Matt Potter
@mattpotteruk.bsky.social
Journalist, author, magpie, scriptwriter, nerd. Washington Post, BBC, etc. Nonfic books incl WE ARE ALL TARGETS & OUTLAWS INC. Science, languages, virology, art, illicit networks, deviance, cyber, psychology, weird, prehistory, subculture. ND. He/Him
Reposted by Matt Potter
We are burning all our fossil fuels and pricing computer components out of reach of most people just to come up with garbage like this
December 2, 2025 at 7:52 AM
We are burning all our fossil fuels and pricing computer components out of reach of most people just to come up with garbage like this
Every age gets the scandals it deserves.
1950s, Cold War paranoia: McCarthy
1970s, polarisation/smashmouth campaigning: Watergate
1980s, greed: Iran/Contra
2025: The Hawk-Tuah Memecoin Melania Trump Clueless Populist Self-Incriminating Idiocy Industrial Complex
rudevulture.com/hawk-tuah-go...
1950s, Cold War paranoia: McCarthy
1970s, polarisation/smashmouth campaigning: Watergate
1980s, greed: Iran/Contra
2025: The Hawk-Tuah Memecoin Melania Trump Clueless Populist Self-Incriminating Idiocy Industrial Complex
rudevulture.com/hawk-tuah-go...
December 1, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Every age gets the scandals it deserves.
1950s, Cold War paranoia: McCarthy
1970s, polarisation/smashmouth campaigning: Watergate
1980s, greed: Iran/Contra
2025: The Hawk-Tuah Memecoin Melania Trump Clueless Populist Self-Incriminating Idiocy Industrial Complex
rudevulture.com/hawk-tuah-go...
1950s, Cold War paranoia: McCarthy
1970s, polarisation/smashmouth campaigning: Watergate
1980s, greed: Iran/Contra
2025: The Hawk-Tuah Memecoin Melania Trump Clueless Populist Self-Incriminating Idiocy Industrial Complex
rudevulture.com/hawk-tuah-go...
Weird Tom Stoppard memory.
I saw Leopoldstadt on the eve of Covid Lockdown in London.
At the end, all of the characters we’ve met are being asked about. They are ticked off one by one in a grim roll-call. ‘Auschwitz.’ (They blink out as the spotlight is extinguished.) ‘Auschwitz.’ It’s relentless.
I saw Leopoldstadt on the eve of Covid Lockdown in London.
At the end, all of the characters we’ve met are being asked about. They are ticked off one by one in a grim roll-call. ‘Auschwitz.’ (They blink out as the spotlight is extinguished.) ‘Auschwitz.’ It’s relentless.
November 29, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Weird Tom Stoppard memory.
I saw Leopoldstadt on the eve of Covid Lockdown in London.
At the end, all of the characters we’ve met are being asked about. They are ticked off one by one in a grim roll-call. ‘Auschwitz.’ (They blink out as the spotlight is extinguished.) ‘Auschwitz.’ It’s relentless.
I saw Leopoldstadt on the eve of Covid Lockdown in London.
At the end, all of the characters we’ve met are being asked about. They are ticked off one by one in a grim roll-call. ‘Auschwitz.’ (They blink out as the spotlight is extinguished.) ‘Auschwitz.’ It’s relentless.
Reposted by Matt Potter
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... [paywall]
The dispersal of domestic cats from North Africa to Europe around 2000 years ago
The domestic cat (Felis catus) descends from the African wildcat Felis lybica lybica. Its global distribution alongside humans testifies to its successful adaptation to anthropogenic environments. Unc...
www.science.org
November 27, 2025 at 7:50 PM
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... [paywall]
Reposted by Matt Potter
Never let it be said that the British press is out of touch
November 27, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Never let it be said that the British press is out of touch
Reposted by Matt Potter
I like to imagine that their previous failed "crypto food delivery idea" floundered because neither of them could pretend to be food or crypto.
Founders on LinkedIn still seem to be struggling with the difference between telling people about their humble beginnings and admitting to straight up committing fraud.
November 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM
I like to imagine that their previous failed "crypto food delivery idea" floundered because neither of them could pretend to be food or crypto.
Reposted by Matt Potter
the price of populism
"By 2025, Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, with the impact accumulating gradually over time. We estimate that investment was reduced by between 12% and 18%, employment by 3% to 4% and productivity by 3% to 4%"
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
Read the Stanford report:
siepr.stanford.edu/publications...
The Economic Impact of Brexit
Other
siepr.stanford.edu
November 25, 2025 at 7:43 PM
the price of populism
Reposted by Matt Potter
This is also how I judge the History Channel. If it’s about a topic I know, I spot at least one lie per minute watching the History Channel, so it’s horrifying to think how many lies I’d be swallowing without knowing it if I watched about a topic I don’t know.
LLM search results are even worse.
LLM search results are even worse.
Saw an interesting piece of advice recently: ask the AI search engines for an answer in a field in which you are very knowledgeable.
The results will make it clear just how much they get wrong, and how brazen they are about it.
Now, apply that to every subject in which you are NOT an expert.
The results will make it clear just how much they get wrong, and how brazen they are about it.
Now, apply that to every subject in which you are NOT an expert.
Looked up “what mobile parking app do I need for <this town>” - AI summary on Google confidently gave me the wrong answer, which I ignored because **it is wrong a third of the time, about ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING** (according to the last study I read.)
The shit just doesn’t work.
The shit just doesn’t work.
November 25, 2025 at 3:59 PM
This is also how I judge the History Channel. If it’s about a topic I know, I spot at least one lie per minute watching the History Channel, so it’s horrifying to think how many lies I’d be swallowing without knowing it if I watched about a topic I don’t know.
LLM search results are even worse.
LLM search results are even worse.
Reposted by Matt Potter
the entirety of human history has actually been manipulation by cats to get them to every corner of earth.
"Domestic cats finally crossed the Alps with the Roman conquest of Gaul"
Huh. I never really thought about the connections between animal populations and military campaigns before
Huh. I never really thought about the connections between animal populations and military campaigns before
November 23, 2025 at 7:14 AM
the entirety of human history has actually been manipulation by cats to get them to every corner of earth.
All of that on Nathan Gill and Reform as tools of Russian foreign policy - and the sequel being written here, today.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 23, 2025 at 7:27 AM
All of that on Nathan Gill and Reform as tools of Russian foreign policy - and the sequel being written here, today.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
I just heard that an old friend & colleague with whom I’d lost touch has died. There are lots of things to be said by people closer to them than I had become. But this person was kind, & classy, & creative. And by being all of that, they made the world, and so many other people’s lives, far better.
November 21, 2025 at 7:59 PM
I just heard that an old friend & colleague with whom I’d lost touch has died. There are lots of things to be said by people closer to them than I had become. But this person was kind, & classy, & creative. And by being all of that, they made the world, and so many other people’s lives, far better.
Reposted by Matt Potter
These are astonishingly bad numbers:
Enten: "Trump is 39 below water on the Epstein case. 39 points in the negative! My goodness gracious. What Trump has been selling on the Epstein files, the Epstein case, the American people have not been buying at all ... less than half of Republicans are buying it. This is his worst issue by far"
November 13, 2025 at 6:56 PM
These are astonishingly bad numbers:
Reposted by Matt Potter
X categorised itself as “News” so that it wasn’t obvious how it was performing on app charts versus other social media apps.
News is a less competitive category so Elon gets to “win” even as he hides X’s weak performance.
(Also I notice Truss went to the effort to find the silly “X” of the logo)
News is a less competitive category so Elon gets to “win” even as he hides X’s weak performance.
(Also I notice Truss went to the effort to find the silly “X” of the logo)
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine Liz Truss grovelling for the attention of a far-right billionaire - forever"
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
X categorised itself as “News” so that it wasn’t obvious how it was performing on app charts versus other social media apps.
News is a less competitive category so Elon gets to “win” even as he hides X’s weak performance.
(Also I notice Truss went to the effort to find the silly “X” of the logo)
News is a less competitive category so Elon gets to “win” even as he hides X’s weak performance.
(Also I notice Truss went to the effort to find the silly “X” of the logo)
Reposted by Matt Potter
Women at NASA, starting with one of my favorite #WomenInSTEM photos
🧵
🧵
Valerie Thomas (1943) is an African American badass scientist.
She invented the illusion transmitter in 1980.
She helped develop the digital media formats that image processing systems used in NASA's Landsat program.
Her [very cool!] NASA photo next to a stack of computer tapes, 1979.
#WomenInSTEM 🧪
She invented the illusion transmitter in 1980.
She helped develop the digital media formats that image processing systems used in NASA's Landsat program.
Her [very cool!] NASA photo next to a stack of computer tapes, 1979.
#WomenInSTEM 🧪
November 13, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Women at NASA, starting with one of my favorite #WomenInSTEM photos
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Matt Potter
US designates four groups in Europe as terrorists, calls them 'violent Antifa'
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
www.reuters.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
US designates four groups in Europe as terrorists, calls them 'violent Antifa'
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Reposted by Matt Potter
Marczyński, P., & Tebaldi, C. (2025). The wellness pipeline: Tracing far-right health narratives on X. New Media & Society, 0(0). #CommSky
The wellness pipeline: Tracing far-right health narratives on X - Piotr Marczyński, Catherine Tebaldi, 2025
This article examines how far-right groups advance political agendas through digital platforms, specifically by embedding reactionary ideology within health and...
journals.sagepub.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Marczyński, P., & Tebaldi, C. (2025). The wellness pipeline: Tracing far-right health narratives on X. New Media & Society, 0(0). #CommSky
“William Blake’s poem ‘Eternity’ was written in 1880, which was after his death in 1827.”
Great work, Google AI. The Zero-Click Impression is working out swimmingly. No notes.
Great work, Google AI. The Zero-Click Impression is working out swimmingly. No notes.
November 13, 2025 at 9:11 AM
“William Blake’s poem ‘Eternity’ was written in 1880, which was after his death in 1827.”
Great work, Google AI. The Zero-Click Impression is working out swimmingly. No notes.
Great work, Google AI. The Zero-Click Impression is working out swimmingly. No notes.
Reposted by Matt Potter
New York Times social media guidelines prohibit expression suggesting partiality on things like ICE, execution of foreigners in fishing boats, or whether law is a thing.
However, tipping off notorious serial pedophiles about other reporters is absolutely fine.
However, tipping off notorious serial pedophiles about other reporters is absolutely fine.
Fall 2017: Then-NYT reporter literally warning Epstein that someone is "digging around again."
![From:
Thomas Jr., Landon
Sent:
9/27/2017 2:47:47 PM
To:
Subject:
Got another call from Connelly..
Importance:
High
Jeffrey Epstein [jeevacation@gmail.com]
He is digging around again -- not clear if its another book/or expanded paperback version. Was asking me all sorts of questions about why you hired Ken Starr. I told him I had no idea - I think he is doing some Trump-related digging too.
Anyway, for what its worth...
Landon Thomas, Jr.
Financial Reporter
New York Times
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/t/landon_ir thomas/index.h
tml](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreia6463yzmb2suqn5rbfslvtta667av3ryynaetbsl7x6tniezyawu@jpeg)
November 13, 2025 at 4:09 AM
New York Times social media guidelines prohibit expression suggesting partiality on things like ICE, execution of foreigners in fishing boats, or whether law is a thing.
However, tipping off notorious serial pedophiles about other reporters is absolutely fine.
However, tipping off notorious serial pedophiles about other reporters is absolutely fine.
Reposted by Matt Potter
🧵
Here is the Nebra sky disk, considered by some the oldest known illustration of the night sky.
The artifact was discovered near Nebra alongside several Bronze Age weapons and is linked to the Unetice culture, which thrived in parts of Europe...
➡️ apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap18031...
🔭 🧪 #histsci
1/4
Here is the Nebra sky disk, considered by some the oldest known illustration of the night sky.
The artifact was discovered near Nebra alongside several Bronze Age weapons and is linked to the Unetice culture, which thrived in parts of Europe...
➡️ apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap18031...
🔭 🧪 #histsci
1/4
November 13, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Reposted by Matt Potter
Somewhere, in a lonely data center, an AI is training on 23,000 pages of Epstein docs
November 13, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Somewhere, in a lonely data center, an AI is training on 23,000 pages of Epstein docs
Reposted by Matt Potter
so glad the child sexual abuse panic was squarely pointed at folks like me by the people actually doing it & the public was like “yeah, seems right—freaks did it. not the men with all the money & fighting to keep child marriage legal, the women that are legal to kill in 30 states if you’re nervous.”
What a great day for finding out that a lot of things people thought were conspiracies are actually backed up by emails that are like hey pedo, let us pedo together in pedoland on the second day of the pedo month
November 12, 2025 at 11:20 PM
so glad the child sexual abuse panic was squarely pointed at folks like me by the people actually doing it & the public was like “yeah, seems right—freaks did it. not the men with all the money & fighting to keep child marriage legal, the women that are legal to kill in 30 states if you’re nervous.”
Reposted by Matt Potter
Fungi collections in many museums are deteriorating and need sequencing. Fast and cheap sequencing technologies exist, but because they are not as accurate at first try as much more $$$$ slower technologies, many curators have not agreed to take the small samples needed to verify DNA.
November 11, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Fungi collections in many museums are deteriorating and need sequencing. Fast and cheap sequencing technologies exist, but because they are not as accurate at first try as much more $$$$ slower technologies, many curators have not agreed to take the small samples needed to verify DNA.
Reposted by Matt Potter
To recap: Jeffrey Epstein offered a NY Times reporter photos taken in Epstein's kitchen of Donald Trump and girls in bikinis *and* implored the NYT reporter to put this information in the public discourse in 2015
What did the NY Times editors know about this offer?
What did the NY Times editors know about this offer?
“would you like photos of donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen?” -Jeffrey Epstein
November 12, 2025 at 8:05 PM
To recap: Jeffrey Epstein offered a NY Times reporter photos taken in Epstein's kitchen of Donald Trump and girls in bikinis *and* implored the NYT reporter to put this information in the public discourse in 2015
What did the NY Times editors know about this offer?
What did the NY Times editors know about this offer?
Reposted by Matt Potter
Feels like things are going really well for Trump
November 12, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Feels like things are going really well for Trump