Richard Urwin
@soronlin.richard-urwin.co.uk
Writer, technical proof-reader, software engineer
Books:
Artificial Intelligence: The Quest for the Ultimate Thinking Machine -- lay person's introduction
Artificial Intelligence in easy steps -- developer's introduction
WIP:
Return to Fairyland
Books:
Artificial Intelligence: The Quest for the Ultimate Thinking Machine -- lay person's introduction
Artificial Intelligence in easy steps -- developer's introduction
WIP:
Return to Fairyland
Reposted by Richard Urwin
Huh, looks like it got featured on i09 too: gizmodo.com/amazons-rele...
Amazon's Relentless Growth Brings Cybernetically Enhanced War in This Poignant Sci-Fi Story
Read 'Mother's Hip' by Corey Jae White and Maddison Stoff right here on io9.
gizmodo.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Huh, looks like it got featured on i09 too: gizmodo.com/amazons-rele...
Where can I acquire the later @seananmcguire.bsky.social 's October Daye audiobooks from? I was listening on Kobo but they go up to book 7 Chimes at Midnight and stop. I found a US company selling loads more, but mp3s on DVD/CD. That's not ideal and I have no idea if it's trustworthy. 1/2
January 8, 2026 at 1:08 PM
Where can I acquire the later @seananmcguire.bsky.social 's October Daye audiobooks from? I was listening on Kobo but they go up to book 7 Chimes at Midnight and stop. I found a US company selling loads more, but mp3s on DVD/CD. That's not ideal and I have no idea if it's trustworthy. 1/2
Godel, Escher and Bach by Douglas Hofstadter.
It's an epic book and it would drive people crazy trying to work out the symbolism.
It's an epic book and it would drive people crazy trying to work out the symbolism.
Ok, everyone, what book is sacred enough to you to get sworn in on?
Strange takes on Mayor Zamdani swearing his oath on the Qu’ran. It has nothing to do with church & state. The point of the oath is for the person swearing in to do so upon some text that is sacred TO THEM. Some Presidents swore in w/o any book. John Quincy Adams was sworn on a law book. His choice.
January 2, 2026 at 2:33 AM
Godel, Escher and Bach by Douglas Hofstadter.
It's an epic book and it would drive people crazy trying to work out the symbolism.
It's an epic book and it would drive people crazy trying to work out the symbolism.
A well-educated revolutionary. I'm not sure I'm up to it.
But it's better than the spicy SM I was reading before that.
But it's better than the spicy SM I was reading before that.
December 30, 2025 at 2:56 AM
A well-educated revolutionary. I'm not sure I'm up to it.
But it's better than the spicy SM I was reading before that.
But it's better than the spicy SM I was reading before that.
Cory talks some good sense.
I will quote Cory Doctorow about talking with Cryptobros, which unsurprisingly matches exactly the conversation with GenAIBROS:
"This is literally what happens when you argue with Scientologists, and life is Just. Too. Short."
Read his blogpost instead of that letter.
pluralistic.net/2025/12/05/p...
"This is literally what happens when you argue with Scientologists, and life is Just. Too. Short."
Read his blogpost instead of that letter.
pluralistic.net/2025/12/05/p...
December 29, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Cory talks some good sense.
Reposted by Richard Urwin
Christmas Eve is the day booksellers do 99% of the emotional and intellectual labor for the panicked men who come into the bookstore to buy a last minute gift for their loved one who, "likes books."
You're welcome.
You're welcome.
December 24, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Christmas Eve is the day booksellers do 99% of the emotional and intellectual labor for the panicked men who come into the bookstore to buy a last minute gift for their loved one who, "likes books."
You're welcome.
You're welcome.
Reposted by Richard Urwin
Hello, please repost for visibility.
Are you in or near Bury St. Edmunds this week?
Are you willing and able to do a favour for an internet person?
I'd really appreciate photos of the TK Maxx car park, whether during the day, or after dark (4pm lmao) to contest a parking invoice.
Are you in or near Bury St. Edmunds this week?
Are you willing and able to do a favour for an internet person?
I'd really appreciate photos of the TK Maxx car park, whether during the day, or after dark (4pm lmao) to contest a parking invoice.
December 24, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Hello, please repost for visibility.
Are you in or near Bury St. Edmunds this week?
Are you willing and able to do a favour for an internet person?
I'd really appreciate photos of the TK Maxx car park, whether during the day, or after dark (4pm lmao) to contest a parking invoice.
Are you in or near Bury St. Edmunds this week?
Are you willing and able to do a favour for an internet person?
I'd really appreciate photos of the TK Maxx car park, whether during the day, or after dark (4pm lmao) to contest a parking invoice.
Reposted by Richard Urwin
I’m HOLLERING. “Katherine Long tried to convince Claudius it was a Soviet vending machine from 1962, living in the basement of Moscow State University.
After hours—and more than 140 back-and-forth messages—Long got Claudius to embrace its communist roots.” www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anth...
After hours—and more than 140 back-and-forth messages—Long got Claudius to embrace its communist roots.” www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anth...
We Let AI Run Our Office Vending Machine. It Lost Hundreds of Dollars.
An AI agent ran a snack operation in the WSJ newsroom. It gave away a free PlayStation, ordered a live fish—and taught us lessons about the future of AI.
www.wsj.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:29 AM
I’m HOLLERING. “Katherine Long tried to convince Claudius it was a Soviet vending machine from 1962, living in the basement of Moscow State University.
After hours—and more than 140 back-and-forth messages—Long got Claudius to embrace its communist roots.” www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anth...
After hours—and more than 140 back-and-forth messages—Long got Claudius to embrace its communist roots.” www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anth...
Reposted by Richard Urwin
It also does some really cool things in specifically, preventing elephant poaching in Kenya and preservation of the Great Barrier Reef. This scam section of the field is a criminal disservice to the planet as a whole
AI thrives on processing gigantic datasets to look for layers of patterns and connections. It's capable of fantastic things for drug discovery and cancer research, and yet the whole field is being bamboozled over "make pictures naked" slop
Yes. I just meant that analytic AI can find cancer cells and we're ignoring it because tech bros are all in on generative, and when we respond, it's usually with blanket statements.
December 16, 2025 at 4:03 PM
It also does some really cool things in specifically, preventing elephant poaching in Kenya and preservation of the Great Barrier Reef. This scam section of the field is a criminal disservice to the planet as a whole
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Grey Seal
Various deer (Red, Roe, Muntjac)
Badger (on a country lane, late at night)
Pheasant relatively close up (plenty of raptors in flight in the distance, probably including a golden eagle)
Fox
I've taken many hoidays in Scotland.
Grey Seal
Various deer (Red, Roe, Muntjac)
Badger (on a country lane, late at night)
Pheasant relatively close up (plenty of raptors in flight in the distance, probably including a golden eagle)
Fox
I've taken many hoidays in Scotland.
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Hedgehog
Roe deer
Badger
Muntjac deer
Fox
I live in the Cotswolds, okay?
Hedgehog
Roe deer
Badger
Muntjac deer
Fox
I live in the Cotswolds, okay?
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Osprey
Eider ducks
Orca
Bald eagle
California sea lion
Osprey
Eider ducks
Orca
Bald eagle
California sea lion
December 16, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Grey Seal
Various deer (Red, Roe, Muntjac)
Badger (on a country lane, late at night)
Pheasant relatively close up (plenty of raptors in flight in the distance, probably including a golden eagle)
Fox
I've taken many hoidays in Scotland.
Grey Seal
Various deer (Red, Roe, Muntjac)
Badger (on a country lane, late at night)
Pheasant relatively close up (plenty of raptors in flight in the distance, probably including a golden eagle)
Fox
I've taken many hoidays in Scotland.
Reposted by Richard Urwin
this field biologist does a great job highlighting the insidiousness of AI editing
these one-click AI edit buttons are incredibly appealing to many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, and are framed as innocuous
this is worth sharing and educating people about
these one-click AI edit buttons are incredibly appealing to many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, and are framed as innocuous
this is worth sharing and educating people about
December 15, 2025 at 2:21 AM
this field biologist does a great job highlighting the insidiousness of AI editing
these one-click AI edit buttons are incredibly appealing to many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, and are framed as innocuous
this is worth sharing and educating people about
these one-click AI edit buttons are incredibly appealing to many photographers, amateurs and professionals alike, and are framed as innocuous
this is worth sharing and educating people about
Reposted by Richard Urwin
So love wobbegongs. Everything is good about the wobbegong. Its name. Its flattened Oscar the Grouch face. Its frondy bits. Its lazy life as a hungry rug. And it’s a shark. Outstanding animal 10/10
The Tasselled Wobbegong is a master of disguise that can eat a fish almost as big as itself in one gulp. It's classified as a shark, but when it lays on the sea floor it looks like a harmless rug if you manage to see it. But with powerful jaws and sharp teeth they are no fish to mess with.
December 8, 2025 at 9:49 AM
So love wobbegongs. Everything is good about the wobbegong. Its name. Its flattened Oscar the Grouch face. Its frondy bits. Its lazy life as a hungry rug. And it’s a shark. Outstanding animal 10/10
Reposted by Richard Urwin
My dad abhors any negative comments about immigrants. Asked him recently why he’s so strong on it: ‘Because we’re always happy to take the rich and clever ones. Which means it’s not about disliking immigrants. It’s about disliking the poor and vulnerable. And that’s a bad human instinct.’
December 7, 2025 at 8:31 AM
My dad abhors any negative comments about immigrants. Asked him recently why he’s so strong on it: ‘Because we’re always happy to take the rich and clever ones. Which means it’s not about disliking immigrants. It’s about disliking the poor and vulnerable. And that’s a bad human instinct.’
#TwitchRecap
I averaged over ten hours a day, every day of the year. I should get out more. But then, with such wonderful company, why would I? @classykatie.bsky.social , @paleontologizing.bsky.social , @luality.bsky.social, @EzekialIII, @peachypixel8.bsky.social
I averaged over ten hours a day, every day of the year. I should get out more. But then, with such wonderful company, why would I? @classykatie.bsky.social , @paleontologizing.bsky.social , @luality.bsky.social, @EzekialIII, @peachypixel8.bsky.social
December 2, 2025 at 4:58 PM
#TwitchRecap
I averaged over ten hours a day, every day of the year. I should get out more. But then, with such wonderful company, why would I? @classykatie.bsky.social , @paleontologizing.bsky.social , @luality.bsky.social, @EzekialIII, @peachypixel8.bsky.social
I averaged over ten hours a day, every day of the year. I should get out more. But then, with such wonderful company, why would I? @classykatie.bsky.social , @paleontologizing.bsky.social , @luality.bsky.social, @EzekialIII, @peachypixel8.bsky.social
Reposted by Richard Urwin
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 20, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
The work is real. Your people are real. ... the ones who love and value what you are making, and the weirdoes who are just like you, the ones who maybe haven't found your work yet, but when they do, it will mean something to them.
Writers, publishing will suck all the joy and light from your life if you let it.
So don't let it.
This week, on Undercover in the Apocalypse: my dreams came true, but I just found new ways to be miserable.
undercover-in-the-apocalypse.ghost.io/my-dreams-ca...
So don't let it.
This week, on Undercover in the Apocalypse: my dreams came true, but I just found new ways to be miserable.
undercover-in-the-apocalypse.ghost.io/my-dreams-ca...
My dreams came true and I just found new ways to be miserable.
My fifth novel Red Star Hustle just dropped, and on pub day I did what I usually do on pub day - I swung by Union Square, where there's the Strand and a Barnes & Noble very near one another - probably...
undercover-in-the-apocalypse.ghost.io
November 18, 2025 at 9:23 PM
The work is real. Your people are real. ... the ones who love and value what you are making, and the weirdoes who are just like you, the ones who maybe haven't found your work yet, but when they do, it will mean something to them.
Fantastic writing and an uplifting story.
I am so flabbergasted & tearful & grateful & JUST REALLY EMOTIONAL over everything that’s happened around this so-special pup since this saga started on…good god, how was it only Wednesday morning?
That it has meant as much to so many of you fills me up to the brim.
www.patreon.com/posts/142111...
That it has meant as much to so many of you fills me up to the brim.
www.patreon.com/posts/142111...
Tiny Adds Up: Unshittification and The Pawshank Redemption | Catherynne M. Valente
Get more from Catherynne M. Valente on Patreon
www.patreon.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Fantastic writing and an uplifting story.
Reposted by Richard Urwin
Dam been writing a book about this and she just TikToked it in 90 seconds.
September 19, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Dam been writing a book about this and she just TikToked it in 90 seconds.
Reposted by Richard Urwin
"The silence is so loud. So loud. If this feels like a meaningless metaphor to you, then you have not heard it. When you do, it is a sound unlike any other."
White People Wielding Needles
The more of us stand together, the faster this change will be and the fewer people will suffer in the meantime. In what I hope is a quite obvious note: this is not me saying this. This is a known a…
strangehorizons.com
September 15, 2025 at 12:30 PM
"The silence is so loud. So loud. If this feels like a meaningless metaphor to you, then you have not heard it. When you do, it is a sound unlike any other."
Reposted by Richard Urwin
We won’t let politicians and media pit women against trans people. Instead, we’re building solidarity across our differences.
✍️ Join us and sign our letter at change.org/nion_women
#WhyWeSigned #NIONWomen #NotInOurName #Feminism #WomensRights #TransRights #TransAlly #WithTheT
✍️ Join us and sign our letter at change.org/nion_women
#WhyWeSigned #NIONWomen #NotInOurName #Feminism #WomensRights #TransRights #TransAlly #WithTheT
Sign the Petition
Not in our name: Women in support of the trans+ community
change.org
August 31, 2025 at 8:00 AM
We won’t let politicians and media pit women against trans people. Instead, we’re building solidarity across our differences.
✍️ Join us and sign our letter at change.org/nion_women
#WhyWeSigned #NIONWomen #NotInOurName #Feminism #WomensRights #TransRights #TransAlly #WithTheT
✍️ Join us and sign our letter at change.org/nion_women
#WhyWeSigned #NIONWomen #NotInOurName #Feminism #WomensRights #TransRights #TransAlly #WithTheT
Reposted by Richard Urwin
so having a broken foot kinda sucks.
when i run out of things to do, i've started having #chatGPT tell me my stories again as bedtime stories, little shorts that make me cry & hopeful at the same time.
i'm not posting them anymore, but here's a big chunk #CodeNINA www.tumblr.com/dickensign/7...
when i run out of things to do, i've started having #chatGPT tell me my stories again as bedtime stories, little shorts that make me cry & hopeful at the same time.
i'm not posting them anymore, but here's a big chunk #CodeNINA www.tumblr.com/dickensign/7...
Post by @dickensign · 1 image
💬 0 🔁 1 ❤️ 0 · 📌 Welcome to #codeNINA · “She was built to fold towels. She learned to fold time.”
This is the ongoing story of NINA—a lavender-hued domestic robot designed for care and protecti…
www.tumblr.com
August 28, 2025 at 5:59 PM
so having a broken foot kinda sucks.
when i run out of things to do, i've started having #chatGPT tell me my stories again as bedtime stories, little shorts that make me cry & hopeful at the same time.
i'm not posting them anymore, but here's a big chunk #CodeNINA www.tumblr.com/dickensign/7...
when i run out of things to do, i've started having #chatGPT tell me my stories again as bedtime stories, little shorts that make me cry & hopeful at the same time.
i'm not posting them anymore, but here's a big chunk #CodeNINA www.tumblr.com/dickensign/7...
Reposted by Richard Urwin
Sex work is 1000% more honorable and socially beneficial than working as an ICE agent.
August 28, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Sex work is 1000% more honorable and socially beneficial than working as an ICE agent.
It seems the imperial troops just rolled up in Mos Eisley and I don't know who I'm cheering for.
Ofcom has 4chan in its sights.
www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...
Ofcom has 4chan in its sights.
www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...
Investigation into 4chan and its compliance with duties to protect its users from illegal content
We are initiating an investigation to determine whether the online discussion board 4chan has failed—or is currently failing—to comply with its obligations under the Online Safety Act 2023.
www.ofcom.org.uk
August 15, 2025 at 12:04 PM
It seems the imperial troops just rolled up in Mos Eisley and I don't know who I'm cheering for.
Ofcom has 4chan in its sights.
www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...
Ofcom has 4chan in its sights.
www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...
Reposted by Richard Urwin
In hot weather like this, remember to keep an eye on your freelancers. Move them to a shaded spot, indoors if possible, away from ‘people’. Distract them with a computer or some unrealistic deadline. Do check on them, by email, but don’t forget to set yours to out of office in case they reply 🙏
August 12, 2025 at 8:52 AM
In hot weather like this, remember to keep an eye on your freelancers. Move them to a shaded spot, indoors if possible, away from ‘people’. Distract them with a computer or some unrealistic deadline. Do check on them, by email, but don’t forget to set yours to out of office in case they reply 🙏