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JD Roberts

@jdroberts.bsky.social
168 followers 331 following 316 posts

Musican, historian and biologist. Melodic ambient soundscapes and parasitic worms. He/him Researching hookworm, guinea worm, environmental history, parasitology, ecology, and Caribbean & Cornish history.

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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Isn't the new multiparty system grand? Time was, we had no choice but to be disappointed in Labour. But now, we can be disappointed in Labour AND the Greens at the same time!
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Reposted by JD Roberts
Clare Downham @downham.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
#medievalsky may esp be of interest to @archaeodeathprof.bsky.social nice meditation on the walk along Offa’s Dyke by Andy Marshall @fotofacade.bsky.social www.digest.andymarshall.co/harmonyonoff...
digest.andymarshall.co
Finding Harmony on Offa's Dyke
Walking Offa’s Dyke, I set out to understand a landscape of division - and found something that brings us together.
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
It was an absolute joy to be involved in making this wonderful ambient jazz album, now out just in time for Bandcamp Friday! unknun.bandcamp.com/album/ahap-d...
unknun.bandcamp.com
AHAP de Aliyah, by Unstable Knowledge University
4 track album
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Meadow grasshoppers (Corthippus paralellus)! I've hardly seen any of these this year - I suspect the dry summer hasn't been good for them - so it was very nice to find a few at Lindow. Hoping they bounce back this month!
A green grasshopper sat on bell heather in a sunbeam, looking at the cameraA green grasshopper with red legs, dark wings and brown eyes facing right, perched on a spring of green and pink heather
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I was so excited when I saw a kite over Goytsclough earlier this year...horrible to think someone might have shot that very individual just a couple of miles away. And truly depressing that we never see justice for these birds
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Anthropocentrism? I 'ardly know 'em!
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Finally had a long-awaited and much-needed day off, so of course I headed into the woods with the Monotron
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I don't much worry about the risk of human extinction; I worry about the kind of misanthropy which leads people to believe human extinction would be an acceptable outcome
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Me: I'm actually kinda excited to apply for this job, it seems interesting and enjoyable, and I think I'd be good at it Employer: Great! Now fill out this 20-page form duplicating all the information which is already on your CV
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/news/2026/se...
theguardian.com
Jamaica’s plea to the king: use your authority to ensure colonial slavery is examined | Olivia Grange
The UK drew immense wealth from our country. But was the slavery that underpinned the empire ever lawful? We deserve a fair hearing
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
3) It is quite funny to me that the sharpest resistance to the idea that words are reality and text is thought seems to be coming from the arts and humanities. Turns out tech bros are not as materialist as they thought, and humanities scholars are not as airy and discourse-obsessed as we pretended
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The product is built to look like it's thinking, but what you're seeing is a performance without substance; representation without reality. A theatre of thought. It definitely gives me hyperreality vibes, to lean on academic-ese
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
2) What is interesting about LLMs is how they run a theatre of thought. How the product is marketed through a theatre of personhood. It's crucial that the thing looks like a thinking person from the stalls, because that's how you sell tickets. But it's all an illusion; you pay to be fooled
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
It's not enough for this technology to be (as all genuinely revolutionary technologies were) merely useful or profitable in particular situations & tasks. It has to be claimed to be 'superhuman', because they can't now go back to investors with a useful but limited product. Hype has its own momentum
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Three random thoughts on AI I needed to get out of my head: 1) the immense resources which have been poured into LLMs have created a need to justify the expenditure as producing something 'superhuman'. The hype machine has backed itself into a corner where it can only justify itself by further hype
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
I'm particularly excited to be supporting the amazing Ayami Suzuki in Sheffield, as well as to be sharing the stage with such an array of talent in Walthamstow. Please come along if you happen to be anywhere near Walthamstow or Sheffield!
Text reads:
Ayami Suzuki
Expansive folk-influences ambient soundscapes
JD Roberts
Nature-infused melodic ambient soundscapes
Sunday 13th September
Bishop's House
Meersbrook ParkText reads:
Thursday 10th September
Tones & Drones
Live electronics & ambient sound
JD Roberts
Last Year at Marienbad
Live film soundtracking
By Scald, Ukaea and Agathe Max
Viviana Caro
Arconic
2-Digit Visuals
Walthamstow Trades Hall
61-63 Tower HAmlets Rd E17 4RQ
7PM-10.30OM
Advvance Tickets: £8/£5 members - wegottickets
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Mini-tour! I'm very excited to be hitting the road (or more accurately, the railway) for a lovely duo of gigs with some very lovely people in September! 7PM Thursday, 10th September - Walthamstowe Trades Hall, London 7PM Sunday, 13th September - Bishops' House, Sheffield
Text reads: JD Roberts upcoming shows

Thursday 10th September
Walthamstow Trades Hall
London
7PM 

Sunday 13th September
Bishops’ House
Sheffield
7PM
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Reposted by JD Roberts
Katherine Arnold @arnoldke.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Very happy to see another article out in the world! Part of a special issue edited by the wonderful @sabinehanke.bsky.social & Anne Sophie Overkamp, from a fantastic (and very hot) workshop we had in Tübingen back in 2024 #envhist #envhum #histsci Available open access: doi.org/10.1002/bewi...
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
One of the things I like about using the long delay and reverse reverb is it forces you to take the music slowly, and ask yourself the only question which matters in music: which note do I play next?
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
A poem I wrote on a very quiet bat survey last night: Above silver stars shine serene Nor is aught else to be seen Save shadowed trees and streetlamp glow Illuminating weary ecologists below
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
The system cares so little about history that it will allow historical research to wither with or without a techno-excuse
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Maybe I'm just underslept from working nights at my non-history job, but the question of whether AI can do historical research (it can't) seems a bit secondary to me when so few trained historians are doing history because there's no jobs in it
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
One thing I think environmental historians need to shout about is that we see dramatic effects on the course of history arising through climatic shifts *which are tiny in comparison to those we are now beginning to experience*
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Some people meditate when they need to relax; I get the instruments out
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
My music does have a serious agenda when it comes to reconnecting with other-than-human life and re-enchanting the world around us, but I always think that’s best served by taking joy in life, and having fun in our time on this beautiful, magical planet
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
The dragon is not, and doesn’t have to be, a metaphor for life’s struggles or what have you: it is just be a dragon! Over the past few years, I’ve got so bored with self-important seriousness, and hit the point where I just want to do fun, silly things, like write music about dragons.
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Did I mention I had a new track out? And that it's about a dragon living in an ancient burial mound? jdrobertsmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-dr...
jdrobertsmusic.bandcamp.com
The Dragon is not a Metaphor, by JD Roberts
track by JD Roberts
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
New single! It’s time for some minimal fantasy ambient, blending deep, calm drones with an air of mystery. Sit back, relax, and descend into the dimly-lit barrow… jdrobertsmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-dr...
jdrobertsmusic.bandcamp.com
The Dragon is not a Metaphor, by JD Roberts
track by JD Roberts
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Small copper
A brown butterfly perched on a white thistlehead about to take flight. Its forewings are orange with dark spots, and a little ragged at the edges
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
I'm not quite sure whether ambient reflects the peace and calm of the natural world, or prefigures a calmer, more reflective human world which we're yet to build
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
I still say the Greater Manchester Combined Authority was a poor choice of name: we should have called it the Mancunian Union
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Painted lady
A bright orange, black and white butterfly on white thistledown against a background of dark green leaves
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Sloe bug, nestled in thistledown
A metallic purple and bronze-green bug with stripy antennae sat on a yellow-white bed of thistle seeds
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
I've just updated the Ambient Leeds spotify playlist with some of the wonderful artists we've had so far this year! At some point I need to figure out how to copy playlists over to a less evil platform, but one thing at a time open.spotify.com/playlist/6IG...
open.spotify.com
Ambient Leeds
Playlist · Jon · 67 items · 5 saves
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
The hills are burning; my house smells of smoke. I'm trying to channel my grief for my land, its people, its animals, its plants, into my music, but I'm also grappling with a deep uncurrent of rage at the shills who turn a blind eye to their country burning to repeat their mindless talking points
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Large skipper. The patterning on their wings always puts me in mind of a stained-glass window
A small butterfly with a slate-grey body and orange-brown wings with dark veins running across them. The centre of the wing is a deep fiery orange, but fades to a lighter orange before changing to an earthier warm brown colour. It is sat on a green leaf
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Ahhh of course, I hadn't thought about that at all, but now my undergrad animal physiology courses are coming back to me!
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Fascinating, thank you! I'll give Burton's paper a read too!
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Oh that's very interesting, thank you! It seems like canaries were adopted relatively quickly, then, despite not being originally suggested - is that to do with their availability as well as their singing? Also very interesting that it was something of a formalisation of an existing idea
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Thank you!
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Random question, but do you have a copy of that paper? When I was working on mines I kept hearing that canaries were introduced by J.S. Haldane but was never able to verify that claim - is this true?
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
My one-line manifesto for Extinction Studies: It must never be possible for someone to say "yes, it's a study of extinction, but is it Extinction Studies?"
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Yay, a new paper on the history of one of my favourite parasites! And a long overdue English-language summary of the medieval Islamic sources too! jcpres.com/storage/uplo...
jcpres.com
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Common green grasshopper, Omocestes viridulus
A bright green grasshopper perched on a browning red clover flower
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Soldier beetle. When I was looking back through my photos from yesterday I found the compositional simplicity of this one very satisfying!
An orange red beetle with black eyes, antennae and wingtips perched on a yellow grass stalk reaching diagonally upwards and rightwards across a green background
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Not sure whether it's of any interest, but this paper of mine is largely about folk medical knowledge in Jamaica (I hesitate to use the phrase indigenous knowledge in this context) doi.org/10.1093/trst...
doi.org
The impact of multiple infections and community knowledge on engagement with a historical deworming programme: hookworm and Ascaris in Jamaica, 1913–1936
AbstractIntroduction. Community engagement with public health efforts often depends on existing knowledge of a health issue.Methods. Here, qualitative anal
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Common green grasshopper (Omocestes viridulus)
A brown grasshopper seen from above and behind. It is light brown with black and white markings on the pronotum and large brown eyes. It is gripping a green grass stalk which rises upwards and diagonally left across the frame. The left hand side of the frame is filled with green vetch leaves
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Reposted by JD Roberts
tim brown @parasitetim.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
What is a parasite? Why are they so important for ecosystems and hosts? And what can we do to protect the 1000s of species at risk of extinction? A few weeks ago I spoke with a BBC Science Focus podcast about why parasites are awesome and you can listen HERE: open.spotify.com/episode/5864...
open.spotify.com
How parasites play a vital role as caretakers of Earth’s ecosystems
Instant Genius · Episode
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Reposted by JD Roberts
Leverhulme Trust @leverhulme.ac.uk · 25/06/2026
Tune into this episode of the Edges of Extinction podcast @extinctionleeds.bsky.social to hear about insect extinctions, what these might mean for the world, and how they can be averted. 🎙️ media.leverhulme.ac.uk/podcast/wonk... #InsectWeek
media.leverhulme.ac.uk
A Wonkier World
In this first episode of the Extinction Studies Doctoral Training Programme podcast series ‘Edges of Extinction’, Sicily Fiennes and Diane Nelson talk to Chris Hassall about insect extinctions, what…
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JD Roberts @jdroberts.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Took a trip to Stavanger in Norway last week: here's one of the things I made whilst I was there Most of my music is about place, so I always like to take the chance to improvise in situ, and respond to the place and the moment I'm in
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