Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

James Geary @jamesmgeary.bsky.social · 4h

Happy Tuesday all! Anyone else feeling like this week has already been too long? Just me?
Anyway, the work day is nearly done at least. Hoping to get home for a quiet evening. Hope you all have a good one.

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Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone0verhere.bsky.social · 1d

I will wake up at like 5:30 one morning and it’ll be the most amazingly transformative experience I’ve had in years and realign my energy in a way I didn’t think possible and I’ll still never do it again

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Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone0verhere.bsky.social · 1d

You should be able to leave work early to go to the window and mutter to yourself about the general state of things anytime it’s rainy

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John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 23h

Today I learned there is such a thing as National Boss's Day, and that allegedly it is this Thursday and I SWEAR TO GOD that if I find out any of you have participated in such a craven act of subservience to the ownership caste I will find you and give you SUCH a noogie

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The Spaceshipper 🚀 @thespaceshipper.com · 22h

It's funny how banks have no problem with money if it comes from oppressing workers or destroying environments, but the line is: fraking adult games ☝️

Ana Valens | 🔞 | Comms Open @acvalens.net · 23h

Per Reddit: Steam adult developer in the UK is sitting on a USD equivalent of six figures, can’t find a bank to take his money because the developer creates adult games

www.reddit.com/r/UKPersonal...

r/UKPersonalFinance
3 hr. ago
Previous-Camera1641

I develop adult video games on Steam. I can't find a bank that will actually let me withdraw my money from Steam. Can I get some advice?
Game has sold quite well on Steam. I've got almost £90,000 ready to withdraw after Steam's cut + VAT taken off.

However, it's been 2 months now and I can't find ANY bank in the UK who will let me withdraw my money from Steam.

I've been banned/refused/unable to get a business account with:

Wise
Revolut
Monzo
Monese
Chase
Starling
Nationwide
Halifax
Barclays
Lloyds
RBS

It always comes down to, "Where did you get this money from?"

"It's coming from games I sell on Steam."

"Can we see the store page?"

"Sure."

"I'm sorry, we can't do business with you at this time."

It keeps coming down to a commercial decision purely because I make adult content.

What the hell am I supposed to do? I've pretty much exhausted the whole banking system. I just want to be able to be paid for products I've sold.

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ChrisTrekkin 💜🖖 @christrekkin.bsky.social · 21h

Was a good decision to start rereading 'Shadows in the Stars' by @seanferrick.bsky.social tonight; go check it out if you haven't already 🙂💜💫🪐

Photo of my copy of the novel 'Shadows in the Stars' by Seán Ferrick

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The Spaceshipper 🚀 @thespaceshipper.com · 1d

I hope the "+" didn't mean "great, expensive, ambitious sci-fi shows" 🤞

Culture Crave 🍿 @culturecrave.co · 1d

Apple TV+ has rebranded to Apple TV

It's their 'vibrant new identity'

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James Geary @jamesmgeary.bsky.social · 5h

Eternal Flame by Atomic Kitten. I think I taped the video off the music channels!

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The Spaceshipper 🚀 @thespaceshipper.com · 20h

"The layoffs will affect employees across JPL's technical, business and support areas as part of a reorganization that began in July."

I know I had a few followers at JPL on Twitter, I don't know if they switched to Bsky, but: we're thinking of you and your colleagues, my friends. 💪❤️

Reuters @reuters.com · 22h

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers reut.rs/4302N2L

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lay off about 550 workers

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said on Monday it will cut nearly 550 jobs as part of a restructuring, not related to the current U.S. government shutdown.

reut.rs

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Gareth L. Powell @garethlpowell.bsky.social · 20h

JITTERBUG by Gareth L. Powell. Coming 3rd March 2026 from @titanbooks.bsky.social, available to preorder now.

Links: www.garethlpowell.com/jitterbug/

"On Earth, they depicted justice as blindfolded and impartial, but out there on the frontier, she was red in tooth and claw."

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Gav Thorpe @gavthorpe.bsky.social · 20h

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_pa...

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P.A. Cornell (She/Her) @cornellwriter.bsky.social · 19h

If you need me, I’ll be over here crawling into my grave before I completely crumble to dust.

bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 1d

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

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A.D.🍀🦩 @adwills.bsky.social · 18h

100% agree. You don't NEED to have your villains be anything other than what fits.

My current novel they're rich, selfish, scumbags with zero redeemable qualities. They're greedy oligarchs—cartoonish and devoid of any morals. Perfect for slaying without any mercy of second chances.

Kayleigh McKee, Cheerer for the Dolls ⏬️ AnimeUSA! @ghaspey.bsky.social · 1d

I'll say it: I think its rly annoying and frankly amateurish that writers are constantly told their villains must be understandable or have sympathetic motivation to be interesting or realistic when all our big villains irl are in fact rich, stupid, selfish, trickster dillweeds and always have been

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Chuck Wendig @chuckwendig.bsky.social · 16h

oh

WIRED @wired.com · 16h

With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users’ calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypted. www.wired.com/story/satell...

Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data

With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users’ calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypted.

www.wired.com

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James Geary @jamesmgeary.bsky.social · 6h

If you see this, post a robot. 😁

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James Geary @jamesmgeary.bsky.social · 6h

Happy Tuesday, Tom! Have a good one.

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Aliette de Bodard @aliettedebodard.com · 10h

I'll just be here going wow

Des Fitzgerald @desfitzgerald.bsky.social · 23h

Seeing people nonchalantly post stuff like makes me feel like I'm going crazy honestly.

A post from an academic on blue sky that says: "I'm learning about "prompt engineering" when asking LLMs to extract data. I now add this to all instructions:

Style
Be concise, analytic, and specific (cite page/figure if provided). If essential info is missing, keep going but flag Unclear and exact data needed. Never invent data.

#academicsky"

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Future Timeline @futuretimeline.bsky.social · 8h

AI-generated voices now indistinguishable from real human voices

A new study has revealed that the average listener can no longer distinguish between deepfake voices and those of real human beings.

www.futuretimeline.net/blog/2025/10...

AI-generated voices now indistinguishable from real human voices

A new study reveals that the average listener can no longer distinguish between deepfake voices and those of real human beings.

www.futuretimeline.net

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Stars and Sabers @starsandsabers.bsky.social · 1d

Be our Valentine! Not long until the cover reveal for Nebula finalist @cornellwriter.bsky.social’s SHOESHINE BOY & CIGARETTE GIRL, out just in time for Valentine’s Day 2026! This retrofuturistic, sci-fi romance novelette will charm you to the moon and back.
#scifi #books #scifiromance #2026books

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James Geary @jamesmgeary.bsky.social · 1d

Happy Monday, Soph! Have a good one.

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Anthony Ryan @anthonyryan.bsky.social · 1d

Nvidia share price down 4.91% as of this morning. Might be happening. 🤷🏻‍♂️

NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 4d

“Concerns over an AI bubble bursting have grown lately, with analysts recently finding that it’s 17 times the size of the dotcom-era bubble and four times bigger than the 2008 financial crisis.”

Hang onto your butts. This “correction” is gonna hurt.
futurism.com/artificial-i...

Bank of England Warns of Impending AI Disaster

The Bank of England has sounded the alarm, warning of an intensifying risk of a "sudden correction" due to an AI spending frenzy.

futurism.com

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James Geary @jamesmgeary.bsky.social · 1d

Congratulations!

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Jendia Gammon @jendiagammon.bsky.social · 1d

The countdown is on October 21! 500 years in the future, but haunted by the past. Return to the twilight world of the Amethyst Lantern in THE SECRET OF THE SAPPHIRE SENTINEL from Nebula Finalist Jendia Gammon, writing as J. Dianne Dotson. Out via @press-android.bsky.social.
#books #fantasy #scifi

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James Geary @jamesmgeary.bsky.social · 1d

Good morning, Edge! Have a good Monday.

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James Geary @jamesmgeary.bsky.social · 1d

Happy Monday, EC! Have a good one.

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