iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I love it when my reading interests collide, as Alan Moore & Swamp Thing turn up rather unexpectedly in the final chapter of @rowhoop.bsky.social’s important look at the symbiotic interconnected nature of life in Togetherness!

Page from a book, with text:

CHAPTER 22
Our symbiotic future
As a teenager, my favourite DC superhero wasn't Batman or Superman or Wonder Woman, it was Swamp Thing. A plane-based sentient monster modelled on a man who died in a swamp in Louisiana, he — they would be a better pronoun - they are the personification of the wood wide web, the vast network of connections between life forms in a forest. Swamp Thing's superpower is the ability to connect with all other forms of plant life, to interface, to mesh with them, and swap information. When! first went to New Orleans, on my own as a teenager, I was drawn partly by the desire to hear jazz on Bourbon Street, but also by the ecological pull of the Mississippi Delta, by the fertility, the exuberance of life that I read about in Alan Moore's Swamp Ibing: Until then l'd seen only European ecosystems, and Louisiana was a startling new experience. The heat, the steam, the trees draped with Spanish moss, the grinning caiman slipping into the water, the scrape, the buzz, the bite of the insects! The place seemed more full of life, with more niches crammed with more life forms than I was used to.
This book has been about these life forms and their con-nections. We've learned of the sheer extent of the mycorrhizal network, in forests and graslands, and the mind-boggling amount of information that travels through the network. As we ve seen, scientists have been able to measure that information

Text from the book:

on a small scale. They have tound that warnings about her-bivory, for example, can be transmitted through the network, and perhaps information about drought and other environmental conditions. What if, like Swamp Thing, we could tap into this symbiotic network, this alliance between plant, fungi and bacteria, and learn something? In this final chapter we will look ahead to our symbiotic future, starting with the concept of a programmable land.
Andrew Adamatzky runs the Unconventional Computing Lab. He is in the right place. When I spoke with him almost the first thing he said, as an aside, was that most people over eighty are tired of life. Why, for example, do fungi or slime moulds - theoretically immortal - never get tired? Or do they?' Well, I thought, the sexual and social lives of fungi and slime moulds are far more active than those of most humans of any age, let alone those over eighty. Perhaps this keeps them going? Whether ancient life forms - slime moulds, Pando the polytree, elderly lichens, slow-growing stromatolites - get tired of life is something I'd never considered.
But I wanted to talk to Adamatzky about interfacing with fungi. In effect tapping into their network with electronic com-puters. He has shown that electrical activity is transmitted in fungal networks in the lab; he thinks about whether we can take this further. Manipulate that activity, and build a funga computer." Adamatzky grows oyster mushrooms in the lab and connects them to electrodes; he has wired up a decaying stick gathered from a nearby woodland. The sight of this piece of wood, sprouting mushrooms and covered in lichen, in a lab connected to wires and electrodes and connected to machines - it's incongru-ous. Adamatzky thinks we could not only interface with fungal networks, but that we could weave them into wearable computers

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David Grinspoon @drfunkyspoon.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

“There is nothing new under the sun. But there are new suns.” — Octavia Butler 🧪

A JWST image of the “pillars of creation”

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Local Contexts @localcontexts.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Local Contexts is excited to share that we will be a part of Creative Commons’ webinar next week, focused on the forthcoming "Guidelines for Indigenous Collections and Indigenous Data," which we created with CC! Register on CC's website at the link below ⬇️

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Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

"Even if the Microsoft Office team employed a philosopher who said you shouldn’t be so certain, because consciousness is not well understood, that would not be sufficient reason for you to take this idea seriously." www.theatlantic.com/philosophy/2...

theatlantic.com

No, Artificial Intelligence Is Not Conscious

Taken to its logical conclusion, this line of thinking is absurd—and damning.

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Aeon Magazine @aeon.co · 30/07/2026

In this exceptional Essay, J F Martel argues that humans didn’t invent art at all. Instead, it was the other way around: art invented humanity. Drawing on illuminating examples, Martel offers a rich exploration into what art reveals to us about ourselves and the world

buff.ly

Humans did not invent art. It was the other way around | Aeon Essays

When early humans first painted cave walls, they began to find out who they really were: our minds emerged from our images

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Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

A sketchnote of sorts I made for an early comics course I taught while still a student – stumbled on a copy of it at my parents' house & prompted me to consider drawing on it as I prep syllabus for my comics/ed course... My bit on simultaneity is referencing the "Buddha" page in Unflattening.

a sketchnote talking about the affordances of comics "the comics form as a capacity for expression/communication" by me in 2013. Talks about comics as visual language, its lineage, sequential art and idea of simultaneity, talking about differences between comics and storyboards, how words becomes visualized in comics and multimodality and some other things...

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Melissa Barber @mbarber.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

In Rio for #AIDS2026. Gilead has put up more promo banners than it has allowed people in Brazil to access lenacapavir. It's a grim echo of past AIDS conferences: we celebrate scientific breakthroughs inside a conference center while people outside still can't access the medicines being discussed.

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Henry Rothwell @henryrothwell.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Good morning - I hope you slept like a peanut-stuffed badger - I'm starting with 'Jodrell Bank around Pex Hill, Cheshire', D. Alun Evans, acrylic on canvas, 2011.

An acrylic painting of the large white radar at Jodrell Bank in wintry coutryside.

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Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

What makes stars live/how they die - redux. Because I can't leave well enough alone. Reworked upper R side from early thumbnails - then still couldn't make it work. Kept a few elements from the attempt into final(?) version. Suspect I may never be quite satisfied with this... #Nostos #Unflattening 2

two pages from a comic book in black and white, left page - details the inner workings of a star, talking about fusion of hydrogen to create heat/light and create new elements. How the force of gravity is balanced by the force of particles resisting coming together. The whole page is sort of in the shape of an hourglass - cutting through a sun image where hydrogen funnels down the hourglass and new particles come out the other side (it's more complicate than that...). Right side page - is in four tiers - page wide horizontal panels - except for the first one, which is divided into smaller pie slices from the inner lower left corner sweeping from the upper right corner down - a bit like a fuel gauge sweeping towards empty. A star in show in there expanding as it runs out of fuel - with diagrammatic elements showing each of the different cycles of the sun and what is being burned at its core. Second panel - super nova as star explodes, then the debris from it and the heavier elements formed in that explosion, and finally dust/gas spreading from it - seeds for new developments ahead...

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Radical Anthropology @radicalanthro.c.im.ap.brid.gy · 26/07/2026

Nice paper here developing a theoretical framework for attributing 'name-like calls' to nonhuman species. Is there really symbolic social reference in animal communication? www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-scien…

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Catherine D'Ignazio (she/her/ella) @kanarinka.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

I'm so proud to have contributed to this transnational, feminist labor of love!

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Katrina Miller @katrinamillerphd.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

For the next ten years, the Rubin Observatory will drink in light from billions of galaxies and stars, creating a crisp record of how objects streak, pulse and explode in our solar system, the Milky Way and beyond. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/s...

nytimes.com

A Dazzling Census of Our Cosmos Begins

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Kate Genevieve @kategenevieve.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

I’ve written a little about growing our performance workshop, All Worlds, All Times, developed through generous collaboration across astrobio & futures communities w. astrobiologists Tessa Fisher, Andjelka Kovačević & George Profitiliotis’ Scenarios Working Group. open.substack.com/pub/kategene...

open.substack.com

All Worlds, All Times

Plural futures and the discovery of life beyond Earth

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Ira @ira.bailey.nz · 01/06/2026

Also I’m scheming to buy a specific building in Wellington on Taranaki Street to do exactly this. Long communal tables in a big hall with extremely cheap delicious food. Though. Though $23 is way too much, aiming for $15.

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Francisco Blaha @franciscoblaha.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

The campaigners who say “ban it all” and the contractors who say “it’s basically empty down there” are both flattening a story that refuses to be flat. That refusal is exactly why this review paper is worth reading. www.franciscoblaha.info/blog/2026/6/...

franciscoblaha.info

The environmental impacts of deep-sea mining — Francisco Blaha

I’ve been interested in this topic for a while, and when my friend Gilles sent me this paper , Glover, A.G. et al., 2026, “The environmental impacts of deep-sea mining,” Current Biology 36, R400–R4...

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 09/06/2026

“I mean, your society’s broken… Should we blame the rich, powerful people who caused it? No let’s blame the people with no power & no money & these immigrants who don’t even have the vote, yeah it must be their fucking fault.” —Iain Banks died #OTD, 9 June, 2013 www.theguardian.com/books/2013/j...

theguardian.com

Iain Banks: the final interview

Iain Banks died last Sunday, just before the publication of his final novel The Quarry. Last month he talked to Stuart Kelly about writing, politics and all the things still left to do . . .

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Saunieindiego @saunieindiego.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Namibia waking up on #Reveil13 #DawnChorus soundtent.org/reveil/#/

soundtent.org

REVEIL 13

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Saunieindiego @saunieindiego.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

The Reveil broadcast will again make a full loop of the earth starting in just over 15 minutes. 5AM London time (UTC+1) on Saturday 2 MAY to 6AM on Sunday 3 MAY 2026. Liaten in, as streamers from all over earth, share the sounds of their #DawnChorus soundtent.org/reveil/#/ #Reveil13

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Kate Genevieve @kategenevieve.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

An invitation to tune in to Reveil 13, a 25-hour broadcast of the dawn chorus as the sun rises around the planet. Listen live: soundtent.org/reveil/#/ 4pm NZ, Sat 2 MAY to 5pm NZ, Sun 3 MAY You can tune in online or listen via Mouthfull mouthfull.live across the weekend. #radio #commons #Reveil13

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Nick Young @nickofnz.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Wow, that hits hard. A storm hit New Zealand every eight days on average in the last year. Insurance claims more than tripled. This is the #climatecrisis and it will get much worse — but how much worse, is still up to us.

rnz.co.nz

'A storm every eight days' - country's biggest insurer calls for systemic response

An increasing number of severe weather events were now happening in spring and summer, IAG says.

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Ira @ira.bailey.nz · 27/04/2026

I can’t repost this enough. In particular, the success of an ‘entrepreneur’ is almost never the work of a singular genius but the alienation of the intellectual ingenuity of those solving problems in and for their communities with the sole purpose of capturing the benefits for private gain.

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Rocky Kistner @therockyfiles.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Rejecting climate science: “This is a tragedy because science is the best…approach humankind has developed to peer into the future, to project the outcomes of various possible decisions using the known laws of the natural world” @lizabio @insideclimate insideclimatenews.org/news/2404202...

insideclimatenews.org

Fossil-Fuel Funded GOP Leaders Claim a Renowned Scientific Institution Has ‘Potential Conflicts of Interest’ - Inside Climate News

Republican allies of the oil and gas industry question the objectivity of an independent report from the nation’s top science advisers on the harms of human-caused climate change.

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Sonia Sulaiman @soniasulaiman.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

What a beautiful sight! You have all helped me keep bread in my table, and make a home to welcome the next generation of Palestinian SFF writers. Thank you so much! www.kickstarter.com/projects/158...

kickstarter.com

Thyme Travellers 2

An anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction

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Escape Pod @escapepod.org · 06/04/2026

Sweet liberty, sapients, have we got something for you: the "Democratic Futures" special submissions call! In short, we're looking for original and reprint science fiction stories relating to the theme of the future of democracy, from today until June 30. For more details, see today's post!

escapepod.org

Special submissions call: Democratic Futures | Escape Pod

Democracy isn’t a new concept, but its parts and parameters have shifted across the centuries. Cultural changes and technological advancements have impacted how it is perceived and how it functions.

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 21/04/2026

New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, and the surrounding region were under a state of emergency on Tuesday, after heavy rains triggered flash flooding and landslides that swept away cars, forced more than 100 schools to close, and buried roads and homes.

nyti.ms

New Zealand Declares Emergency in Capital After It Was Battered by Torrential Rain

There were landslides, flash floods and the closure of more than 100 schools in Wellington and the surrounding region.

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SETI Post-Detection Hub @setihub.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

We’re looking forward to a special Earth Day meeting on citizen science w. Megan Li from UCLA SETI and our colleagues in Aotearoa New Zealand, Hari Mogoșanu astrobiology.nz & @kategenevieve.bsky.social. All welcome, esp. curious students. 22 April, 8.30pm UK/BST events.humanitix.com/earth-day-se...

events.humanitix.com

Special Earth Day Citizen Science SETI Session

Help Search for Extraterrestrial Technosignatures, open as an intergenerational meeting for the curious - students, teachers, researchers and the wider public

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SETI Institute @setiinstitute.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

PRESS RELEASE: www.seti.org/news/seti-in... The SETI Institute announced today that Dr. Lori Marino will receive the 2026 Drake Award, continuing its tradition of celebrating contributions to the search for life and intelligence beyond Earth. 🧪 👩‍🔬 🐋

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Eric Choi (蔡文信) @aerospacewriter.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

@bettinaforget.bsky.social of the @setiinstitute.bsky.social Artist-in-Residence program gave an excellent presentation called "Making Contact: A Life Converging Art and Science" as part of the Tuscon Hard-Science SF Writers Readers Artists Zoom Group speaker series. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znxa...

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Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Also available as video on PeerTube: peertube.dair-institute.org/w/wj7Grbrxg6...

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Kate Genevieve @kategenevieve.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

For the science-loving, early-rising secondary school student in your life: a special Earth Day citizen science session w. Megan Li (UCLA SETI), Hari Mogoșanu astrobiology.nz & the Hub. Aimed at students. Curious others welcome. 23rd April NZ Aotearoa breakfast! events.humanitix.com/earth-day-se...

events.humanitix.com

Special Earth Day Citizen Science SETI Session

Help Search for Extraterrestrial Technosignatures, open as an intergenerational meeting for the curious - students, teachers, researchers and the wider public

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The Distributed AI Research (DAIR) Institute @dairinstitute.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

On the next Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000: @emilymbender.bsky.social and @alexhanna.bsky.social will be speaking to author Carmen Maria Machado about the use of LLMs in writing, from language arts classes to the publishing industry. Listen live: Monday, April 13, noon PT, twitch.tv/dair_institute

twitch.tv

dair_institute - Twitch

Twitch account for The Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR).

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Kate Genevieve @kategenevieve.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Incredible images. A "perfect bullseye splashdown" with four crew members. What a journey around the moon.

NASA footage: Parachutes open above the Orion capsule slowing descent over the ocean.

NASA footage: Three red and white striped parachutes fully open, slowing the Orion capsule against a dark blue sky.

NASA footage: The Orion capsule splashes down in the ocean, creating a burst of white spray.

NASA footage: The Orion capsule floats in the ocean after a successful splashdown.

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Saganism @sagan.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

In the words of Carl Sagan

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Dr Penny Hay @penahay.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Tree moon

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Kate Genevieve @kategenevieve.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Earth’s moon mission begins again in just a few minutes. Plenty of v. valid reasons to critique the Artemis programme, & yet also the event marks a new phase of the second space age… m.youtube.com/watch?v=m3kR...

m.youtube.com

NASA's Artemis II Live Mission Coverage (Official Broadcast)

YouTube video by NASA

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Dr Jan Eldridge @astro-jje.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Okay I've just seen this story on RNZ about the new movie "Project Hail Mary". I was going to see the movie anyway but this just makes me want to see it even more! www.rnz.co.nz/life/screens... And as I haven't done it for a while maybe I should talk about the science of the book/movie...?

rnz.co.nz

'I got goosebumps' - Te reo Māori song in new Ryan Gosling blockbuster

One viewer says she got goosebumps when she learned the box-office topping film features the iconic song Pō Atarau - known as the farewell song.

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