“maddie”
@lilbitthinky.bsky.social
she/her located in atx
forever student of philosophy & yoga. passionate about climate, cycling & community. living to learn, learning to live 🌞
forever student of philosophy & yoga. passionate about climate, cycling & community. living to learn, learning to live 🌞
Reposted by “maddie”
What the fuck
Did you know that from tomorrow, Qualtrics is offering synthetic panels (AI-generated participants)?
Follow me down a rabbit hole I'm calling "doing science is tough and I'm so busy, can't we just make up participants?"
Follow me down a rabbit hole I'm calling "doing science is tough and I'm so busy, can't we just make up participants?"
December 16, 2025 at 11:39 PM
What the fuck
Reposted by “maddie”
THIS IS CORRECT. you should turn off ALL the notifications except calls and texts.
December 16, 2025 at 5:20 PM
THIS IS CORRECT. you should turn off ALL the notifications except calls and texts.
Reposted by “maddie”
and this is *while they knew they were being studied*.
More than half of Toronto drivers in a Universtiy of Toronto study didn't look for people walking or on bikes before turning right. Study used eye-tracking tech.
Increasingly deadly vehicles, dumb laws, and irresponsible driving equal people being injured and killed.
www.utoronto.ca/news/more-ha...
Increasingly deadly vehicles, dumb laws, and irresponsible driving equal people being injured and killed.
www.utoronto.ca/news/more-ha...
December 11, 2025 at 2:56 AM
and this is *while they knew they were being studied*.
the ‘Thoughts & Prayers’ documentary on HBO provides an interesting (albeit incredibly depressing) look at the issue of gun violence and the industry that perpetuates profit over people. it’s despicable on so many levels
How are we supposed to teach? How can they learn from us? When we are all literally terrified
December 14, 2025 at 12:12 AM
the ‘Thoughts & Prayers’ documentary on HBO provides an interesting (albeit incredibly depressing) look at the issue of gun violence and the industry that perpetuates profit over people. it’s despicable on so many levels
Reposted by “maddie”
Because we’ve organized everything around personal vehicle ownership, a disturbing number of people believe that driving is a right and not a privilege. Ironically, the right to move oneself—a fundamental one—is compromised and ignored because pedestrians are deemed inferior.
December 12, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Because we’ve organized everything around personal vehicle ownership, a disturbing number of people believe that driving is a right and not a privilege. Ironically, the right to move oneself—a fundamental one—is compromised and ignored because pedestrians are deemed inferior.
Reposted by “maddie”
We are literally on the verge of a golden age of medicine, and the US government is doing every single thing in its power to sabotage it.
A tiny trial in New York has shown that personalized mRNA vaccines can provoke massive, lasting immune responses against pancreatic cancer, even as sweeping federal cuts now threaten the fragile labs required to produce them.
theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/a-breakthr...
theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/a-breakthr...
December 13, 2025 at 3:59 AM
We are literally on the verge of a golden age of medicine, and the US government is doing every single thing in its power to sabotage it.
Reposted by “maddie”
Jena Friedman: Treat Nazis Like You Treat Women | CONAN on TBS
YouTube video by Team Coco
www.youtube.com
December 12, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Reposted by “maddie”
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
December 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
Reposted by “maddie”
"Our analysis shows that in the aftermath of extreme weather events, lower-income neighbourhoods are less likely to rebuild and do not return to their pre-disaster state, whereas higher-income areas rebuild and tend to improve...highlighting increasing disparities in their built environments."
Nature research paper: Built environment disparities are amplified during extreme weather recovery
go.nature.com/3YcD2ZS
go.nature.com/3YcD2ZS
Built environment disparities are amplified during extreme weather recovery - Nature
Higher-income neighbourhoods rebuild and improve after disasters while lower-income areas do not return to pre-disaster conditions.
go.nature.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:00 PM
"Our analysis shows that in the aftermath of extreme weather events, lower-income neighbourhoods are less likely to rebuild and do not return to their pre-disaster state, whereas higher-income areas rebuild and tend to improve...highlighting increasing disparities in their built environments."
Reposted by “maddie”
Reposted by “maddie”
I encounter people who seem to have lost touch with the concept of being a physical presence in a three dimensional space. Their body being present in, say, a doorway, while they stare at their phone cannot occur to them. Everyone is now the only human who exists. Seems bad.
Can't remember if it was this bad before COVID but I'm seeing an alarming spreading of what I'll call Airport Behavior to other public places. Obliviousness to other people's existence, ineptitude at navigating the environment. "Is this your first time at the grocery store" type stuff
December 7, 2025 at 1:55 PM
I encounter people who seem to have lost touch with the concept of being a physical presence in a three dimensional space. Their body being present in, say, a doorway, while they stare at their phone cannot occur to them. Everyone is now the only human who exists. Seems bad.
Reposted by “maddie”
going to post one of my favorite videos of all time here
November 8, 2024 at 4:29 AM
going to post one of my favorite videos of all time here
Reposted by “maddie”
Tech bros shocked that normal human beings enjoy thinking
December 5, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Tech bros shocked that normal human beings enjoy thinking
serious question: is it possible to sue the supreme court? asking for a friend
December 6, 2025 at 10:23 PM
serious question: is it possible to sue the supreme court? asking for a friend
Reposted by “maddie”
the thing I don't understand is like. if there's no birthright citizenship then who is a citizen??? that's literally the reason I'm a citizen, that's the reason the president is a citizen!!
December 6, 2025 at 2:50 PM
the thing I don't understand is like. if there's no birthright citizenship then who is a citizen??? that's literally the reason I'm a citizen, that's the reason the president is a citizen!!
Reposted by “maddie”
Wouldn’t want any “interrogating” or “challenging” in education now would we
“School officials have created a Microsoft Copilot prompt to review course descriptions with an eye toward avoiding ‘advocacy-oriented or prescriptive terms.’”
Terms: “dismantling, decolonizing, interrogating, challenging, centering, combating, liberation, resistance, activism, justice oriented”
Terms: “dismantling, decolonizing, interrogating, challenging, centering, combating, liberation, resistance, activism, justice oriented”
To Root Out Wokeness in the Course Catalog, This Texas University Is Turning to AI
“The AI was upset with my use of the phrase ‘women's rights movement.’”
www.texasmonthly.com
December 6, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Wouldn’t want any “interrogating” or “challenging” in education now would we
Reposted by “maddie”
Reposted by “maddie”
Again: the Purpose of LLM- type "AI" bullshit engines is not to tell you the truth or to lie to you, but to tell you something you are statistically determined to be more likely to accept, irrespective of facts— which makes them perfect for accelerating dis- & misinformation & persuasive propaganda…
AI dialogues shifted political support by 2 to 3 points in trials, eclipsing standard ads. Roughly one-third of this effect persisted for a month. However, models optimized for persuasion proved more factually error-prone.
#MLSky
#MLSky
AI chatbots can persuade voters to change their minds
Conversations with AI can sway people’s political views. Concerningly, a chatbot’s facts are not always accurate, especially when it supports right-wing positions.
www.nature.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Again: the Purpose of LLM- type "AI" bullshit engines is not to tell you the truth or to lie to you, but to tell you something you are statistically determined to be more likely to accept, irrespective of facts— which makes them perfect for accelerating dis- & misinformation & persuasive propaganda…
Reposted by “maddie”
How come we don’t hear about the profit-loss performance of the FBI?
What is the CIA’s quarterly revenue target?
Does the Treasury get defunded if it doesn’t make a profit?
Once you start to #QuestionThePremise, the idea of the government as a business sounds utterly ridiculous.
What is the CIA’s quarterly revenue target?
Does the Treasury get defunded if it doesn’t make a profit?
Once you start to #QuestionThePremise, the idea of the government as a business sounds utterly ridiculous.
The USPS posting a NINE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS!!! sounds terrible. Certainly worse than if you said "USPS costs thirty dollars per person per year" even though that means the same thing and more accurately describes a government service
December 5, 2025 at 1:54 PM
How come we don’t hear about the profit-loss performance of the FBI?
What is the CIA’s quarterly revenue target?
Does the Treasury get defunded if it doesn’t make a profit?
Once you start to #QuestionThePremise, the idea of the government as a business sounds utterly ridiculous.
What is the CIA’s quarterly revenue target?
Does the Treasury get defunded if it doesn’t make a profit?
Once you start to #QuestionThePremise, the idea of the government as a business sounds utterly ridiculous.
Reposted by “maddie”
Driver extremely wary of using crosswalk they always blow through.
December 5, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Driver extremely wary of using crosswalk they always blow through.
Reposted by “maddie”
Salute our boys in blue 🫡
March 14, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Salute our boys in blue 🫡
Reposted by “maddie”
E-cargo bikes drive health, sustainability in Uganda
Uganda's e-cargo bikes, backed by a national e-mobility plan, are powering health care, creating jobs and cutting pollution
www.dw.com/en/e-cargo-b...
Uganda's e-cargo bikes, backed by a national e-mobility plan, are powering health care, creating jobs and cutting pollution
www.dw.com/en/e-cargo-b...
E-cargo bikes drive health, sustainability in Uganda – DW – 12/02/2025
Uganda's e-cargo bikes, backed by a national e-mobility plan, are powering health care, creating jobs and cutting pollution.
www.dw.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:10 AM
E-cargo bikes drive health, sustainability in Uganda
Uganda's e-cargo bikes, backed by a national e-mobility plan, are powering health care, creating jobs and cutting pollution
www.dw.com/en/e-cargo-b...
Uganda's e-cargo bikes, backed by a national e-mobility plan, are powering health care, creating jobs and cutting pollution
www.dw.com/en/e-cargo-b...
Reposted by “maddie”
I really can't emphasize enough that if you care about local politics, all you gotta do is show up. Just a regular schmegular person showing up. Literally just show up consistently in person and within a remarkably short amount of time, you will have a shocking amount of influence.
December 5, 2025 at 6:07 AM
I really can't emphasize enough that if you care about local politics, all you gotta do is show up. Just a regular schmegular person showing up. Literally just show up consistently in person and within a remarkably short amount of time, you will have a shocking amount of influence.
Reposted by “maddie”
gonna start calling my brain the thought factory
December 5, 2025 at 5:11 AM
gonna start calling my brain the thought factory
Reposted by “maddie”
Oh yeah, at work someone advised me to remove em dashes from something I’d written because it implies AI wrote it. So now this shit between me and AI is fuckin personal
December 2, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Oh yeah, at work someone advised me to remove em dashes from something I’d written because it implies AI wrote it. So now this shit between me and AI is fuckin personal