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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 25m

No other industry requires protection from negligence claims with a law like the PLCAA. If we overturned those special protections or, better, treated guns like automobiles-where both manufacturers and owners had legal obligations for others' safety-we could save many children's lives (and others).

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 49m

Forgive me for being uninterested in "solutions" proposed by someone who fails to acknowledge the magnitude of the problem.

Since you claim to be a lawyer, can you explain on what grounds gun manufacturers should be exempt from liability for all those deaths? How about changing that law?

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 1h

Maybe because guns are the leading cause of child death in America? That a huge number of those dead children were shot by accident or in suicide? That this doesn't happen anywhere else on earth?

"Prudery"!? What an infuriating lack of human decency.

publichealth.jhu.edu/center-for-g...

Annual Gun Violence Data | Center for Gun Violence Solutions

publichealth.jhu.edu

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 1h

Another cry of pain from the national security side of the house... www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

Reposted by Larry Hunter

Microsoft Research @msftresearch.bsky.social · 14h

In “Ideas,” collaborators Eric Horvitz, Bruce Wittmann, Tessa Alexanian, & James Diggans discuss a red-teaming effort that exposed & secured a biosecurity vulnerability in AI-driven protein design—& what the work shows about managing AI’s dual-use risks. msft.it/6010sLYsr

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 6h

This is a very cool paper, both in the results and the methodology. And Nicole put it up again (I missed it the first time) because she is recruiting students to do more of this....

Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · 9h

And here's a preprint:

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

The representation of mood in primate anterior insular cortex

Understanding how the brain reflects and shapes mood requires resolving the disconnect between behavioral measures of mood that can only be made in humans (typically based on subjective reports of hap...

www.biorxiv.org

Reposted by Larry Hunter

Nicole Rust @nicolecrust.bsky.social · 9h

Please spread the word! I am recruiting a PhD student this cycle (Fall 2026 start) to join my team in a new venture: the neuroscience of mood.

If you are curious to learn more, this short talk provides a good overview of why, what and how.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjIK...

Nicole Rust - The representation of mood in the primate insula (May 6, 2025)

YouTube video by Simons Foundation

www.youtube.com

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 6h

Not in my portfolio, but not crazy. Note however that it's at all-time (inflation adjusted) highs and can fall a lot if the US economy falters. Also, taking physical possession comes with many added costs, and proxies are not always reliable.

www.macrotrends.net/1333/histori...

Gold Prices - 100 Year Historical Chart

Interactive chart of historical data for real (inflation-adjusted) gold prices per ounce back to 1915. The series is deflated using the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) with the most recent month a...

www.macrotrends.net

Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 6h

The entire AI boom is listed on the US stock exchange, so non-US assets (equities, real estate, bonds) are a good place to start.

Although there is now a risk that BLS statistics will be cooked, TIPS are another good alternative that might benefit from electricity prices going through the roof.

Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 6h

Had a weird idea for a pizza: sliced up garlic stuffed olives. Combined them with cherry tomatoes from the garden, and it's delicious!

Pizza with halved cherry tomatoes and little rounds of green olive with garlic inside them. Lots of char...

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Reposted by Larry Hunter

Gary Schwitzer @garyschw.bsky.social · 10h

6 former Surgeons General said, "We took an oath to declare dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today." www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Opinion | Six surgeons general: It’s our duty to warn the nation about RFK Jr.

We took an oath to declare dangers when we found them. We’re doing that again today.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 7h

Coolest night of my teen years for sure! I had dinner with him at my favorite Hollywood Blvd hot dog stand! He was the opener that night, with Mink DeVille and Elvis Costello topping the bill.

The EC set was released as an album. Brings back bodily memories! open.spotify.com/album/6FMx94...

Live At Hollywood High

open.spotify.com

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 8h

I saw him perform it live at Hollywood High in 1978.

"She was a winner who became a doggy's dinner" was one of my teenage favorite lyrics.

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 8h

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_-G...

Nick Lowe - "Marie Provost" (Official Audio)

YouTube video by Yep Roc Records

www.youtube.com

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 8h

The Oatmeal has an interesting take on AI art. While I don't disagree with his "process" argument, Bob Duke offers a counterpoint based on A.N. Whitehead's Rhythm of Education, namely that the "process" part too often ends up dominating. Maybe *judicious* use of AI? www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtjz...

Slide titled "The Rhythm of Education -- A.N. Whitehead" showing a path from "romance" at the bottom to "generalization" at the top, passing through "precision" in the middle." Light blue type on gradient blue background.

Same as the first slide, except the "Precision" in the middle is now much larger than everything else.

Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 9h

That was NOT my intent! His time at UT Austin (e.g. conceptual dependency theory in his PhD thesis) was important. His academic contributions were ultimately overshadowed by his bad behavior (e.g. defense of his friend and neighbor Epstein), but I think still important and worth noting.

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Reposted by Larry Hunter

Ramon Astudillo @ramon-astudillo.bsky.social · 10h

(repost welcome) The Generative Model Alignment team at IBM Research is looking for next summer interns! Two candidates for two topics

🍰Reinforcement Learning environments for LLMs

🐎Speculative and non-auto regressive generation for LLMs

interested/curious? DM or email [email protected]

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 10h

Haven't seen much mention of my thesis advisor Roger Schank since his death last year. His important early career contributions were ultimately overshadowed by his tragic personal failures.

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 10h

This was an inspired poast! I have learned about so many interesting foods...

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 1d

What foods do you love that you fully acknowledge make you a pervert for loving them?

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Reposted by Larry Hunter

Paul Bonanos @biobonanos.bsky.social · 10h

Months after RFK Jr and Marty Makary pushed Peter Marks out of FDA, the former CBER director has taken an SVP role at Lilly. @steveusdin.bsky.social has the scoop in @biocentury.bsky.social.

Former CBER Director Marks joins Lilly

Peter Marks has joined Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY) as SVP for molecule discovery and head of infectious diseases, marking his return to industry after ne...

www.biocentury.com

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 10h

Orca causal learning: "We have to see this almost like that game of rope... The rudder is actually a fundamental part of steering the boat. And by playing with the rudder, they are effectively changing the direction of the boat and it seems to trigger interest," www.euronews.com/green/2025/1...

www.euronews.com

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 1d

Great read for many reasons, but I SO identify with the stories from Tim Wu about their youth. We had such hope...

Joe Bernstein @bernstein.bsky.social · 1d

The award-winning novelist and veteran tech activist Cory Doctorow has written millions of words in his nearly four-decade career. Now he's best known for a single one: "Enshittification." How did he get here? My profile: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/b...

A Powerhouse Writer Found One Word to Change the Debate About Tech

www.nytimes.com

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 1d

American scientists are in a world of hurt, despondent about the destruction of a system that has been so important to humanity.

But the pain felt by national security professionals witnessing destruction of our professional military is existential.

And terrifying.

othermeans.io/p/expert-in-...

Expert in a Dying Field

The Breaking of the Bipartisan Military Consensus

othermeans.io

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 1d

One could argue our contemporary air traffic control problems began on August 3rd, 1981, the day PATCO went on strike. Reagan fired them all, the union was decertified, and it's been downhill ever since.

Wish me luck, I hope to be flying on Saturday...

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Larry Hunter @proflhunter.bsky.social · 1d

Great statement from Berg here on staying true to our values as scientists. Complements nicely the comments President of the University of Chicago made this morning to the faculty Senate about how we will stay true to our values in what Alivisatos called "an unprecedented and dangerous time."

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 1d

I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...

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jeremymberg.github.io