Well, this is exciting. (Also, iPhone photography is really very good nowadays).

I tell you now, if things go on like this, you'll have to get a little book encoded with biometric data just to cross the UK border, and then where will we be? East Germany, that's where we will be.

The even more unbelievable crime fact (which I learned relatively recently) is that burglary has fallen by more than 90% since the 1990s. Did anyone notice? Nope. Does anyone believe it? Nope. But is is true? It is!

I use this graph a lot.

Well, in really exciting news, I learned today that there is a word “benignant” which is the opposite of malignant.

What I was doing yesterday: Launching a centre to bring spatial learning to all of the children in Scottish Schools. A cheap and highly effective way to close the attainment gap (especially for girls and those from deprived backgrounds). www.twinkl.co.uk/news/univers...

Material deep inside Earth, near the planet’s core, has undergone a mysterious shift The discovery, possible because the geological shift altered the planet’s gravitational field, is a testament to Earth-orbiting GRACE satellites. Planetary science rocks! 🧪 www.nature.com/articles/d41...

All I saw was cheesecake boat and ocean for at least 5 minutes

The Turner Kirk Trust ( @turner-kirk.com) recently awarded a grant to the One Zoom Tree of Life project. This is a little off piste for us but it's a fascinating way to explore and understand the complexity and depth of the tree of life. Highly recommended. www.onezoom.org/linnean/@_oz...

This from @kevverage.bsky.social in the context of Scottish fiscal sustainability is interesting for a much wider set of reasons. E.g I would not have expected the Netherlands to be where they are.

Weird timeline coincidences.

I see that we’ve now got someone who is really knowledgable about STEM as Science Secretary… Oh wait… <sigh>

Aestivating snails in Mallorca.

At last. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Nigel Farage and the Reform Party’s Taliban Tax means sending hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money to an oppressive regime that British soldiers fought and died to defeat.

As always, absolutely 🎯 from @katie0martin.ft.com This is not going to end well. Remember how a relatively small part of the financial world (securitised sub prime mortgages) created 5 years of mayhem? This is worse. on.ft.com/4mu2VyW Tech stocks are sending a warning

Ottie walking down the Cam.

Old MacDonald had a theramin, OOOOeeeeeeeOOOOOOOeeeeOOOOOOOOO

Today I learned (from Cost Centre #1) that if you wish not to have the Google AI overview in your search, swear words in the search string turn it off. “What the fuck is the American Constitution” for example or “what is the value of the shitting Hubble Constant”. Changed my life.

I have been reading Lost Boys and...it makes me eternally grateful I don't have sons that I have to guide away from the horrors of the manosphere.

Day 14: In which UK cycling infrastructure lets itself down, it's a long hot and hilly day, friends cycle into Cambridge with us and we end. Also a discussion of bikes, routes and soft tissues. We're done. Thank you all for reading. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 13: In which we reach the end of the Rhine, take a lighthoue selfie, I get obsessed with Vehicle Registration plates in the Netherlands and we get on a boat. Still got one day to go. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 12: in which we eat fabulous breakfast, ride through the Netherlands on their world-beating cycling infrastructure, see a Miffy traffic light and experience Fresher’s week in Utrecht. Two days to go. One to the end of the Rhine and then one day to Cambridge. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 11: We say a fond goodbye to Germany eventually. We unexpectedly cross the Rhine two more times. We eat our first food with spice in it for 12 days. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 10: In which we see tiny horses, a giant ford factory, eat pork knuckles and visit the coolest park in Europe. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 9: In which we cycle past a lot of industry, see the most amazing architecture in Europe, eat cheap food and muse on the economics of water borne transport in Europe. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 8: in which we cycle through the Rhine Gorge, eat cake, see a lot of castles and generally have a good day. I make a rookie mistake with the hotel booking but recover it masterfully. Very few gravel factories unfortunately. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 7: in which we take a ferry, eat (in) Worms, see the biggest chemical factory in the world and the sun shines all day. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 6: in which we have a good day. The weather is kind, we see a lot of gravel, eat the best sandwich in the world and go to a charmingly mad Technik Museum. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 5: In which we cycle a bit, take a train, discuss goitre and salt, deploy the Angry Eyes™ and measure our bellies. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 4: in which we see a lot of river, we cross borders multiple times and there is a slightly mutinous vibe from Dr T. I think we get the train tomorrow. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 3: in which we take a train for a bit but continue to get very damp in Central Europe. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

Day 2: Long, wet almost all of the way. Lake Constance is very pretty and Germany has some outstanding cycling infrastructure but there’s no denying, this was a tough old day. Not made better by unhelpful hoteliers. Tomorrow doesn’t look great either. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/08/day-...

The next time you’re tempted to ask AI, ask a magic eight ball because that has the potential to surprise you instead of giving you an answer averaged from all the worst Reddit posts in 2006

Day 1: Andermatt to Vaduz. Thrilling (and cold) descents. No drama but some astonishing scenery. Unfortunately both Andermatt and Vaduz are soulless concrete dumps. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/07/day-...

It’s all starting again. I am once again cycling down a major European river self-supported. But this time…it’s different. Not much happened today. More opportunity for mayhem and omnishambles tomorrow. blog.thekirks.co.uk/2025/07/camb...

A WWII movie about a group of soldiers parachuted behind enemy lines to make poorly executed DIY and ultimately unsuccessful renovations to Dutch houses. A Bodge Too Far.

More enshittification…

Exceptionally sick burn by @robinwigglesworth.ft.com on consultants.

Most of the internet used to be like this. This is actually the default, it took companies enclosing the internet and adding weird, soul-killing incentives to make people behave the way they do now. In a way, there is truly nothing special about Wikipedia except that it survived longer.

What athlete’s expression will stay with you for the rest of your life?

<sigh>

Excellent, informative and fun coffee with @kentindell.bsky.social this afternoon. Coffee with smart people: what is not to like?

This is totes amazeballs fam. www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/we-...

This 👇🏼

Who doesn't like hot fresh crumpets? (To be honest, the ones you buy from the shop are better).

My dog has been very ill and after operations and scans has to wear this rather fetching dog version of the Maglia Rosa for a few days. She is not chuffed. But doesn't hate it quite as much as the usual "cone of shame".

Heads of State is a truly terrible movie but massively enjoyable.

This via @garymarcus.bsky.social is *precisely* my experience using Cursor a couple of times Just write the damn code…

Breaking: most people support people other than them paying tax.