreplaceable historic & cultural site with 4,700 archeological sites that could be lost to the bulldozers of oil & gas development

The only platform we should be giving rape apologists is "launch", as in "with a rocket bound for the sun."

Aparna Nair@disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 3w ago

thats rape. THAT IS RAPE. JESUS CHRIST, THAT IS RAPE.

My city has the worst air quality in the world today, and my prime minister wants to spend billions to subsidize the oil industry.

Oliver Moore@oliver-moore.bsky.social · 3w ago

Damn

I am but a poor debut author, so cannot afford anything fancy, but if you'd like to come to my (completely online) book launch on the 12th of September, I'd really love it if you could join me in celebrating achieving my lifelong ambition. fb.me/e/kwrgh2Yzs

How people think science works: We observed two things, therefore: a binary. How science works: We were unable to establish a control since the necessary features to define "one" necessitated the inclusion of sufficient attributes to render distinguishing it from the experimental group impossible.

Casey@caseyaac.bsky.social · 4w ago

There is just something so emotionally and spiritually immature about insisting science reduce its study of anything to two binary categories

Ancient Aliens distorts the achievements of indigenous cultures around the world.

This is the line of thinking that worked with antiquarian archaeology and anthropology in the 1870s to create the pseudoscientific Hamitic Hypothesis. Long discredited, but still raising its ugly head because pseudoscience never goes out of style for racist losers 🙄

Right Wing Watch @rightwingwatch.bsky.social · 4w ago

Preaching that God has assigned black people to "a civilizational station of subordination and dependence" due to the Curse of Ham, Christian nationalist pastor Dale Partridge calls for a "return to European Christian colonization of African nations." www.peoplefor.org/rightwingwat...

Calling all field scientists 🧪 (but especially archaeologists 🏺🪏)... my field school students are asking about GIS certificate programs, does anyone have any recommendations?

To my American friends, May tomorrow's Independence Day festivities bring renewed vigour in your fight against authoritarianism, and I hope that you awake on Sunday with just as many fingers and toes as you go to sleep with tonight. Very faithfully yours, Curt