Janelle Shane

janelleshane.comBook: You Look Like A Thing — Janelle Shane

14 Dec 2024

Replying to @janelleshane.com

When I wrote a book on AI in 2019, it focused on AIs making sneaky shortcuts. Aside from the vintage generative text (Pumpkin Trash Break ice cream, anyone?), the algorithmic shortcutting is still completely recognizable today. www.janelleshane.com/book-you-loo...

Janelle Shane reposted

fab.ricious 🔜 @ Vienna ComicCon 2026!

@artoffabricious.bsky.social

It is done. My magnum opus. My legacy.

janelleshane.comPEW! RGB laser beams button shirt — Janelle ShaneThis short-sleeve button-down shirt features red, green, and blue laser beams accompanied by PEW! sound effects.

New merch added to my laser store! I haven’t gotten photos of them yet/ my cats haven’t gotten to attack them yet but they can now be ordered. First, this snazzy button-down shirt! www.janelleshane.com/store/p/pew-...

janelleshane.comLong sleeve pajama top — Janelle ShaneLong-sleeve button-down pajama top shirt with 80s or 90s style school portrait laser beams.

I also added pajamas! This is the top, featuring festive laser beams. I’m told by my more fashionable friends that the fit and the piping and the little pocket make them definitely jammies but if you wore it under a blazer maybe…? www.janelleshane.com/store/p/long...

janelleshane.comPajama pants — Janelle ShaneSizing guide Pair these pajama pants with the matching pajama top, and have dazzling laser dreams! Or try out these pants as loungewear or even streetwear? These will probably look so great that...

The matching pajama pants. Maybe they could count as loungewear? Streetwear? Lab wear, if you’re a grad student www.janelleshane.com/store/p/paja...

For science!!

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aiweirdness.comThe Worm With 100 ButtsI drew a zine about ramisyllis multicaudata, the undersea worm that can have more than 100 butts.

I think maybe I'll give these out to trick-or-treaters. www.aiweirdness.com/the-worm-wit...

It turns out Jolly Ranchers are strongly fluorescent under UV illumination. Bottom image taken with visible light Top image taken with 395 nm UV flashlight www.aiweirdness.com/jolly-ranche...

Okay wow I was so focused on the fluorescent dyes that it didn't even occur to me the phosphorescence could be coming from the GRAPE FLAVOR. A tumblr reader pointed out that methyl anthranilate, naturally occurring in concord grapes, is phosphorescent in "low-temperature glasses".

sciencedirect.comPhotophysical properties of N-acetyl-menthyl anthranilateThe results of a comprehensive investigation of the photophysical properties of the sunscreen analogue, N-acetyl menthyl anthranilate (NAMA), in vario…

Here's the paper I think they were referring to: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... I only read the intro but it notes "Phosphorescence has also been detected in low temperature glasses with an emission maximum at 420 nm in EPA, and a lifetime of 1.3 s" which matches the grape jolly ranchers.

Fascinated by how they keep their head steady and pointed forward while the rest of their body is cartwheeling

Christie Wilcox@nerdychristie.bsky.social

First it was robots cartwheeling better than me. Now you're telling me snakes can do it, too?! Read about that and more in this edition of @science.org's #ScienceAdviser: www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪 🐍

During the dragon-befriending scene in How to Train Your Dragon, the soundtrack is an Irish reel called Touch Me If You Dare

Amy "Thunderjam" Chase@amythunderjam.bsky.social

We all know the "Viggo broke his toe" story but what's another movie fact you're personally compelled to bring up every time without prompting? For me, it's the fact that Robin Tunney is wearing a wig in The Craft because of having just shaved her head to save her job filming Empire Records.

It turns out Jolly Ranchers are strongly fluorescent under UV illumination. Bottom image taken with visible light Top image taken with 395 nm UV flashlight www.aiweirdness.com/jolly-ranche...

aiweirdness.comJolly Rancher fluorescenceIt turns out Jolly Rancher candies light up strongly under UV illumination. I advance some theories as to why.

If you want to make sure to hear about my latest weird science explorations (these days they're mostly lasers and optics), sign up for my newsletter! Short emails approximately once a week. www.aiweirdness.com/jolly-ranche...

aiweirdness.comBonus: Neon photobombs the Jolly Rancher photosAI Weirdness: the strange side of machine learning

There's also bonus content for paid supporters (thanks so much for helping pay my blog bill!). This time the bonus post is courtesy of my cat Neon, who sabotaged the Jolly Rancher photoshoot. www.aiweirdness.com/bonus-neon-p...

It turns out Jolly Ranchers are strongly fluorescent under UV illumination. Bottom image taken with visible light Top image taken with 395 nm UV flashlight www.aiweirdness.com/jolly-ranche...

I should note that the dyes in Jolly Ranchers are also fluorescent under visible light, which is why their colors look so bright.

The green apple Jolly Rancher is even brighter under visible light than UV.

It turns out Jolly Ranchers are strongly fluorescent under UV illumination. Bottom image taken with visible light Top image taken with 395 nm UV flashlight www.aiweirdness.com/jolly-ranche...

Blue raspberry Jolly Rancher has a particularly dramatic color change. Under visible light it's blue, and under UV light it fluoresces hot pink.

The coolest part? The grape flavor Jolly Rancher is phosphorescent, meaning that it continues to give off fluorescent light after I turn off the UV light. To see phosphorescence I had to switch out my big 395 nm flashlight for a shorter-wavelength 365 nanometer light.

I really enjoyed @annaleen.bsky.social ‘s book A Wall is Also a Road. Not dark academia but… moist academia? my favorite parts about the slime mold aliens are: 1) they sprout more eyestalks when they’re interested 2) they leave rooms by yeeting themselves out windows which I imagine looks like:

Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD@elizabethjacobs.bsky.social

Watching this video 10 times has significantly improved my mood.

Janelle Shane reposted

Replying to @janelleshane.com

I guess this is what I should expect from a shirt covered in laser beams. www.janelleshane.com/store/p/pew-...

Was trying to take photos of a laser shirt for my website and my cat Krypton decided to help. www.janelleshane.com/store/p/pew-...

I guess this is what I should expect from a shirt covered in laser beams. www.janelleshane.com/store/p/pew-...

Laser beam shirt not currently being obscured by cats www.janelleshane.com/store/p/pew-...

Every picture of Phobos looks like someone substituted a potato

European Space Agency@esa.int

Launching on 19 October, JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission will attempt a world-first sample return from Mars’s moon Phobos. We're contributing deep-space communication technology and ground station support to help make the mission possible.

I really enjoyed this book! The kids are all doing their best for each other and for their community, even as the world is throwing a lot at them. Maisie for mayor! I’d join her mailing list in a heartbeat

Darcie Little Badger@littlebadger.bsky.social

Heeeey. You know a great way to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day? But my book! It tells the story of four Lipan Apache cousins who defy fate. Five starred reviews, and just released this week! Wowie look at that cover by Abigail Rajunov. <3 Thanks for sharing it, Mom! bookshop.org/p/books/chil...

aiweirdness.comLaser merch photoshoot (sabotaged by cat)I tried to take photos for my new laser merch store, and my cats got involved.

For years I've been jealous of biologists and astronomers and all their science-themed wear, and now I finally have designed the laser-themed clothing I've always wanted to wear! But then my cats came along and started photobombing. www.aiweirdness.com/laser-merch-...

Eventually the cats on and I was able to get a few cat-free shots for the site. But I had to use the healing brush to erase SO MUCH cat hair. (Seriously there are 20 spot removals in this image alone. I love you, Neon and Krypton, little buddies, but you sure do shed.) www.janelleshane.com/store

Still one of my favorite outtakes. Neon’s patented scream-yawn. bsky.app/profile/jane...

Janelle Shane@janelleshane.com

this was the next pose

m.youtube.comOctopus Pounces on Lasers in Papahānaumokuākea | Nautilus LiveYouTube video by EVNautilus

Important science m.youtube.com/watch?v=UV0e...

Janelle Shane reposted

aiweirdness.comLaser merch photoshoot (sabotaged by cat)I tried to take photos for my new laser merch store, and my cats got involved.

aiweirdness.comLaser merch photoshoot (sabotaged by cat)I tried to take photos for my new laser merch store, and my cats got involved.

Cats will also attack printed lenses. www.janelleshane.com/store/p/lens...

The cats will attack anything, really. (This is how Krypton shows affection.)

aiweirdness.comLaser merch photoshoot (sabotaged by cat)I tried to take photos for my new laser merch store, and my cats got involved.

An extra-voluminous hoodie is an extra-strong cat attractant. Especially if they can get cat hair on it. (SO much cat hair, I went through so many of those lint rollers) www.janelleshane.com/store/p/lase...

Also did you know that cats will apparently attack printed laser beams? www.janelleshane.com/store/p/lase...

aiweirdness.comLaser merch photoshoot (sabotaged by cat)I tried to take photos for my new laser merch store, and my cats got involved.

It turns out a pile of folded clothes is a cat magnet. www.janelleshane.com/store/lasers...

Even a single folded shirt will attract cats. www.janelleshane.com/store/p/lase...

aiweirdness.comLaser merch photoshoot (sabotaged by cat)I tried to take photos for my new laser merch store, and my cats got involved.

I borrowed a roll of white paper from a friend and I knew I was in trouble even during setup. Introducing Krypton (occupation: brown tabby) and her brother Neon (occupation: grey tabby).

Horseys!

wizard with a knif@ajcrwl.bsky.social

I'm a little behind on Inktober, but I drew a bunch of #botober horseys! They're based on my ultra small hors OC which is literally just a head on tiny legs 😅 #botober2026 #inktober #inkytber2026 #art #traditionalart #sketches

The color bands are like topographic lines in this image of a melting snowflake. Interesting how many hints of structure are still there!

Optics & Photonics News@optica-opn.org

Image of the Week: Snowflake in Phase A melting snowflake is shown as a quantitative phase map in which color encodes the optical path length of light through the crystal, proportional to its thickness. Read more here: http://bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

My Little Pony: The Movie The smooze was going to engulf everyone AND it had a catchy theme song

Sleepy Hollow Reviews 🎃🐎@sleepingvillage.bsky.social

In honor of scary media month: what is the first piece of media you remember truly frightening you as a child?

rustbeltscience.comEpisode 31: The AI Con: A Conversation with Dr. Emily M. Bender on the Power of Language and AI — RUST BELT SCIENCE

It was really fun to hear this team-up! Scientists thinking deeply and carefully about how to best help their students

Emily M. Bender@emilymbender.bsky.social

I really enjoyed recording this one, having met Maggie and Shahir at a workshop in August about teaching critical thinking in STEM in the current environment. www.rustbeltscience.com/episodes/pis...

Janelle Shane reposted

Jonathan H. Liu

@jonathanhliu.bsky.social

#Etchtober Day 1: Happy Fly (Today's prompt is from @janelleshane.com's #botober2026 list)

uncannymagazine.comAnd Then There Were (N-One) - Uncanny MagazineI considered declining the invitation. It was too weird, too expensive, too far, too dangerous, too weird. Way too weird. An invitation like that would never come again. I’d regret it if I didn’t go. ...

Always repost “And Then There Were (N-1)”

Laura Helmuth@laurahelmuth.bsky.social

Just finished @sarahpinsker.bsky.social's collection "Sooner or Later Everything Falls into the Sea" and loved every bit of it, especially the final story, which was published earlier in Uncanny: "And Then There Were (N-1)." SO GOOD: www.uncannymagazine.com/article/and-...

Yeah I would never get something like this. If the laser is strong enough to zap mosquitoes then it’s strong enough to damage eyes. I wouldn’t trust their “AI vision”, even with lidar, not to make a life-altering mistake

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Janelle Shane@janelleshane.com

#botober2026 is back by popular demand! This year I used 2015-era char-rnn running on my cat hair covered laptop to predict new entries in a list of 42,000 Jockey Club racehorse names. No other training data was involved. I collected the best horseys for you! www.aiweirdness.com/botober-2026/

I got an early copy of Children of Owl by @littlebadger.bsky.social and I can’t put it down. The desert landscape is so vivid and Maisie just will not quit (complimentary). I also didn’t know the occasional illustrations are graphic novel style which is extra fun! Highly recommend.

It has to be #halite for #MinCup26 ! You can make a laser out of salt droplets - place them on a superhydrophobic surface and the droplets are round and stable, making good laser cavities. web.archive.org/web/20111018...

Mineral Cup & Ore Cup@mineralcup.bsky.social

#MinCup26 SEMI-FINALS!!! It's showdown of the soft and cubical as coppery #Cuprite and salty #Halite compete for a spot in the finals! Both are worthy, but only one can have your vote. VOTE: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re... RESULTS: www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-re...