Omar Khan
@omaromalleykhan.bsky.social
CEO of @taso.org.uk, Chair of Trust for London, Executive Committee of Political Studies Association. The usual disclaimers.
Pinned
Omar Khan
@omaromalleykhan.bsky.social
· Nov 16
Sadly, humans can be mobilised in the cause of hatred. We should bemoan & condemn it wherever we see it. We must also defend and promote a positive alternative, of how we can and do work together across our differences, indeed of how those interactions produce the best of us
So if I think the Jascha Heifetz recording of the Tchaikovsky is the best I've heard what would you suggest to dissuade me
February 6, 2026 at 10:46 PM
So if I think the Jascha Heifetz recording of the Tchaikovsky is the best I've heard what would you suggest to dissuade me
Reposted by Omar Khan
The way UK govt funds science is in the midst of a major transition, with creation of a much more direct link between government priorities & UKRI research funding.
My attempt to set in context the biggest upheaval in UK science funding policy since the 1980s:
softmachines.org?p=3252
My attempt to set in context the biggest upheaval in UK science funding policy since the 1980s:
softmachines.org?p=3252
UK science policy in transition – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
February 6, 2026 at 8:48 AM
The way UK govt funds science is in the midst of a major transition, with creation of a much more direct link between government priorities & UKRI research funding.
My attempt to set in context the biggest upheaval in UK science funding policy since the 1980s:
softmachines.org?p=3252
My attempt to set in context the biggest upheaval in UK science funding policy since the 1980s:
softmachines.org?p=3252
For 20+ years I've asked people who deny obvious racism: ok, what is the not-racist explanation or reason? They typically duck or get personally outraged by the question but don't offer coherent answers except a few of the variety 'well I actually agree with that racism now that I think about it'
February 6, 2026 at 1:52 PM
For 20+ years I've asked people who deny obvious racism: ok, what is the not-racist explanation or reason? They typically duck or get personally outraged by the question but don't offer coherent answers except a few of the variety 'well I actually agree with that racism now that I think about it'
NY Times spelling bee not accepting immanence why tho
February 6, 2026 at 1:34 PM
NY Times spelling bee not accepting immanence why tho
If you say the Obamas were portrayed as apes for not-racist reasons the question isn't what are those reasons [sic] but why you are denying obvious racism
February 6, 2026 at 1:09 PM
If you say the Obamas were portrayed as apes for not-racist reasons the question isn't what are those reasons [sic] but why you are denying obvious racism
The idea that you could uproot one kind of racism while failing to address other racism sis a forlorn strategy empirically as well as empty morally
Forms of hatred stem from related motivations, histories, ideas & must all be tackled, to be replaced with a positive universal case for humanity
Forms of hatred stem from related motivations, histories, ideas & must all be tackled, to be replaced with a positive universal case for humanity
February 6, 2026 at 11:25 AM
The idea that you could uproot one kind of racism while failing to address other racism sis a forlorn strategy empirically as well as empty morally
Forms of hatred stem from related motivations, histories, ideas & must all be tackled, to be replaced with a positive universal case for humanity
Forms of hatred stem from related motivations, histories, ideas & must all be tackled, to be replaced with a positive universal case for humanity
Reposted by Omar Khan
*PSA Mackenzie #BookPrize Shortlist 2025-26*
Congratulations to Prof. Elizabeth Evans @elizabethjevans.bsky.social & Dr Stefanie Reher for ‘Disability and Political Representation', published by Oxford University Press @academic.oup.com
➡️ Find out more buff.ly/X13TKjK
#Books #Politics #Disability
Congratulations to Prof. Elizabeth Evans @elizabethjevans.bsky.social & Dr Stefanie Reher for ‘Disability and Political Representation', published by Oxford University Press @academic.oup.com
➡️ Find out more buff.ly/X13TKjK
#Books #Politics #Disability
Mackenzie Book Prize 2025-26 Shortlist Announced - Political Studies Association
Thank you to all who nominated a book for this esteemed prize which celebrates the distinctive contribution these works have made to advancing Political Studies. From an impressive number of entries,…
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 11:13 AM
*PSA Mackenzie #BookPrize Shortlist 2025-26*
Congratulations to Prof. Elizabeth Evans @elizabethjevans.bsky.social & Dr Stefanie Reher for ‘Disability and Political Representation', published by Oxford University Press @academic.oup.com
➡️ Find out more buff.ly/X13TKjK
#Books #Politics #Disability
Congratulations to Prof. Elizabeth Evans @elizabethjevans.bsky.social & Dr Stefanie Reher for ‘Disability and Political Representation', published by Oxford University Press @academic.oup.com
➡️ Find out more buff.ly/X13TKjK
#Books #Politics #Disability
Reposted by Omar Khan
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Omar Khan
This is why 21st century racism is a guaranteed way to make yourself stupider, the 'need' to make an ancient prejudice stack up is the reverse of a performance-enhancing drug.
There is no logic to it whatsoever. Someone said on a podcast to justify racism and now they all spout it like it means something.
I really don't get the 'Britishness is a national identity, English is an ethnicity' argument. Have these people ever lived in the borderlands? I think of my Scottish cousins with whom I share some genes but a different national identity, how does this work?
February 5, 2026 at 12:36 PM
This is why 21st century racism is a guaranteed way to make yourself stupider, the 'need' to make an ancient prejudice stack up is the reverse of a performance-enhancing drug.
A major policy error is to treat migrants merely as labour market inputs. In many places over many decades, the individual and collective economic, social and political costs soon appear
February 5, 2026 at 10:13 AM
A major policy error is to treat migrants merely as labour market inputs. In many places over many decades, the individual and collective economic, social and political costs soon appear
Reposted by Omar Khan
England's SEND system is widely recognised as broken.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
February 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM
England's SEND system is widely recognised as broken.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
Got my new 10 year US passport, as a once and future birthright citizen
February 4, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Got my new 10 year US passport, as a once and future birthright citizen
Reposted by Omar Khan
Striking paper from researchers at Anthropic using a randomised control trial to look at the effects of AI use on skills acquisition.
TL:DR ‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.’
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
TL:DR ‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.’
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
February 4, 2026 at 7:47 AM
Striking paper from researchers at Anthropic using a randomised control trial to look at the effects of AI use on skills acquisition.
TL:DR ‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.’
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
TL:DR ‘We found that using AI assistance led to a statistically significant decrease in mastery.’
www.anthropic.com/research/AI-...
The argument 'well he has a daughter so he can rationally extend his empathy universally' has always been hopeless. Mere self interest can never drive the cause of morality, leaving many victims of injustice with no recourse even if/as it assuages the conscience of the powerful
February 3, 2026 at 6:13 PM
The argument 'well he has a daughter so he can rationally extend his empathy universally' has always been hopeless. Mere self interest can never drive the cause of morality, leaving many victims of injustice with no recourse even if/as it assuages the conscience of the powerful
A proposal I've semi-seriously suggested for 25 yrs: throw every national insurance number in a big sorting device & select 400 members of the upper chamber. You can even call them Lords while in office. Repeat every 1-2 years
Randomising age, education, region, gender, class, ethnicity, wealth...
Randomising age, education, region, gender, class, ethnicity, wealth...
February 3, 2026 at 5:22 PM
A proposal I've semi-seriously suggested for 25 yrs: throw every national insurance number in a big sorting device & select 400 members of the upper chamber. You can even call them Lords while in office. Repeat every 1-2 years
Randomising age, education, region, gender, class, ethnicity, wealth...
Randomising age, education, region, gender, class, ethnicity, wealth...
Reposted by Omar Khan
Making it make sense: Epstein wasn't a global mastermind. He did not orchestrate a vast conspiracy that led us to today.
He was a very rich man with connections to other very rich men. The shared culture of these men is that they have a right to dominate and abuse others without consequence.
He was a very rich man with connections to other very rich men. The shared culture of these men is that they have a right to dominate and abuse others without consequence.
February 3, 2026 at 10:44 AM
Making it make sense: Epstein wasn't a global mastermind. He did not orchestrate a vast conspiracy that led us to today.
He was a very rich man with connections to other very rich men. The shared culture of these men is that they have a right to dominate and abuse others without consequence.
He was a very rich man with connections to other very rich men. The shared culture of these men is that they have a right to dominate and abuse others without consequence.
Small acts of kindness and help are pervasive. They understandably go un-noted but are an important corrective to the false depiction of humans as unrelentingly selfish
February 3, 2026 at 8:11 AM
Small acts of kindness and help are pervasive. They understandably go un-noted but are an important corrective to the false depiction of humans as unrelentingly selfish
Evidence across countries, in varied settings, on any policy questions indicates a compelling conclusion: the first, foundational general recommendation for any social issue is to discount heavily the voices of the most powerful and to amplify significantly those of the most vulnerable
February 2, 2026 at 8:11 AM
Evidence across countries, in varied settings, on any policy questions indicates a compelling conclusion: the first, foundational general recommendation for any social issue is to discount heavily the voices of the most powerful and to amplify significantly those of the most vulnerable
For all of January my arm was in a splint. I look forward to using my dominant arm again in February!
February 1, 2026 at 9:46 AM
For all of January my arm was in a splint. I look forward to using my dominant arm again in February!
Reposted by Omar Khan
Wowsers look at what happened to posts on Twitter/X about London crime after monetisation of posts was introduced…
economist.com/britain/2026...
economist.com/britain/2026...
January 31, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Wowsers look at what happened to posts on Twitter/X about London crime after monetisation of posts was introduced…
economist.com/britain/2026...
economist.com/britain/2026...
I dont know if it's what nerds do, but I recall being on a panel with Matthew Goodwin at an event with police and security services from 3 countries where he suggested more needed to be done to staunch the spread of far-right narratives on religion & immigration (he strongly agreed w/Hope not Hate)
February 1, 2026 at 9:29 AM
I dont know if it's what nerds do, but I recall being on a panel with Matthew Goodwin at an event with police and security services from 3 countries where he suggested more needed to be done to staunch the spread of far-right narratives on religion & immigration (he strongly agreed w/Hope not Hate)
It's not only wealth & power that attract a certain kind of academic, politician or journalist to the wealthy. It's a shared belief in irrepressible individual genius being the key driver for human progress. It's a boringly common irrationality over millennia, and a key driver for human suffering
January 31, 2026 at 8:37 PM
It's not only wealth & power that attract a certain kind of academic, politician or journalist to the wealthy. It's a shared belief in irrepressible individual genius being the key driver for human progress. It's a boringly common irrationality over millennia, and a key driver for human suffering
One way to square affirming both 'x' and 'not x': to argue that actually lying and dissembling follows from free speech I'm just contributed to the marketplace of ideas & seeing what lands best. The right to free speech includes the right to lie & to present incompatible ideas depending on audience
January 30, 2026 at 11:56 AM
One way to square affirming both 'x' and 'not x': to argue that actually lying and dissembling follows from free speech I'm just contributed to the marketplace of ideas & seeing what lands best. The right to free speech includes the right to lie & to present incompatible ideas depending on audience
Reposted by Omar Khan
🚨🚨 NEW BLOGPOST 🚨🚨
The right wing should be worried about young men. Unlike Europe and the US, British young men are swinging wildly behind progressive parties. Some thoughts on why, and why most of the right are ignoring it.
open.substack.com/pub/joxleywr...
The right wing should be worried about young men. Unlike Europe and the US, British young men are swinging wildly behind progressive parties. Some thoughts on why, and why most of the right are ignoring it.
open.substack.com/pub/joxleywr...
The Revolt of the Young Men?
Britain's second wokest cohort might surprise you
open.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:55 AM
🚨🚨 NEW BLOGPOST 🚨🚨
The right wing should be worried about young men. Unlike Europe and the US, British young men are swinging wildly behind progressive parties. Some thoughts on why, and why most of the right are ignoring it.
open.substack.com/pub/joxleywr...
The right wing should be worried about young men. Unlike Europe and the US, British young men are swinging wildly behind progressive parties. Some thoughts on why, and why most of the right are ignoring it.
open.substack.com/pub/joxleywr...
BBC News - Treasures found on HS2 route stored in secret warehouse
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Some incredible finds here, a remarkable legacy of HS2 on our collective history and culture
Only somewhat snarkily: how might we calculate the benefit if amending the cost benefit HS2 case?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Some incredible finds here, a remarkable legacy of HS2 on our collective history and culture
Only somewhat snarkily: how might we calculate the benefit if amending the cost benefit HS2 case?
Treasures found on HS2 route stored in secret warehouse
Archaeological finds from the planned HS2 train line have been shown exclusively to the BBC.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 30, 2026 at 8:38 AM
BBC News - Treasures found on HS2 route stored in secret warehouse
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Some incredible finds here, a remarkable legacy of HS2 on our collective history and culture
Only somewhat snarkily: how might we calculate the benefit if amending the cost benefit HS2 case?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Some incredible finds here, a remarkable legacy of HS2 on our collective history and culture
Only somewhat snarkily: how might we calculate the benefit if amending the cost benefit HS2 case?