2026-10-28T04:59:05Z https://nostr.now Carl T. Bergstrom https://nostr.now/npub1akyq5qrpenvyydhyduwvme8mpr93wmz2aq2cn6mu5ru0z5pkwnhq6aer57 https://fediscience.org/system/accounts/avatars/109/288/529/387/803/787/original/1838be3dac95cf08.jpg https://fediscience.org/system/accounts/avatars/109/288/529/387/803/787/original/1838be3dac95cf08.jpg https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxxcv6r39pvu679lec3mcwfrd4lwwyyygqpvz9p078exsulh9el3czyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wupsejxc 1. Today I learned that my collaborator <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/npub1d4ttyzyjhhk22vha2wkq6p5z2tnmruqaae6t7lxh9h24m074kqfqx2k7km" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>Jay 钻升 Falk</span> (<span class="italic">npub1d4t…k7km</span>)</a></span> had his NSF postdoctoral position terminated in yesterday&#39;s round of cuts. <br/><br/>Jay is the lead author on a fascinating paper I was involved in, about how male mimicry by female hummingbirds provides the first example of a type of signaling system that we predicted from theoretical principles over a decade ago. <br/><br/>This is infuriating. <br/><br/>And I believe it&#39;s due to anti-trans bias.<br/><br/>Why do I say that? <br/><br/>A small fraction of the female birds of this species — and in fact, many other hummingbird species as well — adopt male plumage. It&#39;s a fascinating phenomenon and probably evolved because that females with male plumage are less likely to be chased away form food sources.<br/><br/>Photo: Michel Gutierrez, Macaulay Library.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/114/406/151/284/552/661/original/3222c46ce40ce3d8.png"> <br/> 2025-04-26T20:31:05Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfxhyqnuvr9apj9zqtt3gmc5h5879k3k2vazuj5k9mk6ws89qq85szyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuu79pu9 New buddy flick just dropped.<br/><br/>#crows<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/114/372/277/258/601/264/original/b50954dfb190f81e.png"> <br/> 2025-04-20T20:54:31Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs06xv374aq8wtwj8g8ywcqa2c8ectgj9evf962mumym34hl6uujgszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuswdj03 Pelagic cormorant.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/114/232/376/321/347/418/original/fc2227a1c68d0802.jpg"> <br/> 2025-03-27T03:55:44Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsf0zmlej2ecxdt7su5udgagncltvpuqzgqt3hr0mgymqkgz6q5kcgzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wumkn0qm In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqswz96euzsxnahx5enmzts3ll7hqh2ua3c7py6cuwmvqgvw4tgp9kqd2kn2u'>nevent1q…kn2u</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>3. Attacks like Vought describes may make cowards and grifters of his ilk want to stay home, but they make us all the more determined to show up and fight.<br/><br/>Science is bigger than Chris Rufo.<br/><br/>It&#39;s bigger than Russell Vought. <br/><br/>It&#39;s bigger than Elon Musk. <br/><br/>It&#39;s bigger than Donald Trump. <br/><br/>It&#39;s bigger than the United States of America.<br/><br/>Like art, music, philosophy, and literature, science is literally part of humanity&#39;s heritage. <br/><br/>My colleagues and I have had the amazing opportunity to be part of something vastly larger than ourselves, with meaning that transcends any state, regime, or generation. <br/><br/>They can&#39;t take that away.<br/><br/>And anyone who has been part of this grand humanist tradition is someone who will not lie down and cower before these sad bullies. <br/><br/>I don&#39;t know what happens to science in the US over the next four years, but I have no doubt as to where the arc of history bends. <br/><br/>We aren&#39;t going anywhere.<br/><br/>fin 2025-03-21T01:12:20Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswz96euzsxnahx5enmzts3ll7hqh2ua3c7py6cuwmvqgvw4tgp9kqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wujepnaj In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgxczdhejqa20e5tplrzzrgkdtf03tfkvmd306ar0qzd7zmgzacsqh2h86f'>nevent1q…h86f</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>2. Nor is there any way we will be able to continue teaching our students with the individualized attention and care that has been a hallmark of our department for decades. <br/><br/>Every day brings new deliberations about how to handle catastrophic cuts and make the best of a terrible situation.<br/><br/>My colleagues are afraid. Our work is scrutinized for forbidden words like &#34;gender&#34; and &#34;climate&#34;. The pipeline of talent has been cut off. We can no longer train graduate students and postdocs. These are individual dreams crushed, causing collective damage that will take generations to undo.<br/><br/>In short, we feel under attack. 

<br/><br/>I think daily about Russell Vought&#39;s plan for bureaucrats.

“When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work, because they are increasingly viewed as the villains. We want their funding to be shut down…We want to put them in trauma.”<br/><br/>And Chris Rufo’s plan for universities: &#34;A medium- or long-term goal of mine is to figure out how to adjust the formula of finances from the federal government to the universities in a way that puts them in an existential terror.&#34;<br/><br/>This is the reality of being an academic in the United States today.<br/><br/>But Vought and Rufo are missing something. <br/><br/>We aren&#39;t cowards. <br/><br/>And we know we are not the enemies of the American people either, much as these ideologues might like to claim that. 2025-03-21T01:08:16Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgxczdhejqa20e5tplrzzrgkdtf03tfkvmd306ar0qzd7zmgzacsqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuc3ha9w 1. For the past thirty years I&#39;ve had the best job in the world.<br/><br/>
I&#39;ve had the opportunity to follow my curiosity; explore the workings of nature and society; mentor students and junior colleagues in the same process; and teach generations of students about it all.<br/><br/>Curiosity-driven research isn&#39;t just fun; it led us to develop tools that thousands of scientists use to find meaningful patterns in massive datasets (e.g. www.mapequation.org). 



<br/><br/>Separately, I&#39;ve had the opportunity to be part of the largest collective intellectual effort in human history.<br/><br/>In 2020, the scientific community came together—remotely, by necessity—in response to the COVID pandemic, to understand how this disease spreads and what that it does to people, to find of returning life to a semblance of normal amidst a pandemic, to develop a vaccine in record time.<br/><br/>And I&#39;ve been able to teach 1000s of students. I&#39;ve written a popular textbook about evolution; developed a class and book about critical thinking that is used around the world; and most recently launched a humanities course about LLMs that will be taught at scores of schools in the fall.<br/><br/>But right now my job doesn&#39;t feel like the best job in the world. 

Targeted attacks on university funding have put every US institution into a severe crisis. As of now, there is no way we will be able to continue doing the biomedical research, the conservation science, etc. that we always have. 2025-03-21T01:04:34Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8wcqq847x9q6jn4u0l2x5e2yv3g3pdd82a9g75chcyft6zw9ga6qzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wukmn90x The New York Times just discovered parallel computing.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/114/179/110/778/010/340/original/bc9e8dc6960dba00.png"> <br/> 2025-03-17T18:10:29Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqspcr7py70kdr9nk7ylemh7pfafffhujtm7lkk8tzzhnvn2jessvzczyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wukc9vxd This excellent interactive tutorial on misleading data visualizations explores the idea of a &#34;counter chart&#34; — the graph you draw in response to refute a misleading claims. <br/><br/><a href="https://flowingdata.com/projects/dishonest-charts/">https://flowingdata.com/projects/dishonest-charts/</a> 2025-02-15T22:47:29Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqst7c25gyqy0aw69pm8jlsnpa3826esk6j2t0srvsulm302epaecmgzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu8djl5u Goddamn. I guess I missed my chance to post owl.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/978/159/876/707/478/original/e62f10340c89e605.png"> <br/> 2025-02-10T06:25:10Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp8mk849hyanq00mf693lr6jn3d7p6gfp4ptfzqjf4uca6pm9zfqszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wunc2ves In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs98qhprrrgzlw3phkfrmn6eramen5s7ef3tgycjhnjpla5acdvd5sdm2yt2'>nevent1q…2yt2</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>When I was in graduate school, nothing in the world felt more important to me than publishing a paper in the scientific literature. It was not about getting a job or competing with my peers. It was about being part of something vastly larger than myself and profoundly meaningful human history.<br/><br/>I still remember the feeling of peace I felt when I made it happen. Even if I never achieved my dreams of being a research scientist, I had been able to contribute, in however tiny a way, to a community stretching over countless generations and striving toward a common and profoundly meaningful aim.<br/><br/>Thinking back on all this I better understand the pain I feel to see science under devastating attack here. It’s not just about my livelihood or my university. It’s about my identity. And it’s about a pursuit that I see as standing along with art, literature, and music as among our highest callings.<br/><br/>(2/2) 2025-02-09T03:48:59Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs98qhprrrgzlw3phkfrmn6eramen5s7ef3tgycjhnjpla5acdvd5szyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu20urvh I’ve been seething and grieving since yesterday’s Friday Night Massacre of NIH overheads, a seeming bit of bureaucratic trivial that will in fact destroy the US university system if unchecked. But I want to get away from budgets and rate breakdowns and F&amp;A percentages for a moment. <br/><br/>Humor me?<br/><br/>From the time I was seven years old, I have wanted to be a scientist. The wonders of the universe, the delights of biodiversity, the cryptic secrets of number theory — I fell in love with these worlds and marveled that there was a role in our society for people who worked to uncover and share them.<br/><br/>Science, I realized, gave us superpowers. We evolved sensory capabilities consistent with our physical scale and temporal experience. But with science, we can understand what happened in the femtoseconds after the Big Bang, the molecular basis of inheritance, time dilation at the edge of a black hole, a 4 billion-year story of life on earth.<br/><br/>(1/2) 2025-02-09T03:48:26Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsx2h3uhum0ph7hqx9vvqk3qsq5j6zmze23e2ra4j9q2f66wkdvg5szyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuu3yh23 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9v04tng0gq0d4ly9rg5wj0qqvc4efdsy7rc47n5erxfwzny2ws3gza2jdr'>nevent1q…2jdr</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Our viewpoint is cautious, but not deflationary.<br/><br/>We marvel at what LLMs can do and how amazing they can seem at times—but we also recognize the huge potential for abuse, we chafe at the excessive hype around their capabilities, and we worry about how they will change society.<br/><br/>Some may feel we are lenient by not unequivocally condemning the use of LLMs.<br/><br/>We&#39;ve given it a huge amount of thought, and we don&#39;t want to lecture *at* students about the evils of genAI.<br/><br/>We don&#39;t think that works. Students use LLMs already; we want them to discover the problems for themselves.<br/><br/>Each lesson will be supplemented with 5 to 10 minutes of optional video discussion. Video for the first two lessons is already available. We will be posting additional episodes to accompany the rest of the lessons on a rolling basis throughout the next few months.<br/><br/>We also intend to develop further instructional materials and would love suggestions and requests. <br/><br/>Instructors, what would be useful? Exercises? PowerPoint slides? A more extensive instructor guide? Something else?<br/><br/>We want to make it easy for you to use the course in your classroom.<br/><br/>The course is very much a work in progress we will be adjusting and adapting and revising in the months to come. <br/><br/>We are eager to hear what you think and will be very grateful for any feedback you might have. <br/><br/>Thank you so much,<br/>Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/959/019/806/612/274/original/91c0f766b9e074ec.png"> <br/> 2025-02-06T21:17:50Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9v04tng0gq0d4ly9rg5wj0qqvc4efdsy7rc47n5erxfwzny2ws3gzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wugv55m8 Modern-Day Oracles or Bullshit Machines?<br/><br/>Jevin West and I have spent the last eight months developing the course on large language models (LLMs) that we think every college freshman needs to take. <br/><br/><a href="https://thebullshitmachines.com">https://thebullshitmachines.com</a><br/><br/>This is not a computer science course. <br/><br/>It’s a humanities course about how to learn and work and thrive in an AI world. <br/><br/>Neither instructor nor students need a technical background. Our instructor guide provides a choice of activities for each lesson that will easily fill an hour-long class.<br/><br/>The entire course is available freely online. Our 18 online lessons each take 5-10 minutes; each illuminates one core principle. They are suitable for self-study, but have been tailored for teaching in a flipped classroom.<br/><br/>The course is a sequel of sorts to our course (and book) Calling Bullshit. We hope that like its predecessor, it will be widely adopted worldwide.<br/><br/>Large language models are both powerful tools, and mindless—even dangerous—bullshit machines. We want students to explore how to resolve this dialectic.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/959/003/082/107/596/original/2bb1b51e7a0eb129.png"> <br/> 2025-02-06T21:14:54Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszjmxgwu7sl2qu9wakspa099gz7d6xnxhzvpjna6dau0zvexh9puqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuezlzhs An LLM &#34;creates textual claims, and then predicts the citations that might be associated with similar text. Obviously, this practice violates all norms of scholarly citation. <br/><br/>At best, LLMs gesticulate toward the shoulders of giants.&#34;<br/><br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/npub15xvq07ttjr063lkf99nvm62y74w9fgkhqsehg96ynjqpmh37uukqmq0jms" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>Prof. Emily M. Bender(she/her)</span> (<span class="italic">npub15xv…0jms</span>)</a></span> , Jevin West, and I contributed to this perspective piece in PNAS. We took a skeptical position; others are very much enthusiasts. Before you pillory me for some random quote in this article, we strongly disagree with some of the claims in the other perspectives. <br/><br/><a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2401227121">https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2401227121</a> 2025-01-28T02:09:25Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgfq5a2ndr5la6gptca3nc6qdllysvys5t2039rr79zpa0e05yxdszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuq5shlj 1984 / 2025<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/892/740/538/105/775/original/0af2962b475c85b4.png"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/892/740/661/812/093/original/fda49f1343340f03.png"> <br/> 2025-01-26T04:22:26Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsrxy8uvhgt6t02gc3asdw0ed8zfv2v9yvdgppl047p7dtluc8g3jczyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wugre7ys LLMs were a mistake.<br/><br/>The internet was a mistake.<br/><br/>Computers were a mistake.<br/><br/>Fuck, goddamn _people_ were a mistake.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>If you really hate yourself, listen to the AI voice they gave her: <a href="https://app.schoolai.com/spaces/cm4p9hqhb00136pwb270lqsem">https://app.schoolai.com/spaces/cm4p9hqhb00136pwb270lqsem</a><br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/841/985/946/005/172/original/24f730df5e6320d7.png"> <br/> 2025-01-17T05:15:09Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs865pc65dphq390xwaez6dhm9r68yafgyuys98mhvwqr98kjrtl3qzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu5aetxq Distracted boyfriend meme, but with ducks.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/823/069/117/480/467/original/e7d1884b8b502640.jpg"> <br/> 2025-01-13T21:04:13Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsf2m933d8fyeh34t9vd2sprrr4mfwynrjn6k2umfft4q6656qgn9gzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wurvtdgn Fuck the surveillance-industrial complex.<br/><br/><a href="https://gizmodo.com/facial-recognition-that-tracks-suspicious-friendliness-is-coming-to-a-store-near-you-2000519190?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us">https://gizmodo.com/facial-recognition-that-tracks-suspicious-friendliness-is-coming-to-a-store-near-you-2000519190?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us</a> 2024-11-04T03:24:57Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsy65a34gqv8cq97sd4l7qu8x8lvtvxsdf4gvwe56du8r9g7rayr7gzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu5r54ha In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0vn4awughrzp94vqg9dv9zpfhln6qwwqsm0try9njm8u80jjfs5q6n96qk'>nevent1q…96qk</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>There&#39;s an even bigger problem here, which is that at best these are summaries of output stages that are chained together in the model, NOT descriptions of the processes that generated those output stages.<br/><br/>OpenAI should be well aware that LLMs are not able to accurately report *why* they did something. They are only able to make up post-hoc rationalizations based on their context window including their output. <br/><br/>So these are at best guesses, not true descriptions of motivations or processes. 2024-10-14T20:25:41Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0vn4awughrzp94vqg9dv9zpfhln6qwwqsm0try9njm8u80jjfs5qzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu37ayy0 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgtgcz665lw7ztwuzx7456se73pxdakgqf50fjt5mgr263tkh5rjs5jtexp'>nevent1q…texp</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Look at the language. Over and over again, imputes a sort of cognitive agency that LLMs simply don&#39;t have. <br/><br/>&#34;I’m piecing together&#34;<br/><br/>&#34;I’m noting&#34; <br/><br/>&#34;I’m thinking through&#34;<br/><br/>&#34;I noticed that&#34;<br/><br/>&#34;Hmm, I’m thinking about&#34;<br/><br/>LLM&#39;s don&#39;t note, think, or notice. 2024-10-14T20:24:41Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgtgcz665lw7ztwuzx7456se73pxdakgqf50fjt5mgr263tkh5rjszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu5r09vv In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszr5scf2zrk423dj7w5s95s7h2equuzvxwwxmryxadec4j4h300dqgv6zys'>nevent1q…6zys</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>To be clear: I&#39;m not saying this is just fake &#34;loading&#34; screen. Each phrase corresponds in some sense to something the model is doing, and we can get more information about that (see below). <br/><br/>My problem is that these phrases are not accurate representations of what the system is doing.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/307/637/422/706/786/original/516d3e98c14abb6f.png"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/307/641/026/301/614/original/5affb53aaffb8123.png"> <br/> 2024-10-14T20:24:20Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszr5scf2zrk423dj7w5s95s7h2equuzvxwwxmryxadec4j4h300dqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wusdl9rh In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszr53a2hqnfwhm963m8rkwj4uexy8rnc45u9v5jp8vlsjtauw3z4s50dlj5'>nevent1q…dlj5</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>(The stats question is from a forthcoming book by Gary Smith at Pomona.) 2024-10-14T19:24:10Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszr53a2hqnfwhm963m8rkwj4uexy8rnc45u9v5jp8vlsjtauw3z4szyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wunhctk5 Whatever improvements ChatGPT o1-preview may have to offer, they&#39;ve introduced a whole new layer of bullshit with the &#34;status messages&#34; that make up nonsensical tasks that it pretends to be doing. <br/><br/>This matters—a lot—because this particular bullshit is not a limitation of the system. <br/><br/>This is an active choice by OpenAI to mislead people about what the system is doing. It’s Wizard of Oz shit. <br/><br/>The fact that they use their own bullshit generator to do it is icing on the irony cake.<br/><video controls width="100%" class="max-h-[90vh] bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-zinc-700"><source src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/307/402/604/820/584/original/2e9e96b5b40ab108.mp4"></video><br/> 2024-10-14T19:23:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfznkfs6fpzkhtx87rmxyjspl7mw7y62gh4xvgmf0dsdgul5dh60gzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuzu9fs0 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszwmw6hqn4adf4kwunhwx9qvyl3x873wetu6ctzuq48lusywh0ydsw44tmf'>nevent1q…4tmf</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Fingers crossed.... 2024-09-25T04:29:26Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszsxy0rxhwfxfv0p85m2826mamlsv8ll73rssyfckqu6d60tzuf3gzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu0u4jzc In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8j8ncv0l384rv686jc3zqadz6gu6248mg6lu6r0lec0sehjkhacqwzhxc6'>nevent1q…hxc6</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I&#39;m not on Twitter/X, are you?<br/><br/>You could try reaching out to Steve Gantlett @CleyBirds if you are. If you aren&#39;t, I&#39;ll pass you along via the friend of a friend on Bluesky who posted this twitter post there. 2024-09-25T04:05:50Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsy0a65mw9d5tpjzem2q0w3x2kl6xky8n7g82087h3nde6hy5cl4rszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wusj7xd8 Help out, #birding #birdphotography mastodon!<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/195/092/227/333/546/original/b8960f6f1c2b5272.png"> <br/> 2024-09-24T23:20:59Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2yjuegkxlkgmqq0sff3uztu478vgm34hflx595kqtjgppzufmuxgzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wua2c8su So I signed up for the new heaven-ban SocialAI social network where you’re all alone in a world of bots.<br/><br/>It is so much worse than I ever imagined. It’s not GPT-level AI; it’s more like ELIZA level, if the ELIZAs were lazily written stereotypes of every douchebag on ICQ circa 1999.<br/><br/>Below, my first conversation on the platform. I didn&#39;t have to fuck around with it to make it do something this embarrassing<br/><br/>It STARTED here.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/157/381/914/333/536/original/1e92acc8d997591a.png"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/157/382/775/900/801/original/55bb1fd11d5177e9.png"> <br/> 2024-09-18T07:31:10Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszwxattxg06qzdyg5hzaek5dsmpfzfl9z9quhvxcadydpfe0e8xdczyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wulxw967 We&#39;re so fucked.<br/><br/>&#34;Our analysis of a selection of questionable GPT-fabricated scientific papers found in Google Scholar shows that many are about applied, often controversial topics susceptible to disinformation: the environment, health, and computing. The resulting enhanced potential for malicious manipulation of society’s evidence base, particularly in politically divisive domains, is a growing concern.&#34;<br/><br/><a href="https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/gpt-fabricated-scientific-papers-on-google-scholar-key-features-spread-and-implications-for-preempting-evidence-manipulation/">https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/gpt-fabricated-scientific-papers-on-google-scholar-key-features-spread-and-implications-for-preempting-evidence-manipulation/</a> 2024-09-08T03:45:07Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs24zw244fyvg2nq9yyypl9egmqev5hggp8tdzmjzkcc898u2gd03gzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuqu8hwu How is this real life? <br/><br/><a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/09/05/governor-newsom-seeks-to-harness-the-power-of-genai-to-address-homelessness-other-challenges/">https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/09/05/governor-newsom-seeks-to-harness-the-power-of-genai-to-address-homelessness-other-challenges/</a> 2024-09-06T00:55:29Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs88x0wv8e8akjw36tgvhnx4yrwkec7837vu8mm8tca8zez330x9pczyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wudpn7ua I was very pleased to get my updated COVID booster today. <br/><br/>They&#39;re in many pharmacies now and walk-ins are often available. The new formulation is much better matched to the variants currently circulating, and provides a boost in antibody levels. 2024-09-04T22:49:05Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsf8vcn9hkkj9ht5znvmsva9chq5k2hndzcsz0xka7kfpqmqmzgklszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wue6mav9 Today&#39;s #raven.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/076/798/487/010/683/original/db15e489af29446d.jpg"> <br/> 2024-09-04T01:57:05Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdf48ptsqpczd67s7lv58mhnpj4gmv2lne569c50fm7wrqmjmdxwqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuq7jmtp Meanwhile in my neighborhood....<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/069/600/760/781/009/original/1be92585ee6bed52.png"> <br/> 2024-09-02T19:26:48Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxcursz3arzcxfmjazryx68y5dyr2chx9decr32uqy33yghxj98zqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu43eerr #raven posting<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/066/356/743/827/115/original/706531a6cee3f0c2.jpg"> <br/> 2024-09-02T05:41:46Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqspr0n8t69k8d7u4cq5twaapjjjgwdgtdp3lkjeqxc3h4jcpu7x46qzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu89pqtx “It was a simple but brilliant design stroke: rather than a window where people paste text and allow the LLM to extend it, ChatGPT framed it as a chat window.”<br/><br/>&#34;The practical risks of AI are not that they become super capable thinking machines. It is building complex systems around machines we falsely assume are capable of greater discernment and logic than they possess.&#34;<br/><br/>Just two of the excellent insights in this piece.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.techpolicy.press/challenging-the-myths-of-generative-ai/">https://www.techpolicy.press/challenging-the-myths-of-generative-ai/</a> 2024-09-01T03:59:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2qgp32cwzswxvfgp3aqns2a0ee7agm5t3yjzwpraanynrs7u56wqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuc55835 Allowing police officers to submit LLM-written reports reveals a remarkable misunderstanding of what LLMs do, a profound indifference to the notion of integrity in the communications of law enforcement with the justice system, or both.<br/><br/>Given how readily subject to suggestion human witnesses—including police officers—are known to be, this is a disaster.<br/><br/>Yes, police reports aren&#39;t always the most accurate, but introducing an additional layer of non-accountability is bad.<br/><br/><a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-writes-police-reports-axon-body-cameras-chatgpt-a24d1502b53faae4be0dac069243f418">https://apnews.com/article/ai-writes-police-reports-axon-body-cameras-chatgpt-a24d1502b53faae4be0dac069243f418</a> 2024-08-26T14:20:13Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqgyl6r59yax3e7krjlzruc8vzz0k6p08jpmxzqs03lrdl70wdyeczyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuwrmwvr More #ravens. Here, playing on the updrafts along the ocean cliffs.<br/><br/>#corvids<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/028/558/367/851/603/original/1f704c17df7c865f.jpeg"> <br/> 2024-08-26T13:29:21Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgtruzmfsqw52sx3r45pc2j8vuq4gfr67kvm3zch88uqeran5r86szyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuh23r77 I&#39;ve gone too long without posting #corvids. Here, a very fine #raven.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/113/020/760/733/688/209/original/5cee09f63c2e750c.png"> <br/> 2024-08-25T04:26:04Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9ep0dcaz7nl05u2afm4rfkwz72xv0uy9fnjxzdd4ml3c8z6r435gzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuryp3k8 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsg7mj5x6s399wpw6tf8drxqjqrdw9syfylr6aje8d9fyp9zeh08ug67xj3x'>nevent1q…xj3x</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&#34;The fundamental task of software development is not writing out the syntax that will execute a program. The task is to build a mental model of that complex system, make sense of it, and manage it over time.&#34;<br/><br/>YES! 2024-08-24T18:12:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvh5h83xrzga52g9jx62luywpl4dauy5ss7q7pnvddu863e8gv6nczyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wux5fapg Scientists: Elsevier has a shocking amount of data about you.<br/><br/>Eiko Fried breaks it down: <a href="https://eiko-fried.com/welcome-to-hotel-elsevier-you-can-check-out-any-time-you-like-not/">https://eiko-fried.com/welcome-to-hotel-elsevier-you-can-check-out-any-time-you-like-not/</a> 2024-08-23T07:55:44Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2p3z9vwc4z2dsx9cempxm36egktvpepnq7090epmsc32hxp5nj9czyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wumtdf67 Last spring, Washington State passed a bill banning commercial octopus farming. <br/><br/>Today, we (myself and 99 others, led by Jennifer Jacquet, Becca Franks, Peter Godfrey-Smith, and Walter Sanchez-Suarez) have a letter in Science supporting the US OCTOPUS Act, which would do the same nationwide.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr3813">https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr3813</a> 2024-08-17T04:44:49Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszcgld6zy6lqr2cwdv4qyfea4va95l9zdmj9unmdty0g4z79th5lqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wujsgf7p Kevin Gross and I have a new paper out in PLOS Biology about how the ubiquitous incentive structures that motivate hard work also discourage scientists from taking on high-risk, high-return research projects.<br/><br/><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002750">https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002750</a> 2024-08-16T22:58:35Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsrrvda8dudhpahm5hnjzpgh8lvld5r94gnngadmwqptte4qq6x50szyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu6mthfn In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsyzdvlgtkt5f87jfzfa6n8lsdx2hj92uf0wsrywlhxmvqr6cqrz2smu7adk'>nevent1q…7adk</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Scientists: We need to slow down the publication race and produce higher quality papers at a slower rate to make the literature manageable again.<br/><br/>Engineers: We hear you. Now every lab in the world will be able to produce hundreds of medium-quality papers (with a few mistakes in each) every week.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/957/302/995/628/575/original/f93f19c76fa2366b.png"> <br/> 2024-08-13T23:27:50Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsyzdvlgtkt5f87jfzfa6n8lsdx2hj92uf0wsrywlhxmvqr6cqrz2szyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wutg5at2 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9wayzr4dgnkhg3yvk206ehejk0sxnen9n3x2m0xff3n6hf26cslsaekat0'>nevent1q…kat0</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>This system literally fabricates its methods section — an act which goes beyond bad science into the realm of serious scientific misconduct. This is more than a wrinkle to be ironed out.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/957/294/766/065/822/original/340188a07ff146c8.png"> <br/> 2024-08-13T23:25:50Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9wayzr4dgnkhg3yvk206ehejk0sxnen9n3x2m0xff3n6hf26cslszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wur26uwy In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsrxrx6ul4m0a3lv00qavz4z2qx008763f7uazrx6v597frgsr5rfgwqmvqr'>nevent1q…mvqr</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&#34;While there are still occasional flaws in the papers produced by this first version...&#34;<br/><br/>Meanwhile the authors note that the output itself fails to meet standards of scientific rigor, but treat this as a minor wrinkle, not a fundamental barrier imposed by using the wrong tool for the wrong job.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/957/289/801/962/274/original/9a7b7c4329dc1b94.png"> <br/> 2024-08-13T23:24:26Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsrxrx6ul4m0a3lv00qavz4z2qx008763f7uazrx6v597frgsr5rfgzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu95hx0w In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsygc6ewkx9e8s3275d7uzzygwsp8ady98e2efc3f6ynwpa58hcxrqrucg3j'>nevent1q…cg3j</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Papers are not the output of scientific research in the way that cars are the output of automobile manufacturing. <br/><br/>Papers are merely a vehicle through which a portion of the output of research is shared. <br/><br/>We confuse the two at our peril.<br/>‪<br/>The entire idea of outsourcing the scientific ecosystem to LLMs — as described below — is a concept error that I can scarcely begin to get my head around. <br/><br/>sakana.ai/ai-scientist/<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/957/285/858/019/438/original/08d66a05be5a7ced.png"> <br/> 2024-08-13T23:23:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsygc6ewkx9e8s3275d7uzzygwsp8ady98e2efc3f6ynwpa58hcxrqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu6z5yaw Taylorism is a management philosophy based on using scientific optimization to maximize labor productivity and economic efficiency. <br/><br/>Here&#39;s the result of making the false Taylorist assumption that the output of scientific research is scientific papers—the more, faster, and cheaper, the better.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/957/269/265/510/895/original/e539a31a375be0a4.png"> <br/> 2024-08-13T23:19:41Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsr8xn5qt03a2vx2uua7lu396ngwq98qgpmrcjtpqtwj652cseacwgzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu9z64x8 So you&#39;re thinking about getting #ChatGPT to write something for you...<br/><br/>(Adapted from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tyulkanov_a-simple-algorithm-to-decide-whether-to-use-activity-7021766139605078016-x8Q9">https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tyulkanov_a-simple-algorithm-to-decide-whether-to-use-activity-7021766139605078016-x8Q9</a>)<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/112/956/709/475/435/472/original/5ef4a3fcf958bf99.png"> <br/> 2024-08-13T20:57:23Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswaqjuun6vj9xsg2927kpwhf8fpj9vf4p80xaq3njxl7dvn2a239szyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu28ltys In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdt3lxvpfyt8m0yq9wvejehsctev64khvym79q6talezyp35hzsuqx9jwjx'>nevent1q…jwjx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The first is key: crows are acutely aware of human gaze. They watch you, know which direction you are looking, and use this to predict your behavior. <br/><br/>As you are getting to them, don&#39;t watch them or the food you&#39;ve offered. Drop or place a peanut and then walk on like Lot fleeing the doomed city of Sodom, never looking back. This reassures them that it&#39;s not a trap and that you don&#39;t mean them harm.<br/><br/>Later, when they have become more comfortable with you, you can interact more directly.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/576/913/269/516/449/original/9da125bc8b1f826a.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T23:30:36Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdt3lxvpfyt8m0yq9wvejehsctev64khvym79q6talezyp35hzsuqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wum5ryqn In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9s35m5xj73nuhftzgmhh6z6apys24z75axz3zm6ewfwe8chrzmzgfr6faj'>nevent1q…6faj</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Thank you all so much for the enthusiasm and support and for the crow stories you&#39;ve shared. If I haven&#39;t had a chance to respond yet, I apologize.<br/><br/>There&#39;s a quite curious coda to this entire thread that I&#39;m eager to share with you. But first, a couple of things that I forgot to mention in the previous thread that you may useful in befriending crows.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/576/889/051/657/168/original/e55f98477cdf584c.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T23:24:20Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9s35m5xj73nuhftzgmhh6z6apys24z75axz3zm6ewfwe8chrzmzgzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wus4h44r In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqstvsafmwvsumt06y5yfwlc4eza6auy7rkhtjpgar7sp7x649n4zxsrlstfm'>nevent1q…stfm</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>So that&#39;s pretty much it. It&#39;s relatively easy to befriend crows, and it&#39;s endlessly rewarding. I hope that a few of you are able to make crow friends of your own, and I look forward to hearing about your adventures with them.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/992/217/875/013/original/7b7a40ec7dd5d245.png"> <br/> 2022-12-25T02:39:04Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqstvsafmwvsumt06y5yfwlc4eza6auy7rkhtjpgar7sp7x649n4zxszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu9kmlk2 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsgj9s5f4gaj4c6f5hq0dsx0c8r6rxyvxnkxxfuemasuyh0yx2fl0q4q3due'>nevent1q…3due</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Which brings me to a warning.<br/><br/>Tempting as it can be, under no circumstances should you use the instructions I’ve provided here to assemble your own personal arm of crows to carry out acts of unspeakable evil—or even to wage justified campaigns of retribution against your enemies. <br/><br/>Crows are wise birds, and they will catch own quickly. Once your crow army realizes that your seeming friendship is merely an instrumental ploy to harness their power to your own ends, may God help you—for I cannot.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/987/745/036/292/original/d509765274c808f8.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T02:37:41Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgj9s5f4gaj4c6f5hq0dsx0c8r6rxyvxnkxxfuemasuyh0yx2fl0qzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wux8frpp In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfrwm688wmrt4xm65l3x2v8dczzzk4p35gp8m876cq965jkusqrkserqa4e'>nevent1q…qa4e</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Crows are also loyal and brave. <br/><br/>Please do not piss them off because they hold grudges — and share these grudges with their brethren.<br/><br/>Victims, clockwise from top left: Bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, osprey, common raven.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/946/121/477/068/original/3742dd78710cb01e.jpg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/946/580/285/025/original/3fdb68b94bb3c8f3.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/953/180/447/149/original/f677ae1d5eb73312.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/960/240/531/003/original/5409d218161c0cf4.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T02:31:31Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfrwm688wmrt4xm65l3x2v8dczzzk4p35gp8m876cq965jkusqrkszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wurnz3gn In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsp3h20xs65l4ktt8mf6kgym8emly3edqkz6dtmccxm8rft86ahgjqwelhkn'>nevent1q…lhkn</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Then there are fledglings! If crows trust you, they will introduce you to their young ones. <br/><br/>Nothing is better. <br/><br/>Nothing.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/919/659/540/055/original/97b1af31eb841170.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/919/668/813/722/original/12d9b56f062835af.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/919/683/170/632/original/e2da0f9ab57ba80b.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/920/889/778/241/original/2d42b166e059ed34.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T02:20:53Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp3h20xs65l4ktt8mf6kgym8emly3edqkz6dtmccxm8rft86ahgjqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wup9369n In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqswyr4jd9q04zn62pqweprgznrye9v2q5tpmszmqlvt3fgvgzf30dc06lccx'>nevent1q…lccx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Sometimes after an unpleasant work meeting or something they find me as, tired and grumpy, I&#39;m leaving my building. They never fail to make me laugh, and to turn around my mood.<br/><br/>I&#39;ve never received trinkets from crows, but they&#39;ve still given me more than I&#39;ve given them.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/882/300/331/172/original/0a4b99d63a295125.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/882/988/060/684/original/dfd4bd3e1948bb3c.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T02:11:05Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswyr4jd9q04zn62pqweprgznrye9v2q5tpmszmqlvt3fgvgzf30dczyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu5qfg9n In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsprxwww6dcdejh8fdpzttwx462gxgzv3x6809jvwc2xw3tkynj7wszpv4q9'>nevent1q…v4q9</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The crows at work almost always spot me before I spot them. I think they recognize my gait because they can find me in a new jacket with the hood up against the Seattle rain. They have a particular flight pattern, a low swoop braking right in of me, to get my attention.<br/><br/>Sometimes their wingtips brush my arm as they come by. This took a while; at first I would feed them any time I saw them, even up high on a light pole. Now I wait for them to swoop me.<br/><br/>My avatar here is one of those work crows.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/874/995/080/867/original/9df01ae12132a14a.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T02:09:26Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsprxwww6dcdejh8fdpzttwx462gxgzv3x6809jvwc2xw3tkynj7wszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wunfhdyd In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs09zljtcuy74fqhrvk3g4u37w0vn2kr80ewqud4a2nyz8ulfw3g5qv2hwx7'>nevent1q…hwx7</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>After a few months, they started doing something new. When I called them, even if they were blocks away, they started talking back with loud food calls. Now I can go outside, call once, and then listen to them calling back to me as they fly in from all around the neighborhood.<br/><br/>Photo: A frequent visitor who goes around the house until she can see me through the window, and then endeavors to get my attention.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/857/294/581/871/original/55d3f7780a0f32f5.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T02:04:32Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs09zljtcuy74fqhrvk3g4u37w0vn2kr80ewqud4a2nyz8ulfw3g5qzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wud5kdwr In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9a0ndsaf5g4q92qe6c8dgu9gnrklkem70cnmdjuypsdlnn92s6dszp6pf5'>nevent1q…6pf5</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>For the crows that live near my house, I have a call as well. It&#39;s simple. I go outside and shout &#34;Hello, crows!&#34; <br/><br/>I&#39;d do that every time before feeding them, especially if they were nearby to see me feeding.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/848/993/863/851/original/d34ac5aa1f089d95.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T02:02:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9a0ndsaf5g4q92qe6c8dgu9gnrklkem70cnmdjuypsdlnn92s6dszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wua9puzx In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsd4qxc72l9v7rg450wque3c3djxxg7pr5fmgnpvxap5mh0u4duj0q6264wk'>nevent1q…64wk</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Personally, I like to talk to them. I have no idea whether this helps or not. But I treat each one with dignity, greet them when I see them, explain what I&#39;m doing as I&#39;m getting out a treat, ask them how their days have been, that sort of thing.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/598/188/123/383/original/eb0fb72befb68ba7.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/599/984/241/985/original/9f27fc57e4427325.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/600/689/841/129/original/29028158ef5e7b3f.jpeg"> <br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/601/427/850/182/original/645c06620e511755.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T00:59:23Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsd4qxc72l9v7rg450wque3c3djxxg7pr5fmgnpvxap5mh0u4duj0qzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wumxxlg5 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2kuen4q4ra2ae7cv3xvvxv8xy5fp9ymq2wt6zjqygas8v43xa4sq6sqj55'>nevent1q…qj55</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Try to be consistent. Make sure you have food for them each time you see them. Crows are so smart that this isn&#39;t essential. But it&#39;s a general principle in animal training which is, in a sense, what you are doing. Though as you&#39;ll discover, it&#39;s more like them training you.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/521/078/466/126/original/52fa2da2d309d3de.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T00:39:00Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2kuen4q4ra2ae7cv3xvvxv8xy5fp9ymq2wt6zjqygas8v43xa4sqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuulmq4t In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqspupzu7c0gt24es52hnv7efx9w006erk09aw5jn7yfwq3k9jyw5mspsdnl0'>nevent1q…dnl0</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>If you feed them regularly, they will come to recognize you. They&#39;re remarkably good at recognizing faces, gaits, and even the sound of a particular car&#39;s engine. <br/><br/>In the rain wearing a new jacket with the hood up? They recognize me. <br/><br/>After a year away from the office due to COVID policies, I thought my office friends would have forgotten me. No. They spotted me within a few yards of the parking garage.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/502/452/008/792/original/db11850183dc3b26.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T00:34:32Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqspupzu7c0gt24es52hnv7efx9w006erk09aw5jn7yfwq3k9jyw5mszyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wuefcvg0 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszxvpr6pn26zryjq2xkxjdwy3qujf34nnl5rqel67m794jnr6u5eqfxj6rt'>nevent1q…j6rt</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>If you live in an urban or suburban area where crows are around it&#39;s not too hard to befriend them. Rural crows are harder but not impossible.<br/><br/>First and foremost they like food. Peanuts in the shell are a favorite treat but most anything works; crows are omnivorous. It&#39;s probably not good for them, but they adore cheetos.<br/><br/>Photo: not a good shot but the only one I have of my beloved Tatterwing demonstrating next-level peanut technique: five at a time by spearing. No other crow figured this out.<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/475/192/114/227/original/d5e2bd452763b780.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T00:28:49Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszxvpr6pn26zryjq2xkxjdwy3qujf34nnl5rqel67m794jnr6u5eqzyrkcszsqv8xdss3ku3h3en0ylvyvk9mvft5ptz0t0js03u2sxe6wu6657lc For the holiday, a thread on how to befriend crows.<br/><br/>--<br/><br/>Befriending crows is a wonderful thing. <br/><br/>I have many crow friends at home and at work. They bring joy at unexpected moments and can rescue a miserable day even without shaking down the dust of snow that Robert Frost described.<br/><br/>This thread is an updated version of one I posted at the bird site in July 2019. <br/><br/>#birding #birdwatching #birds #urbanbirding #crows #corvids #crow #corvid #crowfriends<br/> <img src="https://fediscience.org/system/media_attachments/files/109/571/407/059/801/478/original/25ae1523bb9dba68.jpeg"> <br/> 2022-12-25T00:10:22Z