Barry Norton 🌈 ♾ 📚
@barrynorton.bsky.social
He/him.
I write queer/speculative fiction, with ND representation, in Denmark.
PhD in Computer Science, MA in Creative Writing, MSc in Science Communication in progress.
I write queer/speculative fiction, with ND representation, in Denmark.
PhD in Computer Science, MA in Creative Writing, MSc in Science Communication in progress.
Pinned
“Make art for thirty sickos,” is good advice.
“Be somebody’s sicko,” is GREAT advice.
“Do both!” is better, still.
Being part of a community is amazing. Yes, it takes work. You gotta support people in ways that are kind of labour intensive. Gushing over a buddy’s new thing is one of the best parts.
“Be somebody’s sicko,” is GREAT advice.
“Do both!” is better, still.
Being part of a community is amazing. Yes, it takes work. You gotta support people in ways that are kind of labour intensive. Gushing over a buddy’s new thing is one of the best parts.
I read that as 'thirsty sickos'.
That's whom I write for.
I'll only find out if there are 30 of them when my novel is published.
That's whom I write for.
I'll only find out if there are 30 of them when my novel is published.
Are we going to laud this as much as the poetry one?
Quantum physicists have shrunk and “de-censored” DeepSeek R1
They managed to cut the size of the AI reasoning model by more than half—and claim it can now answer politically sensitive questions once off limits in Chinese AI systems.
www.technologyreview.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Are we going to laud this as much as the poetry one?
Engineering master's degrees are no longer professional qualifications in the US?
What could go wrong?
What could go wrong?
I think this should get more media attention, but it won't. People are just going to find out the hard way.
www.newsweek.com/full-list-de...
www.newsweek.com/full-list-de...
November 21, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Engineering master's degrees are no longer professional qualifications in the US?
What could go wrong?
What could go wrong?
Without her, my dawning adolescence would have been much less picturesque.
November 21, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Without her, my dawning adolescence would have been much less picturesque.
Reposted by Barry Norton 🌈 ♾ 📚
It strikes me that a lot of educational conversations around AI and cheating have to do with the uncomfortable coexistence of our institutions of learning as both hierarchical merit systems and spaces of knowledge acquisition/production
November 21, 2025 at 2:37 PM
It strikes me that a lot of educational conversations around AI and cheating have to do with the uncomfortable coexistence of our institutions of learning as both hierarchical merit systems and spaces of knowledge acquisition/production
Quite a comprehensive list of Trump's illegal orders to the military, on top of the extrajudicial murders of those aboard Venezuelan boats.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/20/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/20/p...
November 21, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Quite a comprehensive list of Trump's illegal orders to the military, on top of the extrajudicial murders of those aboard Venezuelan boats.
www.cnn.com/2025/11/20/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/11/20/p...
And reading web pages grants one a shallower knowledge than reading a book end-to-end, and reading a book grants one a shallower knowledge than studying in a class, and studying in a class grants one a shallower knowledge than debate, and debate than writing, and writing than teaching, etc. etc.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 1:23 PM
And reading web pages grants one a shallower knowledge than reading a book end-to-end, and reading a book grants one a shallower knowledge than studying in a class, and studying in a class grants one a shallower knowledge than debate, and debate than writing, and writing than teaching, etc. etc.
This paper does not say what people seem to think it says. The words 'adversarial attack' sound exciting, but the point of the work is to make LLMs more prone to e.g. offer advice on suicide, by circumventing guardrails — using 'poetry' generated by LLMs and sampled by computer scientists.
November 21, 2025 at 8:22 AM
This paper does not say what people seem to think it says. The words 'adversarial attack' sound exciting, but the point of the work is to make LLMs more prone to e.g. offer advice on suicide, by circumventing guardrails — using 'poetry' generated by LLMs and sampled by computer scientists.
After Trump people will welcome President GPT
November 20, 2025 at 10:18 PM
After Trump people will welcome President GPT
You're not disdained. You just want to be.
November 20, 2025 at 6:57 PM
You're not disdained. You just want to be.
Blood and guts in grade school
A powerful poem about the unexpected payoffs of learning about blood and guts in science class.
Blood and Guts Were Our First Language - Electric Literature
“what i can teach you,” a poem by Eshani Surya
buff.ly
November 20, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Blood and guts in grade school
On this Trans Day of Remembrance, we remember the bright and courageous trans people whose lives were stolen by hatred. Their absence is felt across our city.
We will honor them by building a New York where every trans person can live safely, fully and freely.
We will honor them by building a New York where every trans person can live safely, fully and freely.
November 20, 2025 at 5:07 PM
The Mountbatten-Windsors were such a lovely family until she came along.
The king wanted to be his mistress' tampon; she's now Queen. His brother's a sweaty nonce. Lovely people.
The king wanted to be his mistress' tampon; she's now Queen. His brother's a sweaty nonce. Lovely people.
"There’s no such thing as perfect. I, too, get to make mistakes."
Meghan Markle covers Harper's Bazaar
tomandlorenzo.com/2025/11/megh...
Meghan Markle covers Harper's Bazaar
tomandlorenzo.com/2025/11/megh...
Meghan Markle Covers HARPER'S BAZAAR’s 2025 Art Issue, Talks Marriage, Motherhood and More - Tom + Lorenzo
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex covers HARPER'S BAZAAR’s December 2025/January 2026 Art Issue, on newsstands December 2. In an exclusive interview
tomandlorenzo.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:05 PM
The Mountbatten-Windsors were such a lovely family until she came along.
The king wanted to be his mistress' tampon; she's now Queen. His brother's a sweaty nonce. Lovely people.
The king wanted to be his mistress' tampon; she's now Queen. His brother's a sweaty nonce. Lovely people.
Reposted by Barry Norton 🌈 ♾ 📚
One of the best baselines ever. So simple but huge. RIP Mani.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D2q...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D2q...
The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored (Official Video)
YouTube video by StoneRosesVEVO
www.youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:10 PM
One of the best baselines ever. So simple but huge. RIP Mani.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D2q...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D2q...
I was completely oblivious to this until being in New Orleans a couple of months ago. I'd heard Americans talking about gummis all the time, but figured they got them from states with liberal laws. Then I was in a bookshop, went to the adjoining café and saw a drink in the refrigerator saying THC...
For @bloomberg.com, I wrote the legal loophole around THC the government just closed, and what it means for the Four Loko of THC drinks www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Weed Drinks That Get You Very, Very High Could Be Gone Soon
Cannabis beverages with up to 100mg of THC are increasingly popular. A ban on hemp is threatening their survival.
www.bloomberg.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I was completely oblivious to this until being in New Orleans a couple of months ago. I'd heard Americans talking about gummis all the time, but figured they got them from states with liberal laws. Then I was in a bookshop, went to the adjoining café and saw a drink in the refrigerator saying THC...
Screwed if I'm going to post Fawlty Towers or Father Ted.
Kill your heroes. Young.
Kill your heroes. Young.
Share a TV series you’ve watched from beginning to end more than once.
November 20, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Screwed if I'm going to post Fawlty Towers or Father Ted.
Kill your heroes. Young.
Kill your heroes. Young.
I've never really understood why people make such a thing about bookmarks on this network. But if I were to bookmark something...
I think one of the hardest things about being a career writer in traditional publishing is that writing attracts the neurodivergent brain while the variable reinforcement schedule punishes it. We are all the rat at the water bottle, waiting for the hit of cocaine. You get one win, and you need MORE.
November 20, 2025 at 3:47 PM
I've never really understood why people make such a thing about bookmarks on this network. But if I were to bookmark something...
Well, why would we *have*?
It seems like a good idea now, and I hope publishers are taking care of this — or authors if they don't.
It seems like a good idea now, and I hope publishers are taking care of this — or authors if they don't.
More than half of UK novelists believe AI will replace their work www.theguardian.com/books/2025/n... This is depressing. And most international writers don't get anything from the Anthropic AI settlement, because we don't have US copyright registration, for why would we?
More than half of UK novelists believe AI will replace their work
A new study by the University of Cambridge found many authors’ work has already been used – without their permission – to train large language models
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Well, why would we *have*?
It seems like a good idea now, and I hope publishers are taking care of this — or authors if they don't.
It seems like a good idea now, and I hope publishers are taking care of this — or authors if they don't.
Trump's writing style is flow of conscienceless
CBS and the NYT are about to get *really* focused on talking about everything except who was committing sex crimes against children with Jefferey Epstein.
President Trump responded to signing off on the release of the Epstein files the way anyone who is def innocent & not at all panicking would:
President Trump responded to signing off on the release of the Epstein files the way anyone who is def innocent & not at all panicking would:
November 20, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Trump's writing style is flow of conscienceless
Really? Because I'd go with:
"You're quiet now, aren't you, you pig?"
"You're quiet now, aren't you, you pig?"
“Quiet, Piggy” would be fitting for his tombstone.
November 20, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Really? Because I'd go with:
"You're quiet now, aren't you, you pig?"
"You're quiet now, aren't you, you pig?"
Just how much does a woodchipper cost?
Reform plans to strip EU citizens of benefit rights, says Farage
Leader Nigel Farage says his party would renegotiate the Brexit deal struck by the Tory government.
www.bbc.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Just how much does a woodchipper cost?
Cannons of Light Blasting into My Retinas is my favourite Godspeed You! Black Emperor album.
Driving back home from the post office, it seemed like every third car had brights on. Cannons of light blasting into my retinas. These are standard now! People tell me I should start wearing yellow-tinted glasses at night to cut glare. But should *I* be the one that has to adjust?
I wish we, like, regulated shit nowadays. Between car bloat, blinding headlines, and neighbourhoods packed with rental suites but no on-property parking, driving is an absolute nightmare now.
November 19, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Cannons of Light Blasting into My Retinas is my favourite Godspeed You! Black Emperor album.
"Every day is international men's day"
Not true. Every day is nationalist men's day. Let us internationalists have this.
Not true. Every day is nationalist men's day. Let us internationalists have this.
November 19, 2025 at 2:51 PM
"Every day is international men's day"
Not true. Every day is nationalist men's day. Let us internationalists have this.
Not true. Every day is nationalist men's day. Let us internationalists have this.
I've no idea who Matthew Rhys is, but BAM, THEY'RE WELSH sounds like Barry Scott is pitching a new spray.
You think you know a white person, then BAM! They’re Welsh and married.
November 19, 2025 at 2:19 PM
I've no idea who Matthew Rhys is, but BAM, THEY'RE WELSH sounds like Barry Scott is pitching a new spray.
Ever watch a door slowly swing closed and, wondering if it's going to make it, hold up your finger to will it. And it does.
That's how powerful I am. I can control matter!
Usually...
That's how powerful I am. I can control matter!
Usually...
November 19, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Ever watch a door slowly swing closed and, wondering if it's going to make it, hold up your finger to will it. And it does.
That's how powerful I am. I can control matter!
Usually...
That's how powerful I am. I can control matter!
Usually...
Reposted by Barry Norton 🌈 ♾ 📚
In reality, I saw the police attending to a car that had driven into the (entirely separated by a verge and trees) cycle lane yesterday.
That's nothing compared to Sheffield, though, where I saw someone drive along the tram-only bridge beside the station.
That's nothing compared to Sheffield, though, where I saw someone drive along the tram-only bridge beside the station.
November 19, 2025 at 8:46 AM
In reality, I saw the police attending to a car that had driven into the (entirely separated by a verge and trees) cycle lane yesterday.
That's nothing compared to Sheffield, though, where I saw someone drive along the tram-only bridge beside the station.
That's nothing compared to Sheffield, though, where I saw someone drive along the tram-only bridge beside the station.