Dr Naomi Jacobs
@ladylark.bsky.social
1.3K followers 370 following 560 posts
Lecturer in Design Policy and Futures Thinking based at @Imaginationlanc.bsky.social, researching technology and society, and sometimes fandom. @blackarchive.co.uk author. She/her. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2079-1658
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ladylark.bsky.social
If you're here off an academic pack, I do share research stuff, but I'm an interdisciplinary magpie so it's all over the place. And you might just get food pictures, or in fact Doctor Who (or other geekiness).

Also, I curate my follows quite tightly so nothing personal if I don't follow back!
ladylark.bsky.social
I believe I'm on a Doctor Who related starter pack, so if you're here for that be aware that while I did co-write two Black Archive books about the show (and an academic paper about livestreaming of classic episodes) it's not a topic I post about a lot. I won't be offended if you decide to unfollow!
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
douglasmack.bsky.social
the most delightful version of logging on to see what news you've missed
Dr Ramsdell, whose phone had been on airplane mode when the Nobel committee tried to call him, told the BBC's Newshour Programme that his first response when his wife said, "You've won the Nobel prize" was: "I did not."

To which Ms O'Neill replied that she had 200 text messages that suggested he had.
ladylark.bsky.social
Who is it? I might be free on Saturday.
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
eryk.bsky.social
I’ve just learned that John Searle, whose Chinese Room thought experiment is often used to challenge ideas of “understanding” in LLMs, died at age 93 on Sunday. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
John Searle obituary
American philosopher whose Chinese Room thought experiment rebuts the idea that computers can think as humans do
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
naomialderman.bsky.social
feels like yet again time to mention that the *videogames* industry (that's a creative industry, which people do creative degrees in) brings in more than twice the amount to the British economy as the fishing and steel industries *combined*
naomialderman.bsky.social
I cannot understand what these people think the purpose of human life is?

It is *not* "pursue joy, deal justly, love well, try to understand as much and see as much of this beautiful world and of the deepness, richness and variety of human culture and experience as you can before you die"?
outonbluesix.bsky.social
How is this repeatedly made into a policy issue - by *all* parties - when the blunt fact of the matter is that grown adults who are obliged to pay for their own education, and relentlessly pursued to repay their loans, should be able to study whatever the fuck they want.
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
eddierobson.bsky.social
I just don't think there are that many people going "Well I wasn't going to vote for them before, but this policy of driving people out of studying the arts and humanities has changed my mind".
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
neongrey.bsky.social
all discourse aside, there is one machine with consciousness. it's printers. they are alive and conscious and they hate you and they'd take your arm clean off if you let them. never trust a printer.
ladylark.bsky.social
One of the worst bits of screen media I've seen in recent years (and that's saying something)
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
nationaltrust.org.uk
This is the official return of a native species lost for over a century.
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
scientits.bsky.social
IMPORTANT

All freelancers, self-employed, creatives

This is the first I've heard of this, but the Department for Business and Trade is running a consultation on the scourge of late payments, they want to introduce new legislation to tackle poor practices

Deadline to respond is 23 October

1/2
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
violetriotgames.bsky.social
Do you find yourself at the intersection of performance, games, and design? Do you want to work with world class artists in research, pedagogy, and games? Then maybe apply to work with me at UCSC! We're hiring a Assistant Professor of Interactive Art, Performance & Games

recruit.ucsc.edu/JPF01998
Assistant Professor of Interactive Art, Performance & Games (Initial Review Date 11/14/25)
University of California, Santa Cruz is hiring. Apply now!
recruit.ucsc.edu
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
nameshiv.bsky.social
The Ig Nobel is incredible , one year an Indian guy won it for calculating the average surface area of an elephant and during his acceptance they had an elephant hold up a sign with the surface area of the scientist on it, they do showbiz better than the Oscars
mrjeffu.bsky.social
Video: a Japanese scientist was attacked by flies while giving the acceptance speech for his Ig Nobel Prize-winning research paper that proved painting Zebra-like stripes on cows led to a decrease in biting fly attacks.
ladylark.bsky.social
You've already had lots of folks offer the correct answer that there are multiple definitions of species (and biologists often argue about which one to use) but did you hear about the ant species recently discovered where the queen sometimes gives birth to males of an entirely different species?
ladylark.bsky.social
A wonderful thread involving secret compartments, secret treasures, care and kindness.
lydiamassiah.bsky.social
This could be a long and rambling thread. Be patient with me.

I bought an old mahogany bureau on Ebay. I didn't really want a bureau as we're meant to be downsizing, but it was a beautiful piece & obviously very old. Google lens suggests the brass chased handles are Queen Anne. That's 1702-1714 😯
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
doctorwaffle.substack.com
In honor of National Poetry Day, the greatest parody rewrite of all time:
Screen cap of parodic version of William Blake's "The Tyger" that begins:
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
(Not sure if I spelled that right) 
What immortal hand or eye
Could fashion such a stripy guy? 
What the hammer that hath hewn it 
Into such a chonky unit?
Did who made the lamb make thee, 
Or an external franchisee?
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
demontomatodave.bsky.social
Watch this, she's just reading a poem but you won't have seen it read so well

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKTv...
ladylark.bsky.social
Don't suppose you've got a link to that statement handy? I'm planning to mention it in my teaching. (I can probably find it myself but i'm being lazy)
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
shannonvallor.bsky.social
No intelligence is general, as the term refers (indirectly & vaguely) to a cluster of distinct capabilities in a given active organism, which vary according to ecological niche, embodiment, cultural valuation and individual variation. We’d get better science by decomposing and testing for these. 3/3
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
gretchenmcc.bsky.social
Finally a Large Language Model I can get behind
merriam-webster.com
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
ladylark.bsky.social
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes? And I recently read A Victory of Eagles but thats the middle of the Temeraire series so probably doesn't work.
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs
seantcollins.com
Just saw this great post again and it reminded me of my old beef against "spoilers don't matter, a good film isn't spoilable": The timing with which information is revealed is important in every movie! It's as much a part of the art as dialogue or lighting,it matters at least as much as aspect ratio
Lady behind me at The Thing screening last night to her partner "why are they shooting at the dog?" and her partner says very firmly "have you never seen a film before? You watch it and information is revealed" -a tweet by Matt The Outlaw 🤠 @CursedGloryHole
ladylark.bsky.social
I just read a review of the book in last week's New Scientist magazine that was.. using slightly more measured language, but has basically the same 'what a load of nonsense' conclusions as this thread.
Reposted by Dr Naomi Jacobs