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Brigitte Nerlich

@bnerlich.bsky.social

2.1K followers 480 following 7.7K posts

Metaphor hunter, linguist, social scientist, blogger blog: https://makingsciencepublic.com/ also sorted into categories at https://wakelet.com/@bnerlich ORCID: 0000-0001-6617-7827

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · Nov 17

So, I have created a starter pack for people interested in #metaphor. I bet I left a lot of people out. Please let me know if you want to be added. go.bsky.app/DvxejFX

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 2h

I have a burning bush I planted three years ago and it just doesn't go red. Infuriating. Perhaps I was a sold a pup (although I never understand why that should be a bad thing, ah well)

Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich

The Public Domain Review @publicdomainrev.bsky.social · 6h

A man stares out over the fertile olive groves of Gaza, ca. 1911.

One of 125 photographs of life in Palestine before the British Mandate, ca. 1896–1919, we gathered from the collections of @librarycongress.bsky.social and others: publicdomainreview.org/collection/p...

A stereoscopic photograph showing a man in traditional dress standing among prickly pear cacti on a hillside, overlooking the cultivated fields and scattered trees of Gaza, Palestine. The landscape stretches into the distance with the town visible on the horizon. Published by Underwood & Underwood around the early 20th century.

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 6h

it's back to masks on trains and planes and cramped spaces

Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich

The Association for Researching and Applying Metaphor @raammetaphor.bsky.social · 8h

Metaphor experts wanted!
We’re sharing this opportunity for those interested in metaphor analysis:

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 9h

Oh no!

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 9h

Good old 'indirect speech acts' "Indirect speech acts often rely on implicature, where the implied meaning goes beyond the literal interpretation of the words used"

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 11h

Today's post is about the #metaphor of the dark genome and a gothic tale with a happy ending told by @rogerhighfield.bsky.social #scicom makingsciencepublic.com/2025/10/10/t...

The dark genome: A gothic tale with a happy ending

On 29 September Roger Highfield published an article for the Francis Crick Institute entitled “A message from the dark genome: The genetic ghosts that haunt and help us” (based on a chat with Georg…

makingsciencepublic.com

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Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich

Roger Highfield @rogerhighfield.bsky.social · 13h

Fascinating take on the current AI hyperbole… ashvardanian.com/posts/llm-ep...

Are LLMs the Epicycles of Intelligence?

I’ve always been fascinated by AI and mega-projects — and as I work on AI infrastructure, you might assume I’m equally fascinated by the current LLM race. In reality, I’m far more skeptical than most....

ashvardanian.com

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 1d

ha never tried Skips, so on to new adventures

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 1d

Haha, well found!

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 1d

is it in the OED yet? sadly not

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Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich

George Musser @georgemusser.com · 1d

Tech is depleting not only material resources but also intellectual resources, especially common knowledge. Political polarization erodes agreement on the most basic facts and concepts. "It's almost like seeing the ozone layer deplete before our eyes," said @audreyt.org at #ALIFE2025. ⚙️🧫

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Reposted by Meredith Broussard, Lisa W. Fazio, James Q. Wilson , and 38 more Meredith Broussard, Lisa W. Fazio, James Q. Wilson, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Dorothy Bishop, Anna Nagurney, Brigitte Nerlich, Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Gavin A. Schmidt, Jesse H. Kroll, Julie L. Lockwood, Patrick A. Jansen, Joshua S. Weitz, Nicole Dubilier, Jason Stajich, Simon J. Greenhill, Michael A. Clemens, Hugo Mercier, Megan L. Ranney, Rosemary A. Joyce, Philip N. Cohen, Michael J. Allen, Andrew Curry, Jacob Montgomery, Juan Cole, Kris Inwood, Smith, Robert C. Richards, Rebecca Tushnet, Alan Richardson, Lauren Hersch Nicholas, Victor Galaz, Scott A. Imberman, Sebastian Karcher, Brian Keegan, Ann Bartow, Jack Stilgoe, Ted Temzelides, Christina Pagel, Annalee Newitz, David Darmofal

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 1d

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

nyti.ms

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 2d

Oh no!!! Your body should sit on the naughty step and think about what it has done! I hope you get better very soon.

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 2d

Me too

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 2d

So true! What I find so frightening is not only the dissolution of reason and rationality, but also of reality, knowledge, mutual understanding and shared values.

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 2d

That made my morning!!

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 2d

Now do it with Eichhörnchen!

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 3d

You bet you never hear him saying 'I didn't saw any black faces'

Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich

Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 3d

2012 Nobel laureate John Gurdon has died. His work was central to both the development of animal cloning and the possibility of reprogramming cells to a different state. A giant of cell and developmental biology.
www.magd.cam.ac.uk/news/profess...

Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS (1933-2025) | Magdalene College

Magdalene College is deeply saddened to announce the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS, who served as Master of the College from 1995 to 2002.

www.magd.cam.ac.uk

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 3d

You inspired me to submit and it is done

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 3d

I just demonstrated to my husband how difficult it was for me to find out that I was eligible because I am on biologics - so many steps/clicks.... and I am still not sure whether I'll be turned away once I arrive at the pharmacy!

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 3d

hahaha - love that word though - I can never pronounce squirrel correctly!

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 3d

Argh not out yet 😫

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 3d

I do this sometimes and I apparently shout "there is a massive spider"

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Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich

Irene Tsherit @irenetsherit.bsky.social · 3d

Finally!!! The real scandal of the asylum hotels. Why, instead of shining the light on these parasites, months were spent on demonising vulnerable people at their mercy?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Asylum hotel provider makes £180m profit despite claims of inedible food and rationed loo paper

Asylum seekers and charities tell BBC of

www.bbc.co.uk

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Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 3d

you need an 'as if' to look at the world; you need an 'as if' to explain the world'; and you need an 'as if' to change the world

Brigitte Nerlich @bnerlich.bsky.social · 3d

as somebody once said back then 'carbon indulgence pixie dust'

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Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich, Virginia Braun, John R. Hutchinson , and 6 more Brigitte Nerlich, Virginia Braun, John R. Hutchinson, Christine Kooi, Will Lowe, Michael H. Whitworth, Fiona Moore, Joanna Tai, David Spurrett

Esther Schindler @estherschindler.bsky.social · 3d

I just saw someone use the abbreviation “AI;DR” and I’ll be laughing for a while.

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Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Brigitte Nerlich

Grant Jacobs BioinfoTools/NotJustDNA 🔬🧬🖥️✍️📚 @notjustdna.bsky.social · 4d

🥇 This year from The Journal of Immaterial Science – an "an open-access, beer-reviewed" “Satirical science journal, welcoming fictional research from all fields” – has awarded a medicine prize to Kennedy Jr for "taking bold action to reduce life expectancies in the USA".

H/T @krapnik.bsky.social

From The Journal of Immaterial Science @JImmatSci

"BREAKING: The 2025 Noble Prize for Medicine has been awarded to RFK Jr. for “taking bold action to reduce life expectancies in the USA”. By undermining the health system, RFK Jr. has led the charge to combat the USA's aging population and prevent a pension crisis."

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