I am very sad to announce I have lost my hat! Last seen on a train to Mumbai…

It’s 5th April and time for my excellent friend @dunsworth.bsky.social to rip up page 5 of the execrable Sapiens. And this page contains the most scientifically ignorant sentence I have ever read in a book written by someone who is meant to be a scholar. ecodevoevo.blogspot.com/2026/04/sapi...

Sometimes your working day gives you more joy than you could ever have hoped for.

Guess where I am.

I love this! The brilliant Holly Dunsworth is reviewing Sapiens, one page at a time, separating myth from fact… Let’s dive in! ecodevoevo.blogspot.com/2026/03/sapi...

I keep seeing "all authors use AI, the real issue is they're being forced to be sneaky about it" headlines. Full stop No. This is a lie peddled for normalization. It's schoolyard-level pressure tactics "C'mon, all the cool kids are already doing it. We won't tell. It's fine. We're on your side."

Just like during height of Covid crisis, there are things in this global energy shock we can do to help ourselves & UK as a nation Eg when possible :take public transport or walk rather than drive, organise w other parents a school walk rather than school lifts 👇 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

“I don’t believe in building libraries or museums.”

I’m just packing to go off on an exciting shoot. More on that soon. And funding has just come through for another exciting project. More soon. And I got a call from an old friend about another new exciting venture. More on that anon. But I’m also thinking: I really need a new ironing board cover.

People power works. Together, we can force Palantir out of the NHS. Message your local trust and tell them: Say no to Palantir https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=PalantirNHS&utm_medium=social_media

Well done Newsnight for enabling Jacob Rees-Mogg express his "feelings" – unmoderated by any attempt at journalistic scrutiny – that there are "hundreds and millions of people who are *technically* eligible to claim asylum here." #Newsnight

🚨 BREAKING: we crashed an NHS meeting to tell them to keep Palantir out of the NHS. Tell your local hospital to say no to Palantir in the NHS 👇 https://goodlaw.social/74abab

“50k patients have written formal complaints to their hospitals & the BMA is telling members to explore ways around using Palantir…the Home Office border control, police forces across the country & current or future UK governments could use NHS data for other purposes” www.bmj.com/content/392/...

The NYT has caught on to how much people want to see this and republished the videos. Their gift links don't have a view count limit. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/c...

Still wondering if inequality is out of control?

RELEASE THE KRAKEN!

The Optimates are scared!

Imagine how much money we’ve wasted. Imagine how much could have gone into the NHS, public services, tackling poverty… Will anyone be held responsible though? For the lies that were told, the false promises made? Perhaps a brexit tax on all the corporations that cashed in? I’M SO CROSS!

Make sure to stay hydrated this #ThirstyThursday! 🫗 The #Romans made sure their citizens had access to clean, fresh water with aqueducts. A new study shows how they were carefully planned to ensure an adequate supply. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

This is the Ludovisi sarcophagus (mid-3rd AD). It absolutely writhes, hums and bursts with energy and movement. It reminds me of Tacitus’ famous phrase about the Romans: “they create a wasteland & call it peace.” 🏛️National Museum, Rome 📷mine #ReliefWednesday

With ever more sophisticated algorithms feeding us divisive content, it’s easy to feel pulled further apart. Humanist values offer a different path – one grounded in reason, compassion, and our shared humanity. Division is not inevitable. Stand with us. Join Humanists UK. humanists.uk/join

‘Britain is not a Christian country. This is not a radical ideological statement; it is a basic demographic fact.’ Preach it. Wisdom from my spiritual guru.

Robert Jenrick calling Palm Sunday 'Psalm Sunday' reminds us once again that dim witted rage baiting populists never know the slightest thing about what they are purporting to defend.

It speaks so highly of you! 😉 Looks like it gets its "facts" from Reform voters 😋

And it’s a good one! Series 9 marked our return to BBC2 after the ‘wilderness years’ on a shoestring budget when we were relegated to bbc4 - wonderful discoveries, fascinating discoveries, time to really unpack the detail and the science - thanks to a brilliant series producer: Theo Williams.

I’ve just come across something called Grokipedia. How can it be called a “rival to Wikipedia” when it just lifts content from that platform, often dropping citations by the look of it? I know which I trust more… the one created and curated by humans. www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11...

Brilliant research, insightful discovery - and what a FABULOUS COVER PHOTO!

🆕 Latest on the meningitis outbreak in Kent: We’ve worked with academic experts to produce a new technical briefing. Early evidence and preliminary analyses provide strong reassurance that existing vaccinations and antibiotic treatments remain effective against this MenB strain.

I realise everyone else has probably already been there but I minimise my intake of Trump news so still have the capacity to be shocked. Who talks about killing people in this way? It's not even amoral, it's completely nihilistic.

Keir Starmer's 'Love Actually' moment after insults from Trump. “A lot of what is said or done is undoubtedly to put pressure on me. I understand what is going on. “But I am not going to waver on this. I am the British PM and my job is to be absolutely focused on the national interest."

This piece is ok but far too much space speaking to those pushing religious angle and not enough to those (i) researching the actual facts showing continued growth of non-religiosity in every way (belief, identity, practice, social values, life events) or (ii) pushing back on Christian nationalism.

NEW: This new report, from BBC, is the best takedown of the insanity of Trump you will see anywhere. Calm, coherent and repeating only Trump’s own words. Devastating. Brilliant work once again from Roz Atkins. (🎥 BBC News)

Monarchy and the Church have always been in it together, ever since Christianity was designated the state religion of the Roman Empire. Emperors knew how powerful the idea of “one god up there, one king down here” was.

In the world of the Sun on Sunday and the Mail on Sunday, there is no war. What a nice place to be.

13 mins to go before I set off on the last leg of my journey exploring the Roman Empire - join me on Channel 4 as we head into Hispania and a clash of superpowers that could have turned out very differently! Could the Empire have been ruled from Africa if the fates had spun a different thread?

Was Christianity the Muskism of the 4th century? In Domination, I explore how it became a multidivisional corporation - taking over state welfare, healthcare, legal services, agribusiness - and making itself indispensable to the Roman state. Fascinated by the resonance here - watch from 15.30 mins:

this was a good chat with @podsavetheuk.crooked.com in which we briefly discuss DOLGE (Farage's version of DOGE) www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XoG...

Interested in hearing more about dinosaur research at Birmingham, including the "Dinosaur Highway" and the "punk rock dinosaur"? Join @profaliceroberts.bsky.social me & @kirstymedgar.bsky.social online on Thursday 7 May, 6pm. www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/bring... www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K88...

Spain's renewables build-out has structurally decoupled its electricity prices from gas markets. Gas now sets the price in only 15% of hours, compared to 90% in Italy. Countries that invested early in clean power are far less exposed to fossil fuel price shocks. Those that didn't now pay the price.

I very much enjoyed this lecture on the stories of two missionaries - delving into the complexity of the relationships between evangelising missions and colonial power. Nuanced and thoughtful with a great Q&A. I can see why those who only want to celebrate empire hate this so much!

Blimey the Tory Peer Nigel Biggar is really out to get me at the moment. Would love to know what he identifies as “bad” history and why he describes teaching it as “force feeding”. There seems to be a mounting authoritarianism in his tone.

VICTORY! Government to open up the Land Registry - bringing to an end a thousand years of secrecy shrouding who owns England. I’ve been campaigning for this for ten years: the new Land Use Framework, published later today, makes it government policy. 1/ www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The Trundle Iron Age hillfort, above Chichester in West #Sussex Its ramparts sit atop an early #Neolithic causewayed enclosure, the remains of which can be seen at the centre of this gorgeous aerial photo © David R Abram For more of his work see www.davidabram.co.uk #HillfortsWednesday

Helpful explainer about the current meningitis B outbreak in Kent university, the need for public health investment & why students are more vulnerable - in addition to socialisation making them more likely to catch it are unlikely to have had access to the MenB vaccines as they were not available

Left: Suella Braverman criticising Hannah Spencer for wearing colourful clothing Right: Suella Braverman wearing colourful clothing

Secularism - a principle accepted by many religious and non-religious people - puts the human right to freedom of religion and belief front and central, together with separation of religion and state. This is a great new resource for schools from @humanists.uk

I hope you’re all watching Channel 5! This is a very special episode.

Brexiter Arlene Foster who now sits in the House of Lords wants to cut welfare support and spend the money on defence instead Brexit costs the UK £90 billion in lost tax income every year,if we didn't have Foster's Brexit we could keep supporting those in need while also ramping up defence spending

For over 130 years, women in the humanist movement have been a radical voice for progress. This #WomensHistoryMonth we celebrate all brave the women who risked everything speaking up for humanism or challenging the influence of religion in society. 🧵