Nonfiction
AI as a Reflective Surface
Much of the confusion surrounding artificial intelligence comes from treating it as an agent rather than a surface. When people speak about AI “doing the thinking,” “creating the ideas,” or “speaking for someone,” they are often projecting agency onto a system that does not possess intention, belief, or understanding. This projection obscures what is actually happening in many real-world uses. In those cases, AI is not acting as a source of meaning, but as a surface that reflects, redirects, and reshapes what is already present.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcastabout 6 hours ago in Critique
Mental Health Tips for Digital Creators (From Someone Who Knows the Burnout)
Mental Health Tips for Digital Creators (From Someone Who Knows the Burnout) It sounds like the ideal job to be a digital creator. You get to work from anywhere, be your own boss, and turn your ideas into content people actually care about.
By Farida Kabir6 days ago in Critique
Marty Supreme: Movie Review
Marty Supreme presents itself as a sports film, but it isn’t really about victory, legacy, or even competition. It’s a hyper focused character study of an athlete whose entire sense of self is tied to proving his superiority even when the proof is unnecessary, humiliating, or already lost.
By Louise Noel 7 days ago in Critique
When Is a Move Final?
The Commitment Problem in Modern Chess Modern chess operates under a fractured commitment model that no longer aligns with how players think, how turns function in most games, or how chess itself is actually played across physical and digital formats. At the heart of the problem is that chess treats physical contact with a piece as binding commitment while simultaneously relying on a separate explicit action to end a player’s turn. This creates a logical contradiction: a move becomes final before the turn is over. In most turn-based games, interaction with game components is provisional until the player explicitly signals the end of their turn. Chess is an anomaly in this respect, and the inconsistency becomes increasingly visible in modern play.
By Peter Thwing - Host of the FST Podcast8 days ago in Critique
Language After Power
Abstract This article examines recent warnings about artificial intelligence delivered at the World Economic Forum by Yuval Noah Harari, situating them within a broader political economy of language and power. While public discourse frames AI as an emerging autonomous intelligence threatening humanity, this paper proposes an alternative interpretation: the primary fear articulated by global elites is not independent artificial intelligence but the democratisation of advanced linguistic power. Drawing on theories of language, power visibility, and informational exposure, the article argues that large language models threaten existing systems of authority by enabling unprecedented access to linguistic production, interpretation, and disclosure. AI does not merely automate language; it accelerates what can be described as an informational apocalypse, understood in its original sense as revelation. The article concludes by suggesting that contemporary anxieties surrounding AI governance reflect elite concern over the loss of narrative control rather than genuine existential risk, signalling a possible reconfiguration of authority away from financial and institutional actors toward linguistic and philosophical power.
By Peter Ayolov11 days ago in Critique
It’s Not ‘Just’ Bangladesh Women vs Namibia Women. It’s Quiet Sexism Behind A Viral Match
Do people actually care about women’s cricket—or is this just a moment?” You’re not alone. A lot of us quietly wonder if women’s matches are just filler until the “real” (aka men’s) game starts.
By Anie the Candid Writer Abroad12 days ago in Critique
The African Diaspora and History of Rhetoric: Learning to Learn
When studying the history of rhetoric, many groups were excluded from participating in power and were used, abused, and written off as inferior. Even today African nations have not recovered from being exploited by European powers.
By SAMURAI SAM AND WILD DRAGONS19 days ago in Critique
Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days To The Attack
Countdown to Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days To The Attack by Steve Twomey I really wasn’t expecting much of this read; I grabbed it while I was at Pearl Harbor because how could I not get a book while I was there?
By Matthew J. Fromm26 days ago in Critique
The Lost City of Z
The Lost City of Z by David Grann Growing up I thought I wanted to be an archaeologist. Now that I’m a ripe 32, I realize what I really wanted to be was an adventurer–someone who dug deep into the dark and emerged with treasures unseen for millennia.
By Matthew J. Fromm28 days ago in Critique
