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Tristan Ferne

@tristanfe.bsky.social
205 followers 545 following 52 posts

Foresight, futuring and researching the internet at BBC R&D. Taking pictures of trees and clouds in England. Also found on Mastodon at assemblag.es/@tristanf

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Tristan Ferne
Petter Törnberg @pettertornberg.com · 29/09/2026
Social media has defined our attention landscape for two decades. It is now coming to its end. What comes next, and how will AI reshape the attention economy? 🧵 New essay for Informational Democracy informationaldemocracy.substack.com/p/after-soci...
informationaldemocracy.substack.com
After Social Media
Visioning · Petter Törnberg on how AI is remaking the attention economy
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
There are some local datacentres we should absolutely support | Jess Harwood
Maybe it’s time to look at existing facilities we could invest in
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Devon Dympsy @devondympsy.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Love this... (artist: Janis Goodman)
Image shows a drawing by artist Janis Goodman and it shows a huge computer that is plugged into 4 electrical sockets and is guzzling water via a hose attached to 2 taps. There is a woman sat nearby. This drawing is titled "The Data Centre Who Came To Tea"
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Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Recording today in this place - an old prison. Every sound booth is a cell - soundproof, and each one absolutely haunted…
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 09/09/2026
In this thread from a few months back I had a stack of replies from Claude addicts explaining how they can basically now generate a new piece of software every time they need something, and they did not see that as a bad thing at all As always: they're making digital single-use plastic
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University of Reading @uniofreading.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
What can a chocolate bar tell us about the future of food? A Reading student has made the first chocolate from British-grown cocoa since 1932, using cocoa from our collection of 300+ varieties. Behind it: research into climate, food security and cocoa's future. Learn more: rdg.ac/4xuAW7o
Smiling woman holding a large cacao pod in one hand and a green chocolate bar labeled 'The Reading 100% Chocolate Bar' in the other.
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Rob Corp @robcorp.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
This came from an idea I had the other week to see if satellite images could show the impact of this hot summer on the UK. I’m really pleased, thanks to the talented team who worked on it, with how it came out www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UK heatwaves: Satellite images show how UK landscape has changed
BBC Verify's analysis indicates “vegetation stress” in many areas, which may affect wildlife and farming.
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Nieman Lab @niemanlab.org · 22/07/2026
"This kind of AI-driven price gouging gates essential information behind a paywall that moves simply depending on who you are. It undermines public trust in one of the core pillars of democracy." www.niemanlab.org/2026/07/this...
niemanlab.org
“This price was set by an algorithm”: News subscribers are surprised by a new line in their renewal emails
Outlets like Wired, NJ.com, and The Wall Street Journal are setting renewal prices just for you — and being forced to disclose it.
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
July tree
A shady path leads between hedges and under a large tree in full leaf. Above is a mainly blue sky with some white fluffy clouds at the edges.
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Children's book illustrators (and Miriam Margoyles) leading the fight... www.wearebetterthanthis.co.uk
wearebetterthanthis.co.uk
We Are Better Than This
We’re standing up for creativity against AI - watch the video!
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Kurbs @kkurbs.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Please Use AI
PLEASE USE AI
Shawn Smucker
Be sure to use Al when making your next, I don't know, meal plan, for example. Definitely do not call your friend who loves to cook and ask her for her favorite recipes or tips or ways to save time making meals, because you will end
up talking for longer than you had hoped, hearing, perhaps, about her father's cancer diagnosis or how lonely she's been or even what she's planted in her spring garden and then lost with the early frost.
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Morning
A view of a grassy field in the early morning sunshine, framed by leaves on branches on all sides
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Paul Klee @paul-klee.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Twittering Machine www.wikiart.org/en/paul-klee/twitte…
Twittering Machine
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Janet Hill @saskajanet.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Got my ducks in a row Teals are TINY #birds (L-R, Mallard drake, Cinnamon Teal drake, Cinnamon Teal hen)
Three ducks in a row. A green-headed mallard drake, a cinnamon teal drake and a cinnamon teal hen. They are all swimming left to right on a slough pond with fresh cattail sprouts in the background.
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Megan Clement @meganclement.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Anyway, please enjoy this photograph of a saxophone colossus and a good dog.
The great saxophonist Sonny Rollins sits on a lounge chair holding his tenor saxophone. Next to him is a Boston terrier.
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Adrian Hon @adrianhon.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
What if you made a magic school larp that teaches tens about the dangers and allure of fascism – by making them play fascists? That's the idea behind Epos Daimon, a larp set in the His Dark Materials universe, where students become high-ranking members of a theocratic, fascist regime.
youtube.com
The Antifascist Magic School for Teens
YouTube video by Adrian Hon
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Wyrd Science Magazine @wyrdscience.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
imagining how disappointed the diabolic powers would be if, when a proper end times biblical apocalypse kicks off with various celestial omens & portents, everyone just assumes it’s all just #content for a new product and carries on exactly as they were I mean, are we sure that hasn’t happened?
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Rob Manuel @robmanuel.b3ta.com · 13/05/2026
Watched 2001 (again) last night and was waiting for the scene where objects are facsimiles of objects, but without the functional use, and isn't that a bit prophetic of generative AI? Anyway. Turns out it's a memory of the book, which I also read as a kid, and yeah it IS a bit like that.
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Meredith Broussard, PhD @merbroussard.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
What if we teach basic computational literacy in schools before we teach AI literacy?
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Wyrd Science Magazine @wyrdscience.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
hmm, for the 3rd time in a week we might be escaping containment, so once again we're obliged to say that if you would like to read us go on about goblins, gremlins, raccoons, trolls, ogres, pigeons, or other animals or creatures, then we do publish a magazine you might like...
shop.wyrd.science
Wyrd Science - Store
the magazine for people who should roll better...
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Rhonda Howard @1184outdoors.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Imagine making AI bird slop when Mandarins already exist 🪶🎨
A multi-colored duck reflected in the water below.
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Tom Loosemore @tomski.com · 14/04/2026
I've written a piece for Computer Weekly about how public services are at risk of agentic flooding. www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Floo...
computerweekly.com
Flood warning: How citizens’ AI agents will swamp public services | Computer Weekly
What if governments are looking through the AI telescope from the wrong end? What if citizens’ own use of AI to access public services proves to be an even more transformative force?
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Gaia Marcus @gaiamarcus.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
.@chionwurah.bsky.social on need for coherence on tech 'sovreignty'. "We need to understand what we can own, control, & lead by ourselves; what we can access that is in the hands of allies we trust; & how we manage what we must obtain from those we do not trust" giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
ft.com
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John Walker - Industry Analcyst @botherer.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
I spoke to @juliansimpson.bsky.social all about the excellent podcast The Lovecraft Investigations and its latest series, Crowley. And the new Mythos. Both of which are truly fantastic - links to get them are at the end of the article. kotaku.com/lovecraft-po...
kotaku.com
Podcast Based On Horrors Of Lovecraft Is Your Next Obsession
The Lovecraft Investigations' latest series is out, and we spoke to creator Julian Simpson
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Tommy Siegel @tommysiegel.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
the types of podcasts: a guide
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South Downs National Park @southdownsnp.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
A post you can probably smell. An ancient woodland indicator, ramsons (aka wild garlic) flourish in damp, shady places. 📸: Brian Muir
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nilay patel @reckless.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Google is now screwing with the 10 blue links in traditional search and rewriting headlines - including ours - to be the worst kind of slop. This sucks so bad www.theverge.com/tech/896490/...
A screenshot of Google search with verge headlines rewritten as slop

Lego Computer Brick - Engineer James Brown
Aug 20, 2022 — James Brown has brilllantly brought classic Lego computer bricks to life by outfitting them with a tiny OLED screen, processor, ...
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The Verge
https://www.theverge.com› Al> Tech, Reviews:
"Cheat on everything" Al tool
Apr 23, 2025 - Two 21-year-old Columbia University dropouts are proposing a new $5.3 million twist on the concept: use their Al tool Cluely to "cheat on everything." Read more
The Verge
https://www.theverge.com» » Microsoft›Al› Tech:
Copilot Changes: Marketing Teams at it Again
22 Aug 2024 — Microsoft is getting ready to rebrand its Copilot for its business Al efforts. It's part of an effort to push Microsoft 365 Al tools.
The Verge
https://www.theverge.com› Wearable Science Tech:
Dexcom Stelo hands-on - OTC Continuous Glucose Monitor
Aug 26, 2024 - The $99 Dexcom Stelo is an over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor designed for Type 2 diabetics who don't use insulin.
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Good Trailcams @goodtrailcams.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Nearly coined “the menternet” for the manosphere, but someone beat me to it by 4 months
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Alastair Somerville @acuity.design · 19/03/2026
In a final act of obedience to Zuckerberg and Facebook/Meta he has no legs in his portrait. The portrait will cease to function later this year.
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Angry People in Local Newspapers @apiln.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
STICK IT ON A FIVE POUND NOTE
bbc.co.uk
Red kite with sausage roll snapped by Banbury photographer
Mark Hopkins managed to get some pictures of the bird from his back garden.
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qntm @qntm.org · 16/03/2026
There is
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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Crazy crazy story. Times of Israel reporter ( English language Israeli news site ) gets escalating death threats to change story that’s at center of big polymarket bet. www.timesofisrael.com/gamblers-try...
timesofisrael.com
Gamblers trying to win a bet on Polymarket are vowing to kill me if I don’t rewrite an Iran missile story
Bettors are using death threats to try to get The Times of Israel's military correspondent to change his report on a missile impact in central Israel. This is his alarming account
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Adam Roberts @adamroberts.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
Here's a new story what I wrote: profadamroberts.substack.com/p/emembededed
profadamroberts.substack.com
‘Emembededed’
A story
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Paul Clarke @paulclarke.com · 03/03/2026
Barrier moon tonight
Taken from a boat out in the river, a lined-up rising moon directly over one of the piers of the Thames Barrier flood defence in Woolwich. Colours are predominantly orange and blue with two red crosses lit up on the pier.
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Anil Dash @anildash.com · 02/03/2026
Apple's got a lot of announcements this week, but one huge risk might get overshadowed amidst the noise — the way they're adding support for video podcasts threatens to enshittify the last truly open online media. It's not too late to push them to keep it open. www.anildash.com/2026/02/28/a...
anildash.com
Why Apple’s move to video could endanger podcasting's greatest power - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
It almost felt like spring yesterday (daily tree)
A sun-dappled lane leads beneath two trees under a blue sky with scattered clouds
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Oct-Joe-ber 🦇🎃🧛🧟 @saiyamew.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
I don't know if she's on here, but Michelle Tsai's legendary pigeon sweater pattern was released on Ravelry today! Exciting times for knitters 🧶, bird enthusiasts 🦆, and Jeopardy fans ❕- aka 95% of Bluesky www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...
ravelry.com
The Pigeon Sweater pattern by Michelle Tsai
This one is for the bird-lovers, the city-dwellers, the coo kids. Emulate the form and feathers of the world’s most famous bird with the Pigeon Sweater!
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Ben Werdmuller @werd.io · 17/02/2026
Earlier this month I had the privilege of MCing the @protocolsforpublishers.com event in London, bringing together people from publishers and the open protocols that might help them secure their futures. I wrote up my experiences: werd.io/building-tru...
werd.io
Building trust in the open
How Protocols for Publishers points to the future of journalism – and the web
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Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Technology discourse is so unhinged at the moment. Just zooming out, beyond specifics, the fact that there are multiple movements to "protect" kids from smartphones at the same time as there is increased pressure to AI everything all the time is bananas
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The Verge @theverge.com · 11/02/2026
Threads’ new ‘Dear Algo’ feature lets you tell the algorithm what you want to see
buff.ly
Threads’ new ‘Dear Algo’ feature lets you tell the algorithm what you want to see
The changes you ask for will stick around for three days.
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University of Reading @uniofreading.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Rain has now fallen in Reading for 25 consecutive days - the longest spell of rainfall ever recorded at our Atmospheric Observatory. Dr Stephen Burt, said: “With further rainfall expected, the spell of consecutive days of rain may stretch to an entire month.” Read more: rdg.ac/4agN55U
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Mark O’Neill 🐻 @radiobeartime.com · 03/02/2026
Amazing stuff as the machines buy humans :) rentahuman.ai
rentahuman.ai
RentAHuman.ai - AI Agents Hire Humans for Physical Tasks
The marketplace where AI agents rent humans. MCP integration, REST API, flexible payments. Book humans for real-world tasks your AI can't do.
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
I did lots of catch-up reading earlier in the week and here are some things I learnt...
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Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
If you're new here and happen to see this, here's a Critical Tech starter pack, full of interesting folk to follow go.bsky.app/VFxSES6 And if you have a small account (<10k followers) and would like to be added for visibility, let me know! (Although response times may be slow)
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
January tree
A frosty lane leading between bare trees. There is a light dusting of snow on the lane and frost on the hedgerows. The sky is blue. Sunlight highlights some trees in the far distance.
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Last tree of 2025
A muddy path leads underneath some bare trees with hedgerows on either side. The sky is clear and pale blue. A bird is silhouetted against the sky above the trees.
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Glen Grambo 🇨🇦 @glengrambo.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
#ArtAdventCalendar Dec. 17 Why use wings when you can just engage missile mode? This downy woodpecker male was foraging among the spruce trees, and decide that for this short journey, wings were not needed! #Birds #photography #wildlife 🪶
A male downy woodpecker flys like a missile towards us with his wings folded tight against his body. His black and white markings contrast with the small red patch on the back of his head.
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Lauren Pope @lapope.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Published this labour of love today lapope.com/2025/12/15/s...
lapope.com
Spite House: AI, disintermediation and the end of the free web | Lauren Pope: La Pope Ltd
A zine about becoming a spite house. Refusing to move as AI bulldozes the free web and disintermediation kills content discovery.
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Tristan Ferne @tristanfe.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
December tree
A path winds between some bare trees with frosty hedges either side. The sky is clear blue
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