Thomas Claburn
@lot49.com
Journalism: https://www.theregister.com/Author/Thomas-Claburn
Fiction: https://lot49.com
Code: https://github.com/dotnaught
Fiction: https://lot49.com
Code: https://github.com/dotnaught
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
February 8, 2026 at 10:23 PM
I'm convinced AI is our generation's radium - a discovery with genuinely useful applications in specific, controlled circumstances that we stupidly put in everything from kid's toys to toothpaste until we realised the harm far too late where future generations will ask if we were out of our minds.
> how many 'r's are there in strawberry?
There is one 'r' in "strawberry". 😊
Let me know if you’d like to try another word!
> That's wrong.
You are absolutely right! My apologies. I'm still under development ...
There is only **one** "r" in "strawberry".
Thanks for pointing out my mistake!
There is one 'r' in "strawberry". 😊
Let me know if you’d like to try another word!
> That's wrong.
You are absolutely right! My apologies. I'm still under development ...
There is only **one** "r" in "strawberry".
Thanks for pointing out my mistake!
February 7, 2026 at 2:59 PM
> how many 'r's are there in strawberry?
There is one 'r' in "strawberry". 😊
Let me know if you’d like to try another word!
> That's wrong.
You are absolutely right! My apologies. I'm still under development ...
There is only **one** "r" in "strawberry".
Thanks for pointing out my mistake!
There is one 'r' in "strawberry". 😊
Let me know if you’d like to try another word!
> That's wrong.
You are absolutely right! My apologies. I'm still under development ...
There is only **one** "r" in "strawberry".
Thanks for pointing out my mistake!
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
If Jeff Bezos could afford to spend $75 million on the Melania movie & $500 million for a yacht to sail off to his $55 million wedding to give his wife a $5 million ring, please don't tell me he needed to fire one-third of the Washington Post staff.
Democracy dies in oligarchy.
Democracy dies in oligarchy.
February 5, 2026 at 12:16 AM
If Jeff Bezos could afford to spend $75 million on the Melania movie & $500 million for a yacht to sail off to his $55 million wedding to give his wife a $5 million ring, please don't tell me he needed to fire one-third of the Washington Post staff.
Democracy dies in oligarchy.
Democracy dies in oligarchy.
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government every year from 1994 to 2023.
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
February 3, 2026 at 5:27 PM
The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government every year from 1994 to 2023.
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
Apple: Privacy is a human right.
Apple: Behold our AI pin with mic and camera.
www.theinformation.com/articles/app...
Apple: Behold our AI pin with mic and camera.
www.theinformation.com/articles/app...
Apple Developing AI Wearable Pin
Apple is developing an AI-powered wearable pin the size of an AirTag that is equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, microphones and wireless charging, according to people with direct knowledge of ...
www.theinformation.com
January 21, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Apple: Privacy is a human right.
Apple: Behold our AI pin with mic and camera.
www.theinformation.com/articles/app...
Apple: Behold our AI pin with mic and camera.
www.theinformation.com/articles/app...
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
January 20, 2026 at 10:53 PM
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
“We’re going to scrutinize these to make sure that they’re not what they very obviously are.”
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson says the agency is examining Big Tech's acqui-hires to make sure "they are not an attempt to get around" its merger review process (Bloomberg)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
January 17, 2026 at 1:54 AM
“We’re going to scrutinize these to make sure that they’re not what they very obviously are.”
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
chickenshits www.theverge.com/policy/85990...
Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai are cowards
Once you’ve traded your principles for proximity to power, do you even run your own company?
www.theverge.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:49 PM
chickenshits www.theverge.com/policy/85990...
Republican-appointed justices 47% more likely to vote for the wealthier litigant as of 2022.
Ruling for the Rich: the Supreme Court over Time
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
January 5, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Republican-appointed justices 47% more likely to vote for the wealthier litigant as of 2022.
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
Foldy Bird
lyra.horse
January 2, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
They made it illegal to sell lawn darts after one kid died.
![“On April 5, 1987, seven-year-old Michele Snow was killed when a dart thrown by her brother's playmate penetrated her skull and caused fatal brain trauma.[8] The darts were purchased as part of a set of various lawn games and had never been played before the incident occurred.[8] Snow's father David began to advocate for a ban on lawn darts, claiming that there was no way to keep children from accessing lawn darts short of a full ban.[8][9] As a partial result of Snow's lobbying, in 1988 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission introduced an outright ban on lawn darts in the U.S.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:35reg3wommhn6sa5ofuawu77/bafkreibi2g5doclt2nh5f2ppymrclnb3lq2mofdlg55g6hmciszfewvlbi@jpeg)
December 22, 2025 at 3:13 PM
They made it illegal to sell lawn darts after one kid died.
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
If refusing to comment is enough to kill a story, then the government now has veto power over journalism.
That’s what CBS normalized last night — and it should scare everyone.
open.substack.com/pub/adamkinz...
That’s what CBS normalized last night — and it should scare everyone.
open.substack.com/pub/adamkinz...
CBS Pulled a “60 Minutes” Story Because the White House Refused to Comment — That’s a Veto on Journalism
Pulling a finished investigation because the administration refused to comment isn’t journalism. It’s submission.
open.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 4:30 PM
If refusing to comment is enough to kill a story, then the government now has veto power over journalism.
That’s what CBS normalized last night — and it should scare everyone.
open.substack.com/pub/adamkinz...
That’s what CBS normalized last night — and it should scare everyone.
open.substack.com/pub/adamkinz...
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
I don’t understand why people are questioning the integrity of leadership at the Donald J. Trump Federal Bureau of Investigation and Redaction.
December 20, 2025 at 9:04 PM
I don’t understand why people are questioning the integrity of leadership at the Donald J. Trump Federal Bureau of Investigation and Redaction.
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
Since you mentioned it…
Prompting with Hitler!, an art print by Phineas Jones
Gallery Quality Prints
www.inprnt.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Since you mentioned it…
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
When the AI boom began, copywriters were singled out as one of the jobs most vulnerable to AI. Now, three years later, I wanted to hear from workers on the frontlines of the industry, to hear what had actually taken place on the ground.
For many, it was even worse than they'd feared.
For many, it was even worse than they'd feared.
"I was forced to use AI until the day I was laid off." Copywriters reveal how AI has decimated their industry
Copywriters were one of the first to have their jobs targeted by AI firms. These are their stories, three years into the AI era.
www.bloodinthemachine.com
December 12, 2025 at 6:47 PM
When the AI boom began, copywriters were singled out as one of the jobs most vulnerable to AI. Now, three years later, I wanted to hear from workers on the frontlines of the industry, to hear what had actually taken place on the ground.
For many, it was even worse than they'd feared.
For many, it was even worse than they'd feared.
If you develop software and your employer is requiring the use of AI tools, would you be willing to chat about it? tclaburn (at) theregister (dot) com
November 19, 2025 at 5:47 PM
If you develop software and your employer is requiring the use of AI tools, would you be willing to chat about it? tclaburn (at) theregister (dot) com
@shriekback.bsky.social is working on album #19. All is good with the world. There is continuity and coherence.
SHRIEKBACK 'Things with Heads'
YouTube video by ANAXATON6
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 4:50 PM
@shriekback.bsky.social is working on album #19. All is good with the world. There is continuity and coherence.
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
“We are replacing pluralism with personalization, and surrendering our information-gathering to validation machines that always tell us we’re right.“
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
The Validation Machines
Humanity thrives on friction—so why are the tools of the future built to make everything seem so easy?
www.theatlantic.com
November 2, 2025 at 2:08 PM
“We are replacing pluralism with personalization, and surrendering our information-gathering to validation machines that always tell us we’re right.“
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Choose musicians over AI.
Live from Meyhouse Jazz: Andrea Claburn sings Ella Fitzgerald
YouTube video by Meyhouse
youtu.be
October 30, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Choose musicians over AI.
"We study how Elon Musk's polarizing and partisan actions have impacted Tesla vehicle sales in the United States... Without the Musk partisan effect, Tesla sales between October 2022 and April 2025 would have been 67-83% higher, equivalent to 1-1.26 million more vehicles."
www.nber.org/papers/w34413
www.nber.org/papers/w34413
The Musk Partisan Effect on Tesla Sales
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
October 27, 2025 at 11:17 PM
"We study how Elon Musk's polarizing and partisan actions have impacted Tesla vehicle sales in the United States... Without the Musk partisan effect, Tesla sales between October 2022 and April 2025 would have been 67-83% higher, equivalent to 1-1.26 million more vehicles."
www.nber.org/papers/w34413
www.nber.org/papers/w34413
Reposted by Thomas Claburn
