Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

James Heydon @jheydon.bsky.social · 27d

Congratulations George! Wonderful news! 🎉

Reposted by James Heydon

Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · Sep 6

Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...

We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n

Abstract: Under the banner of progress, products have been uncritically adopted or
even imposed on users — in past centuries with tobacco and combustion engines, and in
the 21st with social media. For these collective blunders, we now regret our involvement or
apathy as scientists, and society struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. Currently, we
are similarly entangled with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For example, software updates are rolled out seamlessly and non-consensually, Microsoft Office is bundled with chatbots, and we, our students, and our employers have had no say, as it is not
considered a valid position to reject AI technologies in our teaching and research. This
is why in June 2025, we co-authored an Open Letter calling on our employers to reverse
and rethink their stance on uncritically adopting AI technologies. In this position piece,
we expound on why universities must take their role seriously toa) counter the technology
industry’s marketing, hype, and harm; and to b) safeguard higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, and scientific integrity. We include pointers to
relevant work to further inform our colleagues.

Figure 1. A cartoon set theoretic view on various terms (see Table 1) used when discussing the superset AI
(black outline, hatched background): LLMs are in orange; ANNs are in magenta; generative models are
in blue; and finally, chatbots are in green. Where these intersect, the colours reflect that, e.g. generative adversarial network (GAN) and Boltzmann machine (BM) models are in the purple subset because they are
both generative and ANNs. In the case of proprietary closed source models, e.g. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and
Apple’s Siri, we cannot verify their implementation and so academics can only make educated guesses (cf.
Dingemanse 2025). Undefined terms used above: BERT (Devlin et al. 2019); AlexNet (Krizhevsky et al.
2017); A.L.I.C.E. (Wallace 2009); ELIZA (Weizenbaum 1966); Jabberwacky (Twist 2003); linear discriminant analysis (LDA); quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA).

Table 1. Below some of the typical terminological disarray is untangled. Importantly, none of these terms
are orthogonal nor do they exclusively pick out the types of products we may wish to critique or proscribe.

Protecting the Ecosystem of Human Knowledge: Five Principles

96 1.6K 3.1K

Reposted by James Heydon

Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · 29d

Burning ban on deep peat comes into force at the end of the month.

Piece by Helena Horton.

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

Burning on England’s deep peat banned

New rules come into force from 30 September in order to restore habitats and reduce flooding

www.theguardian.com

8 24

Reposted by James Heydon

Dr. Jonathan Foley @globalecoguy.bsky.social · Sep 6

Yep.

"…clear that fossil-fuel companies, and their adjacent organizations, are the primary lobbyists for CCUS subsidies and that these subsidies benefit fossil-fuel companies at the expense of both taxpayers and the future health of our planet"

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Tracing sources of funds used to lobby the US government about carbon capture, use, and storage

Analysis of U.S. federal lobbying disclosures from 2005 through 2024 identifies the fossil fuel sector as the primary force behind a multipronged $954…

www.sciencedirect.com

2 59 110

Reposted by James Heydon

Will Jennings 🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · Sep 5

How did the ‘Island of Strangers’ speech impact Labour support? Negatively, especially among 2024 Labour voters.

Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte @turnbulldugarte.com · Sep 5

Radical right accommodation really does not work.

New paper out with this exceptionally talented team
@katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk

doi.org/10.31235/osf...

3 24 84

Reposted by James Heydon

Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · Sep 5

"UK government trial of M365 Copilot finds no clear productivity boost"
www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/m...

M365 Copilot fails to up productivity in UK government trial

: AI tech shows promise writing emails or summarizing meetings. Don't bother with anything more complex

www.theregister.com

16 110 240

Reposted by James Heydon

Nicola Carr @nicolacarr.bsky.social · Aug 30

Important information for anyone attending the European Society of Criminology in Athens and for members of ESC. Petition outlines serious concerns. Consider what you can do to support 👇👇 👇#eurocrim

Amy Cortvriend @amycortvriend.bsky.social · Aug 24

ESC colleagues: petition & important vote at the General Assembly. If not boycotting, vote. Or a 3rd option: use presentation time to discuss complicity and promote attendance at the GE?

I'm scheduled to present on asylum seekers & everyday resistance. It would be unethical if I didn't resist too

Steve Tombs @stevetombs.bsky.social · Aug 24

... and if you still intend to attend, get behind the motion to be discussed and voted on at the General Assembly of the 25th Eurocrim Annual Conference, on 05.09.2025 at 13:00

criminologists4palestine.wordpress.com

9 13

Reposted by James Heydon

Science Magazine @science.org · Aug 29

The population directly exposed to wildland fires increased by 40% globally from 2002 to 2021, according to a new study in Science. https://scim.ag/4oUL1Y1

Increasing global human exposure to wildland fires despite declining burned area

Although half of Earth’s population resides in the wildland-urban interface, human exposure to wildland fires remains unquantified. We show that the population directly exposed to wildland fires incre...

scim.ag

7 24

Reposted by James Heydon

Simon Birkett, Clean Air in London @cleanairlondon.bsky.social · Aug 28

Top story: #Beddington Incinerator broke #AirPollution limits 916 times www.bbc.com/news/article...

Croydon incinerator broke pollution limits 916 times in two years

The Environment Agency are currently considering enforcement action against the operator, Viridor.

www.bbc.com

5 2

Reposted by James Heydon

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Aug 27

Perceptions have real effects

www.kcl.ac.uk/policy-insti...

7 53 96

James Heydon @jheydon.bsky.social · Aug 27

More likely smoke, if taken in winter, given those chimneys & prevalence of house coal at the time.

3

Reposted by James Heydon

Ian Carrillo @iansociologo.bsky.social · Aug 23

Many measurements of AI's carbon footprint just focus on data centers. But this narrow approach obscures other emissions that AI facilitates.

If Shell is using AI to support fossil fuel extraction and burning, then why not include that in AI's carbon footprint?

www.shell.com/what-we-do/d...

Artificial Intelligence | Shell Global

Find out how Shell works with Artificial Intelligence: from machine learning to computer vision, from deep learning and virtual assistants to robotics.

www.shell.com

1 13 38

Reposted by James Heydon

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · Aug 22

New piece on Carbon Colonialism, net-zero nonsense, and how the UK Government's climate advisors (and many experts) shy away from speaking truth to power. We need a fundamental reboot of climate policy; - physics doesn't care about political sensibilities. theconversation.com/the-uks-year...

The UK’s year of climate U-turns exposes a deeper failure

Breaking free of the dangerous pretence that current efforts suffice demands a fundamental rethink of the UK’s climate policy consensus.

theconversation.com

13 110 230

Reposted by James Heydon

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · Aug 22

Let's be clear: all the AI in edtech stuff (Canvas, Blackboard, Grammarly, Duolingo, OpenAI, the rest) is all about the "lock-in" - locking in students as subscribers or institutions via long-term license agreements for value generation. Is there good pedagogic evidence for it? No.

9 240 700

Reposted by James Heydon

Dr Gary Fuller @drgaryfuller.bsky.social · Aug 22

“More pollutants are being released ... from rockets and satellites than ever before.

We’re in uncharted territory, as humans have never added this much pollution to the upper layers of the atmosphere."

- Prof Eloise Marais @ucl.ac.uk

Piece by me

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Scientists call for action to address air pollution from space launches

Satellite mega-constellation missions behind threefold increase in emissions of climate-altering soot and CO2

www.theguardian.com

1 26 49

Reposted by James Heydon

Monica Pons Hernandez @monicapons.bsky.social · Aug 13

"The Paradox of Saving Fish by Eating Them: Food Crime at the Intersection of Green Criminology and Political Ecology" is out!

I’m thrilled I got to work with the lovely @guillemrubio.bsky.social—I genuinely enjoyed and had fun working on the manuscript together 🧡
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The Paradox of Saving Fish by Eating them: Food Crime at the Intersection of Green Criminology and Political Ecology - European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research

Aquaculture is framed as a key contributor to global food security and sustainable food production. Yet, in its industrial form, it involves several harmful practices that negatively impact food secur...

link.springer.com

2 4 8

Reposted by James Heydon

Rosaleen Duffy @rosaleenduffy.bsky.social · Aug 14

Really important article examining #harms from @monicapons.bsky.social & @guillemrubio.bsky.social comparing #AtlanticSalmon & #EuropeanEel in #Aquaculture. The narrative of ecological sustainability & reduced pressure on ‘wild’ fish needs a fundamental rethink #PoliticalEcology #GreenCriminology ⬇️

Monica Pons Hernandez @monicapons.bsky.social · Aug 13

"The Paradox of Saving Fish by Eating Them: Food Crime at the Intersection of Green Criminology and Political Ecology" is out!

I’m thrilled I got to work with the lovely @guillemrubio.bsky.social—I genuinely enjoyed and had fun working on the manuscript together 🧡
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The Paradox of Saving Fish by Eating them: Food Crime at the Intersection of Green Criminology and Political Ecology - European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research

Aquaculture is framed as a key contributor to global food security and sustainable food production. Yet, in its industrial form, it involves several harmful practices that negatively impact food secur...

link.springer.com

2 5 7

Reposted by James Heydon

Air Quality News @air-quality-news.bsky.social · Aug 14

Geneva offers free public transport to address ozone levels

airqualitynews.com/local-govern...

Geneva offers free public transport to address ozone levels

This week the Mayor of London issued an alert for high ozone levels and similar alerts are being issued across Europe, but different countries are taking different approaches to dealing with the situa...

airqualitynews.com

2 5

Reposted by James Heydon

Carlton Reid @carltonreid.com · Aug 13

Big news for dashcam/helmetcam users:

Judge Affirms Legality Of Public-Submitted Road Crime Footage In Landmark Ruling

www.forbes.com/sites/carlto...

UK Judge Affirms Legality Of Public-Submitted Road Crime Footage In Landmark Ruling

A judge has ruled that motorists and cyclists can legally share videos with police, dismissing a lawsuit from a retired solicitor.

www.forbes.com

19 100 260

Reposted by James Heydon

Adam Vaughan @adamvaughan.bsky.social · Jul 31

Good news alert

In 2024, renewables supplied more than half of the UK's electricity for the first time over a year, reaching a record share of 50.4%

Renewables and nuclear combined hit a new high of 64.7%

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6889ec...

8 110 310

Reposted by James Heydon

Doug Parr @dougparr.bsky.social · Jul 23

Britain has saddled itself - or more accurately, UK govt has saddled Britain's consumers - with paying for the most expensive nuclear plant ever

And I'm bored of saying it, but that means other more cost-effective & faster action on climate change will not happen

www.ft.com/content/e1e1...

12 120 230

Reposted by James Heydon

Thomas Ableman @freewheeling.info · Jul 20

A reminder that electifying isn't enough: individual vehicles aren't sustainable, in the literal sense of the word.

No one should feel compelled to give up driving but sustainability means more people need to live in places where the best choice is public transport.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The rise of green tech is feeding another environmental crisis

The world's race to decarbonise has led to the rise of electric cars - and with it, soaring demand for lithium, which is required for the batteries

www.bbc.co.uk

4 13 39

James Heydon @jheydon.bsky.social · Jul 19

Research consistent with findings from five years ago. Headline could be "Air quality scientists repeat similar studies forever in continuing and desperate hope that somebody will listen". #airquality #airpollution #particulatematter #domesticburning

doi.org/10.3390/atmo...

6 19 51

Reposted by James Heydon

Nicola Carr @nicolacarr.bsky.social · Jul 14

Just Published - Parole Futures. Rationalities, Institutions and Practices. Exploring the future of parole.With fabulous contributions from a world-leading panel of experts who draw upon insights from law, sociology, criminology and political science. www.bloomsbury.com/uk/parole-fu...

4 8

Reposted by James Heydon

Alice Roberts @profaliceroberts.bsky.social · Jul 14

2000 years ago: the Romans would let an aqueduct destroy the Gardon Valley. We need clean water, but at what cost?

140 850 3.5K