Jacob Aron
@jjaron.bsky.social
News editor at New Scientist. I read a lot of books, and recommend the best ones to you
Pinned
Jacob Aron
@jjaron.bsky.social
· Nov 15
I used to share book recommendations on the other place but got out of the habit this year as engagement massively dropped off. Thinking about putting together my top 10 list for this year though, so as a test, like this, and for each like I'll recommend something great I read in the past 5 years
Reposted by Jacob Aron
I guess it’s a compliment that the top story on BBC London’s TV/online output today is a direct lift of a month-old London Centric story? But once again the BBC is consistently the worst news outlet for actually remembering to credit others.
November 25, 2025 at 7:52 AM
I guess it’s a compliment that the top story on BBC London’s TV/online output today is a direct lift of a month-old London Centric story? But once again the BBC is consistently the worst news outlet for actually remembering to credit others.
Reposted by Jacob Aron
November 25, 2025 at 1:21 AM
It's giving Golgafrinchan Ark Fleet Ship B www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
November 25, 2025 at 7:51 AM
It's giving Golgafrinchan Ark Fleet Ship B www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
To be fair to Gregory Maguire, he's had one good idea in his career, executed it poorly and ever since has milked it for all it is worth www.broadwayworld.com/article/Greg...
Gregory Maguire Releasing WICKED Prequel 'Galinda: A Charmed Childhood' in 2026
Gregory Maguire, author of the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, will release his new book Galinda: A Charmed Childhood in the fall of 2026. Pre-orders are available no...
www.broadwayworld.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:09 PM
To be fair to Gregory Maguire, he's had one good idea in his career, executed it poorly and ever since has milked it for all it is worth www.broadwayworld.com/article/Greg...
Reposted by Jacob Aron
2015: it’s Black Friday!
2025: it’s Black Friday week!
2035: October is the start of Black Friday quarter!
2045: *gun to head* Black Friday starts December 26th
2025: it’s Black Friday week!
2035: October is the start of Black Friday quarter!
2045: *gun to head* Black Friday starts December 26th
November 24, 2025 at 6:58 PM
2015: it’s Black Friday!
2025: it’s Black Friday week!
2035: October is the start of Black Friday quarter!
2045: *gun to head* Black Friday starts December 26th
2025: it’s Black Friday week!
2035: October is the start of Black Friday quarter!
2045: *gun to head* Black Friday starts December 26th
Reposted by Jacob Aron
Pre-orders make a huge difference for first time authors, please consider pre-ordering Entangled States here: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804548...
Entangled States by Karmela Padavic-Callaghan: 9780807016985 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
A young queer millennial physicist unveils some of the most mind-bending physics concepts in the universe—and uses them to illuminate their own fascinating life story “I see physics everywhere,”...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Pre-orders make a huge difference for first time authors, please consider pre-ordering Entangled States here: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804548...
Reposted by Jacob Aron
There are two polling questions on tax.
Do you support [x tax] on people who are not you? 60% support.
Do you support [y tax] on people like you? 25% support.
You don't even need to run the surveys- just drop the specific tax name into the above.
Do you support [x tax] on people who are not you? 60% support.
Do you support [y tax] on people like you? 25% support.
You don't even need to run the surveys- just drop the specific tax name into the above.
November 24, 2025 at 4:55 PM
There are two polling questions on tax.
Do you support [x tax] on people who are not you? 60% support.
Do you support [y tax] on people like you? 25% support.
You don't even need to run the surveys- just drop the specific tax name into the above.
Do you support [x tax] on people who are not you? 60% support.
Do you support [y tax] on people like you? 25% support.
You don't even need to run the surveys- just drop the specific tax name into the above.
Reposted by Jacob Aron
my problem with gyoza is that they normally come in an order of about 6, but what I really need is 100 of them
November 24, 2025 at 5:22 PM
my problem with gyoza is that they normally come in an order of about 6, but what I really need is 100 of them
"Would you support or oppose taxing Not You, without any explanation or understanding of the inherent trade-offs involved?"
With Rachel Reeves reportedly set to apply a new tax on tuition fees paid by overseas students, most Britons support such a move at the previously mooted level of 6%
Support: 57%
Oppose: 18%
yougov.co.uk/topics/socie...
Support: 57%
Oppose: 18%
yougov.co.uk/topics/socie...
November 24, 2025 at 5:20 PM
"Would you support or oppose taxing Not You, without any explanation or understanding of the inherent trade-offs involved?"
Reposted by Jacob Aron
One point to add about fake AI journalists: the people that will suffer most are young newbie journalists.
I’ve been writing for years and have an extensive footprint: no editor is going to think I’m AI.
But someone new, with few published stories, will necessarily look “less real”.
I’ve been writing for years and have an extensive footprint: no editor is going to think I’m AI.
But someone new, with few published stories, will necessarily look “less real”.
Really worrying. I now frequently receive pitches that are clearly written by AI - the worrying part will be when that stops being clear. I'm fairly confident our editorial processes and numerous rounds of edits would eventually unmask an AI writer, but you never know... thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 24, 2025 at 9:58 AM
One point to add about fake AI journalists: the people that will suffer most are young newbie journalists.
I’ve been writing for years and have an extensive footprint: no editor is going to think I’m AI.
But someone new, with few published stories, will necessarily look “less real”.
I’ve been writing for years and have an extensive footprint: no editor is going to think I’m AI.
But someone new, with few published stories, will necessarily look “less real”.
This is what is so frustrating - COP actually worked in 2015, so why is it such a failure now? Have just filed a leader on exactly this topic...
It's funny to have to make this case but tbqh we don't make it enough: human efforts to counter fossil fuel use have had *at least some* effect on total greenhouse gas emissions since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, and there's some evidence to back up this position
A lil thread 🧵
A lil thread 🧵
a man is talking about being entirely successful .
Alt: a robot is is talking about not being entirely successful .
media.tenor.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:42 AM
This is what is so frustrating - COP actually worked in 2015, so why is it such a failure now? Have just filed a leader on exactly this topic...
Reposted by Jacob Aron
Turns out interest in Metaverse had about a ~9 month half life.
November 23, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Turns out interest in Metaverse had about a ~9 month half life.
Forgive me but I just don't think we should be taking health policy advice from Big Suze
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/68f998a...
It worries me that safe screens etc get meetings in Westminster but we can’t get anyone to discuss edtech data sharing
I don’t disagree with the issues around screens in schools and the lack of books. But Sophie is deliberately ignoring the edtech data issue
It worries me that safe screens etc get meetings in Westminster but we can’t get anyone to discuss edtech data sharing
I don’t disagree with the issues around screens in schools and the lack of books. But Sophie is deliberately ignoring the edtech data issue
Screens in schools doing ‘lifelong’ damage, Sophie Winkleman warns
Actress and campaigner says children’s intellectual capacity is being damaged by classroom tech
www.telegraph.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Forgive me but I just don't think we should be taking health policy advice from Big Suze
Reposted by Jacob Aron
Seeing good people attempting the "This may not have been true, but the fact I *thought* it was tells us something important about society" defence after propagating the Gmail/LLM story.
Sorry, but that one's bollocks whoever screwed up. Check your sources, admit your mistakes and learn from them.
Sorry, but that one's bollocks whoever screwed up. Check your sources, admit your mistakes and learn from them.
November 24, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Seeing good people attempting the "This may not have been true, but the fact I *thought* it was tells us something important about society" defence after propagating the Gmail/LLM story.
Sorry, but that one's bollocks whoever screwed up. Check your sources, admit your mistakes and learn from them.
Sorry, but that one's bollocks whoever screwed up. Check your sources, admit your mistakes and learn from them.
"makeshift metal towers" is such a halfhearted second mention. They aren't even towers!
November 24, 2025 at 7:45 AM
"makeshift metal towers" is such a halfhearted second mention. They aren't even towers!
Reposted by Jacob Aron
just incredibly thrilled to announce that after months and months of uncertainty over the future of the game, and several I have bought Zombies, Run!, the game I co-created and have been making for the past 12 years:
zombiesrungame.com
observer.co.uk/the-critics/...
zombiesrungame.com
observer.co.uk/the-critics/...
I’m a novelist who’s just bought a video games company. Here’s why you should care about games writing | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 6:08 AM
just incredibly thrilled to announce that after months and months of uncertainty over the future of the game, and several I have bought Zombies, Run!, the game I co-created and have been making for the past 12 years:
zombiesrungame.com
observer.co.uk/the-critics/...
zombiesrungame.com
observer.co.uk/the-critics/...
Sure, but bsky.app/profile/jjar...
Remember, if you're about to share something that confirms your biases, take a few seconds to check it's actually true
Ok I checked and no, Andrew Tate hasn't posted that it's gay for straight men to have a girlfriend.
If you haven't seen the post about this that's doing the rounds, then this is not something you need to know about. Carry on.
If you haven't seen the post about this that's doing the rounds, then this is not something you need to know about. Carry on.
November 24, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Sure, but bsky.app/profile/jjar...
Reposted by Jacob Aron
I don't know what even the point of arguing with these people is anymore, but the idea that "the crime gene" had been weeded out by 19th-20th century Europe is something you have to be a genuine imbecile to believe.
November 24, 2025 at 2:39 AM
I don't know what even the point of arguing with these people is anymore, but the idea that "the crime gene" had been weeded out by 19th-20th century Europe is something you have to be a genuine imbecile to believe.
Reposted by Jacob Aron
“Climate change isn’t everything“ is becoming a go-to justification for delaying action.
This is - deliberately or inadvertently - a misframing of the issue. The point isn’t CC is everything, it’s that it’s essential to deal with.
1/
This is - deliberately or inadvertently - a misframing of the issue. The point isn’t CC is everything, it’s that it’s essential to deal with.
1/
November 24, 2025 at 6:07 AM
“Climate change isn’t everything“ is becoming a go-to justification for delaying action.
This is - deliberately or inadvertently - a misframing of the issue. The point isn’t CC is everything, it’s that it’s essential to deal with.
1/
This is - deliberately or inadvertently - a misframing of the issue. The point isn’t CC is everything, it’s that it’s essential to deal with.
1/
This tweet appears to be fake
November 24, 2025 at 7:05 AM
This tweet appears to be fake
And we're taxing the windows, I assume?
November 23, 2025 at 11:59 PM
And we're taxing the windows, I assume?
Reposted by Jacob Aron
Summarised all the Budget preview pieces to save you time:
Reeves was going to raise income tax but since the forecast is a bit better she won’t. Instead she’ll just do a bunch of tweaks and freezes that will annoy everyone and not leave her enough headroom to avoid the same thing next year. 1/2
Reeves was going to raise income tax but since the forecast is a bit better she won’t. Instead she’ll just do a bunch of tweaks and freezes that will annoy everyone and not leave her enough headroom to avoid the same thing next year. 1/2
November 23, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Summarised all the Budget preview pieces to save you time:
Reeves was going to raise income tax but since the forecast is a bit better she won’t. Instead she’ll just do a bunch of tweaks and freezes that will annoy everyone and not leave her enough headroom to avoid the same thing next year. 1/2
Reeves was going to raise income tax but since the forecast is a bit better she won’t. Instead she’ll just do a bunch of tweaks and freezes that will annoy everyone and not leave her enough headroom to avoid the same thing next year. 1/2
How your email finds me
Terumaru, a bright young lightbulb and the mascot of the Tokyu Denki electric company, trapped in a door yesterday:
November 23, 2025 at 11:32 PM
How your email finds me
Really worrying. I now frequently receive pitches that are clearly written by AI - the worrying part will be when that stops being clear. I'm fairly confident our editorial processes and numerous rounds of edits would eventually unmask an AI writer, but you never know... thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 23, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Really worrying. I now frequently receive pitches that are clearly written by AI - the worrying part will be when that stops being clear. I'm fairly confident our editorial processes and numerous rounds of edits would eventually unmask an AI writer, but you never know... thelocal.to/investigatin...