Annalee Newitz 🍜

I write science fiction and science nonfiction. Author: The Terraformers. Bylines: NYT, New Scientist, The Atlantic, etc. Pod: Our Opinions Are Correct. I love noodles.

Public Key

npub1fthlhsrrucyzq6nelud5zzftwurchcmwm5ulhtcsty9dlfgvjdcqkjs03d

NIP-05 Address

annaleen_at_wandering.shop@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsy4mlmcp37vzpqdful7x6ppy4hwputudhd6w0m4ug9jzkl55xfxuqpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qz9thwden5te0v35hgar09ec82c30wfjkccte4yz6av

Publishing to

relay.mostr.pub

ditto.pub/relay

Author Public Key

npub1fthlhsrrucyzq6nelud5zzftwurchcmwm5ulhtcsty9dlfgvjdcqkjs03d

Show more details

Last Notes

2024-08-18 00:24:51

Black cat appreciation day! This is Infrared cuddling with her sister Ultraviolet, who is lurking adorably in the background.
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/980/150/972/189/056/original/4ad9b52d3ade205b.jpg

2024-08-04 18:59:33

If you're going to Worldcon in Glasgow, I'll be doing a reading (with a sneak peek at my new novella!), and joining a couple of extremely cool panels (climate change! pirates!). Hope to see you there!
I also have patches to give away! If you want a Terraformers patch, find me and tell me what you love about public transit. If you want a "Stories Are Weapons" patch, find me and tell me about a story that inspired you to take positive action.
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/905/250/905/919/723/original/caa26ee57345c824.png

2024-07-26 01:22:58

- reply

@npub1typ…c8hh thank you!

2024-07-24 19:25:12

Why are libraries ground zero in the culture wars? Because they provide a mental model for a democratic public sphere, a place of information without coercion. Here's how to save our libraries! It's my latest for @npub1lyq…c6u4 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/07/24/libraries-end-culture-wars-book-bans/

2024-07-18 19:17:15

The effects from climate change are harming many populations, but there's one group of animals that is thriving: cephalopods. This is an amazing story about the resilience of octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish. I am ready for octo-world! https://www.mbl.edu/news/what-can-cephalopods-teach-us-about-adapting-climate-change

2024-07-16 03:57:23

If you like science, sports, and smart critiques of gender, Rose Eveleth has a new podcast called Tested from CBC/NPR about the weird/horrifying practice of testing female athletes for "femaleness" -- and what happens when a group of runners are deemed "not female" and disqualified from participating in the Olympics and other competitions. These are not trans women -- they are AFAB but don't fit arbitrary norms. The pod is wild, fascinating, & heartbreaking. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/1733-tested

2024-07-12 03:44:12

TIL why the youngs are putting star stickers all over their faces and it was definitely not for the reason I thought

2024-07-11 21:55:47

In an hour, I'll be doing a virtual reading and discussion about "Stories Are Weapons" with Argo Bookshop in Montreal at 7pm Eastern time. Tickets are free -- just RSVP here: https://www.ticketsource.us/argo-bookshop/reading-and-discussion-with-annalee-newitz/e-rlljdm

2024-07-07 02:24:52

Just ate half a sleeve of Oreos and leveled up my wizard/rogue Plasmoid and HELL YEAH IT'S SATURDAY NITE!!!!

2024-06-28 22:44:03

Today I have the usual questions for my cats, which include "why are you so soft?" and "what are you doing inside the trash can?"

2024-06-28 21:13:10

Thanks to @npub14pt…3xmm for this thoughtful essay about "Stories Are Weapons" in The New Republic! https://newrepublic.com/article/181965/weaponization-storytelling-annalee-newitz-psychological-warfare-review

2024-06-28 20:44:01

Did you know that my pal @npub162j…azcs is putting out a short story collection set in her incredible and beloved Lady Astronaut universe? It's true! And you can support the project (and order your copy) via Kickstarter! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mary-robinette/silent-spaces?ref=5qv8sa

2024-06-27 04:36:29

Calling all OOAC listeners! We're doing an advice episode this summer, and we want your questions. We will offer advice on anything!! Ask us about space travel, communicating with birds, writing, dating, building a friendly robot, and how to turn the scifi-curious into the scifi-thirsty. (Notable exceptions: we will not offer legal, financial, or health advice.) Email us with your questions at: ouropinionsarecorrect@gmail.com with the subject line "seeking advice". Deadline is July 2!

2024-06-20 03:51:50

Hot take: talking about the weather is actually fun and awesome and politically necessary

2024-06-19 17:18:28

In my latest newsletter, I talk about the connection between an anti-vax psyop that the Pentagon used against Filipinos, and the closure of online abuse research group Stanford Internet Observatory. Get ready for more information chaos. https://buttondown.email/thehypothesis/archive/how-psyops-become-cultops-or-weapons-in-the/

2024-06-16 21:03:59

The older you get, the faster water boils. #amwriting

2024-06-13 18:59:03

Has anyone in #sanfrancisco found a way to get a vaccine booster for covid? Even though we're getting recommendations that we get shots to deal with the current surge, pharmacists refuse to give boosters to anyone who had a booster in fall ... and research suggests those boosters are no longer effective. I've had pharmacists at Walgreens say "yes you are eligible, but I won't give you one." Any ideas on how to deal with this puzzling turn of events?

2024-06-12 16:55:14

Calling all aspiring climate fiction writers! Time to polish those stories and submit them to Imagine 2200! The deadline is fast approaching – submissions close on June 24th, 2024, at 11:59 PM PT. I'm one of the judges, along with Omar El Akkad. Don't miss your chance to see your work published, and to win a nice cash prize.
For full details and submission guidelines, visit: https://grist.org/climate-fiction/imagine-2200-contest-submissions/

2024-06-11 22:24:22

This Thursday, 6/13, I will be at San Francisco's historic Mechanics Institute talking about my new book "Stories Are Weapons" with Alexis Madrigal! Come out, say hi, and find out more about the United States' unique approach to culture war -- and maybe how we can end it. https://www.milibrary.org/events/stories-are-weapons-jun-13-2024
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/600/315/203/196/964/original/a662a14068035f26.png

2024-06-05 20:33:37

Seattle! I'm on my way to you on the train! Tomorrow I'll be talking about "Stories Are Weapons" with Lindy West at Seattle Town Hall! Get your tickets now! https://townhallseattle.org/event/annalee-newitz-with-lindy-west/
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/565/909/420/978/002/original/39179efee1cfde0c.jpg

2024-06-05 20:28:11

A really thoughtful review of "Stories Are Weapons" today in the New York Times. It's so gratifying to see reviews and talk to people about this book that has been living in my head for so long ... https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/05/books/review/stories-are-weapons-annalee-newitz.html

2024-06-04 20:24:38

It's me, desperately trying to look cool while losing my shit because my name is on the Powell's Books sign! Today is book release day for Stories Are Weapons and I'll be at Powells at 7pm tonight, in conversation with Dave Miller. Come say hi!!
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/560/213/311/950/306/original/3c396e2c06d03836.webp
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/560/214/544/391/550/original/19a45d228f2e45c8.webp

2024-05-31 21:00:39

- reply

@npub13vv…0sze was he in civil engineering?

2024-05-30 19:02:13

I'm writing an article that deals in part with the career of MIT civil engineering prof John B. "Bud" Wilbur, class of '26. Did you or any of your mentors/elders know him? Please get in touch! #mit #engineering

2024-05-27 23:38:29

Give your future self a nice present. Pre-order "Stories Are Weapons" now from Green Apple Books in San Francisco, and I will sign and personalize it for you!! https://www.greenapplebooks.com/signed-annalee-newitz

2024-05-27 05:36:09

Watch out for the second gnoll on the grassy knoll #dnd

2024-05-27 03:50:06

AGAB = All Gnolls Are Bastards #dnd

2024-05-27 03:09:24

"Please take 7.5 gold pieces out of the treasury to pay for this sloth fascinator." #dnd

2024-05-25 01:03:59

A genuinely thick fog is consuming San Francisco -- quite a rare event in these times. I'm standing outside accumulating moisture in my clothes and hair. #sanfrancisco

2024-05-19 20:17:49

Does it seem weird to everybody that the plot of both Godzilla x Kong and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes have the same plot, which is basically, "What if the apes were the fascists?"

2024-05-19 17:36:11

Hey Seattle pals! I'll be at Town Hall Seattle with the incomparable Lindy West on 6/6, 7:30pm, talking about my new book, "Stories Are Weapons." There will be psyops. There will be jokes. Hopefully you will feel better afterwards. Get your tickets now! https://townhallseattle.org/event/annalee-newitz-with-lindy-west/
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/468/955/501/144/649/original/2bf948eca397eb3d.png

2024-05-15 16:03:28

My TED talk went up this morning. It's about the power of storytelling, and how escapism can help us engage with the world in more productive ways. Plus I talk about the 501st Legion, the Emerald Tutu, and public transit! Check it out here: http://go.ted.com/annaleenewitz
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/445/940/902/581/273/original/4015a9a11b8a6e31.png

2024-05-13 03:08:28

- reply

@npub102v…jtrj if you had seen some of the places where I slept and ahem used the facilities on my journeys you might not say "luxury" traveler lol

2024-05-13 03:06:58

Hey Portland friends! I'll be Powells Books on 6/4 at 7pm, talking about my new book "Stories Are Weapons" with the one and only Dave Miller, host of OPR's "Think Out Loud." Hope to see you there!!
https://www.powells.com/book/stories-are-weapons-9780393881516/1-3
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/431/565/742/242/202/original/eea8f655027e3f5f.png
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/431/566/631/188/717/original/75f1c67e7ca28e55.png

2024-05-10 03:37:26

Had a huge and delicious birthday dinner comprised mostly of pasta and dessert. Then had a nice walk and signed a petition to bring more public transit to San Francisco. Now I'm re-watching Le Dune Deux. This post brought to you by early 00s "this was my dinner" microblogging aesthetics.

2024-05-06 18:04:41

I asked my media studies students to look at the New York Times' op-ed page to determine what the paper's Overton Window is. Most thought it was fairly liberal, but others thought it was just kind of silly. One commented simply, "These are really absurd topics for articles."

2024-05-06 02:59:00

In my latest newsletter, I teach you three easy ways to identify psyops in the wild. https://buttondown.email/thehypothesis/archive/how-to-recognize-a-psyop-in-three-easy-steps/
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/391/939/482/107/341/original/84308182531a13fb.png

2024-05-03 18:23:08

You have a little under two months left before the deadline to enter the Grist short story contest, focused on hopeful stories about a sustainable future. I'm a judge, along with Omar El Akkad. Cash prizes! https://grist.org/climate-fiction/imagine-2200-contest-submissions/

2024-05-01 00:49:41

Two black cats cuddling with their toy in a giant plush bed. Hope you are safe and warm wherever you are.
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/363/079/455/403/220/original/bb3c10f0fa8207b7.jpg

2024-04-26 22:03:02

It's spring for real! I grew this rose and this new book, which you can pre-order now...https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393881516
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/339/755/183/440/797/original/4982236970a03302.jpg
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/339/755/374/709/776/original/15f34ec72f6c5b91.jpg

2024-04-17 17:59:44

Science fiction, advertising, and a humble fellow named Benjamin Franklin created the psyops industry in the US. And then, in the late 20th century, something terrifying happened. Find out more in my new book STORIES ARE WEAPONS, available for pre-order everywhere! Plus, it's 25% off for B&N members today through Friday! https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stories-are-weapons-annalee-newitz/1144065538?ean=9780393881516
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/287/855/830/251/311/original/c58d10d10adac44f.png

2024-04-15 20:12:51

Last day to vote for the Nebulas! My epic tale of moose romance and public transit revolution, The Terraformers, is a finalist for best novel ... thanks to all who nominated it, and thanks for voting, no matter what choice you make!
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/277/057/484/175/428/original/0fa238156640a043.png

2024-04-15 01:26:25

Want to know where the idea of brainwashing really came from? Dive into my short, weird history of the mind control race. It's out now in the latest issue of @npub1uff…x6z4 https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/04/12/1090726/brainwashing-mind-control-history-operation-midnight-climax/

2024-04-11 04:01:36

A science fiction obsession led me to psychological war. I spent the past three years researching and writing a book about the history of psychological warfare in the United States, and it's coming out in early June. Not all the gems I discovered could be crammed into the final manuscript, and I've been dying to share what I found in the archives ... check out my latest newsletter to see some amazing treasures from a history that's rarely told.
https://buttondown.email/thehypothesis/archive/how-a-science-fiction-obsession-led-me-to/

2024-04-08 17:37:20

Ohhh there's already a giant bite out of the sun! Yes, we can see the eclipse in California too -- and luckily, I have eclipse binoculars!

2024-04-06 02:37:15

- reply

@npub1aka…zzz2 correct size. this is one unit of "banana split." it cannot go any smaller without a particle accelerator.

2024-04-03 18:21:04

I am so excited to share this story with you! It's partly a response to the many people who read The Terraformers and asked me, "What happened to the worms after they were able to speak?" But it's also a standalone story about what it's like to celebrate your body, no matter what form it takes. https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-best-ever-cosplay-of-whistle-and-midnight/

2024-04-03 18:07:54

Another day, another lookup on the @npub139g…el88 Anti-Trans Legislation Tracker to find out whether I have rights in a state where I've been invited to visit. https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-2024

2024-04-01 02:45:15

In my latest column for New Scientist, I report on a new paper about UFO sightings, which reveals that the top two objects reported as UFOs are the planet Venus and Starlink satellites. Also, the paper is a treasure trove of delightful acronyms. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26134830-200-is-the-truth-out-there-yes-but-it-doesnt-involve-aliens
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/193/664/335/267/583/original/b1ec7a38d8e243c4.png

2024-04-01 01:19:33

This is the one day of the year when you can hunt for sparkly, colorful eggs and watch them crack open to reveal sparky, colorful trans people who dance around and eat chocolate and bring joy to all the children.

2024-03-28 21:41:48

I am so sad to hear that we have lost Vernor Vinge, whose work was a tremendous inspiration to me. I once had the pleasure of interviewing him, and he was quite surprised when I told him that his characters in Rainbows End were a highlight. He thought of himself as a worldbuilder, but unbeknownst to himself, he was sometimes an author of truly nuanced character studies. https://gizmodo.com/vernor-vinge-says-that-when-the-singularity-happens-it-5860524

2024-03-20 19:11:17

Would you like to install our new feature 'help me write' in your browser? It's a text-generating spell made from the ground-up bones and wrung-out hearts of underpaid writers, sprinkled with algorithms torn from the livers of overpaid AI engineers whose ethics team colleagues were all fired for revealing how the spell was cast. DO YOU WANT TO INSTALL

2024-03-15 05:01:33

Hooray! The Terraformers is a finalist for the Nebula Award! Thank you so much to everybody who voted for this weird novel which gave me hope as I was writing it that one day I would be able to ride a flying moose who could discuss environmental science with me. I'm ridiculously honored to see my name alongside the brilliant @npub1yyd…vgmq, @npub1ahs…q36t, Wole Talabi, @npub1m5a…ujq0, and @npub1xfy…f8zm
https://nebulas.sfwa.org/sfwa-announces-the-59th-nebula-awards-finalists/
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/097/925/685/557/112/original/10901b4cf957b99d.png

2024-03-12 05:29:35

I feel very strongly about calling Elon Musk's social media platform "X" because I want to remind people that Twitter is gone -- it's dead. And we know who killed it. We need to acknowledge the power that one edgelord billionaire has over our public sphere, and remind ourselves that we cannot reclaim that space. We can't make it "ours" again by calling it Twitter. I'd rather build up new spaces online than chase after the memory of one that is lost.

2024-03-09 01:12:26

Ugh just did the most toxic doomscrolling possible because I am a fool and now I'm going to stop looking at YouTube and go for a walk

2024-03-07 01:21:37

"Amusement under late capitalism is the prolongation of work. It is sought after as an escape from the mechanised work process, and to recruit strength in order to be able to cope with it again. But at the same time mechanisation has such power over a man’s leisure and happiness, and so profoundly determines the manufacture of amusement goods, that his experiences are inevitably after-images of the work process itself." -- Theodore Adorno and Max Horkheimer, in Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944)

2024-03-02 19:13:43

I reviewed two fascinating new books about surveillance systems in the United States and China for @npub1je7…0rgu -- both Byron Tau's Means of Control and Minxin Pei's The Sentinel State argue that the real problem is overreaching law enforcement, not newfangled tech. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/28/books/review/means-of-control-byron-tau-the-sentinel-state-minxin-pei.html

2024-03-01 23:08:49

Calling fandom a "psyop" isn't just a foolish way of politicizing everything. It's also an effort to systematically deprive us of pleasure in entertainment, leaving us ravenous for joy and meaning. I talk about the implications in my New Scientist column. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26134793-500-the-taylor-swift-psy-op-conspiracy-theory-offers-a-troubling-lesson/ (sign up for a free account to read it)
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/112/022/944/946/503/993/original/8b8cd683bf2f16a5.png

2024-02-20 20:17:23

My novel #TheTerraformers is on sale as an ebook across all platforms for $1.99 in the U.S. this week!!! Check it out here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250228062/theterraformers

2024-02-14 23:17:11

Amazing story of an in-house band at Disney in the 1940s called "Firehouse Five Plus Two," who recorded a few recently-discovered practice demos under the names "Farthouse Fuckheads" and "Jackoff Jackrabbits." Best detail: they recorded these demos over outtakes from Cinderella music. https://cabel.com/2024/02/13/firehouse-five-and-the-cinderella-surprise/

2024-02-14 17:24:09

enjoy this day of uncomfortably coercive media narratives about how you should be buying things for a single individual with whom you share "love" and possibly also anticipating what this "loved person" wants you to buy, based mostly on dominant ideologies of gender and family

2024-02-03 00:40:37

https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/864/753/990/594/417/original/d9c7ad8a81cf1eb3.jpg
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/864/757/295/328/662/original/2cc03213c6c39fb5.webp
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/864/754/402/158/835/original/d73fa562fa6ab1a9.jpg
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/864/754/284/782/938/original/f1c93629456259cf.jpg

2024-01-30 05:32:34

To understand one’s place in national history is to feel the weight of a multi-generational campaign to prioritize ownership of land over the freedom to live.

2024-01-28 19:05:16

Last month I wrote about how Silicon Valley investors secretly bought thousands of acres of California farmland. Their plan is to turn it into an instant city called California Forever. Jan Sramek, who helms the California Forever project, has continued to present his ideas to community groups, but with no concrete clarifications about how it will be sustainable, nor where its water will come from. Read more on @npub1rwl…07nx (open access with a free NS account).
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034712-800-the-weird-tale-of-california-forever-a-tech-billionaire-instant-city/
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/835/119/559/433/928/original/df79482a626b1280.png
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/835/119/633/405/478/original/973e787eb68525a9.png

2024-01-24 17:14:45

Right now there's a pre-order sale for my next book, coming in early June from WW Norton. This summer, you will definitely want #storiesareweapons as an antidote to American psyops and culture wars.
It's 25% off today and tomorrow at Barnes and Noble!!
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stories-are-weapons-annalee-newitz/1144065538?ean=9780393881516
Here's the info:
Customers can easily join the free B&N rewards program and then get your book for 25% off when they enter the code PREORDER25 at checkout online
#bookstodon #books #history #publicsphere
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/812/043/502/030/418/original/8bba8b06f0cfb33d.png

2024-01-22 00:19:00

It's award nomination season! For your consideration, the best two things I published this year: The Terraformers, a novel, and "Unhearable Music," a short story which appeared in Rolling Stone's "future of music" issue. Thanks to all the kind people who supported me by publishing these strange stories about future ecologies, and mega-gratitude to my readers, who made The Terraformers a success.
You can read "Unhearable Music" here: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/unhearable-music-science-fiction-1234770203/ #books #sciencefiction #bookstodon
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/796/698/268/583/745/original/655ab8a3cd213612.png

2024-01-15 04:03:30

The cats Infrared (inside) and Ultraviolet (outside) meet in combat, separated only by the wall of the laundry hamper. Not pictured: the demise of the laundry hamper. #catsofmastodon
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/757/963/261/067/421/original/da542630f4382771.jpeg

2024-01-08 02:54:39

- reply

Here's a cool earthworm anatomy picture for your viewing pleasure: https://www.carlsonstockart.com/photo/earthworm-annelid-segmented-worm-anatomy-structure-illustration/

2024-01-08 02:45:37

I'm probably the last person on Earth to learn that earthworms have five hearts. Incredible!

2024-01-06 01:14:50

Komodo dragons like to play by putting buckets on their heads. You're welcome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycS3LnrOYVw

2023-12-29 21:24:18

How should I respond to readers misgendering characters in my novels? It feels weird to correct them, and weird not to.

2023-12-22 20:52:04

Over on @npub19qz…c3zp's newsletter Transfer Orbit, there is a really great essay about my novel The Terraformers, and why we might still be contending with fallout from capitalism in the far future. https://transfer-orbit.ghost.io/annalee-newitz-the-terrraformers-sci-fi-book-review/?ref=transfer-orbit-newsletter

2023-12-15 02:38:48

I cannot wait to watch this show! Murderbot, the ultimate TV fan, was always destined for TV. Congrats, @npub1yyd…vgmq!!! https://deadline.com/2023/12/alexander-skarsgard-star-murderbot-apple-chris-amp-paul-weitz-1235668011/

2023-12-04 00:56:31

I just watched The Ipcress File for the first time ever (I think it's far more well-known in the UK than in the US), and discovered to my amusement that the entire opening set piece is like an advertisement for New Scientist magazine, which our soon-to-be-brainwashed scientist is reading obsessively in every scene. Also, damn, what a weird movie.

2023-12-02 22:14:26

In my latest column for New Scientist, I talk about the emerging field of trust and safety, and why it's crucial to the future of our digital public sphere ... and yet is consistently overlooked or undervalued. You can read the article for free -- you just need to sign up for a free account. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2403999-trust-and-safety-the-most-important-tech-job-youve-never-heard-of/
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/513/122/148/120/150/original/18edd9f79ee4ee6a.png

2023-12-02 04:28:08

Occasionally I just start speaking the lyrics of "Big Balls" by AC/DC out loud to @npub12d9…z92a ... "The social pages say I've got the biggest balls of all."

2023-11-30 22:39:11

What the actual fuck. One of my favorite political commentators, Mehdi Hasan, has been speaking out very eloquently, with his usual evidence-based arguments, in favor of Palestinian rights. And as a result, MSNBC canceled his popular show. This is a terrifying sign that so-called free speech in this country is anything but free. https://presswatchers.org/2023/11/msnbc-cancels-mehdi-hasan-a-truth-teller-in-a-time-of-crisis/

2023-11-08 00:24:04

- reply

@npub1j7a…p393 When I was a kid, I was always disappointed that Rodan only had one head

2023-11-06 19:11:03

Been practicing my upcoming TED talk for over a month and today I finally did a runthrough that went perfectly well, where I felt centered and poised. Reader, I did it while I was making the bed. Hopefully they'll be able to provide me with fitted sheets and a mattress when I actually give my talk.

2023-11-01 16:55:04

Dear security people: Is there any good reason in this day and age that an online order form should force me to paste my email into two different fields as some kind of "check"?

2023-10-25 16:04:05

Trust and safety in social media is a public health issue. I'm starting to think that social media workers and companies should take an oath to do no harm, just like many healthcare workers do with the Hippocratic oath.

2023-10-20 22:05:22

In @npub1lyq…c6u4 this week, I reviewed @npub1x6r…8d0l's new book "How Infrastructure Works" -- it's a brilliant argument for maintaining infrastructure as a collective social project, and it comes at the perfect time. Also, it's fun! Full of charismatic megastructures! Read it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/10/17/how-infrastructure-works-deb-chachra/

2023-09-29 23:02:35

Awesome, informative article from @npub16rq…kgq3 about why online ID check laws are bad for the adult industry -- and everyone else, too. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/09/age-verification-laws-and-the-existential-fight-over-porn.html

2023-09-27 19:04:17

Woooo! Cover reveal for my next nonfiction book, coming in spring 2024. Say hello to STORIES ARE WEAPONS: PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE AND THE AMERICAN MIND. It's about the deeply linked histories of state psychological warfare programs and culture wars in the United States, going back to our nation's founding. Published by the always-awesome W.W. Norton.
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/138/654/413/017/906/original/9781945bf091df09.jpg

2023-09-20 04:02:42

The novel 1984 kicked off a whole subgenre of dystopian novels that resembled it aesthetically -- but didn't share its politics. At @npub1yz3…ddf5 we've made this patrons-only mini-episode FREE for all your nerd needs. And if you like it, consider becoming a patron! https://www.patreon.com/posts/88150345 #scifi #OurOpinionsAreCorrect

2023-09-20 00:17:29

I woke up this morning with an irrational feeling of panic and dread. What was wrong? Was I just randomly depressed? I opened a window to breathe deeply, and the air smelled like burned rubber. Checked the AQI, and we're in the danger zone, around 150. Wildfires to the north. The burning season has started again.

2023-09-19 23:15:19

Today the paperback edition of #TheTerraformers drops! It looks gorgeous, and the maps are still big and legible. I've been so happy to see this book bringing people joy, and infusing their brains with weirdness, and reminding them that the fight against capitalism will be waged on many fronts, for many centuries, with many furry and metal-clad allies. Get your paperback edition today! https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250228024/theterraformers
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/094/320/807/476/743/original/075586034135325d.jpeg
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/094/334/328/824/093/original/f4e80e5e53a59950.jpeg

2023-09-15 21:30:03

I was initially denied paxlovid for my COVID infection, but I could catch a ride in an unsafe, self-driving taxi prone to random behavior at intersections. Seems normal. My latest column for New Scientist is about how our priorities are wrong when it comes to new tech. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25934540-100-our-priorities-are-all-wrong-when-it-comes-to-new-technologies/ (Note: You'll need to create a free account to read the article.)
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/071/267/450/410/325/original/b3522e88da89332e.png

2023-09-12 22:43:33

Who wants to join a campaign to bring back Far Out Space Nuts? @npub12d9…z92a and I think it's time for this timeless tale to get a high budget reboot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYL1a4BDPmo

2023-09-12 02:07:52

gender ferrofluid

2023-09-09 23:39:36

- reply

@npub1v86…4dlg I am familiar with the case. What I'm wondering is whether there was ever a case where nobody defended the Nazis, and that led to the suppression of the speech of vulnerable groups. Because that's what the aphorism/lawsuit assume in the slippery slope argument.

2023-09-09 23:32:19

We often hear the phrase "first they came for the [vulnerable marginalized group], but I didn't say anything ... then they came for me." Simplistic, but we have actually seen this happen repeatedly in history, where a repressive regime starts with soft targets.
We also often hear "if we don't protect Nazi speech, they'll come for [vulnerable marginalized group] speech." I can't think of any real-life examples of this, though. Can you? Please advise!

2023-09-06 21:57:54

Want to win a free copy of the paperback of The Terraformers, plus a patch? Now you can (giveaway in the US only)! Paperback drops 9/19. https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/371119-the-terraformers
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/020/412/721/178/870/original/7b30217977d98d91.jpeg
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/020/413/002/014/377/original/30bd5e884cf769d5.jpeg
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/111/020/413/191/938/647/original/fe0d52de042ce9db.jpeg

2023-08-30 20:03:07

I still think about the one time I saw Ursula LeGuin in person, at the San Francisco Public Library. An audience member enthusiastically told LeGuin that she was really into the idea of elder women's wisdom, and said LeGuin was "her crone." LeGuin frowned. "I don't like that," she replied. "I'm not your crone. I'm not anybody's crone."

2023-08-25 23:43:03

- reply

@npub1lrv…tth9 these guys don't seem to understand ecosystems or climate change so it will be interesting to watch their learning curve as the land burns out from under them

2023-08-25 23:29:37

#Mastodon is #calm media, part eleventy billion: I clicked on a post that completely enraged me, and returned to my timeline full of inchoate plans to write something pointlessly scathing. Immediately I saw like ten people having a nice, helpful conversation about software configurations. Lost the urge to yell and continued on with my day.

2023-08-24 23:56:10

- reply

@npub189n…satx I mean Trump knows better than anybody how to build a wall. Just build four walls and he's good to go

2023-08-24 17:24:28

There has been a lot of random media discourse about how the GenZs are using IJBOL instead of LOL. If this generational use of internetese is real, I think it's because the LOL generation was still getting used to the idea of social media. It was startling to find yourself laughing out loud in the middle of a silent conversation online. GenZ is not surprised by this; their internet humor is notoriously rich and complex. The emphasis is on the laugh, not the "out loud." https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/08/ijbol-meaning-definition-acronym-lol.html

2023-08-21 03:00:30

Somebody asked me recently if I feel like I'm pouring out a million thoughts in a rush when I'm writing. No, I said, it's more like when you're squeezing really thick frosting out of a piping bag and you're slooooooowly pushing it out and trying to make designs that look half-decent on your cake but the frosting keeps getting stuck and you have to constantly squash it while also attempting to be artful.

2023-08-12 21:05:56

It's #caturday and two black kittens named Infrared and Ultraviolet have fused together into a Power Ranger-esque configuration by snuggling so closely that their bodies are indistinguishable from one another.
https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/110/878/667/927/230/624/original/c5e95c32b5a33798.jpg