Sorbonne University decides to withdraw from THE World University Ranking: www.sorbonne-universite.fr/en/news/sorb... Why would universities do this? I wrote a blog about it recently on social science space, available here: www.socialsciencespace.com/2025/08/stop...

“Our desire not to be inferior to others in terms of performance, combined with the idea that we can freely choose to go the extra mile, can lead to self-exploitation. We force ourselves to go beyond what is good for us — until we burn out.” - Berend van der Kolk (www.goodreads.com/quotes/12497...)

The existence of university rankings is entirely a solution to the problem noted here, in Yes Minister - which remains the greatest political education it is possible to receive.

Indeed. Measuring intellectual life with league tables is like judging poetry with a stopwatch 🤷🏽‍♂️🎓⏱️

University rankings have little meaning, are highly subjective, promote a competition frame, and thwart our academic freedom, as commercial ranking organizations dictate what constitutes “a good university.” - www.socialsciencespace.com/2025/08/stop...

"The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil." - Hannah Arendt

University rankings have little meaning, are highly subjective, promote a competition frame, and thwart our academic freedom, as commercial ranking organizations dictate what constitutes “a good university.” - www.socialsciencespace.com/2025/08/stop...

"Imagine a machine that could give us any desirable or pleasurable experience we want, by stimulating your brain to induce pleasurable experiences that you could not distinguish from the real world. Would you prefer the machine to real life?" - Robert Nozick

I am very excited and thrilled to announce here on LinkedIn that I successfully, proudly and humbly returned from the toilet.

20 things that women should stop wearing after the age of 30. 1-20: The weight of other people's expectations and judgments.

If you have more than you need, build a longer table - not a higher fence.

"Our desire not to be inferior to others in terms of performance, combined with the idea that we can freely choose to go the extra mile, can lead to self-exploitation. We force ourselves to go beyond what is good for us — until we burn out." - Berend van der Kolk

"Our desire not to be inferior to others in terms of performance, combined with the idea that we can freely choose to go the extra mile, can lead to self-exploitation. We force ourselves to go beyond what is good for us — until we burn out." - Berend van der Kolk

"To generalize is to be an idiot. To particularize is the lone distinction of merit. General knowledge are those that idiots possess." - William Blake

"No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks." - Mary Wollstonecraft

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

Hannah Arendt: “The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction [.] and the distinction between true and false [.] no longer exists.”

Findings from publicly funded research should be publicly available.

Roses are red, violets are blue. Your paper's rejected. - Reviewer two. #academictwitter #whatsthehashtaghereforacademictwitter?

Humans: Yes! We can generate energy from sustainable sources like wind and energy. Also humans: Let's use ridiculous amounts of energy to let AI generate shitty images and texts nobody asked for.

Three universal psychological needs motivate the self to act: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. - Self-determination theory Learn more: - Video: www.ted.com/talks/dan_pi... - Website: selfdeterminationtheory.org - Article: doi.org/10.1080/0963...

Academia: reading an article, only to realise you need to read 10 more articles.

"A strong motivation to engage in extra work and a fear of being overlooked [while remote working] has the potential to turn into over-commitment and self-exploitation, which could subsequently lead to higher levels of stress or even burnouts." - doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ...

The harm principle: Your freedom ends where it harms others.

399 BC: The unexamined life is not worth living. 2025: The unselfied life is not worth living.

This

"When environmental performance is reduced to an indicator like 'kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions', other crucial environmental qualities like biodiversity are rendered virtually invisible." - doi.org/10.1177/0007...

What happens when organizations measure and reward performance of professionals? Employees change their behavior "by avoiding tasks that do not yield quantifiable results." Link: doi.org/10.1007/s001...

This offers endless opportunities... Misery While Playing with LEGO All That Is Solid Melts into Air While Playing with LEGO Waiting for the Barbarians While Playing with LEGO On the Road While Playing with LEGO For They Know Not What They Do While Playing with LEGO And so on, and so on...

How to be an antiracist while playing with Lego.

One Hundred Years of Solitude While Playing With Lego

How to Win Friends and Influence People while playing with LEGO.

Poirot Investigates While Playing With Lego is actually improved, I think

Today's tip: Ruin a book title by adding "while playing with LEGO". #booksky

Ha! I knew it! 🥳

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Reading good books is like having conversations with the finest minds of the past.” - René Descartes #booksky

*Official Announcement* It's OK to buy a book, even if you didn't read all books on your shelf yet. Have a nice day! #booksky

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Universities: obtaining your PhD means you are a scholar for the rest of your life. Also universities: three days after your PhD defense, access to the library will be cut off.

Confronted with a brakeless, self-driving car with 4 passengers in it, Bentham regretted his work on utilitarianism.

"The more we view ourselves as self-made and self-sufficient, the less likely we are to care for the fate of those less fortunate than ourselves." - Michael Sandel

"Our desire not to be inferior to others in terms of performance, combined with the idea that we can freely choose to go the extra mile, can lead to self-exploitation. We force ourselves to go beyond what is good for us, until we burn out." - goodreads.com/quotes/12497...

"A record-breaking 10,000 scientific papers were retracted in 2023 because of scientific misconduct, and academic journals are overwhelmed by AI-generated images, data, and texts." Read more: www.socialsciencespace.com/2025/01/how-...