James Chetwood

32,000 medieval manuscripts now transcribed by an algorithm.

The answer to this question is simply to be more French (or Roman). They all just 'towns' of varying sizes.

Google Translate got better and better overtime and had a short window of being brilliant, before getting, one assumes, AI slopified, and coming up with stuff like this -

(the word I'd googled was "muchacho")

https://bsr.ac.uk/awards-residencies-humanities/bsr-early-medieval-europe-fellowship/

Final call for the @bsrome.bsky.social and Early Medieval Europe early career fellowship, for a month's stay in Rome plus some travel costs to get there. Deadline tomorrow.
bsr.ac.uk/awards-resid...

As an ex e-learning designer, I'm pretty sure I wrote this.

Check your learning time! Obviously it's multiple choice.

What does AI stand for?

a) Artificial Intelligence
b) Archive Intelligence
c) Actual Intellect
d) Ahhhhh Interesting

5/

Bilbo looking at his phone top on bottom is ChatGPT After all, why not? Why shouldn't I keep it? You're absolutely right — you found it, it's been with you a long while, and it's only natural to feel fond of something that's served you so well, especially when someone like Gandalf suddenly seems to want it for himself.

*Not so fun fact. Matt Goodwin was my dissertation supervisor.

Only briefly mind. I swapped after he said that my idea - a study and survey on the politics of the homeless (less than 1% vote) - was of "no academic interest".

I got a 1st 🎓

The wonderful @caitlinrgreen.bsky.social has a hugely interesting new article just out in Early Medieval England & its Neighbours, all about Alfred the Great's embassy to India - free to read here #India #AlfredtheGreat #medieval www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Squeezing my research and teaching work in the gaps between academic misconduct meetings

It's set to be a gloomy day tomorrow, so how about some medieval loyalties instead! We have a very promising selection of 20-minute papers and 5-minute presentations, with a general discussion for all to join at the end. Bring a hot drink and join us online 1.30-4.30pm GMT! (zoom link at request)

You're watching BBC Scotland.

It is amusing that, despite how academics *have* been saying for c.40 years that the ancient Britons weren't labelled Celts, most normal people have just carried on assuming they were called Celts so this is only a big reversal for *us*

We're very important and impactful, honest

We had a blast yesterday launching A Companion to Rome (c. 400-1050) into the world. Thank you to our kind hosts, the KFG Religion & Urbanity, Jörg Rüpke and Susanne Rau, our respondents Mateusz Fafinski and Cinnamon Ducasse, and the audience. And our authors and further collaborators, of course!!

James Reed of recruiter Reed, which was founded by his father, has warned graduates that they should "think about a job that involves working with your hands" as AI takes on white-collar work.

Or consider being born to parents who can give you a role in the family firm?
www.ft.com/content/c894...

Finally had a chance to go through some of our finds from last year's excavation at #CerneAbbey & thought I would share this gem. Book clasps are quite common finds on monastic sites but this little fella is the finest I've ever excavated & must have come from a pretty fancy prayer book or psalter

As I was saying...

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/w...

always a lot of panic about right wing young men, the second most progressive demographic in britain

I need at least 3 more folk to sign up for my Edinburgh Adult Education Programme archaeology classes at Craigentinny, or the course will be cancelled. If you know anyone who might be interested, please let them know. Thank you!

adulteducationedinburgh.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spyd...

I feel like we should all take a moment to remember that Ukrainians are still dying and this guy is just spitting bilge about fucking Greenland being "unprotected" from Russia.

Very sad news indeed.

Surprise, surprise. Yusuf talking nonsense. Here's the graph with pensions stripped out. The complete opposite of what he claims.

Keep numbers away from Yusuf as you would fire from a toddler.

We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false. That the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient. That trade rules were enforced asymmetrically. And we knew that international law applied with varying rigour depending on the identity of the accused or the victim.

This fiction was useful. And American hegemony, in particular, helped provide public goods: open sea lanes, a stable financial system, collective security and support for frameworks for resolving disputes. So, we placed the sign in the window. We participated in the rituals. And we largely avoided calling out the gaps between rhetoric and reality. This bargain no longer works.

In the face of European leader after European leader meekly invoking “rules-based order”, “international law”, “closely monitoring”, “the UN Charter”…

It’s almost alien to see someone say “yeah, no, that was a lie and we all knew it.”

UK users of Ancestry - how easy is to search census data by settlement/street rather than individual? Seems all set up for family history- but I need the data for a place study. Don't want to pay for access if I can't get the info I need

Using or teaching literature in the language classroom? Come and talk to us in Nottingham: 30th March

It's also all a bit...'Franz Ferdinand's assassination an embarrassment for the 'Visit Sarajevo' tourism campaign', it is certainly *true* but it is missing the point.

Tomorrow, 21 January, 4-6pm, in person and online!
Until March, you will also be able to get a 35% discount, see below.
(I realise that the volumes are still prohibitively expensive 😢)

11% of British people hold a favourable view of Robert Jenrick, according to new YouGov polling

Bookshop sign

Some good news, though, if anyone has mislaid medieval Britain.