Suzanne Owen

@suzanneowenphd.bsky.social

Academic, writer, dendrophile

When you use AI, consider this: the massive energy demands of AI data centers are driving up electricity costs. As well known, the use of water for cooling is also huge. The costs are socialized, the revenues go to the companies. www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...

How AI infrastructure is driving a sharp rise in electricity bills

Electricity bills are climbing nationwide, rising faster than inflation in many places. The explosive growth of AI and the massive data centers behind it are driving demand and straining the grid. To ...

pbs.org

At an airport chatting to an older man about our delayed plane. I gave him updates from my phone. He said he had a long layover next, so wasn't worried. We were wearing masks because it was Covid. Later I saw his name - Manilow - and found he'd been performing in the city the night before.

Bolt451 day I'll leave you a phantom To lead you in the summer@bolt451.bsky.social · last yr.

Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction

Can we ever have a fair society when the wealthy are too powerful and tear down whoever might challenge them? When the BBC over-reports on a minor right-wing party leader? When people on the Left blame the Left, saying we're out of touch/don't have a narrative? Corbyn was, did. Look what happened.

As is our usual custom in an IAHR year, we will be running our annual conference for 2025 over a single day. This year we have also chosen to run the conference online, in the hope of widening participation. The theme will be Religion, Space, and Place. #basr2025 basr.ac.uk/2024/01/11/b...

BASR Annual Conference 2025

Religion, Space and Place Friday 5th September, 2025. Online, hosted by the Open University.  The BASR is pleased to be supporting the quinquennial IAHR conference in Krakow this year and we hope t…

basr.ac.uk

I was up walking near Hebden, North Yorkshire, when I investigated these odd grey symbols on the OS map. The area appeared to be full of earthworks (maybe old quarrying?) now covered in heather. Just above Garnshaw House.

Screenshot of section of OS map

Using a find a course website (WhatUni), I can only find two Religious Studies ones - Edinburgh and Open University. The latter has two - one as Arts and Humanities (RS) and one as Social Sciences (RS), so they seem to be within broader subject areas, leaving Edinburgh as the only place in the UK.

Wassailing revivals to bless orchards (esp apple) are part of efforts to connect with nature due to the loss and separation of modern lives with the natural world. This was at East Riddlesden Hall on Sunday with toast hung from trees.

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