iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Hisham Zerriffi

I wrote for @thecut.com about the Cornell case and what it says that, at my institution and many others like it, protesters are often punished more harshly than sexual assailants www.thecut.com/article/what...

thecut.com

What It Feels Like at Cornell Right Now

As a professor at the Ivy League school, Kate Manne has known many, many victims. There’s a palpable feeling on campus, she writes, that this is big.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 2h

Fascinating, infinitely rich and maybe just a bit icky. But yeah, they’d probably dive right in

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Reposted by Hisham Zerriffi

Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 5h

I posted in my newsletter about an incarcerated comrade named Kenneth who is running a mobile library in prison. He needed a new cart and some readers generously donated. Here's the new cart! Thanks to those who supported him.

Two men in striped pants and white shirts stand by a cart with books, under a colorful “Perfection” sign on a white brick wall. One holds up two fingers in a peace sign, the other displays a book.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 5h

Very cool. Do you think they would be interested in prison-rule compliant kick-ass role-playing games? I'm about to make another donation to Bull Press who sends them to prisoners for free and they will send to specific prisoners if requested. More on Bull Press: bullpress.org

bullpress.org

Bull Press Conversational Games

#1 internet web page

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 5h

I'm not a historian so grain and salt and all that. But I imagine early 21st century history being either the hottest discipline (so much material and so many different ways to contest what it all meant) or absolutely radioactive ("oh, you couldn't pay me enough to wade into *those* archives).

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 11h

Not sure what it says about me that the Number 1 design for most people was the London Underground map but mine was the Dalek. That’s perfectly normal, right?

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 11h

I know! Had a couple of unfortunate pairings in first round that were tough but the later rounds were worse.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 12h

Fun quiz abt design. But be warned, you will be asked at later stages to make very hard choices. I’m an 80s kid who learned to code on the Spectrum’s B&W predecessor but also listened to that album repeatedly *and* worked in pulsar lab as undergrad (IFYKYK). best-of-british-design.vercel.app

Screenshot of quiz asking me whether I prefer the design of the ZX spectrum computer (pic of small black 80s computer with a rainbow band in lower right) or the Unonown Pleasure album cover (black with greyscale image of a pulsar signal).

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 12h

My Mac sometimes does this. “Detecting new sign-in to your Apple account. Allow?” Yes “Ok, here’s the security code sent to the same device your are logging in from.” How exactly is that secure?

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Reposted by Hisham Zerriffi

Daniel Munro @dkmunro.bsky.social · 18h

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, at least 180 scientists have been killed and more than 4000 scientific and educational facilities have been destroyed or damaged, according to Denys Kurbatov, deputy minister, Ministry of Education and Science. www.science.org/content/arti...

science.org

Russian drone kills at least two in Ukraine science academy attack

New underground labs are being built as war rages on

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The contrast between East and West Germany is also fascinating in this regard. West Germany was very traditional with few supports for childcare and restrictive gender norms around mothers. East Germany had near equal workforce participation facilitated by extensive support for early childcare.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Media Smarts has updated the House Hippo ads for the digital era. More at Media Smarts: mediasmarts.ca

youtu.be

House hippo 2.0

YouTube video by MediaSmarts | HabiloMédias

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

PSA: Beware the North American House Hippo!!! This media literacy PSA ran in Canada in 1999. Ahead of its time and the message is just as important as ever.

youtu.be

The North American house hippo. A favourite Canadian commercial from 1999.

YouTube video by Life in Canada

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Damn. That explains a lot. Been doing it all wrong. Scream-void, stare-abyss, post-ether. Got it.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The experiment has been run. In Quebec low cost daycare resulting in tens of thousands of additional women joining the workforce. The increase in taxes to both provincial and federal governments were more than the cost of the subsidy.

ippr.org

Lessons from Quebec's universal low-fee childcare programme | IPPR

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Saw some reactions to the horrific Cornell rape story focus on frats. 1) It would be a mistake to focus just on frats. It’s so much bigger and deeper a problem 2) Getting rid of frats is prob a good start though. Went to a school where frats/sororities were banned. Doesn’t solve problem but helps

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Can’t speak for other faculty but my AI FOMO is sitting around zero. As for the student peer pressure, i think it is less FOMO and more “keeping up with the Joneses.” If others are producing more and faster with it (even if crappier) there is a fear they can’t keep up without it.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

My sense is that a significant fraction of students feel pressure to use GenAI from university and to “keep up” with peers. They appreciate it when they have a ready-made reason not to and feel that it applies to everyone. Admittedly may be some selection bias in terms of who takes my courses

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

+1 on websites in general, not everything has to be an app (except so many now are janky with popups, etc. that I bounce off quickly). The key for me is that the content start on website but I have a way to access that doesn’t mean constantly going to website (e.g. RSS or aggregator I control).

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Since they match you with real people (some of whom are actually alive) a great test of these quizzes would be to have those people take it and see if they get themselves. Would be hilarious (and informative) if they didn’t! “Sorry Mayor Mamdani, you’re nothing like that Mamdani guy.”

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Reposted by Hisham Zerriffi

Jacqueline Antonovich @jackiantonovich.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I also think tech bros overestimate how willing women will be to hand over shopping to agents. Not for some “women be shopping” reason, but because it requires patience, cross-checking, knowing a real deal from a fake one, deciding what you actually need, & knowing when to pull the trigger.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

As the person who was responsible for summer camp registration in our household, the idea of turning that over to an AI agent fills me with dread.

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Reposted by Hisham Zerriffi

Annalee Newitz @annaleen.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

San Francisco! Tuesday 10/6! Start the season right at my book launch for A WALL IS ALSO A ROAD, @greenapplebooks.bsky.social on the park. I'll be talking to @olivasthewriter.bsky.social about tentacles, slime molds, and ancient Pompeii! Come say hi! It's free! greenapplebooks.com/event/2026-1...

greenapplebooks.com

9th Ave: Annalee Newitz with M.M. Olivas

Welcome to our new website! We're excited to see you. *** RETURNING USERS WILL NEED TO RESET THEIR PASSWORD FOR THIS NEW SITE. CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD.***

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Reposted by Hisham Zerriffi

Christopher Golden @cgolden.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Not all men. Jesus Christ, don't you think women *know* that? Use your heads instead of getting defensive. Most of you would be terrified of swimming among sharks, even though sharks are stastically far less dangerous to you than men are to women.

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Reposted by Hisham Zerriffi

Ellen Bees @ellenbees.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

This Wednesday is National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. If you would like to learn more about how to identify and confront Residential School denialism, check out this article by @seancarleton.bsky.social and Daniel Heath Justice. theconversation.com/truth-before...

theconversation.com

Truth before reconciliation: 8 ways to identify and confront Residential School denialism

Residential school denialism is the rejection or misrepresentation of basic facts about residential schools to undermine truth and reconciliation efforts.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I should note that there are a lot of ways in which emissions can and have been reduced at great cost (economic and non-economic). pandemics, recessions and war have all resulted in at least short term emissions reductions. These are not the ways we want to see an energy transition occur.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Interesting exercise to calculate the implied abatement cost of the Iran war. Direct cost as of early Sept to U.S. military = $43.6 billion Wapo just reported reduction of 472 Mt of CO2 So, *at minumum* the cost is $92/ton Real cost higher (other military’s expenses, damages, Econ losses, etc)

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

holy graph crimes Batman! But also, “inadvertently?” Not saying demand destruction was deliberate. But it sure as hell was predictable.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Sure, it might mimic practical wisdom. But it would just be that. Mimicking. So, ultimately, it is not the bot that is responsible. It goes back to the company. it’s their training set, their weights, their penalty functions.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Thanks! Writing it out this way certainly helped me articulate more clearly to myself what was bothering me about this framing.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Exactly. there is no moral judgement involved. And to the degree that the bots acknowledge guardrails and/or obfuscate the workaround, it’s again a response to the incentive structure.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

On top of that, the guardrails put on Sam (i.e. the credit card = firewall, etc.) are weak and easily exploitable in trying to meet the objective. If there's no clear penalty for violating guardrail and a high penalty for failing the task, why wouldn't Sam find a workaround or ignore the guardrail.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I realize this is a silly scenario and simplifies the tech but I think it works for the Rogue AI nonsense. Sam is doing the task assigned. The parameters for that task (what restaurant and failure mode response) are ill-defined so Sam will use information available to determine options.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

So Sam does the logical thing. He buys a plane ticket with my credit card, flies to Morocco, goes to a really nice restaurant and buys me a delicious tajine to go. A few days later I have what is now a very expensive tajine sitting on my desk for lunch. Did Sam "go rogue" or did Sam follow orders?

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

No problem. Sam does a bit of asking around and finds out that the best tajines are (surprise, surprise) in Morocco. Even better: 1) I happen to have left my credit card laying around and unsecured 2) Even if I had said "don't use it" the penalty for doing so is near zero as far as Sam can see

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

But maybe I just give Sam the instruction: Get me a good lamb tajine. So off Sam goes but the only Moroccan restaurant in town is closed. Oh no. What's Sam to do? Remember, Sam likes nothing more than completing a task. His internal penalty function for not doing so is very high.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

One day, I have a craving for Moroccan food. A good lamb tajine. And I ask Sam to get me the tajine. I could give Sam very explicit directions: Go to this restaurant. Buy tajine. If restaurant is closed or tajine unavailable return to office. Easy peasy.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Been trying to think of a suitable analogy for why this "AI chatbot went rogue" framing is wrong. I think I got something but maybe you can tell me if useful. Let's imagine I have an employee. We can call him Sam. Sam likes to feel he's accomplished his tasks. Gives him great pleasure.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Another example of why this government has been disappointing on climate. If you’re so confident that you can meet the targets despite walking back various climate policies then update the plans. Show us how. In line with legal obligations under the Accountability Act. Shouldn’t need a lawsuit.

flip.it

Carney government dealt an early blow in climate litigation | CBC News

A federal court refused to strike down a climate lawsuit brought against the Carney government by Canadian youth.

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

@adapalmer.bsky.social's Too Like the Lightning and sequels as a great example. @older.bsky.social would be another. But can't let my politics prof (@bschiff.bsky.social) off the hook (two thrillers in addition to academic books).

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Goose's Daily Walk Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Pairs. Maybe this doesn't quite fit, but couldn't resist. :) Faro, Portugal, July 2026 #StreetPhotography #Bird #Goose #Portugal #Faro #IphonePhotography #BlueSkyPhotographers

A man and his goose walking down the street. The goose is black and white with a red face/beak. He is wearing a striped shirt, shorts and slip on shoes. He is slightly directing the goose with a narrow stick.

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Reposted by Hisham Zerriffi

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I don't disagree with the thread below but frame it somewhat differently as an academic who regularly sees people who read for a living fail in the way described here. From that perspective it seems more a cultural crisis than an educational one

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 To roughly paraphrase: Reading is more important than ever and is not about making you “feel better” but about seeing yourself and the world differently. But listen to the clip yourself. Also, yeah, Kafka is imp to read but not meant as a light breezy read. 🤣

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Hisham Zerriffi @hishamzerriffi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Question. Is an e-boke a combo e-bike and e-book? Does it come with a screen so you can read while you travel? That sounds great and efficient for getting more reading time in and not at all dangerous!

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Brett "Solidarity 2026" Banditelli @banditelli.org · 26/09/2026

My top 4 Crow Full Moon shots tonight. P L E N T Y of video to edit someday! 🪶 🐦‍⬛

a crow flies in front of the moon, greyish sky, the crow is flapping their wings down

two crows fly in front and near the moon, in the middle and the bottom left, a snowy egret is out of focus below the moon, greyish sky

a crow flies in front of the moon, dark sky, the crow is flapping their wings up but not fully extended

a crow flies in front of the moon, dark purple sky, the crow is in full cruise mode

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