Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 1h

So excited to spot two foxes just now from my window. Happy! The season is arriving!

A long tailed dark beige cute animal running out of woods

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Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 2h

God knows how chaotic my current writing and sleeping slots are…

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma

Silky @silkyweineck.bsky.social · 16h

now that we have solved the mental health issue, everybody can fuck a robot with no restrictions, in a very mentally healthy way

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma

Silky @silkyweineck.bsky.social · 26d

been staring at this paragraph in @umich.edu ‘s AI guidance on and off.

you have an ethical obligation to feed Sam Altman.

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma

Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 8h

No it isn’t stop complying in advance

Scientific American @sciam.bsky.social · 2d

Despite early, and familiar, copyright growing pains, Sora may be the prelude to AI-generated on-demand TV and movies

Want to See Marilyn Monroe in Game of Thrones? AI Could Make It Soon

Despite early, and familiar, copyright growing pains, Sora may be the prelude to AI-generated on-demand TV and movies

www.scientificamerican.com

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David Higgins @davidhiggins.bsky.social · 18h

He also seems to believe that Open AI have been ‘careful with mental health issues’!

Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 18h

Sam Altman went from “AI will cure cancer" to "ChatGPT porn" in less than a month

ChatGPT boss predicts when AI could cure cancer

We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.

Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.

In a few weeks, we plan to put out a new version of ChatGPT that allows people to have a personality that behaves more like what people liked about 4o (we hope it will be better!). If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it (but only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing).

In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our “treat adult users like adults” principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults.
12:02 PM · Oct 14, 2025
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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 18h

Sam Altman went from “AI will cure cancer" to "ChatGPT porn" in less than a month

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David Higgins @davidhiggins.bsky.social · 19h

British Association of Romantic Studies digital event: 'Volcanic Romanticism', 30 October, 7pm UK time. I'm chairing, but please don't let that put you off. The speakers will be great!
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bars-digit...

BARS Digital Events: Volcanic Romanticism

Exploring the Diodatic Circle, the volcanic as a sublime, apocalyptic force, and how this inflected their powerful visions of the future.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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David Higgins @davidhiggins.bsky.social · 19h

Between work and rushing around with small children, I’ve not had much time for birdwatching recently. October highlight has been a skein of maybe 200 pink-footed goose in flight from the garden. We sometimes get hundreds of migrating thrushes over us in October so 🤞

Garden fence with some green plants in front and a russet brown acer behind. Sides of houses visible. Lovely blue sky.

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma

Ian Carrillo @iansociologo.bsky.social · 1d

AI is clearly anti-productivity given the extent that its externalities create more work for society.

Ian Carrillo @iansociologo.bsky.social · 1d

www.techpolicy.press/generative-a...

Generative AI’s Productivity Myth | TechPolicy.Press

People may be using artificial intelligence, but that doesn’t mean it’s useful, writes Eryk Salvaggio.

www.techpolicy.press

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma

Amílcar E. Challú @amilcarchallu.bsky.social · 1d

Question for #envhist and humanities peeps: I’m working on an outreach plan supporting a wetland restoration project. Does anybody have recommendations of authors or projects using history to increase public awareness on restoration projects?

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma

Dr Jennie Orr @drjenniferorr.bsky.social · 1d

We will soon be announcing a new Fellowship through the British Association for Romantic Studies which supportsthe work of independent researchers. It's a tight deadline but if you fall into this category or know anyone who does, watch this space @bars.bsky.social

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Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 1d

The clue I found this morning at 7: a ‘hidden’ thing unknown inside wishes to be known. Crafty! 3 hours later a girl in class said: language can substitute a person’s life/ body to live on pages. Lovely!

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 1d

"Geoengineering is inevitable; we better start preparing for it" and "AI is inevitable, we better start preparing for it" seem to both have extremely similar vibes.

In both cases, it *does not matter* whether something is inevitable. What matters is how its controlled, minimised and regulated

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Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 2d

Monday #morningread
#yeats

From wildreckoning: an anthology provoked by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring

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David Higgins @davidhiggins.bsky.social · 2d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:

Research Excellence Framework 2029.

Natasha Simonova @philistella.bsky.social · 2d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand:

New library catalogue website.

🏰meg⚔️ @Birthright Audiobook! @impavid.us · 5d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand

I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.

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Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 2d

Sunday #eveningread
Love Poems, Sundews
By Victoria Gatehouse

From The Book of Bogs: Stories from A Yorkshire Moor and Other Peatlands.

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Will Bowell- Just Wild Images @justwildimages.bsky.social · 2d

Bittern crash landing at Deeping Lakes @lincswildlife.bsky.social yesterday. Turns out there are two! @lincsbirding.bsky.social @britishbirds.bsky.social @weedonsworld.bsky.social @birdguides.bsky.social #WildlifeOfTheUK #PatchBirding #JustWildImages #BirdlifeBritain #BirdingHighlights

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Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 2d

Dear students, AI will ruin your essay.
You can't find this quote from Measure for Measure because AI makes it up: "I do so beg, / For your sake, 'twas not to me but to your brother / A person not worth your love." (Act 5, Scene 1)
It's quicker, safer, and superior to use ur own brains. Totally!

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Dr Rebecca Warren @drrjwarren.bsky.social · 2d

The lifelong psychological trauma of this destruction on those who have survived is beyond comprehension.

Resist 🕎🍉 @antizionistjew.bsky.social · 2d

No homes left, Gaza.

(Muhammad Smiry)

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Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 3d

Annual autumnal view at Sugarwell Hill. A chair, a tree, a soul, and two horses. #soullife

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Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 3d

Hawthorns are ready but no signs of redwings. A buzzard’s shrilling permeates the woods. Light frost on the grass. Solitary walking helps one download wisdom from above. Up the Sugarwell Hill and cut the tails of unnecessary emotions.

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Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 3d

Bearded tits love dawn and are only seen at sunrise. If I can't focus on alignment with my higher self, I will be dragged down to stupid, chaotic, looping hells. Perhaps 'balance' is not that correct. 'Focus'(tap the centre of the forehead) should always be remembered and prioritised.

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Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 3d

The alarming aspect of this deliberate "anti-woke" algorithmic biasing of LLMs from an educational perspective is our institutions all bought in to an imaginary of innovation, then got locked in to enterprise contracts, and now the models are being recoded so they undermine educational values

Marcus Luther @marcusluther.bsky.social · 3d

Genuine question: for those enthusiastically pushing AI tools into every part of our education system—what checks/guardrails are there around algorithmic biases like this?

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 4d

The administration “is currently pressuring OpenAI and other AI companies to make their models more conservative-friendly.”

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Dr Victoria Xiaoxiao Ma @victoriaxiaoxiaoma.bsky.social · 4d

Charlie Mackesy’s new book: Always Remember. Exclusive Edition @waterstones.bsky.social

I like this sentence: ‘when we are vulnerable with each other, we are strong!’
Cracks are the places that light shines through.

When we are vulnerable with each other, we are strong!

Exclusive Edition in Waterstones. Always Remember by Charlie Mackesy. With a bookmark and a lovely pin of the mole!

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