Glass Wings Blog

The Glass Wings mailing list and blog is for general idle chit-chat about things we find interesting, especially humor, animation or other subjects relevant to the Glass Wings web site at glasswings.com.au. Subscribe at https://glasswings.com.au/subscribe.html

'One of the most successful wildlife comeback stories': The Alps lost its vultures - then it got them back

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 19:20:54 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260305-how-vultures-returned-from-alpine-extinction>

“In the autumn of 2025, wildlife experts in the French Alps made a surprising
discovery: a frail, weakened bearded vulture found lying on the ground turned
out to be Balthazar, a bird released under a conservation programme in 1988,

Your LLM Doesn't Write Correct Code. It Writes Plausible Code.

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 19:19:16 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://blog.katanaquant.com/p/your-llm-doesnt-write-correct-code

"One of the simplest tests you can run on a database:

Doing a primary key lookup on 100 rows.

Rebecca Solnit Says the Left’s Next Hero Is Already Here

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 19:18:07 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/magazine/rebecca-solnit-interview.html>

"As the old saw goes, the only constant is change. But change doesn’t always
feel as overwhelming as it does right now. We are living in an era of
widespread democratic backsliding, sweeping technological disruption and the

This Spanish City Is Resurrecting a 3,000-Year-Old Solution To Fight Extreme Heat

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 19:16:43 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://ghostarchive.org/archive/s3ypg

"A few meters below the former site of Seville’s 1992 World Expo, a promising
climate experiment blending ancient technology and modern science is underway.

Fishing crews in the Atlantic keep accidentally dredging up chemical weapons

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 19:14:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://arstechnica.com/health/2026/03/fishing-crews-in-the-atlantic-keep-accidentally-dredging-up-chemical-weapons/>

"Until 1970, the US dumped an estimated 17,000 tons of unspent chemical weapons
from World War I and II off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean—and that disposal
decision continues to haunt commercial fishing operations.

Earth's heat to power 10,000 homes in renewable energy first for UK

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 19:12:55 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewzg77k721o

“The UK's first geothermal power plant has been turned on, providing a
completely new type of renewable electricity using hot water from underground.

How people are helping breeding frogs dodge cars

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 12:13:47 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.hcn.org/issues/58-3/how-people-are-helping-breeding-frogs-dodge-cars/>

"The late-afternoon sky was surprisingly clear for December, the kind of
evening Portlanders revel in after days of rain. But for the half-dozen
volunteers gathered on Harborton Drive — a steep frontage road carved into a

Hungary seizes millions of euros in cash and gold from Ukrainian convoy

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 12:11:20 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/06/hungary-seizes-millions-euros-cash-gold-ukrainian-convoy>

"An increasingly acrimonious spat between Hungary and Ukraine has escalated
further, as Budapest impounded two Ukrainian armoured bank vehicles carrying
millions of euros of hard cash as well as bars of gold.

How renewables and EVs can shield Australia from the economic fallout of Trump’s war

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 12:10:15 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/how-australia-can-avoid-the-economic-fallout-of-trumps-war-in-the-middle-east/>

"Trump’s war in the Middle East might seem a long way from home, but when
conflicts affect global oil and gas routes, Australians feel it.

Indigenous Australians share the racist messages they receive online: ‘No one’s feeling safe’

Mon, 9 Mar 2026 12:09:10 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/ng-interactive/2026/mar/06/indigenous-australians-racist-social-media-messages-ntwnfb>

"Natasha Wanganeen is unafraid to speak about the struggles and concerns of her
community. But the once rare racist comments on her social media posts have
gone from a trickle to a torrent. “Disgusting abuse,” she says, has become a