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Gene Tracy

@genetracy.bsky.social
552 followers 1.7K following 468 posts

Physicist, sci-fi fan, news junkie. Scribblings have appeared at Aeon, Lapham’s Q, and American Scientist. he/him. Author of The Icarus Question: Essays on Science, Technology, and the Search for Home in a Changing World. gene-tracy.com

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Reposted by Gene Tracy
Zach Weinersmith @zachweinersmith.bsky.social · 5h
I think it's not a great argument against AI eating a lot of the arts to say that AI can't be creative/original. Setting aside the question of whether they can... does *most* art strike you as extremely original? The vast majority of people, including great artists most of the time are mid.
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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 28/09/2026
"The US has grown used to the swift and dramatic erosion of women’s health and status that has followed Dobbs," writes @moiradonegan.bsky.social, "to the horror stories and upward ticking body counts, grown into ease, and even a kind of compliant boredom, with women’s death and indignity."
theguardian.com
Why has abortion faded from America’s national conversation? | Moira Donegan
The US has already grown used to the horror caused by abortion bans. And Republicans have sought to quash the stories
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Mike Sowden @mikeachim.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I know there is a hell of a lot going on right now. But not all of it is bad. Some is astonishingly good - like the results of this study from June. Cervical cancer is a terribly cruel thing. This might, at long last, be the beginning of the end of it. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
BBC News headline "Young women now have 'close to zero' risk of cervical cancer death after HPV jab"
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Mike Sowden @mikeachim.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
And as a reminder - vaccine innovations can & have ended the threat of many diseases over the last century (at least technically, barring the hopefully temporary outbreaks caused by anti-vaccine paranoia).
Chart from Our World In Data showing the many vaccine innovations since 1880, in some cases technically eliminating diseases entirely, like polio and typhoid.
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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 28/09/2026
At the height of the ICE raids earlier this year, agents in armored military vehicles rolled through residential neighborhoods. Masked agents patrolled public parks and stationed themselves outside elementary schools; squadrons of ICE agents snatched pedestrians off the streets. 🧵
Federal agents line up in front of community members at the scene where federal agents fatally shot a man while trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 24, 2026.

REUTERS/Tim Evans
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Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 26/09/2026
do they maybe need someone to play guitar and also shoot fire on top of a truck while being held aloft by some sort of bungee cord, asking for a friend
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I could quote pretty much this entire article by @mjrobbins.com on the bizarre psychology of the AI apocalypse freaks, but you should just read it instead. Such a relief to see someone express my feelings so eloquently. martinrobbins.substack.com/p/the-ai-apo...
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Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
They warned us Mamdani would impose Sharia law. Instead, he unleashed the real threat: line dancing in Bryant Park.
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In Medias Malone @professormusgrave.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
My nuclear reactor “went rogue”. Sorry to the people of Chicago but there was nothing to be done to control Artificial Energy
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Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 25/09/2026
I have blamed The agents That hacked Your website And which You probably Reasonably thought I controlled Forgive me I am rich And unaccustomed To taking responsibility
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Dr Stylite @columnist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Definitely watch Reservation Dogs
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Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is so great!
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Gene Tracy @genetracy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
#MusicSky youtube.com/watch?v=3Rgg...
youtube.com
Son House "Preachin' Blues (Larkin Poe Cover)
YouTube video by Larkin Poe
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Steely Dan’s album “Aja” turns 49 today. So take a few seconds to watch Jay Graydon replicate his iconic guitar solo on “Peg”. 🎸 💕
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Zach Weinersmith @zachweinersmith.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
We are about to see an avalanche of AI generated animations. I think all those low-quality children's animations can already be replaced, which suggests they will be soon. Opus 5.5 is incredibly powerful and cheap. The weirdening is accelerating. Like, this isn't even obviously AI.
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Luca @lucagalletti.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
World Championship Pond Crossing at the Sugarloaf Bike Park in New Brunswick, Canada 🇨🇦 IG: @crankworxsummerseries www.instagram.com/crankworxsum...
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Elizabeth Spiers @espiers.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Every book he claims is DEI is incredible, especially Marlon James’ new one. No indication Bret read any of these books www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The National Book Awards Are No Longer National (Gift Article)
The National Book Awards longlists are a study in tedious political orthodoxy.
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Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
sitting down to write a column about how too many minorities are getting nominated for prizes these days is real loser shit like scraping the bottom of the racism barrel loser shit
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Heather Cox Richardson (TDPR) @hcrichardson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
September 21, 2026
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
September 21, 2026
On September 18, while White House chief of staff Susie Wiles was out of town, Trump suddenly announced he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Free weekend update, a crystallizing week. There are areas where the US is helping Russia and areas where the Ukrainians are showing the initiative. Also, Trump really pulls out the stops to help protect the Russian oil industry--with some laughable lies. phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-up...
phillipspobrien.substack.com
Weekend Update #203: A Week Which Demonstrated Why Trump Is So Helpful To Russia
Operation Vivaldi; Russia Batters Ukraine At Range; Trump, Diesel And Ukrainian Energy Strikes.
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Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
every day of my life I think about the people using “she” to describe this computer program who still need to be convinced to use it for trans women
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Rae Radford @raeradford.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I think I'm in love with Kevin 😻 #Caturday
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United Farm Workers @ufw.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
It was 95° at 2:45pm as an irrigator in Mettler, CA uses his ATV to transport irrigation pipes from one field to another. This is a vital task as irrigation pipes must be replaced if damaged to ensure that water is distributed evenly among the crops in any given field. #WeFeedYou
It was 95° at 2:45pm as an irrigator in Mettler, CA uses his ATV to transport irrigation pipes from one field to another.
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I’m not sure why she’s letting them off with such a light punishment but yes
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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
White House correspondents, D.C. bureau chiefs, and media execs: The German government expelled Dorothy Thompson from the country in August 1934. She's remembered and respected today for her important coverage and analysis over the next decade of the German regime. Be like Dorothy Thompson.
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tomwellborn3rd @wellborn.net · 16/09/2026
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Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
"Investors are questioning whether Anthropic can sustain its extraordinary growth as competition, price-sensitive customers and the potential for AI to destroy humanity cloud its blockbuster IPO."
ft.com
Investors warn Anthropic could struggle to sustain revenues post-IPO
OpenAI’s resurgence, cheap rivals and safety fears test faith in durability of business model
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James Cameron @jjjcameron.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Now imagine that during a crisis an AI draws from a huge amount of data to conclude that Russia or China are preparing a nuclear first strike and an under-pressure analyst sends that immediately up the chain.
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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 19/09/2026
After a sold-out debut in New York, the Kyiv Independent is bringing its live event series to the UK — and we couldn't be more excited to meet our London community in person. Date: Oct. 2, 2026 Time: 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM Location: Kings Place, Hall One, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG
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Gene Tracy @genetracy.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Am several chapters into this book by @kevinhartnett.bsky.social and am totally hooked. Great read on an important and timely topic. #AI #Mathsky
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Danny Fearns @dannyfearns.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I don't follow Formula One, but good on them for using subtitles for the hard of hearing… 
F1 track with numerous Zoom signs on the advertising billboards
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Maggie Harrison Dupré @mharrisondupre.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
NEW: Brown Brothers Media is the most successful media company you've never heard of. For years, its success was fueled by AI, fake writers, and fake reporting. When we started asking questions, BBM started mass-deleting content. Somehow, what came next was even worse. futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com
How Three Brothers Built an AI Slop Empire by Buying Legitimate News Sites and Turning Them Into Zombie Content Farms That They Say Get 50 Million Page Views per Month
Brown Brothers Media is a media empire raking in millions of clicks with AI, fake writers, and plagiarism.
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Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Great thread. Most racists are "genuinely concerned" because they are genuinely prejudiced. Their sincerity is not the issue
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Gene Tracy @genetracy.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
“Rather than turning to AI to speed up grading or rushing to use bots as a stand-in for teachers, we [schools] need to focus on what OpenAI cannot so easily provide: independence, access to expertise in context, productive struggle and social connection.” #AI www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
theguardian.com
Big AI is trying to own the pathway to work. Universities shouldn’t play along | Ella Hafermalz
Universities need protect their position in education so that students have an independent pathway to employment.
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Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 16/09/2026
arstechnica.com
Iran strikes on Amazon data centers caused permanent loss of customer data
War damage to data centers exceeded what AWS services are designed to withstand.
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Aaron Sojourner @aaronsojourner.org · 16/09/2026
Kids today... are wonderful, in my experience.
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Patrick De Haan @gasbuddyguy.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
America’s Added Fuel Cost Clock: now online and available live on the web for you to see the numbers climb in real time :( hoping if and when prices fall I'll get to the savings in real time... patrickdehaan.com/fuelclock.html
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Stan Kelly @kartoonistkelly.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Who will they give an Emmy to next, Attila the Hun?!? @colbertlateshow.bsky.social
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Gene Tracy @genetracy.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
"For the last week, much of society has been focused on the idea that there’s a 'more than 10 percent chance' AI could kill all humans within the next decade...But I am here to tell you that.. the ability for AI to act on the internet has a 100% chance of being annoying as hell." #AI
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Gene Tracy @genetracy.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
“But months after her departure, the administration continues to honor Curlee’s legacy. Inside the museum at CIA headquarters, a photo of Curlee still remains on the walls. It hangs above a bathroom that Curlee was banned from using.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
The trans CIA official ousted by Trump: ‘We’re a government crippled by its own decisions’
Julia Curlee, a former senior CIA officer, speaks on Trump administration’s purge of national security staff, attacks on DEI and failures in Iran war
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Hassinator @hassinator.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
a great letter in the times today. perhaps worth sharing in these troubled times. #RNLI #heroes
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Abdul El-Sayed @abdulelsayed.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
We're being told that if we sacrifice the rights of some people, then the rest of us get to keep our rights. We all know that's some BS.
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Caolan Robertson @caolanrob.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Imagine if your country was hit with this many munitions every day. It’s absolutely insane what Ukraine has been dealing with recently. All these drones & missiles over the last 24 hours.
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Yaroslava @strategywoman.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Strength. Determination. Will to live despite all the obstacles. A tree growing from the remains of an old one. I passed by it and stopped. Very symbolic for Ukraine.
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Jess Miers 🦝 @jmiers230.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I did a somewhat deep dive into the recent OpenAI and Anthropic "hacks" for an upcoming interview. IMO, the AI companies are better off running with the "rogue AI" story because the real story is actually pretty embarrassing. Like making your Wi-Fi password "wifi" embarrassing. 🧵
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Doctora Malka Older @older.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
just finished rereads of the Clocktaur War & Swordheart as preliminary to reading Daggerbound (DO NOT! SAY A WORD TO ME ABOUT THAT BOOK YET) & I'm reading Inventing the Renaissance which is AMAZING, so good, also did not keep me from having to spell out renn- renaissance 2x, WHAT ARE YOU READING???
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Nick Kodama @nickkodama.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
the AI debate is like: what if this, but everyone was a dumbass
one world or none
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Anna Hughes 🍁 @annaghughes.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
trying to make new friends as an adult
Amy Adams in Arrival holding the white board that says HUMAN while she's trying to communicate with aliens
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The failure to understand the limits of Russian military power before the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine was until that time the greatest failure in modern strategic analysis. The failure to understand the limits of US military power since February 2026 might be worse.
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Gene Tracy @genetracy.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Want to touch digital grass and get a calmer take on the whole "AI will kill us all" discourse? I recommend this interview with @adapalmer.bsky.social, someone with an amazing grasp of the history of tech and science, and clearly fun to talk to. savingtheworldpod.transistor.fm/episodes/how...
savingtheworldpod.transistor.fm
A Short History of Saving The World | How the World Survives Information Revolutions: Fake news, censorship & what history teaches us about echo chambers
Every generation thinks it’s living through an unprecedented information crisis. But according to historian Ada Palmer, we’ve been here before.  In this episode, Angus and Ada explore the first gre...
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