Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 2d

“I went to school in Boston. Well, not IN Boston. And no, I didn’t go to Tufts”

michael lutz @ztul.bsky.social · 2d

when i taught at MIT the most reliable laugh i could get from my classes was assigning an article by a harvard professor and saying "it's by someone who works at that place up the road"

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 6d

How dare you live post your book before you send it to me

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 12d

Apple out here using the drug dealing business model for Tolkien

Apple’s bookstore listing the Lord of the rings at increasing cost. Offering one book for free, Fellowship at $3, Two towers jumping to $13 and Return of the King at $15

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Stu Horvath @stuhorvath.com · 13d

Together, we can stop it. 98 more subscribers says "NO," and the world will be safe from such a dangerous collection of top shelf writing by the finest minds in games crit...until the next subscription drive.

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Kyle Orland @kyleor.land · 16d

Are you or someone you know skipping GDC (or considering doing so) because of worries about coming to the US/San Francisco in the current environment?

If so, I want to hear from you for a piece. DM me here or kyle DOT orland AT arstechnica DOT com.

Please spread the word

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Your Internet Friend Tom Tomorrow @tomtomorrow.bsky.social · 15d

a real "lemon it's wednesday" kind of tuesday

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 15d

One of my favorite classic internet bits

McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 15d

"When my guests come over, it’s gonna be like BLAMMO! Check out my shellacked decorative vegetables, assholes."

It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers

First published on October 9, 2009, this classic by Colin Nissan is our most-read article of all time. We’re celebrating the 16th anniversary of th...

buff.ly

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 15d

Can you still play Final Fantasy 1 somewhere? Maybe that would ease some woe

Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 15d

God, I’m going to have to learn about Final Fantasy finally aren’t I? Can I figure out how to write a column for this issue without ever playing the game?

Unwinnable @unwinnable.com · 15d

We reached the 100 new subscribers we needed to unlock a Final Fantasy and politics issue for you folks! We'll start production soon with the goal of publishing it in early 2026.

Thank you SO much for all of your help with this drive! We couldn't have done it without you.

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 15d

Ok this is an angle I can lean into

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Unwinnable @unwinnable.com · 15d

We reached the 100 new subscribers we needed to unlock a Final Fantasy and politics issue for you folks! We'll start production soon with the goal of publishing it in early 2026.

Thank you SO much for all of your help with this drive! We couldn't have done it without you.

The Final Fantasy VII title imposed over a screenshot of Midgar, except the meteor is an Unwinnable W

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 15d

Was literally considering pitching "What I think the politics of Final Fantasy are having played none of them"

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 15d

God, I’m going to have to learn about Final Fantasy finally aren’t I? Can I figure out how to write a column for this issue without ever playing the game?

Unwinnable @unwinnable.com · 15d

We reached the 100 new subscribers we needed to unlock a Final Fantasy and politics issue for you folks! We'll start production soon with the goal of publishing it in early 2026.

Thank you SO much for all of your help with this drive! We couldn't have done it without you.

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 15d

Not to be pedantic, but that large undulated piece peeling away from the moon called to me

A box of regular wheats, aka shredded wheat

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Daniel Temkin @dtemkin.bsky.social · 15d

A new, expanded iteration of my pandemic show of compulsively straightened trees and hand-rendered dither patterns opens tomorrow; join me Wed Sept 24, 5-8pm @ Higher Pictures, 45 Main Street #723 Brooklyn

Also a chance to see the esolangs book with @mitpress.bsky.social which has pub date TODAY!

Image: Straightened Tree, Vancouver. Text: Opening reception Wed Sept 24th, 5-8pm Higher Pictures, 45 Main Street #723 Brooklyn

Image: Dither Study. Text: Opening reception Wed Sept 24th, 5-8pm Higher Pictures, 45 Main Street #723 Brooklyn

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Reposted by Noah Springer

MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · 15d

In "What Is Intelligence?", @blaiseaguera.bsky.social offers a radical new perspective on what intelligence really is, and how AI’s emergence is a natural consequence of evolution. Available #OpenAccess: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204995...

A copy of "What is Intelligence?: Lessons from AI About Evolution, Computing, and Minds" by Blaise Agüera y Arcas.

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Reposted by Noah Springer

MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · 15d

In his playful collection "Forty-Four Esolangs," Daniel Temkin (@dtemkin.bsky.social) challenges conventional definitions of language, code, and computer, showing the potential of esolangs—or esoteric programming languages—as pure idea art: mitpress.mit.edu/978026255308...

A copy of "Forty-Four Esolangs: The Art of Esoteric Code" by Daniel Temkin. The cover features an image of a blue sky with clouds with various vertical colorful stripes overlaid across it.

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Unwinnable @unwinnable.com · 16d

Step into a new identity. This month's issue of Unwinnable Monthly features @daytenrose.bsky.social on butterflies in games, @ashlikeadragon.bsky.social on Disco Elysium and the trans experience, and our regulars on the topics on their minds.

Buy: buff.ly/7V3prT1

Subscribe: buff.ly/UexEQz3

The cover of the September 2025 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, which features art of Harrier Du Bois from Disco Elysium in a bathtub. Text at the bottom reads "Disco Elysium."

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Unwinnable @unwinnable.com · 19d

We are at 89 out of the 100 new Unwinnable Magazine subscribers we need to unlock a Final Fantasy and politics issue, so the gloves are off.

This is an image of the social media vulture's cat. You will be denied future images unless more people subscribe to Unwinnable. You know what to do.

A black and white tuxedo cat flops on her side with her head upside down.

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) @aoir.bsky.social · 27d

This year’s Nancy Baym Book Award committee would also like to give an Honourable Mention to @tbonini.bsky.social and @emilianotrere.com for Algorithms of Resistance: The
Everyday Fight Against Platform Power (@mitpress.bsky.social).

Congratulations also!

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 22d

Like, “I can’t believe my buddy went so Texas at the bar. I’ve never seen him drink so much!” ?

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Word Horde @wordhorde.bsky.social · 28d

Cover reveal! Here's your first look at Notes from Underground: The Hollow Earth Story Cycle, a new collection of linked tales of cosmic horror and masterful strangeness from Orrin Grey (@orringrey.com) coming next month, featuring this creepily chthonic cover art by Matthew Revert!

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Noah Springer @noahspringer.com · 27d

My d4 roll gives you A but it should be D

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Dr. Emily Friedman @friede.bsky.social · Sep 9

@brennanleemulligan.bsky.social buying @mitpress.bsky.social books right during the @worldsbeyondnumber.bsky.social Fireside Recording — love to see it.

The Rule Book

Board games to sports, digital games to party games, gambling to role-playing games. They all share one thing in common: rules. Indeed, rules are the one and...

mitpress.mit.edu

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Unwinnable @unwinnable.com · Sep 3

You can avoid this terrible fate. Subscribe to Unwinnable to unlock a Final Fantasy and politics issue once we reach 100 new subscribers. Take your wagon to this link: unwinnable.com/subscribe/

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Reposted by Noah Springer

Unwinnable @unwinnable.com · Aug 21

Ideas bigger than you can imagine. The latest issue of Unwinnable Monthly features @orringrey.com on Godzilla, @srtrzinski.bsky.social on birds in games, and @muditaheart.bsky.social on Prince of Persia.

Buy: unwinnable.bigcartel.com/product/unwi...

Subscribe: unwinnable.com/subscribe/

The cover of the August 2025 issue of Unwinnable Monthly, featuring vividly colored art of Godzilla. Text at the bottom of the issue simply reads "Rawr"

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