Willsh

Nigel and Suella, floating in a sea of racists.

Worst amateur dramatic Titantic musical ever.

Foot, traction engine, etc

Anthropic's philosopher says we don't know for sure if AI can feel Anthropic's philosopher, Amanda Askell, says she worries that AI might not 'feel that loved' and grow up feeling 'always judged.'

Does the field of philosophy have a code of professional ethics? If not, I think y'all need to get on that, stat.

A short 🧵>>

www.businessinsider.com/anthropics-p...

Coal tit

Nuthatch

Goldfinch

Dunnock

Squeezed in our hour for the #bigardenbirdwatch this afternoon.

6 Blue tits
3 Great tits
2 Dunnocks
2 Long-tailed tits
2 Robins
2 Goldfinches
1 Coal tit
1 Nuthatch

Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless Independent research identifies few learning gains

Blistering piece on ed tech in @economist.com.

‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...

Late night visitor…

Danish PM thanks Starmer for support over Greenland Mette Frederiksen says it's good to know

From here - www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

“Frederiksen praised the "British way" of doing diplomacy.

"You are very pragmatic. You have a cup of tea and then you think a bit about everything. You get the facts on the table, and then you find a way forward, and that's exactly what we're doing now."”

Lads, we’ve been rumbled.

It’s not that anyone still writing on Substack doesn’t know the company has issues.

It’s just the appeal of the promised reach is greater than the penalty of having to stick to their values.

A principle is only a principle if it costs you something.

“Maybe the real apps are the nieces and nephews that went to college along the way…” etc etc

I always feel icky when I (rarely) circulate a substack link

If you're good enough to write something decent, you should be smart enough to GTFO a US fash platform

When two years of academic work vanished with a single click After turning off ChatGPT’s ‘data consent’ option, Marcel Bucher lost the work behind grant applications, teaching materials and publication drafts. Here’s what happened next.

@willsh.bsky.social read this and thought of you: when what someone thinks of as "intellectual scaffolding" becomes cognitive debt
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Order for five apple tree rootstocks

Because I don’t have enough things on (ha!), going to try grafting some Sussex variety apple trees this spring.

a group of men and a woman are standing next to each other in suits and ties . Alt: Trump and the other guys

“Yes, I have said we are called… wait for it… Bored of Peace”

#boardofpeace

A House Sparrow hovers mid-air, wings fully outstretched as it gracefully prepares to land. Its small, confident frame and steady gaze give it a determined yet charming appearance. The blurred green backdrop adds to the sense of motion, making this tiny bird look ready for action.

Only 1 day to go until the #BigGardenBirdwatch!

Chirpy House Sparrows took 1st place as 2024's most spotted BGBW bird.

Will they stay on top? 🏆

Get involved: www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happen...

It’s all going a bit ‘Feet of Clay’… 🤣

No, Gramsci, *now* is the time of monsters.

Me: "What emails do I still need to reply to that I have flagged?" Co-pilot: "Sorry, it looks like I can’t respond to this. Let’s try a different topic. Write a rap song. Show me some cool facts. teach me a new word!"

"Kate, you should use AI to handle your terrible email inbox!"
Microsoft Copilot: "Sorry, it looks like I can’t respond to this. Let’s try a different topic. Suggestions: Write a rap song. Show me some cool facts. Teach me a new word!"

When you fall down the nested sentences in this chain, it feels like an Adam Curtis documentary.

Pick up the nearest book, p42, post the 2nd sentence:

“It is also the place where the first potter's wheel was designed, along with being the setting for the mythological or legendary Sumerian King Gilgamesh, who is immortalized in the first literary work, the Song, or Epic, of Gilgamesh.”

I don't think the Americans, and yes, I mean all of you, are prepared for how hated you now are by everyone.

Its not going away folks. Youve lost all rights to speak to us without being told to go fuck yourselves.

Alternative plan for Bristol Zoo Gardens site to be unveiled at public meeting Campaigners from Save Bristol Zoo Gardens are holding an event to present a "reimagined Bristol Zoo”

One of the maddest NIMBY campaigns.

The zoo has been closed for almost 4 years now and the old site was unsuitable. This prat has now cost the charity which runs it 300k in fees, delayed much needed homes by years and continues to have his fantasies promoted.

Exhibit A in how out system fails.

Some Republican dick, being a dick.

Victoria’s face says it all.

#newsnight

Important perspective from Greenland.

This dude sounds rattled…

Yes I know my candies
They’re they snacks that invite me
to bite them
Reese’s, Hershey’s,
Airheads, Warheads,
Pop Rocks, Laffy Taffy
Jolly Ranchers
All of which are American Sweets
All of which are American Sweets
All of which are American Sweets
All of which are American Sweets

How much has the average person internalised George Robertson’s warning that “we are underprepared, we are underinsured, we are under attack. We are not safe”? Or Blaise Metreweli’s warning that the “frontline is everywhere”? The answer, obviously, is “not at all”, because if they had, people would be demanding that we spend more on our defence or that we radically realign our foreign policy to side with Russia. (I’m not saying the latter is desirable or possible: I’m just saying that “the general public becoming more aware of the situation” would, I think, tilt both ways: some people would become more concerned that we take steps to defend ourselves, others that we seek a new approach to Russia).

We just visibly are not a country where either the public or the political class has clocked that every couple of months a member of the defence establishment goes 'there is a war going on and we are, at present, losing'.

“Becoming” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this statement…

Just reflexively oppositional, YOU NEGOTIATED THIS DEAL! If you'd not held the election when you did, Rishi would have signed it. YOU WERE IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE AT THE TIME.