A lot of excitement on here about the article in Science summarising the discoveries of @alistairsponsel.bsky.social and Brian Sutton, just published in the Journal of the History of Biology. Some people have asked, so here is what I think they show, and what are the implications:

There are apparently fig trees(!) in Sheffield & here's the Sheffield Tribune's explanation of how they got there: There really is no place called "Away"... everything comes from somewhere and everything goes somewhere.

And here's the full size version in the central hall of the museum. If you're anywhere near Greenwich, it's well worth a look because the topographical detail of the seafloor is amazing. And the whole thing is HUGE. Share the ocean love! 🌊

Not our fault you don’t know how to say other people’s words. One day we’ll stop laughing at your addition of herbs to risotto and your attitude to aluminium while still saying helium. And I’m still recovering from a US student ranting in the pub about the effectiveness of his waterproof pants.

Ouch! But hopefully worth it to be an early adopter.

It's always so heartening to see so much enthusiasm for science at the Latitude Festival - people came for the music and discovered they were super-interested in finding out how the world works. And the two aren't mutually exclusive. Hooray for a diverse & delightfully unpredictable human existence!

I maybe don't mind us giving commands in natural language, but I don't think that an AI should ever be allowed to answer in a voice that emulates a human, because it's *not*, and it doesn't have the depth and the accountability that goes with a human. It's too seductive, and too easily misleading

I maybe don't mind us giving commands in natural language, but I don't think that an AI should never be allowed to answer in a voice that emulates a human, because it's *not*, and it doesn't have the depth and the accountability that goes with a human. It's too seductive, and too easily misleading.

AI should stay away from writing, should never be allowed to take responsibility and should never provide judgements. Used with care, it can be useful for search, data analysis and data organisation. Words matter. Our society will be poorer if we weaken words by letting machines corrupt them. 2/3

I find it hard to summarise my opinions on "AI" (a term I really dislike, because it refers to a huge number of technologies that are very different in capability, quality, ambition and design), but I think I'm coming round to something like this: [1/3]

A helper has just turned up backstage to assist with the final preparations for my Gresham Lecture this evening. Cute! The lecture is called: Carbon: Our Flexible Friend that Built the Natural World, and you can watch live online (free) from 6pm today. All carbon-based life forms welcome!

Actually, Gresham chose that without asking me. I wouldn’t have picked it, sorry…

Science fiction writers often call humanity a “carbon-based life form” & we are… but it’s not just our anatomy that’s based on carbon. It’s the whole of our life support system. My Gresham Lecture tmrw will be all about where Earth's carbon is & what it's up to. Listen in at 6pm (free online)!

*run* away! Because that’s what you do after ringing the bell. I never did it but kids on my street did sometimes. it seemed like a very boring game to “play”.

I LOVE this globe, which I found in the GEOMAR lobby (a German ocean research institute) this week. Exaggerated topography of both land and sea, showing the big picture and the beautiful intricacy. I want one!