I have seen this article, İstanbul’s streams overflow during rainfall: How has urban development reshaped the city’s waterways? and asked ChatGPT to create a map out of it. In her study examining 168 major streams outside İstanbul’s drinking water catchment areas, Dr. Hülya Dinç finds that both seasonal and perennial stream branches have disappeared due to … Read more
Recently, James Hetfield explains why you won’t get any political statements at a Metallica show “And I just gotta say, Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullshit, OK? We are here…no bullshit…we’re here to forget about all the outside shit, OK? “Metallica’s agenda is love, energy and heavy … Read more
After a long time, I am in Brussels, attending my first FWO meeting. A full day of reviewing scientific research applications. I don’t have much time or desire to look around. Still stopped by the Musical Instrument Museum. If I can make it, I will see Atomium, and I am after three newspapers in German … Read more
I was at a luxurious hotel for a marketing summit, and I only realized what had happened across İstanbul when I left the hotel and started driving. Thanks to Chery, I was over the water most of the time, and I was not really anxious, and it only took me hours to arrive home while … Read more
Dear readers, I have, from time to time, reported on sham trials against opposition municipalities. I’ve reported on so many cases that I stopped reporting altogether recently. There may be real corruption cases, of course, but no one can convince ordinary citizens that these are essentially politically motivated. Here is what happened in one of … Read more
The efficiency question Three episodes into the affirmative turn, the argument has a shape. In Episode 10 I defended slow time. In Episode 11, the encounter with what has not yet been written down. In Episode 12, the campus as the infrastructure that physically underwrites both. Each of these is something the university does that … Read more
I finally began receiving new boxes from my father’s storage. Expect more personal content soon! For this post, I wanted to share my magazine/ journal collection, not as ambitious as the newspaper one! I just cataloged the 1230th one there. I used the same trick with the magazine collection, using ChatGPT and Google Drive sheets. … Read more
A beautiful moment. I wanted to share it with you. Around 280 volunteers formed a human chain to relocate books, says co-owner. When Ottawa bookstore The Spaniel’s Tale decided to move to a larger space a block away, co-owner Cole Davidson said they had no plans to host a “book brigade.” “[The idea] actually came … Read more
After the massive World Cup fkup, Mr. Montella seems to keep wasting a generation of skilled Turkish players. The main criticisms Selection and loyalty. Lille goalkeeper Berke Özer was left out of the September squad despite being voted the club’s August player of the month. The contrast drew attention because Altay Bayındır was selected despite … Read more
Two related appointments occurred in the last couple of weeks. I was first recommended to join the UNESCO Türkiye National Commission Communication Experts Panel (UTMK). Then my esteemed colleague Serhan Ada decided to retire, though he will still teach a few classes in our doctoral program. Serhan Ada is a prominent Turkish poet, writer, and … Read more
The summer of 2026 went well, in terms of productivity, settlements, and short but beautiful vacations. I am redesigning my office on campus, including a few Billy bookshelves from IKEA. This gave me space to unload more boxes from my father’s storage. One of my personal activities in recent weeks is cataloging the newspapers I … Read more
Here are more thoughts on academic life! Episode 12 is at your service: What the university has that cannot be delivered Two episodes ago I argued that the university’s peculiar gift is slow time — the licence to sit with a question for fifteen years. In the last one I argued that its other gift … Read more
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival has just witnessed a profoundly historic moment. The premiere of NAZA, a chilling new documentary directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, received a staggering 25-minute standing ovation. This reaction not only sets a new record for the prestigious Italian festival but also highlights the … Read more
I have revised my syllabus and replaced some readings with more recent ones. I like to update my readings frequently so I can stay current with the latest research. I may have missed some topics, but I am satisfied with what I have. There has been a rising- and unsurprising- interest in AI in recent … Read more
I am so fed up with doomy statements from the AI leaders. I may have lost my patience with it. The latest instance is the BBC’s report that Evan Hubinger, who leads alignment science at Anthropic, believes there is a “greater than 10% chance” that AI could “kill all humans” within the next decade. The occasion … Read more