iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Mods asleep, post the Reveal flash sale

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Fuck ChatGPT flyers. The future is broadsheets.

A crowded broadsheet with way too many fonts. It says:
Forget ChatGPT Flyers
Say it with
Broadsheets
Unlimited fonts
Stretch them
Or cram a really long sentence into one line for no good reason
No whitespace
Mix capital and lowercase
Pointing hands
(They're called manicules!)
Don't be left behind
Broadsheets are the future

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Oaf @languidoaf.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

CEO of Taco Bell: we’re actually worried that some of our upcoming items could destroy humanity as well

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Drew McWeeny @drewmcweeny.com · 13/09/2026

DRUNK HISTORY is back, which means my dream of telling a story on DRUNK HISTORY is not dead yet!

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Sonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

It’s excellent getting to say to a group of students, We’re gonna read X & we’re gonna spend 75 minutes talking about it, & ideally the way you think about the world & yourself is gonna be a bit more nuanced, complex, & satisfying, & that’s today’s “product.” Or, as @cnygren.bsky.social & I said:

Suggestions
While in recent years universities have promoted student “productivity” (projects, online portfolios of their work, social media posts about their research papers, the list goes on), little of this push to deliver outputs and create content serves the actual purpose of education, which is to foster the capacity to think well, read well, listen well, and look well. Higher education strengthens the process; if we are going toteach sophisticated materials and challenging content, students need to learn how to think,read, listen, and look their way through it. The emphasis on “content creation” is detrimental to the educational mission.

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I’ve heard accomplished academics and creatives say that they use genAI to brainstorm or throw together outlines or other stuff on this list. And I’m sure for them, this seems like they're getting past speed bumps or less interesting parts of their work.

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Emily PhD 🎓 @ejwillingham.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

That “encouraged” list is a series of cognitive compromises for people who are supposed to be learning and stretching their capacities and that is just WILD to me that outsourcing that would be *encouraged*

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

“But solving problems is only a tool and proxy for achieving the primary goal of conceptual understanding and insight. Forgetting this in the world of AI may turn the tool against the primary goal.”

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Please join me in wishing the happiest of birthdays to our very own (and my very own) @noelmu.bsky.social!

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Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Its NOT MY JOB TO MAKE STUDENTS BETTER USES OF THESE TOOLS FFS

So, what can humanities scholars do to familiarize themselves with AI? Start by asking ChatGPT and Claude to search the web and summarize your own work (with citations). Odds are that, like me, you will find they are not terrible at identifying patterns in your writing, but you are likely to spot a few hallucinations mixed in as well. The better you know a subject going in, the better able you are to spot problems and weaknesses in the LLM’s output and, more importantly, the spaces where training in the humanities can play a critical role in helping students be more discerning users of these tools. If you work with a couple LLMs in parallel, you will also begin to note important differences in their access to sources, chronological perspectives, and perception of what constitutes adequate research or prose.

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Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Researching this book, the historical lack of change astounded me. “High school football was celebrated as a “moral” sport for young boys, one that promised and celebrated the creation of the honorable male citizen… These deep-rooted beliefs continue to shape the safety debate”

uncpress.org

No Game for Boys to Play

From the untimely deaths of young athletes to chronic disease among retired players, roiling debates over tackle football have profound implications for more...

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DarkandSpookyMikey @lightmikey.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

The crop art exhibit at the Minneapolis state fair is a wonder. Photos do not do them justice, it is awe inspiring to see it all in person. I am especially happy to see the art of two friends in the exhibition, so they start off this very long thread of amazing works of art.

A disapproving rabbit disapproves of ICE.

Leave Minnesota Aloon text surrounds a loon with wings spread on a yellow background

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Leah Reich @leahreich.com · 31/08/2026

I’m sure most of you aren’t watching the US Open right now which means you missed this instantly iconic moment, now available in gif form

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Thomas Lecaque @tlecaque.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

No undergrad should be using an LLM and it's absurdly irresponsible to suggest otherwise.

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Kevin Seccia @kevinseccia.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

If you’re a recent murderer talking to Columbo and he’s casually curious about how a crime could’ve happened in a certain way, there’s no need to wildly speculate! Just nod and say “Yeah that’s weird. I have no idea.”

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

“It's not right to think of LLM confabulations as error in the same way as we know error in engineering because error implies a relationship with the material world that LLMs do not have.” This thread puts it very well.

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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 29/08/2026

I don't think that enough people realize how big of an issue sports gambling (including so-called "predictions markets") are on college campuses. Take a few minutes and read through this family's challenge with gambling addictions that led to stopping out of college and a mountain of debt.

espn.com

'We are broken': One family's fight against gambling addiction

For Amit, it all started with a college poker game. Now he's in recovery from a gambling addiction that consumed him and his parents.

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Robert Komaniecki @komaniecki.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

How do I explain to small business owners that the menu on the left is one billion times more appealing than the one on the right

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Huzzah and many happy returns to one of my oldest and dearest friends, whose success and talent brings me personally so much joy!

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Joshua Bowman @thalesdisciple.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Working on an A.I. policy for my calculus classes. Decided to be upfront about the current situation with LLMs and to give a heartfelt explanation for why the course still matters.

Al policy

Context

Artificial Intelligence, or "A.l.," Is a broad term used to refer to several different kinds of technologies. The kind most relevant to this class are Large Language Models (LLMs), which use mathematics to analyze large amounts of human-produced text and then generate new text that simulates what a human might write in response to prompts or questions. Some examples of LLMs are OpenAl's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google's Gemini.

Current LLMs can provide a solution to any calculus problem I give you. So why should we work on them, you might ask? Here's the thing: for the most part, the problems were already solved anyway. Calculus as a subject is nearly 400 years old. It has reached into virtually every modern scientific and economic field. And while I would like to believe that I have crafted a few new problems with some small amount of originality tailored to this class, for the most part I have curated a collection of exercises drawn from my years of teaching calculus. Those exercises come from textbooks, workshops, friends, and other fields of study, as well as my own invention.
And they nearly all have known solutions, often with fairly standard approaches.
Before A.I. became widely available, you could find those solutions in another textbook, or from a friend's notes, or through a repository on the internet.

The point of this class is not necessarily to solve problems that have never been solved before. It is for you to develop habits of thinking that are used by mathematicians, scientists, and policymakers-to develop a sort of mental toolbox that can be applied to new problems. If along the way you happen to find a new way of solving one of the class exercises, that's great! I am constantly learning new things from my students. But you will be bereft of discovery if you rely on a LLM for solutions to the calculus problems before you. Here I mean the discovery of having your own realizations, crystallizing your own internal understanding, claiming the knowledge in a way that cannot be taken away from you.
That ownership is what I want for you, and that is what the course is built around.

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Because the link to the book club in Zack’s interview is broken, here’s my post for it, and you can find the rest by searching LITTLE, BIG on the site. www.avclub.com/little-big-d...

avclub.com

Little, Big: Donna Bowman's comments

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

The LITTLE, BIG book club is one of my favorite memories of that era of the AV Club. I fell in love with that book so hard and so deep, I’ve never recovered. I hope Crowley knew how much he meant to so many.

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Erin Biba @erinbiba.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I love you all but you are incredibly (understandably) reactive. It’s making you SO easily manipulated by rage baiters. When you see something without context, a headline or a snippet of a quote, take a deep breath and look into it to see if you really should be upset. Please protect your hearts.

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Bree (half of Kit Rocha) @mostlybree.kitrocha.com · 04/08/2026

I'm just gonna say: it somewhat baffles me that people who are understandably skeptical of opaque LLMs as legitimate sources of information will suddenly go full on "the computer KNOWS" when they are using opaque tools to "detect" AI. The computer does not know.

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

downchasm @downchasm.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I couldn't find a version of the bible in the translation style that I wanted, so I asked "Claude Opus 5" to create one to my specifications, and long story short but it seems as though I'm being excommunicated

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 01/08/2026

There is a certain level of obtuseness in (some) "AI" apologists when they flounce up to point out what "AI" is good for in science, etc, while eliding the fact that almost none of that use is driving the current market capitalization, environmental degradation and resource hogging of the field

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

These two posts really say it all. 💔

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Hey I’m writing about this show as a frequent Chuck Lorre enjoyer (yes, including BBT). If you want to ride along and see what becomes of this strange sitcom foray into premium cable, please do— we’ll be taking it seriously but critically, exploring all the questions it raises about TV in 2026.

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Michael Kupperman @mkupperman.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Oh man, everything looks so good

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Byron C Clark @byroncclark.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

The creator of Roger Rabbit (who is 85 years old by the way) is a good sort Crossposted with @openvibe.social

Gary K. Wolf •
••
I've had to unfriend a few fans lately, all for the same reason. They made ridiculing, unkind, and in some cases outright cruel comments about pictures I posted of young women cosplaying Jessica.
More than a person, Jessica is a state of mind. To play Jessica, you need self -confidence, a sense of humor, and a Jessican -attitude-. There is no such thing as a Jessica cosplayer being too short, too flat chested, too heavy, too thin, too unattractive, too black, too Asian, or even too male!!! All Jessica, any Jessica, every Jessica is good Jessica.
I'm not giving any warnings or second chances. A single disparaging comment on a Jessica cosplayer, and I'm throwing you out of the rainbow colored Toontown Tent.

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Mäther @carlysintothat.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

absolutely diabolical AI slop failure in the local foodie group 💀

ai generated poster that says EAT KIDS FREE instead of KIDS EAT FREE

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Skimming is a vital skill! So is close reading! Deploy them each where appropriate! Do them with your human brain! Teach them to your students—mine are astonished and empowered to learn there’s more than one “approved” way to interact with a text.

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Emma Grae @emmagraeauthor.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Marie Claire actually left a prompt from an AI in one of their recent articles. While there’s still some great journalists and publications left, this is utterly shocking. No wonder I’m trying to pivot.

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

the Mountain Goats @themountaingoats.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

afternoon/evening shift did you know the Mountain Goats released another impeccable jam today. well they did. that's because they specialize in the impeccable jams www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx19...

youtube.com

the Mountain Goats - Candlebox (Official Visualizer)

YouTube video by the Mountain Goats

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Seriously, Get Ducks Quackin’

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Bree (half of Kit Rocha) @mostlybree.kitrocha.com · 03/07/2026

we hold our auction over the 4th of July because patriotism is complicated in this country (as it always has been) but I truly, in my heart, do love the best parts of it. I love how vast and chaotic we are, how we have every biome, every culture, every climate, every dream. we are a daily discovery

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Liam Hogan @liamhogan.id.au · 02/07/2026

Ad Rock: you can disagree with the current All: POPE MCA: but if you push his buttons then you’re a All: DOPE Mike D: ordain yourself a bishop and you’re All: SCHISMATIC Ad Rock: excommunication is All: AUTOMATIC

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Reposted by Dr. Donna Bowman

Noel Murray @noelmu.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Eichner's anecdote about watching My Beautiful Launderette with his dad really got to me. youtu.be/9GRs6AfiH-E?...

youtu.be

Billy Eichner’s Closet Picks

YouTube video by CRITERION

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the babahuck @tylerhuckabee.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Trapped within The Bear's four very uneven seasons is a basically perfect movie about the salvation of Richie Jerimovich.

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

The details in this obit for David Clayton Thomas are WILD. Nixon! Satie! Judy Collins! Abby Hoffman!

nytimes.com

David Clayton-Thomas, Lead Singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Dies at 84

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Dr. Donna Bowman @donnadb.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Oh boy. This one took me back. And there are lessons here that remain important for my students, even in this very different world.

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dr. rich traditions, JD @helldude.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

seeing the posts about visitors discovering that you can walk around most of our cities and just be yourself in a multicultural setting, discovering tailgating, starting impromptu block parties, my muslim mayor, etc. etc. it's corny to say it but that's our secret sauce. and it means something

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ℳatt @matttomic.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

you gave up 4 runs in 4 innings to take the loss, maybe you should be less focused on quoting Genesis and more focused on Job and Numbers

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Them Curry @tylerhendrix.blog · 13/06/2026

owned

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