Gavin Chait;
@gavin.whyqd.com
I am a data scientist, researcher, engineer, sometime-traveler, and African SFF author.
I am fascinated by the frontiers of human progress: innovation vs ignorance; wealth vs poverty, migration vs stasis.
I also drink a great deal of coffee.
I am fascinated by the frontiers of human progress: innovation vs ignorance; wealth vs poverty, migration vs stasis.
I also drink a great deal of coffee.
Pinned
Gavin Chait;
@gavin.whyqd.com
· Nov 11
What gifts hath Fate for all her chivalry?
Even such as hearts heroic oftenest win;
Honour, a friend, anguish, untimely death.
Not sure I entirely agree with Homer. Anguish, yes, but we will endure. Not because we believe in an inevitably better future, but because we believe in living a better us.
Even such as hearts heroic oftenest win;
Honour, a friend, anguish, untimely death.
Not sure I entirely agree with Homer. Anguish, yes, but we will endure. Not because we believe in an inevitably better future, but because we believe in living a better us.
Wake up, Babe. New subgenre dropped. This time it's *Israelis* committing genocide against *Palestinians* which makes their soldiers sad. Hollywood is gonna love it.
I don't think Israel or its cheerleaders are prepared for the impact of what they've done in Gaza on Israel itself. It is not to equate the two, and it will manifest in multiple forms, but the damage will be deep and long-lasting, on top of and in many ways entangled with the trauma of Oct. 7.
Israel’s longest war is leaving a trail of traumatized soldiers, with suicides also on the rise
Israel’s longest war is leaving a trail of traumatized soldiers in its wake. Psychologists, soldiers and their families say there are a growing number of fighters suffering from mental illness after t...
apnews.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Wake up, Babe. New subgenre dropped. This time it's *Israelis* committing genocide against *Palestinians* which makes their soldiers sad. Hollywood is gonna love it.
If you "disagree", it is either by analysis of existing hypotheses, or proposing new ones. In all cases, provide evidence. Science doesn't run on vibes you utter sofafucker.
JD Vance: "Science as practiced in its best form is that if you disagree with it, then you ought to criticize it and you ought to argue against it."
November 12, 2025 at 5:42 PM
If you "disagree", it is either by analysis of existing hypotheses, or proposing new ones. In all cases, provide evidence. Science doesn't run on vibes you utter sofafucker.
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
Just been reminded of the existence of the Bitch I’m Fabulous Mantis. Morning all
November 12, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Just been reminded of the existence of the Bitch I’m Fabulous Mantis. Morning all
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
no quote about the US political system has ever gone harder than this one
November 10, 2025 at 10:02 PM
no quote about the US political system has ever gone harder than this one
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
A rare interview with the creators of the always-funny, always-brilliant, and *usually*-sexy—or occasionally anti-sexy—OGLAF!
Cooper has kept a low profile over the years, but is legitimately one of the very best artists in comics today. Read OGLAF if you're old enough to drive!
Cooper has kept a low profile over the years, but is legitimately one of the very best artists in comics today. Read OGLAF if you're old enough to drive!
Talking Oglaf with Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne: 'We'd stay up all night drawing stuff to make each other laugh' - The Comics Journal
Other than some time off every year for Christmas, Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne have delivered a new Oglaf comic, skewering fantasy tropes with absolutely not safe for work humor, every week since 2008...
www.tcj.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:42 PM
A rare interview with the creators of the always-funny, always-brilliant, and *usually*-sexy—or occasionally anti-sexy—OGLAF!
Cooper has kept a low profile over the years, but is legitimately one of the very best artists in comics today. Read OGLAF if you're old enough to drive!
Cooper has kept a low profile over the years, but is legitimately one of the very best artists in comics today. Read OGLAF if you're old enough to drive!
Gonna be a whole new subgenre of the more traditional 'invading your country and murdering thousands of your people made our soldiers sad' Christmas films.
If they're still making movies in 15-20 years there will be multiple Oscar noms for playing "remorseful / reflective former ICE agent who knows how Complicated history is"
November 10, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Gonna be a whole new subgenre of the more traditional 'invading your country and murdering thousands of your people made our soldiers sad' Christmas films.
Counterpoint, then, is that Brexit & the rise of Faragian ethno-fascism is a failure of the BBC, & presents as an Achille's heal to a Britain where a future ethno-fascist leadership uses the state broadcaster to motivate for ethnic cleansing. As e.g. SABC during Apartheid.
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
November 10, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Counterpoint, then, is that Brexit & the rise of Faragian ethno-fascism is a failure of the BBC, & presents as an Achille's heal to a Britain where a future ethno-fascist leadership uses the state broadcaster to motivate for ethnic cleansing. As e.g. SABC during Apartheid.
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
Chaplin was always right, we just lost sight of it for a very long time.
November 8, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Chaplin was always right, we just lost sight of it for a very long time.
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
Right, enough of James Watson - who's a senior academic you've met who's been an utter delight?
I'll go first: Jocelyn Bell Burnell
I'll go first: Jocelyn Bell Burnell
November 8, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Right, enough of James Watson - who's a senior academic you've met who's been an utter delight?
I'll go first: Jocelyn Bell Burnell
I'll go first: Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
150 students from Gaza’s al-Aqsa University have been celebrating after becoming the first class to graduate there since the start of Israel’s genocide, during which the territory’s entire education system has come under assault.
Gaza university students become first class to graduate since war
Students from Gaza’s al-Aqsa University are celebrating after becoming the first class to graduate there since the war.
www.aljazeera.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:42 PM
150 students from Gaza’s al-Aqsa University have been celebrating after becoming the first class to graduate there since the start of Israel’s genocide, during which the territory’s entire education system has come under assault.
WTF is a vaccine injury? Are American pharmacists using rusty nails to inject the vaccine?
BLITZER: Are you still against the covid vaccine? Because the other day I got the covid booster and the flu shot
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: I am opposed, Wolf, and I'm opposed because I know so many people who had vaccine injuries
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE: I am opposed, Wolf, and I'm opposed because I know so many people who had vaccine injuries
November 6, 2025 at 4:35 PM
WTF is a vaccine injury? Are American pharmacists using rusty nails to inject the vaccine?
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
As Geoffrey York observes, the "persecution of Christians" that has led Trump to threaten war against Nigeria is about as real as the "violence against white farmers" in South Africa -- that is, not real at all, just an easily fact-checked online meme
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
Trump threatens military attack on Nigeria in response to alleged persecution of Christians
Threats are response to a campaign by U.S. Christian groups and politicians who describe Nigerian attacks as genocide, a claim analysts say is inaccurate
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:39 PM
As Geoffrey York observes, the "persecution of Christians" that has led Trump to threaten war against Nigeria is about as real as the "violence against white farmers" in South Africa -- that is, not real at all, just an easily fact-checked online meme
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...
If it was a toy - combine a game engine with LLMs to give NPCs more 'natural' interactions - I think it could be fun. But everything else 🫣
i’ve said this before but lemme say it again. it makes absolutely 0 sense to talk about “misuse” of llms because there is no clear use or purpose for llms to begin with. genAI is a purposeless tech floating around looking for uptake
1/
1/
November 2, 2025 at 3:09 PM
If it was a toy - combine a game engine with LLMs to give NPCs more 'natural' interactions - I think it could be fun. But everything else 🫣
I'm visiting a walkable, livable North American city. Excellent food, lots of culture, parks, trees, boulevards, public transport, accessable... Hell, they even have public hire bikes, & the place is so safe parents are out chatting while their kids play under the trees. Welcome to Mexico City.
November 1, 2025 at 7:38 AM
I'm visiting a walkable, livable North American city. Excellent food, lots of culture, parks, trees, boulevards, public transport, accessable... Hell, they even have public hire bikes, & the place is so safe parents are out chatting while their kids play under the trees. Welcome to Mexico City.
Sucks for refugees, but this seems wonderful news for South Africa. We get to rid ourselves - through voluntary self-selection nogal! - of some of the stupidest, vilest, most entitled and least capable people in the country. So selfless of the US.
BREAKING: The Trump administration is restricting the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. to 7,500 and they will be mostly white South Africans.
Trump administration limits number of refugees to 7,500 and they're mostly white South Africans
The Trump administration is restricting the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. to 7,500 and they will be mostly white South Africans.
bit.ly
October 31, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Sucks for refugees, but this seems wonderful news for South Africa. We get to rid ourselves - through voluntary self-selection nogal! - of some of the stupidest, vilest, most entitled and least capable people in the country. So selfless of the US.
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
There are few books that quietly rearrange the way one sees a landscape. Fading Footprints is one of them.
Fading Footprints: Ancient culture found hiding in plain sight
www.dailymaverick.co.za
October 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM
There are few books that quietly rearrange the way one sees a landscape. Fading Footprints is one of them.
It was at exactly this point that I uninstalled Microsoft and switched to LibreOffice.
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO FUCKING REWRITE WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN!"
October 28, 2025 at 1:57 PM
It was at exactly this point that I uninstalled Microsoft and switched to LibreOffice.
Instead of milk, I just poured grapefruit juice into my tea. It's that sort of day.
October 23, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Instead of milk, I just poured grapefruit juice into my tea. It's that sort of day.
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
Over 460 Jewish figures, including former Israeli officials, Oscar winners, authors and intellectuals, have signed a letter calling on the UN and world leaders to impose sanctions on Israel over its “unconscionable” actions amounting to genocide in Gaza.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
Jewish figures across the globe call on UN and world leaders to sanction Israel
Exclusive: In an open letter, Israeli ex-officials, artists and intellectuals say ‘unconscionable’ actions in Gaza amount to genocide
www.theguardian.com
October 22, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Over 460 Jewish figures, including former Israeli officials, Oscar winners, authors and intellectuals, have signed a letter calling on the UN and world leaders to impose sanctions on Israel over its “unconscionable” actions amounting to genocide in Gaza.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
This obsession with reaching across the aisle to people who want to tear your arm off will kill democracy. Find everyone who doesn't want to do that and work with them, there are plenty of them.
October 22, 2025 at 11:39 AM
This obsession with reaching across the aisle to people who want to tear your arm off will kill democracy. Find everyone who doesn't want to do that and work with them, there are plenty of them.
Looks like @theonion.com is going to get a whole lot of extended use out of their "No way to prevent this" headline, this time for mass childhood deaths easily preventable by cheap and readily-available vaccines arstechnica.com/health/2025/...
After success in Idaho, anti-vaccine activists want to export their idiocy nationwide
The Idaho Medical Freedom Act makes it illegal to require anyone to take a vaccine.
arstechnica.com
October 20, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Looks like @theonion.com is going to get a whole lot of extended use out of their "No way to prevent this" headline, this time for mass childhood deaths easily preventable by cheap and readily-available vaccines arstechnica.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
“Fuck AI”
— Guillermo del Toro
🎥 Vanity Fair
— Guillermo del Toro
🎥 Vanity Fair
October 18, 2025 at 3:20 PM
“Fuck AI”
— Guillermo del Toro
🎥 Vanity Fair
— Guillermo del Toro
🎥 Vanity Fair
Reposted by Gavin Chait;
Really, the man is a threat to the future of humanity. What won't he trash?
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
Trump torpedoes international deal to reduce shipping emissions
The International Maritime Organization delays vote on reducing pollution in shipping after Trump threatens sanctions.
www.aljazeera.com
October 18, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Really, the man is a threat to the future of humanity. What won't he trash?
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...
This terrible blight of virgin births is really cheapening the true meaning of Christmas.
RFK Jr: "Today the average teenager in this country has 50% of the sperm count, 50% of the testosterone of a 65 year old man. Our girls are hitting puberty 6 years early ... our parents aren't having children."
October 16, 2025 at 8:32 PM
This terrible blight of virgin births is really cheapening the true meaning of Christmas.