Notices by Sheril Kirshenbaum (sheril@mastodon.social)

“You have to return the #books, but you get to keep the ideas.”

Before 1993, women weren’t allowed to wear pants on the Senate floor.

That changed when Sen. Moseley Braun (D-IL), & Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) wore trousers - shocking the male-dominated Senate. This eventually led to the dress code being clarified to allow women to wear pants.

Credit: Liberal Jane Illustration http://liberaljane.com

“You are enough. And anyone who tells you otherwise is not worth your time.” - Dolly Parton 💜

Today I begin as Chief External Relations Officer at the Food Bank Council of Michigan! The role brings together food banks, policymakers, community leaders, and philanthropic partners across Michigan and in DC to advance food security. I have long admired FBCM and am honored to join the team. https://www.fbcmich.org/food-bank-council-in-the-news/fbcm-welcomes-dr-sheril-kirshenbaum-as-chief-external-relations-officernbsp?fbclid=IwdGRleATpnylwZG9mBWZkaWQWUMXP3BjQ_ktMVlK3HxQ9iY8EJITqDmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6bEkEYR7hdjOobGhqsmFJtgR95ACZhUkuXd6OauygX_3w-3MdaPoANuSRRDA_aem_t4qxnYlVkhZPStHMb_8j0A 1/

Yes!

Credit to a “Yannick R.” I do not know them but I spotted this on social media it appeals to the part of me that works in agriculture & the global #food system. #science

High expectations for my next read…
#books

Support independent bookshops 📚

"You have to know the past to understand the present."
- Carl Sagan

In an age of rapid social, political, environmental & technological change, the humanities are among the few tools we possess for distinguishing what is genuinely unprecedented from what we have forgotten. And they remain our most reliable compass for navigating the future.

A case for why the humanities are more essential than ever: https://sheril.substack.com/p/science-isnt-enough #science

Squee! Tiny blue octopus discovered off the Galápagos Islands! 🐙 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tiny-alien-like-blue-octopus-discovered-lurking-off-the-galapagos-islands/ #science

“We see a future where intelligence is a utility, like electricity or water & people buy it from us on a meter.”

- Sam Altman

As someone whose books were taken without permission to train OpenAI, I have a problem with this.

How can a company claim to own work it didn’t create & sell it back to us?

https://gizmodo.com/sam-altman-says-intelligence-will-be-a-utility-and-hes-just-the-man-to-collect-the-bills-2000732953

“This study shows that…. nostalgia evoked by Studio Ghibli films significantly foster a sense of exploration and calm in life, as well as a feeling of mastery and skill, and purpose and meaning, hence ultimately contributing positively to one’s overall happiness in life. https://games.jmir.org/2025/1/e76522 #art

“Penn was quick to tell me he does not know much about many things. But he is an expert in misleading people.

‘I am bringing this to you w the utmost humility. I am carny trash. I am uneducated. [My] position of expertise is that I have lied to ppl onstage & gotten them to believe it. I think I could do what that police officer did.’”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/us/politics/the-docket-supreme-court-penn-teller.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cVA.ljzO.LDTwAdYmcWqj&smid=nytcore-ios-share

In a first last month, renewables supplied more power to the U.S. than natural gas, a milestone in the shift to clean energy. https://e360.yale.edu/digest/us-renewables-natural-gas-coal?x-craft-preview=a09812a6e2e9e7d28862011a5e524ea3825e4eb19935e5d62bd015bf8aad5b17jlgvmkmfep&token=ab6uY3d0bvQLOfY03Aj2W99kZSP_e9zG #climate

Brought my son to see Rent & the story is still as incredible & timely as ever.

It’s interesting to consider the parallel between the changing media environment of the 90s spurred by the Internet with today’s AI transition.

As a native New Yorker & teen when it first debuted, I’ve always felt a special connection with this one.

Glad my 13yo could experience it too. Sparked good conversations. Angel was ahead of her time. #art

This map shows the cost of charging an EV at home across the U.S. Home-charging is significantly cheaper in all 50 states than fueling a car with gasoline.

Source: Yale https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/04/whats-cheaper-fueling-your-car-with-gas-or-electricity/ #energy #uspol

See which jobs are most threatened by #AI and who may be able to adapt 🤔
https://wapo.st/4uvCpcY

Unscientific America in 2026 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/03/cynical-gullible-american-man/686079/ If only we could have seen this coming… oh wait.

"Do you think it's inappropriate in any way that someone w/ no experience w/ grants for the federal government was making personal judgment calls about what grants to cancel?" an attorney asked.

"Um, no. I don't think it's inappropriate," Cavanaugh said, arguing that he did not need formal education or experience to make informed judgments. 🤔

https://abcnews.com/Politics/2-doge-staffers-regrets-people-losing-income-reduce/story?id=131050170 #science #uspol

🙄

#SuperbOwl you say? Well okay then!