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David Spurrett

@doctorspurt.bsky.social

1.8K followers 1.3K following 590 posts

Philosopher, working on evolution of mechanisms of action selection, and their variously situated subversion. https://davidspurrett.com/

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David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · Oct 20

Hello new followers. I'm a philosopher of cognitive science working on a book called 'Engines of Hostility'. Recent papers that inform the book are:
(1) "Hostile Scaffolding" (Timms & Spurrett)
(2) "Fashioning Affordances" (Spurrett & Brancazio)
(3) "On Hostile and Oppressive Affective Technology."

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Reposted by Henry Jones, David Spurrett

The Onion @theonion.com · 20h

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

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Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Rebecca Sear, Erol Akçay , and 2 more Lisa W. Fazio, Rebecca Sear, Erol Akçay, Larry W. Hunter, David Spurrett

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 3d

I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...

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jeremymberg.github.io

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Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich, Virginia Braun, John R. Hutchinson , and 6 more Brigitte Nerlich, Virginia Braun, John R. Hutchinson, Christine Kooi, Will Lowe, Michael H. Whitworth, Fiona Moore, Joanna Tai, David Spurrett

Esther Schindler @estherschindler.bsky.social · 3d

I just saw someone use the abbreviation “AI;DR” and I’ll be laughing for a while.

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Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, David Spurrett

Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 5d

Palantir has pulled out of involvement with the UK Digital ID card, according to an interview with their UK CEO on Times Radio. They’re concerned about the reputational damage of being involved with an unpopular Starmer policy.

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David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 6d

Reposting because I'm quite pleased with "Slopzilla" (for OpenAI).

David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

Worth noting that they are in a 'strategic partnership' with Slopzilla: www.theguardian.com/gnm-press-of...

Guardian Media Group announces strategic partnership with OpenAI

Guardian Media Group today announced a strategic partnership with Open AI, a leader in artificial intelligence and deployment, that will bring the Guardian’s high quality journalism to ChatGPT’s globa...

www.theguardian.com

David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

I think Kevin's worry (or part of it) is that designers without addiction related intention might amplify/create addiction while trying to 'improve design'. I think that probably does happen sometimes. And design can generate non-addiction bad stuff (like junk and 'ultraprocessed' food).

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David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

Also worth noting (social media feeds come up a lot among the replies) that (a) it is sometimes the same designers (gambling machine designers are UI designers for hire, and executives move between companies, or companies operate in both markets) and (b) the very same inventions/patents get adopted.

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Reposted by Mirya R. Holman, Michael Jones‐Correa, David Murakami Wood , and 2 more Mirya R. Holman, Michael Jones‐Correa, David Murakami Wood, Lisa Diedrich, David Spurrett

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 7d

A lot of tech bros who were upset about pronouns want to confer them on their computers now that they’re dating

Cate Denial @cjdenial.bsky.social · 7d

Can we stop calling an artificial representation of a person by a human-coded name? "She" does not exist. "She" is a reflection of someone's ingenue dreams, but "she" is pixels and code.

Bloomberg Opinion @opinion.bloomberg.com · 7d

Tilly Norwood raises the question of who will be the first to win an Oscar for best AI in a leading role

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Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 7d

Please join me in congratulating Woman on her appointment

Sky News @news.sky.com · 7d

Woman named as new Archbishop of Canterbury in historic first

Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, a former nurse, has been named as the next Archbishop of Canterbury - the first time a woman has been appointed to the role in the Church of England's history.

news.sky.com

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Sky News @news.sky.com · 7d

Woman named as new Archbishop of Canterbury in historic first

Bishop of London Dame Sarah Mullally, a former nurse, has been named as the next Archbishop of Canterbury - the first time a woman has been appointed to the role in the Church of England's history.

news.sky.com

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David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

I think casinos and gambling machine designers know very well that addicts are their most profitable users. (Like oil companies are aware of the consequences of their business model.) Not saying all addiction amplifiers are knowing, mind you.

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David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

Some 'design' is dumb luck. Flue-curing of bright leaf tobacco made lung inhalation possible. Possibly the biggest single factor in the addictiveness of cigarettes. But they were "trying" to reduce fire loss in curing. If "designed to" is about intention, not all addiction amplifiers are intended.

David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

I think there sometimes is, because some designers know that their product is addictive, and are trying to enhance that. The documents revealed in the course of litigation against cigarette companies showed that, as does Schüll's work on gambling ("Addicted by Design").

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David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

I don't think that we should allow that anything can be addictive. (Clean air? Safe drinking water? Cabbage? Public libraries? Toothbrushes? Pedestrian crossings?)

David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

For more direct answers, I'd suggest @don-rosseconomist.bsky.social "Addiction is socially engineered exploitation of natural biological vulnerability" (2020) or the Glackin, Roberts, Krueger "Out of our heads: Addiction and psychiatric externalism" (2021) both in Behavioral Brain Research.

David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

Re 'scientific', it's sometimes tricky because at least two centres of gravity are in play, one being empirical coherence (in neuroscience, psychiatry, etc.) and another being more overtly normative (guiding public health, policy formation).

David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

A clear contrast case is lowering price and/or improving functionality of beneficial infrastructure, like public transport, where resulting increased use (due to more & better routes, improved accessibility, lower prices) has no harms/downside, or withdrawal, or conflict over use.

David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

Not synonyms, I think, even if a difference of degree. Addictive consumption is associated with strong motivation despite harms, difficulty stopping even when motivated to, withdrawal symptoms on stopping, etc. Many design changes can lead to increased use without going there.

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Jane E. Fountain, Jonathan Hopkin , and 2 more Rosemary A. Joyce, Jane E. Fountain, Jonathan Hopkin, Anders Sundnes Løvlie, David Spurrett

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 7d

Matthew 15:29-31: And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them after verifying their citizenship status.

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David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 7d

Worth noting that they are in a 'strategic partnership' with Slopzilla: www.theguardian.com/gnm-press-of...

Guardian Media Group announces strategic partnership with OpenAI

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Alan Richardson, David Spurrett

Stephen Curry @scurry.bsky.social · 8d

I am so dismayed a the statement today from the President of the @royalsociety.org that I want to publish here the letter I wrote to him yesterday urging him to address the clear concerns of the UK scientific community.

Screenshot of first part of letter (continues in next image). Text reads:

Dear Sir Adrian

I write to request that in its deliberations tomorrow the Council resolves to take a principled stand to defend the scientific values written into its code of conduct.

In its attempts to deal with the actions of Elon Musk FRS, the Royal Society has repeatedly failed to explain how his repudiation of those values is consistent with the code of conduct that all Fellows must adhere to as a condition of their fellowship. As is now well established, these actions include attacking Antony Fauci FRS without good cause; spreading scientific misinformation on X [through his own utterances and by relaxing controls on the platform]; recklessly and unlawfully degrading the research ecosystem of the US as part of DOGE; and bragging publicly about "feeding USAID into the wood chipper", which the Lancet estimates will cause the deaths of 14 million people, many of them children under the age of five, by 2030.

The Society’s inaction extends to the recent brief exchange of correspondence between Prof Sir Paul Nurse and Mr Musk. Although there was some initial contact, when Sir Paul laid out the Society’s specific concerns there was no reply or explanation from Musk. For reasons that I’m afraid I cannot fathom, you chose once again not to enforce your code of conduct.

Screenshot of letter. Text continues:

"You will be aware that the sense of bewildered dismay over this affair is shared by Royal Society Fellows, medallists and journals editors, and many thousands within the scientific community here and abroad. The Royal Society still claims to speak for scientists in the UK, but on this vital issue, its inaction represents an inexplicable rupture with values that our community holds very dear.

In all this my primary concern is has been for the good standing of the Royal Society as the UK’s national academy. As I am sure you understand all too well (given your recent remarks in the wake of Mr Musk’s ill-judged speech at the Tommy Robinson rally), the country, the world at large, and the very practice of science itself face severe challenges from technologies and populist politics that foment division and ignorance. In such troubled times, people look to our established institutions to have the courage to stand by long-held values of truth and decency.

It is my sincere hope the Royal Society will demonstrate tomorrow that it is just such an institution.

Yours faithfully,

Stephen"

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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Alan Richardson, McKenzie Wark , and 4 more Anna O. Law, Alan Richardson, McKenzie Wark, Michael D. McDonald, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe, David Spurrett

David Bier @davidjbier.bsky.social · 8d

ICE lied about the person it shot, claiming he was a "criminal," but NBC finds that he had no criminal history whatsoever. Not even traffic tickets in 12 years! It also lied about the extent of the injuries to its agents....

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Reposted by Michael Morris, Ingrid Robeyns, Richard Pettigrew , and 2 more Michael Morris, Ingrid Robeyns, Richard Pettigrew, Elisa Freschi, David Spurrett

Justin Weinberg @dailynous.com · 9d

A memorial event for Helen de Cruz, featuring talks, remembrances, and musical performances, is taking place later this month.

Memorial Event for Helen De Cruz - Daily Nous

This past June, Helen De Cruz, professor of philosophy at Saint Louis University, died at the age of 46. Remembered not merely as a professor, but as a source of assistance, advice, and kindness for o...

dailynous.com

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Reposted by Robert W. Wallace, David R. Miller, Greg Linden , and 2 more Robert W. Wallace, David R. Miller, Greg Linden, Nathan P. Kalmoe, David Spurrett

Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 9d

Just gonna keep tapping the sign*

*𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

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Reposted by David Spurrett

Don Ross @don-rosseconomist.bsky.social · 10d

The latest Ross & Stirling on Conditional Game Theory 2.0:

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Mindshaping, conditional games, and the Harsanyi Doctrine

Much work in game theory concerns mechanisms by which players can infer information about the utilities and beliefs of other players based on actions within games and pre-play signals. When game th...

www.tandfonline.com

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Reposted by David Spurrett

Ward Q. Normal (he/him) @wardqnormal.bsky.social · 10d

Coal.

Sure, it destroys the environment, contributes to climate change, and kills the people who mine it, but on the other hand it's also much more expensive than cleaner sources of energy.

Definitely agree we need to get back to it.

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Michael Paarlberg @mpaarlberg.bsky.social · 10d

I think the Trump admin assumed no one would try to find out who the people on the boats they blew up really were

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Reposted by Ruha Benjamin, Marc Lynch, Nandita Sharma , and 24 more Ruha Benjamin, Marc Lynch, Nandita Sharma, Mark A. Lemley, Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, Rebecca Ruth Gould, Juan Cole, Mirya R. Holman, Felicity Callard, Alan Richardson, David R. Miller, John Hogan, Jason Lyall, Lisa Diedrich, Brian Weatherson, Christina Ho, Nicole Guenther Discenza, Manisha Sinha, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Marianne Blanchard, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Clark Gray, David Spurrett, Southern Africa

Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 11d

Cornell is cancelling a distinguished professor's classes on Gaza and suspending him because of the complaints of a student who previously served in Israel's military surveillance agency and was literally recording the comments of other students in class and deliberately derailing discussion.

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Reposted by Steve Peers, Dirk Pilat, Alison Phipps , and 5 more Steve Peers, Dirk Pilat, Alison Phipps, Holger Nehring, Paul Nightingale, Christina Pagel, Renaud Morieux, David Spurrett

Tanja Bueltmann @tanjabueltmann.net · 11d

When I was a teenager there was a bus direct from my hometown in Germany to London - we had a British army base, and this direct bus connection was one of the benefits of that. One summer I went on that bus to go volunteer in an old people's home in Southend-on-Sea. I had just turned 18 and was... 🧵

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David Spurrett @doctorspurt.bsky.social · 11d

If you've been waiting -- perhaps without knowing it yourself -- for a piece with "The epistemic dangers of wank" as a sub-heading, here you go.

Iris Meredith @iris-meredith.bsky.social · 11d

Today's article is about a form of bad-faith speech somewhat akin to bullshit, which I'm calling (because why not) wank. I don't quite think I've focused the ideas down as much as I can, but I think it says some interesting things regardless:

An essay on wank | deadSimpleTech

This captures well the uncomfortable, slightly disorienting feeling that wank creates when you're subjected to it, wherein you're expected to speak about and think about the statement as though it say...

deadsimpletech.com