Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 3h

Rationalists are so, so bad at understanding people and by extension, politics.

‘I would simply introduce a one-world government…’

2

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 4h

‘Rationalism is to Silicon Valley as Scientology is to Hollywood’ killed me.

Dave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · 1d

Next up on my reading list.

…I am already regretting this choice.

IF ANYONE BUILDSIT, EVERYONE DIES
WHY
SUPERHUMAN AI
WOULD
KILLUS ALL
ELIEZER
YUDKOWSKY &
NATE SOARES

1

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 1d

Some ice cubes.

1

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 1d

The decisiveness is by design. We plant ourselves in neatly delineated camps, all sorted and ready to have ads posted for us. That’s what social media wants.

Excellent thoughts from @jonnelledge.bsky.social

Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 1d

"We’ve talked a lot about how X will bring about the end of the world, and it might. I just worry we should talk more about the way the internet is systematically stripping us of our capacity to feel empathy, too."

Written about how we all need to be nicer to each other (especially me)

The Two Minutes Hate

Some thoughts on what pile-ons are doing to our brains, because ouch. Also: everything objectively insane about Kash Patel’s “challenge coin”; and meet “ratzilla”.

jonn.substack.com

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 1d

Look at where they are right now, that’s a huge tell. Bet you a cup of tea that they would be one of the worst clients that designer ever had to work with. All the work will be non-design stuff: helping them work out how to decide, building consensus, herding cats…

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 2d

But the kitsch though. I just can’t get past the shit theatre.

2

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 2d

These ‘unhinged literary opinions’ are tending towards laboriously hinged.

1

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 2d

Man, these look incredible. You have a very lucky office.

1

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 2d

Restraining the tech platforms would be a direct challenge to Trump and the American economy. Vance has already drawn that line.

I understand the reluctance, but inaction by Labour on this is likely to result in the same outcome as challenge come the next election.

Reposted by Justin Stach

Pilot @pilotbeer.co.uk · 3d

Look, we hate craft beer as much as the next person but it's rapidly approaching the end of 2025 and we've just seen a fairly well known satirical spoof news site doing a story about how there's lots of IPAs with stupid names and hipsters like them. Mind boggling.

3 3 19

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 3d

Hello again, sleep paralysis.

Reposted by Justin Stach

Poor Frank Raw @poorfrankraw.co.uk · 4d

£145

Poor Frank Raw @poorfrankraw.co.uk · 5d

DUTCH AUCTION in support of salivaryglandcancer.uk

In my shop, this piece is priced at £165. At noon every day (BST) the price drops by £10, until it sells.

First DM gets it. UK shipping only.

Half of what you pay will go to SGC UK.

Please repost for widest coverage. Thank you :)

Hand carved #lettering on Hopton Wood limestone. I AM WHAT I AM.

8 10

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 5d

It is good.

Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 5d

anyway, I am pleased with this column, I think it is good, I hope you read it rather than just shouting at me for what you think it might say

www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

By Jonn Elledge

Illustration by Roy Scott / Ikon Images
“Acomputer terminal,” Douglas Adams once wrote, “is an interface where the mind and body can connect with the universe and move bits of it about.” In the same way, while the platform known in happier times as Twitter is famously not the real world, that’s never meant it can’t affect it.

One of the less upsetting ways those effects can manifest is outlined in a new report from “reputation management consultancy” (euch) Montford Communications. Posting to Policy explores the way wonks, politicos and shitposters alike drive government action through the raw power of their takes. “A niche account posts something punchy. It lands,” the report explains, with more full stops than is acceptable anywhere but LinkedIn. “Traditional media pick it up. Politicians respond. And policy follows. This is the ‘posting to policy’ pipeline and it’s fast becoming the new normal.”

Not all the examples the consultancy gives of this pipeline in action are entirely convincing. The “Nick, 30 ans” meme may have generated discourse, but it has not, as far as I’ve noticed, led to attempts to actually rethink intergenerational fairness; and while Robert Jenrick’s fare-dodging video made some waves, the shadow justice secretary is not, appearances notwithstanding, a shitposter. The most persuasive example offered is the transformation of Motability from a worthy but obscure scheme allowing those in receipt of mobility allowance to lease cars, to a “something must be done”-level spending scandal through noise on X alone.

Montford’s argument isn’t wrong: it’s abundantly clear by now that things that happen on the internet rarely stay there, and while hacks and wonks hang out on the same platforms as those with actual power it’s unsurprising that ideas sometimes migrate from the former to the latter. That, though, does not mean these conclusions are either new or significant. I can think of things I put on the internet ten years ago that g…

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 6d

bart simpson is giving a speech at a podium while a man in a hat stands behind him

ALT: bart simpson is giving a speech at a podium while a man in a hat stands behind him

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Justin Stach

Rabih Alameddine @rabihalameddine.bsky.social · Aug 5

William Nicholson, endpaper design for the first edition of 'The Velveteen Rabbit' (1922)

1 12 91

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 6d

Look at these beauties!

Sourdough2021 @sourdough2021.bsky.social · 6d

More sourdough discard crackers! Added ingredients this time: one tablespoon nutritional yeast, fresh mixed herbs, chilli powder, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and brushed with chilli oil. I used very strong Canadian white flour. #sourdough #crackers #baking #canadian

Sourdough discard crackers showing poppy seeds, sesame seeds and herbs.

3

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 6d

Yeah, I was wondering if the mild enthusiasm about Kemi's speech was a dead cat bounce.

2

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 6d

I’m also the parent of an autistic girl, and this perfectly describes a very significant realisation. Thank you for putting it so clearly.

1

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 6d

And they’re on here: @birmingham81.bsky.social

Great playlist, thank you!

1

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 7d

Apple Music version for the rest of us. Original curator linked in the playlist description. music.apple.com/gb/playlist/...

Golden Age of Hip Hop 100 by Justin Stach on Apple Music

Playlist · 98 Songs

music.apple.com

1 2

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 7d

Now folks, we're just going to ignore the goatse in plain view because this looks like a cracking playlist.

Birmingham 81 @birmingham81.bsky.social · 7d

Here's a new playlist for you. The Golden Age of Hip Hop boasts tracks by EPMD, De La Soul, ATCQ, The Pharcyde, Main Source, Sweet Tee, NWA, Black Sheep, BDP, Latifah, Gang Starr, Eric B & Rakim, Gang Starr, MC Lyte, Digable Planets etc
▶️🔊 open.spotify.com/playlist/247...

Golden Age of Hip Hop

open.spotify.com

2 4

Reposted by Justin Stach

rax ‘levon honkers’ king @raxkingisdead.bsky.social · 7d

he’s gonna end up inventing antisemitism from first principles lmao

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 7d

Besides linking Tylenol in pregnant women to autism, RFK Jr. now says circumcision is part of the reason why kids are autistic.

"Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol. None of this is positive..."

21 82 790

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 7d

Why would you remove the Don't Knows from this poll?

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 7d

I am manually comparing flight prices on Skyscanner. I have always been manually comparing flight prices on Skyscanner. I will always be manually comparing flight prices on Skyscanner.

3

Justin Stach @stach.uk · 7d

Dr Manhattan meme about time.
Frame 1: IT IS 1999 AND SEMANTIC WEB AGENTS WILL BOOK MY HOLIDAY AUTONOMOUSLY. THE ONTOLOGIES ARE BEING
DEVELOPED. I AM VERY EXCITED.
Frame 2: IT IS 2016 AND CHATBOTS ON FACEBOOK MESSENGER WILL BOOK MY HOLIDAY. I DON'T NEED TO DOWNLOAD AN APP. I AM CHATTING WHERE I ALREADY CHAT WITH MY FRIENDS. I AM VERY EXCITED.
Frame 3: IT IS 2025 AND OPENAI ARE INTRODUCING APPS IN CHATGPT TO BOOK MY HOLIDAY AUTONOMOUSLY. OPENAI HAS PARTNERSHIPS WITH BOOKING COM AND UBER. OPENAI IS BECOMING THE PLATFORM LAYER BETWEEN ME AND THE WEB. I AM VERY EXCITED.

1 4 5