Marc Smith
@marcxsmith.bsky.social
Writer, chartered psychologist, semi-ex-teacher. Slower than average runner. Fiction dabbler. Smarter: Lessons from the New Science of Learning, out now. Leeds, UK
theemotionallearner.com
theemotionallearner.com
Pinned
Marc Smith
@marcxsmith.bsky.social
· Oct 16
Smarter: Lessons from the New Science of Learning
Buy Smarter: Lessons from the New Science of Learning 1 by Smith, Marc (ISBN: 9781041047797) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
www.amazon.co.uk
I have a new book out in December. Available to pre-order,
www.amazon.co.uk/Smarter-Less...
www.amazon.co.uk/Smarter-Less...
Reposted by Marc Smith
Betting market now suggesting Hannah Spencer, Green, more likely to win Gorton & Denton than not, 51% probability; Matthew Goodwin, Reform, 32%; Angeliki Stogia, Labour, 18% www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri...
British Politics Gorton & Denton By-election Betting Odds | Politics
British Politics - Gorton & Denton By-election Betting Odds. Get the best available British Politics odds from all online bookmakers with Oddschecker, the home of betting value.
www.oddschecker.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Betting market now suggesting Hannah Spencer, Green, more likely to win Gorton & Denton than not, 51% probability; Matthew Goodwin, Reform, 32%; Angeliki Stogia, Labour, 18% www.oddschecker.com/politics/bri...
Reposted by Marc Smith
London continues to lead. Last week we were ⤵️
Recognised as one of the greenest global cities with spectacular green spaces and cleaner air.
Named the ‘new Hollywood’ - attracting record investment.
Ignore the haters: London is the greatest city.
Recognised as one of the greenest global cities with spectacular green spaces and cleaner air.
Named the ‘new Hollywood’ - attracting record investment.
Ignore the haters: London is the greatest city.
February 2, 2026 at 8:00 AM
London continues to lead. Last week we were ⤵️
Recognised as one of the greenest global cities with spectacular green spaces and cleaner air.
Named the ‘new Hollywood’ - attracting record investment.
Ignore the haters: London is the greatest city.
Recognised as one of the greenest global cities with spectacular green spaces and cleaner air.
Named the ‘new Hollywood’ - attracting record investment.
Ignore the haters: London is the greatest city.
Reposted by Marc Smith
Do you like cat photos? Are you constantly distracted? You’re probably actually quite good at focussing: 10 myths about attention
Do you like cat photos? Are you constantly distracted? You’re probably actually quite good at focussing: 10 myths about attention
Every second, 11m bits of information enter our brains, which then efficiently prioritise them. We need to learn to work with the process, rather than against it
www.theguardian.com
February 2, 2026 at 8:19 AM
Do you like cat photos? Are you constantly distracted? You’re probably actually quite good at focussing: 10 myths about attention
It might be better to list the people who aren't in the Epstein files.
a man with a mustache is smiling and looking at the camera .
ALT: a man with a mustache is smiling and looking at the camera .
media.tenor.com
February 1, 2026 at 10:12 AM
It might be better to list the people who aren't in the Epstein files.
Reposted by Marc Smith
Came across this memorial in Bebelplatz in Berlin yesterday, recognising the burning of books by Nazis in May 1933.
The books burned included 20,000 books from the library of Magnus Hirschfeld who set up the Institute for Sexual Research, the world’s first trans health clinic.
The books burned included 20,000 books from the library of Magnus Hirschfeld who set up the Institute for Sexual Research, the world’s first trans health clinic.
May 26, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Came across this memorial in Bebelplatz in Berlin yesterday, recognising the burning of books by Nazis in May 1933.
The books burned included 20,000 books from the library of Magnus Hirschfeld who set up the Institute for Sexual Research, the world’s first trans health clinic.
The books burned included 20,000 books from the library of Magnus Hirschfeld who set up the Institute for Sexual Research, the world’s first trans health clinic.
Reposted by Marc Smith
🗣️"Reading and discussion are part of the same life-world. Education is not a discrete system marked by credits and deliverables, but a way of inhabiting time."
#AcademicSky
#AcademicSky
In defence of boredom – Why the social sciences need time to “waste” - LSE Impact
Why has boredom, or simply the opportunity to linger over research, become a key issue in shaping the kinds of knowledge academics produce?
blogs.lse.ac.uk
January 31, 2026 at 10:39 AM
🗣️"Reading and discussion are part of the same life-world. Education is not a discrete system marked by credits and deliverables, but a way of inhabiting time."
#AcademicSky
#AcademicSky
Reform are the bookies favourite to win the Gorton & Denton by-election & convicted thug/benefit fraudster Tommy Robinson has endorsed their candidate.
Tells you all you need to know, really.
Tells you all you need to know, really.
Tommy Robinson is backing Reform candidate Matthew Goodwin. And Goodwin won’t distance himself from the former EDL leader.
January 31, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Reform are the bookies favourite to win the Gorton & Denton by-election & convicted thug/benefit fraudster Tommy Robinson has endorsed their candidate.
Tells you all you need to know, really.
Tells you all you need to know, really.
Reposted by Marc Smith
Research posts on Bluesky are more original — and get better engagement www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#SciSky #AcademicSky #OpenScience #SciComm #SocialMediaAnalysis
#SciSky #AcademicSky #OpenScience #SciComm #SocialMediaAnalysis
Research posts on Bluesky are more original — and get better engagement
Bluesky posts about science garner more likes and reposts than similar ones on X.
www.nature.com
January 31, 2026 at 6:16 AM
Research posts on Bluesky are more original — and get better engagement www.nature.com/articles/d41...
#SciSky #AcademicSky #OpenScience #SciComm #SocialMediaAnalysis
#SciSky #AcademicSky #OpenScience #SciComm #SocialMediaAnalysis
Fancy yourself as a domestic terrorist?
There's definitely a Facebook group for that!
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
There's definitely a Facebook group for that!
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Ulez bomber: the retired electrician who turned bomb-making extremist
Shy 63-year-old’s decision to blow up London traffic camera linked to online conspiracy theories and Islamophobia
www.theguardian.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:50 AM
Fancy yourself as a domestic terrorist?
There's definitely a Facebook group for that!
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
There's definitely a Facebook group for that!
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
With the UK's PM visiting China, it looks like Trump is continuing his drive to push US allies away.
Probably not what the orange one intended.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Probably not what the orange one intended.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Starmer hopes his China trip will begin the thaw after recent ice age
PM flies out after courting world’s second biggest economy aware of difficult balance of risks and potential rewards
www.theguardian.com
January 31, 2026 at 8:39 AM
With the UK's PM visiting China, it looks like Trump is continuing his drive to push US allies away.
Probably not what the orange one intended.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Probably not what the orange one intended.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Reposted by Marc Smith
Matt Goodwin once wrote that Britain is ruled by a ‘woke elite’ that comprises *as much as 25 per cent of the population*
If you want to watch an expert take down of this canard, @samfriedman.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale is very good
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/who-really...
If you want to watch an expert take down of this canard, @samfriedman.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale is very good
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/who-really...
Who really rules Britain?
I talked to Sam Friedman about Britain’s elite - and its political power
democracyforsale.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Matt Goodwin once wrote that Britain is ruled by a ‘woke elite’ that comprises *as much as 25 per cent of the population*
If you want to watch an expert take down of this canard, @samfriedman.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale is very good
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/who-really...
If you want to watch an expert take down of this canard, @samfriedman.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale is very good
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/who-really...
The Boss doin' boss stuff!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDaP...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDaP...
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Lyric Video)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
www.youtube.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:24 PM
The Boss doin' boss stuff!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDaP...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDaP...
Reposted by Marc Smith
Are episodic and semantic memory really that different? Using closely matched tasks, we found no substantial neural differences between recalling personal experiences and general knowledge: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02390-4
January 29, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Are episodic and semantic memory really that different? Using closely matched tasks, we found no substantial neural differences between recalling personal experiences and general knowledge: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02390-4
It’s a cold and dreary day in northern England!
January 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM
It’s a cold and dreary day in northern England!
More evidence, perhaps, that politics is as much about personality as policies. The Green's shift from virtually invisible co-leaders to a self-styled eco-populist in @zackpolanski.bsky.social has led to a significant upturn in public perception.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
The Polanski effect? These charts reveal how much the Greens have advanced
The Green party has made gains under its leader – but there is also uncertainty ahead
www.theguardian.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:27 AM
More evidence, perhaps, that politics is as much about personality as policies. The Green's shift from virtually invisible co-leaders to a self-styled eco-populist in @zackpolanski.bsky.social has led to a significant upturn in public perception.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
I suspect ICE agents are too fucking stupid to know that you can't really do this.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Ecuador condemns ICE agent's attempt to enter Minneapolis consulate
A complaint has been filed by Ecuador, whose consular staff prevented the agent from entering.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 28, 2026 at 4:31 PM
I suspect ICE agents are too fucking stupid to know that you can't really do this.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Marc Smith
“No progress at all was made in reducing overall levels of relative hardship”
Misery caused by Tory austerity and failures of governance; prioritising ruinous ideology over social investment.
Reform wants voters to be angry, but plans more of exactly the same.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Misery caused by Tory austerity and failures of governance; prioritising ruinous ideology over social investment.
Reform wants voters to be angry, but plans more of exactly the same.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Guardian view on deepening poverty in the UK: a catastrophic Tory legacy has cut millions adrift | Editorial
Editorial: A new Joseph Rowntree report underlines the corrosive impact of years of anti-welfare rhetoric. A reframing of the debate is urgently needed
www.theguardian.com
January 28, 2026 at 7:38 AM
“No progress at all was made in reducing overall levels of relative hardship”
Misery caused by Tory austerity and failures of governance; prioritising ruinous ideology over social investment.
Reform wants voters to be angry, but plans more of exactly the same.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Misery caused by Tory austerity and failures of governance; prioritising ruinous ideology over social investment.
Reform wants voters to be angry, but plans more of exactly the same.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
WTF!
US vice-president, JD Vance, and secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would be protected by ICE “bodyguards” at the Olympics.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
US vice-president, JD Vance, and secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would be protected by ICE “bodyguards” at the Olympics.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
‘A militia that kills’: uproar in Italy over ICE security role at Winter Olympics
Milan’s mayor says agents’not welcome’ in co-host city and that Italy can take care of security itself
www.theguardian.com
January 27, 2026 at 5:01 PM
WTF!
US vice-president, JD Vance, and secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would be protected by ICE “bodyguards” at the Olympics.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
US vice-president, JD Vance, and secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would be protected by ICE “bodyguards” at the Olympics.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Rather than focus on culture wars and scapegoating migrants, perhaps we could concentrate more on tackling poverty?
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Record number of people in UK live in ‘very deep poverty’, analysis shows
Joseph Rowntree Foundation finds problem is ‘deeper and more damaging than at any point in the last 30 years’
www.theguardian.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Rather than focus on culture wars and scapegoating migrants, perhaps we could concentrate more on tackling poverty?
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Turns out Reform UK can't even campaign in the right constituency.
But Lee's never been the sharpest tool in the box (although a tool nonetheless).
uk.news.yahoo.com/reform-mp-le...
But Lee's never been the sharpest tool in the box (although a tool nonetheless).
uk.news.yahoo.com/reform-mp-le...
Reform MP Lee Anderson Torn Apart For Embarrassing By-Election Campaign Gaffe
The party whip may not have checked a map before posting a series of photos online.
uk.news.yahoo.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:43 PM
Turns out Reform UK can't even campaign in the right constituency.
But Lee's never been the sharpest tool in the box (although a tool nonetheless).
uk.news.yahoo.com/reform-mp-le...
But Lee's never been the sharpest tool in the box (although a tool nonetheless).
uk.news.yahoo.com/reform-mp-le...
Pretty solid left(ish) base here, but Labour have never really liked pacts with other parties - they really don't play well with others, which is why they'll probably struggle with PR.
They'd rather let Reform win than negotiate with @greenparty.org.uk or @libdems.org.uk
They'd rather let Reform win than negotiate with @greenparty.org.uk or @libdems.org.uk
YouGov voting intention
Smallest Reform lead since July last year
RefUK 25(+1)
LAB 21%(+2)
CON 17%(-1)
GRN 16%(-1)
LDEM 14%(nc)
Changes since last week
Smallest Reform lead since July last year
RefUK 25(+1)
LAB 21%(+2)
CON 17%(-1)
GRN 16%(-1)
LDEM 14%(nc)
Changes since last week
January 27, 2026 at 10:39 AM
Pretty solid left(ish) base here, but Labour have never really liked pacts with other parties - they really don't play well with others, which is why they'll probably struggle with PR.
They'd rather let Reform win than negotiate with @greenparty.org.uk or @libdems.org.uk
They'd rather let Reform win than negotiate with @greenparty.org.uk or @libdems.org.uk
Farage claims Trump never meant to insult British troops, and says ICE victim in Minneapolis shouldn't have been there with gun
The Reform UK leader continues to act like a MAGA devotee. If you're planning to vote Reform, you're not paying attention!
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
The Reform UK leader continues to act like a MAGA devotee. If you're planning to vote Reform, you're not paying attention!
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Tories withdraw ‘mental health’ briefing about Suella Braverman after former Tory home secretary joins Reform – UK politics live
Her defection means there are now eight Reform MPs in the Commons
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Farage claims Trump never meant to insult British troops, and says ICE victim in Minneapolis shouldn't have been there with gun
The Reform UK leader continues to act like a MAGA devotee. If you're planning to vote Reform, you're not paying attention!
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
The Reform UK leader continues to act like a MAGA devotee. If you're planning to vote Reform, you're not paying attention!
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Reposted by Marc Smith
The BBC is the world's most respected broadcaster. @bbcrosatkins.bsky.social
is its most respected fact checker. Here he analyses, frame by frame, what happened in Minneapolis.
Border Patrol removed Alex Pretti's gun, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 shot him — TEN times in five seconds. The Trump regime is lying to us.
is its most respected fact checker. Here he analyses, frame by frame, what happened in Minneapolis.
Border Patrol removed Alex Pretti's gun, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 shot him — TEN times in five seconds. The Trump regime is lying to us.
January 26, 2026 at 12:42 PM
The BBC is the world's most respected broadcaster. @bbcrosatkins.bsky.social
is its most respected fact checker. Here he analyses, frame by frame, what happened in Minneapolis.
Border Patrol removed Alex Pretti's gun, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 shot him — TEN times in five seconds. The Trump regime is lying to us.
is its most respected fact checker. Here he analyses, frame by frame, what happened in Minneapolis.
Border Patrol removed Alex Pretti's gun, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 shot him — TEN times in five seconds. The Trump regime is lying to us.
Reposted by Marc Smith
It's the Ship of Theseus but all the original parts are being used to build a second, crappier ship.
Ex-Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman defects to Reform UK
The MP was unveiled as the party's latest recruit by leader Nigel Farage at a rally.
www.bbc.com
January 26, 2026 at 12:47 PM
It's the Ship of Theseus but all the original parts are being used to build a second, crappier ship.