I've just written a book chapter about things that have gone wrong in a very successful project that I run. It's a case study in a book I'm co-authoring & there are already plenty of 'all the things that went right' chapters about the project elsewhere. Time for the shit show of all the disasters 😂

‘96% of healthcare professionals said the model helps to reduce children’s anxiety, and 46% reported a lesser need to use sedation after the children played with the set.‘ ‘Lego doesn’t sell the sets and instead has donated more than 10,000 of the kits to hospitals around the world.’

People often give very little consideration to their children's privacy when they post about them online. An acquaintance once shared a photo on Facebook of her taking a selfie in the bathroom with her daughter on a potty in the background saying 'no such thing as privacy anymore!' Erm...

If I had to select a specialist subject for Mastermind, I reckon the geographic spread of these guys across the UK would now see me to victory. A productive afternoon with littlest family member ahead of her party tomorrow 🎩

There are definitely worse ways to spend a Saturday than puppy sitting.

The Nobel Peace Prize 2025 has been awarded to Venezuelan democracy activist María Corina Machado. The Nobel Committee recognised her “struggle to achieve a just & peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” In other words, exactly the opposite of what Trump is doing to the United States.

UK Universities cut 12,000 jobs, more on the way. 40% of Unis in financial crisis. Major exporter destroyed by successive govts Obstacles for foreign students. Low fees in England, lack of govt funding. £267bn student debt. Home student numbers down. How will the UK compete with other nations?

"Pro Life"

Checklist for meetings with 1st year personal tutees: - Academic issues; - Pastoral issues; - Signposting relevant university services; - Explaining why it says 'Little Dr Ali Struthers' on my office door.

@watsoncomedian.bsky.social What was that you were saying about needy companies sending you emails...?

A Labour Prime Minister being quoted in the news bulletin of the most listened to radio station in the UK telling university students that they absolutely should not get involved in peacefully protesting an ongoing genocide is really quite something.

Mourning those murdered by Hamas isn't incompatible with mourning those murdered by the Israeli state. Demanding that the hostages return isn't incompatible with naming & demanding an end to genocide. Naming the power imbalance & impact thereof doesn't desecrate those murdered two years ago today.

It is my momento mori style obligation to remind you that this is not just coming to the uk but is it is already here.

Henceforth the red robes will only be worn as an away kit when the Canadian Supreme Court is playing the US one.

Here is a perfect example of what is wrong with the world. Me: bought books from a gorgeous, independent bookshop for a university project. Generous discount was applied for quantity bought; books were signed. Finance at the university: "Are these books not available from Amazon?"

Careers really are much better when you work with the very best people. Completely lovely gift today from equally lovely humans.

Took littlest to the gorgeous children’s bookshop, How Brave is The Wren, in King’s Heath this afternoon to see one of her favourite people, @alexhorne.bsky.social, & collect 50 copies of the @thehornesection.bsky.social’s super Make Some Noise 🎼🎶 #SchoolTasking prizes for 25-26 sorted!

Sigur Ros in the Royal Albert Hall with a full orchestra, organist & choir is quite simply one of the most spectacular & moving things I have seen (well, heard really) in my life.

If you don’t like being called a racist, maybe don’t make a career of saying things that appeal to racists, don’t create a political party that keeps attracting racist candidates, don’t fawn over racist world leaders, and don’t make a convicted racist the guest of honour at your party conference.

Popped along to see @watsoncomedian.bsky.social's show tonight & it's very funny, so if you happen to enjoy things that are very funny & also happen to be in a location where he'll be saying funny things, then do get tickets & pop along also.

Skye light

I hope people spend days and days talking about her (she is 10,000,000 times more important than Charlie Kirk) and the amazing work she did. This photo will always be so powerful and as defining of who we all can be. Be like Jane Goodall. Photographer: Hugo van Lawick

Some things are exciting even when you work for #Taskmaster 🏆

A mass walkout of the UN General Assembly as Netanyahu prepares to speak.

Booking some tickets for a colleague from Leicester to Edinburgh & he needs to be nearer Haymarket so thought I would book a train to and from there. Turns out, despite it being the same train, it's more than double the price to disembark the train 6 minutes EARLIER. Our railways are fucked.

I would love to see change to address climate disaster, whether that's with making a wish at a carnival's Zoltar machine or decarbonization policies.

Norovirus is ripping through my children's school at a quite frankly alarming rate. Actual footage of me every time my phone rings:

There is simply nothing more disingenuous in the press than the sensationalised '[prominent person who is also a lawyer] used to do [thing that riles up right-wingers but is actually just part of the day-to-day job of a lawyer]' being used as clickbait. Please, get a life & some common sense.

Real "I saw Lord Hermes dancing with the devil at the crossroads" energy. The whole report is that a lawyer, then in private practice, gave free advice to a charity regarding the law. And if anyone avoided deportation as a result? That would be because they were legally entitled not to be deported.

this exists it is called thinking

Initiated my friend & colleague, @josintonhewitt.bsky.social into the (exceptionally cool?) world of magic fandom at Penn & Teller’s 50th anniversary show at the London Palladium last night. I highly recommend fully embracing the geekiest aspects of oneself. They were, as ever, utterly brilliant.

One day I hope to be ubiquitous. That's me all over.

What an icon.

I'm sorry, worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable permission to my voice and likeness? For what now? In any manner for any purpose??? This is in academia/.edu's new ToS, which you're prompted to agree to on login. Anyway I'll be jumping ship. You can find my stuff at hcommons.org.

I've also deleted my account. If you have an account on there, or historically have had, it's probably a good idea to try and get in and delete it.

Right. My students working two part time jobs and/or having an hour and a half commute to uni because they have to live at home due to the cost of student accommodation lack drive and vigour. Sure thing, Peter. The UK Govt still haven't a clue about the realities of universities today.

You can make your own Little Little Alex (or Greg) using the patterns available in Triin's online shop at below link 🧶 Tiny versions of yourself are also available (though @dralistruthers.bsky.social would like it to be noted that the Tiny Ali was a gift & she's not, in fact, an egomaniac)

This is great news and props to my brilliant colleague at Warwick Law School, Vanessa Munro, for playing such a huge part in this.

Attacks on the judiciary by opposition politicians and others are as misplaced as they are dangerous, the attorney general said last night. Lord Hermer KC made his remarks during a speech on the rule of law delivered in the hall of the Old Bailey. rozenberg.substack.com/p/attacks-on...

When journalism was cool. And risked everything to challenge power.

Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN inquiry

Yes, yes you are. Stop cosplaying "legitimate concerns". When you join a far right rally, organised by well known far right leader Tommy Robinson, with a host of speakers who outright say they are far right, you are a racist. No ifs, buts or maybes. There are no excuses for being there.

This is moving in exactly the wrong direction! Education & meaningful activity in prison is crucial to reducing violence and improving outcomes

I think in this video Ewan McGregor beautifully encapsulates every expat Scot. #HomesickScotsClub

Again, this is really hitting the nail on the head with the content that I want and need in my life right now. Thank you for your service.

On a more serious note, research that goes alongside School Tasking simply wouldn't exist in the environment proposed here. I highly doubt that UKRI would fund research into children making PlayDoh sculptures of UNCRC rights or throwing beanbags at Alex Horne's head, but our impact report is clear.

We want robust, enormous research that is SUCH good research, you already know how important and right and insightful it is before you even start it. We want research so predeterminedly world-changing that there is hardly any point actually doing the research at all.

Okay gang, sorry, I think I'm to blame for this. I once wrote an article about law and magic and, despite it actually being published in a very good journal, it was most definitely 'hobbyist research'.

"Hobbyist" is a truly breathtaking choice of phrase. It encapsulates a profound sense of contempt for the labour of academics in the UK, who already have to navigate an underfunded system dominated by precarity and overwork. "Knows the price of everything but the value of nothing" springs to mind

The fuck is unfunded hobbyist research? My hobbies are millions of miles removed from the academy and if my research was of no interest to others, this would show in every aspect of my career. We have the REF for this, no? So what other than right wing talking points being echoed is this adding?