Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Matt Smith

Aidan Walker @aidanwalker.bsky.social · 1d

the defining image of the early 21st century is an agent of the state pointing a gun at a person, and a citizen pointing a smartphone camera back at them

we see this scene reenacted every day, around the world

17 450 2K

Matt Smith @smithmatt.bsky.social · 1d

The Onion doesn’t miss

The Onion @theonion.com · 2d

Israel Agrees To Go Back To Killing Palestinians On Less Frequent Basis

CAIRO—As part of a historic ceasefire agreement with Hamas following two years of war, the Israeli government reportedly agreed Thursday to go back to killing Palestinians on a less frequent basis. “I...

theonion.com

3 2

Reposted by Matt Smith

aaron from queens from twitter @aaronnarraph.bsky.social · 2d

the background on zohran's colbert appearance is jaw-droppingly disgusting

63 850 3.8K

Reposted by Matt Smith

kyle @kyledchurch.bsky.social · 2d

every fucking time

5 610 1.5K

Reposted by Matt Smith

Paul Fairie @paulisci.bsky.social · 3d

A Brief History of Men are Becoming Less Manly

🧵

41 670 1.4K

Matt Smith @smithmatt.bsky.social · 4d

And even for those of us who don’t use it, AI pollutes the information ecosystem so much. Even if a peer reviewed article is real, was AI used to create it? Or even just in some of its references?

1

Matt Smith @smithmatt.bsky.social · 4d

This is why I don’t use generative AI. If you know the area well, you don’t need AI to summarise it for you and it’ll be less work to do it right yourself. If you don’t know the area well you can’t tell whether anything you get back is correct or not.

Ira Hyman @irahyman.bsky.social · 4d

AI generated false references.

For a discussion with grad students, I asked ChatGPT for 10 academic papers with summaries on a topic I know well.

6/10 were made up citations that sounded possible (1 by me!).

Of the 4 real papers, the summaries all were over-general and included errors.

Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 4d

And here we go. I never wrote this article, and yet it is cited here.

www.liberalbriefs.com/geopolitics/...

And of course, it sounds so plausible, I seriously checked whether I had forgotten it, or the footnote was slightly wrong.

#AIisnotresearch

1 3

Reposted by Matt Smith

Dan @danxduran.bsky.social · 6d

If you'd asked me which celebrity would posthumously unveil a list of people she wanted fired into the sun, I would not have guessed Jane Goodall

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 6d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

14 180 580

Reposted by Matt Smith

Gwen Snyder is undead @gwensnyder.bsky.social · 7d

And vanilla works when you're the only game in town, but Threads has a monopoly on vanilla (just like X has a monopoly on being a massive Nazi playground).

Bluesky's future is in its niche, and whether Jay likes it or not that niche is an unholy mix of BlueAnon accounts and leftist freaks.

🏳️‍🌈 Mother Of Exiles 🏳️‍⚧️ @dragynwing.bsky.social · 7d

Attempting to appeal to the widest possible base at the expense of loyal users is a revealing choice about her priorities. She doesn't realize that without the continued investment and support of marginalized communities, her site has nothing novel to offer.

It's another flavor of vanilla. Great.

3 34 190

Reposted by Matt Smith

msvaf @msvaf.bsky.social · 7d

Imagine a future where you walk into a council chamber, a court, a parliamentary corridor, and the walls are filled with portraits of wāhine Māori, wāhine toa, exactly like this. For Te Whanganui-a-Tara, that future starts now. Ngā mihi nui ki a koe, Tory, for opening that door 💚💚💚

Tory Whanau @misswhanau.bsky.social · 8d

Tonight me and my whānau got to see the official mayoral portrait done by Pōneke artist, Clark Roworth. This felt like a lovely end to this chapter with my mana intact and we will leave behind a progressive long term plan for the next council. I’m proud of of us 💚

1 5 23

Reposted by Matt Smith

ianVisits @ianvisits.co.uk · 8d

In memoriam...

59 1.6K 5.5K

Reposted by Matt Smith

Shiv Ramdas Mens Rice Activist @nameshiv.bsky.social · 9d

If he replied saying "mr pope is my father" I would convert to catholicism

worm @rfksbrainworm.bsky.social · 9d

really enjoying all the people trying to explain the bible to the pope today

Pope Leo XIV
Today, more than ever, we must return to the heart, the center of feeling and emotion, the locus of freedom. Though it includes reason, the heart transcends and transforms it. Only by returning to the heart can we undergo a true ecological conversion that transforms our personal

Austin
I reject this whole heartedly. What you fail to see Mr Pope, the Bible says

9 44 720

Reposted by Matt Smith

insomniac @phillyinsomniac.bsky.social · 9d

and importantly, hereditary Catholics know that you don't get into the Holy Father's replies and argue the Bible with him if you disagree; what you do is acknowledge Papal supremacy as absolute and then ignore him and do whatever you want all the time without ever acknowledging a contradiction

17 69 540

Reposted by Matt Smith

Sassy Little Hobbit @sassypolitico.bsky.social · 9d

Luxon, probably: we can be proud that our citizens get abducted by a foreign govt and we don’t do anything about it.

1 3 29

Reposted by Matt Smith

Rights Aotearoa @rightsaotearoa.bsky.social · 9d

"When someone argues that fewer trans people should exist, when they liken... healthcare to child abuse, when they advocate criminal penalties for doctors following...best practice —That is .... eliminationist rhetoric dressed up in the language of concern."
www.rightsaotearoa.nz/media-releas...

Media Release: Rights Aotearoa utterly condemns the Free Speech Union for bringing anti-transgender campaigner Helen Joyce to New Zealand

For immediate release 2 October 2025

www.rightsaotearoa.nz

2 16 46

Reposted by Matt Smith

elia ayoub 🌱 @ayoub.bsky.social · 9d

Pay attention to the language that will be used by much of the media.

The Global Sumud Flotilla never entered Israeli waters.

They are in international waters attempting to reach Palestinian waters.

Israel is once again breaking international law

1 1.2K 2.3K

Reposted by Matt Smith

Jjinandtonic @jjinandtonic.bsky.social · Aug 18

It is sort of mind boggling how the science news of the last year or so has been software engineers saying “we’ve upgraded the torment nexus that might tear apart society to be 10% more efficient” while bio/pharma has been “we’re about to cure this disease that has plagued humanity for millenial

Ian Weissman, DO @drianweissman.bsky.social · Aug 17

A patient with type 1 diabetes has begun producing his own insulin after receiving a transplant of pancreatic cells. For the first time, islet cells have been edited so they wouldn't be rejected by the patient, removing the need for immunosuppressant drugs.
www.sciencealert.com/first-of-its...

First-Of-Its-Kind Cell Transplant Brings a Cure For Diabetes Closer

A patient with type 1 diabetes has begun producing his own insulin after receiving a transplant of pancreatic cells.

www.sciencealert.com

8 200 490

Reposted by Matt Smith

🎃scarecrowcialism👻 @swolecialism.bsky.social · 10d

I've read a couple of history books and I can tell you for sure that rounding up your generals, having a drunk yell at them and call them fat, and then stopping paying them that same day is absolutely how you institute durable personalist rule

8 250 1.2K

Reposted by Matt Smith

Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 11d

Haters will ask, how can any of these be art? You can't lose looking at a statue. You can't get a high score in Guernica.

Folks, come on. If Matisse had the technology to make a painting that kills you, it's undoubtable that he would have done so.

Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 11d

Pentiment
Myst
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Dwarf Fortress
Banner Saga
Kentucky Route 0
Hades
Superhot
The Stanley Parable

All are art.

6 24 150

Reposted by Matt Smith

Asher Wilson-Goldman @asherwilsongoldman.bsky.social · 14d

Some first reactions from me and Dayenu: NZ Jews Against the Occupation.

Absolute cowardice from Winston Peters and the Government today as they continue to reward genocide by refusing to recognise the State of Palestine.

As Israel continues to massacre civilians, our Government doesn't even have the courage to recognise the truth - that Palestine exists, has existed and will continue to exist.

At this rate, this country will go down in history as one of the few countries that continues to aide and abet this atrocity. New Zealand is breaking international law and supporting genocide.

Dayenu will always stand alongside our Palestinian sisters and brothers against genocide and for justice and freedom.

2 35 86

Reposted by Matt Smith

Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 15d

In discussion with a computer scientist from the University of Cambridge last night:

Me: "you've described some of the things that AI is good at. How would you describe the category of things it's not good at?

**pause**

Him: "Anything where it has to be right".

18 370 1.1K

Reposted by Matt Smith

Sassy Little Hobbit @sassypolitico.bsky.social · 13d

They did the same thing to East Pakistan and the Bangladeshis fought back. With guns. Funny how violence is completely acceptable when Israel or America does it.

Potato enthusiast @br3nda.bsky.social · 13d

Traumatised Palestinians are required to form a perfect pacifist government. Genocide may continue until they do this. They must perfectly mimic western democracy, minus the power and threats, or the murder continues. Also, if they do gather anywhere to do this, they'll be killed.

Say NZ gov.

4 17

Reposted by Matt Smith

Jordan Rivers @jordanriversnz.bsky.social · 14d

Reminder: National has always taken the side of Apartheid regimes.

1 93 210

Reposted by Matt Smith

Andrew @openpolicy.bsky.social · 14d

“This isn’t just being out of sync with our friends. It is morally reprehensible to be turning our back when we see an unfolding genocide.”

A welcome clear statement from Chris Hipkins.

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/labour-pa...

Labour party leader Chris Hipkins talks to media on NZ not recognising Palestine as a lone state

Labour party leader Chris Hipkins talks to media about the government’s Palestine decision where NZ chose not to recognise Palestine as a lone state. Video \ Dean Purcell

www.nzherald.co.nz

1 62 190

Reposted by Matt Smith

Bill Manhire @pacificraft.bsky.social · Nov 8

.

Gaza

The dead boy tries to open his eyes.
He wants to see the world he is leaving.
But there is nothing to see here,
nothing and nothing, and anyway he is gone.
His parents held him while he died
but they are both dead, too.
Or he held them, no one remembers.

.

3 58 110