Alex Selby-Boothroyd
@alexselbyb.bsky.social
Head of data journalism at The Economist
Pinned
Day 18 #30DayMapChallenge
I 3D-printed John Snow's 1854 cholera map of Soho. It took ages.
I 3D-printed John Snow's 1854 cholera map of Soho. It took ages.
This is cool. Cloudflare generates random numbers for encryption by taking a photo of a wall of lava lamps and converting the image to a number
www.reddit.com/r/interestin...
www.reddit.com/r/interestin...
From the interestingasfuck community on Reddit: Cloudflare uses lava lamps to achieve randomness for data encryption.
Explore this post and more from the interestingasfuck community
www.reddit.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:09 AM
This is cool. Cloudflare generates random numbers for encryption by taking a photo of a wall of lava lamps and converting the image to a number
www.reddit.com/r/interestin...
www.reddit.com/r/interestin...
Reposted by Alex Selby-Boothroyd
Almost anything can be treated as a map. Projections, charts, and diagrams are all ways of flattening the world so we can understand.
But the real magic happens when we enjoy those maps together. MAPS FOR KIDS is here! Let's meet our three maps: visionarypress.com/pages/maps-f...
But the real magic happens when we enjoy those maps together. MAPS FOR KIDS is here! Let's meet our three maps: visionarypress.com/pages/maps-f...
Maps for Kids
Celebrate information graphics!
visionarypress.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Almost anything can be treated as a map. Projections, charts, and diagrams are all ways of flattening the world so we can understand.
But the real magic happens when we enjoy those maps together. MAPS FOR KIDS is here! Let's meet our three maps: visionarypress.com/pages/maps-f...
But the real magic happens when we enjoy those maps together. MAPS FOR KIDS is here! Let's meet our three maps: visionarypress.com/pages/maps-f...
This is unbelievably wrong:
"Someone who has invested £1,000 a year in an average stocks and shares ISA every year since 1999 would be £50,000 better off today if they'd put that same money [realises mistake but doesn't correct it] into a cash ISA".
"Someone who has invested £1,000 a year in an average stocks and shares ISA every year since 1999 would be £50,000 better off today if they'd put that same money [realises mistake but doesn't correct it] into a cash ISA".
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
This is unbelievably wrong:
"Someone who has invested £1,000 a year in an average stocks and shares ISA every year since 1999 would be £50,000 better off today if they'd put that same money [realises mistake but doesn't correct it] into a cash ISA".
"Someone who has invested £1,000 a year in an average stocks and shares ISA every year since 1999 would be £50,000 better off today if they'd put that same money [realises mistake but doesn't correct it] into a cash ISA".
Someone archived the mistakenly-uploaded-then-deleted budget in case you can't wait another 90 seconds
web.archive.org/web/20251126...
web.archive.org/web/20251126...
web.archive.org
November 26, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Someone archived the mistakenly-uploaded-then-deleted budget in case you can't wait another 90 seconds
web.archive.org/web/20251126...
web.archive.org/web/20251126...
The budget's not working for me, is anyone getting anything from the budget?
November 26, 2025 at 12:26 PM
The budget's not working for me, is anyone getting anything from the budget?
Did they forget the second part of "pump and dump"?
finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-f...
finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-f...
Trump Family Fortune Plummets in Stinging Crypto Crash
The Trump family fortune has plummeted by a billion dollars in just a few months due to losses in the volatile cryptocurrency market. Analysis by Bloomberg News found that President Donald Trump and h...
finance.yahoo.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Did they forget the second part of "pump and dump"?
finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-f...
finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-f...
Phrases like "weighing the ouster of" is what George Bernard Shaw was talking about
BREAKING NEWS: MS NOW EXCLUSIVE | Trump is weighing the ouster of Kash Patel, according to sources.
READ MORE HERE: www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
READ MORE HERE: www.ms.now/news/trump-k...
November 25, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Phrases like "weighing the ouster of" is what George Bernard Shaw was talking about
Donald Trump's approval rating is -19%. It has never been lower
www.economist.com/interactive/...
www.economist.com/interactive/...
November 25, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Donald Trump's approval rating is -19%. It has never been lower
www.economist.com/interactive/...
www.economist.com/interactive/...
Did someone ask what his unfavourability rating was?
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘I didn’t start it’: Starmer apologises for ‘six seven’ uproar during school visit
Prime minister jokes that he may be ‘put in detention’ after appearing to encourage classroom hysterics
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Did someone ask what his unfavourability rating was?
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Alex Selby-Boothroyd
It’s especially ironic because the lecture is exactly about the ‘paralyzing cowardice’ of today’s elites.
About universities, corporations and media networks bending the knee to authoritarianism. /4
About universities, corporations and media networks bending the knee to authoritarianism. /4
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
It’s especially ironic because the lecture is exactly about the ‘paralyzing cowardice’ of today’s elites.
About universities, corporations and media networks bending the knee to authoritarianism. /4
About universities, corporations and media networks bending the knee to authoritarianism. /4
My hot take is that IHT makes absolutely no sense. "Inheritance" is one word.
November 24, 2025 at 11:30 AM
My hot take is that IHT makes absolutely no sense. "Inheritance" is one word.
Reposted by Alex Selby-Boothroyd
These of course are the sorts of account that get boosted under Musk’s X. If you’re still on the platform for engagement, you are a mug.
X rolled out a new feature overnight showing where accounts are based. This network of “Trump-supporting independent women” that claimed to be “real Americans” are based in Thailand.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
November 23, 2025 at 6:47 PM
These of course are the sorts of account that get boosted under Musk’s X. If you’re still on the platform for engagement, you are a mug.
Red and green Christmas movie season is upon us
November 23, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Red and green Christmas movie season is upon us
Going to assume this is a seven-minute clip rather than a loop
November 22, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Going to assume this is a seven-minute clip rather than a loop
Had a lovely time in Liverpool (don't check the score) with the kid (don't check the score)
November 22, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Had a lovely time in Liverpool (don't check the score) with the kid (don't check the score)
Weekend crossword for Nov 22nd 2025
A weekend crossword based on the week’s news
www.economist.com
November 22, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Prepping for a chilly trip up north tomorrow (might wear a coat as well)
November 21, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Prepping for a chilly trip up north tomorrow (might wear a coat as well)
This Scotland game is amaaazing!!
November 18, 2025 at 9:42 PM
This Scotland game is amaaazing!!
"things happen"
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 6:54 PM
"things happen"
Some eye-opening new data: China's loans and grants to countries around the world since 2000 add up to $2.17trn. The biggest recipient? America ($202bn)
www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
November 18, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Some eye-opening new data: China's loans and grants to countries around the world since 2000 add up to $2.17trn. The biggest recipient? America ($202bn)
www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
www.economist.com/graphic-deta...
Reposted by Alex Selby-Boothroyd
Listen I’m not saying that buying bird-themed data art will make you cooler but…
Yeah, ok, I’m saying that.
www.jerthorp.me/category/of-...
🪶
Yeah, ok, I’m saying that.
www.jerthorp.me/category/of-...
🪶
November 18, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Listen I’m not saying that buying bird-themed data art will make you cooler but…
Yeah, ok, I’m saying that.
www.jerthorp.me/category/of-...
🪶
Yeah, ok, I’m saying that.
www.jerthorp.me/category/of-...
🪶
Reposted by Alex Selby-Boothroyd
We lived in a pub when I was growing up and when I was 3 (50 years ago!) we had someone in to draw the pub for a business card. I sat next to him and watched him draw every line. I was transfixed and it was a huge inspiration for me. I’ve dreamt about owning that drawing for years…
November 17, 2025 at 3:21 PM
We lived in a pub when I was growing up and when I was 3 (50 years ago!) we had someone in to draw the pub for a business card. I sat next to him and watched him draw every line. I was transfixed and it was a huge inspiration for me. I’ve dreamt about owning that drawing for years…