Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 3h

Willow. She’s 5 today x

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 15h

Love is..

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Reposted by Fiona Dolman

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 23h

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 1d

“I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"

Death thought about it.

CATS, he said eventually. CATS ARE NICE

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 1d

Invisible Strings
@M_Kelter
In the last few decades, we have detected thousands of planets outside of our solar system. They did not suddenly appear at the time we found them. No one calls it an
"exoplanet epidemic". The planets were always there, just previously undiscovered.
This is a tweet about autism.

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Reposted by Fiona Dolman

Rhianna Pratchett @rhi.bsky.social · 1d

Dad’s books are full of empathy, common sense, and a healthy suspicion of the powerful. But at its heart his work is also about how systems keep people poor while pretending it’s their own fault. So I hope Kemi’s taking notes as well as reading the jokes.

Paul Haine @paulhaine.bsky.social · 2d

Kemi Badenoch claiming Terry Pratchett as her favourite author is wild

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Reposted by Fiona Dolman

Mollie Goodfellow @hansmollman.bsky.social · 2d

Flirt with someone today, do it for Jilly Cooper x

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Reposted by Fiona Dolman

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 4d

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

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Reposted by Fiona Dolman

Dr Delyth Badder @folklorewales.com · 4d

Six weeks ago, I picked up a year-old tawny owl with a broken leg off the main road near our home and dropped him off at our nearest vet.

After a few days, I received one of the most bizarre phone calls I’ve ever had, asking “So when are you coming to pick up your owl?” 🧵

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Reposted by Fiona Dolman

Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 5d

[Scene is ANCIENT GREECE - where SOCRATES and PLATO and others are sitting round, thinking]

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SOCRATES:
Plato..

PLATO:
Yes Socrates?

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SOCRATES:
Can you tell me, are you human?

PLATO:
Why… yes, Socrates

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SOCRATES:
And would you agree, Plato, that a human knows what a chariot is?

PLATO:
Um, yep

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SOCRATES:
So you can tell me, then

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[Socrates produces a papyrus, showing a drawing of the corner of a chariot wheel]

SOCRATES:
*Is that a chariot*?

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PLATO:
Well
that’s more just a bit of wheel

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SOCRATES:
So not a *chariot*.

PLATO:
No.

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SOCRATES:
[Producing another papyrus with the full drawing of the chariot, chopped into boxes]

So if a man were challenged to “tap the boxes containing chariots to prove you’re human” when he was just trying to check his ClubCard points... *where could he tap*?

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PLATO:
Well you can’t tap any of them really

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SOCRATES:
So are we not human?

PLATO:
‘Spose not.

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[Bleak pause]

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PLATO:
I’ll get the hemlock

SOCRATES:
Yeah

[ends]

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 5d

“When I approach the pearly gates, I'd like to hear a champagne cork popping, an orchestra tuning up, and the sound of my mother laughing”
Patricia Routledge
17th Feb 1929 - 3rd October 2025

May your wishes come true, you wonderful woman and thank you x

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 6d

lol

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 6d

Wtaf?

Laura Jedeed @laurajedeed.bsky.social · 6d

I'm sorry: "if I wish to see a virgin on-screen"?

My Favorite Actress Is Not Human
Tilly Norwood doesn’t need a hairstylist, has no regrettable posts, and if you wish to see a virgin on-screen, this is one of your better chances. That’s because she’s AI.

A picture of some AI girl standing on an AI landscape with an AI monster behind her. I'm gonna be so real: she looks about 14

By Tyler Cowen

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Reposted by Fiona Dolman

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 6d

On Yom Kippur many Jewish people in Britain have their phones off to mark the holy day.

As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.

At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.

To everyone in Britain's Jewish Community: you are not alone.

We will not let hate or those who spread it win.

We stand with you.

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 7d

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”
Dr Jane Goodall, DBE
3 April 1934 - 1 October 2025

Dr Jane Goodall with one of her beloved chimps

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Reposted by Fiona Dolman

The Author, Séamas O'Reilly @seamas.bsky.social · 8d

My favourite Barry Cryer story is his account of Nicholas Parsons asking Ross Noble who his favourite comedian was. "Richard Pryor" Noble replied, "Genius! So sad he set himself on fire while freebasing crack cocaine".

Parsons, visibly upset, asked Barry later: "did you hear about Richard Briers?"

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 11d

I’m so surprised to see this too and it seems to go against everything he talked about privately and stood for when I worked with him.

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 11d

It’s fine. Luckily we’re all English so no-one’s going to ask any questions. Thank you, centuries of emotional repression

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Reposted by Fiona Dolman

Count Mysterioso @mysteriosox.bsky.social · 12d

In his later years one of David Bowie's favourite things was to watch Midsomer Murders in his New York apartment

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 12d

bsky.app/profile/late...

Late Reviewer @latereviewer.bsky.social · 12d

That's gorgeous. Not quite the same, but I saw Divine Comedy do this live last week and don't think my bottom lip has stopped wobbling since...

youtu.be/5VXSQQ5YDIU

The Divine Comedy - Invisible Thread

YouTube video by The Divine Comedy (Official)

youtu.be

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 12d

There is no AI that would know better than me exactly what my loved one’s response would be if they were here. I can feel it. I can still talk to them if I wish.
To monetise and prolong the first stages of grief and deny the process is harmful and fucked up.
There is no cure for death.

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 12d

But grief is also a journey. A process where we learn to let go, to face and accept the fragility of life and hold the love and the person we lost and carry them with us. To cherish the people we have around us. To accept that death will happen to us all. To find our peace with that.

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 12d

This is wrong.
Whether you believe we have souls or not, anyone who has been with someone when they’ve died will know that whatever made them ‘THEM’ is gone. It’s final.
Grief is brutal, exhausting, paralysing, overwhelming, agonising and inescapable. The desire for “one more chat” is universal..

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 12d

AI can’t raise the dead, but it might do the next best thing on.ft.com/4gFXyus | opinion

AI can’t raise the dead, but it might do the next best thing

Rapid advances in generative AI and voice technology mean communicating with the deceased will no longer be sci-fi

on.ft.com

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 15d

I know you do it for clicks and engagement and money so I shouldn’t reply.. but FOR FUCKS SAKE.This is not journalism. One non scientists opinion on another non scientists opinion?
This is dangerous bollocks. It’s dangerous and you are culpable do you understand that?

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Fiona Dolman @fionadolman.bsky.social · 15d

🤮

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