Dr Stylite
@columnist.bsky.social
‘The view from the column is ever distant’
Pinned
Quelques Feuilles / Some Leaves
New thing - this is a part of a much larger work. Each square comprises 4 of the colours of an actual leaf collected over a series of walks, and then photographed, uploaded, compiled and arranged in chronological order. The entire work has 144 leaves and 576 colours.
New thing - this is a part of a much larger work. Each square comprises 4 of the colours of an actual leaf collected over a series of walks, and then photographed, uploaded, compiled and arranged in chronological order. The entire work has 144 leaves and 576 colours.
(Once again) this is a Brexit reflection. ‘Global’ Britain was meant to mitigate losses from Brexit and surpass EU membership. That ‘vision’ was based on trade deals and liberalised ‘fair’ immigration. The latter is now being dismantled and the former relies on no defunct liberal multilateralism.
Trade folk (including myself) are unconvinced there is much of a growth dividend for Rachel Reeves from agreements with India, EU, and US. Just as there's no evidence of positive impact from independent UK trade policy since 2021. www.politico.eu/article/rach...
Rachel Reeves hopes trade deals can save Britain’s budget. Economists aren’t convinced.
With a difficult budget looming, the chancellor has increasingly turned her gaze overseas.
www.politico.eu
November 24, 2025 at 8:18 AM
(Once again) this is a Brexit reflection. ‘Global’ Britain was meant to mitigate losses from Brexit and surpass EU membership. That ‘vision’ was based on trade deals and liberalised ‘fair’ immigration. The latter is now being dismantled and the former relies on no defunct liberal multilateralism.
I heartily encourage you all to visit the lovely Amy Poon’s new Chinese restaurant (following in her illustrious father’s footsteps) at Somerset House - excellent food with a genuine warmth of hospitality.
November 23, 2025 at 11:42 AM
I heartily encourage you all to visit the lovely Amy Poon’s new Chinese restaurant (following in her illustrious father’s footsteps) at Somerset House - excellent food with a genuine warmth of hospitality.
The ‘we’ll adapt and move on post Brexit’ ship sure is taking a long time to come in (and appears to be drifting further out to sea with storms icebergs etc etc) and yet banking on this particular ship successfully docking is somehow considered a sensible / preferable strategy.
November 22, 2025 at 10:16 AM
The ‘we’ll adapt and move on post Brexit’ ship sure is taking a long time to come in (and appears to be drifting further out to sea with storms icebergs etc etc) and yet banking on this particular ship successfully docking is somehow considered a sensible / preferable strategy.
Project Fear but slowly (inexorably)
@jonathanfreedland.bsky.social, citing our paper, says the government should seek a much more comprehensive Brexit deal. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Rachel Reeves is studiously ignoring the cause of Britain’s woes: the Brexit-shaped hole in its roof | Jonathan Freedland
The autumn budget will mop up some damage, but the true source of the economic crisis is clear. The government should now fix it – tragically, it won’t, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Project Fear but slowly (inexorably)
Reposted by Dr Stylite
Today at 10.30am in BBC Radio 4. I do hope you can listen.
A little advance notice: we have a lovely episode of the Kitchen Cabinet coming up tomorrow, marking this week’s world children’s day. We’re at the Academy of St Nicholas in Liverpool and all our questions come young people in Yr 7 and up. 10.30am on BBC Radio 4
November 22, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Today at 10.30am in BBC Radio 4. I do hope you can listen.
Here is the very simple explanation to this entirely unsurprising finding. ‘Poetry’ is just another way of saying ‘language’ but in a highly stressed format. LLMs are definitionally incapable of language (ironically).
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 21, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Here is the very simple explanation to this entirely unsurprising finding. ‘Poetry’ is just another way of saying ‘language’ but in a highly stressed format. LLMs are definitionally incapable of language (ironically).
I appreciate this might seem like a novel idea rn but enshittification isn’t some inevitable outcome of human endeavour
November 21, 2025 at 8:10 AM
I appreciate this might seem like a novel idea rn but enshittification isn’t some inevitable outcome of human endeavour
Hey well hopefully we’ll get some good news re the economy!
a group of stuffed animals are sitting at a table with cups of coffee
Alt: Fozzie bear
media.tenor.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Hey well hopefully we’ll get some good news re the economy!
Cricket > Baseball
November 21, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Cricket > Baseball
Entirely fwiw, the Stylite view* as to why the hyper scalers have got it completely wrong (a proper category error) is a little bit related to this.
*Extremely high level natch
*Extremely high level natch
Can anyone please explain what it is anyone means by this? And no not the definition, I mean “what is the thing actually being created here”
Yann LeCun is departing Meta; sources: Meta plans to partner with LeCun on his new startup, which will be focused on world models (Bloomberg)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
November 20, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Entirely fwiw, the Stylite view* as to why the hyper scalers have got it completely wrong (a proper category error) is a little bit related to this.
*Extremely high level natch
*Extremely high level natch
In the manner of a leading indicator of doom / failure etc, I have subscribed.
Have I mentioned that Alphaville is setting up a Substack? 👉 on.ft.com/49pcgVk
FT Alphaville is finally getting a Substack
Stacking subs
on.ft.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:49 AM
In the manner of a leading indicator of doom / failure etc, I have subscribed.
Reposted by Dr Stylite
a most delectable mess
November 20, 2025 at 5:47 AM
a most delectable mess
If I could reply to this then yes I know someone who might be able to help.
Francophones, looking for a translation of 'Souillard' – the late medieval name of a Very Good Dog. It clearly has 'dirty' or 'grubby' connotations, but how best to translate it? Google focuses its modern meaning of a sink plug-hole but I don't think that was meant in the C15! Please RT!
November 19, 2025 at 8:04 PM
If I could reply to this then yes I know someone who might be able to help.
Was the Sunak government worse than the Starmer government? It is really not entirely obvious now.
(And I think - and this is looking somewhat forward - if you follow this line of thought then the Cons with good leadership might do better than expected)
(And I think - and this is looking somewhat forward - if you follow this line of thought then the Cons with good leadership might do better than expected)
November 19, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Was the Sunak government worse than the Starmer government? It is really not entirely obvious now.
(And I think - and this is looking somewhat forward - if you follow this line of thought then the Cons with good leadership might do better than expected)
(And I think - and this is looking somewhat forward - if you follow this line of thought then the Cons with good leadership might do better than expected)
Ooooooof
The Labour government will deteriorate from here on.ft.com/449jsRK | opinion
The Labour government will deteriorate from here
Starmer and Reeves are unfit and their likeliest usurpers are worse
on.ft.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Ooooooof
Reposted by Dr Stylite
hello! one (1) ticket has just become available for the Outsiders Arts Club this evening - £22, first come first served, DMs open
November 18, 2025 at 12:55 PM
hello! one (1) ticket has just become available for the Outsiders Arts Club this evening - £22, first come first served, DMs open
!!!!!!!
ONS is so bad. (This is about specifically British nationals.) www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
November 18, 2025 at 11:40 AM
!!!!!!!
‘Tis almost the season for the deep fried turkey discourse
November 18, 2025 at 8:53 AM
‘Tis almost the season for the deep fried turkey discourse
Ran my first 15ish k yesterday for about 8 years (!) and today I am 🫠
November 18, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Ran my first 15ish k yesterday for about 8 years (!) and today I am 🫠
A major problem for a government with an essentially performative policy approach is that it encourages / incentivises all other parties to so the same thing - what’s the point in being substantive if the actual government (whose competitive advantage should be governing) can’t be bothered…?
November 18, 2025 at 7:47 AM
A major problem for a government with an essentially performative policy approach is that it encourages / incentivises all other parties to so the same thing - what’s the point in being substantive if the actual government (whose competitive advantage should be governing) can’t be bothered…?
I shall just take this opportunity to reiterate that the world will look / feel quite different if there’s a material correction in US tech stocks.
November 17, 2025 at 7:37 PM
I shall just take this opportunity to reiterate that the world will look / feel quite different if there’s a material correction in US tech stocks.
Yeah good piece. But (to state the blinding obvious) the answer isn’t *less* Europe.
The scramble for Europe is just beginning on.ft.com/3X16XUC | opinion
The scramble for Europe is just beginning
As the EU struggles to defend its interests, outside powers play divide and rule
on.ft.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Yeah good piece. But (to state the blinding obvious) the answer isn’t *less* Europe.