iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 23/09/2026

Equinox Ramble on Bair Island, in the SF Bay. Look who I met on the trail!

Praying mantis on the trail, guarding the way so that no one shall pass! A woman in a blue skirt crouches down in the background.

Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 22/09/2026

What a joyful noise! Makes me want to go out and sing up the sun, as well: I'm here! I'm alive! I'm well! And I feel a great day is dawning. Happy Equinox.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 21/09/2026

Enjoyed watching a swarm of juncos attempting to catch a small, yellow butterfly on the wing today. At least a dozen of them dove at it, and that precious little insect evaded them all! New respect. 🦋

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 09/09/2026

Of course, I inadvertently chose our first 90-degree day to make them, but somehow the aroma of fresh-baked, cardamom-ginger shortbread cookies makes it all worthwhile. Anyone want to stop by for tea?

Ginger-cardamom shortbread cookies cooling on a wire rack. Red oven mitts sit off to one side.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 08/09/2026

Urgh! Never had a spam problem until this week. Submitted my new book to PW, Kirkus, and Booklist for reviews, and within 48 hours, the spam bots started flooding my inbox with "offers." Damn. I thought those were reputable organizations. So... which one of them sold my email address? 🤬

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 04/09/2026

Just went into the backyard restoration area for a break between classes (11am) and met a lynx, out hunting. Guess the local cougar is in town. Think I'll stay indoors, this evening!

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 24/08/2026

Just wondering: If we take one of those new Scottish cruises on small, repurposed fishing vessels... Do we get to eat lox whilst traveling through locks in the lochs? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⛴️

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 20/08/2026

Just in from a reader: "I just finished reading your excellent book last night. Future scholars may remember it as the last work of rigorous intellectual honesty before the age of AI. I hope your book is well received and reaches its enormous potential to help others." #EduSky #AcademicSky #AI

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 30/07/2026

This is the stuff of nightmares... 😭 AI firms are systematically destroying human knowledge in the form of coherently organized, human-generated books, to slice and dice wisdom they contain into meaningless, contextless morsels of AI slop!

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 26/07/2026

NEW: from the parent of a 14 y.o. boy: "Students often feel it is unnecessary to learn study skills, note-taking, or memory techniques until they hit a bottleneck. [...] My boy is reading your book this weekend and has found it incredibly useful for understanding why those skills are important."

Stacks of books awaiting owners. Facing front: one soft-cover copy of "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning." Link: https://understanding-matters.com

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 24/07/2026

Love watching the hummingbirds forego the birdbath, then struggle to bathe in dewdrops caught on the leaves of the Persian lime tree. 🪶🌳

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 22/07/2026

Did you know... Humans have 6 memory systems, used in learning; Only 2 of those 6 are consciously accessible; Only 1 of those 2 lasts longer than a few minutes; and what we do inside our brains while we study determines where our memories end up? Understanding Matters! #edusky #academicsky

Book cover for "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning" by Larisa A. White

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 16/07/2026

The world is truly filled with wonders!

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 15/07/2026

Sunday's book launch was so much fun! Lots of people, great conversations, and lots of books flying out the door. 🥳 And apparently, some people went right home & started reading, and couldn't put it down — a non-fiction book on how humans learn! Comments started coming in, 24 hours later... 🧵

Author reading from her new book, "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning." She sits on a high stool, on a Persian carpet, with a small lectern off to one side. In the background: a window looking out on an oak tree.

Author showing her new book to a room full of attentive listeners.

Book cover for "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning" by Larisa A. White. A fruiting tree, rooted in a hill of "soil" composed of all the fields of human knowledge. A woman climbs the hill of knowledge, reaching for the fruit of wisdom. A child sits at the foot of the tree, reading a giant book.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 08/07/2026

Global climate change I believe in; global warming, sometimes, not so much. The hotter and longer the summer heat domes last inland, the colder our days and nights seem to get on the CA coast. Woke shivering this a.m. at 63F in the house w/ no AC! Three layers of wool this morning. ❄️❄️❄️

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 08/07/2026

OMG, our fruit trees are happy with their forest floor! First ripe lemon of the season, and the aroma is mind-blowing! (And haven't fertilized a thing in years)

One giant, ripe yellow lemon fills the hands of an adult woman.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 07/07/2026

New year; new resource: “Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning” understanding-matters.com How humans, as complex biological beings, actually learn, remember, analyze, judge, and create & how #AI affects those processes. In plain & simple language. For our students. #EduSky #AcademicSky

A hardcover edition of the new book, "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning," on an oak table. An open notebook, pen, and colored pencils surround the book, ready for note-taking. Cover image is of a great, fruiting tree of knowledge, with roots reaching deep into a word-art "soil" of all the fields of human knowledge. A child reads a giant book, while sitting at the foot of the tree. A young woman climbs the hill, reaching for the fruit of wisdom.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 07/07/2026

While waiting for long-term study results, we might help people learn about how people actually learn, think, analyze, judge, and create, and about the biological processes behind those abilities & how AI use impedes them. My new book does just that: "Understanding Matters" (see larisa-a-white.com)

larisa-a-white.com

Larisa A. White – Author

Larisa A. White author website

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 07/07/2026

First day of our first quarter, explicitly teaching 10th graders about the neurobiology of learning, and how to apply it to make mastery of physics & math less stressful. And they're eating it up! 🥳🥳🥳 #EduSky #teaching #learning

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 22/06/2026

Relaxing in the breezy afternoon sunshine, munching sun-warmed blueberries, and listening to a juvenile crow complaining of loneliness.

Ripe, sun-warmed blueberries on a bush, ready for plucking.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 21/06/2026

A joyous Solstice to one and all! Celebrating the peak power of light AND the birth of my new book, "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning." Dancing with joy. Final cover revisions and book edits completed & approved!!! Awaiting final proofs. Pre-orders to begin July 6th. Wheeee!

Book cover for "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning," by Larisa A White. Cover image shows a great fruit-bearing tree, rooted in a hill if 'soil' composed of all the fields of human knowledge. A child sits at the foot of the tree, reading a large book. A woman climbs the hill of knowledge, reaching for the fruit of wisdom, and encouraging the child to join her in the quest for understanding.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 16/06/2026

First time I've ever observed this: early morning, squirrel racing toward the blueberry bushes for breakfast veers off to the side to take a quick dust bath, washing his hands and face before eating! Who knew squirrels had table manners? Has anyone else seen squirrels do this?

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 14/06/2026

Mmmmmm. June mornings in the garden, squabling with the birds for the rights to these:

Two quart-sized stainless steel bowls on an oak table. One is brimming with ripe, Santa Rosa plums, the other with fresh-picked blueberries.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 14/06/2026

The Obamas, @obamafoundation.bsky.social, are still dishing out hope, empowerment, and heaps of good news. What an excellent thing to have in my feed!

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 31/05/2026

Finally found a movie that runs at my speed, and soothes my weary soul: Carroll Ballard's 1979 "The Black Stallion." The light and the textures, the landscapes and soundscapes are simply magnificent. And, my God, that horse could act! 🏇

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 27/05/2026

These images just make me happy; so much soil life! Thanks, @janephuong.bsky.social.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 21/05/2026

A few happy scenes from the family's birthday bicycle adventure on the Coast Trail south of Half Moon Bay, CA... What a delightful adventure it was! SO MANY flowers, and cheerful songbirds, and happily pollinating insects. And the aromas of the coastal sage scrub/prairie lands. Mmmmmmm.

A stream flows along the bottom of a driftwood & boulder-strewn ravine, next to a sandstone cliff. Chaparral plants, and a few trees and houses line the cliff top.

A hand-crafted home wrought of stone, driftwood sculptures, and elaborate cedar shingles. One part has an angel figure perched atop a steep, sloped roof with a triangular glass wall facing the sea.

A paved bike path running along a cliff top, next to the Pacific Coast. A strip of ice plants, and a rope fence separate the path from the sea. A wooden fence on the other side of the path.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 19/05/2026

Physical proof FINALLY arrived in today's mail. I adore the warm, cozy feel of the cover colors IRL. I also generally adore cream colored interior pages. But together...? The contrast makes it look like someone peed on the pages! ☝️☝️☝️ Why physical proofs are non-negotiable. 🙄 #amediting

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 19/05/2026

Yikes! Fire Season has arrived early this year. 10 years ago we packed our bug-out bags every August, 5 years ago we started packing them each June. Now it looks like we'll be packing in May! Go climate change! 🫤

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 18/05/2026

If you’re a writer, write “I waited” without saying it. "The physical proof copy of my new book is expected to arrive in the mail, later today."

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 09/05/2026

What is faster than a speeding bullet, and bouncier than a breeding brush rabbit in spring? A dusky footed wood rat launching herself 18 inches into the air, to chase a spotted towhee away from 'her' blueberry bushes. Who knew they could fly? The Niffler is back!

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 01/05/2026

Just stumbled upon this video, showing some amazing land restoration work being done in Hawaii. Inspirational. Enjoy! youtu.be/24uCCr3KjCI

youtu.be

How Hawaiian Rebels are Rebuilding an Ancient Food Paradise

YouTube video by Andrew Millison

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 24/04/2026

Important CALL TO ACTION from the California Native Plant Society: May 7th, 3pm demonstration at O’Neill Regional Park, opposing the roll back of the Roadless Rule protecting our national forests. Info & RSVP here: cnps.convio.net/site/Message...

cnps.convio.net

California Native Plant Society

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 24/04/2026

Nice post. Addresses an important (& often omitted) part of the #AI conversation: celebrating the amazing things that a well-educated, independently thinking human brain can do, which no LLM can replicate. It's the reason for my forthcoming book, "Understanding Matters: A Guide to Human Learning"

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 24/04/2026

Downside of knowing anything about nature, or geography: When watching a TV show that depicts a sunset picnic on an ocean bluff, supposedly set on the coast of Maine... You are instantly flung out of the story, and find yourself disbelieving everything else that happens in the episode.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 18/04/2026

Working on line edits for my book. Saddened by the need to chop up sentences that my editor says are "beautifully crafted, complex sentences, but beyond the likely literacy level of my intended, mainstream audience." Book is called "Understanding Matters," so I guess I have to do it. ☹️ #amediting

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 13/04/2026

Bit of blue sky peeking through the grey today, but 2.32" of rain this weekend were well worth it! A few other blue things seen in the garden today: first signs of ripening blueberries, and first three bluebells!

Blueberries starting to ripen on a rain-drenched bush.

First three California bluebells to appear in a bed of wildflower greens.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 12/04/2026

Ooooh! That was exciting. Never experienced a cloud burst like that one before: Out every window, it looked as if we were standing in a dark cave, behind a raging waterfall. Glad we're at the top of a hill! 💧💧💧💧💧

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 10/04/2026

Apologies to my feed-followers! The service that used to host my 3 feeds: Bluesky Druid Grove /|\ Ecofiction 🌿📚 Indie Author Life 🖋️📖💰 Has vanished. Feeds disappeared. Website gone. Please use #druidsky and #ecofiction instead, and ask @eliseswritings.bsky.social about her amazing Discord. Sorry!

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 10/04/2026

Ah! a bit of rain, a bit of warmth, and the Tidy Tips have arrived! (my very favorite California native wildflower)

Along the edge of a sidewalk, a field of green dotted with yellow-centered, white-tipped Tidy Tips wildflowers.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 07/04/2026

Thanks for sharing this video, @olivia.science. This theme is precisely why I re-read the LotR regularly: to remind me to ponder the conflict: the art of being human vs. the coercive domination of humanity by machines.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 06/04/2026

Perfect view for an Easter Day bike-picnic, with a cacophony of sea birds squabling over nesting spots on the muddy shores of the SF Bay.

View over the waters of the Belmont Slough, from a grassy hill shaded by coast live oaks. Seabirds nesting in the distance.

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Reposted by Larisa A. White

Iris van Rooij 💭 @irisvanrooij.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

“The deskilling, denigration, and displacement of teachers and scholars have historically been central to fascist takeovers, since educators serve as bulwarks against propaganda, anti-intellectualism, and illiteracy.” www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/a...

project-syndicate.org

AI Is Hollowing Out Higher Education

Olivia Guest & Iris van Rooij urge teachers and scholars to reject tools that commodify learning, deskill students, and promote illiteracy.

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 03/04/2026

Happy Easter, to all who celebrate! (And thank you, @crawlieswithcri.bsky.social for sharing -- you just made my entire week!)

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Larisa A. White @larisa-a-white.com · 03/04/2026

Starting my final round of book editing: the READ-ALOUD! Does anyone else do this? I find that when I polish the prose to roll of the tongue, it makes it easier for readers to understand. (also helps with audiobooks, and bookstore readings.) Then a few tweaks to the index, and prepress! #amwriting

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