The mural in the Refectory at the University of Sydney tells you a lot about how that institution saw its place in the world in the 1970s (and perhaps still does)

A detailed mural depicts various historical Australian and allegorical figures, with a central, illuminated academic gown-clad man standing on a pedestal surrounded by others. I won’t describe it all because the colonialism, classism and sexism is a lot.

Reading is falling off a cliff, like an endangered craft. This is clearly more about performance than interiority, but perhaps that’s okay if it leads to someone reading?

How fashion embraced the book nerds- GQ

A lot of groups get unfairly blamed for the world’s ills but few have the courage to name the real problem: aphids and scale.

This ridiculous post (the answer is clearly his own tariffs) made me learn about “Boxed Beef”, a fascinating turn in intensive beef production that reminds me of what has happened to poultry. Sci-fi authors who thought we’d be eating vat protein got it wrong.

A “truth” by Donald Trump discusses the discrepancy between dropping cattle prices and rising boxed beef prices, implying potential criminality.

Putting Facial Recognition Tech onto Meta’s Smart Glasses to Instantly Dox Strangers - 404 Media

Beautiful morning on the Goods Line

Wide pedestrian pathway with sunlight illuminating a tall yellow UTS building to the left, trees creating a canopy on the right, clear blue sky, with a few pedestrians visible. It’s the Goods Line in Ultimo, Sydney.

Unliveable but it has its moments

Circular Quay in Sydney. A harbour scene featuring the distinctive Sydney Opera House, ferries, skyscrapers, and a partly cloudy sky.

“…my “collaborations” with generative AI are no more collaborative than my body’s folding to the contours of the chair I sit on, or the way my drawing is a collaboration with the pencil, or how the air I breathe buoys my thinking.“ – Rachel Horst

Stay cool today gang

Close-up garden photograph showing tall purple-blue flower spikes, some kind of salvia, in sharp focus against soft, feathery fennel leaves. A blurred green lawn and shed is visible in the background

The river this morning

A river flows between lush, green trees under a blue, partly cloudy sky. It’s the Parramatta River in Sydney, Australia.
UNSW campus in the morning. A modern architectural building complex features a tall brick structure, a large geometric sculpture on the lawn, and a staircase leading to other buildings.

I grew up in a town where there were several Aboriginal deaths in custody in the ‘80s. The final report of the RCIADIC was released 34 years ago.

Nothing’s changed.

“More First Nations people have died in custody in New South Wales so far this year than ever before, the state coroner has revealed”

A colorful graffiti ibis is painted on a brick wall above a gas utility cover.

Western Sydney University students and alumni emailed to say their degrees had been “revoked”. These incidents are damaging because they mirror the officious and depersonalised tone of so much comms. If acting in more human and humane ways was the norm, these incidents wouldn’t be so harmful.

The Sorbonne ditches university rankings

“Sorbonne University has chosen to withdraw from the World University Rankings, produced by Times Higher Education (THE). The university will stop sharing the data required to be included in the ranking as of 2026… This choice marks a new chapter in Sorbonne University’s ambitious and voluntarist strategy for Open Science and the reform of research assessment."

Mrs Mop

A black spider with a distinct red marking is crawling on a metallic, perforated surface - a redback on the inside of a mop bucket.

I’m proud to announce my new role as Chief Content Officer for SlopApp and I look forward to the many challenges of the role.

“OpenAI Is Preparing to Launch a Social App for AI-Generated Videos”

University of Technology Sydney plans to cut public health at the worst possible time - Daniel Demant at InSight+

voids

A building interior void with curved balconies, red-carpeted stairs, and a glass wall.

Rick Morton in the Saturday Paper:

> The University of Technology Sydney denied the existence of a KPMG spreadsheet ranking the research performance of academics, in breach of its own enterprise agreement, until it was forced to release it.