Over the past few years I’ve found much to appreciate in Dr. Corinne Wieben’s podcast Enchanted; the History of Magic & Witchcraft, particularly when she takes up an aspect of the natural world.
Enchanted: The Red Branch
Of Interest
“Of Interest” is the blog of The Well-read Naturalist. Here are published items, as the title indicates, of interest.
On AI-generated Images of Birds
As one who has dedicated decades of his life to helping people learn about, understand, and as a result it is hoped care more about the natural world and the present state it is in, I am particularly troubled by AI-generated images of birds and other wildlife as they present the unreal as real, encouraging many of those seeing them and not understanding that they are nothing more than the random collection of data assembled into visual images by an AI image-generating computer program to develop a distorted expectation of how the natural world truly appears.
The First Appearance of Timothy the Tortoise
Upon beginning to read this passage again recently, I laughed out loud when I found myself exclaiming “Timothy!” with the enthusiasm of a child seeing the appearance of a favourite character appear upon a stage.
The Rev. White on the Good Fortune of Having Like-minded Neighbours
“It has been my misfortune never to have had any neighbours whose studies have led them towards the pursuit of natural knowledge; so that, for want of a companion to quicken my industry and sharpen my attention, I have made but slender progress in a kind of information to which I have been attached from my childhood.”