PJ
@pjarvis.bsky.social
Former network cable rustler, now underwater robot wrangler.
Founder member of the Union of Modern Luddites. "AI" is terrible for people and the planet.
Founder member of the Union of Modern Luddites. "AI" is terrible for people and the planet.
Reposted by PJ
"Add it all up, and time is not on the data center's side. The finance guru estimates that the 'AI datacenters to be built in 2025 will suffer $40 billion of annual depreciation, while generating somewhere between $15 and $20 billion of revenue.'" #econsky futurism.com/data-centers...
There's a Stunning Financial Problem With AI Data Centers
Given the rate at which tech companies are spending on data centers, current revenues would have to increase ten-fold just to break even.
futurism.com
August 30, 2025 at 5:36 PM
"Add it all up, and time is not on the data center's side. The finance guru estimates that the 'AI datacenters to be built in 2025 will suffer $40 billion of annual depreciation, while generating somewhere between $15 and $20 billion of revenue.'" #econsky futurism.com/data-centers...
Reposted by PJ
My latest @newscientist.com cartoon.
p.s. my new book of science cartoons 'Physics for Cats' is out now! Order from your local bookshop or online: www.tomgauld.com
p.s. my new book of science cartoons 'Physics for Cats' is out now! Order from your local bookshop or online: www.tomgauld.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:20 PM
My latest @newscientist.com cartoon.
p.s. my new book of science cartoons 'Physics for Cats' is out now! Order from your local bookshop or online: www.tomgauld.com
p.s. my new book of science cartoons 'Physics for Cats' is out now! Order from your local bookshop or online: www.tomgauld.com
Reposted by PJ
Drax received logs from cutblocks in BC containing 90% old growth forest, a Canadian investigation found.
So it’s receiving £2m a day in UK green energy subsidies to burn old growth forest 🤔 www.theguardian.com/business/202...
So it’s receiving £2m a day in UK green energy subsidies to burn old growth forest 🤔 www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Drax still burning 250-year-old trees sourced from forests in Canada, experts say
Exclusive: report by Stand.earth says subsidiary of power plant received truckloads of whole logs at biomass pellet sites
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Drax received logs from cutblocks in BC containing 90% old growth forest, a Canadian investigation found.
So it’s receiving £2m a day in UK green energy subsidies to burn old growth forest 🤔 www.theguardian.com/business/202...
So it’s receiving £2m a day in UK green energy subsidies to burn old growth forest 🤔 www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Reposted by PJ
When you repeatedly measure the positions of over a billion stars so accurately that you can see a star moving by an amount equal to the size of a pinhead on the Moon, as seen from Earth... you find amazing things!
It's great.
mathstodon.xyz/@johncarlosb...
It's great.
mathstodon.xyz/@johncarlosb...
John Carlos Baez (@[email protected])
Holy crap! The Gaia space telescope is expected to find 120,000 ± 22,000 planets orbiting other stars! Most will be super-Jupiters, because those are the easiest to find. But we'll know much more ...
mathstodon.xyz
November 8, 2025 at 10:07 AM
When you repeatedly measure the positions of over a billion stars so accurately that you can see a star moving by an amount equal to the size of a pinhead on the Moon, as seen from Earth... you find amazing things!
It's great.
mathstodon.xyz/@johncarlosb...
It's great.
mathstodon.xyz/@johncarlosb...
Reposted by PJ
Reposted by PJ
🔥 Bonfire in the Grassmarket, 1952.
Not for the 5th of November, but for Victoria Day, Edinburgh's discretionary local public holiday, traditionally held on the last Monday in May on or before her birthday on the 24th.
Not for the 5th of November, but for Victoria Day, Edinburgh's discretionary local public holiday, traditionally held on the last Monday in May on or before her birthday on the 24th.
November 5, 2025 at 2:51 PM
🔥 Bonfire in the Grassmarket, 1952.
Not for the 5th of November, but for Victoria Day, Edinburgh's discretionary local public holiday, traditionally held on the last Monday in May on or before her birthday on the 24th.
Not for the 5th of November, but for Victoria Day, Edinburgh's discretionary local public holiday, traditionally held on the last Monday in May on or before her birthday on the 24th.
Reposted by PJ
You’ve heard of the Unix 2038 Problem.
I bet you haven’t heard of the GPS 2038 problem.
Every GPS navigation device in existence experiences an integer overflow every 19.6 years.
Last time, it wiped out iPhones, NOAA weather buoys, and a number of flights in China:
I bet you haven’t heard of the GPS 2038 problem.
Every GPS navigation device in existence experiences an integer overflow every 19.6 years.
Last time, it wiped out iPhones, NOAA weather buoys, and a number of flights in China:
November 4, 2025 at 7:50 PM
You’ve heard of the Unix 2038 Problem.
I bet you haven’t heard of the GPS 2038 problem.
Every GPS navigation device in existence experiences an integer overflow every 19.6 years.
Last time, it wiped out iPhones, NOAA weather buoys, and a number of flights in China:
I bet you haven’t heard of the GPS 2038 problem.
Every GPS navigation device in existence experiences an integer overflow every 19.6 years.
Last time, it wiped out iPhones, NOAA weather buoys, and a number of flights in China:
Reposted by PJ
CROSSED LINES, INTENSE PRESSURE, SPURTLE DERAILED.—Reader's letter: www.broughtonspurtle.org.uk/letters/cros...
#Edinburgh #hyperlocal #news #railwayhistory
#Edinburgh #hyperlocal #news #railwayhistory
November 3, 2025 at 3:32 PM
CROSSED LINES, INTENSE PRESSURE, SPURTLE DERAILED.—Reader's letter: www.broughtonspurtle.org.uk/letters/cros...
#Edinburgh #hyperlocal #news #railwayhistory
#Edinburgh #hyperlocal #news #railwayhistory
Reposted by PJ
There can't be many TV series that are invariably listed as "political thriller" which also happen to be an ecological warning wrapped in a detective story about a good man who's done a bad thing in a world where the mystical and paranormal coexist.
BBCFOUR tonight (and onwards) is showing the original series Edge of Darkness - please book your seat now.. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Edge of Darkness - Series 1: 1. Compassionate Leave
Thriller set in a world of obsessive state security. Ronald Craven is haunted by the murder of his daughter and begins his own investigation into her death.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 1, 2025 at 8:17 PM
There can't be many TV series that are invariably listed as "political thriller" which also happen to be an ecological warning wrapped in a detective story about a good man who's done a bad thing in a world where the mystical and paranormal coexist.
Reposted by PJ
so @matteowong.bsky.social & I wrote on data centers: arguably the most important buildings in the world & are, in a way, holding the economy hostage. Byzantine financial instruments, private equity, depreciating tech, hype, $trillion valuations. it’s all there. an ai crash prob starts here.
Here’s How the AI Crash Happens
The U.S. is becoming an Nvidia-state.
www.theatlantic.com
October 30, 2025 at 10:25 PM
so @matteowong.bsky.social & I wrote on data centers: arguably the most important buildings in the world & are, in a way, holding the economy hostage. Byzantine financial instruments, private equity, depreciating tech, hype, $trillion valuations. it’s all there. an ai crash prob starts here.
Reposted by PJ
In today’s Russian papers: nuclear-powered cruise missiles, poisonous snakes and economic pressures: “Russian industry is balancing on the verge of an all-industry collapse.” #ReadingRussia
Nuclear-powered cruise missiles & economic pressures: what the Russian papers are saying
YouTube video by Steve Rosenberg
youtu.be
October 27, 2025 at 7:20 AM
In today’s Russian papers: nuclear-powered cruise missiles, poisonous snakes and economic pressures: “Russian industry is balancing on the verge of an all-industry collapse.” #ReadingRussia
Reposted by PJ
In an obscure corner of Kazakhstan, the remains of an ocean millions of years old have created probably the most surreal landscape on earth -- as captured by photographer Daniel Kordan
mymodernmet.com/daniel-korda...
mymodernmet.com/daniel-korda...
October 7, 2025 at 10:15 PM
In an obscure corner of Kazakhstan, the remains of an ocean millions of years old have created probably the most surreal landscape on earth -- as captured by photographer Daniel Kordan
mymodernmet.com/daniel-korda...
mymodernmet.com/daniel-korda...
Reposted by PJ
FILM ALERT! Seas of the Sun – The Story of the Cluster Mission. You can watch it live on @esa.int's Youtube channel next week, October 30th, from 18:00 GMT / 19:00 CET where we’ll be joined by the people behind Cluster in a live chat accompanying the film.
#ESAcluster #spacerocks #seasofthesun
#ESAcluster #spacerocks #seasofthesun
October 21, 2025 at 2:19 PM
FILM ALERT! Seas of the Sun – The Story of the Cluster Mission. You can watch it live on @esa.int's Youtube channel next week, October 30th, from 18:00 GMT / 19:00 CET where we’ll be joined by the people behind Cluster in a live chat accompanying the film.
#ESAcluster #spacerocks #seasofthesun
#ESAcluster #spacerocks #seasofthesun
Reposted by PJ
One of my favourite hidden treasures of #Edinburgh and @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social is this 11th century Swedish runestone, to be found tucked in behind one of the main teaching buildings on George Square. Most people seem to walk past it and don’t notice…
October 21, 2025 at 3:48 PM
One of my favourite hidden treasures of #Edinburgh and @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social is this 11th century Swedish runestone, to be found tucked in behind one of the main teaching buildings on George Square. Most people seem to walk past it and don’t notice…
Reposted by PJ
This is probably your best reminder that Amazon Web Services is too big. So is Microsoft, and Google, and all of these companies that are gobbling up money, energy, and resources, only for things to go suddenly arse-up, like today, without being held accountable. There's no space for competition.
October 20, 2025 at 11:47 AM
This is probably your best reminder that Amazon Web Services is too big. So is Microsoft, and Google, and all of these companies that are gobbling up money, energy, and resources, only for things to go suddenly arse-up, like today, without being held accountable. There's no space for competition.
Reposted by PJ
The main achievement of the tech industry has been increasing the flow of money from people who make or do things to people who already have more money than they could spend in a hundred lifetimes
“Average musician makes $12 a month on Spotify. The fact that they are not even able to sell a record and it’s taken from them by rich motherfuckers on streaming platforms who get paid royally by record labels,Ticketmaster, merch companies. They’re all fucking getting paid, except for the musician.”
Garbage’s Shirley Manson Speaks Out Against Music Industry Economics: “This Is An Alarm Call”
Just before they kicked off their current run of dates, the ’90s alt-rock greats Garbage announced that it would be their final North American headline tour. When the band played at Denver’s Mission B...
www.stereogum.com
October 19, 2025 at 4:36 PM
The main achievement of the tech industry has been increasing the flow of money from people who make or do things to people who already have more money than they could spend in a hundred lifetimes
Reposted by PJ
DDR5 is unstable garbage.
Max out your memory channels? Flaky.
Temperature a bit too hot? Silent Throttle with no logs.
Too “Dense” of a stick? Good luck training.
Last gen was rock solid by comparison. Here's what happened.
Max out your memory channels? Flaky.
Temperature a bit too hot? Silent Throttle with no logs.
Too “Dense” of a stick? Good luck training.
Last gen was rock solid by comparison. Here's what happened.
October 3, 2025 at 7:45 PM
DDR5 is unstable garbage.
Max out your memory channels? Flaky.
Temperature a bit too hot? Silent Throttle with no logs.
Too “Dense” of a stick? Good luck training.
Last gen was rock solid by comparison. Here's what happened.
Max out your memory channels? Flaky.
Temperature a bit too hot? Silent Throttle with no logs.
Too “Dense” of a stick? Good luck training.
Last gen was rock solid by comparison. Here's what happened.
Reposted by PJ
This story from @bondhack.ft.com and the FT is amazing, one of the best pieces of financial journalism I’ve ever read
www.ft.com/content/8373...
www.ft.com/content/8373...
The secretive First Brands founder, his $12bn debt and the future of private credit
Patrick James borrowed billions — even after presiding over a string of failed businesses
www.ft.com
October 18, 2025 at 7:34 PM
This story from @bondhack.ft.com and the FT is amazing, one of the best pieces of financial journalism I’ve ever read
www.ft.com/content/8373...
www.ft.com/content/8373...
Reposted by PJ
Cardiff will be the first UK city to introduce a surcharge for oversized SUVs and trucks, "while very large vehicles – those over 3,500kg – will be excluded from residential permits entirely."
Cardiff set to tackle SUV 'carspreading' in UK first
Cardiff Council is set to become the first local authority in the UK to introduce higher parking charges for SUVs and other heavy vehicles, in a move campaigners say will make city streets safer and f...
nation.cymru
October 16, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Cardiff will be the first UK city to introduce a surcharge for oversized SUVs and trucks, "while very large vehicles – those over 3,500kg – will be excluded from residential permits entirely."
Reposted by PJ
this isn't really a way out of the issue, which is simply that the thing that makes the guard loyal to you evaporates the moment the apocalypse happens
bsky.app/profile/bert...
bsky.app/profile/bert...
October 15, 2025 at 2:11 PM
this isn't really a way out of the issue, which is simply that the thing that makes the guard loyal to you evaporates the moment the apocalypse happens
bsky.app/profile/bert...
bsky.app/profile/bert...
Reposted by PJ
Edinburgh New Town October twilight
October 13, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Edinburgh New Town October twilight
Reposted by PJ
18 Rankeillor Street, Edinburgh—built around 1820. Eight flats in the stair, over two ground-floor flats. Notable former residents include:
October 13, 2025 at 11:32 AM
18 Rankeillor Street, Edinburgh—built around 1820. Eight flats in the stair, over two ground-floor flats. Notable former residents include:
Reposted by PJ
Working on a new unified search interface today. Beautiful warm sunshine here
October 12, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Working on a new unified search interface today. Beautiful warm sunshine here
Reposted by PJ
An observation test for you - for your inner 8 year-old
“The artist has hidden 12 things in this picture. How many can you find?”
Treasure magazine, 1964
Official answers coming soon
(Even if you don’t reply, could you please ‘like’ or share this one? 🙏)
“The artist has hidden 12 things in this picture. How many can you find?”
Treasure magazine, 1964
Official answers coming soon
(Even if you don’t reply, could you please ‘like’ or share this one? 🙏)
October 11, 2025 at 7:07 AM
An observation test for you - for your inner 8 year-old
“The artist has hidden 12 things in this picture. How many can you find?”
Treasure magazine, 1964
Official answers coming soon
(Even if you don’t reply, could you please ‘like’ or share this one? 🙏)
“The artist has hidden 12 things in this picture. How many can you find?”
Treasure magazine, 1964
Official answers coming soon
(Even if you don’t reply, could you please ‘like’ or share this one? 🙏)
Reposted by PJ
When the power went out in Spain this spring, many people immediately pointed the finger at the country's solar and wind power as the cause.
That wasn't the trigger, but a new survey finds that all that misinformation?
It had an impact.
Read more here, only on @npr.org 🎧⬇️
That wasn't the trigger, but a new survey finds that all that misinformation?
It had an impact.
Read more here, only on @npr.org 🎧⬇️
After Spain's blackout, critics blamed renewable energy. It's part of a bigger attack
When millions lost power in Spain and Portugal this spring, some were quick to blame too much solar and wind power. That wasn't the cause, but the misinformation had an impact.
www.npr.org
October 9, 2025 at 3:40 PM
When the power went out in Spain this spring, many people immediately pointed the finger at the country's solar and wind power as the cause.
That wasn't the trigger, but a new survey finds that all that misinformation?
It had an impact.
Read more here, only on @npr.org 🎧⬇️
That wasn't the trigger, but a new survey finds that all that misinformation?
It had an impact.
Read more here, only on @npr.org 🎧⬇️