See also: Palantir sponsorship…

Now wondering when we started talking about the ‘new normal’

‘it reveals a wider erosion of the people, places, and capabilities that sustain these strategically important disciplines across the UK.‘

Telemundo just called David Beckham "Spice Boy"

parfait, no notes

‘All of the UK’s devolved national governments are now led by parties formally committed to the secession of their territory from the union… This challenging situation has elicited barely a whisper at Westminster.‘

‘This is not a work about a bird. It is about what happens when a soul becomes so removed from the freedom the rest of us take for granted that its sweetest song becomes its last.’ Spent last night transfixed by this performance. www.thereviewshub.com/aakash-odedr...

Cambridge’s fundamentally unserious city centre

Nice write up of a fishbowl discussion on creative labour, synthetic vision and AI featuring my @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk colleagues Burcu Sevde Selvi and @drbethkitson.bsky.social. 1/3 www.lcfi.ac.uk/news-events/...

‘Researchers and policymakers need to move beyond asking whether the evidence exists, to considering inductive risk and the consequences of us making the wrong decisions about evidence‘. @orbenamy.bsky.social on the social media ban www.bmj.com/content/394/...

Really good, especially on the ‘category error’ of AI and government policy.

The Norwegian crown prince is rowing in the sea of people in front of the royal palace.

‘Most of England and Wales experienced at least one tropical night in June… Historically, these have been very rare in the UK.‘ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

reminded how much I love the index of ‘The Glory of Giving Everything: the Taylor Swift Business Model’. glitter gel pens and Marx 😌

i hadn’t realised the more complex legacy of the Dunnes Stores strikes for the workers themselves www.rte.ie/culture/2026...

This is really good from @erinmaglaque.bsky.social on attitudes to abortion over time & the bodyness of it all. We can fit ourselves into a long history of people finding and creating the spaces to be able to help each other - 'shared work', 'ordinary', quiet & domestic.

Kane coded

Fair amount of empty seats in the stadium no?

'there are no straightforward understandings of remunicipalisation. The motivations and the outcomes of bringing services back in-house are as varied as the people, places and sectors involved... What remunicipalisation should look like versus what it actually looks like is critically important.'

I see Burnham mentioned the German Länder in his speech today. This came up in conversation at the @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk conference in March, where, amongst other things, he highlighted Britain's role in "creating the most regionally balanced country in the world." 1/2 youtu.be/f8pVBUAp89M?...

“Because if AI is an arms race, an existential one according to many, then what would be permitted in order to win?”

“The results show that, in just three days, the extreme heat could cause around 12,000 excess deaths... Our estimates are only a rough guide based on historical averages. Quantifying the true effect of this heatwave will take time. By then, Europe may have been hit by another.“

'About 150 academic roles are set to go at the south-west institution, which said it was targeting areas that are “no longer sustainable” or have seen changes in student demand.' History and English are name-checked. 1/3

‘it may be that continuity of vision and policy, sustained long enough for global capital to bet on the city’s trajectory, that has been the real secret sauce‘

When reality surpasses fiction! Top: fictional forecast for August 2050, broadcast by French TV in 2014 to warn about the consequences of global warming. Bottom: Real French forecast for yesterday, June 22, 2026.

'Talk of “leavers” and “remainers” is on the way to resembling that of Roundheads and Cavaliers in the English Civil War, or of supporters and opponents of the 19th-century Corn Laws; the relic of a long-past historical clash rather than a guide to future political behaviour.'

People from lower socio-economic backgrounds are under-represented in think tanks. This amazing opportunity (which am proud to say the @smfthinktank.bsky.social is one of the host orgs for this year) is looking to change that. A genuinely entry level role... www.smf.co.uk/new-opportun...

I’m pleased to say (as its President Elect) that @resmedia.bsky.social board of trustees agreed on Friday that the Society will stop using X (FYI @sundersays.bsky.social )

Civil servants have recently been digging around for more place based policy, for <reasons>. Here are a few things we’ve done which might be of interest. A programme on social and cultural infrastructure, including how you measure it locally www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/programmes/s...

“I have the feeling that we have somehow lost faith in ourselves” Finding @sarahoconnorft.ft.com's We Are Not Machines a really helpful read. www.newscientist.com/article/mg27...

do they ever get confused about whose feet are who

lovely bit of embroidery on Roy's shirt

‘In suicide prevention and men’s wellbeing, the aim is to prevent deaths and reduce serious harm. These outcomes, however, are often not immediate, attributable or easy to count since prevented crises are hard to record precisely because they did not happen.‘

SO preposterous and SO excellent!

You can also read my PhD research uncovering the Suffragettes and the bombing campaign in my book: Death in Ten Minutes. www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1473...

Unreasonably delighted about this www.theguardian.com/business/202...

I don’t have strong views on the u16 social media ban but if these platforms are so harmful, why does the govt still use them for comms? Likewise, while kids (and everyone else!) should be encouraged to socialise in-person, they now have far fewer options following brutal cuts to youth services

‘The government’s emphasis is more on removing young people from harmful environments and less on making these platforms safer to begin with.‘ www.adalovelaceinstitute.org/press-releas...

‘On Wednesday evening, masked men chased a nurse and intimidated her on her way to work in the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald to the east of Belfast, where she stayed on and finished her shift.‘ www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...

Bob Dylan to the NYT on Trump turning 80 (ignoring Trump altogether)...

the bit that really gets me is that the ‘actual person at its centre‘ can no longer speak for herself. although tbh that’s arguably why she’s a trend.

Watched the Gareth Southgate doc last night and found it deeply frustrating. A disservice to those involved, to be honest.

This is unbelievably at £132k. The difference this will make can not be overstated.

'Any remaining funds will be used to towards sustaining and developing the emergency response and solidarity groups that acted around the clock last night to ensure families were not alone.' chuffed.org/project/1854...

My colleague @hannahalothman.bsky.social is in Belfast tonight. This is what she’s seen. www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

after the (?) hail

"This may sound boring but getting this right will improve how our government functions so that it can deliver properly for everywhere and everyone... Boundary misalignment and consequent complexity is a hidden part of our state failure."

Every few months I remember Bello and just. Simpler times. www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-t...