Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 3d

I get why people's stomachs turn when they read the headline. Just saying there's more to it than that.

6

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 3d

Unlikely, but we'll see.

1 1

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 3d

Cue hateful angry replies because I don't reflexively hate every mention of LLMs in 3, 2, 1...

10

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 3d

Obviously everyone on Bluesky is going to hate on this because it involves Musk, but the idea of using next-token-predictors (which LLMs are an instance of) to help the disabled communicate has a long history: www.inference.org.uk/dasher/Speci...

5 4 29

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 10d

Israel was pretty tight with apartheid South Africa back in the day.

8

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 12d

They're not his generals.

1

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 12d

Trump basically forgot about the whole annexing Canada thing after like three months and hasn't mentioned it in ages, but America's reputation in Canada has been destroyed for a generation. Just one of a million sad stupid pointless things from the last year.

2 2 15

Reposted by David Pfau

Sung Kim @sungkim.bsky.social · 22d

Even I’m not sure this will end well. Graphics courtesy of Dylan Patel of SemiAnalysis.

4 17 46

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 22d

The fate of the global economy hinges on whether the AGI race is the Manhattan Project or the Philosopher's Stone.

3 1 21

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 23d

Do you think it should be illegal to wear a shirt or hold up a sign with the name of the organization that the people who vandalized military bases belong to? I mean how is it any different than wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt?

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 23d

Reminds me of a tweet I can't find from when Graham Lineham was arrested to the effect of "disparaging trans people? That's illegal. Saying trans women are women? *Also* illegal."

2

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 23d

So IIUC, the position of the UK government is that Israel's actions in Gaza are so grave that there must be immediate recognition for a Palestinian state, but also that if you wear a shirt that says "Palestine Action" you are supporting a terrorist organization and should be arrested.

2 2 15

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 24d

Ok maybe this site has the sauce.

roon @tszzl.bsky.social · 24d

might be time

14

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 24d

I don't pay Musk a dime and I get far more reach and engagement there than here. Some is bots, some is garbage people saying awful things, but on the whole it's still a lot more.

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 24d

Genuinely don't think I've ever seen a ratio this big. Certainly not on a post this obviously correct.

Shadi Hamid @shadihamid.bsky.social · 26d

One of the biggest mistakes left-of-center pundits and influencers made was decamping to Bluesky. They made themselves irrelevant, shrunk their audiences, and dramatically lessened the positive impact they could have on our public debate at the precise time we needed it most.

1 3

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 27d

Friends just reminded me that you couldn't even get on or off the road from the Sunset. It entirely bypassed the neighborhood that just voted to recall this guy.

4

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 28d

I have friends who live next to this road-turned-park. The article doesn't even mention that there is a second major road literally right next to the park.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 28d

Breaking News: Voters on San Francisco’s west side ousted a politician who helped close a beloved coastal highway and turn it into a park.

San Francisco Politician Recalled Over the Great Highway’s Closure

Supervisor Joel Engardio was ousted by voters who were angry that he helped turn a thoroughfare into a park.

nyti.ms

3 13

Reposted by David Pfau

Kai Arzheimer @kai-arzheimer.com · 28d

Want some free career advice? #AcademicChatter

Two-panel meme. Top panel: A distressed, shadowy figure with the text “struggling in your field of work”. Bottom panel: A smiling figure with the text “struggling in multiple fields at once but your combination is unique enough so you’re still one of the interdisciplinary experts”.

3 49 320

David Pfau @davidpfau.com · 28d

Trump's approval rating has been fairly steady, but his favorables have been falling off a cliff. Not really sure what to make of this - people are just happy their 401(k) is going up but increasingly hate Trump himself? (Source: Real Clear Polling)