Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Nick Pettigrew @nick-pettigrew.bsky.social · 2d

The veneration of Books As Objects misses the point entirely. If you're reading a book, turn the corners down, break the spine, spill soup on it. It's your book, go nuts. A pristine, unread book is a tragedy in a way that a beloved, much-read book that looks like the dog's been at it could never be.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 2d

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

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 2d

boost your user satisfaction and growth with this one weird trick (removing the shit everyone hates that you added for no reason)

r/SaaS
u/soasme
I deleted ALL AI features... and user growth went UP.

Everyone's busy adding Al to everything.
I did the same for indie10k.com but it didn't work.
I removed all of fancy Al stuff - Al coach, Al growth ideas, Al "personalized" advice - everything.
Guess what?
I see more registered users and higher retention.
That actually make me wonder why now i have one page with one button, without all that Al thingy, but it does better?
Here's my question:
Is Al feature actually helping SaaS grow?

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Isa / EvilCleverDog @evilcleverdog.bsky.social · Aug 23

Using ChatGPT

Edith @edithcharles.bsky.social · Aug 23

What's something that isn't considered embarrassing but you think it should be?

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Dr Victoria Austen @vickyausten.bsky.social · 2d

Yeah I also ran 17km yesterday and all my grading was still there waiting for me after. Rude.
Maybe 18 is the magic number 😅

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Dr Victoria Austen @vickyausten.bsky.social · 2d

I’m in this post and I don’t like it.

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Joel @sentantiq.bsky.social · 4d

live the the life of the mind, they said

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Peopling The Past @peoplingthepast.bsky.social · 5d

You can check out these top 5 videos, and all our other #PeoplingVideo content over at peoplingthepast.com/category/vid... /end

Graphic reads:
Video #1: Disability in Ancient Greece with Dr. Debby Sneed
Video #14: Kara Cooney talks about Women and Power in Ancient Egypt
Video #10: Katherine Blouin talks about the Cult of Isis
Video #17 Tattoos in Ancient Egypt with Anne Austin https
Video #16: The Hyksos with Danielle Candelora

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Peopling The Past @peoplingthepast.bsky.social · 5d

In celebration of our recent fifth birthday, Peopling the Past is counting down the top 5 of each of our media categories! Today we are giving a shout-out to the top 5 #PeoplingVideo contributions across the years /thread 🧵👇

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

The Partial Historians 🏺 @partialhistorians.bsky.social · 7d

Witness Augustus as you’ve never seem him, re-sculptured to look nothing like himself!

The scene is ostensibly Augustus driving a chariot of Tritons. The imagery includes Tritons holding a shield with an oak wreath (thought to be the clipeus virtutis) and Victoria.

#ReliefWednesday #AncientRome

Description from Kunsthistorisches Museum: “The cameo shows Augustus, clad in a toga – the heads of the figures are all modern – viewed from the front in a chariot being pulled through the sea by Tritons. The triumphant naval victor holds a branch in his right hand and a sceptre in his left. An oak wreath is attached to the parapet of the chariot, and a shell is attached to the end of the handle. While the two middle Tritons – one holding a horn in his right, the other a dolphin in his left – each raise an arm symmetrically as if pointing at Augustus, the two outer Tritons carry the symbols of his reign in front of him: the left holds a globe, on which a shield with an oak wreath (clipeus virtutis) flanked by two ibexes, and the right shows Victoria floating on the globe. The cameo was probably created soon after 27 BCE, when Augustus was awarded the oak wreath, which - together with the ibex - was also engraved on the back of the stone in the 16th century.”

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Dr Victoria Austen @vickyausten.bsky.social · 7d

Then let it die.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Dr Victoria Austen @vickyausten.bsky.social · 7d

That feeling when you can clear all the tabs once you’ve submitted a piece of writing 🤌🏻

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Dr Claire Millington ✍🏻🏺 @clairemillington.bsky.social · 8d

Incredible journey. This Roman tombstone has travelled further than the man it commemorates. It seems to have come to New Orleans probably through post WW2 looting.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

New Orleans couple discovers ancient Roman grave marker in their yard

Discovery of 1,900-year-old headstone dedicated to Roman sailor sets off effort to repatriate item to Italy

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 9d

"AI is just badly recycling and regurgitating the past to be re-consumed" so succinct! so good!

Chibdm @chibdm.bsky.social · 9d

Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop

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Imani Gandy Corn 🎃 @angryblacklady.blacksky.app · 9d

you are no longer allowed to have imposter syndrome.

not after this bari omgwtf weiss situation.

you're literally not allowed to feel imposter syndrome ANYMORE

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Joel @sentantiq.bsky.social · 9d

"Universities and colleges have one mission: to advance knowledge. Faculty carry out the mission by conducting research and teaching students. The knowledge they produce and circulate is independently assessed by professional peers."

www.acls.org/news/acls-st...

ACLS Statement Regarding White House “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”

ACLS stands firmly against this latest White House effort to divide faculties by giving special privileges to students in “hard science programs” and its demand that institutions abolish “units that p...

www.acls.org

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Annie Abrams @annieabrams.bsky.social · 11d

quick, while we still have people around who know some other mode, let’s fix it

Tobias Wilson-Bates @phdhurtbrain.bsky.social · 11d

I worry that in schools they’re getting too much “active reading” training too early. Actively pulling information from a passage is a very useful skill, but is certainly not how you should engage with Gandalf inviting dwarves to your peaceful home for a raucous party.

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Lauren Ginsberg @laurenginsberg.bsky.social · 12d

Yup.

Anise K. Strong @anisekstrong.bsky.social · 12d

I spend the whole dang first part of my career saying that comparisons between the modern United States and the late Roman Republic are often misleading and facile, and then...he just mints it right out...

Silver coin of Julius Caesar, which caused major controversy during his lifetime because only dead people were supposed to be on coins.

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Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 12d

Please join me in congratulating Woman on her appointment

Sky News @news.sky.com · 12d

Woman named as new Archbishop of Canterbury in historic first

Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, a former nurse, has been named as the next Archbishop of Canterbury - the first time a woman has been appointed to the role in the Church of England's history.

news.sky.com

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Dr Victoria Austen @vickyausten.bsky.social · 13d

10/10. No notes.

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Dr. Sarah Parcak @indyfromspace.bsky.social · 13d

WHAT YOU FAIL TO SEE MR. POPE

Painting of King Henry VIII in all his glory wearing white stockings, a red coat, and a grey and white embroidered silt undercoat and a red/white/black cap

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

Peopling The Past @peoplingthepast.bsky.social · 13d

In the spirit of Halloween, October’s #ImageOfTheMonth is a particularly cursed item: a Roman curse tablet (defixio) from 1st–4th century CE London (British Museum 1934,1105.1).
This thin sheet of lead wishes ill-health to a woman named Tretia Maria /1

A thin lead sheet with holes pierced in it.

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Dr Victoria Austen @vickyausten.bsky.social · 13d

WELP.
Something to talk about in the new book I guess 🙃 www.wantedinrome.com/news/outcry-...

Outcry after Rome cuts down cypress trees at Mausoleum of Augustus

City authorities claim trees in Piazza Augusto Imperatore posed a risk to public safety. Most of the iconic cypress trees that circled Rome's Mausoleum of Augustus have been chopped down, sparking an ...

www.wantedinrome.com

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Reposted by Dr Victoria Austen

SeasonalPun @pixelfish.bsky.social · 13d

Love that Jane Goodall was all, “why yes, I do have jolly nice legs! Good job, legs,” when asked about the attitudes of jealous male scientists towards her body and image.

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 13d

1. I was so grateful to Alex Cooper for having Dr. Jane Goodall on Call Her Daddy earlier this year which brought Dr. Goodall’s life’s work and example to millions of young women who might have heard of her, or recognized her, but may not have known of the depth of her contribution.

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pumpkin spice Toddé @toddedillard.bsky.social · 14d

I heard "there's artificial intelligence, and there's actual intelligence" and almost choked to death on this cough drop

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 14d

We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.

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Dr Victoria Austen @vickyausten.bsky.social · 14d

I am currently running a @wikieducation.bsky.social assignment with my Roman art and archaeology class and I guess I now have a new exhibit to discuss with the students 🙃
Also 1) these people woefully misrepresent how the platform works and 2) their focus on *bios* is so incredibly telling.

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 15d

We laugh at this shit -- I mean, how can you not? -- but it's serious: these guys want to infuse reactionary thinking into AI and then infuse AI into every nook & cranny of American life. They can't win the argument so they are trying to blunt-force their views onto us with money & power.

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