Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 03/10/2026I’ve been thinking about techno-religion too. aeon.co/essays/why-s...aeon.coWhy superheroes are the shape of tech things to come | Aeon EssaysSuperman et al were invented amid feverish eugenic speculation: what does the superhero craze say about our own times? 111
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 30/09/2026"A kind of Ponzi scheme that bottoms out in nothing." I like that! 020
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 30/09/2026I think you'd find more Welsh in the commonwealth than you imagine. I'm not yelling, and didn't mean to come across as doing so. And yes, my first reaction looking at this was indeed, where's Cymraeg. 000
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Correction. It quite certainly needs Welsh text. And I'd be quite interested to know what precisely you think is farcical about bilingualism in a bilingual country. 100
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 25/09/2026I think I've watched bits of maybe four of these? I'm clearly not with the zeitgeist here! 000
Reposted by Iwan Rhys MorusAlan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Anthropic has designed a product that regularly produces automated hacks of other entities, including governments. That’s not “going rogue.” It is either a terrible design problem or what they intended. 0198
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 25/09/2026The photograph's a composite, of course. Not even Tesla took that much of a risk for his showmanship! 1215
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Right now, at the Science and Media Museum: it’s @amandarees.bsky.social talking about Close Encounters on its 30th birthday. 031
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Such a brilliant series. I’ll have to dig out the boxed set and watch it again. 131
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 23/09/2026I think we might read that as a wink. In 1818 you don't need to be told that galvanism is how you make life. You already know. 000
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 23/09/2026I suggest somewhere that the reason Shelley doesn't specify that the monster was brought to life with galvanism was that he took it for granted her readers would know that anyway. Here probably: www.amazon.co.uk/Shocking-Bod...amazon.co.ukShocking Bodies: Life, Death & Electricity in Victorian England: Amazon.co.uk: Morus, Iwan: 9780752458007: BooksBuy Shocking Bodies: Life, Death & Electricity in Victorian England by Morus, Iwan (ISBN: 9780752458007) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 100
Reposted by Iwan Rhys MorusIwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Just completed the last chapter of Empire of the Eye, coming soon from @reaktionbooks.bsky.social. Now all I need to do is write the introduction and epilogue, fix the footnotes and sort out the images. 192
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Just completed the last chapter of Empire of the Eye, coming soon from @reaktionbooks.bsky.social. Now all I need to do is write the introduction and epilogue, fix the footnotes and sort out the images. 192
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 14/09/2026I’d have thought that there would be a case for constructive dismissal in here, but I’m no employment lawyer. 030
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 14/09/2026There seems to be a lot of ‘I believe in faries/we must stop fairies getting too powerful’ discourse around AI at the moment. 020
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Until they disappeared one year to be replaced by pocket calculators. I remember programming one to solve quadratic equations. Not a thing I could do now! 020
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 13/09/2026I can remember playing with the desktop calculators in my father’s (mathematician) office as a kid. Every year they’d get smaller and more powerful. 130
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 13/09/2026I lost it when I got to the ‘humans when speaking are just next-word predictors too,’ bit. 010
Reposted by Iwan Rhys MorusPhilip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Christ almighty. I have considered Stuart Russell one of the sounder voices on AU safety. But what the heck is going on here? /1 observer.co.uk/news/nationa...observer.co.ukThe AI whistleblowers are right – its threat has been dis...As more researchers come forward to warn of the existential danger posed by the technology, governments must act now to ensure humanity maintains the upper hand 3386
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Absolutely. They’re treated like oracles. And our political lords and masters are no better than. 020
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 13/09/2026I’m ‘genuinely frightened’ too: of a future where more and more scarce resources are consumed by bigger and bigger data centres generating more and more slop for ever and ever.bbc.co.ukAI staff 'genuinely frightened' for humanity's future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBCIt comes as the AI firm's boss has called for the technology's development to be slowed down, citing "serious" risks. 1224
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 12/09/2026www.noemamag.com/the-resurgen...noemamag.comThe Resurgence Of Tesla Syndrome | NOEMAWhy has disruption been elevated as a virtue to the point where it’s become orthodox to be heterodox? It’s a symptom of the erosion of trust in institutions. 062
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Your last chance to submit an abstract for what’s going to be a fascinating conference. So do it! 001
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 09/09/2026And as for the AI will revolutionize science bit. You say it better than I could - though I'm less inclined to give Susskind an out. Given who he is and what he does, it shouldn't be that difficult to look behind the curtain. 020
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 09/09/2026With my parent hat on, I found the description of things to do with AI with your kids inexpressibly sad - putting up a pointless barrier between your children's imaginations and your own. 210
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Penblwydd Hapus Star Trek! 60 years of Star Trekking to the future.theguardian.com‘I suggested maybe a lighter touch’: William Shatner on Star Trek at 60The actor and others involved with the phenomenon speak about the legacy and progressivism of a much-loved science fiction TV series as it reaches an important milestone 020
Reposted by Iwan Rhys MorusAlex Winter @alexwinter.com · 08/09/2026RT if you've never had a tab of ChatGPT open, period. 2415741126
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 07/09/2026Get writing those abstracts. I’ve submitted mine! 011
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 07/09/2026They're just like that bloody battery bunny: they keep going, and going, and .... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukOpenAI chief scientist warns no one is prepared for consequences of AIThe post comes as the firm releases GPT-6 Astra, which it says is its most powerful product yet. 020
Reposted by Iwan Rhys MorusDr Emily Vincent @dremilyvincent.bsky.social · 04/09/2026As spooky season approaches, I’ll be giving a very fitting online talk on ‘Séances, Spectres & Ghost Stories’ for the equally fitting College of Psychic Studies on Tuesday 20th October 2026: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm (UK) Tickets here: www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/talks/esoter... #occult #psychic #lit👻collegeofpsychicstudies.co.ukThe College of Psychic Studies : Talks : Esoteric : Seances spectres ghost storiesJoin Dr Emily Vincent for an online livestream talk exploring Victorian Spiritualism, séances and the ghost stories they inspired. Spaces limited – book now. 0217
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 02/09/2026What they’re not showing you are the 4/5 new houses surrounding it, built on what used to be the grounds. 120
Reposted by Iwan Rhys MorusAmanda Rees @amandarees.bsky.social · 01/09/2026What does #speculative fiction #SF tell us about #spirituality and #faith? How important are philosophy & #theology when building #alternativeworlds & possible #futures? Come and discuss with us York in November! @eclasproject.bsky.social @uoy-sociology.bsky.social www.york.ac.uk/sociology/ab...york.ac.uk'Science - Fictions, Faiths and Futures' Conference: Call For SubmissionsColleagues are invited to submit their proposals for the 'Science - Fictions, Faiths and Futures' Conference which will be held at the University of York, 4-6 November 2026. 045
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 26/08/2026I’ve signed. I strongly recommend that you should, too. 042
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 24/08/2026I'm told this is now out. It will also be available shortly as open access, so watch this space. www.brepols.net/products/IS-...brepols.netBrepols - Performing Science, Mediating KnowledgeBrepols is an international academic publisher of works in the humanities, with a particular focus in history, archaeology, history of the arts, language and literature, and critical editions of histo... 020
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Yes. If we want to understand where these ways of thinking come from (and that’s essential if we want to confront them properly, sez the historian) it’s vital that we get this kind of stuff right. 070
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 22/08/2026Um. A robot can’t beat Usain Bolt’s record, any more than a car could.bbc.co.ukWatch: Moment robot attempts to beat Usain Bolt's 100m recordAn android at China's World Humanoid Robot Games ran faster than Bolt's world record, smartphone maker Honor says. 061
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Can't say I despised it. As far as I can remember it just didn't do anything for me at all other than faint boredom. 010
Iwan Rhys Morus @irmorus.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Just found out that this with @naomialderman.bsky.social replayed on BBC Radio 4 a few days ago. So if (like me!) you missed it: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...bbc.co.ukHuman Intelligence - Recluses - Nikola Tesla - BBC SoundsIs the mind of Nikola Tesla worthy of such an extensive legacy? 031
