Alix Mortimer
@alixmortimer.bsky.social
I(i)mpact and engagement for my brilliant colleagues in politics, economics, social sciences @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social. Often I dream of islands.
🚢 ships
🏺archaeology
🏰 medieval history
🇭🇷 učim Hrvatski
🚢 ships
🏺archaeology
🏰 medieval history
🇭🇷 učim Hrvatski
Day 14 of The Cold starts with a sore throat so sore it woke me up, is the never-ending cold just a new thing we have to have now.
February 11, 2026 at 6:35 AM
Day 14 of The Cold starts with a sore throat so sore it woke me up, is the never-ending cold just a new thing we have to have now.
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
A year ago, we were on the cusp of turning many cancers into chronic rather than terminal diseases through immunotherapy and mRNA vaccines. Today, we're working through the curative qualities of a magical horse paste instead.
National Cancer Institute studying ivermectin’s ‘ability to kill cancer cells,’ alarming career scientists
The National Cancer Institute is studying ivermectin as a potential cancer treatment, according to its top official, alarming career scientists.
www.statnews.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:39 PM
A year ago, we were on the cusp of turning many cancers into chronic rather than terminal diseases through immunotherapy and mRNA vaccines. Today, we're working through the curative qualities of a magical horse paste instead.
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
And Epstein also was heavily involved in the Zionist project of using archaeology in the overtly political claim of land / deny Palestinian hist connections to place. The interconnections of his political aspirations and misuses of academia to support it, require a lot more investigation (2/2).
February 10, 2026 at 6:53 PM
And Epstein also was heavily involved in the Zionist project of using archaeology in the overtly political claim of land / deny Palestinian hist connections to place. The interconnections of his political aspirations and misuses of academia to support it, require a lot more investigation (2/2).
The time of the Nicks is over, the dominion of the Matts is about to begin
February 9, 2026 at 8:43 PM
The time of the Nicks is over, the dominion of the Matts is about to begin
February 9, 2026 at 8:28 PM
*ten other people immediately make this joke but I was first*
February 9, 2026 at 8:26 PM
*ten other people immediately make this joke but I was first*
Don’t worry there’s a plug, you put it in the hole
February 9, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Don’t worry there’s a plug, you put it in the hole
I’m actually starting to see why there’s a big thread of academics (aside from the money and the sleaze), there’s a certain maladaptive “I can share platforms with people I disagree with” tough guy-ness (or nearest equivalent) that will have snookered some of them
February 9, 2026 at 5:46 PM
I’m actually starting to see why there’s a big thread of academics (aside from the money and the sleaze), there’s a certain maladaptive “I can share platforms with people I disagree with” tough guy-ness (or nearest equivalent) that will have snookered some of them
Yes I was just then thinking this is the same techniques as the abuse itself isn’t it, test boundaries and you weed out the people who have them
February 9, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Yes I was just then thinking this is the same techniques as the abuse itself isn’t it, test boundaries and you weed out the people who have them
In political affiliation that’s a lot of the story with Trump and probably Boris Johnson as well. People genuinely miss the first wrong notes and then they’re *committed* to not seeing them.
February 9, 2026 at 5:28 PM
In political affiliation that’s a lot of the story with Trump and probably Boris Johnson as well. People genuinely miss the first wrong notes and then they’re *committed* to not seeing them.
This is an interesting thread because that little wrong-sounding note, *so* many people brush over those, in all kinds of decision-making, and there’s no obvious correlation with intelligence. Doesn’t immediately compute, ignore. And then you’re bought in to whatever grift/horror it is.
What actually happened was that Jennifer was also invited, but when we talked about her participation, we were told "she could go shopping with the other wives." The deep-rooted sexism of the whole enterprise couldn't remain hidden. Jennifer was repulsed, I felt likewise, and we said no.
February 9, 2026 at 5:26 PM
This is an interesting thread because that little wrong-sounding note, *so* many people brush over those, in all kinds of decision-making, and there’s no obvious correlation with intelligence. Doesn’t immediately compute, ignore. And then you’re bought in to whatever grift/horror it is.
Like impact is probably the bit a leaner/more industrial strategy-driven UKRI would want to keep but not necessarily in this form
February 9, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Like impact is probably the bit a leaner/more industrial strategy-driven UKRI would want to keep but not necessarily in this form
I quite like the “no research” starting point of IAA and/but sometimes there’s a tiny grey area of eg some data analysis that is pitched to a particular purpose. We’d be immediately swamped in research otherwise. But I have been wondering about longevity of IAAs given the *gestures* landscape.
February 9, 2026 at 3:47 PM
I quite like the “no research” starting point of IAA and/but sometimes there’s a tiny grey area of eg some data analysis that is pitched to a particular purpose. We’d be immediately swamped in research otherwise. But I have been wondering about longevity of IAAs given the *gestures* landscape.
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
Two important lessons here:
(i) @mike-rat.bsky.social knows a lot of things
(ii) The LSE beaver is called Felix
The motto comes from Virgil: Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas - happy is he who was able to know the causes of things
(i) @mike-rat.bsky.social knows a lot of things
(ii) The LSE beaver is called Felix
The motto comes from Virgil: Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas - happy is he who was able to know the causes of things
There’s an excellent explanation of how LSE came by its coat of arms and the motto from Virgil in the 1920s. They acknowledge that Sheffield had it first; it had continued in use from Firth College.
blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsehistory/2...
blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsehistory/2...
Devising the LSE coat of arms - LSE History
Find out how and why LSE adopted its coat of arms, motto "rerum cognoscere causas" and Beaver mascot in 1922.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
February 9, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Two important lessons here:
(i) @mike-rat.bsky.social knows a lot of things
(ii) The LSE beaver is called Felix
The motto comes from Virgil: Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas - happy is he who was able to know the causes of things
(i) @mike-rat.bsky.social knows a lot of things
(ii) The LSE beaver is called Felix
The motto comes from Virgil: Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas - happy is he who was able to know the causes of things
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
Just love the absolute hutzpah of sharing this as if it's new information R&D have figured out, that's changed the grand plan - rather than something someone's granddaughter could have mentioned at her space themed 9th birthday party 🎈
February 9, 2026 at 9:14 AM
Just love the absolute hutzpah of sharing this as if it's new information R&D have figured out, that's changed the grand plan - rather than something someone's granddaughter could have mentioned at her space themed 9th birthday party 🎈
This reads like he’s only just noticed the moon
February 9, 2026 at 9:15 AM
This reads like he’s only just noticed the moon
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
'Launching in April and running until October, they will each offer researchers the opportunity of between £50,000 and £100,000 funding.' 1/2
ESRC to pilot two new applicant-led calls.
Existing schemes will remain open, says leader of Economic and Social Research Council Stian Westlake.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Existing schemes will remain open, says leader of Economic and Social Research Council Stian Westlake.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
ESRC to pilot two new applicant-led calls - Research Professional News
Existing schemes will remain open, says leader of Economic and Social Research Council
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
February 9, 2026 at 8:01 AM
'Launching in April and running until October, they will each offer researchers the opportunity of between £50,000 and £100,000 funding.' 1/2
The oldest known image of an owl:
More than 30,000 years ago, someone skillfully scratched the figure of a long-eared owl (Asio otus) into the soft outer layer of the walls of Chauvet Cave, France. The owl is looking backward over their wings, head turned 180 degrees
carnegiemnh.org/ancient-owl-...
More than 30,000 years ago, someone skillfully scratched the figure of a long-eared owl (Asio otus) into the soft outer layer of the walls of Chauvet Cave, France. The owl is looking backward over their wings, head turned 180 degrees
carnegiemnh.org/ancient-owl-...
February 8, 2026 at 10:57 PM
What is happening. I wish @hookland.bsky.social was here.
February 8, 2026 at 5:54 PM
What is happening. I wish @hookland.bsky.social was here.
Not over this. They are still posting. All the other videos are of children dancing, watching puppet shows, having faces painted etc.
February 8, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Not over this. They are still posting. All the other videos are of children dancing, watching puppet shows, having faces painted etc.
No wonder everyone’s so friendly to me, I’ll probably be in that thing next year
February 8, 2026 at 10:44 AM
No wonder everyone’s so friendly to me, I’ll probably be in that thing next year
Ah a new instagram reel from the island where I go on holiday! I wonder what beautiful wholesome Dalmacijan things are happ-
February 8, 2026 at 10:43 AM
Ah a new instagram reel from the island where I go on holiday! I wonder what beautiful wholesome Dalmacijan things are happ-
The best thing about this as I recall was they released a video of “her” talking and it turned out to be an actress pretending to be an AI. One of the internet’s best days for Mechanical Turk jokes.
February 7, 2026 at 8:06 PM
The best thing about this as I recall was they released a video of “her” talking and it turned out to be an actress pretending to be an AI. One of the internet’s best days for Mechanical Turk jokes.
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
In 2010 General Morillon, a devout Catholic, went back to Srebrenica to ask for forgiveness. He was chased away under a hail of insults from the town’s grieving widows.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/w...
Philippe Morillon, General Who Made Fateful Protection Promise, Dies at 90
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 7:05 PM
In 2010 General Morillon, a devout Catholic, went back to Srebrenica to ask for forgiveness. He was chased away under a hail of insults from the town’s grieving widows.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/w...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/w...