Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

William E. S. McNeill @wesmcneill.bsky.social · Jun 18

Well, that's me and (the safety of) vaccines, and (the reality of) climate change, and various other things.

I think we'll need some details here ...

Aussies3 @aussies3.bsky.social · Jun 17

William E. S. McNeill @wesmcneill.bsky.social · Jun 18

Can't gaps of various sorts be reasons? The sinkhole caused the house to collapse. The failure of the defendent to appear in court is a reason to think them guilty.

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Keith Wooo-schmann Wilson 👻 @keithwilson.eu · Jun 17

What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?

Academic publishers make vast profits, but don’t pay royalties to academics. Instead, universities pay publishers to make the research that the universities have funded widely available, and then pay them again to access other research.

Dr. Joanna and her Evil Hellhounds @jlphistory.bsky.social · Jun 17

What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?

Unless you seek it out, most professors don't learn how to teach. It's not part of the job requirements. The idea is that you're an expert in your field and that's Enough.

Dr. Briana Jackson 🏴‍☠️ @baladria.bsky.social · Jun 17

What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?

Egyptologists don’t know every tiny detail of the ca. 5000 yrs of ancient Egypt. That’s why we have specializations! Language, art, archaeology, bioarchaeology, etc.

I mostly study New Kingdom period art, specifically the Amarna period

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William E. S. McNeill @wesmcneill.bsky.social · Jun 12

stunning

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Elle @elleisanisland.bsky.social · Jun 10

Los Angeles 2025

Seagull proudly perched on a "no seagulls" sign

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William E. S. McNeill @wesmcneill.bsky.social · May 26

Always interested in the correlation between men who think that being a Real Man is something few manage and those who tell us that only 'adult human female' could define 'woman'.

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Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · May 25

Wtf
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

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Jonathan Freedland @jonathanfreedland.bsky.social · May 24

On hunger as a weapon of war, a murderous attack on a Jewish museum - and the blindness of hatred. Latest column www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A biblical hatred is engulfing both sides in the Gaza conflict – and blinding them to reason | Jonathan Freedland

Israel starving Palestinians, two killings at a Jewish museum: both are atrocities. But vanishingly few can see it, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

www.theguardian.com

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Keith Wooo-schmann Wilson 👻 @keithwilson.eu · May 21

“Data centers in the US used somewhere around 200 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, roughly what it takes to power Thailand for a year.” A quarter to a third of which is due to #AI. #AIEthics www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1...

We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard.

The emissions from individual AI text, image, and video queries seem small—until you add up what the industry isn’t tracking and consider where it’s heading next.

www.technologyreview.com

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William E. S. McNeill @wesmcneill.bsky.social · May 14

Anyway, it's the British dream to be an island of strangers isn't it? Locked away in our little castles, twitching the curtains?
The ideal ...

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John Holbein @johnholbein1.bsky.social · May 11

lol humans

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Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · May 4

No woke mind virus in Lincolnshire. It’s mostly peas.

Best for Britain @bestforbritain.org · May 3

This sums the whole situation up quite nicely.

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NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · Apr 25

Whether it's Hillary Clinton sharing risotto tips on a private server or Pete Hegseth using the nuclear codes as his password on Pornhub, both parties have ignored our nation's security.

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Rachael Talibart @rachaeltalibart.bsky.social · Apr 15

Big sky at West Wittering.

A landscape photo of a heavy sky with mammatus cloud formations looming over a sandy beach with pools of blue water.

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William E. S. McNeill @wesmcneill.bsky.social · Apr 14

Classic 'illiberal democracy' playbook a la Orban and Erdogan.

Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · Apr 14

goodbye CBS

Almost every week, 60 Minutes, which is being sued for Billions of Dollars for the fraud they committed in the 2024 Presidential Election with their Interview of Failed Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris, mentions the name “TRUMP” in a derogatory and defamatory way, but this Weekend’s “BROADCAST” tops them all. They did not one, but TWO, major stories on “TRUMP,” one having to do with Ukraine, which I say is a War that would never have happened if the 2020 Election had not been RIGGED, in other words, if I were President and, the other story was having to do with Greenland, casting our Country, as led by me, falsely, inaccurately, and fraudulently. I am so honored to be suing 60 Minutes, CBS Fake News, and Paramount, over their fraudulent, beyond recognition, reporting. They did everything possible to illegally elect Kamala, including completely and corruptly changing major answers to Interview questions, but it just didn’t work for them. They are not a “News Show,” but a dishonest Political Operative simply disguised as “News,” and must be responsible for what they have done, and are doing. They should lose their license! Hopefully, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as headed by its Highly Respected Chairman, Brendan Carr, will impose the maximum fines and punishment, which is substantial, for their unlawful and illegal behavior. CBS is out of control, at levels never seen before, and they should pay a big price for this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

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Parker Molloy @parkermolloy.com · Apr 13

New season of Black Mirror is out, so it's time to share the tweet:

joe paterno is in hell @nicemuscles
Follow
く
black mirror is written by one stoned british dude who just mutters shit like wot if ya mum ran on batteries
4:45 PM - 30 Dec 2017

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Orange Dick Tater Hater @realbiscuitspaw.bsky.social · Apr 11

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Justin Weinberg @dailynous.com · Apr 8

The 2025 Herbert A. Simon Award goes to...

Sullivan Wins Simon Award - Daily Nous

Emily Sullivan, associate professor of philosophy at Utrecht University, is the winner of the 2025 Herbert A. Simon Award for Outstanding Research in Computing and Philosophy. The Simon Award "recogni...

dailynous.com

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William E. S. McNeill @wesmcneill.bsky.social · Apr 4

Definitely the plan!

Elizabeth Picciuto @epicciuto.bsky.social · Apr 3

If I were the rest of the world and I watched as the uninformed whim of 49.8% of American voters triggered a worldwide financial crisis, I would take all possible steps in the future to diminish American economic power.

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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · Apr 2

Today is American Liquidation Day

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Twlldun @twlldun.bsky.social · Apr 3

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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · Apr 2

This should be etched on the DOGE letterhead

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Joanna Bryson @j2bryson.bsky.social · Mar 28

This story is amazing (& the first in which I see a friend’s name, Leon Peshkin. No doubt not the last.) A top scientist, she avoided all protest in the US. She only was a dissident in and of her native country — Russia.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Russian scientist working at Harvard detained by Ice at Boston airport

Kseniia Petrova was returning to the US from a trip to France when officials revoked her visa and detained her

www.theguardian.com

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