Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
@gswrites.bsky.social
Pop science writer/editor consultant for hire, specialising in astronomy and its history. Regular nerd with @somethingwho.bsky.social
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
New episode of the podcast just out. Waldemar solves the mystery of Bosch’s masterpiece, I wonder why a gold toilet is worth $12m, and we explore what made Hans Holbein so brilliant with Elizabeth Goldring.
November 27, 2025 at 6:10 PM
New episode of the podcast just out. Waldemar solves the mystery of Bosch’s masterpiece, I wonder why a gold toilet is worth $12m, and we explore what made Hans Holbein so brilliant with Elizabeth Goldring.
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
I've just updated the available cats page, we have some REALLY special kitties in and some of them have been waiting ages. Their forever home might be on your timeline, please share? 🥰
Moggies looking for homes
After hearing 50,000 times that we should put the available cats on the website, we’ve made a page! Hooray! However, it is still just me doing most of the work in the shelter. So there’…
hollysmerrymoggies.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:42 PM
I've just updated the available cats page, we have some REALLY special kitties in and some of them have been waiting ages. Their forever home might be on your timeline, please share? 🥰
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
That is a huge drop. Huge.
Starmer will now play the 'look-what-we-achieved' politics of this brilliantly, everyone will calm down, sensible immigration policies will emerge, and Farage will disappear.
Narrator: 'Meanwhile on Planet Earth....'
Starmer will now play the 'look-what-we-achieved' politics of this brilliantly, everyone will calm down, sensible immigration policies will emerge, and Farage will disappear.
Narrator: 'Meanwhile on Planet Earth....'
NEW: Net migration falls sharply to 204,000 in the year to June.
That’s a fall from 649,000 in the year to June 2024. It is a drop of nearly 80% from its 2023 peak.
That’s a fall from 649,000 in the year to June 2024. It is a drop of nearly 80% from its 2023 peak.
November 27, 2025 at 11:45 AM
That is a huge drop. Huge.
Starmer will now play the 'look-what-we-achieved' politics of this brilliantly, everyone will calm down, sensible immigration policies will emerge, and Farage will disappear.
Narrator: 'Meanwhile on Planet Earth....'
Starmer will now play the 'look-what-we-achieved' politics of this brilliantly, everyone will calm down, sensible immigration policies will emerge, and Farage will disappear.
Narrator: 'Meanwhile on Planet Earth....'
Cthulhu fhtagn, Charlie Brown...
Elliott Erwitt, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. New York City, USA. 1988.
November 27, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Cthulhu fhtagn, Charlie Brown...
Get yer trousers on Basil - you're nicked!
The Basil Brush Show (27th November 1976). Together at last - Basil teams up with Dennis Waterman.
November 27, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Get yer trousers on Basil - you're nicked!
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
Happy Thanksgiving, when we celebrate the generosity of the actor Tom Hanks.
November 28, 2024 at 12:32 PM
Happy Thanksgiving, when we celebrate the generosity of the actor Tom Hanks.
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
"I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
November 27, 2025 at 2:30 AM
"I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:
November 27, 2025 at 8:28 AM
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
The Electric Monk
I think I've finally found the AI use that will end humanity.
Cults creating worshippers that don't exist to praise their gods that (sorry religionists) don't exist, burning up the planet in a race to create the most fake prayers to show theirs' is the true faith.
pagesix.com/2025/11/25/e...
Cults creating worshippers that don't exist to praise their gods that (sorry religionists) don't exist, burning up the planet in a race to create the most fake prayers to show theirs' is the true faith.
pagesix.com/2025/11/25/e...
Music fans enraged as AI-generated ‘singer’ tops the holiday charts: ‘Seriously?’
“Solomon Ray is no longer ‘the AI experiment.’ He is now the biggest new voice in gospel music – period.”
pagesix.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:16 PM
The Electric Monk
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
i’m so happy for him
November 26, 2025 at 10:48 PM
i’m so happy for him
Whales Day! (And Nuclear Wessel Day, I guess!) Lovely stuff!
November 26, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Whales Day! (And Nuclear Wessel Day, I guess!) Lovely stuff!
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
Hey.
Wanna see what it looks like to fly past your home planet?
THEN LOOK AT THIS
This is the OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft's view as it swung by Earth on Tuesday, 23 September 2025 from an altitude of 3,500 km.
Look how beautiful that big blue marble is ❤️
Wanna see what it looks like to fly past your home planet?
THEN LOOK AT THIS
This is the OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft's view as it swung by Earth on Tuesday, 23 September 2025 from an altitude of 3,500 km.
Look how beautiful that big blue marble is ❤️
November 25, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Hey.
Wanna see what it looks like to fly past your home planet?
THEN LOOK AT THIS
This is the OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft's view as it swung by Earth on Tuesday, 23 September 2025 from an altitude of 3,500 km.
Look how beautiful that big blue marble is ❤️
Wanna see what it looks like to fly past your home planet?
THEN LOOK AT THIS
This is the OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft's view as it swung by Earth on Tuesday, 23 September 2025 from an altitude of 3,500 km.
Look how beautiful that big blue marble is ❤️
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
Years of work involving an amazing team at BBCSstudios Framestore AppleTV, our series #PrehistoricPlanetIceAge is out now on #AppleTV. Huge thanks to everyone involved. All 5 eps have been released!
November 26, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Years of work involving an amazing team at BBCSstudios Framestore AppleTV, our series #PrehistoricPlanetIceAge is out now on #AppleTV. Huge thanks to everyone involved. All 5 eps have been released!
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
"having changed my mind about the OBR, my internship there has begun smoothly"
November 26, 2025 at 12:28 PM
"having changed my mind about the OBR, my internship there has begun smoothly"
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
“I’d rather be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war” - someone who didn’t see what happened to Samwise and Boromir.
November 26, 2025 at 10:52 AM
“I’d rather be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war” - someone who didn’t see what happened to Samwise and Boromir.
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
what the fuck
November 25, 2025 at 3:29 PM
what the fuck
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
'Exiting the market' is such a crap euphemism. It's not like the 'university' will then go and apply all its assets to another market. Those assets (human and non-human) will be dispersed, wasted, destroyed. Un-creative destruction. Which we can't afford as a society.
Chief exec of OfS 'said the OfS believes there are 24 institutions at risk of exiting the market in the next 12 months, seven of which are large providers with more than 3,000 students. There are another 25 or so institutions of various sizes at risk over a two- to three-year period, she added.'
Seven ‘large providers’ at risk of going under in the next year
Skills minister says no higher education institutions are at imminent risk of collapse this year but OfS confirms more than 20 providers are being closely monitored
www.timeshighereducation.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:54 AM
'Exiting the market' is such a crap euphemism. It's not like the 'university' will then go and apply all its assets to another market. Those assets (human and non-human) will be dispersed, wasted, destroyed. Un-creative destruction. Which we can't afford as a society.
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Additionally, OpenAI argues its not liable because Raine, by using ChatGPT for self-harm, broke its terms of service
November 26, 2025 at 12:29 AM
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
it's great that convergent evolution made sure we have the "evil muppet lurking in the swamp" niche covered on multiple continents
November 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
it's great that convergent evolution made sure we have the "evil muppet lurking in the swamp" niche covered on multiple continents
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
Is ChatGPT Conscious? No, And If You Keep Asking We'll Hit You Again
November 26, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Is ChatGPT Conscious? No, And If You Keep Asking We'll Hit You Again
Reposted by Giles Sparrow is adrift in the vortex
