Nick Harkaway
@nickharkaway.com
Author: Karla’s Choice, Gnomon, Titanium Noir etc. Also husband, dad and occasional clothing-repairer, dog-walker, enthusiastic improviser of temporary solutions to random problems. Decreasingly rigorous on social media.
www.linktr.ee/harkaway
He/him
www.linktr.ee/harkaway
He/him
Pinned
Nick Harkaway
@nickharkaway.com
· Dec 5
Boring update: I am not the owner/operator of the asknickharkaway Gmail account. If you get mail from it, no, that’s not me. (And please let me know.)
This somewhat answers my question about whether I should move to Mint
January 13, 2026 at 8:52 AM
This somewhat answers my question about whether I should move to Mint
:) the next time we're at a festival or something, remind me to explain why "William Tell" makes me flinch slightly and worry that someone may blow up a Christmas tree
January 12, 2026 at 2:16 PM
:) the next time we're at a festival or something, remind me to explain why "William Tell" makes me flinch slightly and worry that someone may blow up a Christmas tree
But a Farage/Badenoch coalition…
January 12, 2026 at 1:43 PM
But a Farage/Badenoch coalition…
What a mess.
The number of Britons backing Kemi Badenoch against other leaders over who would make the better PM has increased significantly since last August
Badenoch 31% (+10 from 3-4 Aug 2025)
Farage 21% (-2)
Badenoch 28% (+8)
Starmer 28% (-2)
Badenoch 28% (+9)
Davey 25% (-1)
yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
Badenoch 31% (+10 from 3-4 Aug 2025)
Farage 21% (-2)
Badenoch 28% (+8)
Starmer 28% (-2)
Badenoch 28% (+9)
Davey 25% (-1)
yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
January 12, 2026 at 1:34 PM
What a mess.
Reposted by Nick Harkaway
I've written something about why banning kids from social media could be a terrible idea.
paulbernal.wordpress.com/2025/12/03/b...
paulbernal.wordpress.com/2025/12/03/b...
Banning kids from social media? A very bad idea…
As the idea of banning kids from social media is spreading round the globe – the new ban of under-16s from social media in Australia comes into action in a week or so – it is worth look…
paulbernal.wordpress.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:11 AM
I've written something about why banning kids from social media could be a terrible idea.
paulbernal.wordpress.com/2025/12/03/b...
paulbernal.wordpress.com/2025/12/03/b...
Reposted by Nick Harkaway
What I call climate 'appeasement' - the idea that climate breakdown isn't actually going to be that bad - is growing fast, and presents as great a threat as climate denial
Climate appeasers denigrate reality as alarmism, so fostering inertia and inaction
We are in deep, deep, sh*t - fact
Climate appeasers denigrate reality as alarmism, so fostering inertia and inaction
We are in deep, deep, sh*t - fact
January 12, 2026 at 10:47 AM
What I call climate 'appeasement' - the idea that climate breakdown isn't actually going to be that bad - is growing fast, and presents as great a threat as climate denial
Climate appeasers denigrate reality as alarmism, so fostering inertia and inaction
We are in deep, deep, sh*t - fact
Climate appeasers denigrate reality as alarmism, so fostering inertia and inaction
We are in deep, deep, sh*t - fact
Reposted by Nick Harkaway
Where @aptshadow.bsky.social goes, scientists follow.
Bees may hold the secret to communication with aliens, scientists find
Bees may hold the secret to communication with aliens, scientists find
Bees may hold the secret to communication with aliens, scientists find
www.independent.co.uk
January 12, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Where @aptshadow.bsky.social goes, scientists follow.
You could provide it; I’m not sure you could get people to show up or pay attention. I’m always amazed - for example - by the number of parents who challenge sex ed. There are entrenched opinions and habits :/
January 12, 2026 at 10:48 AM
You could provide it; I’m not sure you could get people to show up or pay attention. I’m always amazed - for example - by the number of parents who challenge sex ed. There are entrenched opinions and habits :/
Maybe there should be parallel adult education about being a parent and not teaching your child bad habits…
January 12, 2026 at 10:33 AM
Maybe there should be parallel adult education about being a parent and not teaching your child bad habits…
I’m really pleased with some of the stuff that’s overtly addressed now - so much less confusion and fear. And yet my kids still move through environments that are recognisably toxic as they try to get educated, and a lot of the time I’m just sitting there thinking: “this is a parenting issue.”
January 12, 2026 at 10:33 AM
I’m really pleased with some of the stuff that’s overtly addressed now - so much less confusion and fear. And yet my kids still move through environments that are recognisably toxic as they try to get educated, and a lot of the time I’m just sitting there thinking: “this is a parenting issue.”
Reposted by Nick Harkaway
Seven Select Committee Chairs have written jointly to the Prime Minister calling for an explicit ban on cryptocurrency donations in the forthcoming Elections Bill.
This is not an argument about digital assets. It is an argument about democratic integrity.
This is not an argument about digital assets. It is an argument about democratic integrity.
January 12, 2026 at 8:05 AM
Seven Select Committee Chairs have written jointly to the Prime Minister calling for an explicit ban on cryptocurrency donations in the forthcoming Elections Bill.
This is not an argument about digital assets. It is an argument about democratic integrity.
This is not an argument about digital assets. It is an argument about democratic integrity.
Sort of perfect. Turn 16, vote, join the army, go on social media, but not drink alcohol or go to a sexy film.
January 12, 2026 at 10:20 AM
Sort of perfect. Turn 16, vote, join the army, go on social media, but not drink alcohol or go to a sexy film.
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter
A look inside Elon Musk’s big tent
www.ft.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:23 AM
With their inappropriate clothes and their genders and loud music.
January 12, 2026 at 8:09 AM
With their inappropriate clothes and their genders and loud music.
Oh, well. Who the hell knows what they’ll do about anything?
January 12, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Oh, well. Who the hell knows what they’ll do about anything?
For five solid heartbeats I thought Apple had made a hat.
Beim Ringen um Marktanteile liefern sich Apple und Samsung seit Jahren ein Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen. Für 2025 geht der Pokal an die Amerikaner.
Apple hat 2025 weltweit die meisten Smartphones verkauft
Beim Ringen um Marktanteile liefern sich Apple und Samsung seit Jahren ein Kopf-an-Kopf-Rennen. Für 2025 geht der Pokal an die Amerikaner.
www.spiegel.de
January 12, 2026 at 8:07 AM
For five solid heartbeats I thought Apple had made a hat.
Reposted by Nick Harkaway
The details are considerably more nuanced than this headline suggests unsurprisingly.
‘We want people to sit, pause, relax’: National Trust to open its libraries for public use
‘We want people to sit, pause, relax’: National Trust to open its libraries for public use
Charity plans to make stately homes more welcoming by inviting visitors to use furniture and reading rooms
www.theguardian.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:04 AM
The details are considerably more nuanced than this headline suggests unsurprisingly.
Mmmmph. I think it will upset a lot of people if they actually do it, but they may well just spend a lot of time talking about it.
January 12, 2026 at 8:03 AM
Mmmmph. I think it will upset a lot of people if they actually do it, but they may well just spend a lot of time talking about it.
Ohhhhh… if all the sturm and drang is ultimately about a heavily-submerged digital Dada-ist mechanism. If we’ve all been arguing about something even less interesting than we thought. If even the specious hints of consciousness are just shadows of shadows.
January 12, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Ohhhhh… if all the sturm and drang is ultimately about a heavily-submerged digital Dada-ist mechanism. If we’ve all been arguing about something even less interesting than we thought. If even the specious hints of consciousness are just shadows of shadows.
For whatever (structural?) reason, governments are profoundly stupid about digital stuff. I wonder whether we’re just going to end up de-digitising a bit in consequence. (Which they will hate.)
January 12, 2026 at 7:55 AM
For whatever (structural?) reason, governments are profoundly stupid about digital stuff. I wonder whether we’re just going to end up de-digitising a bit in consequence. (Which they will hate.)
Reposted by Nick Harkaway
Properly funding the court system would clear the backlog even more quickly.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Slashing jury trials could clear courts backlog within a decade, says Lammy
Exclusive: Lord chancellor urges MPs to back judge-only trials in thousands of criminal cases in England and Wales
www.theguardian.com
January 11, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Properly funding the court system would clear the backlog even more quickly.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Aside from the obvious “gotcha”, this is a serious problem in a lot of contexts. But also… how sad.
New research presents the most compelling evidence yet that generative AI directly stores and reproduces material used to train it—a finding that could have massive legal consequences for the tech industry, Alex Reisner reports.
AI’s Memorization Crisis
Large language models don’t “learn”—they copy. And that could change everything for the tech industry.
bit.ly
January 12, 2026 at 7:49 AM
Aside from the obvious “gotcha”, this is a serious problem in a lot of contexts. But also… how sad.
Well, this is distressing.
For generations Greenlanders felt protected by the US , but now with uncertainty looming, Edmund Heaphy speaks to resident's in Nuuk about what comes next.
'I don't want to leave my people' - Fear grips Greenland
For generations, Greenlanders felt protected by the US - the superpower that had helped defend them during World War II and maintained a reassuring military presence ever since. Now, with US threats a...
www.rte.ie
January 12, 2026 at 7:35 AM
Well, this is distressing.