Felienne Hermans
@felienne.bsky.social
"What I had not realized is that extremely short exposure to a relatively simple computer program could induce powerful delusional thinking in quite normal people" - Weizenbaum 1976
Weekly newsletter on AI and teaching and more(nl/en): www.felienne.nl
Weekly newsletter on AI and teaching and more(nl/en): www.felienne.nl
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
"had he read" isn't an excuse for an academic btw wtf am I reading
In 1994, Matt Ridley introduced him to The Bell Curve. It married genetic determinism about IQ, which Watson believed 100%, with racism, which he didn't interrogate. Had he read the papers cited in TBC, he would have seen that it was pseudoscience. This he did not do.
17/n #JDWxNC
17/n #JDWxNC
November 10, 2025 at 12:18 PM
"had he read" isn't an excuse for an academic btw wtf am I reading
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Something absolutely perfect about Larry Summers riffing about the scourge of woke cancel culture being unfair to predatory men in a friendly email to his pal JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
November 13, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Something absolutely perfect about Larry Summers riffing about the scourge of woke cancel culture being unfair to predatory men in a friendly email to his pal JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
I find it highly ironic that the party that bemoaned the deep state and alleged the cover-up of pedophiles is now embroiled in defending the party that has the largest pedophile cover-up in American history.
November 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
I find it highly ironic that the party that bemoaned the deep state and alleged the cover-up of pedophiles is now embroiled in defending the party that has the largest pedophile cover-up in American history.
I know I shared this story many times in many ways and places, but once, when I was a young grad student, at a conference where there were about 100 men and only a handful of women...
One of my earliest moments of radicalization was in 2005 when Larry Summers said that women biologically have less aptitude for science than men. Following that, scores of equally unimpressive people wrote pieces trying to explain or justify his remarks, when they should have called for his removal.
November 13, 2025 at 6:38 AM
I know I shared this story many times in many ways and places, but once, when I was a young grad student, at a conference where there were about 100 men and only a handful of women...
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Seen a few of the epstein emails now, all with different people and it's not the main issue here but is everyone illiterate
November 12, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Seen a few of the epstein emails now, all with different people and it's not the main issue here but is everyone illiterate
What a week last week was! Two newspaper articles and a TV appearance. Awesome, but a bit much....
All of that and some epistemology in last week's newsletter!
www.felienne.nl/2025-45 (Dutch)
www.felienne.nl/2025-45/#eng... (English)
All of that and some epistemology in last week's newsletter!
www.felienne.nl/2025-45 (Dutch)
www.felienne.nl/2025-45/#eng... (English)
AI in week 45
Welke kennis doet ertoe? Is ongeveer genoeg? | what knowledge matters? Is more or less enough?
www.felienne.nl
November 12, 2025 at 6:20 PM
What a week last week was! Two newspaper articles and a TV appearance. Awesome, but a bit much....
All of that and some epistemology in last week's newsletter!
www.felienne.nl/2025-45 (Dutch)
www.felienne.nl/2025-45/#eng... (English)
All of that and some epistemology in last week's newsletter!
www.felienne.nl/2025-45 (Dutch)
www.felienne.nl/2025-45/#eng... (English)
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Black thinkers & activists have been saying the same thing for more than 150 yrs: the rights, laws, & programs passed by Congress are meaningless if white Americans remain unwilling to enforce them.
After the police chief in Columbia, SC murdered a Black resident in cold blood, an anonymous Black woman wrote to the govt in May 1866: "Our friends in Congress are wasting time & breath, & all the bills they may pass, will do us no good, unless men are sent here that will see these laws enforced."
November 12, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Black thinkers & activists have been saying the same thing for more than 150 yrs: the rights, laws, & programs passed by Congress are meaningless if white Americans remain unwilling to enforce them.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
November 12, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
This is just amazing
Andrews: Here's an example of political correctness gone too far. In one landmark 1990s case, a woman was able to get a court to say men couldn't have pinups
Sargeant: Are you out of your mind? It was way more than pinups
Andrews: Right, we all agree she should have won
Andrews: Here's an example of political correctness gone too far. In one landmark 1990s case, a woman was able to get a court to say men couldn't have pinups
Sargeant: Are you out of your mind? It was way more than pinups
Andrews: Right, we all agree she should have won
November 9, 2025 at 3:01 PM
This is just amazing
Andrews: Here's an example of political correctness gone too far. In one landmark 1990s case, a woman was able to get a court to say men couldn't have pinups
Sargeant: Are you out of your mind? It was way more than pinups
Andrews: Right, we all agree she should have won
Andrews: Here's an example of political correctness gone too far. In one landmark 1990s case, a woman was able to get a court to say men couldn't have pinups
Sargeant: Are you out of your mind? It was way more than pinups
Andrews: Right, we all agree she should have won
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
I would like to take this opportunity to get on the record and apologize: I had complained about how every single thing at the grocery store now costs five dollars more than it used to, but I had not seen the latest data from DoorDash's State of Local Commerce report, which disproves that.
November 11, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I would like to take this opportunity to get on the record and apologize: I had complained about how every single thing at the grocery store now costs five dollars more than it used to, but I had not seen the latest data from DoorDash's State of Local Commerce report, which disproves that.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
"babies are born worshipping unknown gods" is one of the most incredible dwarf fortress bugs i have heard of. its poetry.
November 11, 2025 at 4:18 PM
"babies are born worshipping unknown gods" is one of the most incredible dwarf fortress bugs i have heard of. its poetry.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Well, well, well. It turns out more voters blame fossil fuels than renewable energy for high electricity prices—and the most voters, correctly, blame utilities.
So if they promote more fossil fuels to lower costs, @mattyglesias.bsky.social, Dems will fail to campaign on voters' *actual* positions.
So if they promote more fossil fuels to lower costs, @mattyglesias.bsky.social, Dems will fail to campaign on voters' *actual* positions.
![Voters Most Blame Utility Companies for Higher Electric
Utility Bills
Who or what do you think is most responsible for higher electric utility bills?
Utility companies increasing profits 38%
Increased energy demand from new industries (like Al) %14
Extreme weather events causing higher energy demand 11%
Aging or inadequate energy infrastructure 10%
Foreign conflicts limiting energy supply 9%
Increased reliance on fossil fuels 8%
Increased reliance on wind and solar energy 5%
Something else [please specify] 5%
September 19-22, 2025 survey of 1,361 U.S. likely voters
DATA FOR PROGRESS](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xalxqffcayyidntafmptzhta/bafkreihgf6guuz7xvkxnw6pr4e3bfyl6xwkmtmavn5pcyn7md4czj7i2qu@jpeg)
November 11, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Well, well, well. It turns out more voters blame fossil fuels than renewable energy for high electricity prices—and the most voters, correctly, blame utilities.
So if they promote more fossil fuels to lower costs, @mattyglesias.bsky.social, Dems will fail to campaign on voters' *actual* positions.
So if they promote more fossil fuels to lower costs, @mattyglesias.bsky.social, Dems will fail to campaign on voters' *actual* positions.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Cue the articles on discrimination against sloppers.
‘It shows such a laziness’: why I refuse to date someone who uses ChatGPT
It’s the ultimate ick: trying to form a deep, lasting connection with a person who outsources original thought
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Cue the articles on discrimination against sloppers.
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
"But we simply do not know, myself included, what the effect of using LLMs in the classroom, or in journalism, in research, or in medical care will be. Certainly not in the long term. Do we want to expose an entire generation of children and students to something whose effect we don't know?"
But Felienne, aren't you amazed by what LLMs can do?', a colleague asked me recently. Immediately, all the counterarguments about these advanced AI systems that can understand and generate natural language started to
archive.ph/xOYoI
archive.ph/xOYoI
archive.ph
November 11, 2025 at 11:24 AM
"But we simply do not know, myself included, what the effect of using LLMs in the classroom, or in journalism, in research, or in medical care will be. Certainly not in the long term. Do we want to expose an entire generation of children and students to something whose effect we don't know?"
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
we’re about to start seeing a lot of “here’s a cost effective meal your grandparents made during the great depression”
Japanese giant SoftBank said Tuesday it has sold its entire stake in tech giant Nvidia for $5.83 billion.
Click here to read more: https://cnb.cx/49LCIs8
Click here to read more: https://cnb.cx/49LCIs8
November 11, 2025 at 7:39 AM
we’re about to start seeing a lot of “here’s a cost effective meal your grandparents made during the great depression”
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Call in the troops to solve the commercial real estate crisis in our swanky downtown cores
You can’t make this shit up, folks
You can’t make this shit up, folks
November 11, 2025 at 5:53 AM
Call in the troops to solve the commercial real estate crisis in our swanky downtown cores
You can’t make this shit up, folks
You can’t make this shit up, folks
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Congrats to the eight Democrats who gave this regime a huge win over the weekend. Here’s your reward.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Trump Pardons Giuliani and Others Involved in Effort to Overturn 2020 Election
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Congrats to the eight Democrats who gave this regime a huge win over the weekend. Here’s your reward.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
(…) “Hebben we nou een gebrek aan kennis over hoe erg het is met klimaatverandering en hoe we dat moeten oplossen? We weten dat eigenlijk wel. Waar loopt het dan op stuk? Het loopt stuk op empathie van mensen naar elkaar, om samen er wat van te maken.” (…)
Zien:
@felienne.bsky.social in Buitenhof
Zien:
@felienne.bsky.social in Buitenhof
November 10, 2025 at 8:48 AM
(…) “Hebben we nou een gebrek aan kennis over hoe erg het is met klimaatverandering en hoe we dat moeten oplossen? We weten dat eigenlijk wel. Waar loopt het dan op stuk? Het loopt stuk op empathie van mensen naar elkaar, om samen er wat van te maken.” (…)
Zien:
@felienne.bsky.social in Buitenhof
Zien:
@felienne.bsky.social in Buitenhof
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Hallo nieuwe volgers (die mij vanmiddag bij @buitenhof.bsky.social gezien hebben, neem ik aan!)
Ik schrijf niet alleen hier, maar voornamelijk op mijn wekelijkse nieuwsbrief over AI, epistemologie, onderwijs en meer, zie hier:
www.felienne.nl/2025-45/
Ik schrijf niet alleen hier, maar voornamelijk op mijn wekelijkse nieuwsbrief over AI, epistemologie, onderwijs en meer, zie hier:
www.felienne.nl/2025-45/
AI in week 45
Welke kennis doet ertoe? Is ongeveer genoeg? | what knowledge matters? Is more or less enough?
www.felienne.nl
November 9, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Hallo nieuwe volgers (die mij vanmiddag bij @buitenhof.bsky.social gezien hebben, neem ik aan!)
Ik schrijf niet alleen hier, maar voornamelijk op mijn wekelijkse nieuwsbrief over AI, epistemologie, onderwijs en meer, zie hier:
www.felienne.nl/2025-45/
Ik schrijf niet alleen hier, maar voornamelijk op mijn wekelijkse nieuwsbrief over AI, epistemologie, onderwijs en meer, zie hier:
www.felienne.nl/2025-45/
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
How does something get a public release, even as a pilot, with this level of failure? www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:36 PM
How does something get a public release, even as a pilot, with this level of failure? www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
50 year mortgage is so crazy. to put it in perspective, 2016 was 50 years ago
November 9, 2025 at 6:42 AM
50 year mortgage is so crazy. to put it in perspective, 2016 was 50 years ago
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Leuke middag bij de boekpresentatie van @jimjansen.bsky.social en @dolfjansen.bsky.social. Podium voor muziek en wetenschappers zoals @jpvdschaar.bsky.social en @felienne.bsky.social. Dankzij Felienne zijn er dit keer ook 27 letters ipv 26. 👍 Kleine deeltjes bij de Y van Yukawa
November 8, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Leuke middag bij de boekpresentatie van @jimjansen.bsky.social en @dolfjansen.bsky.social. Podium voor muziek en wetenschappers zoals @jpvdschaar.bsky.social en @felienne.bsky.social. Dankzij Felienne zijn er dit keer ook 27 letters ipv 26. 👍 Kleine deeltjes bij de Y van Yukawa
Reposted by Felienne Hermans
Zondag in #buitenhof defensie-onderzoeker @michellehaas.bsky.social; @ministerbz.bsky.social David van Weel; hoogleraar Informatica @felienne.bsky.social Hermans; en vz. Nationaal Klimaat Platform @keesvendrik.bsky.social. 12:10 op NPO1. Lees meer: bit.ly/buitenhof-9-...
November 8, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Zondag in #buitenhof defensie-onderzoeker @michellehaas.bsky.social; @ministerbz.bsky.social David van Weel; hoogleraar Informatica @felienne.bsky.social Hermans; en vz. Nationaal Klimaat Platform @keesvendrik.bsky.social. 12:10 op NPO1. Lees meer: bit.ly/buitenhof-9-...