Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 1m

If National fall a bit more to their presumed lowest vote share (call it ~21%), & NSF/ACT pick up more support, I think it will be newsworthy as a soundbite if for the Nat/NZF/ACT support, National is not in the majority. It would certainly make for some awkward on camera squirming from National MPs

David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 9m

My counsel is ring Healthline NZ

Reposted by David Hood

Dylan Reeve @dylanreeve.com · 1h

Even saying "two executives" appears to be generous. It's 1.32FTE so it's one executive (King) and a part-timer doing about 1.5 days a week.

Watershitdown @watershitdown.bsky.social · 2h

This stinks more than a soggy gumboot , King's execs get 527k which is what some other charities run on per year if they haven't been cut altogether by this cretinus gov..

#nzpol

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Reposted by David Hood

Zach Rabiroff @zachrabiroff.com · 6h

Great news! We have built the Blackmail Machine from the classic sci-fi short story, "Help, The Blackmail Machine Is Selling My Sex Dreams to Stephen Miller"

The Verge @theverge.com · 11h

Sam Altman says ChatGPT will soon sext with verified adults

ChatGPT is about to get flirty.

buff.ly

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 6h

As is often the case, rather than every single one, I will be doing the #30dayMapChallenge entries in November that the topic inspires me (either because of exploring data I am less familiar with, or exploring a way of representing it)

Daily topics. See https://30daymapchallenge.com

Reposted by David Hood

Peter Ellis @freerangestats.info · 7h

Opening for an epidemiologist at my organisation, the Pacific Community (SPC). Based in Suva; not in my Statistics division but in the Public Health Division next door. Applications close 26 October Fiji time. careers.spc.int/job/epidemio...

Epidemiologist - Infectious Diseases

Noumea, New Caledonia or Suva, Fiji based position Attractive expatriate package Join the principal development organisation in the region Description The Pa...

careers.spc.int

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Reposted by David Hood

Simon Le Gross Bisson @sbisson.com · 6h

Today's Torment Nexus is Mr and Mrs Everywhere from John Brunner's classic grim meathook future novel (and part of his prophetic Club Of Rome quartet) Stand On Zanzibar.

"Christ, what an imagination I've got."

Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 9h

DirecTV screensavers will show AI-generated ads with your face in 2026

Like other companies with streaming businesses, DirecTV is leaning into ads more.

arstechnica.com

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 9h

All I can say ATM is I haven't had any alerts about medals.

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 10h

Also, the XP celebration, in the today tab, has always been running to 8pm today local time

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Reposted by David Hood

STAT @statnews.com · 12h

The word ‘dementia’ is about to lose its value. New diagnostics are helping physicians and patients get specific about what was previously vague. www.statnews.com/2025/10/14/d...

The word ‘dementia’ is about to lose its value

Better diagnostics are changing how patients and caregivers talk about living diseases that cause dementia.

www.statnews.com

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 10h

Checking through my friends list, the local timezone level 50s are still level 50.

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Reposted by David Hood

Richard McElreath 🐈‍⬛ @rmcelreath.bsky.social · 11h

"Dunbar's Number" is a zombie that lives forever in the science press it seems. Estimates of Dunbar's Number with 95% intervals, for a range of model specifications (from doi.org/10.1098/rsbl... ):

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Reposted by David Hood

paris martineau @paris.nyc · 12h

two of the products we tested — Huel's Black Edition meal replacement powder and Naked Nutrition's vegan mass gainer — had enough lead that our experts caution against using them at all

a single serving of these protein powders contained between 1,200 and 1,600% of CR’s level of concern for lead

Two plant-based protein powders contained enough lead that our experts advise against consuming them. Naked Nutrition’s Mass Gainer powder contained 7.7 micrograms of lead per serving, which is roughly 1,570 percent of CR’s level of concern for the heavy metal. One serving of Huel’s Black Edition powder contained 6.3 micrograms of lead, or about 1,290 percent of CR’s daily lead limit.

Two other powders contained lead between 400 and 600 percent of CR’s level of concern: Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein and Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein. Consumers should limit these to once a week, Akinleye says. (See company responses below.)

The only non-plant-based protein powder with lead detected at over 200 percent of CR’s level of concern was MuscleMeds’ Carnivor Mass powder. Six additional plant-based powders, five dairy-based powders and shakes, and one beef powder contained lead above CR’s level of concern.

We also found measurable levels of cadmium and inorganic arsenic in some products. One serving of Huel’s Black Edition plant-based protein powder contained 9.2 micrograms of cadmium, more than double the level that public health authorities and CR’s experts say may be harmful to have daily, which is 4.1 micrograms.

Another plant-based option, Vega’s Premium Sport powder, had enough cadmium that one serving would also put you just over that level. In one dairy-based product, Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass whey protein powder, we also detected 8.5 micrograms per serving of inorganic arsenic, which is twice the limit of what our scientists say is safe to consume daily.

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 19h

This is my favourite RPG. I spent many happy hours playing the embodiment of print.
That said, I think it works best when the players are prepared to engage in extreme character driven plot actions, with the GM improvising around that and the actions of the other antagonists.

Quinns @itsquinns.bsky.social · 11d

The new season of my actual play show where we play old rpgs from history BEGINS!

Here at the start of the season I mostly hold it together as the GM. Later, you can practically hear the steam coming out of my ears. Podcast links are in the video description!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTLB...

Play to Find Out, S3E1: Nobilis

YouTube video by Quinns Quest

www.youtube.com

Reposted by David Hood

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 1d

The newsletter from agricultural producer news site WATT Poultry is now a primary source of my anxiety. H5N1 is exploding in North American poultry. Every day, a headline like this.

But no human cases. Either there aren't any or there's no testing. Given CDC's dismantling, I can guess.

Headline: "Avian flu invades flock of nearly 2 million Washington hens"

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 1d

The text from the posters is on the blog post (the first link in my post) in plain text in the What the posters say section

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 1d

talking with a colleague I was reminded of some accessibility infographics I saw about a decade ago, and was able to find them again. I think they are still pretty good accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2016/09/02/d...

A direct link to the English language pdf set is github.com/UKHomeOffice...

Dos and don'ts on designing for accessibility

Karwai Pun is an interaction designer currently working on Service Optimisation to make existing and new services better for our users. Karwai is part of an accessibility group at Home Office Digital,...

accessibility.blog.gov.uk

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, what gets caught is things like churches offering cups of tea.

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Reposted by David Hood

🐶⛵️Capt. Caffiend☕️😷 @captcaffiend.bsky.social · 1d

This sentence is interesting “Discovery-led science and research will continue to be funded. This will sit outside the pillars and is essential for maintaining a vibrant, curiosity-driven science system.” — where is the funding for this coming from?!

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 1d

I am a dwarf and I'm reading a book
Ready, ready book, ready, ready book

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Reposted by David Hood

Robbie Nicol @robbienicol.bsky.social · 1d

Do I know any science teachers in Auckland who could help me film a video where I set methane bubbles on fire?

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 1d

They read too greedily and too deep

Malcolm RF 💚🇳🇿 @p-no-nwa.bsky.social · 1d

Boy I hope the Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival (DW&RF) has a funky little dwarf as their logo

Aaron Hawkins @ahawkins.bsky.social · 1d

Big weekend around here.

Lines Of Flight: Thursday - Sunday.
Dunedin Writers & Readers Festival: Friday - Sunday.
Also: The Rugby (Friday)

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Reposted by David Hood

Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability @te-ara-paerangi.community · 1d

Thanks everyone for helping spread the word. There were more than 100 attendees.

If you missed it, you can watch the recording of it here 👇

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 1d

This is the video thumbnail of the recording of an online training session where I am sitting at my computer demonstrating things on my computer. when doing conference talks, if they are being recorded I make a very conscious effort not to wander about too much and make life to difficult for filming

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David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 1d

I believe there is a typo on the MoH current cases page. 116 cases in past week is about 17 per day average not 0 & the Shiny and Github data sources, which only have cases to 10/10, do have cases within the last week (so it is not just a historical adjustment).

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