iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Jo, du har helt ret. Det genererende element ser jeg ikke som supernyttigt - det er evnen til at analysere kæmper mængder af stof, der virkeligt batter noget. Sprogmodellerne skriver generelt stadigt for dårligt, men det kommer nok også til at ændre sig…

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Men lad os tales ved om det hele en dag uden for korte læserbreve og Bluesky-beskeder. Det er vigtigt at undersøge mulige veje gennem den nye sprogmodel-jungle. Sig til hvis I er i nabolaget af Prinsens Palæ en dag, så kan vi drikke kaffe og forsøge at finde menneskets plads i alt det her :-)

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Ang. den store mængde materiale, så hjælper NotebookLM mig i hvert fald med at bruge materiale, der er så omfangsrigt og svært tilgængeligt, at jeg ellers ville opgive det. Den hjælper mig med at finde rundt, og fundene bruger jeg selv i min skriveproces.

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Gode pointer, tak! Jeg er enig med dig i det meste, men er ikke så bekymret for model collapse. Tror vi på sigt får mindre sprogmodeller, trænet af fx et uni eller museum på et kontrolleret materiale. De store modeller bliver nok bare til generel brug i samfundet.

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

I am trying to estimate the size of the yacht ØRESUND, part of the first Danish expedition to Asia in 1618. It was smaller than the main ships of the exp. and scouted ahead, but no sources tell about size. Any Dutch or other experts here, who knows about similar ships? Who to ask? #maritimehistory

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Still a few days to go for the Call for Papers for this fascinating conference on AI in history. I am writing up my newest experiments, which for once worked really well, and just hope they are not too basic for the experts there :-) www.uni.lu/c2dh-en/news...

uni.lu

CfP: AI through History, History through AI

The Eighth Conference on Digital Humanities and Digital History hosted by the C²DH in Belval will revolve around Artificial Intelligence in the historical disciplines.

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Saluting the Queen of Denmark at castle Kronborg on her recent birthday. The bronze guns are from the 18th century. Yes, it was quite loud and no, AI was not used!

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Beautiful exhibition of the 18th century Danish portrait artist Jens Juel has just opened at the art museum Brandts in Odense, Denmark. My favorite painting shows a Chinese sailor in Copenhagen, wearing a borrowed mandarin suit in the 1780s - likely one of the very first Chinese to visit Denmark!

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

How it can sometimes feel to be a maritime historian - constantly having to defend the importance of ships, shipping and sailors :-) #maritimehistory

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Reposted by Benjamin Asmussen

International Maritime History Association @journalmaritime.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

📢 New Open access article At the Baltic gate: Copenhagen's role in international shipping in the latter half of the eighteenth century by Yrjö Kaukiainen In the late 18th C. Copenhagen was the second biggest urban centre in the Baltic Sea area. Read the article here - doi.org/10.1177/0843...

doi.org

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

On a sailing ship, I would image the crews mostly handling the mooring themselves. But it seems reasonable in a large port that nearby dockworkers might help now and then...

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

That sounds immensely interesting! Do you know if there is any news in the matter?

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Had the pleasure of examining three of my museums wonderful figures of Danish-Norwegian supercargoes, created by a Chinese facemaker-artist in Canton in 1731. The detail created by the Chinese artist is just incredible - just look at the eyes, eyelashes and the whig! #maritimehistory #canton

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

I am researching five large paintings, that I believe were painted in 18th cent. Canton by Chinese artists. So far, I have found the copperplates the paintings were painted after for four paintings, but I still need the last one. It shows Kronborg in Elsinore, but what was it painted after?

Castle Kronborg in Elsinore, likely painted by an 18th century Chinese artist. But on which basis?

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

The old symbols of seafaring, trade and wealth are everywhere in central Copenhagen, visible if you just look up!

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

Near the ancient cathedral in Lund in southern Sweden after a sunny winter’s day. Such a beautiful town!

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

A naval battle adorns this table clock from the 1650’s at the National Museum of Denmark. But the master engraver must have looked at an older image for inspiration, as the ship looks more 1500s to me - what do you think? #navalhistory #maritimehistory #earlymodern

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

The English musician Darby Scott playing at the court of king Christian IV of Denmark & Norway. The larger painting by Reinhold Timm dates from 1622. #earlymodern

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

Eckersberg was an great painter of maritime motifs.

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

An American naval brig drying sails, likely in Danish waters. Painted by C.W. Eckersberg in 1831/32. The painting belongs to the museum SMK in Copenhagen. I wonder which ship it is? #maritimehistory #usnavy #navalhistory

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Well, the world is a big place, especially multiplied by some thousand years. You cannot know (or be interested in) everything..

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Visited colleagues today in a section of the National Museum I have never been to before. Quite a nice view from their offices :-) #copenhagen #christiansborg

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

1k followers already, thank you! To celebrate is here an old Finnish brig and my shadow from a midsummers sunset on the fascinating island of #Soumenlinna or #Sveaborg in Finland this summer :-) #maritimehistory

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Good point in explaining the term for new readers. As a 18th century historian, I smile at the mentions of the long 16th century and long 17th century that keep popping up here. Apparently, all centuries seems to go on forever! :-)

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Måske er det mere hensigtsmæssigt med en oversigt over relevante Starter Packs? Tror at vi allerede er flere tusinde danske forskere herinde…

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Very interesting! Would love to hear more about it. Now you inspired me to find the books here in Copenhagen - a single used book shop had a copy waiting for me :-)

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

…or perhaps rather ending at the Napoleonic Wars? Hmmm… :-)

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

I would say it differed from country to country. In Denmark I would usually say around 1600 till the advent of democracy in 1848.

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

That sounds great! I think it will be easier soon. Have made experiments with Transcribus, ChatGPT & DeepL for translating handwritten Danish gothic into digital English, and the results are promising..

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Danish trade with ships from Brazil sounds very interesting - have you found non-Danish sources for that? 18th century? So many stories wait for sources to be tied together between countries…

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Very interesting. I am working on the Danish slave trade in India in the 1690’s and it seems that there were a form of insurance.

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Reposted by Benjamin Asmussen

Scilicet - History of Knowledge @scilicetblog.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Should Royal Monkeys Wear Sweaters During the Winter? 🐒❄️ This question was asked by Olof von Dalin in a letter to Carl Linnaeus, as he was worried that the Queen's monkeys were struggling with the cold. Translated here by @nataliesmith.bsky.social #SvHist #EarlyModern scilicet.org.uk/should-royal...

scilicet.org.uk

Should Royal Monkeys Wear Sweaters During the Winter? | Scilicet

This was a question posed by Swedish nobleman Olof von Dalin to the botanist Carl von Linné in 1762, as he was worried that the Queen's monkeys were struggling to withstand the nordic winters.

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

The captain of the first direct ship from Copenhagen to China 1730-32 was the Norwegian war-hero Michael Tønder. As the engraving shows, he must have been skilled in keeping his cool, despite a close encounter with a Swedish cannon ball during the Great Nordic War! #maritimehistory #navalhistory

A copperplate of the Norwegian naval hero Michael Tønder in battle. Photo: The Royal Library of Denmark

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Thanks! Just in time to be put on my Christmas wishing list :-)

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Hi, if there is still room, I would love to be added to this list. Am currently working on the Danish slave trade in Asia...

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

I would love to be added - am working a lot with the history and narratives of the oceans at the moment...

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Nowadays it is quite rare, but in “the little ice age” from about 1500-1700 it was quite common.

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Benjamin Asmussen @benjamin-asmussen.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

“The morning after the Swedish Assault on Copenhagen 1659” painted by the Danish artist Christian Mølsted, 1919. The ship stuck in the ice is the small Danish frigate Højenhald, which functioned as an additional bastion during the nightly defense. #maritimehistory #earlymodern

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