www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025... Another day, another stupidity.

My latest publication - in the new issue of Sarum Chronicle - is something of a departure!

Here's the talk I gave in Vienna last month as part of the Wittgenstein Week, held in the very splendid Palais Schönborn. youtu.be/Cgl5cgoInNs?...

On Sunday, at the invitation of my publishers at Zhejiang University Press, I will go to China, where I will give talks on Wittgenstein at Fudan University, Zhejiang University and Beijing Normal University. I will also be give a lecture on biography in this amazing building: Shanghai Library East.

Good news for polluters, bad news for the planet. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

"We are the hottest country in the world." Trump really doesn't understand the dangers of climate change, does he?

The cover of the latest Private Eye. Painfully on target.

“The causal chain from fossil fuel burning to rising heat and increased mortality is undeniable.”  www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Kemi Badenoch lays out a compelling case for not voting Tory. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

"They call me the president of Europe." They don't, Donald, they really don't.

RIP Tom Lehrer, mathematician, satirist and writer of every geek's favorite song. youtu.be/U2cfju6GTNs?...

For over 20 years, Louise Sime has worked at the British Antarctic Survey, specialising in polar climate dynamics. She tells @jonathan-watts.bsky.social nothing should distract us from the primary goal of stopping the burning of any fossil fuel as quickly as possible.

This is important and very worrying.

Oh dear. Back in the day, I really liked Rod Stewart: his solo albums, his work with The Faces, and, above all, his singing with the Jeff Beck Group, but tonight he sounds like a bloke down the pub on karaoke night who thinks he can sing like Rod Stewart, but, sadly, gets nowhere near.

Sea level rise of at least 1-2 metres is now inevitable. 250 million people live at or below 1 metre above sea level. Meanwhile, our governments are delaying or reversing measures to deal with climate change and creating an atmosphere intolerant to migrants. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Just got an email about my Ocado order due today. It started: "Hello Mrs Monk". Does Ocado just assume that all its customers are married women?

This arrived yesterday, bringing memories of a wonderful conference in Swansea a few years ago. Congratulations to Alan for a great conference and for seeing through the publication of this very handsome and interesting book.

Happy Wittgenstein's birthday to those who celebrate!

Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions - rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking steps to make sure students can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope others follow suit.

"[At 3C of global heating] capitalism as we know it ceases to be viable... This is about saving the conditions under which markets, finance, and civilisation itself can continue to operate.” Doesn't this seem like a story that merits wider coverage? www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Just catching up with Newsnight. Victoria Derbyshire deserves a medal for her forbearance while interviewing the extraordinarily irritating Sebastian Gorka. #Newsnight

For a moment, I forgot what day it is and was all set to welcome our new neighbour with placards reading, "Oi Musk, get off our Plain!" www.wiltshire999s.co.uk/elon-musks-s...

💥💥 #ICYMI @channel4news.bsky.social @lindseyhilsum.bsky.social @u24.gov.ua @tomshakespeare.bsky.social @paulbernal.bsky.social @raymodraco.bsky.social

“The latest planetary health check tells us that earth is profoundly ill," says the Met Office chief scientist. www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/new...

This is really chilling. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

With regard to tariffs, do you get the feeling that Trump doesn't know what he is doing?

What's the opposite of The Midas Touch? Whatever it is, Trump has it. christinapagel.substack.com/p/state-of-p...

This is what has become of the "special relationship". www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/vic...

When Trump talks of "peace" what he means is Russian victory. Now, European countries have to massively increase their armed forces and World War 3 is a bit closer. "You are gambling with World War 3," Trump told Zelensky. What he meant was: "I am threatening you with World War 3." Terrifying.

For the first time in my life, we in the UK - indeed, we in Western Europe generally - can no longer assume that the USA is our ally. That feels like a pretty major change!

"An assault on science anywhere is an assault on science everywhere." Good to see Nature being so unequivocal about Trump. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Private Eye hitting the nail on the head.

Had a nice little walk around Salisbury today with my friends Gary and Tim, but the footpaths round here are a bit wet at the moment!

In this cry of anguish, Monbiot speaks for many of us who are in despair over the views expressed and the action taken by the present government. We thought that at the very least they would be better than the Tories. They're not. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

This handsome volume of the works of John Jewel was for 100s of years chained to a church lectern. It is now in @heritagewshc.bsky.social, where I spent the day reading it. It is good to know that we still have wonderful public archives, staffed by such erudite people as @ruthdotbutler.bsky.social

Looks like my days of visiting the USA are over.

RIP Paul Benacerraf. I met him a few times at Princeton and he was unfailingly interesting, charming and kind.

While LA burns, there are people whose purpose is to persuade us that climate change is not real. They are by no means harmless. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Trump wants Greenland because of the minerals that are being uncovered by the climate change that he denies is happening. The greed, cynicism and dishonesty are breathtaking. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

St Peter's, Fugglestone, on the edge of Wilton, just outside Salisbury. It's a lovely, tiny church, largely built in the thirteenth century, around the same time as Salisbury Cathedral. (The bellecote and spirelet were added in the 15th century.) It's in disuse at the moment, awaiting restoration.

Listening to Elon Musk's interventions in European politics, I'm warming to the idea of him moving to Mars.

Just bought some bathroom scales. The Quick Start guide tells me that the first thing I need to do to start using them is "Download the app". This is getting ridiculous.

Solidarity, Becks, I missed out on a knighthood yet again this year too. What the hell is going on? www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/da...

The wonderful Norman church of St Andrew's, Great Durnford, Wiltshire. For over 400 years the lectern had chained to it ("by order of Queen Elizabeth I") a book by John Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury, which was stolen in 1970. Jewel is the subject of an article that I am working on. Watch this space...

The High Altar, Salisbury Cathedral. I go to the cathedral at least once a week, but even now there are times, like yesterday (when I took this picture), when its beauty still leaves me open-mouthed. It has a perfection, I think, that is unmatched.

No, Autocorrect, I did not mean to wish my brother a greasy Christmas!

I'm looking forward to reading this. I haven't read any of it yet and don't know whether it's any good or not but it's high time that someone wrote a detailed, critical study of this subject. www.routledge.com/Frege-and-Fa...

"Efficiency savings". As if the problems with our public services were caused by inefficiency!

Pls SHARE Calling all philosophers with lived experience of mental anything and working on related topics! 2 months left for abstracts for the Philosophy of Psychiatry and Lived Experience conference at King's College London (27-28. 03. 25) #philsky tinyurl.com/karyy3k7

Salisbury Cathedral, now festive inside and out.