soft arc
@softarc.bsky.social
art, poetry, cinema, love, meditation, and some venting
Reposted by soft arc
As depressing as it is to acknowledge, in academia, the fight over AI agents will be won over efficacy not abstractions.
"Is it conscious" is irrelevant. "Can it secure large multiyear grants" is what matters.
"Is it conscious" is irrelevant. "Can it secure large multiyear grants" is what matters.
February 2, 2026 at 3:26 PM
As depressing as it is to acknowledge, in academia, the fight over AI agents will be won over efficacy not abstractions.
"Is it conscious" is irrelevant. "Can it secure large multiyear grants" is what matters.
"Is it conscious" is irrelevant. "Can it secure large multiyear grants" is what matters.
Reposted by soft arc
CHOTINER: That's very interesting. It reminds me of this rope I have here. The rope is tied into a noose. Would you like to try it on? It might look good on you.
INTERVIEWEE: yes, I think that would suit me very well. Let me see how it fits around my neck.
INTERVIEWEE: yes, I think that would suit me very well. Let me see how it fits around my neck.
February 2, 2026 at 6:34 PM
CHOTINER: That's very interesting. It reminds me of this rope I have here. The rope is tied into a noose. Would you like to try it on? It might look good on you.
INTERVIEWEE: yes, I think that would suit me very well. Let me see how it fits around my neck.
INTERVIEWEE: yes, I think that would suit me very well. Let me see how it fits around my neck.
Reposted by soft arc
Trump's threat to India is Russian penalty for "secondary tariffs". Biden didn't do secondary sanctions on India because of fears of blowback on social stability in US & Europe if gas prices rose (i.e if Indian refiners stopped processing Russian crude and re-selling to west) x.com/70sBachchan/...
August 5, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Trump's threat to India is Russian penalty for "secondary tariffs". Biden didn't do secondary sanctions on India because of fears of blowback on social stability in US & Europe if gas prices rose (i.e if Indian refiners stopped processing Russian crude and re-selling to west) x.com/70sBachchan/...
Big stuff happening in the world so who the fuck am I but I have never been so demoralized in my entire life
January 20, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Big stuff happening in the world so who the fuck am I but I have never been so demoralized in my entire life
Reposted by soft arc
Volunteers created blankets for elephants during a cold spell in Myanmar, Winga Baw Elephant camp #WomensArt
November 26, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Volunteers created blankets for elephants during a cold spell in Myanmar, Winga Baw Elephant camp #WomensArt
Reposted by soft arc
Never forget that just a week ago, Ross Douthat and the NYTimes were asking if women ruined the workplace.
November 17, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Never forget that just a week ago, Ross Douthat and the NYTimes were asking if women ruined the workplace.
seeing all these cambridge area academics prostrating epstein well after 2018 made me puke
November 17, 2025 at 8:29 PM
seeing all these cambridge area academics prostrating epstein well after 2018 made me puke
havent been posting much bc I have been in love
October 31, 2025 at 2:01 PM
havent been posting much bc I have been in love
Reposted by soft arc
(1) banger
(2) i wish non-economists would realise just how much time each economics paper takes to write (because of our norms about how thorough each paper has to be)
(2) i wish non-economists would realise just how much time each economics paper takes to write (because of our norms about how thorough each paper has to be)
We just spent 6 months to add 1 figure to this paper. Some people said, "Couples aren't prioritizing men's careers. Men just have better earnings opportunities when moving."
Earnings effects of moves for couples on the left, singles on the right. Negligible gap between single men and women.
Earnings effects of moves for couples on the left, singles on the right. Negligible gap between single men and women.
October 7, 2025 at 3:48 PM
(1) banger
(2) i wish non-economists would realise just how much time each economics paper takes to write (because of our norms about how thorough each paper has to be)
(2) i wish non-economists would realise just how much time each economics paper takes to write (because of our norms about how thorough each paper has to be)
Reposted by soft arc
“The hundreds of billions of dollars companies are investing in AI now account for an astonishing 40 per cent share of US GDP growth this year. And some analysts believe that estimate doesn’t fully capture the AI spend, so the real share could be even higher.” www.ft.com/content/6cc8...
America is now one big bet on AI
It’s seen as the magic fix for every threat to the US economy
www.ft.com
October 6, 2025 at 1:37 PM
“The hundreds of billions of dollars companies are investing in AI now account for an astonishing 40 per cent share of US GDP growth this year. And some analysts believe that estimate doesn’t fully capture the AI spend, so the real share could be even higher.” www.ft.com/content/6cc8...
Reposted by soft arc
Ever since reading this @albertburneko.bsky.social paragraph a while back, I find myself thinking about it, encountering unwelcome exemplars of it, far more often than I wish.
October 3, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Ever since reading this @albertburneko.bsky.social paragraph a while back, I find myself thinking about it, encountering unwelcome exemplars of it, far more often than I wish.
Reposted by soft arc
'Night Owls', Shepherd's Bush (2024) by Leslie Dabson
lesleydabson.co.uk
lesleydabson.co.uk
September 12, 2025 at 7:04 AM
'Night Owls', Shepherd's Bush (2024) by Leslie Dabson
lesleydabson.co.uk
lesleydabson.co.uk
Reposted by soft arc
Fin de l'été
Philip Surrey
1974
Philip Surrey
1974
August 31, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Fin de l'été
Philip Surrey
1974
Philip Surrey
1974
Reposted by soft arc
Sucks that feminism became politically verboten at exactly the moment when the right calcified into a masculinity death cult
August 28, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Sucks that feminism became politically verboten at exactly the moment when the right calcified into a masculinity death cult
I have thought about this always. Republican governments have historically meant poorer returns and worse macroeconomic climate. Surely the systemic uncertainty has to be bad for business, unless its all real-estate wealth. Then what does the cost calculus of support looks like? Seems like we know.
I mean at least he's admitting the part none of them dare say: that they think being shaken down by fascists is preferrable to paying more taxes because the fascists are asking for less money
I’m the furthest from a Trump fan. But the reality is that he would have to shake very hard to equate to the shakedowns of the unrealized cap gains tax and warren’s tax that were proposed.
August 24, 2025 at 3:07 AM
I have thought about this always. Republican governments have historically meant poorer returns and worse macroeconomic climate. Surely the systemic uncertainty has to be bad for business, unless its all real-estate wealth. Then what does the cost calculus of support looks like? Seems like we know.
I should perhaps write a diary more regularly. Seems like I'm living through some times that will fundamentally alter the trajectory of my life and how I deal with its hardships. I continue to remain astounded at how different things feel on a psychic level less than 9 months ago.
August 24, 2025 at 3:04 AM
I should perhaps write a diary more regularly. Seems like I'm living through some times that will fundamentally alter the trajectory of my life and how I deal with its hardships. I continue to remain astounded at how different things feel on a psychic level less than 9 months ago.
new deftones album in 12 hours wohoo
August 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
new deftones album in 12 hours wohoo
3rd day in academia is this what it is
August 21, 2025 at 12:38 AM
3rd day in academia is this what it is
Reposted by soft arc
Untitled
J.W. Beatty
n.d.
J.W. Beatty
n.d.
August 7, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Untitled
J.W. Beatty
n.d.
J.W. Beatty
n.d.
Reposted by soft arc
Increasingly I think a major function of “masculinity” IS its crisis — a vehicle for the dominant & dominating group to justify focusing their social attentions primarily on themselves
August 2, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Increasingly I think a major function of “masculinity” IS its crisis — a vehicle for the dominant & dominating group to justify focusing their social attentions primarily on themselves
neatly package my feelings, get me laid, and tell me I matter before I radicalize myself on my AirPods is one hell of a cultural discourse from men
August 2, 2025 at 10:58 AM
neatly package my feelings, get me laid, and tell me I matter before I radicalize myself on my AirPods is one hell of a cultural discourse from men
Reposted by soft arc
Women’s status is very rapidly eroding—in their civil rights protections, healthcare, access to the public sphere, and the cultural support for their independence and dignity. But there is no feminism: our public gender discourse is divided between transphobia and handwringing about man’s feelings.
August 1, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Women’s status is very rapidly eroding—in their civil rights protections, healthcare, access to the public sphere, and the cultural support for their independence and dignity. But there is no feminism: our public gender discourse is divided between transphobia and handwringing about man’s feelings.
Reposted by soft arc
Reposted by soft arc
Reporter: The FDA has a new AI tool that's intended to speed up drug approvals. But several FDA employees say the new AI helper is making up studies that do not exist. One FDA employee telling us, 'Anything that you don't have time to double check is unreliable. It hallucinates confidently'
July 23, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reporter: The FDA has a new AI tool that's intended to speed up drug approvals. But several FDA employees say the new AI helper is making up studies that do not exist. One FDA employee telling us, 'Anything that you don't have time to double check is unreliable. It hallucinates confidently'