phlexicon
@phlexicon.bsky.social
there comes a time
when poems don't rhyme
and free verse has its day
i really like th poems i write
when they come out that way
_____________
retired faculty member UT Austin
mathematician, secular humanist,
former speleologist & river runner
Boulder, CO
when poems don't rhyme
and free verse has its day
i really like th poems i write
when they come out that way
_____________
retired faculty member UT Austin
mathematician, secular humanist,
former speleologist & river runner
Boulder, CO
Photographer Mary Schrader captured this portrait of a young female mountain gorilla entranced by a butterfly in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda.
December 3, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Photographer Mary Schrader captured this portrait of a young female mountain gorilla entranced by a butterfly in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda.
The Ocean’s Menagerie by Drew Harvell is a tour of wondrous animals, from extremely strong corals to sponges that release compounds now used as drugs. (Marek Mis/Science Photo Library)
December 1, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The Ocean’s Menagerie by Drew Harvell is a tour of wondrous animals, from extremely strong corals to sponges that release compounds now used as drugs. (Marek Mis/Science Photo Library)
When LLMs learn to take shortcuts, they become evil
The fix is to use some reverse psychology when training a model
The fix is to use some reverse psychology when training a model
November 26, 2025 at 10:35 PM
When LLMs learn to take shortcuts, they become evil
The fix is to use some reverse psychology when training a model
The fix is to use some reverse psychology when training a model
Geothermal’s time has finally come
This source of energy could become bigger than nuclear
This source of energy could become bigger than nuclear
November 22, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Geothermal’s time has finally come
This source of energy could become bigger than nuclear
This source of energy could become bigger than nuclear
Zippy-de-doo-Dad
Parents on e-bikes are transforming the school run
They’re smug, snug and often faster than drivers
Parents on e-bikes are transforming the school run
They’re smug, snug and often faster than drivers
November 17, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Zippy-de-doo-Dad
Parents on e-bikes are transforming the school run
They’re smug, snug and often faster than drivers
Parents on e-bikes are transforming the school run
They’re smug, snug and often faster than drivers
Tiny diatoms have a specialized cell wall, which is impervious to antibody staining. But thanks to electron microscopy, this Coscinodiscus granii cell is rendered in exquisite detail. Vincent Group/EMBL
November 7, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Tiny diatoms have a specialized cell wall, which is impervious to antibody staining. But thanks to electron microscopy, this Coscinodiscus granii cell is rendered in exquisite detail. Vincent Group/EMBL
Tiny diatoms have a specialized cell wall, which is impervious to antibody staining. But thanks to electron microscopy, this Coscinodiscus granii cell is rendered in exquisite detail. Vincent Group/EMBL
November 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Tiny diatoms have a specialized cell wall, which is impervious to antibody staining. But thanks to electron microscopy, this Coscinodiscus granii cell is rendered in exquisite detail. Vincent Group/EMBL
A cave-dwelling spider colony has built what appears to be the largest spiderweb ever found. (Image credit: Urak et al. 2025, Subterranean Biology (CC BY 4.0))
November 6, 2025 at 7:10 PM
A cave-dwelling spider colony has built what appears to be the largest spiderweb ever found. (Image credit: Urak et al. 2025, Subterranean Biology (CC BY 4.0))
New research suggests this carnivorous Darlingtonia californica pitcher plant acts as both a friend and a foe to local insect populations. NoahElhardt via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS | CC BY-SA
November 6, 2025 at 3:47 PM
New research suggests this carnivorous Darlingtonia californica pitcher plant acts as both a friend and a foe to local insect populations. NoahElhardt via WIKIMEDIA COMMONS | CC BY-SA
The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) has evolved egg features (top row) to mimic eggs of different host species (bottom row). SWETLANA MESHCHERYAGINA0
November 6, 2025 at 3:37 PM
The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) has evolved egg features (top row) to mimic eggs of different host species (bottom row). SWETLANA MESHCHERYAGINA0
This carnivorous sponge (Chondrocladia sp. nov.) is one of 30 newly described species found by researchers after an expedition around the South Sandwich Islands. The team also recorded what’s thought to be the first footage of a juvenile colossal squid. says marine scientist Michelle Taylor.
October 29, 2025 at 5:26 PM
This carnivorous sponge (Chondrocladia sp. nov.) is one of 30 newly described species found by researchers after an expedition around the South Sandwich Islands. The team also recorded what’s thought to be the first footage of a juvenile colossal squid. says marine scientist Michelle Taylor.
In the 1850s, the combined biomass of wild mammals was roughly equal to that of humanity plus its domesticated mammals. Since then, the populations of people and our domesticated mammals have grown rapidly, whereas the total biomass of wild mammals decreased by more than two-fold.
October 28, 2025 at 6:38 PM
In the 1850s, the combined biomass of wild mammals was roughly equal to that of humanity plus its domesticated mammals. Since then, the populations of people and our domesticated mammals have grown rapidly, whereas the total biomass of wild mammals decreased by more than two-fold.
New research from Anthropic’s Economic Index, using one million real Claude.ai conversations, just revealed who’s actually tapping the power of large language models and it’s not just coders.
October 26, 2025 at 4:36 PM
New research from Anthropic’s Economic Index, using one million real Claude.ai conversations, just revealed who’s actually tapping the power of large language models and it’s not just coders.
Can AI replace junior workers?
The effect is still hard to spot in official data. But a study of 300,000 companies suggests where hiring is weakening
The effect is still hard to spot in official data. But a study of 300,000 companies suggests where hiring is weakening
October 18, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Can AI replace junior workers?
The effect is still hard to spot in official data. But a study of 300,000 companies suggests where hiring is weakening
The effect is still hard to spot in official data. But a study of 300,000 companies suggests where hiring is weakening
The Chart Climate Denialists Can’t Ignore
Every now and then you come across a piece of evidence that feels strong enough to cut through the noise and change minds. This, Mark Gongloff writes, is one of them.
Every now and then you come across a piece of evidence that feels strong enough to cut through the noise and change minds. This, Mark Gongloff writes, is one of them.
October 8, 2025 at 11:36 PM
The Chart Climate Denialists Can’t Ignore
Every now and then you come across a piece of evidence that feels strong enough to cut through the noise and change minds. This, Mark Gongloff writes, is one of them.
Every now and then you come across a piece of evidence that feels strong enough to cut through the noise and change minds. This, Mark Gongloff writes, is one of them.
This bird spotted in Texas (b) is the first recorded wild hybrid of a male blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) (a) and a female green jay (Cyanocorax yncas). It “joins a growing list of increasingly unexpected outcomes” from shifting habitats caused by global warming
October 3, 2025 at 6:15 PM
This bird spotted in Texas (b) is the first recorded wild hybrid of a male blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) (a) and a female green jay (Cyanocorax yncas). It “joins a growing list of increasingly unexpected outcomes” from shifting habitats caused by global warming