Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by William Peter MacMason

Nick Brumfield @nickjbrumfield.bsky.social · 5h

Robert Putnam: Why is North Italy so much more prosperous than South Italy? Are the southerners less capable after centuries of social fragmentation?

Me, two seconds after looking at a map: Maybe. But could it also have something to do with the Po Valley being the one flat piece of land in Italy?

A topographic map of Italy showing most of the peninsula covered in mountains, but the wide Po Valley very apparent in the north

A map of population density of Italy with large concentrations in the Po Valley, Rome, and Naples

A map of life expectancy in Italy, with the greenest clusters in northern Italy, especially the Po Valley, while southern Italy is increasingly dark shades of orange

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Dani @drios1111.bsky.social · 3h

Any angel out there willing to bless my two classroom?
41 students
100% Socially n economically disadvantage
What happens at school is the only thing they experience. Help me make it magical
www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/...

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The Orion @gettheorion.bsky.social · 6h

The Ween approaches... 🎃

star trek lower decks illustration of crew carving pumpkins. Rutherford's is carved with a mountain silhouette and stars. Below, the text says "It's the scariest thing I could think of!"

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Patton Oswalt @pattonoswalt.bsky.social · 6h

💯💯💯💯💯💯

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Spy Fi 🇺🇦 @spy-fi.bsky.social · 5h

“And where was your cavern implement lost? Could this perhaps be it?”

#StarTrek

Mortae Mining Implement prop from the Heritage Oct. 14-15, 2023 Greg Jein Collection Auction catalog.

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Murderbot 3.0 🌌 @murderbot3.bsky.social · 4h

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UPBeachBum @upbeachbum.bsky.social · 4h

Bad time to lose 40% of national aluminum production with a tariff happy lunatic running the country. www.reuters.com/business/aut...

Fire at aluminum plant to hit Ford's bottom line by up to $1 billion, analyst says

A fire at a New York aluminum plant that is expected to affect production of Ford Motor's F-150 truck for months will sap up to $1 billion from the automaker's earnings, according to a Wednesday note from Evercore ISI analysts.

www.reuters.com

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William Peter MacMason @wpmacmason.bsky.social · 4h

seeing Child's Play when I was like 10 messed me up for a while

seeing Alien at 7 fucked me up for life; I have a semi-weekly recurring xenomorph nightmare and I obsessively consume that franchise

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The Orion @gettheorion.bsky.social · 5h

I know the 32nd century ships have programmable matter that just repairs itself but it be cool to see 24th or 25th century ships with holographic emitters under the hull to have holographic repair crews work on the ship during battle.

The Orion @gettheorion.bsky.social · 9h

Sometimes I wish I was a writer, just because I have a lot of fun little ideas that pop into my head.

I'd have loved to have seen Voyager's EMH use his mobile emitter to walk on the outside of the ship. Maybe to diagnose a spacefaring lifeform in distress, or help a stranded crewman.

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RJB / Mallacore 🇨🇦 @rjb-mallacore.bsky.social · 12h

One of my past 3d models. This one inspired by the ships from the I-War game.

Enjoy.

#3dmodeling #scifi #lightwave

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Djinn & Tonic 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇲🇽 🇬🇱 @djinnandtonic.bsky.social · 5h

I wonder if it says anything about me that the Ernest Cinematic Universe completely passed me by. It really is remarkable. A consistent release schedule since 1987, and I have never once consumed any Ernest-related media

Is there a fandom? Are there Ernest lore debates?

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William Peter MacMason @wpmacmason.bsky.social · 4h

I used to rent the VHS's as a kid, they're mostly pretty standard 90's direct to VHS movies with the exception of Ernest Scared Stupid, which I will defend as one of the legit funniest and scariest kid's horror movies of the period.

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Trekkie Bill 🖖🏻 @trekkiebill.bsky.social · 4h

No one who ever worked for ICE should feel comfortable in polite society ever again.

They should live fearing that their friends and neighbors will find out what they did and shun them.

That their children will learn what they were and never speak to them again.

Ari Cohn @aricohn.com · 6h

Some weirdo on Twitter has been absolutely melting down for like 36 straight hours because I posted:

When this is over, do not forget what ICE did, and what ICE is. And do not make room for them in society. Make sure they know that they are, and will continue to be, reviled and beneath contempt.

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William Peter MacMason @wpmacmason.bsky.social · 4h

he was really good in BR2049, maybe he just needs to stick to Villeneuve movies.

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William Peter MacMason @wpmacmason.bsky.social · 4h

a cartoon character says " oh yeah " while standing next to another character

ALT: a cartoon character says " oh yeah " while standing next to another character

media.tenor.com

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hopeful66 @hopeful66.bsky.social · 5h

go.bsky.app/D7s3tJ3

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William Peter MacMason @wpmacmason.bsky.social · 5h

honestly can't remember, that's been floating around my noggin for years. 2000 makes for an even better anecdote!

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William Peter MacMason @wpmacmason.bsky.social · 5h

a man wearing glasses and a tie looks serious

ALT: a man wearing glasses and a tie looks serious

media.tenor.com

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daringsteel.bsky.social @daringsteel.bsky.social · 5h

They were the Soviet gauge, because they were made specifically to be sent to the USSR under Lend-Lease – in fact, the class Ye design was originally designed for export to Russia during WW1. We also sent a bunch of modified S160s, which was the standard LL export locomotive.

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Scalawag Jack, Pirate Ghost (or Ghost Pirate?) @scalawagjack.bsky.social · 5h

My idea of 'white power' is risking your white privilege and comfort to fight for your non-white brothers and sisters. #scalawag

Union Major General George Henry Thomas, the "Rock of Chickamauga" from Virginia.

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William Peter MacMason @wpmacmason.bsky.social · 5h

Peter Thiel definitely did not tell his group of survivors that a zombie bit his calf.

Emma Evans @trance.bsky.social · 1d

Peter Thiel looks like a weirdo in an 80s movie who has two minutes before the devil claims his soul.

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🎃 Really Spooky Smith @reallyseansmith.bsky.social · 5h

"We saw you from across the coffee table and dig your vibe."

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The Orion @gettheorion.bsky.social · 9h

Sometimes I wish I was a writer, just because I have a lot of fun little ideas that pop into my head.

I'd have loved to have seen Voyager's EMH use his mobile emitter to walk on the outside of the ship. Maybe to diagnose a spacefaring lifeform in distress, or help a stranded crewman.

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Reposted by William Peter MacMason

Spy Fi 🇺🇦 @spy-fi.bsky.social · 5h

More by David Mattingly.

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Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 7h

AI has lost the dunce vote. It’s over

Nate Silver
@NateSilver538 • 5h
•.°
I'm just one person, and my programming needs are somewhat unusual (building various kinds of statistical forecasting models). But I'm just not seeing the consistent productivity gains from LLMs that I would have expected if you'd asked me 6 months ago.

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