Doug Clow
@dougclow.bsky.social
I help people understand things and change them, with data. Views here my own.
"I can't quite work out whether you're a tremendously silly man, a tremendously serious man or, as I suspect, a rather unholy combination of both."
dougclow.org/contact
"I can't quite work out whether you're a tremendously silly man, a tremendously serious man or, as I suspect, a rather unholy combination of both."
dougclow.org/contact
Pinned
Doug Clow
@dougclow.bsky.social
· Feb 5
Also I am loving this site at the moment because the Discover feed has clearly worked out that I love daffodils and keeps showing me them. Apologies if I have freaked you out by randomly liking yours: I genuinely just love daffodils.
Crisis in higher education? What crisis?
The minister is correct that "you don’t wake up one day in insolvency" but a looming insolvency typically becomes *apparent* over a very short space of time - as we saw with Dundee University.
The minister is correct that "you don’t wake up one day in insolvency" but a looming insolvency typically becomes *apparent* over a very short space of time - as we saw with Dundee University.
Commons Education Committee seems to think that there is a provider at risk of collapse before the end of 2025. DfE and OfS disagree.
wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...
wonkhe.com/wonk-corner/...
Government would protect interests of "students, taxpayers, and research" in provider insolvency
And the committee seems to think there is one on the way before 2026.
wonkhe.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Crisis in higher education? What crisis?
The minister is correct that "you don’t wake up one day in insolvency" but a looming insolvency typically becomes *apparent* over a very short space of time - as we saw with Dundee University.
The minister is correct that "you don’t wake up one day in insolvency" but a looming insolvency typically becomes *apparent* over a very short space of time - as we saw with Dundee University.
Last Friday, waiting in a GP surgery, I thought I’d lost Whamageddon super early. But I have realised it didn’t count: (a) it was a cover, not the original Wham version, and (b) it only starts on 1 December, or Advent if you’re being liturgical about it, so it was Too Soon. Not even Stir Up Sunday.
November 25, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Last Friday, waiting in a GP surgery, I thought I’d lost Whamageddon super early. But I have realised it didn’t count: (a) it was a cover, not the original Wham version, and (b) it only starts on 1 December, or Advent if you’re being liturgical about it, so it was Too Soon. Not even Stir Up Sunday.
New favourite way of conveying millions vs billions vs trillions: a million minutes is about 2 years ago, 1 billion minutes is early Roman Empire, and 1 trillion minutes takes you well before the emergence of anatomically modern humans and nearer the origins of the genus Homo.
“If you go back a million minutes, you reach 2023. Go back a billion minutes, you reach the Roman Empire — that’s the scale of inequality we’re living with.”
Zack Polanski on #BBCLauraK discussing inequality and why a wealth tax should be in the budget
Zack Polanski on #BBCLauraK discussing inequality and why a wealth tax should be in the budget
November 23, 2025 at 1:52 PM
New favourite way of conveying millions vs billions vs trillions: a million minutes is about 2 years ago, 1 billion minutes is early Roman Empire, and 1 trillion minutes takes you well before the emergence of anatomically modern humans and nearer the origins of the genus Homo.
This is a real challenge of a job: Director General for Digital, Data and Technology at the ONS. Hope they can get someone excellent - with the profound challenges at the ONS this is going to be a very difficult gig. www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...
Quick Check Needed
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk
November 22, 2025 at 10:16 AM
This is a real challenge of a job: Director General for Digital, Data and Technology at the ONS. Hope they can get someone excellent - with the profound challenges at the ONS this is going to be a very difficult gig. www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...
Well done everyone, you've all done really well this week! It has been a tough old week yet again in so many ways for so many of us ... and you've made it through anyway, because you're awesome. Well done, and all the best for the weekend.
November 21, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Well done everyone, you've all done really well this week! It has been a tough old week yet again in so many ways for so many of us ... and you've made it through anyway, because you're awesome. Well done, and all the best for the weekend.
Topical reminder of important historical events in relation to today’s opening day at the Ashes: the Emu War.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War
(I thought this used to have the standard Wikipedia war infoboxes enumerating belligerents, commanders, losses, etc, but alas not, and it’s semi-protected.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War
(I thought this used to have the standard Wikipedia war infoboxes enumerating belligerents, commanders, losses, etc, but alas not, and it’s semi-protected.)
November 21, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Topical reminder of important historical events in relation to today’s opening day at the Ashes: the Emu War.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War
(I thought this used to have the standard Wikipedia war infoboxes enumerating belligerents, commanders, losses, etc, but alas not, and it’s semi-protected.)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu_War
(I thought this used to have the standard Wikipedia war infoboxes enumerating belligerents, commanders, losses, etc, but alas not, and it’s semi-protected.)
We have a load of bad problems in higher and further education. It would be extraordinary if the dire cost pressures were *not* affecting quality.
November 21, 2025 at 8:32 AM
We have a load of bad problems in higher and further education. It would be extraordinary if the dire cost pressures were *not* affecting quality.
Can't tell whether I'm at that stage of life where new things often seem outlandish or whether it is actually bizarre that a significant new public policy concern is safeguards on artificial intelligence being thwarted by "adversarial poetry".
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 20, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Can't tell whether I'm at that stage of life where new things often seem outlandish or whether it is actually bizarre that a significant new public policy concern is safeguards on artificial intelligence being thwarted by "adversarial poetry".
Actually laughed out loud at discovering that all professors at Oxford (unless individually exempted) must accept headship of their department or faculty if asked. Yeah they’ve had problems with getting people to do it before, haven’t they?
November 19, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Actually laughed out loud at discovering that all professors at Oxford (unless individually exempted) must accept headship of their department or faculty if asked. Yeah they’ve had problems with getting people to do it before, haven’t they?
Survey research has been in a downward spiral for decades: LLMs are administering the coup de grâce. As someone who’s spent much of their working life using surveys … Gulp. As I keep saying, many bad things happen when the price of custom plausible bullshit falls through the floor.
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 18, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Survey research has been in a downward spiral for decades: LLMs are administering the coup de grâce. As someone who’s spent much of their working life using surveys … Gulp. As I keep saying, many bad things happen when the price of custom plausible bullshit falls through the floor.
Haven’t seen Rice Krispies for years. I remember Snap having a chef’s hat; Pop has sensibly shifted to a baseball cap. But why has Crackle switched to a Phrygian cap from a sleeping cap? Realising I also didn’t ask as a kid about Smurfs and Phyrgian caps.
November 18, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Haven’t seen Rice Krispies for years. I remember Snap having a chef’s hat; Pop has sensibly shifted to a baseball cap. But why has Crackle switched to a Phrygian cap from a sleeping cap? Realising I also didn’t ask as a kid about Smurfs and Phyrgian caps.
It is astonishing that the British Library is in such disarray and it’s not a bigger deal. Major catalogues still unavailable two years after the cyberattack, bitter strikes, and the new chief executive leaving abruptly.
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:36 AM
It is astonishing that the British Library is in such disarray and it’s not a bigger deal. Major catalogues still unavailable two years after the cyberattack, bitter strikes, and the new chief executive leaving abruptly.
"Many things have been omitted, and my ovals have"
Ellipses ellipsis
"Charlie did well by focusing everything on one point, like this curved mirror"
Parabola parable
(I cannot for the life of me pronounce hyperbole correctly now.)
Ellipses ellipsis
"Charlie did well by focusing everything on one point, like this curved mirror"
Parabola parable
(I cannot for the life of me pronounce hyperbole correctly now.)
“That is the best curve EVER”
Hyperbola hyperbole
Hyperbola hyperbole
November 17, 2025 at 12:41 PM
"Many things have been omitted, and my ovals have"
Ellipses ellipsis
"Charlie did well by focusing everything on one point, like this curved mirror"
Parabola parable
(I cannot for the life of me pronounce hyperbole correctly now.)
Ellipses ellipsis
"Charlie did well by focusing everything on one point, like this curved mirror"
Parabola parable
(I cannot for the life of me pronounce hyperbole correctly now.)
Drinking loads of mead was, it seems, more of a heroic myth than a daily reality in Viking times … which is essentially how modern Viking-inspired mead-drinking works. That’s actually pretty cool if you ask me.
I've written about mead and its popular perception for The Conversation. theconversation.com/the-truth-ab... Mildly concerned that by pointing out that the Vikings (probably) didn't drink (much) mead, I will have annoyed all the re-enactors, many of whom have swords oh dear.
The truth about Vikings and mead might disappoint modern enthusiasts
The standard drink was far more likely to be ale.
theconversation.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Drinking loads of mead was, it seems, more of a heroic myth than a daily reality in Viking times … which is essentially how modern Viking-inspired mead-drinking works. That’s actually pretty cool if you ask me.
Oh this is fantastic news. Ian Linkletter has been fighting a ridiculous battle to be able to be critical of Proctorio for years and years. So glad it’s over.
I have been dreaming of this day for over five years. Proctorio’s lawsuit against me is forever over. I’ve won my life back!
linkletter.org/update-33-th...
linkletter.org/update-33-th...
Update #33: The lawsuit is over! | Stand Against Proctorio's SLAPP!
linkletter.org
November 14, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Oh this is fantastic news. Ian Linkletter has been fighting a ridiculous battle to be able to be critical of Proctorio for years and years. So glad it’s over.
Warren Buffett famously enjoys the same Coca-Cola as everyone else. Although his ownership relationship to the business probably makes it taste sweeter.
Fred Goodwin (for it was he) once told me that RBS developed one of these systems but threw it away because it caused nothing but problems. Every Category 1 customer has a friend or relative who is a Category 5 and when you treat them obviously differently it always angers both.
Companies are working overtime to stratify consumers, separating the haves from both the have nots and the have yachts
on.ft.com/4p6brF8 How the American dream turned out to be pay to play
on.ft.com/4p6brF8 How the American dream turned out to be pay to play
November 14, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Warren Buffett famously enjoys the same Coca-Cola as everyone else. Although his ownership relationship to the business probably makes it taste sweeter.
What a time to be alive. New DNA evidence is consistent with Hitler having right-sided cryptorchidism. A testicle missing from the scrotal sac can be in the abdomen or even the thigh, undeveloped, or absent completely. However, there is no anatomical basis for the location being the Albert Hall.
Addendum: I quickly wrote something partially about the results, and the potential for misunderstanding, but also about history's profound irony.
open.substack.com/pub/arutherf...
open.substack.com/pub/arutherf...
November 13, 2025 at 7:08 PM
What a time to be alive. New DNA evidence is consistent with Hitler having right-sided cryptorchidism. A testicle missing from the scrotal sac can be in the abdomen or even the thigh, undeveloped, or absent completely. However, there is no anatomical basis for the location being the Albert Hall.
The internet's favourite flammable festive goat is on its way! The long run average is ~70% destruction, mostly burning, but the last five years have been much better: survived, burned, survived, eaten by birds, survived. Fingers crossed it'll make it again this year.
November 11, 2025 at 3:30 PM
The internet's favourite flammable festive goat is on its way! The long run average is ~70% destruction, mostly burning, but the last five years have been much better: survived, burned, survived, eaten by birds, survived. Fingers crossed it'll make it again this year.
This is interesting - sticking with your usual coffee after cardioversion from atrial fibrillation seems to reduce recurrence compared to coming off it. I note, though, that caffeine withdrawal is pretty heavy stuff, and also the 100 coffee drinkers had two myocardial infarctions compared to none.
Get this: Coffee suppressed atrial fibrillation!
Unexpected results for recurrence from a randomized trial in participants after cardioversion from AF
#AHA25 @jama.com
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Unexpected results for recurrence from a randomized trial in participants after cardioversion from AF
#AHA25 @jama.com
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
November 10, 2025 at 10:32 AM
This is interesting - sticking with your usual coffee after cardioversion from atrial fibrillation seems to reduce recurrence compared to coming off it. I note, though, that caffeine withdrawal is pretty heavy stuff, and also the 100 coffee drinkers had two myocardial infarctions compared to none.
“LUCA was a prokaryote-grade anaerobic acetogen” kind of sounds like they’re insulting our mutual great^grandparent by insinuating they were like bacteria, not even mouth breathers, and faintly smelling of vinegar.
The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system
The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Integration of phylogenetics, comparative genomics and palaeobiological approaches suggests that the last universal common ancestor lived about 4.2 billion years ago and was a complex prokaryote-grade anaerobic acetogen that was part of an ecosystem.
www.nature.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:58 PM
“LUCA was a prokaryote-grade anaerobic acetogen” kind of sounds like they’re insulting our mutual great^grandparent by insinuating they were like bacteria, not even mouth breathers, and faintly smelling of vinegar.
As I have remarked many times since ChatGPT burst on the scenes, a lot of bad things happen when the price of custom plausible bullshit falls through the floor. This example is the planning system but there are so, so many more.
I genuinely think there is a case that anyone using an AI product of this kind should face a short prison sentence. It's vandalism, just like painting on a wall or smashing a bus stop.
And you don’t even need an actually good bit of tech, which “Objector” may or may not be, to do this! If you just ask the free version of any genAI to do something plausible it still louses up everyone else’s productivity to work out it is bollocks!
November 9, 2025 at 6:53 PM
As I have remarked many times since ChatGPT burst on the scenes, a lot of bad things happen when the price of custom plausible bullshit falls through the floor. This example is the planning system but there are so, so many more.
Making undeliverable promises that will let voters down, is it? I guess the the current PM’s chief secretary would know about the problems that can cause, given the preparatory noises about tax and the upcoming budget, but one might expect a degree of “learn from our fail” humility about it.
EXCL: The Green party is offering “simple solutions to complex problems” and making “undeliverable” promises to voters ahead of next election, PM's chief secretary Darren Jones tells me 👇
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Greens’ ‘undeliverable’ promises will let voters down, says Labour minister
Exclusive: Darren Jones says Labour has to convince young people it is ‘modern party of the future’
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Making undeliverable promises that will let voters down, is it? I guess the the current PM’s chief secretary would know about the problems that can cause, given the preparatory noises about tax and the upcoming budget, but one might expect a degree of “learn from our fail” humility about it.
Gulp. Yes, indeed, the British have sent expeditionary forces to support our friends, the plucky Belgians, more than once before. Amusing but also very much not.
Military action to protect Belgium has a precedent ...
The UK has agreed to provide military support to Belgium after drone incursions on its airspace that are suspected to have been carried out by Russia, the new Chief of Defence Staff has said
November 9, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Gulp. Yes, indeed, the British have sent expeditionary forces to support our friends, the plucky Belgians, more than once before. Amusing but also very much not.
This story of the bungling surveillance state wrongly cutting people off from child benefit and then giving them the full bureaucratic treatment to restore it has really bothered me. We could do so much better than this with data and the government is choosing not to.
How does something get a public release, even as a pilot, with this level of failure? www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:07 PM
This story of the bungling surveillance state wrongly cutting people off from child benefit and then giving them the full bureaucratic treatment to restore it has really bothered me. We could do so much better than this with data and the government is choosing not to.