purrtrandrussell
@purrtrand-russell.bsky.social
Fully automated luxury queer space georgist into effective altruism, liberalism, and feminism. More of a nyan-binary than a catgirl. I accept every pronoun but "it" but mostly use "they" for myself. I try to post good news and actionable information
Pinned
Pinned skeets
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
i spiraled over the fascists trying to pin the kirk shooting on us fearing it could even lead to pogroms but his death is already totally out of the news cycle. important to note when things don’t turn out as bad as they could, they’re not omnipotent
October 30, 2025 at 9:11 PM
i spiraled over the fascists trying to pin the kirk shooting on us fearing it could even lead to pogroms but his death is already totally out of the news cycle. important to note when things don’t turn out as bad as they could, they’re not omnipotent
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
This is a great essay. One thing that doesn't get specifically mentioned here is how this relates to the social media habit of sharing quote dunks and articles you hate, as a way of trying to discredit the ideas behind them.
A lot of people go crazy on
andymasley.substack.com/p/the-main-w...
A lot of people go crazy on
andymasley.substack.com/p/the-main-w...
The main way I've seen people turn ideologically crazy
Don't update positively on your extremist beliefs whenever you hear a bad argument against them
andymasley.substack.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:31 PM
This is a great essay. One thing that doesn't get specifically mentioned here is how this relates to the social media habit of sharing quote dunks and articles you hate, as a way of trying to discredit the ideas behind them.
A lot of people go crazy on
andymasley.substack.com/p/the-main-w...
A lot of people go crazy on
andymasley.substack.com/p/the-main-w...
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
This is correct, in part - as the grim, military historian in me feels the need to note - it is psychologically much harder to get soldiers to open fire on people they view as 'respectable.'
And I dread, with grim increasingly certainty, that we are headed to a point where that matters.
And I dread, with grim increasingly certainty, that we are headed to a point where that matters.
protests against this government should include white Boomer grandmothers who meet for pilates class, get a pitcher of mimosas & walk together to the public space
we need people in the street who think everyone can talk their way out of a speeding ticket, they're key to winning
we need people in the street who think everyone can talk their way out of a speeding ticket, they're key to winning
October 13, 2025 at 4:08 AM
This is correct, in part - as the grim, military historian in me feels the need to note - it is psychologically much harder to get soldiers to open fire on people they view as 'respectable.'
And I dread, with grim increasingly certainty, that we are headed to a point where that matters.
And I dread, with grim increasingly certainty, that we are headed to a point where that matters.
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
Every day I find a new way of trying to get across just how ridiculously fake the problem of AI water use is
October 9, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Every day I find a new way of trying to get across just how ridiculously fake the problem of AI water use is
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
It is really important that environmentalists be numerate.
We are not going to turn off civilization, we are trying to sculpt it into a more benevolent shape, so it is essential that we accurately perceive that shape.
We are not going to turn off civilization, we are trying to sculpt it into a more benevolent shape, so it is essential that we accurately perceive that shape.
MPU has become one of the biggest sources of false ideas about data center water use on the internet andymasley.substack.com/p/more-perfe...
More Perfect Union videos are wildly deceptive on data center water use
They're misinforming their huge audience and making the data center debate much worse
andymasley.substack.com
September 28, 2025 at 5:47 PM
It is really important that environmentalists be numerate.
We are not going to turn off civilization, we are trying to sculpt it into a more benevolent shape, so it is essential that we accurately perceive that shape.
We are not going to turn off civilization, we are trying to sculpt it into a more benevolent shape, so it is essential that we accurately perceive that shape.
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
I am now starting to suspect that people doom posting themselves into saying it doesn't matter that Trump is wildly unpopular because he is going to do a dictatorship are themselves an op. Dictatorships aren't stable by magic, they need people to buy in and go along with them. This matters.
Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to -17 in our tracker, the worst of his second term www.economist.com/interactive/...
September 16, 2025 at 8:25 PM
I am now starting to suspect that people doom posting themselves into saying it doesn't matter that Trump is wildly unpopular because he is going to do a dictatorship are themselves an op. Dictatorships aren't stable by magic, they need people to buy in and go along with them. This matters.
The effects of social media on society have been distorted by the presence of Russian state actors actively promoting reactionary propaganda and deliberately trying to break down solidarity without a counter-acting group of paid workers on the progressive side.
August 17, 2025 at 3:03 AM
The effects of social media on society have been distorted by the presence of Russian state actors actively promoting reactionary propaganda and deliberately trying to break down solidarity without a counter-acting group of paid workers on the progressive side.
I often hear it claimed that Democrats are losing votes because of silly leftists going viral. Is there any evidence for this? Have there been opinion surveys, etc.? This isn't a rhetorical question.
August 3, 2025 at 1:02 AM
I often hear it claimed that Democrats are losing votes because of silly leftists going viral. Is there any evidence for this? Have there been opinion surveys, etc.? This isn't a rhetorical question.
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
Powerful essay from Marcus Davis, CEO of Rethink Priorities, on his personal experience with lead exposure and his work today fighting lead poisoning around the world
amarcusdavis.substack.com/p/how-my-ch...
amarcusdavis.substack.com/p/how-my-ch...
June 27, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Powerful essay from Marcus Davis, CEO of Rethink Priorities, on his personal experience with lead exposure and his work today fighting lead poisoning around the world
amarcusdavis.substack.com/p/how-my-ch...
amarcusdavis.substack.com/p/how-my-ch...
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
My chart on the history of three infectious diseases — smallpox, polio, and measles — before and after a vaccine was available.
June 26, 2025 at 9:40 PM
My chart on the history of three infectious diseases — smallpox, polio, and measles — before and after a vaccine was available.
There's a lot going on in the world, so I want to post positive things. 1 like = 1 happy memory
June 26, 2025 at 10:41 PM
There's a lot going on in the world, so I want to post positive things. 1 like = 1 happy memory
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
“It saves less than even the ‘small stuff’ that we can do, like recycling, reusing plastic bags and replacing our lightbulbs. These are worth doing, by the way, but not at the expense of the big stuff like diet, cars, home heating, and flights, which can often save tonnes of CO2 a year.”
What's the carbon footprint of using ChatGPT?
Very small compared to most of the other stuff you do.
www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com
May 6, 2025 at 6:40 AM
“It saves less than even the ‘small stuff’ that we can do, like recycling, reusing plastic bags and replacing our lightbulbs. These are worth doing, by the way, but not at the expense of the big stuff like diet, cars, home heating, and flights, which can often save tonnes of CO2 a year.”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUED...
Modern Iranian + Ancient Greek fusion music by Farya Faraji
@timfduffy.com
Modern Iranian + Ancient Greek fusion music by Farya Faraji
@timfduffy.com
The Seleucids - Epic Music
YouTube video by Farya Faraji
www.youtube.com
May 7, 2025 at 3:40 PM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUED...
Modern Iranian + Ancient Greek fusion music by Farya Faraji
@timfduffy.com
Modern Iranian + Ancient Greek fusion music by Farya Faraji
@timfduffy.com
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
a propos of all these crank leftists complaining that there wasn't enough property damage yesterday, dusting off my essay about the civil rights movement (and how they won without burning down any walmarts)
www.liberalcurrents.com/how-to-win-a...
www.liberalcurrents.com/how-to-win-a...
How to Win a Rigged Game
The Civil Rights Movement is worth studying not just because they were right, but because they won.
www.liberalcurrents.com
April 6, 2025 at 12:49 PM
a propos of all these crank leftists complaining that there wasn't enough property damage yesterday, dusting off my essay about the civil rights movement (and how they won without burning down any walmarts)
www.liberalcurrents.com/how-to-win-a...
www.liberalcurrents.com/how-to-win-a...
Happy TDOV everyone! I'm nonbinary trans and I have hope that, once this dark moment has passed, things will get better for trans people. Eventually, a critical mass of people will realize we aren't that interesting.
April 1, 2025 at 4:55 AM
Happy TDOV everyone! I'm nonbinary trans and I have hope that, once this dark moment has passed, things will get better for trans people. Eventually, a critical mass of people will realize we aren't that interesting.
news.utexas.edu/2024/07/31/a...
Obviously, like all existing applications of LLMs, these still needs to go through human oversight, testing, etc. before it can be confirmed but the potential for LLMs to speed up drug discovery is still promising
#goodNews
Obviously, like all existing applications of LLMs, these still needs to go through human oversight, testing, etc. before it can be confirmed but the potential for LLMs to speed up drug discovery is still promising
#goodNews
AI Opens Door to Safe, Effective New Antibiotics to Combat Resistant Bacteria
In a hopeful sign for safe, effective antibiotics for humans, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have leveraged artificial intelligence to
news.utexas.edu
March 31, 2025 at 6:07 PM
news.utexas.edu/2024/07/31/a...
Obviously, like all existing applications of LLMs, these still needs to go through human oversight, testing, etc. before it can be confirmed but the potential for LLMs to speed up drug discovery is still promising
#goodNews
Obviously, like all existing applications of LLMs, these still needs to go through human oversight, testing, etc. before it can be confirmed but the potential for LLMs to speed up drug discovery is still promising
#goodNews
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
Amidst all the hell we're now experiencing, it seems important to note that if Trump pulled Stefanik's nomination and Musk is trying to buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, then clearly elections still matter and *we* should respond in kind.
March 29, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Amidst all the hell we're now experiencing, it seems important to note that if Trump pulled Stefanik's nomination and Musk is trying to buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, then clearly elections still matter and *we* should respond in kind.
BREAKING: Louisianans just rejected a ballot measure that would have paved the way for more children to be prosecuted as adults.
It lost by roughly 30%.
Here’s how a supporter had justified it: “Some of these kids are already lost when they’re two years old.” Context: boltsmag.org/louisiana-am...
It lost by roughly 30%.
Here’s how a supporter had justified it: “Some of these kids are already lost when they’re two years old.” Context: boltsmag.org/louisiana-am...
“Some of These Kids Are Already Lost When They’re Two Years Old” - Bolts
Louisiana leaders want more leeway to charge kids as adults. A measure on the March 29 ballot would enable lawmakers to move more teenagers into the adult criminal system.
boltsmag.org
March 30, 2025 at 5:21 AM
It's fascinating that you can not only have a different gender ID than your ASAB, but a different sex phenotype ID from your gender ID. I wonder whether sex dysphoric enbies are to binary trans people what non-dysphoric enbies are to cis people, or if these are separate phenomena altogether.
Solidarity between all transfem enbies who are mad their tits aren't big enough to be worth binding and transmasc enbies who are annoyed that they barely have any body hair to remove. We must stand together in our difficult-to-explain dysphorias.
March 30, 2025 at 12:41 AM
It's fascinating that you can not only have a different gender ID than your ASAB, but a different sex phenotype ID from your gender ID. I wonder whether sex dysphoric enbies are to binary trans people what non-dysphoric enbies are to cis people, or if these are separate phenomena altogether.
Solidarity between all transfem enbies who are mad their tits aren't big enough to be worth binding and transmasc enbies who are annoyed that they barely have any body hair to remove. We must stand together in our difficult-to-explain dysphorias.
March 29, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Solidarity between all transfem enbies who are mad their tits aren't big enough to be worth binding and transmasc enbies who are annoyed that they barely have any body hair to remove. We must stand together in our difficult-to-explain dysphorias.
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
Yeah there's a habit people fall into, maybe it's a self protective thing, where they treat any hope or long term planning as hopelessly naive. Don't do that. I think we all know things are very bad, doing cynicism one-upmanship doesn't help anything.
March 27, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Yeah there's a habit people fall into, maybe it's a self protective thing, where they treat any hope or long term planning as hopelessly naive. Don't do that. I think we all know things are very bad, doing cynicism one-upmanship doesn't help anything.
This is also true of other serious threats to the world, including risks from AI, global warming, surveillance, and so forth. All of the value you have available is in the timeline where all hope isn't lost, so you should focus on what you can do in the timeline where it isn't.
March 27, 2025 at 6:48 PM
This is also true of other serious threats to the world, including risks from AI, global warming, surveillance, and so forth. All of the value you have available is in the timeline where all hope isn't lost, so you should focus on what you can do in the timeline where it isn't.
Reposted by purrtrandrussell
Read more about how climate change affects the timing of crop harvests, and what we can do to adapt in a warming world: ourworldindata.org/climate-chan...
Climate change will affect food production, but here are the things we can do to adapt
Adapting planting dates, selecting better crop varieties, and increasing access to irrigation and fertilizers could offset potential declines in crop yields.
ourworldindata.org
March 26, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Read more about how climate change affects the timing of crop harvests, and what we can do to adapt in a warming world: ourworldindata.org/climate-chan...