Stéphane De Greef
@stefdegreef.bsky.social
Belgium-born explorer, science communicator and more.
#entomology #maps #exploration #photography #OSINT
www.stephanedegreef.com
#entomology #maps #exploration #photography #OSINT
www.stephanedegreef.com
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
a) The social harms of AI are vastly under-appreciated and go far beyond displacement of labor
b) The environmental harms of AI, though not trivial, are nevertheless small potatoes compared to many other industries like farming (and AI demand may even help accelerate electrical grid upgrades)
b) The environmental harms of AI, though not trivial, are nevertheless small potatoes compared to many other industries like farming (and AI demand may even help accelerate electrical grid upgrades)
weird header for an article about the very real dangers of modern industrial agriculture
How Oregon’s Data Center Boom Is Supercharging a Water Crisis
Amazon has come to the state’s eastern farmland, worsening a water pollution problem that’s been linked to cancer and miscarriages.
Rolling Stone reports in collaboration with @thefern.org: www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
Amazon has come to the state’s eastern farmland, worsening a water pollution problem that’s been linked to cancer and miscarriages.
Rolling Stone reports in collaboration with @thefern.org: www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
November 25, 2025 at 4:36 AM
a) The social harms of AI are vastly under-appreciated and go far beyond displacement of labor
b) The environmental harms of AI, though not trivial, are nevertheless small potatoes compared to many other industries like farming (and AI demand may even help accelerate electrical grid upgrades)
b) The environmental harms of AI, though not trivial, are nevertheless small potatoes compared to many other industries like farming (and AI demand may even help accelerate electrical grid upgrades)
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
PLEASE this.
And also to scientists writing press releases, too - calling something "AI" when it was actually your student spending 12 months fitting and validating a model is disingenuous
And also to scientists writing press releases, too - calling something "AI" when it was actually your student spending 12 months fitting and validating a model is disingenuous
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 23, 2025 at 9:12 AM
PLEASE this.
And also to scientists writing press releases, too - calling something "AI" when it was actually your student spending 12 months fitting and validating a model is disingenuous
And also to scientists writing press releases, too - calling something "AI" when it was actually your student spending 12 months fitting and validating a model is disingenuous
On est d'accord que c'est trop facile pour #BrusselsAirlines de juste dire "Déso mais non, on va rien payer pour les six jours de retard. Bye !"?
Convention pour l'unification de certaines règles relatives au transport aérien international (convention de Montréal):
eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L...
Convention pour l'unification de certaines règles relatives au transport aérien international (convention de Montréal):
eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L...
November 14, 2025 at 12:46 PM
On est d'accord que c'est trop facile pour #BrusselsAirlines de juste dire "Déso mais non, on va rien payer pour les six jours de retard. Bye !"?
Convention pour l'unification de certaines règles relatives au transport aérien international (convention de Montréal):
eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L...
Convention pour l'unification de certaines règles relatives au transport aérien international (convention de Montréal):
eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/L...
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
Giving a flash talk in Edinburgh on the 22nd about helping younger people buy invertebrates online responsibly.
I shared information for this Wired piece, which the talk draws from: www.wired.com/story/usda-a...
If you’re there, I’d love to chat and hear UK perspectives.
🧪 #entomology
I shared information for this Wired piece, which the talk draws from: www.wired.com/story/usda-a...
If you’re there, I’d love to chat and hear UK perspectives.
🧪 #entomology
November 11, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Giving a flash talk in Edinburgh on the 22nd about helping younger people buy invertebrates online responsibly.
I shared information for this Wired piece, which the talk draws from: www.wired.com/story/usda-a...
If you’re there, I’d love to chat and hear UK perspectives.
🧪 #entomology
I shared information for this Wired piece, which the talk draws from: www.wired.com/story/usda-a...
If you’re there, I’d love to chat and hear UK perspectives.
🧪 #entomology
Here we go again.
Facebook banned my account for a second time in two months.
Facebook banned my account for a second time in two months.
November 7, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Here we go again.
Facebook banned my account for a second time in two months.
Facebook banned my account for a second time in two months.
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
FFS @bsky.app @support.bsky.team. We don't want an algorithm. We don't want dislikes. We want better moderation that lets Link back in. techcrunch.com/2025/10/31/b...
Bluesky hits 40 million users, introduces 'dislikes' beta | TechCrunch
As users "dislike" posts, the system will learn what sort of content they want to see less of. This will help to inform more than just how content is ranked in feeds, but also reply rankings.
techcrunch.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:32 PM
FFS @bsky.app @support.bsky.team. We don't want an algorithm. We don't want dislikes. We want better moderation that lets Link back in. techcrunch.com/2025/10/31/b...
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
Information ministry warns public not to share fake news that could jeopardise peace
www.phnompenhpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Information ministry warns public not to share fake news that could jeopardise peace
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
🧵 Yesterday I shared my views on how disordered discourse has captured the US state and the risk of that happening elsewhere, but I don’t want to leave you hanging without proposing a solution.
What we’re witnessing in America is what happens when disordered discourse captures a political party, then the state itself. The Republican Party was the first to fall - abandoning truth for conspiracy, ideology for grievance, and policy for performative outrage.
March 1, 2025 at 3:04 PM
🧵 Yesterday I shared my views on how disordered discourse has captured the US state and the risk of that happening elsewhere, but I don’t want to leave you hanging without proposing a solution.
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
Without this, democracy doesn't die in the darkness, it dies in the light of a billion small screens.
March 1, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Without this, democracy doesn't die in the darkness, it dies in the light of a billion small screens.
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
Hilarious little video by Instagram reel creator spaghettysean about how to take good photos of an earthworm so someone can tell which of more than 6000 species it might be.
#inaturalist #inverts 📷🪱
www.instagram.com/p/DQUSJjMDOmN/
#inaturalist #inverts 📷🪱
www.instagram.com/p/DQUSJjMDOmN/
October 29, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Hilarious little video by Instagram reel creator spaghettysean about how to take good photos of an earthworm so someone can tell which of more than 6000 species it might be.
#inaturalist #inverts 📷🪱
www.instagram.com/p/DQUSJjMDOmN/
#inaturalist #inverts 📷🪱
www.instagram.com/p/DQUSJjMDOmN/
Most people don’t follow weather news about faraway places but this is a cataclysmic event about to happen. We’re talking millions of people affected and displaced. Think biblical floods, think biggest storm in years.
@hotosm.org are we already planning an urgent #HOTOSM project? Better start now.
@hotosm.org are we already planning an urgent #HOTOSM project? Better start now.
A hurricane hunter flight that had just entered the eye of Hurricane Melissa was abruptly aborted on Monday after the crew encountered severe turbulence and was forced to abandon its mission to collect data on how strong the storm had become. nyti.ms/48RivAY
October 28, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Most people don’t follow weather news about faraway places but this is a cataclysmic event about to happen. We’re talking millions of people affected and displaced. Think biblical floods, think biggest storm in years.
@hotosm.org are we already planning an urgent #HOTOSM project? Better start now.
@hotosm.org are we already planning an urgent #HOTOSM project? Better start now.
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
@georgemonbiot.bsky.social reported about this in 2011.
Dark actors were already plotting to manipulate public sentiment via targeted online messaging. This is not mere "bots". This is something more sophisticated, sinister—and effective. "How could people still be voting this way?" This is how.
Dark actors were already plotting to manipulate public sentiment via targeted online messaging. This is not mere "bots". This is something more sophisticated, sinister—and effective. "How could people still be voting this way?" This is how.
The need to protect the internet from 'astroturfing' grows ever more urgent | George Monbiot
George Monbiot: The tobacco industry does it, the US Air Force clearly wants to ... astroturfing – the use of sophisticated software to drown out real people on web forums – is on the rise. How do we ...
www.theguardian.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:38 PM
@georgemonbiot.bsky.social reported about this in 2011.
Dark actors were already plotting to manipulate public sentiment via targeted online messaging. This is not mere "bots". This is something more sophisticated, sinister—and effective. "How could people still be voting this way?" This is how.
Dark actors were already plotting to manipulate public sentiment via targeted online messaging. This is not mere "bots". This is something more sophisticated, sinister—and effective. "How could people still be voting this way?" This is how.
It’ll take decades to clean up and rebuild with all the ordnance lying around.
Ibrahim al Khalili reports on unexploded ordnance in Gaza
October 28, 2025 at 7:34 AM
It’ll take decades to clean up and rebuild with all the ordnance lying around.
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
He’s designing the ballroom with AI isn’t he www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
October 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
He’s designing the ballroom with AI isn’t he www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
Hey #BrusselsAirlines, let’s have a deal. You give me back my suitcase you’re keeping since Tuesday morning and me, an experienced professional entomologist, I’m confirming or denying the presence of #bedbugs and #fleas on your flight. Deal?
www.aviation24.be/airlines/luf...
www.aviation24.be/airlines/luf...
Brussels Airlines faces labour unrest after firing three cabin crew over pest scare flight refusal
Tensions are rising at Brussels Airlines after the dismissal of three senior flight attendants who refused to operate a flight from Brussels to Accra,
www.aviation24.be
October 24, 2025 at 5:39 AM
Hey #BrusselsAirlines, let’s have a deal. You give me back my suitcase you’re keeping since Tuesday morning and me, an experienced professional entomologist, I’m confirming or denying the presence of #bedbugs and #fleas on your flight. Deal?
www.aviation24.be/airlines/luf...
www.aviation24.be/airlines/luf...
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
In late August, Sam O’Hara began filming National Guard troops in D.C. while playing “The Imperial March” from his phone or a handheld speaker and posted the videos to his TikTok account.
He was detained Sept. 11.
He was detained Sept. 11.
October 23, 2025 at 1:47 PM
In late August, Sam O’Hara began filming National Guard troops in D.C. while playing “The Imperial March” from his phone or a handheld speaker and posted the videos to his TikTok account.
He was detained Sept. 11.
He was detained Sept. 11.
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
Je n'en peux plus de voir de l'IA générative partout 😐
Regardez-moi ces "dessins".
Il est devenu impossible d'effectuer une recherche web sans tomber sur ce genre de truc approximatif, bancal, qui déforme le réel et détruit les métiers de l'illustration.
#IA
Regardez-moi ces "dessins".
Il est devenu impossible d'effectuer une recherche web sans tomber sur ce genre de truc approximatif, bancal, qui déforme le réel et détruit les métiers de l'illustration.
#IA
October 21, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Je n'en peux plus de voir de l'IA générative partout 😐
Regardez-moi ces "dessins".
Il est devenu impossible d'effectuer une recherche web sans tomber sur ce genre de truc approximatif, bancal, qui déforme le réel et détruit les métiers de l'illustration.
#IA
Regardez-moi ces "dessins".
Il est devenu impossible d'effectuer une recherche web sans tomber sur ce genre de truc approximatif, bancal, qui déforme le réel et détruit les métiers de l'illustration.
#IA
Who knows about airline passengers rights? #SNBrusselsAirlines didn’t load my bag on the plane from Zurich to Brussels on Monday night and I’ve been waiting since then. Unreachable by chatbot, mail or call. Tracking not updated since Tuesday 7am. Bag probably in BRU but no news. Can’t work without.
October 22, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Who knows about airline passengers rights? #SNBrusselsAirlines didn’t load my bag on the plane from Zurich to Brussels on Monday night and I’ve been waiting since then. Unreachable by chatbot, mail or call. Tracking not updated since Tuesday 7am. Bag probably in BRU but no news. Can’t work without.
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
"Nearly 100 additional wild bee species in Europe have been classified as threatened in a new assessment for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species..."
Is anyone familiar with what species? I can't find a full summary list online. Thanks in advance 🐝🌿
Is anyone familiar with what species? I can't find a full summary list online. Thanks in advance 🐝🌿
Mounting risks threaten survival of wild European pollinators – IUCN Red List
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 11 October 2025 (IUCN) – Nearly 100 additional wild bee species in Europe have been classified as threatened in a new assessment for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Sp...
iucn.org
October 15, 2025 at 9:04 AM
"Nearly 100 additional wild bee species in Europe have been classified as threatened in a new assessment for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species..."
Is anyone familiar with what species? I can't find a full summary list online. Thanks in advance 🐝🌿
Is anyone familiar with what species? I can't find a full summary list online. Thanks in advance 🐝🌿
“the girlfriend of one of the founders of antifa”
October 9, 2025 at 4:38 AM
“the girlfriend of one of the founders of antifa”
Hey @developers.google.com could you fix your insane report ? It's about 25°C this morning in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This kind of false weather report is killing the tourism industry. Thanks. Bye.
October 9, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Hey @developers.google.com could you fix your insane report ? It's about 25°C this morning in Siem Reap, Cambodia. This kind of false weather report is killing the tourism industry. Thanks. Bye.
Gaza.
You’re thinking of Gaza.
You’re thinking of Gaza.
Trump on Portland: "It's like the movies you see for the kids, I guess not only the kids, adults also, where you have these bombed out cities and these bombed out people. It's like, worse than that."
October 8, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Gaza.
You’re thinking of Gaza.
You’re thinking of Gaza.
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
Video: a Japanese scientist was attacked by flies while giving the acceptance speech for his Ig Nobel Prize-winning research paper that proved painting Zebra-like stripes on cows led to a decrease in biting fly attacks.
September 19, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Video: a Japanese scientist was attacked by flies while giving the acceptance speech for his Ig Nobel Prize-winning research paper that proved painting Zebra-like stripes on cows led to a decrease in biting fly attacks.
Reposted by Stéphane De Greef
Our open-source pipeline for detecting war crimes from space is live. Built by our Sudan team at CIR with BigData Republic, it uses NASA FIRMS & Sentinel-2 data to flag burn events near civilian sites, turning satellite imagery into evidence. Full details: bigdatarepublic.nl/articles/det...
October 3, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Our open-source pipeline for detecting war crimes from space is live. Built by our Sudan team at CIR with BigData Republic, it uses NASA FIRMS & Sentinel-2 data to flag burn events near civilian sites, turning satellite imagery into evidence. Full details: bigdatarepublic.nl/articles/det...