We need infuriatingly slow, inclusive and deliberative decision-making, involving people taking their responsibilties more seriously than being a human-in-the-loop would ever allow. Our decision-making systems need more grit and less oil. AI is all oil weknow0.co.uk?p=2937

On Friday 13 March @birminghamsfgroup.bsky.social are delighted to welcome Alice Chao, No1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Shanghai Immortal. 7.45 for 8pm start at the FoE Warehouse, 54-57 Allison Street, Birmingham B5 5TH. This is our last meeting at 2019 prices so we hope to see you there!

This week's post starts with The Actuary on data versus stories, listens to the FT's latest push for economic growth as a universal panacea, this time for HE, before noting the market impact of a bit of SF on the Global Intelligence Crisis of June 2028 weknow0.co.uk?p=2925

My review of Bletchley Park Museum, or the Museum of Path Dependence as I am calling it weknow0.co.uk?p=2900

Elections should represent what people want and need, not those with the loudest voices or deepest pockets. A National Commission is how we'll get the change we need. Could you add your name? www.open-britain.co.uk/ncer

BREAKING NEWS: We have just had it confirmed that Alastair Reynolds will be in Birmingham tonight and has very kindly volunteered to give a short talk before the Book Auction. Entry is still free. Usual place at the FoE Warehouse on Allison St, 7.45 for 8pm. Hope to see you there!

Politics is a bit depressing this week, so I thought instead I would focus on the asymmetry of our attitudes towards different high octane liquids weknow0.co.uk?p=2879

First Past the Post can no longer deliver real mandates - only chaos. 60% of Brits want it scrapped. Yet the Representation of the People Bill won’t even touch our voting system, which leaves millions unrepresented. Tell Keir Starmer to change this. actionnetwork.org/petitions/th...

if our rulers' Mandates of Heaven are dependent on eternal economic growth and they, rightly, think it is not possible in our current non-AI-enhanced world but, wrongly, think it is possible in a future AI-enhanced world, then that is the way they are going to demand we go weknow0.co.uk?p=2866

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free

The Snow Globe may be shaken but it's still safe from the rest of us weknow0.co.uk?p=2858

Come and join us and Jaine Fenn on 13 February at @birminghamsfgroup.bsky.social ! Details below

FEBRUARY EVENT: We are very excited to welcome our first guest of 2026, award-winning SFF author @jainefenn.bsky.social on 13th Feb. Come and join us at The Warehouse, Birmingham Friends of the Earth, or online via Zoom. Tickets available on the door or via Eventbrite (link to be provided soon).

The world may be wrestling with the problem of a mad king, but it turns out we have lost something more important. My bit on the latest joint report from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and the University of Exeter about the fight to maintain planetary climate solvency weknow0.co.uk?p=2849

For those fans of Manchester United's way of running things who seem to be running things at the moment, there seems to be a hell of a lot of catharsis around at the moment. Evidence suggests that it is unlikely to achieve much weknow0.co.uk?p=2830

Happy new year! Let's start with something uncontroversial like, I don't know, getting rid of traditional exams? weknow0.co.uk?p=2785

A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026 🧵

I had a lovely time giving a talk and Q & A to several generations of devoted SFF fans in Birmingham @birminghamsfgroup.bsky.social, who turned out to be just as interested in Chinese #horror as they were in scifi. Thank you for having me there! 7/

Merry Christmas everyone! See you in 2026. Here's a bit of antiphrasis for you weknow0.co.uk?p=2595

General Ripper, The Doomsday Machine and our governance arrangements weknow0.co.uk?p=2796

A crypto investor just donated £9 million to the Reform Party. Right now, billionaires can pour unlimited money into our elections, effectively buying our democracy. Think that's wrong? Add your name to call for a cap on donations today: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ta...

@stereolabgroop.bsky.social great show in Wolverhampton tonight!

The world of education needs to ask itself some questions, because looking in the rear view mirror and trying to extrapolate what we see into the future is not going to work for us any more weknow0.co.uk?p=2780

As the year draws to a close, I thought I would thank @pluralistic.net.web.brid.gy for his impact on this blog this year by introducing Enshittification to a much smaller audience weknow0.co.uk?p=2765

Can change come from within Russia? Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina talks to Oliver Bullough at Hay Festival Winter Weekend.

About inquiries and yesterday's Budget pantomime. To be read to the accompaniment of Status Quo singing Again and Again weknow0.co.uk?p=2739

Professionals, who have for years given terse responses to their juniors' queries about the unintelligible instructions they have been given, will spend hours on prompt engineering so that Metal Mickey on their laptop can give them responses closer to what they were looking for weknow0.co.uk?p=2725

COVER REVEAL - Congratulations to #BSFG Committee member @theresaderwin.bsky.social on her forthcoming novel, GOD’S VENGEANCE

@stewarthotston.com braved Storm Claudia last night at @birminghamsfgroup.bsky.social to take us through the Arcology of Project Hanuman, different interpretations of quantum mechanics, Watchdogs and some amazing LARPs! Great night

We are going to do what we are going to do. The economics is just the fig leaf we use to rationalise what may otherwise appear unfair, cruel and hope-denying policies. The financial constraints are a convenient fiction for a government which lacks any guiding principles weknow0.co.uk?p=2707

NEW The letter the BBC could send back to Trump A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim By me. Enjoy. emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...

60% of the British public agree: our voting system is not fit for purpose. The upcoming Elections Bill is a chance to fix it. I just signed a @makevotesmatter.bsky.social petition to the Democracy Minister, calling for Proportional Representation. Add your name: actionnetwork.org/petitions/pe...

@novacon.bsky.social is finally here! Looking forward to meeting @emilytesh.net and everything else that's going on!

Come and join us at the @birminghamsfgroup.bsky.social on 14 November when @stewarthotston.com will be joining us to talk Project Hanuman, epic fantasy and much else! Details below

This old broom has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles weknow0.co.uk?p=2701

Overhype, precarious supply chains, potential energy needs, dehumanisation of the rest of us: take your pick as a reason to push back against the AI Rush. But my bet would be on the next 10 years not being dominated by breathless commentary on the exploits of Tech Bros weknow0.co.uk?p=2661

Perhaps the days of the box are numbered. The box constructed to contain the anger about grooming gangs also now appears to be on the edge of collapse. And the PM himself rejected a perfectly normal box suddenly not making the decision he was expecting weknow0.co.uk/?p=2301

Come and join us at the @birminghamsfgroup.bsky.social on 14 November when @stewarthotston.com will be joining us to talk Project Hanuman, epic fantasy and much else! Details below

NOVEMBER EVENT: We are very excited to welcome SFF author and @bsfa.bsky.social Chair @stewarthotston.com as our guest on 14th Nov. Come and join us @ The Warehouse, Birmingham Friends of the Earth, or online via Zoom. Tickets available on the door or via Eventbrite: eventbrite.co.uk/e/1860499797979

@divinecomedyhq.bsky.social Wonderful night in Wolverhampton. Think Mar-a-Lago by the Sea may become the permanent drinks break song! Beautiful a capella rendition of Other People in particular but I loved every minute. Great to see you back

To Gen Z: my feeling is that despite our increasingly strident efforts to do so, our generation is now deservedly losing power and is trying to hang on by making reverse centaurs of yours as a last ditch attempt to remain in control. Don't fall for it weknow0.co.uk/?p=2644

Great session at @birminghamsfgroup.bsky.social tonight, @zenaldehyde.bsky.social covered everything from how to get shortlisted for a Hugo, to the difference between western fantasy and k-drama to how her favourite of her books to date is probably Black Water Sister

Still time to come along to tonight meeting and meet award-winning author @zenaldehyde.bsky.social From 7:45 pm at Birmingham Friends of Earth Warehouse or join us via Zoom

As a human-in-the-loop responsible for AI system output where errors are hard to spot and stop, you are the human scapegoat, "accountability sink” and “moral crumple zone” rolled into one. This is not where you want to be as an early career professional weknow0.co.uk/?p=2630

OCTOBER EVENT: This Fri 10th Oct, we are very excited to welcome award-winning fantasy & romance author @zenaldehyde.bsky.social. Come and join us at The Warehouse, Birmingham Friends of the Earth, or join us on Zoom. Tickets available on the door or via Eventbrite: eventbrite.co.uk/e/1774794641549

This Friday 10 October the @birminghamsfgroup.bsky.social are delighted to welcome Hugo and Ray Bradbury prize winner @zenaldehyde.bsky.social! It all kicks off at 7.45pm at the FoE Warehouse on 54-57 Allison Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5TH

It may be that the important language of the next century is already developing out of sight. And people developing it will have just as hard a time holding a conversation with our current rulers as we would have with someone from the 18th century weknow0.co.uk/?p=2622

We have one gymnasts' beam, supported by language fashioned for this purpose in the 1800s, along which we have been dancing ever since. If we now have a new dimension on the block, will it be time to abandon Flatland? And will it solve any of our problems? weknow0.co.uk/?p=2611

A discussion of Henry Farrell's latest piece on understanding AI as a social technology and how it changes the questions some of us were asking 8 or 9 years ago about the future of the actuarial profession and professions more generally weknow0.co.uk/?p=2607