Doctora Malka Older
@older.bsky.social
nerd with narrative disorder • humanitarian • sociopunk • evidence-based creativity • speculative resistance • predictive fictions • INFOMOCRACY • THE MIMICKING OF KNOWN SUCCESSES • …AND OTHER DISASTERS • GlobalVoices.org • ASU-CSI • opinions my own
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Chicago Black Restaurant Week is back with some new additions. blockclubchi.co/4cbiQjm
February 9, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Chicago Black Restaurant Week is back with some new additions. blockclubchi.co/4cbiQjm
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Also computer parts, clothes, toiletries, and basically anything else you can think of. Assuming more fuel doesn't get in, this effectively kills the supply chains of a lot of the country overnight.
With new goods suddenly gone, plus uncertainty, we can expect prices to multiply overnight
With new goods suddenly gone, plus uncertainty, we can expect prices to multiply overnight
February 8, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Also computer parts, clothes, toiletries, and basically anything else you can think of. Assuming more fuel doesn't get in, this effectively kills the supply chains of a lot of the country overnight.
With new goods suddenly gone, plus uncertainty, we can expect prices to multiply overnight
With new goods suddenly gone, plus uncertainty, we can expect prices to multiply overnight
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Cuban government has informed airlines that they only have about 24 hours worth of fuel left for planes.
Beyond the obvious damage that suddenly shutting down any country's air travel would have, a not at all small % of food and medicine in Cuba comes by luggage on airlines
efe.com/economia/202...
Beyond the obvious damage that suddenly shutting down any country's air travel would have, a not at all small % of food and medicine in Cuba comes by luggage on airlines
efe.com/economia/202...
Cuba comunica a las aerolíneas que en 24 horas se queda sin combustible para aviones - EFE
El Gobierno de Cuba advirtió a las aerolíneas internacionales que operan en la isla que a partir de este lunes el país se queda sin combustible para aviación.
efe.com
February 8, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Cuban government has informed airlines that they only have about 24 hours worth of fuel left for planes.
Beyond the obvious damage that suddenly shutting down any country's air travel would have, a not at all small % of food and medicine in Cuba comes by luggage on airlines
efe.com/economia/202...
Beyond the obvious damage that suddenly shutting down any country's air travel would have, a not at all small % of food and medicine in Cuba comes by luggage on airlines
efe.com/economia/202...
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Reminder when you watch the Intuit Super Bowl ads, they have Super Bowl ad money because they are a successful rent seekers who have worked for decades to kill free, quality, public tax preparation services donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-death-...
The Death of Direct File
Tech for good not welcome in the Trump administration
donmoynihan.substack.com
February 8, 2026 at 11:40 PM
Reminder when you watch the Intuit Super Bowl ads, they have Super Bowl ad money because they are a successful rent seekers who have worked for decades to kill free, quality, public tax preparation services donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-death-...
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Beautiful — Oda Hironobu, Nansô Kushihama, c. 1930
February 8, 2026 at 11:40 PM
Beautiful — Oda Hironobu, Nansô Kushihama, c. 1930
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
🇧🇷Mãe-de-taoca-papuda
🌎Rhegmatorhina hoffmannsi
Conservação: Quase Ameaçada
A Mãe-de-taoca-papuda é uma ave da ordem Passeriformes, da família Thamnophilidae.
📷 Bruno Rennó
🌎Rhegmatorhina hoffmannsi
Conservação: Quase Ameaçada
A Mãe-de-taoca-papuda é uma ave da ordem Passeriformes, da família Thamnophilidae.
📷 Bruno Rennó
February 8, 2026 at 11:43 PM
🇧🇷Mãe-de-taoca-papuda
🌎Rhegmatorhina hoffmannsi
Conservação: Quase Ameaçada
A Mãe-de-taoca-papuda é uma ave da ordem Passeriformes, da família Thamnophilidae.
📷 Bruno Rennó
🌎Rhegmatorhina hoffmannsi
Conservação: Quase Ameaçada
A Mãe-de-taoca-papuda é uma ave da ordem Passeriformes, da família Thamnophilidae.
📷 Bruno Rennó
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Lesbian singer Brandi Carlile sets up $25k grant to support Minnesota ICE detainees ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Mm647c
📷 Getty
📷 Getty
February 5, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Lesbian singer Brandi Carlile sets up $25k grant to support Minnesota ICE detainees ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Mm647c
📷 Getty
📷 Getty
thinking of this interview with Vida Rabbani, an Iranian political prisoner who painted in prison; she mentions that Mohammadi "convinced the authorities to let us bring in a larger shipment of materials. I took advantage of this to sneak in proper acrylic paints among the wall paints."
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 PM
thinking of this interview with Vida Rabbani, an Iranian political prisoner who painted in prison; she mentions that Mohammadi "convinced the authorities to let us bring in a larger shipment of materials. I took advantage of this to sneak in proper acrylic paints among the wall paints."
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
South Tucson Mayor Roxy Valenzuela rejects calls to increase policing as a response to rising homelessness.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
Facing Arizona’s Crackdown on Homelessness, Two Cities Offer Different Responses
State intervention has led Tucson to ramp up sweeps and pass harsh new policies. Officials in the small town of South Tucson have emphasized support and services, even as they face blowback.
boltsmag.org
February 8, 2026 at 11:02 PM
South Tucson Mayor Roxy Valenzuela rejects calls to increase policing as a response to rising homelessness.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
“Sometimes the best people to offer those resources are not the cops — it can be a community member or a clinician,” she says.
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
What a superb owl! Perky pre-Colombian finial.
February 8, 2026 at 11:04 PM
What a superb owl! Perky pre-Colombian finial.
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
GM: Charisma check.
Mamdani: [rolls natural 20]
GM: that’s a d6 how did you
Mamdani: [direct to camera] Did you know you can check out board games at your local public library? 😊
Mamdani: [rolls natural 20]
GM: that’s a d6 how did you
Mamdani: [direct to camera] Did you know you can check out board games at your local public library? 😊
February 7, 2026 at 5:01 AM
GM: Charisma check.
Mamdani: [rolls natural 20]
GM: that’s a d6 how did you
Mamdani: [direct to camera] Did you know you can check out board games at your local public library? 😊
Mamdani: [rolls natural 20]
GM: that’s a d6 how did you
Mamdani: [direct to camera] Did you know you can check out board games at your local public library? 😊
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Knowing which problems are common or uncommon itself requires significant domain knowledge
i feel compelled to remind everyone that chatgpt/LLMs are functionally the *opposite* of an actual expert.
the more your problems are unusual or novel, the more likely LLMS are to be wrong. they are least helpful when it's most important
the more your problems are unusual or novel, the more likely LLMS are to be wrong. they are least helpful when it's most important
February 8, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Knowing which problems are common or uncommon itself requires significant domain knowledge
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
The thing about LLMs is that answers that are correct and answers that are wildly wrong are presented with *exactly the same level of confidence*
If you're informed enough to know the difference you don't need the answer
If you aren't you can't trust what you get
If you're informed enough to know the difference you don't need the answer
If you aren't you can't trust what you get
February 8, 2026 at 10:58 PM
The thing about LLMs is that answers that are correct and answers that are wildly wrong are presented with *exactly the same level of confidence*
If you're informed enough to know the difference you don't need the answer
If you aren't you can't trust what you get
If you're informed enough to know the difference you don't need the answer
If you aren't you can't trust what you get
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
And they aren't all crowing about it on social media, so let's not assume that all the people in hats and buttons passing out whistles are doing nothing else. People - "wine moms," "knitters," who else do you think has ready access to breast milk? - are working behind the scenes for good.
A detail I don't want to get lost in this: So far, Bri and her network have helped more than 500 families with grocery deliveries and more than 300 with diapers and wipes. In just two months.
In Minneapolis, for every story detailing the fallout of the federal crackdown, there are as many stories of people like Bri, a mom donating breastmilk for babies whose mothers are detained by ICE.
Bri's story:
19thnews.org/2026/02/minn...
Bri's story:
19thnews.org/2026/02/minn...
February 8, 2026 at 10:33 PM
And they aren't all crowing about it on social media, so let's not assume that all the people in hats and buttons passing out whistles are doing nothing else. People - "wine moms," "knitters," who else do you think has ready access to breast milk? - are working behind the scenes for good.
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
A couple of Eastern Bluebirds overwintering here in Michigan. A female is in the foreground with a male tucked into the branches in the background.
February 8, 2026 at 10:13 PM
A couple of Eastern Bluebirds overwintering here in Michigan. A female is in the foreground with a male tucked into the branches in the background.
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
around portland in the blessed rain don't be bringing that sunshine around
February 8, 2026 at 10:14 PM
around portland in the blessed rain don't be bringing that sunshine around
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
From Mrs Tiggy-Winkle to Sonic the Hedgehog
We love hedgehogs 🦔 in fiction — but in real life they’re disappearing fast & they’re now vulnerable to extinction. #HedgehogWalk
eastangliabylines.co.uk/environment/...
We love hedgehogs 🦔 in fiction — but in real life they’re disappearing fast & they’re now vulnerable to extinction. #HedgehogWalk
eastangliabylines.co.uk/environment/...
February 8, 2026 at 10:15 PM
From Mrs Tiggy-Winkle to Sonic the Hedgehog
We love hedgehogs 🦔 in fiction — but in real life they’re disappearing fast & they’re now vulnerable to extinction. #HedgehogWalk
eastangliabylines.co.uk/environment/...
We love hedgehogs 🦔 in fiction — but in real life they’re disappearing fast & they’re now vulnerable to extinction. #HedgehogWalk
eastangliabylines.co.uk/environment/...
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
The music museum in Barcelona is cheap, undervisited and absolutely top tier. Here, have a reminder that dorky guitar nerds have existed about as long as the guitar has
February 8, 2026 at 12:25 PM
The music museum in Barcelona is cheap, undervisited and absolutely top tier. Here, have a reminder that dorky guitar nerds have existed about as long as the guitar has
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
Y'all, we did it. 💕 This crew of chaotic nerds has sent half a million whistles to people requesting them, for free. With your help!
Need whistles?
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
Need whistles?
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
February 8, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Y'all, we did it. 💕 This crew of chaotic nerds has sent half a million whistles to people requesting them, for free. With your help!
Need whistles?
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
Need whistles?
linktr.ee/3Dwhistles
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
first rule of whistle goblin club is that you just keep talking about giving away whistles
Today the crew of weirdo printers that I call the whistle goblins passed A HALF MILLION whistles printed and shipped. I wrote about how we got there and how you can start printing whistles yourself. dansinker.com/posts/2026-0...
Whistle Up 2: Rise of the Whistle Goblins | dansinker.com
dansinker.com
February 8, 2026 at 9:04 PM
first rule of whistle goblin club is that you just keep talking about giving away whistles
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
You might 'win the race' of getting a book out if you write with Ai (or use a ghostwriter, for that matter), but you're damaging your credibility and potentially damaging the market you want to sell in. You'll lose in the end.
Because someone writing their own book...
Because someone writing their own book...
February 8, 2026 at 10:03 PM
You might 'win the race' of getting a book out if you write with Ai (or use a ghostwriter, for that matter), but you're damaging your credibility and potentially damaging the market you want to sell in. You'll lose in the end.
Because someone writing their own book...
Because someone writing their own book...
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
One of my (many) little soap boxes is the concept of winning the hand but losing the game.
It's easy to get so focused on 'winning' one particular thing that you fail to realise that, in doing so, you're wrecking the bigger picture.
Ai writing is a classic example of this.
It's easy to get so focused on 'winning' one particular thing that you fail to realise that, in doing so, you're wrecking the bigger picture.
Ai writing is a classic example of this.
February 8, 2026 at 10:03 PM
One of my (many) little soap boxes is the concept of winning the hand but losing the game.
It's easy to get so focused on 'winning' one particular thing that you fail to realise that, in doing so, you're wrecking the bigger picture.
Ai writing is a classic example of this.
It's easy to get so focused on 'winning' one particular thing that you fail to realise that, in doing so, you're wrecking the bigger picture.
Ai writing is a classic example of this.
Reposted by Doctora Malka Older
2/2 Guercino selfie, 1635. He was born OTD in 1591, but his day got eaten up by Mary Queen of Scots, poor he.
February 8, 2026 at 9:52 PM
2/2 Guercino selfie, 1635. He was born OTD in 1591, but his day got eaten up by Mary Queen of Scots, poor he.