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Dr Elen Shute

@lonerangifer.bsky.social

1.7K followers 460 following 620 posts

Palaeontologist | Conservation biologist | Cellist | Coveter of yarn | Puerile fun aunt

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Dr Elen Shute @lonerangifer.bsky.social · Jun 2

Want in on a secret? Reckon I've cracked the 125-year-old mystery of what tune Elgar hid in his Enigma Variations - like once and for all solved it. This has been buzzing around in my brain for the last week, so I'm very happy to get the story out into the world! 🎼🎶🎻🎺
medium.com/@elen.shute/...

Enigma: Elgar’s 125-year-old musical riddle solved (again)

In 1899, English composer Edward Elgar wrote a piece of music for orchestra that has kept musicians and audiences guessing for over a…

medium.com

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Dr Elen Shute @lonerangifer.bsky.social · 11h

I’m guessing this was invented by people who don’t share an office. Just imagine everyone chatting away to their computers in open-plan.

Tom Warren @tomwarren.co.uk · 18h

This is the future of Windows. Microsoft wants to rewrite Windows to turn computers into AI PCs that you talk to. It's now bringing AI features to all Windows 11 PCs today, in a bid to convince you to talk to your PC and let AI control it. Full details 👇 www.theverge.com/news/799768/...

Microsoft wants you to talk to your PC and let AI control it

Copilot Voice and Vision are now rolling out.

www.theverge.com

Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

Zen Faulkes @doctorzen.net · 13h

1990s: Internet
1980s: CD-ROMs
1960s: Television
1930s: Radio
… All the way back to printing press if not before.

Brandon Bishop @brandontbishop.bsky.social · 1d

Every decade, university administrators excite themselves over the prospects of firing all the faculty and 95% of the staff.

Early 2020s: LLMs
Early 2010s: MOOCs
Early 2000s: Wikis

ktb ⧉ @kevinbaker.bsky.social · 1d

In ways that we haven't fully internalized, LLM discourse is reanimating key features of 2004ish Wikipedia discourse.

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Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 1d

“A clarinet player was arrested after playing her instrument to the tune of the ‘Ghostbusters’ theme song outside of a Portland ICE facility…”

Musician playing ‘Ghostbusters’ outside ICE facility is arrested by agents

‘Taking us citizens out of state to detain them without charge is a new action from the Feds and should be opposed,’ her band said

www.independent.co.uk

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LOWρUF🐸 🇵🇦🇬🇱🇨🇦🇲🇽 @lowrhoufo.bsky.social · 1d

I feel like Ben Gvir personally being in the room when Greta Thunberg was being tortured should be bigger news

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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 1d

It's good to just rename things occasionally so we don't forget what they really are

geordi pointing meme - he says no to "data centres" and yes to "computer buildings"

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Dr Elen Shute @lonerangifer.bsky.social · 2d

By 2030. Aim low.

Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 3d

My colleagues & I have taken a huge gamble to set up @thenerve.news We’re trying to build a new independent publication from the ground up. Social media is our only distribution for now.

Sharing this article in your networks would make a huge difference. Thank you! 🙏🙏🙏

Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 4d

NEW: The British politician, his Russian intelligence handler & a Kremlin plot against the US & Ukraine.

My new piece about Nathan Gill and Nigel Farage for @thenerve_news in which we ask:

Why, even now, is no-one asking questions?

t.co/BUTtpK9C4S

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Senator David Shoebridge @davidshoebridge.bsky.social · 4d

Leo Puglisi from @6newsau.bsky.social gave evidence to the parliamentary inquiry on the social media age ban - I asked him about the real impacts on young people. This isn't about protection, it's about control. You can't lock kids out of news and social connection and call it safety.

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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 5d

Seagrasses are great but this is false. Most carbon in the ocean is dissolved inorganic carbon and seagrass carbon is a tiny fraction of that. The mixing of stock and flux is also unhelpful. The only way to stop climate change is not burning fossil fuels.

reasonstobecheerful.world/seagrass-res...

Despite covering just Q.2 percent of the sea floor, seagrasses account for an estimated 10 percent of all the carbon stored by the world's oceans. They are also able to capture carbon from the atmosphere up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests such as the Amazon.

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Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.bsky.social · Jun 25

New paper hot off the press www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We analysed over 40,000 computer vision papers from CVPR (the longest standing CV conf) & associated patents tracing pathways from research to application. We found that 90% of papers & 86% of downstream patents power surveillance

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Computer-vision research powers surveillance technology - Nature

An analysis of research papers and citing patents indicates the extensive ties between computer-vision research and surveillance.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

Aaliyah 🇮🇪🇵🇸 ‼️SAVE GAZA‼️ @aaliyahxx.bsky.social · 5d

CNN reports that Israel has refused to release two abducted Palestinian doctors, renowned pediatrician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and Dr. Marwan Al Hams, deliberately excluding them from the ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement.

A digital poster features two Palestinian doctors, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, against a blurred background of destruction and smoke. Text at the top reads in bold yellow letters: “They are not coming home.” Below, in white and yellow text, it says: “Israel denies release of abducted Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya and Dr. Marwan Al-Hams in deal.” Both men appear serious—Dr. Abu Safiya in a white medical coat, and Dr. Al-Hams in dark clothing with a stethoscope around his neck.

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Dr Elen Shute @lonerangifer.bsky.social · 5d

On the 14th of the month, no less.

Patrick Dunleavy @patrickdunleavy.bsky.social · 5d

Sir Tony Blair met with Jeffrey Epstein in Downing Street while still prime minister, following lobbying by Lord Peter Mandelson, the BBC has confirmed. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Tony Blair met Jeffrey Epstein while prime minister

The ex-PM confirms he met Epstein in 2002, six years before the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

Simon Rosenberg @simonrosenberg.bsky.social · 6d

Trump is a fading buffoon. Miller is positioning to take over as America's Stalin.

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Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

Dr Ingrid M @ingridm.bsky.social · 6d

apparently billionaire-built digital slop machine output is being posted to billionaire-built digital platforms in an effort to create and spread misinformation as widely and harmfully as possible ikr.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

AI-generated misinformation about 4yo Gus prompts tech and legal concerns

The thought of a missing boy lost in the outback is indescribably harrowing — but what's almost as disturbing is the realisation that some on social media have seized on the disappearance of four-year...

www.abc.net.au

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Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

Barbara Pocock @barbarapocock.bsky.social · 7d

A slap on the wrist behind closed doors undermines the case put forward by Finance that the culture of PwC is all cleaned up, which was their justification for allowing PwC back into the fold of government contracts. #auspol

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Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 6d

It really does say something when an article about reactions to a coal power plant continuing to operate says nothing about climate change, the existential threat it poses and the need to phase out oil, gas and coal.

ABC News Bot (unofficial) @abcnewsbot.bsky.social · 6d

Communities across Queensland have welcomed plans to keep coal and gas burning across the state, though some warn a lack of future planning could undermine short-term benefits.

Plan to extend life of coal-fired power stations sends 'mixed messages'

Communities across Queensland have welcomed plans to keep coal and gas burning across the state, though some warn a lack of future planning could undermine short-term benefits.

www.abc.net.au

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Dr Elen Shute @lonerangifer.bsky.social · 6d

I feel nauseous just thinking about it. Particularly the ‘go/no go’ part.

Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

Briony Kidd @brionykidd.bsky.social · 7d

A concerning development regarding Madeleine Habib, the Tasmanian/Australian citizen being held by Israel after being taken from the humanitarian vessel the Conscience. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
#politas #auspol

Screen grab from the linked article. Text reads:

Dfat’s report noted Habib did not agree to sign the waiver and said the officials confirmed with Israeli immigration officials that any detainees who refused to sign the waiver would remain in Israel indefinitely.

The officials noted this differed from past experience where detainees would be deported after 72 hours regardless of whether they signed a waiver.

Guardian Australia understands the waiver required detainees to acknowledge they had sought to illegally break Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza. At least one member of the flotilla who did not sign a waiver has been released, sources have said.

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Barbara Pocock @barbarapocock.bsky.social · 7d

How we ‘fess up when we mess up shows who we are. Pay it all back Deloitte. And apologise. Give yrsrlf some procurement teeth Labor: the capability to ban for poor behaviour, commensurate with the misdemeanour, up to 5 yrs.

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Dr Elen Shute @lonerangifer.bsky.social · 7d

“I’d like to thank my pens, pencils, computer and calculator…”

Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

Crikey @crikey.com.au · 7d

The teen social media ban "is not a blank cheque to use personal or sensitive information," warns Australia's privacy commissioner.

Excessive data collection for teen social media ban is illegal, warns privacy commissioner

www.crikey.com.au

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Dr Elen Shute @lonerangifer.bsky.social · 7d

My family of 5 moved from Caerffili to Australia a few decades ago. I’m cool with an immigrant having the spot I vacated, chware teg. I got to benefit from all Australia has to offer, and I have met plenty of Welsh people in the same situation. People move around, including Welsh ones. 2 way street.

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Sarah Schwartz @sarahschwartz.bsky.social · 9d

A letter to those who taught me my Jewishness, and who now sit on the other side of a deep chasm.

When you first heard me speak against this genocide, you heard my words as betrayal. But they were meant as love

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

When you first heard me speak against this genocide, you heard my words as betrayal. But they were meant as love | Sarah Schwartz

Not speaking would go against everything I was taught to honour: the righteous among the nations – those who refused to be bystanders to injustice

www.theguardian.com

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Dr Elen Shute @lonerangifer.bsky.social · 9d

What dudes!

Reposted by Dr Elen Shute

John Quiggin @johnquiggin.bsky.social · 9d

Yet again a failure of quasi-NGO university education for which minister Clare takes no responsibility

Careers in limbo after graduates discover university courses were never accredited

Students have been left with HECS debts and careers that are "non-existent" after completing degrees that were not accredited. Class actions have been launched against two Australian universities.

www.abc.net.au

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