Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 5d

Some fantastic resources here, including tips on reading scientific papers, finding scientists to interview, and more. When I oversaw writers, science stories were far and away the ones people struggled with the most, and a lot of the issues are more preventable than you might think.

The Open Notebook @theopennotebook.bsky.social · 6d

Every Story is a Science Story. That’s why, with @rjionline.bsky.social, TON has been hard at work developing a free tool to make it easier for journalists on any beat to strengthen their stories by incorporating science. And today, that tool - the Science Reporting Navigator - is live! 🧪

Introducing the Science Reporting Navigator - The Open Notebook

The Science Reporting Navigator stands ready to walk you through complex reporting scenarios to integrate science into any beat. The Open Notebook and the Reynolds Journalism Institute are thrilled to...

www.theopennotebook.com

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 6d

Just had an uncomfortable memory of the time I led a boat tour of the weird islands around NYC for Atlas Obscura and, at the end, a man said to me, "You didn't write and research all that yourself, did you?" Now I suspect he wouldn't even ask -- he'd just assume I'd used AI.

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 6d

Just a little appreciation post here, but I get almost all of my daily news from public radio, and I'm consistently thankful for — and in awe of — the journalists at NPR.

NPR @npr.org · 6d

Today marks the first day in public media’s history without federal funding. And we’re not going anywhere.

Listeners like you keep our mission alive. Protect one of the last places where America comes together to hear itself.

Stand with us today. Donate at this link: n.pr/46wamAj

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 6d

Oooh, I know some of y'all do ...

Dr. Robyn S. Lacy ⚰️ @graveyardarch.bsky.social · 6d

I'm working on a paper with a colleague on people painting #gravestones with good intentions & bad results for conservation. Does anyone have any examples of this?? 🏺

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 6d

Had a great time at Evergreen-Washelli cemetery in Seattle yesterday, visiting the bees at the Catacomb Bee Collective. They have about 20 hives on 3 acres, plus a hive near the lobby. There's even a display on the custom of "telling the bees." Best honey ever. Story coming soon in Seattle Mag!

A frame of fresh honey and beeswax covered in a few bees is held by a white woman's hand over some paving stones. It is near a cemetery's lobby.

Dorky author Bess Lovejoy, a putative white woman, dressed in a purple skirt, black ankle boots, and white beekeeper hood. She is standing in front of a tree and surrounded by fallen leaves.

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Reposted by Bess Lovejoy

Jacob Oller @jacoboller.bsky.social · 28d

AI hucksters have such boring ideas, at least P. T. Barnum was out there sewing half a monkey to a fish

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 8d

Nothing about working for my student newspaper prepared me for sending emails that are like "Hey, hope you're doing well. Sorry the National Guard is being sent to your city for no reason. Now, about that invoice ..."

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Reposted by Bess Lovejoy

Electric Literature @electricliterature.com · 8d

“Most writers are not really sold—they’re told, implicitly or explicitly, to sell themselves.” (@ilanaslightly.bsky.social)

Artists Shouldn’t Need to Become Content Creators to Get Fair Pay - Electric Literature

Under capitalism, those of us who want a career in the arts feel pressured to sell ourselves. But making art and marketing it are very different skills

buff.ly

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 10d

Just another morning in war-ravaged Portland, being terrorized by Japanese confections. (With @billy-sigil.bsky.social)

A white nonbinary person (Billy Sigil) peers with amazement and perhaps horror at a large mound of shaved ice covered in red berries and whipped cream. They are sitting outside at a sidewalk table in downtown Portland.

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 10d

The LLMs have been trained on enough stolen dystopian material to know this all reads like a bad comic book. Actually, forget AI, my nephews could write better material. At least there'd be more lasers.

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 10d

I know we've all said this before, but the writing on this season of America is just so bad. Like AI could do better than this.

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 10d

Actually no I'm sorry, the worst thing that happened to me in Portland was when I realized we'd finished this gluten free pizza.

A white woman with brown hair holds up a pizza box for Mississippi pizza and makes a sad face. The corner of the box is stained with grease.

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 10d

I'm sorry but I go to Portland all the time, stay downtown, walk around at night, and the worst thing that's ever happened is that an irritating person on a bicycle asked if they could read my tarot cards.

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 11d

Accidentally spelled October "Octobert" and now I want a Halloween spin-off of Bert and Ernie.

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 11d

Hah! Yep, I have woken up with a claw hooked inside my nostril several times now! The thing I don't understand is that he is also snuggling in my arms at the same time? Like he just wants to be there, but also hitting me. It's a toxic relationship!

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 11d

Does anyone else have an elderly cat who wants to snuggle in the morning while also hitting them in the face repeatedly, or am I just lucky?

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 11d

It's important for Bluesky to know that someone has left a potato in front of the mysterious cable building in my neighborhood. It can only mean one thing. (But I don't know what.)

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 11d

Lately I've been saying that almost everything is better with chickpeas and the NYT just posted a sheet-pan ratatouille with chickpeas that confirms my point. This is the only life hack I have: When in doubt, add chickpeas.

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Reposted by Bess Lovejoy

Vancouver Is Awesome @viawesome.bsky.social · 14d

Language revitalization is improving Indigenous physical and mental health, UBC researchers say

The review finds speaking traditional languages improves health outcomes, making the case for more revitalization work.

dlvr.it

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 14d

One of my many moods. Also what happens when I don't get what I want.

A package of "Sour Bats" from Whole Food's 365 label. It's a white plastic bag with a cutout of a bat and purple bats flying around. The bats are available in assorted flavors.

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 14d

People are sometimes surprised to hear how much I love fact-checking (it is hard and poorly paid), but I get to discover gems like this. Also, people pay me to be the "well, actually" guy.

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 14d

"They had this idea that, if they kept stories about camp in the local paper and didn’t allow the community to forget about their neighbors, that it would pave [the way] for them to be able to come back home." More people need to know this story from Bainbridge.
www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drin...

A Third Generation of the Nakata Family Leads Town & Country Markets

An eventful century guides third-generation leadership at the local supermarket.

www.seattlemet.com

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 14d

It's kind of embarrassing how often I think about the Zorp the Surveyor moments of Parks & Rec, and today's failed rapture is no different. (PS: Every time someone tells me to "engage" with something, I think of Zorp.)

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Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 14d

*complimentary (but maybe both?)

Bess Lovejoy @besslovejoy.bsky.social · 14d

This is maybe a weird flex but I was just interviewing Mark Canlis and we came up with "the Sound Situation" as a term to refer to the Puget Sound area. It's somehow both complementary and pejorative at the same time!

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