Chris Brockett

@chrisbrockett.bsky.social

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Data janitor at Microsoft Research. Tsundoku expert. Leftover linguist, trying to shoehorn LLMs into gaming. Picking over the debris field of Natural Language Processing. Cognition. Japanese literature.

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Chris Brockett

A linguistics study in Antarctica "Antarctica, like outer-space, is known as an ICE environment – isolated, confined and extreme – meaning unlike other isolated communities, the rate of change for its vocabulary can be slower." SFF world-builders take note. www.theguardian.com/world/articl...

Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slangwww.theguardian.com Dr Steph Kaefer spent three weeks documenting unique colloquialisms on the frozen continent after newcomers were struck by the distinctive vocabulary

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Chris Brockett

Incredibly cool linguistics research by Dr Steph Kaepfer out of University of Canterbury! 🧪

This is a smart essay, definitely worth reading by anyone interested in digital creativity (or the lack thereof).

The second piece, which I thought was well worth reading, is by a Cornell literature prof who runs the Humanities Lab, Laurent Dubreuil, and focuses on AI-and-art-and-creativity questions.

Metal Machine Music, by Laurent Dubreuilharpers.org Can AI think creatively? Can we?

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Chris Brockett

like there's a 2d acoustic waveguide 700 feet under the ocean that spans the entire globe and distributes low frequency sounds over thousands of miles and whales use it as a chat line, fuckin' a

there's probably something meaningful about the fact that for the past week and a half or so I've only been interested in learning about things that happen deep under the ocean. anyhow the SOFAR channel: cool as hell!

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Chris Brockett

Ever wondered where the first ever stars came from? www.sciencefocus.com/comment/jame... 🔭🧪

Here’s how we're understanding the origins of the first stars in the Universewww.sciencefocus.com The James Webb Space Telescope is helping us learn more about the formation of the earliest stars in the Universe.

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Chris Brockett

What a fascinating mix of iconographies!

Fascinating site they’re excavating in Egypt on the Red Sea.

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Chris Brockett

my friend asked the other day how i planned to cover the growing fascism here and i said “i guess continue writing about it til i’m sent to prison? lol” it was a flip thing to say but it’s hard to imagine ever stopping. or fleeing. i’m feeling not quite patriotic, but protective of this country.

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Chris Brockett

Textbook authors told climate change references must be cut to get Florida’s OK The directive appears similar to requirements the state imposed on math and social studies textbooks said to include “critical race theory” and “social justice” material www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/07/05/t...

Textbook authors told climate change references must be cut to get Florida’s OKwww.orlandosentinel.com The action appears similar to requirements the state imposed on math and social studies textbooks said to include “critical race theory” and “social justice” material. The s…

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Chris Brockett

I will bang this drum forever: in THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE FREE: THE GERMANS, 1933-45 Milton Mayer interviewed 10 ordinary Germans after WW2 to learn how fascism took hold. There was never a moment when everyone woke up:

if you’re waiting for everyone around you to wake up, you’ll wait forever. this is how the people grinding our bones to make their bread WANT you to be. paralyzed, alienated & purposeless

Florida fascism fully functional.

Reply to

Steve Silberman

Wenn das der Führer wüsste...

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Chris Brockett

Reply to

Brendan O’Kane

Will keep it in mind... but at present we're a hair's breadth from having to fold... even with offering 30% off our Hightower as an intro sales are atrocious... let's hope our direct sale specials will help keep us afloat quirinpress.com/direct-order... A book takes about 1000 hrs to bespoke 🥴

So why hasn't this scum been arrested and investigated by the Treasury for counterfeiting?

As a side note, this is John McEntee, Trump's Director of White House Personnel and the primary architect of Project 2025. On Tik Tok he said he gives counterfeit bills to homeless people so they will be arrested when they go to spend them.

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Chris Brockett

"Academics researching online misinformation in the US are learning a hard lesson: Academic freedom cannot be taken for granted." @rcalo.bsky.social & @katestarbird.bsky.social: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

American academic freedom is in perilwww.science.org Academics researching online misinformation in the US are learning a hard lesson: Academic freedom cannot be taken for granted. They face a concerted effort—including by members of Congress—to undermi...

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Chris Brockett

Reply to

William Adler

They don't want Biden in, as a person who used to specialize in research on this they want to prep a narrative for the fall of a technically illegitimate election. It's not a move to stop it, it's a move to delegitimize.

I suspect one learns these things mostly by learning Latin and French, the old fashioned way, by contrastive grammar and translation. And that, TBH, is what they are good for.

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Chris Brockett

国立国会図書館デジタルコレクションに図書及び新聞約14.3万点を追加║カレントアウェアネス・ポータル https://current.ndl.go.jp/car/222380

国立国会図書館デジタルコレクションに図書及び新聞約14.3万点を追加 | カレントアウェアネス・ポータルcurrent.ndl.go.jp 2024年6月、国立国会図書館（NDL）は、国立国会図書館デジタルコレクションに図書及び新聞約14.3万点を追加しました。図書のうち著作権の問題がない資料などは、インターネット公開で提供します。今回公開する資料については、現時点では全文検

wenn das der Führer wüsste-- if only the Führer knew about it.

The ramped-up hits on Project 2025 must be landing — Trump just shoved it right in front of the bus

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Chris Brockett

"she's a witch!" #trump2024 #democracy

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Chris Brockett

Reply to

Don Moynihan

Russ Vought, the head of the Center for Renewing America and another key player in Project 2025 was Trumps head of the Office of Management and Budget, and tipped to be his next Chief of Staff. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/a-weaponiz...

A "weaponization of government" trope explainerdonmoynihan.substack.com Another linguistic ruse by the people who actually want to weaponize government

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Chris Brockett

Reply to

Don Moynihan

A key player in Project 2025 is Trump's former Director of Presidential Personnel Johnny McEntee. He is doing for Project 2025 what he was doing for Trump: screening federal employees for political loyalty. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/trumps-loy...

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Chris Brockett

Reply to

Don Moynihan

All of these guys leading Project 2025 were Trump White House officials. Paul Dans was closely involved in implementing Schedule F. The head of Heritage, Kevin Roberts, was selected as a pro-MAGA leader. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-public...

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Chris Brockett

Reply to

David Hull 胡大衛

Are you aware of this book? Really fun. #typography Vol 1: shop.posterhouse.org/hanzi-kanji-... Vol 2: victionary.com/products/han...

Hanzi•Kanji•Hanja 2victionary.com Hanzi•Kanji•Hanja 2Graphic Design with Contemporary Chinese Typography The age of the internet and media have brought about a growing interest in Asian culture and its various languages across the reg...

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Chris Brockett

“When you’re MAGA they let you do it.” (“it” = murder the political opposition)

The Texas parole board has unanimously recommended a pardon for ex-Army sergeant Daniel Perry, who was convicted of murder for the 2020 killing of Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster

Texas parole board recommends pardon for Daniel Perry, convicted of killing BLM protesterwww.statesman.com A Texas parole board unanimously recommended a pardon for Daniel Perry, convicted of murder for the death of Garrett Foster during 2020 protests.

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Chris Brockett

Reply to

The chicken lady

For a long time the most disliked company in the US was a cable TV provider (Comcast) infamous for its lousy service and high prices. The late conservative government is what happens when you let the kind of people who run Comcast run a country.

Reply to

Paisley P. Peinforte

The Heritage Foundation is already, and very publicly, working on a purge list of DHS officials. It will be easier for Trump to turn DHS into a personal militia than the armed forces.

It will also suffice, with a little help from folks like Erik Prince, who will doubtless be happy to do a little business, Prigozhin-style

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Chris Brockett

Timothy Snyder: open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

How to Stop Fascismopen.substack.com Five Lessons of the Nazi Takeover

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Chris Brockett

Third Thursday Lecture - Join us for "City life and salon culture in Kyoto and Osaka, 1770-1900" by Dr Akiko Yano @britishmuseum on 18 July, 6-7pm BST at Norwich Cathedral Hostry & online. Explore Edo period salons & art! Free, booking essential. Register: us06web.zoom.us/webi...

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Chris Brockett

If you’ve never seen Dorothea Lange’s photographs of the World War II internment camps and the Japanese-Americans who were imprisoned there, today is a good day to see them and to commit to making sure this never happens again. anchoreditions.com/blog/dorothe...