Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Elizabeth Stice

Arditi d Popolo @arditidpopolo.bsky.social · 17h

Why are we allowing AI to suck up our resources?

Kate Clancy @kateclancy.bsky.social · 23h

I am being asked to tell my department which pieces of lab equipment should be supported with backup power because they expect rolling blackouts and brownouts in 2026 due to increased energy demands from AI. In case you're wondering how my day is going.

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Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · 1d

Interview with Jason Vuic about his new book “A Town Without Pity: AIDS, Race, and Resistance in Florida’s Deep South” (University Press of Florida, 2025) @floridapress.bsky.social

www.orangeblossomordinary.com/interviews/i...

Interview with Josh Vuic — Orange Blossom Ordinary

Interview with Josh Vuic, author of “A Town Without Pity,” on Orange Blossom Ordinary, a review for new books

www.orangeblossomordinary.com

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Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · 15d

Back in the salt mines

Reposted by Elizabeth Stice

Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 18d

One of my more inquisitorial beliefs is that this is necromancy and it is rightly forbidden.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 18d

AI can’t raise the dead, but it might do the next best thing on.ft.com/4gFXyus | opinion

AI can’t raise the dead, but it might do the next best thing

Rapid advances in generative AI and voice technology mean communicating with the deceased will no longer be sci-fi

on.ft.com

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Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · 18d

Saturday morning

Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · 25d

Saturday morning

Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · 27d

Author interview with Peter Fritzsche, about his new book “1942: When World War II Engulfed the Globe”

www.orangeblossomordinary.com/interviews/i...

An interview with Peter Fritzsche about his book "1942: When World War II Engulfed the Globe" — Orange Blossom Ordinary

Elizabeth Stice interviews historian Peter Fritzsche about his book "1942: When World War II Engulfed the Globe" (Basic Books, 2025). It's a conversation about history, war, and literature for Orange ...

www.orangeblossomordinary.com

Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · 29d

A review of “1942: When World War II Engulfed the Globe” by Peter Fritzsche www.orangeblossomordinary.com/reviews/worl...

World War II and the Fight for Freedom: A review of "1942" by Peter Fritzsche — Orange Blossom Ordinary

A review of "1942: When World War II Engulfed the Globe" by Peter Fritzsche (Basic Books, 2025) for Orange Blossom Ordinary, a review of books

www.orangeblossomordinary.com

Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · 29d

Fun and games

Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Sep 12

A great one from @bittersouth.bsky.social

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Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Sep 10

Super fun: PG Wodehouse books

Lit Hub @literaryhub.bsky.social · Sep 10

We think reading’s fun, actually!

No one’s reading for fun, apparently. Here’s a reading list to fix that.

Researchers recently found that “reading for fun in the US has fallen by 40%,” which sucks. The study shows “a sustained, steady decline” over about twenty years, which I agree with the scientists …

buff.ly

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Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Sep 10

Read books that help you shape your life

Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Sep 10

Kimberly Bain reviews “Sweet and Deadly: How Coca-Cola Spreads Disinformation and Makes Us Sick” by Murray Carpenter (MIT Press, 2025) @mitpress.bsky.social

www.orangeblossomordinary.com/reviews/capi...

Capitalism in a bottle: A review of "Sweet and Deadly" by Murray Carpenter (MIT Press , 2025) — Orange Blossom Ordinary

Kimberly Bain reviews "Sweet and Deadly: How Coca-Cola Spreads Disinformation and Makes Us Sick" by Murray Carpenter (MIT Press, 2025) The charges against Coca-Cola are leveled by Murray and reviewed ...

www.orangeblossomordinary.com

Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Sep 1

A book can be a journey

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Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Aug 14

Kimberly Bain reviews “There’s No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America” by Brian Goldstone @penguinbooksusa.bsky.social

www.orangeblossomordinary.com/reviews/ther...

There’s No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone review — Orange Blossom Ordinary

a review of There’s No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone by Kimberly A. Bain on Orange Blossom Ordinary, a review for new books

www.orangeblossomordinary.com

Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Aug 7

A review of “Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets” by Dorothy Armstrong @stmartinspress.bsky.social

www.orangeblossomordinary.com/reviews/hist...

Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets by Dorothy Armstrong review — Orange Blossom Ordinary

a review of Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets by Dorothy Armstrong by Elizabeth Stice on Orange Blossom Ordinary, a review for new books

www.orangeblossomordinary.com

Reposted by Elizabeth Stice

Michael Hattem @michaelhattem.bsky.social · Aug 6

This is a really excellent review of my most recent book that really gets at its core themes.

Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Mar 27

Matthew Sparacio reviews “The Memory of ‘76” by Michael Hattem (Yale University Press, 2024) @yalebooks.bsky.social

www.orangeblossomordinary.com/reviews/spar...

The Memory of ‘76: The Revolution in American Memory by Michael D. Hattem review — Orange Blossom Ordinary

a review of The Memory of ‘76: The Revolution in American Memory by Michael D. Hattem by Matthew J. Sparacio on Orange Blossom Ordinary, a review for new books

www.orangeblossomordinary.com

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Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Jul 17

Big week for French history and literature over on the Substack!

orangeblossomordinary.substack.com/p/robert-dar...

Robert Darnton interview and review + a Balzac readlist

Bastille Day was July 14 and we took our cue from that

orangeblossomordinary.substack.com

Reposted by Elizabeth Stice

Seamus Blackley @seamus.bsky.social · Apr 30

In 2019, with the help of Egyptologist Serena Love and Microbiologist Rich Bowman, I went to Boston’s MFA and Harvard’s Peabody museum to attempt collecting 4,500 year old yeast from Ancient Egyptian pottery. In this thread, I baked with some of it.

(this is an old thread moved here for safety!)

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Elizabeth Stice @estice.bsky.social · Jul 15

What was it like as a writer in revolutionary France? Here’s a review of Robert Darnton’s new book “The Writer’s Lot” @harvardpress.bsky.social

www.orangeblossomordinary.com/reviews/the-...

The Writer’s Lot: Culture and Revolution in Eighteenth-Century France by Robert Darnton review — Orange Blossom Ordinary

a review of The Writer’s Lot: Culture and Revolution in Eighteenth-Century France by Robert Darnton by Elizabeth Stice on Orange Blossom Ordinary, a review for new books

www.orangeblossomordinary.com

Reposted by Elizabeth Stice

Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · Jul 14

Grok / xAI are truly historic: I can't think of another instance where a CEO was so publicly adamant about making their product dysfunctional. Think of how badly you have to ruin an LLM across multiple fields to get it to say climate change is fake and George Floyd died from a drug overdose.

brasidas @brasidas.bsky.social · Jul 13

The interesting process here is that Elon wants his LLM to, essentially, believe racist things but also, paradoxically, know not to say them and how to talk about them politely...

Which is a revealing set of desires.