Karl Burke
@karlburke.bsky.social
Artist , painter. Interested in the military-industrial complex, AI, non-AI, climate change, geopolitics, history, human cognition, social behaviour. Dublin/Paris.
http://www.karlburke.com
http://www.karlburke.com
Pinned
Karl Burke
@karlburke.bsky.social
· Sep 26
Always interesting how a painting can reveal a different aspect depending on how current affairs and politics develop over time.
Study for Self-Portrait II
2024
oil on panel
122 × 76 cm (48 × 30 in.)
Study for Self-Portrait II
2024
oil on panel
122 × 76 cm (48 × 30 in.)
December 22, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Always interesting how a painting can reveal a different aspect depending on how current affairs and politics develop over time.
Study for Self-Portrait II
2024
oil on panel
122 × 76 cm (48 × 30 in.)
Study for Self-Portrait II
2024
oil on panel
122 × 76 cm (48 × 30 in.)
Reposted by Karl Burke
When the AI boom began, copywriters were singled out as one of the jobs most vulnerable to AI. Now, three years later, I wanted to hear from workers on the frontlines of the industry, to hear what had actually taken place on the ground.
For many, it was even worse than they'd feared.
For many, it was even worse than they'd feared.
"I was forced to use AI until the day I was laid off." Copywriters reveal how AI has decimated their industry
Copywriters were one of the first to have their jobs targeted by AI firms. These are their stories, three years into the AI era.
www.bloodinthemachine.com
December 12, 2025 at 6:47 PM
When the AI boom began, copywriters were singled out as one of the jobs most vulnerable to AI. Now, three years later, I wanted to hear from workers on the frontlines of the industry, to hear what had actually taken place on the ground.
For many, it was even worse than they'd feared.
For many, it was even worse than they'd feared.
Reposted by Karl Burke
Poster for Air France by Albert Solon, 1935
December 13, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Poster for Air France by Albert Solon, 1935
Reposted by Karl Burke
Hitler and Goebbels were such big fans of "Metropolis" Goebbels arranged a meeting with Fritz Lang and told him that he could be made an honorary Aryan despite his Jewish background, saying "Mr. Lang, we decide who is Jewish and who is not." Lang left for Paris that very night.
December 12, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Hitler and Goebbels were such big fans of "Metropolis" Goebbels arranged a meeting with Fritz Lang and told him that he could be made an honorary Aryan despite his Jewish background, saying "Mr. Lang, we decide who is Jewish and who is not." Lang left for Paris that very night.
Reposted by Karl Burke
"The Chairman of the Defence Committee of the Danish Parliament, Rasmus Jarlov, has publicly called on Europe to take decisive steps to enhance its own defence capabilities, specifically by considering the acquisition of its own nuclear weapons"
defence24.com/defence-poli...
defence24.com/defence-poli...
Nuclear weapons for Nordic countries
Europe is entering a decisive moment: relying solely on the American nuclear umbrella no longer appears credible, yet building its own deterrent may be the only way to keep Russia in check. The debate...
defence24.com
December 13, 2025 at 6:57 PM
"The Chairman of the Defence Committee of the Danish Parliament, Rasmus Jarlov, has publicly called on Europe to take decisive steps to enhance its own defence capabilities, specifically by considering the acquisition of its own nuclear weapons"
defence24.com/defence-poli...
defence24.com/defence-poli...
Reposted by Karl Burke
Ancient undersea wall dating to 5,800 BC discovered off French coast.
phys.org/news/2025-12...
phys.org/news/2025-12...
Ancient undersea wall dating to 5,800 BC discovered off French coast
Divers have discovered a long-submerged wall some 7,000 years old under the sea off western France, scientists said Thursday.
phys.org
December 12, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Ancient undersea wall dating to 5,800 BC discovered off French coast.
phys.org/news/2025-12...
phys.org/news/2025-12...
Reposted by Karl Burke
Reposted by Karl Burke
Reposted by Karl Burke
There’s lots of interesting detail in this article. But the gist is that Chinese short & medium haul BEV trucks beat western ones on cost even after regulatory upgrades. Long haul versions are cost competitive. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋 🧵 cleantechnica.com/2025/11/26/c...
China’s BEV Trucks and the End of Diesel’s Dominance - CleanTechnica
China’s electric heavy truck boom signals a freight transition as low cost BEVs outpace diesel and gas across short haul markets. Exports are rising.
cleantechnica.com
November 30, 2025 at 5:16 PM
There’s lots of interesting detail in this article. But the gist is that Chinese short & medium haul BEV trucks beat western ones on cost even after regulatory upgrades. Long haul versions are cost competitive. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋 🧵 cleantechnica.com/2025/11/26/c...
Reposted by Karl Burke
Ennesimo lancio del Sarmàt Sgangerato della superpotenza con le pezze al culo.
Milioni e milioni buttati ed intanto i Russi rimangono senza fogne, poveri e sulle Palafitte...
Milioni e milioni buttati ed intanto i Russi rimangono senza fogne, poveri e sulle Palafitte...
November 28, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Ennesimo lancio del Sarmàt Sgangerato della superpotenza con le pezze al culo.
Milioni e milioni buttati ed intanto i Russi rimangono senza fogne, poveri e sulle Palafitte...
Milioni e milioni buttati ed intanto i Russi rimangono senza fogne, poveri e sulle Palafitte...
Reposted by Karl Burke
Contrairement à ce qu’avait annoncé le gouverneur de Virginie-Occidentale, les militaires touchés par des tirs à Washington ne sont pas morts
Contrairement à ce qu’avait annoncé le gouverneur de Virginie-Occidentale, les militaires touchés par des tirs à Washington ne sont pas morts
Patrick Morrisey, avait annoncé la mort des deux membres de la garde nationale sur le réseau social X avant de publier une deuxième déclaration citant des « informations contradictoires » concernant leur état.
www.lemonde.fr
November 26, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Contrairement à ce qu’avait annoncé le gouverneur de Virginie-Occidentale, les militaires touchés par des tirs à Washington ne sont pas morts
Reposted by Karl Burke
“What once sounded unthinkable is now being said openly: Tehran is not viable; and evacuation orders are imminent.
As I wrote before, President Masoud Pezeshkian himself said that it might be necessary to relocate Tehranis in large number.” open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...
As I wrote before, President Masoud Pezeshkian himself said that it might be necessary to relocate Tehranis in large number.” open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...
Makran or Bust: Tehran's water crisis gets worse
Ten days ago I wrote that Tehran was approaching a point where warnings, pressure cuts and appeals to save water would no longer be enough.
open.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:06 PM
“What once sounded unthinkable is now being said openly: Tehran is not viable; and evacuation orders are imminent.
As I wrote before, President Masoud Pezeshkian himself said that it might be necessary to relocate Tehranis in large number.” open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...
As I wrote before, President Masoud Pezeshkian himself said that it might be necessary to relocate Tehranis in large number.” open.substack.com/pub/peterfra...
Reposted by Karl Burke
I am by no means a prominent public intellectual, but my inbox is increasingly filled with messages from people who have been convinced by sycophantic chatbots that they have discovered revolutionary theories that entirely upend our scientific understanding of the universe.
November 21, 2025 at 2:49 AM
I am by no means a prominent public intellectual, but my inbox is increasingly filled with messages from people who have been convinced by sycophantic chatbots that they have discovered revolutionary theories that entirely upend our scientific understanding of the universe.
Reposted by Karl Burke
To “my students and to anyone who might listen, I say: Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write and think when others once risked their lives and died for the freedom to do so.”
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
I Set A Trap To Catch My Students Cheating With AI. The Results Were Shocking.
"Students are not just undermining their ability to learn, but to someday lead."
www.huffpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:22 AM
To “my students and to anyone who might listen, I say: Don’t surrender to AI your ability to read, write and think when others once risked their lives and died for the freedom to do so.”
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
Reposted by Karl Burke
November 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Karl Burke
NEW: Peter Thiel has blinked. Yesterday, I posted an article about the "Great AI Bubble". And today, we find out that he's bailed on the market.
Has he cut & run? Or is this some 3-D chess-type voodoo? Thoughts please.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Has he cut & run? Or is this some 3-D chess-type voodoo? Thoughts please.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Peter Thiel Gets Out of Dodge
Yesterday, I published on "Great AI Bubble". Today, Silicon Valley's Dr Evil dumps his stock
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:01 PM
NEW: Peter Thiel has blinked. Yesterday, I posted an article about the "Great AI Bubble". And today, we find out that he's bailed on the market.
Has he cut & run? Or is this some 3-D chess-type voodoo? Thoughts please.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Has he cut & run? Or is this some 3-D chess-type voodoo? Thoughts please.
open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Reposted by Karl Burke
Most folks know I've been banging the drum about the AI bubble for awhile, and this brilliant piece from @lopatto.bsky.social dramatically reinforces that hypothesis and is as meticulously researched as it is brutal:
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
Meet CoreWeave, the AI industry’s ticking time bomb
The debt-laden AI compute company has been boosted by Nvidia.
www.theverge.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Most folks know I've been banging the drum about the AI bubble for awhile, and this brilliant piece from @lopatto.bsky.social dramatically reinforces that hypothesis and is as meticulously researched as it is brutal:
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...
Reposted by Karl Burke
British and Australian chemists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, hiding in a well-known soil bacterium. This molecule kills drug-resistant bacteria without triggering resistance. buff.ly/YlXaONo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Scientists find hidden antibiotic 100x stronger against deadly superbugs
A team of scientists discovered a hidden antibiotic 100 times stronger than existing drugs against deadly superbugs like MRSA. The molecule had been overlooked for decades in a familiar bacterium. It…
buff.ly
November 16, 2025 at 2:50 PM
British and Australian chemists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, hiding in a well-known soil bacterium. This molecule kills drug-resistant bacteria without triggering resistance. buff.ly/YlXaONo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Reposted by Karl Burke
« Téhéran pourrait être évacué » : l’Iran lance une opération d’ensemencement des nuages face à une sécheresse historique
➡️ https://l.humanite.fr/Gua
➡️ https://l.humanite.fr/Gua
November 16, 2025 at 6:15 PM
« Téhéran pourrait être évacué » : l’Iran lance une opération d’ensemencement des nuages face à une sécheresse historique
➡️ https://l.humanite.fr/Gua
➡️ https://l.humanite.fr/Gua
Reposted by Karl Burke
Amazon's House of David Season 2 had 350 to 400 AI-generated shots, up from 70+ in Season 1, using 10 to 15 tools from companies like Runway, drawing criticism (Kat Tenbarge/Wired)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
November 11, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Amazon's House of David Season 2 had 350 to 400 AI-generated shots, up from 70+ in Season 1, using 10 to 15 tools from companies like Runway, drawing criticism (Kat Tenbarge/Wired)
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink
Reposted by Karl Burke
Not (in this case) a China thing but using gps to control and immobilise infrastructure is a serious issue:
www.404media.co/polish-hacke...
www.404media.co/polish-hacke...
Polish Hackers Repaired Trains the Manufacturer Artificially Bricked. Now The Train Company Is Threatening Them
After breaking trains simply because an independent repair shop had worked on them, NEWAG is now demanding that trains fixed by hackers be removed from service.
www.404media.co
November 6, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Not (in this case) a China thing but using gps to control and immobilise infrastructure is a serious issue:
www.404media.co/polish-hacke...
www.404media.co/polish-hacke...
Reposted by Karl Burke
La Chine met en service son troisième porte-avions, une démonstration de sa montée en puissance
La Chine met en service son troisième porte-avions, une démonstration de sa montée en puissance
Le porte-avions « Fujian » est notamment doté d’une catapulte électromagnétique, permettant de projeter des avions plus lourds, mais ne dispose pas de la propulsion nucléaire.
www.lemonde.fr
November 8, 2025 at 9:44 AM
La Chine met en service son troisième porte-avions, une démonstration de sa montée en puissance
Reposted by Karl Burke
Today, a friend involved in the Esna restoration project has shared with me his latest stunning photos of the restored ceiling and columns of the Temple of Khnum in Esna, Upper #Egypt. During a multi-year restoration project, the dirt and soot that had obscured the ...🧵1/3
📷 D. v. Recklinghausen
🏺
📷 D. v. Recklinghausen
🏺
November 7, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Today, a friend involved in the Esna restoration project has shared with me his latest stunning photos of the restored ceiling and columns of the Temple of Khnum in Esna, Upper #Egypt. During a multi-year restoration project, the dirt and soot that had obscured the ...🧵1/3
📷 D. v. Recklinghausen
🏺
📷 D. v. Recklinghausen
🏺
Reposted by Karl Burke
The last survivor of the Crimean War died in 2004.
"Timothy" spent 40 years in the Navy. After retirement, having moved in with the Earl of Devon, she revealed she was a girl.
She would wander round his garden wearing a sign that said. "My name is Timothy. I am very old. Pease do not pick me up".
"Timothy" spent 40 years in the Navy. After retirement, having moved in with the Earl of Devon, she revealed she was a girl.
She would wander round his garden wearing a sign that said. "My name is Timothy. I am very old. Pease do not pick me up".
October 31, 2025 at 12:48 PM
The last survivor of the Crimean War died in 2004.
"Timothy" spent 40 years in the Navy. After retirement, having moved in with the Earl of Devon, she revealed she was a girl.
She would wander round his garden wearing a sign that said. "My name is Timothy. I am very old. Pease do not pick me up".
"Timothy" spent 40 years in the Navy. After retirement, having moved in with the Earl of Devon, she revealed she was a girl.
She would wander round his garden wearing a sign that said. "My name is Timothy. I am very old. Pease do not pick me up".