David M Cornell
@davidmcornell.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Lancashire.
Avid writer and reader (#crimefiction); guitarist; snooker nut; nature lover (especially cats).
Avid writer and reader (#crimefiction); guitarist; snooker nut; nature lover (especially cats).
Pinned
Cold, grey and blustery in Scarborough this morning. Didn’t stop some people from braving the water though.
February 8, 2026 at 11:51 AM
Cold, grey and blustery in Scarborough this morning. Didn’t stop some people from braving the water though.
Caught someone sitting in my chair this afternoon...
February 5, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Caught someone sitting in my chair this afternoon...
Really sad to hear about John Virgo. A true legend of the sport and the undisputed master of the trickshot. RIP, JV.
February 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Really sad to hear about John Virgo. A true legend of the sport and the undisputed master of the trickshot. RIP, JV.
I've never been much of a boxing fan, but if wig-wearing was made mandatory for every fight, I reckon I could get into it...
www.skysports.com/boxing/video...
www.skysports.com/boxing/video...
Boxer has hairpiece PUNCHED OFF | Jarrell Miller loses hair but wins fight!
Jarrell Miller had his hairpiece punched off his head by Kingsley Ibeh but still managed to win the heavyweight fight. Coverage courtesy of DAZN boxing.
www.skysports.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:40 PM
I've never been much of a boxing fan, but if wig-wearing was made mandatory for every fight, I reckon I could get into it...
www.skysports.com/boxing/video...
www.skysports.com/boxing/video...
Came across a nice little phrase from Dan Dennett on evolution:
"a process with no intelligent designer can create intelligent designers who can then design things that permit us to understand how a process with no intelligent designer can create intelligent designers who can then design things.”
"a process with no intelligent designer can create intelligent designers who can then design things that permit us to understand how a process with no intelligent designer can create intelligent designers who can then design things.”
January 31, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Came across a nice little phrase from Dan Dennett on evolution:
"a process with no intelligent designer can create intelligent designers who can then design things that permit us to understand how a process with no intelligent designer can create intelligent designers who can then design things.”
"a process with no intelligent designer can create intelligent designers who can then design things that permit us to understand how a process with no intelligent designer can create intelligent designers who can then design things.”
F. H. Bradley would have been 180 years old today. Whenever I think of Bradley I think of Richard Wolheim's killer quip: "Obscurity came to him naturally, and it is hard to resist the suspicion that he also exploited it as a weapon in argument".
January 30, 2026 at 8:09 AM
F. H. Bradley would have been 180 years old today. Whenever I think of Bradley I think of Richard Wolheim's killer quip: "Obscurity came to him naturally, and it is hard to resist the suspicion that he also exploited it as a weapon in argument".
Excellent stuff. Bravo!
We've got ISSUES. Literally.
We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
A 🧵 1/n
We scraped >100k special issues & over 1 million articles to bring you a PISS-poor paper. We quantify just how many excess papers are published by guest editors abusing special issues to boost their CVs. How bad is it & what can we do?
arxiv.org/abs/2601.07563
A 🧵 1/n
January 26, 2026 at 8:30 AM
Excellent stuff. Bravo!
She lays eggs!
January 24, 2026 at 10:58 AM
She lays eggs!
When I typed 'Maurice Merleau-Ponty' into my phone today (don't ask), it was autocorrected to 'Maurice Merlway-Spongy'. You know, having read some of the man's work, I'm inclined to think that Merlway-Spongy is a much more suitable name.
January 21, 2026 at 5:01 PM
When I typed 'Maurice Merleau-Ponty' into my phone today (don't ask), it was autocorrected to 'Maurice Merlway-Spongy'. You know, having read some of the man's work, I'm inclined to think that Merlway-Spongy is a much more suitable name.
Just finished reading this. One of the most bizarre books I've ever read, but utterly brilliant and laugh-out-loud funny. If you've never read it, get it on your TBR list at once!
January 19, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Just finished reading this. One of the most bizarre books I've ever read, but utterly brilliant and laugh-out-loud funny. If you've never read it, get it on your TBR list at once!
I've been revisiting a classic this morning. The very final scene always gets me a little choked up.
January 16, 2026 at 10:57 AM
I've been revisiting a classic this morning. The very final scene always gets me a little choked up.
Aaaaand stretch.
January 15, 2026 at 8:27 AM
Aaaaand stretch.
It never ceases to amaze me how often library books are covered in annotations and highlighter pen. This is today’s example. What kind of person does this to a library book?
January 13, 2026 at 2:36 PM
It never ceases to amaze me how often library books are covered in annotations and highlighter pen. This is today’s example. What kind of person does this to a library book?
One of the beauties of writing is that language is so subtle.
You might think that 'I apologise' means the same as 'I'm sorry'. But just try switching the two next time you're at a funeral.
You might think that 'I apologise' means the same as 'I'm sorry'. But just try switching the two next time you're at a funeral.
January 9, 2026 at 12:38 PM
One of the beauties of writing is that language is so subtle.
You might think that 'I apologise' means the same as 'I'm sorry'. But just try switching the two next time you're at a funeral.
You might think that 'I apologise' means the same as 'I'm sorry'. But just try switching the two next time you're at a funeral.
Yes, of course I put those books there for you to sleep on...
January 6, 2026 at 9:26 AM
Yes, of course I put those books there for you to sleep on...
Here's a little something for you to read while you should be busy doing something else...
Why procrastination isn’t laziness – it’s rigid thinking that your brain can unlearn theconversation.com/why-procrast...
Why procrastination isn’t laziness – it’s rigid thinking that your brain can unlearn theconversation.com/why-procrast...
Why procrastination isn’t laziness – it’s rigid thinking that your brain can unlearn
Why we procrastinate has less to do with willpower than with how flexibly our brains handle stress and discomfort - and the good news is, flexibility is trainable.
theconversation.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Here's a little something for you to read while you should be busy doing something else...
Why procrastination isn’t laziness – it’s rigid thinking that your brain can unlearn theconversation.com/why-procrast...
Why procrastination isn’t laziness – it’s rigid thinking that your brain can unlearn theconversation.com/why-procrast...
Forget meditation or spirituality, nothing cleanses the soul quite like a visit to the tip after Christmas.
January 2, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Forget meditation or spirituality, nothing cleanses the soul quite like a visit to the tip after Christmas.
I’ve been reviewing all the fiction I read in 2025. 23 novels in total, all #crimefiction. It’s hard to pick out three favourites, but if forced, I’d go for these (in no particular order)…
January 1, 2026 at 11:58 AM
I’ve been reviewing all the fiction I read in 2025. 23 novels in total, all #crimefiction. It’s hard to pick out three favourites, but if forced, I’d go for these (in no particular order)…
John Hospers, once said: “Every baby comes into the world with a full-fledged case of megalomania – interested only in himself, naively assuming he is the centre of the universe”.
True, I guess. And a real shame that some people never grow out of it.
True, I guess. And a real shame that some people never grow out of it.
December 31, 2025 at 10:47 AM
John Hospers, once said: “Every baby comes into the world with a full-fledged case of megalomania – interested only in himself, naively assuming he is the centre of the universe”.
True, I guess. And a real shame that some people never grow out of it.
True, I guess. And a real shame that some people never grow out of it.
Sometimes my cat likes to sit in a basket. And why not!
December 29, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Sometimes my cat likes to sit in a basket. And why not!
December 24, 2025 at 11:56 AM
A colleague of mine once said to me: "all Aristotle ever did was say a series of sensible things".
Every time I read Aristotle, I recall this pithy summary and think that it was bang on the money.
Every time I read Aristotle, I recall this pithy summary and think that it was bang on the money.
December 22, 2025 at 11:14 AM
A colleague of mine once said to me: "all Aristotle ever did was say a series of sensible things".
Every time I read Aristotle, I recall this pithy summary and think that it was bang on the money.
Every time I read Aristotle, I recall this pithy summary and think that it was bang on the money.
A perfect circle of cat.
December 21, 2025 at 10:46 AM
A perfect circle of cat.
According to this chap, Pythagoras said life is divided into four equal quarters: “twenty years a boy, twenty years a youth, twenty years a young man, and twenty years old”.
I’m on board with that. It means I’m still a young man. 😁
I’m on board with that. It means I’m still a young man. 😁
December 20, 2025 at 4:41 PM
According to this chap, Pythagoras said life is divided into four equal quarters: “twenty years a boy, twenty years a youth, twenty years a young man, and twenty years old”.
I’m on board with that. It means I’m still a young man. 😁
I’m on board with that. It means I’m still a young man. 😁