Matt Shipman (he/him)

So ChatGPT and Claude have facilitated suicides and a school shooting in Canada and the US bombing a school in Iran, but that’s the price you pay to have tools that mean you don’t need to spend as much time dealing with emails or writing code or first drafts, I guess?

If we survive this, I really hope parents take a long look at how they are teaching empathy to their children. It's so obvious that that is the missing ingredient in huge chunks of the population, amplified by social media algorithms and cultural rewards for reactions rather than thoughtfulness.

Pleased to see Crosby was not traded to a team in the NFC, much less the NFC East.

Cool! I think Daniel Lanois has a song called Carla as well. But I think it’s an instrumental.

My impromptu review of the new Harry Styles album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.

TL;DR: unfortunately disappointing, but ends on a strong note.

Last track! “Carla’s Song.” Hands down my favorite song on the album. Still dance-able, but brings in some modern rock (War On Drugs?). Most importantly, it sounds more alive than the other songs. It feels lived in, you know?

“Dance No More” is a Bernard Edwards tribute. It’s got roller rink energy (complimentary).

This is a bummer. I was looking forward to this album. I love good pop music.

6th song (Waiting Game) also showed signs of life. Low key but not bad.

Song 7 (Season 2 Weight Loss) goes back to unfun pseudo dance. Reminds of skittery beats that were pretty exciting in the 90s, but without the attitude (or novelty) to pull it off.

Song 8 is generic ballad-with-strings.

“Taste Back” is better (5th song). Maybe the next 7 songs will turn it around. Here’s hoping!

The influences are still clear — he’s clearly been listening to a lot of dance music and 00s NY rock (Interpol, The Strokes). But it lacks the energy of either. It’s not fun or exhilarating (IMO). It’s got the beat, but not the joy or catharsis.

One of the things I’ve found fun about Harry Styles’ solo career has been how he’s worn his influences on his sleeve, creating (mostly) delightful pastiches that also bear his stamp.

I’ve gotten through the first four songs on his new album and, so far, the fun part is missing.

Federal Prosecutor Used Fabricated Quotes in Court Filing An assistant US attorney in North Carolina filed a response with the court that included “fabricated quotations and misstatements of case holdings” and then made “false or misleading statements” of ho...

NEWS: A Justice Dept. line attorney in North Carolina fabricated quotes in court filing, causing judge to order hearing to consider sanctions and holding entire US attorney’s office jointly responsible.
Pro se defendant flagged the errors.
news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

Nominate somebody, y’all!
🧪 #SciComm

Judging from the prose, the Pentagon appears to be using AI to announce the death of soldiers. If it’s not AI, it’s a person who simply does not care.

Ah, capisce.

Was not familiar with Joel Garner, so just looked him up. And perhaps the most remarkable thing is that he was not inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame until 2010. Given his accomplishments as a bowler, that's startling (to me).

That is wild. (And thanks for humoring my query!)

Random aside/question: is Ambrose the tallest high-level bowler ever?

This thread is absolutely worth reading.

Cracked, but still there: the glass ceiling persists for senior women in science To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, Mangala Srinivas reminds junior colleagues that career success won’t protect you from gender-based bias.

Leading in science as a woman doesn't mean smooth sailing through gender bias, unfortunately, writes @mangalasrinivas.bsky.social @nature.com. She gives practical advice for navigating the shards of the cracked glass ceiling (hint: there's no magic bullet).

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

A picture of PEW poll on global attitude survey, saying the % who rate the morality and ethics of people in their country as good vs bad, where the US has the worst rankings and Canada the best

Americans: we live in a fallen state—embroiled by sin, cheating, lying, and evil. You cannot trust anyone, not even those who claim to know you best

Canadians: I love my neighbors and my friends!

Proton Mail Helped FBI Unmask Anonymous ‘Stop Cop City’ Protester A court record reviewed by 404 Media shows privacy-focused email provider Proton Mail handed over payment data related to a Stop Cop City email account to the Swiss government, which handed it to the ...

Reporters and sources: if you’re relying on Proton Mail to protect confidentiality, think twice.

www.404media.co/proton-mail-...

I am marginally curious about whether the deeply toxic "prediction market" betting apps have already got people placing bets on what the heck the "Shield of the Americas" will turn out to be.

But not curious enough to actually look. I find them too depressing.

"The Shield of the Americas" has real "Hail Hydra" energy.

"Loaches likely love loafing" -- lol

Populism, cultural tightness, and informal venture entry This article examines how populist rhetoric and cultural tightness shape informal venture entry. We argue that populist rhetoric by national leaders, …

A reminder that every story can be a science story. Truly.

Also, here's the journal article if you're curious.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

When Populist Rhetoric is High, Entrepreneurs Are More Likely to Dodge Taxes A new study finds that the greater the amount of populist rhetoric in a nation, the less likely entrepreneurs are to register their businesses – dodging both taxes and government regulations.

A study of 13 nations in Europe, Asia and Latin America found that the greater the amount of populist rhetoric, the more likely entrepreneurs were to dodge taxes and government regulations. And it's not necessarily why you think.

I thought this study was interesting.

news.ncsu.edu/2026/03/popu...