You don’t have to speak Italian to appreciate Claudia Cardinale’s entrance in Luchino Visconti’s Il Gattopardo (The Leopard), one of my favourite scenes of all time. It’s a wonder movie screens didn’t promptly catch fire when Cardinale and Alain Delon were introduced.

With apologies for the photo quality, I was excited to see this 👑 while hanging out the washing in my courtyard this afternoon.

Everyone calm down. I know it looks like the Trump admin are pushing out dangerous anti-science nonsense, but I know for a fact that HHS have engaged some very good philosophers of mind.

What philosophy needs right now is duelling metaphysics 101 amicus briefs. It's time for a brief arguing that the best views of personal identity mean that we are not biological organisms.

I can't stop thinking about how good being raptured would feel.

Setting aside the merits of what Streeting is proposing, I'd love to know if he's had legal advice or is just winging it here. What he's proposing would be unlawful based on the EHRC's interim update/Sex Matters position.

One thing I think explains more of philosophy's problems with sex/gender than it should is that until relatively recently Judith Butler was a punchline for most analytic philosophers and they are extremely reluctant to admit she might have had a point.

an uncomfortable, hurtful proposition, that weak-kneed debate "liberals" seem unwilling to entertain, is that reactionaries are forcibly imposing ideas that have been intellectually discredited, and that we are not going to be able to debate our way out of this predicament

When a plan comes together.

If we are insisting on a patterned distribution of intellectual positions in academia, it should exactly match the distribution of the general population. There should be at least academic on faculty who is into Hillary/pizzagate stuff, and someone else who thinks "both sides have good ideas".

time for me to man up and fill this out

I've just finished listening to Science in Transition by @spencer7-5.bsky.social and @livagar.bsky.social. I think it does a great job explaining the mess that has been made of trans healthcare in the UK and US. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...

The Edinburgh Legal Theory group is delighted to share with you the line-up for our Autumn semester. We have lots of exciting events coming up, so make sure to save the dates in your calendar and to come along for what we can guarantee will be lively and inspiring discussions. See you there! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I don’t know what Universities UK is, exactly, but I know anyone running anything in the sector who uses the phrase “hobbyist research” needs to resign immediately and never speak in public about Higher Ed ever again.

I realized only recently that you can watch Suppes, Luce and Tversky's lectures on measurement on YouTube youtu.be/BoiFo3MA0mc?...

The relative speed with which discourse has travelled from "genuine concerns about self-id and trans women in sport" to "permanent bans on trans people from facilities in their acquired sex" to "threats to photograph and/or assault trans people in toilets are OK actually" is making me rethink things

I have been trying to formulate my thoughts on this, and as always Liam has done a better job of formulating my concerns than I could have done. I'd only add that even many principled opponents of hate speech laws make an exception for incitement of violence.

I miss the days when rugby league was simpler. There was no bunker, no Sportsbet ads and apparently the Balmain Tigers were sponsored by the concept of “computers”

Feeling for students today who didn’t feel safe to venture out of their homes, to trek across the city to come onto campus. I’m not making this up, many of our international students are genuinely scared with Nazis on the loose. If I were VC I would put out a statement at the very least…

Hearing word that Trump has gone for a weekend picnic at Hanging Rock, escorted by Miss Greta McCraw and the beautiful Mlle de Poitiers

Toying with the theory that the current difference between Australian and UK political discourse is that Australians don't read and are therefore more immune from the deranged press environment.

There are a notable number of Gender Critical academics and barristers who have publicly nose-dived into fanaticism, who have an obsessive fixation with spewing hatred and abuse against trans people online. From the outside it looks totally bizarre.

"Tao is one of the most prominent mathematicians and academics to publicly oppose the administration’s actions, calling them an “existential threat” to his field, and academic science, more broadly. He said public advocacy is a priority over his research, for now." www.nbcnews.com/science/scie...

Remembering when a bunch of really smart people said it was OK for a philosopher to collaborate with the Trump regime (in an area outside of his expertise) because his args were just that good.

Another great post from Leah Trueblood (who has been on a roll this year): open.substack.com/pub/leahtrue...

Fellas, just so you know: Dancing 'like a girl' ✅ (as long as you were gay from a young age) Wearing women's clothes ❌ (because you will be unable to resist getting trans with it)

I have been thinking about John Gardner recently. I read one of his papers on discrimination law, and it made me miss him even more. johngardnerathome.info

Here is the draft of Part 2 of my discussion of sex and gender in the EA 2010, covering the error in the EHRC'S interpretation. As usual comments and corrections welcome. open.substack.com/pub/robmulli...

I don't want to comment on the prospects of Dr McCloud's case, but the comments from the usual types here and elsewhere are very telling. Prominent trans lawyers like her and Robin White are subjected to the most appalling abuse, and some of it is facilitated and even encouraged by other lawyers.

It is hard to explain to people who are not in academia just how openly management demonstrate their contempt for regular teaching and professional staff.

@ezemonti.bsky.social and I are delighted to announce the 2025-26 Legal Philosophy Trident Seminar Series Line-up & Schedule. Details below:

Short paper on one of my (many, probably demented) pet peeves. Thanks a lot for the shout-out, professor Solum!

If you are interested in why this guidance is wrong in law, part 1 of my attempted explainer is here: open.substack.com/pub/robmulli...

That's some roll-out by the mighty QTU!

I'm still mad about Terry Tao. Australia should pour a reasonable amount (maybe 5%?) of its GDP into Terry Tao's research activities.

FWS might end up being remembered among the most technically wanting decisions of the Reed court

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne... Some really brilliant work here … strong recommend

Attacks on the humanities at Australian universities are not new – but they are now more lethal | Julianne Schultz

if australia wasnt so stupid we'd offer terry 400 million dollars to come home but we are stupid so we won't

Terry Tao is without a doubt the greatest living Australian intellectual. Probably the greatest intellectual we have ever had. This should (but won't) be a diplomatic incident.

This is sadly, what we have all expected. But, from a technical perspective I think the judge has made a mistake in their discussion of the comparator selection in these paragraphs. I'll try to explain. 🧵

I remember the genius of the Ahlbergs from my childhood, but parenthood has given me a chance to rediscover them. Vale. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

There is also the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change - only days ago - where the complete loss of territory would no longer mean the end of statehood. 2/3 Disputed borders is far less than this. www.icj-cij.org/sites/defaul...

If you can continue to have a career after the episode "bankrupted myself by bringing a libel case after it was successfully proved that I support the Nazis because I believe in fairies", then there surely there be no such thing as cancellation for right wing public intellectuals

The former Attorney General of Israel, Michael Benyair is now calling Israel's actions in Gaza genocide. "To eternal shame. Jews, who suffered a genocide 80 years ago, are committing genocide in Gaza. Shame, rage, and sorrow"

95% of Australian conservatives are permanently trying and failing to get a Monday morning filler slot at CPAC

The decision introduced a trans-exclusionary legal definition of lesbian. Lesbians are pretty much the most trans-inclusive demographic there is. Are most lesbians now legally wrong about what it is to be a lesbian?

This is a good point, and generally (although I'm not British and not a practicing employment lawyer and would love to hear from them) it seems like employers will have to be very very careful. The risk of harassment or discrimination against trans employees is quite high.

I have seen lots of people replying to Ian to say that the law is clear post FWS so the code shouldn't be revised. I have read into this more than most, so I'm going to list all the important issues unresolved by FWS. (Note I'm not saying that I will like how they are resolved.) 🧵