Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 1h

Dreams of a utopian future where the excessive pursuit of attention returns nothing.

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 1h

Tremendously. It also gives me a whole series of non-violent fantasies I can imagine when I'm wishing ill upon that lot—extended Tantalus-esque scenarios, and the like.

1 1

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell.bsky.social · 2h

OpenAI 2024: We're going to cure cancer with AGI.

OpenAI 2025: Please buy our sex slave that may drive you insane.

Matt Burgess (WIRED) @mattburgess1.bsky.social · 23h

Oh good, ChatGPT is getting "erotica for verified adults" later this year

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.

1 8 29

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 1h

That's basically where I am, too. I follow some big accounts where I either know the people to some degree or like their analysis or some work they've done, but I have little interest in clout chasers.

1 1

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2h

Social media has conditioned people to get a little dopamine hit and a temporary shot of synthetic catharsis by dunking on members of the commentariat they disagree with, but I get much more satisfaction by deplatforming them from my attention as much as possible. Highly recommended.

2 1 5

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Rebecca Fachner @rebeccafachner.bsky.social · 3h

Wednesday in your Nations Capital
Shutdown Day 15

Things continue to unravel.
The House is presumably enjoying their PAID VACATION thanks to the Speaker.

Meanwhile thousands of federal employees aren’t getting paychecks. And can’t talk to the media about it

2 19 45

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2h

It is one thing to engage critically and substantively with ideas, which is sometimes a valuable exercise, and quite another to allow them to be turned into the center of attention. The latter feeds their pocketbooks and moves the focus from the substance to the discourse.

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2h

My most fervent hope is that those attention-seeking type of grifters return from "exile" or whatever to discover that they have no audience, even from people who tune in to loudly disagree or to raise up quotes for mockery.

1 1

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2h

Social media has conditioned people to get a little dopamine hit and a temporary shot of synthetic catharsis by dunking on members of the commentariat they disagree with, but I get much more satisfaction by deplatforming them from my attention as much as possible. Highly recommended.

2 1 5

Reposted by Professor Nutella

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 9h

You gently run your hand through the rack. You can feel it—pure cotton, rich wool, Irish linen. The plump buttonholes are handsewn; the buttons attached with a firm shank. You flip the price tag over. It's affordable

You buy the jacket and go home, which is only 15 mins away. Your apt is $600/month

Headline reads: Altman says ChatGPT will soon allow erotic for adult users.

370 1.9K 15K

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Jake Williams @malwarejake.bsky.social · 18h

Tell me you're desperate for revenue without telling me.

Seriously, imagine your elevator pitch is "we offer an AI that revolutionizes the enterprise, answers questions at a PhD level, and also talks dirty to horny young men." It would be like if PornHub was selling a productivity suite.

404 Media @404media.co · 19h

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced in a post on X Tuesday that ChatGPT is officially getting into the fuckable chatbots game, with “erotica for verified adults” rolling out in December.

🔗 www.404media.co/chatgpt-erot...

ChatGPT’s Hail Mary: Chatbots You Can Fuck

As recent reports show OpenAI bleeding cash, and on the heels of accusations that ChatGPT caused teens and adults alike to harm themselves and others, CEO Sam Altman announced that you can soon fuck t...

www.404media.co

15 90 300

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Christopher Deutsch @drchrisdeutsch.bsky.social · 19h

Historically speaking, only aggressive and combative regulatory agencies keeps modern food safe. By unleashing the market and presuming safety, all they have done is unleash contamination.

1 4 20

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 19h

This seems like a convenient time to link to this piece that came out yesterday.

www.classicalstudies.org/scs-blog/tor...

3 10

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Liz Bourke @hawkwinglb.bsky.social · 1d

There are objectively good books and objectively terrible ones, on a prose, structure, and/or thematic argument level - and the relationship of goodness and badness to how much any one person enjoys the book is completely arbitrary.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 2d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

2 6 47

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Liv Mariah Yarrow (pronounced 'leave') @profyarrow.bsky.social · 1d

I'm not following enough colleagues. Does anyone have any good lists (starter packs?) on stuff I might like (cultural heritage, archaeology, ancient history....)? Have I not followed you back and you want to give me a chance to rectify that?

2 1 2

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Carlos Noreña @carlosfnorena.bsky.social · 2d

Part 2 of this excellent two-part Society for Classical Studies blog post has now been posted. Happy reading!

@amynorgard.bsky.social
@jpnudell.bsky.social

2 4

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2d

A personal connection between student and teacher demands more than, and is more important than, individualizing each lesson.

Annie Abrams @annieabrams.bsky.social · 2d

sal khan on his true north knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/at-k...

2 3 22

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2d

Brutal. True, but brutal.

4

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Joel @sentantiq.bsky.social · 2d

[Reporting a weekend murder]

Son (13): why is it called alt-rock? Altrrnative to what

Daughter (15): yeah. It all sounds the same anyway.

Me: [sputtering] well you had to be there

Son: were there like only 5 bands?

Spouse: kids. Your dad is a white guy from the 90s. This is his culture.

9 14 160

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2d

I had nothing but positive interactions with Dennis during my time at Mizzou. He will be missed.

Michael Edward Stewart @mikeaztec.bsky.social · 2d

www.columbiamissourian.com/obituaries/f...

Dennis Trout, Sept. 24, 1953 — Oct. 6, 2025

Dennis Trout, age 72, talented educator and highly-regarded scholar, passed away in Columbia on Oct. 6.

www.columbiamissourian.com

2

Reposted by Professor Nutella

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2d

New varia post: behind the scenes of cowriting, plus a few recent links and stories I read, and my weekly media roundup.

joshuapnudell.com/2025/10/12/w...

Weekly Varia no. 151, 10/12/25

New varia post: behind the scenes of cowriting, plus a few recent links and stories I read, and my weekly media roundup.

joshuapnudell.com

1 1

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2d

Exactly this.

1

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2d

This is the biographical tradition about Alexander in a nutshell. Every adult who met him was supposed to understand his destiny. Even Aristotle was supposed to have inducted him into esoteric knowledge few philosophers even knew. It's all legendary. And also expensive, which is left out here.

5

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2d

A personal connection between student and teacher demands more than, and is more important than, individualizing each lesson.

Annie Abrams @annieabrams.bsky.social · 2d

sal khan on his true north knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/at-k...

2 3 22

Professor Nutella @jpnudell.bsky.social · 2d

New varia post: behind the scenes of cowriting, plus a few recent links and stories I read, and my weekly media roundup.

joshuapnudell.com/2025/10/12/w...

Weekly Varia no. 151, 10/12/25

New varia post: behind the scenes of cowriting, plus a few recent links and stories I read, and my weekly media roundup.

joshuapnudell.com

1 1