Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 12h

Agatha Christie adding magic to her mysteries?
Sherlock Holmes battling space pirates?
How about a new Warden trying to protect a futuristic parliament?

Stars Die - an All-New Realm of Golden Age Mystery

Stars Die (Caldryn Parliament Book 1)

Amazon.com: Stars Die (Caldryn Parliament Book 1) eBook : Schwartz, Jenny: Kindle Store

www.amazon.com

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 1d

Pure comfort reading

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 1d

Definitely something to look forward to :)

Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 1d

I have EARNED the coffee I see in my immediate future.

a cartoon of a sloth holding a cup of coffee with the words " how i tolerate life " below it

Alt: a cartoon of a sloth holding a cup of coffee with the words " how i tolerate life " below it

media.tenor.com

Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 1d

Just had to phone to talk to a REAL PERSON in my current wrestle with bureaucracy and holy void! most of the phone call was listening intently to button-pushing options & proving that I am me.

Shouldn't complain because once I spoke to a REAL PERSON issue quickly resolved.

#exhausted

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 1d

A friend just messaged with the awesome news that Bard by Audrey Faye is out on Thursday :)

#booksky #MakingTheWorldBetterOneBookAtATime

Bard (Ghost Mountain Wolf Shifters Book 12)

Amazon.com: Bard (Ghost Mountain Wolf Shifters Book 12) eBook : Faye, Audrey: Kindle Store

www.amazon.com

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Reposted by Jenny Schwartz

Heather Shearer @heather-sea55.bsky.social · 1d

🧪 cool and fascinating #SciComm

theconversation.com/unusual-red-...

Unusual red rocks in Australia are rewriting the rules on exceptional fossil sites

Highly detailed fossils are typically found in shale or other fine-grained sedimentary rocks. These ones? They’re made of iron.

theconversation.com

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 1d

Romantasy now available as games!

Nerdist @nerdist.bsky.social · 1d

Hasbro is bringing the popular Fourth Wing YA fantasy series straight to your tabletop with a new card game.

Hasbro Releases New FOURTH WING Card Game

nerdist.com

Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 1d

Synthetic biology

#bookmarking

Understanding synthetic biology - Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform

What is Synthetic Biology? Synthetic biology is essentially the application of engineering principles to biology. It involves the design and […]

research.csiro.au

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 2d

I have notes for future books in the Caldryn series. They're continuity points & promises that have to pay off, but they're also philosophical questions. I write them down so that my subconscious can chew on the questions until the, sometimes unfinished, answers can find a home in the right book.

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Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 2d

People never believe this fresco is real, but it is!

Shelly Kraicer @shellyk.bsky.social · 2d

Top funny thing from @adapalmer.bsky.social ‘s INVENTING THE RENAISSANCE: “Filippino Lippi’s Saint Thomas Aquinas Interrupts the Annunciation to Introduce the Virgin Mary to Cardinal Carafa who paid for the painting, while patient Archangel Gabriel just has to wait.”

www.wga.hu/support/view...

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Hagen Blix @hagenblix.bsky.social · 12d

Advertisers know that what your friends think is far more important to your purchasing decisions than ads are. No wonder they're trying to substitute bots for your friends

Jathan Sadowski @jathansadowski.com · 13d

What an unsurprising decision by corporations that desperately need to make money with AI. If every other company with a chatbot isn't already doing this, then expect them to be following Meta's lead soon. The chatbot is not your friend; it's a corporate listening device. www.ft.com/content/22f7...

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.
https://www.ft.com/content/22f7afc3-8ac0-4ca1-9877-fd3f8ddcc986?desktop=true&segmentId=7c8f09b9-9b61-4fbb-9430-9208a9e233c8#myft:notification:daily-email:content

Meta will use conversations people have with its chatbots to personalise advertising and content across its platforms, in a sign of how tech companies plan to make money from artificial intelligence.

The owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp on Wednesday said it would use the content of chats with its Meta AI to create advertising recommendations across its suite of apps.

“People will already expect that their Meta AI interactions are being used for these personalisation purposes,” said Christy Harris, privacy and data policy manager at Meta.

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 2d

Starting the week off right! Adding "A Skirl of Sorcery" by Helen Harper to my kindle.

#NewRelease Contemporary #Fantasy #Booksky

A Skirl of Sorcery (The Cat Lady Chronicles Book 3)

A Skirl of Sorcery (The Cat Lady Chronicles Book 3) - Kindle edition by Harper, Helen. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading A Skirl of Sorcery (The Cat Lady Chronicles Book 3).

www.amazon.com

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Dylan Irvine @dylanjirvine.bsky.social · 2d

I'm a scientist... Just keep your #onions in the fridge. Presumably (i.e., my hypothesis) this changes the viscosity of the onion juice. #NoMoreTears. Done.

I've been doing this for years.

Please credit me in the resulting paper 😀🧪

share.google/KyH5qOBp4Vuy...

Crying while cutting onions? Scientists finally reveal how to stop tears with a simple trick | - The Times of India

Scientists have finally unraveled the mystery behind onion tears, revealing a two-stage mist release. Cornell University researchers found that blunt

share.google

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Alan Jagolinzer @jagolinzer.bsky.social · 4d

A list of highly recommended readings to help understand today’s geopolitical and social-cultural environment.

@anneapplebaum.bsky.social
@ruthbenghiat.bsky.social
@moisesnaim.bsky.social
@marietjeschaake.bsky.social
@yuvalharari.bsky.social
@brianklaas.bsky.social

Recommended readings:

—Anne Appelbaum’s “Autocracy Inc.” to understand how organized crime syndicates have overtaken governments and are collaborating globally with aligned actors

—Moises Naim’s “Mafia States,” to understand that organized crime syndicates too frequently hijack nation states

—Marietje Schaake’s “The Tech Coup,” to understand how tech company leaders are supporting degradation of democratic and accountability institutions

Sarah Wynn-Williams’ “Careless People,” to understand the culture at the top of leading social media platforms

—Brian Klaas’ “Corruptible,” to understand why there is a disproportionate and natural selection of sociopaths in power around the world because others are often not willing to seek that level of power

—Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s “Strongmen,” to understand how authoritarians rise to power, rule with performative cruelty, and eventually fall

—Yuval Noah Harari’s “Nexus,” to understand how large human movements are often fueled by fictional or embellished stories

—Heinz Kohut (1972)’s “Thoughts on Narcissism and Narcissistic Rage,” to understand the insatiable need for narcissistic supply and narcissistic revenge that too often fuels public policy decisions

—Tilo Hartmann (2016)’s “Parasocial interaction, parasocial relationships, and well-being,” to understand the cognitive influence effects of pseudo-intimate relationships and how these can potentially be exploitative

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just jukka @justjukka.bsky.social · 4d

Solid.

Ruth Adar 🎗️ @rruth.bsky.social · 4d

A useful set of ideas to ponder about survival in challenging times. Rather dramatically written but I think the gist is worthwhile.
www.jackhopkinsnow.com/p/the-surviv...

THE SURVIVOR BLUEPRINT: 20 Laws for Staying Unbreakable in an Unraveling America

If you can keep your head while everything around you is cracking, you don’t just survive...you win.

www.jackhopkinsnow.com

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 4d

I'm smiling so big here :) Happy re-reading!

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 4d

Happy weekend!

a dog wearing a cowboy hat and sunglasses with the words weekend vibes below

Alt: a dog wearing a cowboy hat and sunglasses, looking cool, with the words "weekend vibes"

media.tenor.com

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The Whimsical Muse @whimsicalmuse.bsky.social · 4d

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you’re under absolutely no obligation to justify yourself to anyone if you choose to spend the entire weekend drinking tea, reading books, and eating a scandalous amount of cinnamon rolls.

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 4d

Popular highlight from my #scifi novel, Astray:

“Humans tell their stories to meet current needs. Good, bad or misguided. When those needs change, sometimes you’re trapped by your stories.”

Astray is in Prime Reading (US) till November 30.

#booksky

Astray (The Adventures of a Xeno-Archaeologist Book 1)

Astray (The Adventures of a Xeno-Archaeologist Book 1) - Kindle edition by Schwartz, Jenny. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Astray (The Adventures of a Xeno-Archaeologist Book 1).

www.amazon.com

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Kate Elliott @kateelliottsff.bsky.social · 8d

THE WITCH ROADS ebook is currently on sale (US) for $2.99, so if you're curious & want to read a grimsweet tale of a humble deputy courier & her annoyed nephew, a possessed prince, & a ravenous fungal ghost plague, now's the time.
Bk 2 of the duology arrives Nov 4!

us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

The Witch Roads

Book 1 in the Witch Roads duology, the latest epic novel by fan favorite Kate Elliott.. Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned.When an...

us.macmillan.com

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 5d

All year long, Christophe Waggoner scours Texas thrift stores for children’s Halloween costumes.

His hard work is worth it in the fall when he hosts an event in which anyone can pick out a costume — for free.

This man thrifts all year to create free Halloween costumes for kids

Christophe Waggoner hosts a yearly event for kids — plus adults and dogs — to pick out free Halloween costumes he gathers and mends.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Jenny Schwartz @jennyschwartz.bsky.social · 5d

"higher agency" - I hadn't considered that where you land on the spectrum between "it's all fate and I'm responsible for everything" would affect your reaction to AI. Obvious, really.

Hannah Overbye-Thompson @overbye.bsky.social · 5d

New study (2025) examines how AI autonomy affects user agency and attitudes. Key finding: AI autonomy triggers psychological reactance through threats to freedom, BUT personalization benefits cancel this out + users with higher agency feel more threatened by autonomous AI 🧪

doi.org/10.1080/0883...

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Reposted by Jenny Schwartz

The Royal Society @royalsociety.org · 6d

Dark matter remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in physics. Join Rosalind Franklin Prize winner Professor Clare Burrage as she discusses how her research is probing our dark universe, and how she aims to engage girls of all ages with the joy of physics: bit.ly/4mFfvL6

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Alison Fisk @alisonfisk.bsky.social · 6d

The Royal Game of Ur is the world’s oldest playable boardgame!

Played by Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia about 4,500 years ago!

It is a two-player race game, the rules of which have been deciphered from a cuneiform tablet.

Game from the Royal Cemetery of Ur. 📷 British Museum

#Archaeology

British Museum photo showing a two-player board game with gaming counters known as the Royal Game of Ur. Dated c. 2,500 BC.

The game board is composed of a hollow box made of wood adorned with shell plaques. There is a drawer at one end for storing game pieces and dice. The top of the board is covered with twenty square-shaped off-white shell plaques, each bordered with dark-blue lapis lazuli. The shell squares are intricately decorated with blue inlaid patterns including dots inside circles and eye-shapes. Five squares are inlaid with flower-shaped rosettes with red limestone and blue lapis lazuli petals.

The game board is roughly rectangular in shape. Viewed from above in the photo, on the left side of the board is a block of 12 squares made up of 4 across by 3 down. On the right side of the board is a block of 6 squares made up of 2 across by 3 down. The two blocks are joined by two squares extending between the second square down on the end row of the left block and the second square down on the first row of the second block.

Dimensions H: 2.40 cm, L: 30.10 cm, W: 11 cm, (W 5.70 cm at narrowest part)

Beneath the board are 14 disc-shaped gaming counters. On the left are 7 white pieces, inlaid with 5 spots of blue lapis lazuli. On the right are 7 black pieces inlaid with five white spots.

Between the game pieces are three tetrahedron-shaped dice. L to R: Dark blue, brown, cream.

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