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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

It's true that the term "AI" is inaccurate. Correct terms are Machine Learning, Pattern Matching, Large Language Model or Statistical Computing. But none roll off the tongue as smoothly or stick on the mind as easily as the totally misleading #AI moniker, which is why they're used. #intelligence

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Rebecca Solnit nailed it: Civil society triumphed in glory 25 years ago, before thugs coopted its bravery & resiliency. "...spirits above and behind me Faces gone black, eyes burning bright May their precious blood bind me Lord, as I stand before your fiery light." www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDbJ...

youtube.com

Bruce Springsteen - The Rising (Official Audio)

YouTube video by BruceSpringsteenVEVO

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Frankly, I think much damage could have been averted if not for the insistence of ab/using the term #AI. #LLMs are not artificial intelligence by any stretch of logic or imagination. Now it's too late to put the ill-shaped jinn back into their bottles, they've percolated through countless systems.

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

LLM developers are resigning, citing mounting concerns about safety, & LLMs have been conducting cyberattacks. Yet LLM companies plow on unregulated despite rising existential risks. Meanwhile, #LLM tools routinely return widly different answers depending on how I phrase a question, 1/2 #ai

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The last few days have been cloudy, making it impossible to see the syzygies of Moon, Venus, Jupiter & Mars. As partial compensation, there have been stunning photos of these events, one by astrophotographer AJ Smadi, posted by planetary scientist Paul Byrne: #astronomy bsky.app/profile/thep...

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Star Trek became 60 today, a steady beacon of hope. ~30 yrs ago, I used the show to discuss science in To Seek Out New Life: The Biology of #StarTrek, atoms to societies. #Science will build the starships, but #sciencefiction will make us want to board them. www.starshipreckless.com/stories/arch...

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Names & naming shape perceptions & stances. Google Maps now shows "new" names for 2 features in US geolocations, original or both names in non-US ones. Such craven capitulation & disingenuous siloing distort info & block meaningful communication. Remember "Don't be evil"? Enshittification takes all.

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Hummingbird sighting in the #garden!! They're so small & move so fast that whenever one makes a rare appearance I first think it's a bumblebee (lovely creatures themselves -- you can even pet them). Almost certainly ruby-throated. 2nd time I've had a visit from these tiny marvels. #birdwatching

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Humanity lifespan length tripled & its infant mortality plummeted b/c of 3 major factors: clean water, antibiotics, vaccines. mRNA #vaccines, the newest members of that family, are truly a marvel: they can be produced & fine-tuned very quickly & leave no harmful remnants in the body. #science 1/2

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Here's hoping that tonight's skies are clear for the #lunar #eclipse! 92%, close enough for the eery ruddy glow. #moon #astrophysics #solarsystem

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

A while ago, I read a #webcomic in which humans had survived as themselves (rather than as nightmare creatures, after a flu-like pandemic) only in Scandinavia. In #Europe at any rate, since the fate of the rest of the world was unknown after the total collapse. #ClimateChange 1/2

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I am looking immensely forward to the ever-receding achievement of #editing capacity for #Bluesky posts. Mindboggling to see so many other features appear before that #basics 101 tool.

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

By accident or design, the #internet in general & #AI in particular are acting like Harrison Bergeron devices. Beyond its intrinsic social & environmental destructiveness, AI distracts sufficiently to drain focus & creativity. We're backsliding to fight-or-flight thinking. #sciencefiction #science

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I was tempted to hold forth on the orthogonal matters of Nolan & The #Odyssey but neither froth-at-mouth side knows enough about Homer's epics or Hellenic culture or mythology to merit engaging. And @emilyrcwilson.bsky.social has tackled the topic magnificently (hon. mention: @szacharek.bsky.social)

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I just read Sèphera Girón's entire "essay" on the #HWA newsletter. My first thought was that it's an exercise in #horror writing or an "edgy" joke, but it looks to be in dead earnest. In a nutshell: "If you use anything but Paleolithic tech & don't love #AI you're a hypocrite." To be ctd. #grift

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

A #scientist who saved millions of lives has ignorant thugs hurling expletives at him & destroying his life & reputation. Meanwhile, #medical safety nets are being systematically dismantled under the guise of "freedom of choice" & critical #research into #vaccines & #cancer cures has been halted.

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

It's significant that ~all the reviewers who don't think Nolan's #Odyssey is the 2nd Coming are women: Stephanie Zacharek (Time), Emily Wilson (LRB). The latter's essay hews close to my own thoughts; it's truly informed, b/c Wilson knows the language & culture. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4... #filmsky

lrb.co.uk

Emily Wilson · An Uncomplicated Man

As they say at the awards shows, I was humbled to learn that Christopher Nolan has read at least the first line of my...

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Re: #Odyssey, I urged seeing The Return (2024). Equally relevant to the themes #Nolan treats so hamfistedly is Iphigenia by Kakoyannis, part of a Eurypides trilogy: all 3 show how women become furniture & kindling for the "warrior heroes" valorized by ~everyone. letterboxd.com/film/iphigen... #film

letterboxd.com

Iphigenia (1977)

The Greek army is about to set sail to a great battle, but the winds refuse to blow. Their leader, King Agamemnon, seeks to provide better food, but accidentally slays a sacred deer. His punishment fr...

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

The reviews of Nolan's #Odyssey make me think (not for the first time) that I inhabit a parallel universe. My (sadly) still relevant article about the Anglo treatment of Hellenic mythology & history: Being Part of Everyone's Furniture, www.starshipreckless.com/blog/?p=1811 #film #movies #Nolan

Astrogator's Logs » Blog Archive » Being Part of Everyone’s Furniture; Or: Appropriate Away!

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Sometimes we get pleasant surprises: Jackson's #LotR was one. Nolan's #Odyssey does not belong in that category. The trailers were appalling in every dimension. The Rotten Tomatoes meter makes me think (not for the first time) that I inhabit a parallel universe. 1/2 #movies #Homer #cinema

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Spider-Noir inevitably brings to mind Justin Robinson's sui generis monsterverse & its lone human PI, Nick Moss. Caveats: the obligatory fridging-as-motivation & the same-old smartass #noir & #superhero argots don't mesh well. #TV @weirdnoirmaster.bsky.social @blueterraplane.bsky.social

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Due to jet lag, I'm a day late to wish friends a happy #solstice. Two nights from now the May wreaths will burn in Hellas & people will jump over the fires: for luck, for health, for strength in the work to come & the waning light past the longest day. I'm also a day late to mark #Father's Day. 1/4

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

We just had 2 #earthquakes, 4.8 & 5.2 Richter. Furniture jiggled & the granny glasses bouquet near me gave off a susurrous as the seed disks rubbed together. Here's hoping this was not a prelude to a bigger one: according to models, we're due for a major seismic event within the next year.

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

I just found out that after an 11-yr pause #Nethack released update 5.0 with new monsters and artifacts...only to discover there's no Mac-specific version. Aargh! While impatiently tapping my foot, here's my view on the unparalleled game: Forever Nethack, www.starshipreckless.com/blog/?p=9893 #games

Astrogator's Logs » Blog Archive » The Every-Branching Universe: Forever Nethack

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

"May the Fourth Be With You" is probably uppermost in mentions today, but it's also the date of the 1970 Kent State University deaths & the 1886 Chicago Haymarket labor protest. #history #movies #sciencefiction #StarWars

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

So someone writes a novel firmly placed at a real locale (Outer Cape Cod), uses real town names... then creates an imaginary one next to Provincetown, with a tone-deaf name, yet. Anything wrong with Truro? Even Men in Black used its post office. Whisky Tango Foxtrot. #Booksky

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Today is Protomagia for Hellenes, the day we make wildflower wreaths to celebrate the return of Persephone from the underworld. For other cultures, it's #Beltane or #Walpurgisnacht. It's also #Workers' Day all over the world, & here are the final lines of Marge Piercy's "To Be of Use" #MayFirst 1/2

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Pondering the "break things/suck marrow" default ethos of #LLM companies & their ilk, I think that startup launches & acquisitions have become blood relatives of the toxic subprime mortgages that brought on the 2008 global crisis. AI is becoming the #Terminator with a VR glove. #enshittification

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Since Dunce et al threatened a 2nd Avignon-like event, the Pope could also revert to medieval mode & use his powers of excommunication or interdict. And Clowns Inc know, despite the Deus le Veult noises, that the "military excursion" doesn't fulfill a single one of the many parameters of just #war.

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Overton window shifts: The Catholic Church (like all authoritarian structures) has a solid share of horrific acts & stances throughout its existence. Péter Magyar's personal & public history is troubling. 1/2

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

May the people of Mayarország, of János Hunyadi & the 1956 revolution, thrive with their new government. Perhaps fittingly, today is Orthodox #Easter. And to celebrate a move towards tikkun olam, here's Bruce Springsteen singing Chimes of Freedom. #elections #Hungary www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL87...

youtube.com

Chimes of Freedom

YouTube video by soloacoustic

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

I cannot go past the first few pages of Andy Weir's books but had enjoyed the film version of The Martian. Not so with its Project Hail Mary counterpart, which seems to have been aiming at a juvenile audience. The mutual loyalty and hopeful close was a plus, the visuals impressive. 1/3

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

About equally divided between RL & fiction -- which explains why #fantasy authors & satirists are running out of material (though #7 is also attributed to Genghis Khan). #cartoon by Jen Sorensen. #culture #war #Kafka

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Humans remain distressingly mired in the mindset they had when they developed that famous prefrontal cortex. What has changed is that our #technology now allows us to wreak untold havoc. Nigh two millennia ago, Tacitus wrote a speech he attributed to Caledonian chieftain Calgacus. 1/2

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

The #Artemis II picture-perfect launch was bittersweet; it highlighted the relentless backsliding in crewed #space exploration, though telescopes & rovers were incredibly productive. At least we get pictures like this, with our beautiful planet wreathed by auroras. www.nasa.gov/image-articl... #NASA

nasa.gov

Hello, World - NASA

NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman took this picture of Earth from the Orion spacecraft's window after completing the translunar injection

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Happy spring-equinox-adjacent celebrations: Easter, Passover, Ostar. Many Easter hymns are almost unchanged from the laments of the Great Goddess, when her son/lover (Osiris, Tammuz, Adonis) died & arose. The red poppies that decorate the fields this time of year are called The Blood of Adonis. 1/2

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Jus soli citizenship is crucial at a time when refugees are fleeing just to survive but its roots are tangled. The world map of birthright citizenship (end of 🧵) is essentially co-extensive w/ the Americas & raises questions about at least 1 purpose of these laws, inevitably used for power gain. 1/4

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I'm about to say something controversial. Paramount stated that Starfleet Academy was canceled due to high production costs and low viewership. An obvious reason they didn't state is that the usual suspects deemed it "über woke" but I must confess this: 1/2 #startrek #scifi #TV #film #sciencefiction

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

A new #Odyssey is upon us. Nolan #films are ghastly, Matt Damon has the charisma of a plank & the trailer is a bag of inaccuracies, both historical & mythical. See The Return with Fiennes & Binoche instead. Still relevant: Being Part of Everyone’s Furniture, www.starshipreckless.com/blog/?p=1811

Astrogator's Logs » Blog Archive » Being Part of Everyone’s Furniture; Or: Appropriate Away!

Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Happy spring equinox, friends! Mary Oliver had deep knowledge of this awakening: "There is only one question: how to love this world. I think of her rising like a black and leafy ledge to sharpen her claws against the silence of the trees." www.best-poems.net/mary_oliver/...

best-poems.net

Spring poem - Mary Oliver

Somewhere a black bear has just risen from sleep and is staring down the mountain. All night in the brisk and shallow restlessness of early spring I think of he...

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

"You know what the first rule of flying is?" Firefly/Serenity was hands down my favorite of Whedon's oeuvre. The upcoming animation series sounds like a true labor of love. And of course I'd love to see all of the original cast in new SFnal adventures. www.animationmagazine.net/2026/03/sci-...

animationmagazine.net

Sci-Fi Fan Fave 'Firefly' Animated Reboot in Development | Animation Magazine

Joss Whedon's early-aughts space western 'Firefly' is being developed as an animated reboot by star Nathan Fillion and 20th TV Animation.

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Wonkette was an odd duck even when it was part of venues labeled edgy &/or progressive (by US standards, that is). That said, I found this worth reading as a summary, though my own Cassandra-tinged view is that this shift won't really change the current status quo. www.wonkette.com/p/right-wing...

wonkette.com

Right-Wing Women Discover Misogyny Not As Fun As They Thought Part 378,272,347,230,326

The red pill, it turns out, is filled with rat poison.

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

In another event at the 24/7 circus, the current head of the NIH is launching "Scientific Freedom" talks with a climate change denier who shares his idea (for which he cried "Suppression!") about how we should have dealt with #COVID: do nothing, let nature decide. is.gd/nkhAp0 #science

is.gd

NIH director launches "Scientific Freedom" lectures with non-scientist

First speaker minimizes climate change, COVID risks—and is a lab leak proponent.

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Athena Andreadis, PhD @athenahelivoy.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Today is International Women's Day. One day is not nearly enough to remind people how far our species still has to go to achieve true civilization...but yesterday I bumped upon a short yet powerful video that shows the best in humanity, even as we're seeing the worst. (1/2)