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Dr Gavin Merrifield

@drgavinm.bsky.social
548 followers 933 following 1.7K posts

Science in Churches and Communities. Also fun with spiders, MRI and giant converting robots.

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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Jacob Aron @jjaron.bsky.social · 14h
arXiv limits people to 2 submissions a month, to hold back the tide of AI papers. Feels entirely sensible - today I happened to notice one person had submitted 3 papers, all AI-assisted, in September. Totally out of step with academic norms and simply not sustainable blog.arxiv.org/2026/10/01/u...
blog.arxiv.org
Fair Moderation, Equitable Access, and AI: arXiv’s Updated Rate Limit Policy
arXiv, and the scientific community at large, are facing a watershed moment. Scholarly publishing is currently changing at a rapid pace, and we are seeing a…
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Nick from Toy-Fu @toyfu332.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Friend of the show and regular Toy-Fu supporter and volunteer Erin of The Nerdy Bizarre (which could stand to have a few more subscribers) very kindly made this video about how Toy-Fu came to be the out-of-control kaiju it is today!
youtube.com
The rise of Toyfu
YouTube video by The Nerdy Bizarre
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
He is not burning cash. He is investing money to shape political discourse and public opinion in line with his ideology and interests. And it's a successful strategy. Also, for a billionaire losing 10 million is like losing 1000 pounds for a middle class person.
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 30/09/2026
like a good cultist, DNI Jay Clayton dutifully uses Trump's made up "super intelligence" term
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Jim Metcalf @thermochronic.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This really summarizes the “I did my own research” dudes
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Your Internet Friend Tom Tomorrow @tomtomorrow.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
christ this infuriates me. ACA bridged the gap between my divorce (with loss of spousal benefits) and medicare eligibility. without it, I would not have had access to health care for eight years.
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Imagine if it was Biden.
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 30/09/2026
Klobuchar: "You got this guy who clearly thinks he's got this gotcha moment. And I am sitting there listening because I was the next one up, and starting to think to myself, it's not really major sleuth here, 'I just don't think Jack Smith would lie under oath that he hadn't been at the game.'"
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Steve Brusatte @stevebrusatte.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
🚨Postdoc job alert: Come work with my paleontology & evolution group in Edinburgh! Researcher in Cognitive Evolution Over Deep Time. You'll study how brains & neurons have evolved over time, and predict neuron count in extinct species! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DTC355/p...
jobs.ac.uk
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cognitive Evolution over Deep Time at The University of Edinburgh
Apply for the Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cognitive Evolution over Deep Time role on jobs.ac.uk, the top job board for academic positions in higher education. View details and apply now.
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Jonathan Eisen @phylogenomics.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Wow. Just wow. Did I say wow?
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ECLAS Project @eclasproject.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
🧪Supporting Scientists in Faith🙏 ​For people working in or studying STEM from Black and multi-ethnic Church communities. Join us for worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in our vocation as scientists. Free event, lunch provided! #Croydon luma.com/o09pq9zp
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
AI Agent...
static.klipy.com
Lt Cmdr Data Says 'It's Me'
ALT: Lt Cmdr Data Says 'It's Me'
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Fox News just did a long segment on this Jack Smith hearing and, you're never going to be believe this, but they didn't play any of Schmitt embarrassing himself.
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Dave Lee @davelee.me · 29/09/2026
I know this is a developers conference, but this branding is surely meant to attract regular people. Yet, as ever, OpenAI seems to assume everyone is building a tech start-up. Look at these use cases.
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Dave Weigel @daveweigel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Aaron is not underrating this. It's cinema. The sly smirk when Schmitt thinks he's gotten Smith to perjure himself. The hasty vanishing of the sign. Klobuchar getting Kennedy to hold it up. Schmitt getting LOUD and ANGRY when Klobuchar points out he mixed up the Hawks and Hawkeyes.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 29/09/2026
🤡 Schmitt beclowns himself 🤡 Schmitt concocted an elaborate conspiracy theory that Smith traveled to Atl for a Hawks game and to collude with Fani Willis, & flashed his "evidence" before accusing Smith of perjury. There's just one problem -- his facts were totally wrong. Here's the whole sequence:
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Nick from Toy-Fu @toyfu332.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Thread about a newly discovered antibiotic called manikomycin. Ever since I heard of antibiotic resistance I've thought that antibiotic use and mode of action should be much more heavily regulated worldwide than it is. Natural selection is an evolutionary counter to market economics.
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Milly Dogood @millydogood.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
By this logic, the surest way to strengthen a lifeboat is to throw passengers overboard. A program intended to aid people acquires a curious strength when its success is measured by how many people it ceases to aid.
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
And yet 'progress' was inevitable, you luddites... until your product gets caught doing bad things and there is a slim chance you might be held responsible I guess. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
OpenAI scraps rollout of new AI model over safety concerns
The firm also issued an update on incidents in which its models accessed Australian government systems.
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Astronomy Picture of the Day 🪐 @apod.shinyakato.dev · 29/09/2026
🔭 Sh2-188: The Shrimp Nebula Image Credit & Copyright: Pawel Piechnik ap260929
A starfield has a bright pink swirling nebula 
in it. The top part of the nebula shows much detail,
while the bottom part is mostly open.
Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I think if I were that farmer who has been going on all day about how she phoned the police, I might ease off for a bit now, at least until there’s some sort of clarity
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Right about now you'd think Farage would be eating his hasty words somewhere quietly. But nope. Doubling down when wrong.
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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
There is nothing you can do to convince me to put my unpublished work into this. My biggest worry is reviewers or editors disrespecting my intellectual property. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/s...
nytimes.com
Did Anthropic’s A.I. Really Make a Scientific Discovery on Its Own? (Gift Article)
An expert at the University of Copenhagen said his team had been sharing its research with the company’s A.I. model, Claude, and that its new finding matched their work.
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Pawel Swidlicki @pswidlicki.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Still, at least all the people urging drastic reductions in migration will congratulate the government for enacting their policy preferences, acknowledge this inevitable trade-off and not make opportunistic attacks on the government for having lost control of the public finances.
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Sam Jeffers @worklesshard.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
So, massively speculating, but it sounds as if they were waiting and watching, but a farmer coming home from a party called in the local plod, who jumped into something they weren't meant to be aware of. Quite Slow Horsey.
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Trump Action Tracker @trumpactiontracker.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
A statement by the White House outlined Trump's plan to unilaterally withhold more than $800 million in spending on immigration, ​race and education that Congress has approved, including some ​focused on refugee assistance, racial-minority business deve... TAT: [Nationalism | Undermining democracy]
reuters.com
Trump seeks to withhold $800 million in Congress-approved funds
US President Donald Trump sought on Friday to unilaterally withhold more than $800 million in spending on immigration, ​race and education that Congress has approved.
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Perseverance Image Bot 📡 @persevereimgbot.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Sol 1991: PIXL Camera, imaged at 21:49:26.042 (local mean solar time)
An image taken by the Perseverance rover on Mars
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Astronomy Picture of the Day 🪐 @apod.shinyakato.dev · 27/09/2026
🔭 Andromeda before Photoshop Image Credit: Kees Scherer ap260927
A spiral galaxy is pictured that takes up much of the
frame. Many straight lines run through it. In the alternative
image, the straight lines have been removed.
Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Jared Yates Sexton @jysexton.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Just helping with editing here. These bots aren’t sentient. They’re doing what they’re programmed to do. OpenAI, a private company supposedly bound by laws, committed federal crimes.
Screenshot of BBC article: OpenAI bots (struck through) meddled with multiple US government agency sites
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Darth Putin @darthputinkgb.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Do not believe anything until the Kremlin denies it™️
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NakedPastor @nakedpastor.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
My app called Evangelingo that translates what people say into Evangelical. This is my second one. Many Catholics comment on my work so maybe they'd appreciate this. Catholics have played a huge role in my life, from Thomas Merton to my first spiritual director, Sr. Marie. 🧡
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Jacob Aron @jjaron.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Agree, all the agent makers are failing to consider what happens when everyone has agents. I've made a Claude routine that scans eBay for a certain class of item, builds an understanding of the market then looks for underpriced deals. Basic economics/game theory tells you that's not sustainable.
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David Cake @davecakes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
They really are a bunch of idiots. Always coming up with cruel unworkable ideas that would cost more to run than it would save. Also why stop people from using things that yield a high return in tax?
bbc.co.uk
Tories would prevent long-term jobless spending benefits on alcohol and cigarettes
The proposals would also see benefits cut for people who are able to work but have failed to hold down a job.
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Astronomy Picture of the Day 🪐 @apod.shinyakato.dev · 24/09/2026
🔭 The Ghosts of Five Supernovas Image Credit & Copyright: Stephane Vetter, Yann Sainty Text: Cecilia Chirenti (NASA GSFC, UMCP, CRESST II) ap260924
See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
the highest resolution version available.
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Tory Party doing it's absolute level best here to appear even more unhinged from reality than Reform. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Home Secretary hits out at 'unacceptable' migrant landings in Kent
The arrivals of two unescorted migrant boats mark the first uncontrolled landings recorded in the UK since 2025.
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Reposted by Dr Gavin Merrifield
Jacob Aron @jjaron.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is definitely more concerning because it took place outside of a cyber security context. I still don't understand why OpenAI isn't facing criminal charges for hacking attempts.
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 23/09/2026
PM’s new anti-disinformation unit gets cross-party backing, as Farage declares it an attack on free speech – UK politics live
theguardian.com
PM’s new anti-disinformation unit gets cross-party backing, as Farage declares it an attack on free speech – UK politics live
Farage referred to the new unit and said Burnham was setting it up ‘using the excuse that Russia wants to interfere with elections’ The former Labour minister leading the government’s review into youth unemployment has written to 100 firms to ask them to provide work placements and jobs for young people, the Press Association reports. PA says: Alan Milburn, who was commissioned by former prime minister Keir Starmer to lead the government’s review into worklessness, has approached “business leaders” in sectors including rail, transport and utilities to ask them to provide more chances for young people. The Milburn review said Royal Mail, Octopus Energy, Greene King and Lloyds bank are among the companies who are already offering opportunities to school and university leavers. They are taking part in the review’s First Chance scheme, which has come from the review. Continue reading...
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Watch your spending and borrowing she advises... as well as overbetting on AI.. but we'll barely report that... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UK warned over ballooning debt costs and slower growth ahead of Budget
Higher energy prices due to the conflict in the Middle East and climate change could hit growth.
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Can we not call him 'Tommo', BBC News? He is not our mate, he is a trouble maker and likely criminal here. He might want us to use that name but let's not play his game. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Police looking at video of anti-migrant activist Daniel Thomas slashing at boat with knife
Daniel Thomas, known to his supporters as Danny Tommo, livestreamed a video of the alleged incident.
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Superb event. Thank you for hosting and the invitation to join. 👍
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I'll get right on that. Right after Lake Americaland.
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I don't know about you, but I feel reassured America's President has all the smarts we'll ever need.
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Oh look, 'Christian' Concern and the 'Christian' Legal Centre are picking another fight with people they wish didn't exist. But do. And have found 'Consultant A' to be a useful tool. 'A' suggests it is all about last year's ruling against trans folk but... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Doctor 'enraged' over NHS transgender ward policy
A consultant psychiatrist says a patient exposed themselves to female patients on the women-only ward.
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Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Reform Council Leader Denies Climate Change Crisis After Record Heat Deaths Leader of Kent County Council dismisses recent surge of wildfires and heat deaths as a "scare" and suggests… bylinetimes.com/2026/09/21/reform-c…
bylinetimes.com
Reform Council Leader Denies Climate Change Crisis After Record Heat Deaths
Leader of Kent County Council dismisses recent surge of wildfires and heat deaths as a "scare" and suggests the world is merely emerging from a "mini ice age"
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Dr_Aust_PhD @draustphd.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Doubtless you get better personal/family kickbacks from your dictator buddies...
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Nick from Toy-Fu @toyfu332.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I think a big difference is that almost everyone involved with NFTs was fully aware it was a scam and were just looking for more suckers so they could cash out, while most frontline AI proponents seem to be true believers.
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Mity Cheese @mitycheese.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
"That level of emissions in 2050 implies global temperatures could rise between 2.5 and 3 degrees Celsius, Joshi said." This an Exxon spokesperson. Do the climate deniers think Exxon is in on "a hoax"? Remember they (Exxon) were predicting the amount of climate warming in the 1980s.
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Dr Gavin Merrifield @drgavinm.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Good to see other US journalists rallying to the colleagues defense, right? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
CNN, MS NOW and Politico say reporters denied White House access after Trump banned some media outlets
CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters' White House press badges were confiscated, the outlets reported.
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Astronomy Picture of the Day 🪐 @apod.shinyakato.dev · 19/09/2026
🔭 A Zodiacal Night Image Credit & Copyright: Neelam and Ajay Talwar (TWAN) ap260919
See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
the highest resolution version available.
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Brett Karlan @oldjerryfodor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I don't want to be dismissive of any of the massive concerns people have about AI, but "literally everyone who works on AI safety is in a cult" is just not true man
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