Empire of AI by @karenhao.bsky.social is a must-read for anyone interested in the ethics of AI development, deployment and use. After getting the e-book from a friend, I found it so impactful that I bought a hard copy. It’s a fantastic entry point for cutting through the AI hype.
Statistical infographic showing a key figure from the IPBES #BizBiodiversity Assessment. Background shows colorful traditional textile weaving with vibrant stripes and patterns in yellow, turquoise, and red. White text in a frame states "60% OF INDIGENOUS LANDS GLOBALLY" with "KEY FIGURE" above and "THREATENED BY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT" below. IPBES logo appears in top left corner with tagline "Science and Policy for People and Nature." Image source credit appears at bottom. Design combines factual data presentation with cultural imagery, using bright colors and traditional craftsmanship as visual context.
The new IPBES #BizBiodiversity Assessment Report reflects the sobering reality of the effects of industrial development on Indigenous lands. One-quarter of Indigenous territories are under high pressure from resource exploitation.
Read more: https://bit.ly/IPBES12Media
History has many examples of instances where human thought or empathy has been invaluable, even life-saving. There is danger in the devaluation of human reasoning and human emotion. This is an ethical risk in the scaling and reckless adoption of AI, especially the “everything machines.”
“While it is clearly the prerogative of Governments to withdraw from global processes, like those of IPBES, it’s important to remember that this does not change the science or relevance of that science to the lives of people in every community in every part of the world.”
-Dr. David Obura
Some species officially bid us farewell this year. Recent IUCN assessments now list the slender-billed curlew, Christmas Island shrew, three Australian bandicoots, plants in Mauritius and Hawai‘i, and a Cape Verde cone snail as extinct.
The Heart Nebula (and a satellite). #astrophotography #sciart
Fantastic resource! Thank you.
An image of two bonobos sitting in the grass next to a stream. Overlay text reads “1 million species of plants and animals at risk of extinction. - IPBES Global Assessment”
In 2019, IPBES #GlobalAssessment est. 1 million species of plants & animals are threatened with extinction.🥀
The figure is probably even higher, but what's important is the urgent need for #biodiversity preservation!
https://www.ipbes.net/global-assessment
Quick painting of my guess for the mystery #SundayFishSketch, the Rio Grande Cichlid. #sciart #25daysoffishmas
Full circle moment for me today watching Cormac Cullinan (who inspired my law career and master’s thesis research) quoting from the IPBES Global Assessment at the WCSJ 🫶🏻.
First attempt at photographing the Andromeda Galaxy 🌌
In celebration of the life of an icon, my favourite Jane Goodall quotes: “It actually doesn’t take much to be considered a difficult woman. That’s why there are so many of us.” “Hope does not deny the evil, but is a response to it.” "Some people say violence and war are inevitable. I say rubbish." 💚
One of my favourite pastimes: staring into space. My pic of the Wizard Nebula. 🌌✨
[COMMENTARY]
A new Netflix documentary about pangolins, the world’s most heavily trafficked mammal, is a powerful example of what can happen when media companies highlight the plight of lesser-known species.
** The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
If you're feeling a bit despondent in the face of the biodiversity and climate crises, this report may provide some hope. Transformative change is possible.
A few thoughts on LLMs. I was interviewed this morning for a water-related video and afterward the film crew and interviewer complimented me on being able to clearly explain complex subjects. And I thought, that’s because I have spent 20 years learning and practicing how to communicate better. 1/
It’s…. Not a fish. But, finishing up the cauliflower jelly for #SundayFishSketch today. #sciart 🦑
A new study published in Nature on the decline of #amphibians reveals that they remain more threatened with extinction than any other vertebrate group.
Many of the worst declines are being caused by #ClimateChange.
@sciencenews.bsky.social #biodiversity 🌍🧪
www.sciencenews.org/article/amph...
The cover design of this year's UN Emissions Gap Report is deservedly getting a huge amount of praise.
Last year's Gap Report cover, by the same designer Beverley McDonald, is also masterful, like a Magritte painting, but capturing exactly what is slipping away.
