Today's learning from our heat pump engineer - how actuator valves work and why they fail so often.

A decade ago, solar power barely registered in Hungary’s electricity mix — just 0.2% of generation. Back then, nuclear, coal, and gas dominated the grid. Fast forward ten years and solar power now supplies around 1/4 of Hungary’s electricity — a remarkable transformation.

Christmas for care leavers - please support www.justgiving.com/campaign/oxf...

Day two and our boiler is gone. Heat pump not yet connected to electricity nor plumbing, so these little electric buddies will be warming the house for next week. Hot water though, via an immersion heater. #heatpump #netzero

Getting our heat pump installed as of today so expect a lot of content about that. Dog meets his heat pump for first time

What could net zero sceptics say to a future victim of climate change? #netzero www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp_X...

What I don't get about the 'economic growth is based solely on ideas' crowd is that they would MASSIVELY oppose any limitation on physical/material inputs. But if growth is based on ideas why would this even be a problem? 🤔

We are updating our Royal Institute of Philosophy University of Birmingham webpage, but in the meantime, there is a list of events here: sites.google.com/view/the-phi...

This looks like a really great, and free, public philosophy programme for those near Birmingham (UK). #philosophyforeveryone

What is an acceptable excuse for an individual, household, or country not to be at Net Zero? Check out my video where I review five possible excuses. Do you think they are valid? #NetZero @myzerocarbon.org www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp_X...

Bit of a different one from me: A video about the morality of net zero. Do share your thoughts in the comments! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp_X...

Well it's November 2nd and solar is providing 17% of our electricity! And coal is providing nada! Amazing how quickly British electricity is decarbonising. #NetZero #LoveNetZero

Obama: They never miss a chance to scapegoat minorities and D.E.I. For every problem under the sun. You got a flat tire? D.E.I.. Wife mad at you? D.E.I..

This song by Lisa O'Neill gives me goosebumps www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQGU...

Can't stop thinking about what the people of Jamaica will be going through this long night. Here's hoping the morning is bright. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cv...

A stat we don't talk about enough: Newspapers have lost 77% of their jobs over the last 20 year, more than any of the 532 other industries tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The free electricity timings over the weekend weren't enough to fill up our EV. So I topped up the final third of the battery last night. £1.61 for those ~65 miles so that is 2.5p per mile when it isn't free.

makes me weep to think of the gifts robbed from us because unaffordable housing has made it difficult for people to pursue their passions and hobbies

Super windy in the UK this weekend so @octopus.energy are giving four hours of free electricity (and hour last night, three today). We've got EV charging, home battery charging, laundry on, dehumidifier running.

Heartbreaking.

That’s more like it @politybooks.bsky.social @lsepoltheory.bsky.social @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social

Dan has got it.

1/ A longtime Wired editor just wrote a mush-brained essay about how he totally missed the political rot of Silicon Valley (& still doesn't get it). But in the late 1990s, a Wired journalist warned of a toxic ideology bubbling up from tech. Paulina Borsook has largely been erased. Let's change that

2026 THINK Essay Prize open to High School students internationally.https://royalinstitutephilosophy.org/news/think-essay-prize/

UK food inflation is being driven by climate change-induced extreme weather, driving up price of butter, milk, beef, chocolate & coffee The price rises in those staples is contributing 40% of overall food inflation Climate change is hitting peoples' pockets, right now www.ft.com/content/ced8...

Want something to help send you to sleep tonight? I've made a video about our energy bills! www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdEU...

Get the popcorn out everyone. I've made a video about our energy bills! www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdEU...

Time for 2025 updates to my annual “opinions about solar” thread. If you like these, you might like the second edition of my book, Solar Power Finance Without The Jargon. A 30% discount code WSQ0437 is valid on publisher website until end of November 2025. www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...

No Kings etc.

#NoKings Miami!

In our non-DEI meritocracy, Larry Ellison's son bought CBS so that Bari Weiss could then put her sister on air.

4Chanification continues apace www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Blessed are the frogs, for they keep making authoritarians look incredibly stupid

I teach a history of antifascism course @ruhistorydept.bsky.social and figured I'd start an ongoing thread this semester to share some insights from course readings and recommend some great works on antifascism. 🧵

Some sad news: Yesterday, @atmosmag.bsky.social notified me that they eliminated their climate editor position. After 2.5 years there, I’m out of a job. 🧪🌎 I’m surprised and saddened by the suddenness. But I’m proud of the work I produced there.

BBC4 is repeating Bryan Magee’s 1987 series, The Great Philosophers, and I introduce it next Monday 13th at 22.30. I remember being very impressed when it went out that my wonderful PhD supervisor, Myles Burnyeat, was in the very first episode!

The Bishop of Birmingham has written to the Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick about his comments about Handsworth

Greener Nights/Mornings Score by @Octopus.Energy Aimed to forecast how green the grid will over the coming nights Could you delay your overnight usage until a greener time? For more information about Greener Days visit: http://energy-stats.uk/octopus-greener-days/

Been to see these guys reunited. Reliving my teenage angst phase.

I think a lot of people don't know this Zoom feature exists: under "React" there's a "Be Right Back" button that mutes your audio, turns off your camera, and puts a label on your square. And then when you come back you just click the "Back" button. Repost to save us all from "BRB" chat messages!

Finally made some good writing progress this morning with a deadline looming. During lunch office decided to update itself and I lost all the work. 😡 How is your day going?

JOB: Associate Professor or Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy, in association with a Tutorial Fellowship at Merton College. AoS Ethics and/or Political Philosophy, with at least an AoC in Feminist Philosophy. #PhilJobs www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOW474/a...

Greener Nights/Mornings Score by @Octopus.Energy Aimed to forecast how green the grid will over the coming nights Could you delay your overnight usage until a greener time? For more information about Greener Days visit: http://energy-stats.uk/octopus-greener-days/

Some good news. London is meeting legal limits for toxic NO2 pollution for the first time – almost 200 years earlier than predicted – following the Mayor’s "world leading air pollution policies," City Hall announces. The Ultra Low Emissions Zone - and similar policies - really do work.

SURPRISE - we’ve got a 2 HOUR #FREEELECTRICITY SESSION TOMORROW! 📆12-2pm Sat 4th October ⚡Extra power is free ✅Octoplus members, emails are on the way Share your pics to show us what you get up to 🤳

Perfect - car is getting a bit low and could use a top-up. Have been waiting for the wind!

Excluding any kind of wealth from a wealth tax makes it much more administratively difficult & complex, plus it creates immense perverse incentives to direct all income into the tax-sheltered types

WTF dude.