Taka
@astrobassball.bsky.social
Data person, astrophysicist, bassist, New Englander, New Yorker. He/him.
Reposted by Taka
The only conclusion I can draw from this is that there is something physically wrong and cognitively wrong with Trump, he knows it, and he's angry and frightened.
Every part of this is bonkers. The intro is bonkers. The transition to his health is bonkers. The mention that other presidents didn't need cognitive exams is bonkers. The claim that this screening test is somehow hard is bonkers. The idea that criticism of him is treason is bonkers. All of it.
December 10, 2025 at 2:47 AM
The only conclusion I can draw from this is that there is something physically wrong and cognitively wrong with Trump, he knows it, and he's angry and frightened.
Reposted by Taka
“Guzmán’s daughter was still in the NICU, unable to eat or breathe independently. The doctors had planned a meeting to review the baby’s prognosis and care plans… As Guzmán went to buckle her seatbelt, she looked out the window and noticed they were surrounded.”
Her baby was in the NICU. She was in ICE detention.
Before Trump took office, postpartum immigrants were rarely detained by ICE. Nayra Guzmán was detained while her 15-day-old baby was in the NICU.
19thnews.org
December 8, 2025 at 2:10 AM
“Guzmán’s daughter was still in the NICU, unable to eat or breathe independently. The doctors had planned a meeting to review the baby’s prognosis and care plans… As Guzmán went to buckle her seatbelt, she looked out the window and noticed they were surrounded.”
Reposted by Taka
Two independent studies found that AI chatbots were better at persuading voters than political ads. The most persuasive bots also lied the most. This is something that humans working in psyops have known for decades. AI is psyops at scale. www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/04/1...
December 5, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Two independent studies found that AI chatbots were better at persuading voters than political ads. The most persuasive bots also lied the most. This is something that humans working in psyops have known for decades. AI is psyops at scale. www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/04/1...
Reposted by Taka
this headline is what happens when you have no ability to talk about race: “US pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries“
What a totally tortured way to say “global south” lol
www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...
What a totally tortured way to say “global south” lol
www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...
US pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries
The pause applies to people from 19 countries that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June, placing further restrictions on immigration - a core feature of Trump's political platform.
www.reuters.com
December 3, 2025 at 5:37 AM
this headline is what happens when you have no ability to talk about race: “US pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries“
What a totally tortured way to say “global south” lol
www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...
What a totally tortured way to say “global south” lol
www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...
Reposted by Taka
As RFK Jr.'s new vaccine panel ponders changing the hepatitis B vaccination schedule, some doctors recall past patients, including children, who died painful deaths before there was a vaccine. n.pr/3McwKqG
Doctors warn delaying hepatitis B shot for newborns could revive a deadly threat
As RFK Jr.'s new vaccine panel ponders changing the hepatitis B vaccination schedule, some doctors recall past patients, including children, who died painful deaths before there was a vaccine.
n.pr
December 3, 2025 at 1:36 PM
As RFK Jr.'s new vaccine panel ponders changing the hepatitis B vaccination schedule, some doctors recall past patients, including children, who died painful deaths before there was a vaccine. n.pr/3McwKqG
Reposted by Taka
Starting Jan. 1, traditional Medicare recipients in Washington state will face a new hurdle to get certain procedures covered — private AI companies that get paid based on how many claims they deny. (via @kuow.org)
Thousands of Washington state Medicare users could soon have claims denied by AI
Starting Jan. 1, traditional Medicare recipients in Washington state will face a new hurdle to get certain procedures covered — private AI companies that get paid based on how many claims they deny.
n.pr
December 2, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Starting Jan. 1, traditional Medicare recipients in Washington state will face a new hurdle to get certain procedures covered — private AI companies that get paid based on how many claims they deny. (via @kuow.org)
Reposted by Taka
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by Taka
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
December 1, 2025 at 4:42 AM
a lot of people debating the merits of that dogshit essay meanwhile the girl’s mom is retweeting demands to ban all trans people from teaching at any level. it’s forest for the trees shit
Reposted by Taka
BREAKING: This is huge news, the EU's equivalent of the 🇺🇸Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
www.reuters.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:10 AM
BREAKING: This is huge news, the EU's equivalent of the 🇺🇸Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
🇪🇺Court of Justice just ruled all 🇪🇺countries must recognise same-sex marriages granted in other member states.
This effectively legalises gay marriage across 🇪🇺
If you turned the Mamdani-Trump presser into a drinking game, you’d be dead.
November 22, 2025 at 12:00 AM
If you turned the Mamdani-Trump presser into a drinking game, you’d be dead.
Reposted by Taka
donald trump endorsed zohran mamdani before chuck schumer lmao
November 21, 2025 at 9:01 PM
donald trump endorsed zohran mamdani before chuck schumer lmao
Reposted by Taka
And it has indeed come to pass.
Trump in a room with a very charismatic person results in like half a day of Trump agreeing with everything that person said, so this has the potential to be very, very funny.
Trump says he’s meeting with “communist” Mamdani at the White House on Friday
November 21, 2025 at 9:15 PM
And it has indeed come to pass.
Reposted by Taka
Find someone who looks at you the way Donald Trump looks at Zohran Mamdani.
November 21, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Find someone who looks at you the way Donald Trump looks at Zohran Mamdani.
Reposted by Taka
Q: Stefanik has called Mamdani a 'jihadist.' Do you think you're standing next to a jihadist right now?
TRUMP: No, I don't. I met with a man who's a very rational person
TRUMP: No, I don't. I met with a man who's a very rational person
November 21, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Q: Stefanik has called Mamdani a 'jihadist.' Do you think you're standing next to a jihadist right now?
TRUMP: No, I don't. I met with a man who's a very rational person
TRUMP: No, I don't. I met with a man who's a very rational person
Reposted by Taka
Reporter to Trump: Would you feel comfortable living in NYC under a Mamdani mayoralty?
Trump: "I would. I really would. Especially after the meeting, absolutely."
Trump: "I would. I really would. Especially after the meeting, absolutely."
November 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Reporter to Trump: Would you feel comfortable living in NYC under a Mamdani mayoralty?
Trump: "I would. I really would. Especially after the meeting, absolutely."
Trump: "I would. I really would. Especially after the meeting, absolutely."
Reposted by Taka
Dead 💀 Whoever made this please step forward for your award #teslatakedown
November 21, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Dead 💀 Whoever made this please step forward for your award #teslatakedown
Reposted by Taka
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 20, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
Reposted by Taka
Look at broader measures of unemployment—including people who want a job but aren't in the labor force or who are working part-time but want a full-time job—and the labor market is nearly in the worst place since the pandemic.
November 20, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Look at broader measures of unemployment—including people who want a job but aren't in the labor force or who are working part-time but want a full-time job—and the labor market is nearly in the worst place since the pandemic.
Reposted by Taka
TEN MONTHS IN:
The national debt is higher.
The trade deficit is wider.
The inflation rate has worsened.
The unemployment rate is up.
The national debt is higher.
The trade deficit is wider.
The inflation rate has worsened.
The unemployment rate is up.
November 20, 2025 at 7:56 PM
TEN MONTHS IN:
The national debt is higher.
The trade deficit is wider.
The inflation rate has worsened.
The unemployment rate is up.
The national debt is higher.
The trade deficit is wider.
The inflation rate has worsened.
The unemployment rate is up.
Reposted by Taka
I asked grok who was the better role model for humanity, Jesus Christ or Elon Musk. GUESS WHAT.
November 20, 2025 at 8:34 PM
I asked grok who was the better role model for humanity, Jesus Christ or Elon Musk. GUESS WHAT.
My personal guess is that they will try to keep some files out of the release, and get caught doing it.
November 19, 2025 at 1:49 PM
My personal guess is that they will try to keep some files out of the release, and get caught doing it.
Reposted by Taka
Trump’s brand of economic nationalism echoes policies that led to two world wars and the rise of authoritarian regimes across the globe.
Where Will ‘America First’ Lead Us? The Answer From History: Nowhere Good
Trump’s brand of economic nationalism echoes policies that led to two world wars and the rise of authoritarian regimes across the globe.
bloom.bg
November 19, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Trump’s brand of economic nationalism echoes policies that led to two world wars and the rise of authoritarian regimes across the globe.
Reposted by Taka
After 404 Media's months-long reporting and pressure from lawmakers, the data broker owned by the U.S.’s major airlines will now shut down a program in which it sold access to hundreds of millions of flight records to the government and let agencies track peoples’ movements without a warrant.
November 18, 2025 at 9:39 PM
After 404 Media's months-long reporting and pressure from lawmakers, the data broker owned by the U.S.’s major airlines will now shut down a program in which it sold access to hundreds of millions of flight records to the government and let agencies track peoples’ movements without a warrant.
Reposted by Taka
Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Submit a Claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Reposted by Taka
Trying to measure coding productivity is, and always will be, a fool's errand.
Why? Because I can go for a walk then take a shower and have an idea, then write a single line of code that fixes everything I was working on.
Immense productivity, but by most metrics I didn't do anything at all.
Why? Because I can go for a walk then take a shower and have an idea, then write a single line of code that fixes everything I was working on.
Immense productivity, but by most metrics I didn't do anything at all.
November 16, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Trying to measure coding productivity is, and always will be, a fool's errand.
Why? Because I can go for a walk then take a shower and have an idea, then write a single line of code that fixes everything I was working on.
Immense productivity, but by most metrics I didn't do anything at all.
Why? Because I can go for a walk then take a shower and have an idea, then write a single line of code that fixes everything I was working on.
Immense productivity, but by most metrics I didn't do anything at all.