Ben Goldacre
@bengoldacre.bsky.social
Prof of EBM @UniOxford, author, Bad Science person, more... I run http://bennett.ox.ac.uk making tools+papers from data http://OpenSAFELY.org http://OpenPrescribing.net
Pinned
OpenSAFELY team awarded Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further
Oxford’s OpenSAFELY team wins the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for revolutionising secure NHS data research, protecting patient privacy while unlocking life-saving health insights.
www.ox.ac.uk
I'm delighted to say we have won the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education with our work on OpenSAFELY, inventing new methods that let researchers analyse NHS GP data while protecting everyone's privacy, and with complete transparency, in a hugely productive platform!
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-11...
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-11...
I'm delighted to say we have won the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education with our work on OpenSAFELY, inventing new methods that let researchers analyse NHS GP data while protecting everyone's privacy, and with complete transparency, in a hugely productive platform!
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-11...
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-11...
OpenSAFELY team awarded Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further
Oxford’s OpenSAFELY team wins the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for revolutionising secure NHS data research, protecting patient privacy while unlocking life-saving health insights.
www.ox.ac.uk
November 26, 2025 at 5:53 PM
I'm delighted to say we have won the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education with our work on OpenSAFELY, inventing new methods that let researchers analyse NHS GP data while protecting everyone's privacy, and with complete transparency, in a hugely productive platform!
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-11...
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-11...
Reposted by Ben Goldacre
November 18, 2025 at 6:57 PM
The @bennettoxford.bsky.social conference this year is the Oxford Medicines Data Symposium, we thought it was niche, but it's now heavily over-subscribed: if you're on the waiting list and think we should get you a space, then do email the team! www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/events/2025-...
2025 Bennett Institute Medicines Symposium | Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science
The two-day 2025 Bennett Institute Medicines Symposium will take place at Jesus College in Oxford on 10–11 December 2025.
www.bennett.ox.ac.uk
November 18, 2025 at 12:24 PM
The @bennettoxford.bsky.social conference this year is the Oxford Medicines Data Symposium, we thought it was niche, but it's now heavily over-subscribed: if you're on the waiting list and think we should get you a space, then do email the team! www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/events/2025-...
I don't want to be around when the owner of these glasses comes back to find them.
November 8, 2025 at 6:39 PM
I don't want to be around when the owner of these glasses comes back to find them.
This is genuinely extraordinary
My latest: Move over bat tunnel, here’s the wild story of how HS2 were forced to build a multi-million pound bridge for a road that… doesn’t actually exist.
How HS2 built a bridge to nowhere
A state-of-the-art road bridge has been built deep in the heart of rural Buckinghamshire. Designed to carry traffic over the HS2 railway, there's just one tiny problem - there's no actual road.
martinrobbins.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 10:58 PM
This is genuinely extraordinary
One of the all time great Map Men episodes. Also, you can see why the Dutch are so good at bike infrastructure. If you've literally made land itself, presumably anything feels possible.
youtu.be/eq-kgUpd-5E?...
youtu.be/eq-kgUpd-5E?...
This country is 17% fake
YouTube video by Jay and Mark
youtu.be
October 22, 2025 at 7:33 PM
One of the all time great Map Men episodes. Also, you can see why the Dutch are so good at bike infrastructure. If you've literally made land itself, presumably anything feels possible.
youtu.be/eq-kgUpd-5E?...
youtu.be/eq-kgUpd-5E?...
This was v good.
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!
In our penultimate episode in this series David talks to writer @samfr.bsky.social about whether democracy can cope with the demands of the social media age. Is the bigger problem our ever-shrinking attention spans or our ever-divided politics?
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
In our penultimate episode in this series David talks to writer @samfr.bsky.social about whether democracy can cope with the demands of the social media age. Is the bigger problem our ever-shrinking attention spans or our ever-divided politics?
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:45 AM
This was v good.
Big fan of building new homes, no strong views on housebuilders, but... why is everyone so righteous about forcing housebuilders to pay for new GP surgeries and schools? They didn't magically create the patients and pupils. We pay for doctors and schools in tax.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
October 20, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Big fan of building new homes, no strong views on housebuilders, but... why is everyone so righteous about forcing housebuilders to pay for new GP surgeries and schools? They didn't magically create the patients and pupils. We pay for doctors and schools in tax.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Here's a mediocre idea for a webapp or twitter bot: "Is It Just Me Or Are The Trains Crap". You tell it the train you're on, and how late it is; you get, in return, contextual information about how unusual that is.
October 7, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Here's a mediocre idea for a webapp or twitter bot: "Is It Just Me Or Are The Trains Crap". You tell it the train you're on, and how late it is; you get, in return, contextual information about how unusual that is.
COME TO OUR CONFERENCE!
Lots of people work on medicines data: researchers; but also "medicines optimisation" teams, using data to directly improve NHS care; and teams who build data tools. These clans rarely meet... Until now! Join us, Dec 10th, in Oxford.
www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/events/2025-...
Lots of people work on medicines data: researchers; but also "medicines optimisation" teams, using data to directly improve NHS care; and teams who build data tools. These clans rarely meet... Until now! Join us, Dec 10th, in Oxford.
www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/events/2025-...
2025 Bennett Institute Medicines Symposium | Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science
The two-day 2025 Bennett Institute Medicines Symposium will take place at Jesus College in Oxford on 10–11 December 2025.
www.bennett.ox.ac.uk
September 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
COME TO OUR CONFERENCE!
Lots of people work on medicines data: researchers; but also "medicines optimisation" teams, using data to directly improve NHS care; and teams who build data tools. These clans rarely meet... Until now! Join us, Dec 10th, in Oxford.
www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/events/2025-...
Lots of people work on medicines data: researchers; but also "medicines optimisation" teams, using data to directly improve NHS care; and teams who build data tools. These clans rarely meet... Until now! Join us, Dec 10th, in Oxford.
www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/events/2025-...
This is great to see. I want my government to do all it can to stop our allies, the Israeli government, killing more Palestinian civilians.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
UK recognises Palestine as an independent state
Deeply symbolic move comes seven decades after end of British mandate in Palestine and formation of state of Israel
www.theguardian.com
September 21, 2025 at 1:28 PM
This is great to see. I want my government to do all it can to stop our allies, the Israeli government, killing more Palestinian civilians.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Any christmas cake sightings in UK supermarkets? Ocado / M&S has pudding but no cake so far.
September 3, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Any christmas cake sightings in UK supermarkets? Ocado / M&S has pudding but no cake so far.
Just ordered some fence posts and trellis for same-day delivery. I have no DIY skills and it's raining heavily. With huge respect to my great grandfather - who did a better day's work there than I ever will - this is going to be like Paschendale.
August 30, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Just ordered some fence posts and trellis for same-day delivery. I have no DIY skills and it's raining heavily. With huge respect to my great grandfather - who did a better day's work there than I ever will - this is going to be like Paschendale.
Reposted by Ben Goldacre
Seating is social and public transport infrastructure and yes, removing the Kirkgate benches was a crime.
The benches at the Kirkgate in Leith have been removed.
Has a crime been committed 🤔
Has a crime been committed 🤔
August 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Seating is social and public transport infrastructure and yes, removing the Kirkgate benches was a crime.
I agree with this praise of humans curating things you might like, and I'm surprised there's never been a popular platform facilitating it as a central foreground activity, where you can follow people for their curated links, music, or other stuff.
"One of the handful of art exhibitions I suspect I will remember forever is something I only saw because we wanted to see some art, and somebody I will never meet said, 'Hey, look at this – it’s good.'”
In praise of curation
In praise of curation
In Praise of Curation
This week: a self-interested defence of someone just showing you the good stuff. Also: the longest mountain chain on earth; and what is a stink pipe?
jonn.substack.com
August 20, 2025 at 7:12 PM
I agree with this praise of humans curating things you might like, and I'm surprised there's never been a popular platform facilitating it as a central foreground activity, where you can follow people for their curated links, music, or other stuff.
Lots of these problems are better solved with an annual property value tax, like US states do, ~1-2% per year. We could let people defer it against their house if they wish, taken at death. Can't be dodged: the house is there. And progressive: the rich pay more www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Treasury targeting inheritance tax reforms to help plug UK deficit
Exclusive: Chancellor also looking at tweaks to capital gains tax to try to bridge £40bn-plus spending gap before budget
www.theguardian.com
August 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Lots of these problems are better solved with an annual property value tax, like US states do, ~1-2% per year. We could let people defer it against their house if they wish, taken at death. Can't be dodged: the house is there. And progressive: the rich pay more www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
During all future DIY rages let it be known that on this day, August 10th 2025, I actually was able to quickly find the specific screws I needed in the house.
August 10, 2025 at 12:19 PM
During all future DIY rages let it be known that on this day, August 10th 2025, I actually was able to quickly find the specific screws I needed in the house.
This is a really interesting public health move. Ban cigarettes with filters, on the basis that they were fraudulent, polluting, and lead to compensatory risk behaviours that do harm. Force smokers to go full filterless cough cough Woodbine, or stop.
‘In October 2024, Santa Cruz, California became the first jurisdiction to ban the sale of filtered cigarettes. It is to be hoped that negotiations in Geneva will deliver global action to eliminate them completely.’
Nicholas Hopkinson on smoking and plastic pollution: www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/au...
Nicholas Hopkinson on smoking and plastic pollution: www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/au...
Nicholas Hopkinson | Compensatory Puffing
The main component of cigarette filters is a plastic, cellulose acetate, and trillions of butts are discarded into the...
www.lrb.co.uk
August 5, 2025 at 4:19 PM
This is a really interesting public health move. Ban cigarettes with filters, on the basis that they were fraudulent, polluting, and lead to compensatory risk behaviours that do harm. Force smokers to go full filterless cough cough Woodbine, or stop.
Reposted by Ben Goldacre
Happy to share that (from August 1st) I'll be spending the next 6 months working at the University of Oxford as a visiting researcher!
I'll be working with @ndevito1.bsky.social and @bengoldacre.bsky.social on developing and extending features of RegCheck (regcheck.app).
I'll be working with @ndevito1.bsky.social and @bengoldacre.bsky.social on developing and extending features of RegCheck (regcheck.app).
RegCheck
RegCheck is an AI tool to compare preregistrations with papers instantly.
regcheck.app
July 28, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Happy to share that (from August 1st) I'll be spending the next 6 months working at the University of Oxford as a visiting researcher!
I'll be working with @ndevito1.bsky.social and @bengoldacre.bsky.social on developing and extending features of RegCheck (regcheck.app).
I'll be working with @ndevito1.bsky.social and @bengoldacre.bsky.social on developing and extending features of RegCheck (regcheck.app).
The streaming rights for South Park just sold at... $1.5 BILLION? I genuinely feel more optimistic for humanity after hearing this. Long may we all combine stupid with clever.
Donald Trump’s White House is melting down over Wednesday night’s South Park premiere, which just so happened to attack the president’s “teeny tiny” manhood.
Trump White House Rages Over 'South Park' Episode, Calls Show 'Fourth-Rate'
The White House is furious at "South Park" after the show's premiere lampooned Donald Trump, depicting him in bed with Satan.
www.rollingstone.com
July 24, 2025 at 5:38 PM
The streaming rights for South Park just sold at... $1.5 BILLION? I genuinely feel more optimistic for humanity after hearing this. Long may we all combine stupid with clever.
CAR GAME FOR HOLIDAYS WITH SLIGHTLY BIGGER KIDS>>
"I can't spy with my little eye anything beginning with... a/b/c/etc"
Take turns; if you have nothing, you're out.
It's good cos it gets paradoxically harder as the stretch of motorway becomes more featureless. Also adult entries get very baroque.
"I can't spy with my little eye anything beginning with... a/b/c/etc"
Take turns; if you have nothing, you're out.
It's good cos it gets paradoxically harder as the stretch of motorway becomes more featureless. Also adult entries get very baroque.
July 22, 2025 at 2:20 PM
CAR GAME FOR HOLIDAYS WITH SLIGHTLY BIGGER KIDS>>
"I can't spy with my little eye anything beginning with... a/b/c/etc"
Take turns; if you have nothing, you're out.
It's good cos it gets paradoxically harder as the stretch of motorway becomes more featureless. Also adult entries get very baroque.
"I can't spy with my little eye anything beginning with... a/b/c/etc"
Take turns; if you have nothing, you're out.
It's good cos it gets paradoxically harder as the stretch of motorway becomes more featureless. Also adult entries get very baroque.
We thought the future would be flying cars. Actually it's ebikes and tiny escooters. But they're banned. We're burning carbon and eradicating copyright to subsidise AI, surely we can find a way to thoughtfully regulate small efficient green transport?
www.engadget.com/transportati...
www.engadget.com/transportati...
The UK needs to deal with its e-scooter problem
The UK has dragged its feet on e-scooter regulation, despite more than a million of them being privately owned and used.
www.engadget.com
July 20, 2025 at 9:39 AM
We thought the future would be flying cars. Actually it's ebikes and tiny escooters. But they're banned. We're burning carbon and eradicating copyright to subsidise AI, surely we can find a way to thoughtfully regulate small efficient green transport?
www.engadget.com/transportati...
www.engadget.com/transportati...
Podcasts on current affairs are the audio version of doom scrolling. They feel like you're attached to What's Happening; the net effect over a year is... brain energy wasted on circumstantial, temporary things. Audiobooks feel detached from the relevant world. This is insidious, and must be fought.
July 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Podcasts on current affairs are the audio version of doom scrolling. They feel like you're attached to What's Happening; the net effect over a year is... brain energy wasted on circumstantial, temporary things. Audiobooks feel detached from the relevant world. This is insidious, and must be fought.
Reposted by Ben Goldacre
Oxford's councils have made a painted bike lane on Woodstock Rd (by my office). It specifically tells cyclists to ride in the Car Door Zone, the MOST DANGEROUS part of the road. Last month, they added little lights to it. Please, remove it
@oxfordshirecc.bsky.social @oxfordcitycouncil.bsky.social
@oxfordshirecc.bsky.social @oxfordcitycouncil.bsky.social
July 10, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Oxford's councils have made a painted bike lane on Woodstock Rd (by my office). It specifically tells cyclists to ride in the Car Door Zone, the MOST DANGEROUS part of the road. Last month, they added little lights to it. Please, remove it
@oxfordshirecc.bsky.social @oxfordcitycouncil.bsky.social
@oxfordshirecc.bsky.social @oxfordcitycouncil.bsky.social
Hot weather is like very loud drum and bass. I love it. But not for five days in a row, without any prospect of escaping.
July 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Hot weather is like very loud drum and bass. I love it. But not for five days in a row, without any prospect of escaping.