Prof Bob Davis
@rokewood.bsky.social
Prof of Religious & Cultural Education, University of Glasgow. Chair of Philosophy of Education Soc. Religion, Myth, Arts, Humanities, Music, Education, football, birds. We’ve 3 sons—‘the crow makes wing to the rooky wood’—all posts etc personal
Pinned
Prof Bob Davis
@rokewood.bsky.social
· Feb 23
On the seemingly ruinous 2025 moment in which we live. Walter Benjamin & the Angel of History.
‘Awaken the Dead’
‘Awaken the Dead’
I saw these enigmatic so-called ‘Music of the Spheres’ MSS at Edinburgh’s Blackie House Library & Museum. Their tantalising history of ancient Coptic-Egyptian music, hermetic interpretation, & likely fraud is painstakingly reconstructed here BBCRadio3
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 3 - Sunday Feature, The Great Egyptian Music Mystery
Ellie Chan traces the story of a set of unique and puzzling manuscripts
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 9:19 PM
I saw these enigmatic so-called ‘Music of the Spheres’ MSS at Edinburgh’s Blackie House Library & Museum. Their tantalising history of ancient Coptic-Egyptian music, hermetic interpretation, & likely fraud is painstakingly reconstructed here BBCRadio3
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Typically comprehensive coverage of the migration & asylum question (& answers viable & fantastical) from @davidsonofaaron.bsky.social & expert guests on BBCRadio4 The Briefing Room. Don’t miss it
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - The Briefing Room, What can the UK learn from the rest of Europe about asylum reform?
Is Denmark the right model for the UK's asylum policy?
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Typically comprehensive coverage of the migration & asylum question (& answers viable & fantastical) from @davidsonofaaron.bsky.social & expert guests on BBCRadio4 The Briefing Room. Don’t miss it
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
I had a great time on BBCRadioScot Sunday Morning Faith Forum with fellow contributors Rupa Mooker & Zara Mohammed & the skilled convening of the great Tony Kearney. Hear us here about 1hr in on celebrating Scotland, the meanings of sanctuary & asylum—& demons!
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio Scotland - Sunday Morning, with Tony Kearney
Two hours of music and stimulating conversation from a faith and ethical perspective.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 8:53 AM
I had a great time on BBCRadioScot Sunday Morning Faith Forum with fellow contributors Rupa Mooker & Zara Mohammed & the skilled convening of the great Tony Kearney. Hear us here about 1hr in on celebrating Scotland, the meanings of sanctuary & asylum—& demons!
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
“The average eighth grader’s math skills are now a full school year behind where they were in 2013. The premise that foundational ideas don’t need to be learned anymore is a recipe for idiocracy.”
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
‘A Recipe for Idiocracy’
What happens when even college students can’t do math anymore?
www.theatlantic.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:43 PM
“The average eighth grader’s math skills are now a full school year behind where they were in 2013. The premise that foundational ideas don’t need to be learned anymore is a recipe for idiocracy.”
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
As you would expect, a quite outstanding BBCRadio4 analysis by @danigaravelli.bsky.social of the fortunes—past, present & future—of the Scottish independence movement. & of the SNP’s uncertain leadership of it.
Worth a series imv.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Worth a series imv.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - Currently, If at First You Don’t Secede
If at first you don’t secede, should you really try, try, try again?
www.bbc.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 2:11 PM
As you would expect, a quite outstanding BBCRadio4 analysis by @danigaravelli.bsky.social of the fortunes—past, present & future—of the Scottish independence movement. & of the SNP’s uncertain leadership of it.
Worth a series imv.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Worth a series imv.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
I found 2024 incredibly frustrating. Because I (and lots of other people) kept explaining that the fiscal position of all parties was literally impossible but broadcast (in particular) was never willing to go that far.
The fact that in both 2019 and 2024, the winning party did so with a set of manifesto promises that could not be kept and dissolved upon contact with actual office is something that as an industry we should be much more bothered by than we are.
November 23, 2025 at 1:52 PM
I found 2024 incredibly frustrating. Because I (and lots of other people) kept explaining that the fiscal position of all parties was literally impossible but broadcast (in particular) was never willing to go that far.
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
'Quatermass IV'. Daily Mirror report on the never produced BBC continuation of the Quatermass saga. (22nd November 1972).
The script would eventually see the light of day in 1979, with John Mills playing the Professor for Euston Films.
The script would eventually see the light of day in 1979, with John Mills playing the Professor for Euston Films.
November 22, 2025 at 6:22 PM
'Quatermass IV'. Daily Mirror report on the never produced BBC continuation of the Quatermass saga. (22nd November 1972).
The script would eventually see the light of day in 1979, with John Mills playing the Professor for Euston Films.
The script would eventually see the light of day in 1979, with John Mills playing the Professor for Euston Films.
November 22, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
New essay out today by me and @acjsissons.bsky.social - ‘Getting Britain out of the hole: a plan for the economy’. You can read the whole thing here getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
A chart mega-thread follows 🧵
A chart mega-thread follows 🧵
Getting Britain out of the hole
A plan for the UK economy
getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
November 17, 2025 at 8:00 AM
New essay out today by me and @acjsissons.bsky.social - ‘Getting Britain out of the hole: a plan for the economy’. You can read the whole thing here getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
A chart mega-thread follows 🧵
A chart mega-thread follows 🧵
The stop-start character of the BBCRadio4 version of The Verb series grates a bit for me, as a Day1 fan. I think also that the confessional-argumentative identity-driven impulse in some contemporary poetry can be wearing. But here are 3 top-form deliveries
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - The Verb, Simon Armitage, Alistair McGowan, Joelle Taylor
Ian McMillan's guests include Simon Armitage, Alistair McGowan and Joelle Taylor.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 22, 2025 at 9:22 AM
The stop-start character of the BBCRadio4 version of The Verb series grates a bit for me, as a Day1 fan. I think also that the confessional-argumentative identity-driven impulse in some contemporary poetry can be wearing. But here are 3 top-form deliveries
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Big thanks to all associated with the SERA Conference for everything that went into this year’s Aberdeen event. Great university & city hospitality (inc a blast of real winter 🥶). Many fine presentations & most engaged & responsive audiences. Enriching experience.
November 22, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Big thanks to all associated with the SERA Conference for everything that went into this year’s Aberdeen event. Great university & city hospitality (inc a blast of real winter 🥶). Many fine presentations & most engaged & responsive audiences. Enriching experience.
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
@jonathanfreedland.bsky.social, citing our paper, says the government should seek a much more comprehensive Brexit deal. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Rachel Reeves is studiously ignoring the cause of Britain’s woes: the Brexit-shaped hole in its roof | Jonathan Freedland
The autumn budget will mop up some damage, but the true source of the economic crisis is clear. The government should now fix it – tragically, it won’t, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:12 AM
@jonathanfreedland.bsky.social, citing our paper, says the government should seek a much more comprehensive Brexit deal. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
Looks like LLMs are *very* vulnerable to attack via poetic allusion: "curated poetic prompts yielded high attack-success rates (ASR), with some providers exceeding 90% ..."
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
https://arxiv.org/html/2511.15304v1
November 20, 2025 at 11:21 PM
The sobering #CovidInquiry report underlines my pre- #COVIDー19 assessment of #DominicCummings. A man I met once, quizzing me on what a p-value meant in Education …
November 20, 2025 at 8:02 PM
The sobering #CovidInquiry report underlines my pre- #COVIDー19 assessment of #DominicCummings. A man I met once, quizzing me on what a p-value meant in Education …
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
Gosh. What a shock.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Dominic Cummings ‘poisoned the atmosphere’ of Boris Johnson’s No 10, Covid inquiry finds
Report from inquiry’s second module also says Johnson as PM ‘at times actively encouraged’ chaotic culture
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Gosh. What a shock.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
#OnThisDay 1272 Edward I became king of England. It was the first undisputed succession since the Norman Conquest.
November 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM
#OnThisDay 1272 Edward I became king of England. It was the first undisputed succession since the Norman Conquest.
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
I started a substack. First in a series of posts basically going: ‘Stop talking about meeting the needs of pupils with SEND 🙄’.
open.substack.com/pub/ldonaghy...
open.substack.com/pub/ldonaghy...
Good for all, vital for some: reframing 'meeting the needs of pupils with SEND'
Good teaching. That's all we need. Simple, eh? With examples to come in future posts...
open.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:07 PM
I started a substack. First in a series of posts basically going: ‘Stop talking about meeting the needs of pupils with SEND 🙄’.
open.substack.com/pub/ldonaghy...
open.substack.com/pub/ldonaghy...
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
Callum Miller on the Lib Dem approach to foreign policy; the right-wing plan to bring down the BBC; bullying of 16- and 17-year old Army recruits; the Isokon flats in Belsize Park - home to Agatha Christie and Soviet spies; Richard Burton in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)
The Joy of Six 1438
Callum Miller , the party's foreign affairs spokesperson, the sets out a Liberal Democrat approach to foreign policy: "Our economy is strong...
liberalengland.blogspot.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Callum Miller on the Lib Dem approach to foreign policy; the right-wing plan to bring down the BBC; bullying of 16- and 17-year old Army recruits; the Isokon flats in Belsize Park - home to Agatha Christie and Soviet spies; Richard Burton in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
New episode of the podcast just out. We discuss: Britain's greatest forger; why London gets all the art; and what's going on in all those mad Mary Magdalene paintings.
open.spotify.com/episode/2iP0...
open.spotify.com/episode/2iP0...
Season 5, Episode 10: Saints, Sinners and Forgers
open.spotify.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
New episode of the podcast just out. We discuss: Britain's greatest forger; why London gets all the art; and what's going on in all those mad Mary Magdalene paintings.
open.spotify.com/episode/2iP0...
open.spotify.com/episode/2iP0...
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
@elisaperego78.bsky.social COVID report out in the UK. Makes grim reading.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:11 PM
@elisaperego78.bsky.social COVID report out in the UK. Makes grim reading.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
V good this. Would add: we also need to demolish more!
British cities are too flat — and it’s holding back housing supply.
Our new blog shows a big density gap with France and Japan, driven by missing mid-rise homes.
Read more 👉 buff.ly/mm3GBRX
Our new blog shows a big density gap with France and Japan, driven by missing mid-rise homes.
Read more 👉 buff.ly/mm3GBRX
November 20, 2025 at 12:26 PM
V good this. Would add: we also need to demolish more!
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
Same old, same old
November 20, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Same old, same old
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
Can you imagine the outcry there would have been if Scotland had locked down a week or two earlier than Johnson?
November 20, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Can you imagine the outcry there would have been if Scotland had locked down a week or two earlier than Johnson?
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
It's not a smear if it's likely to be true - waffle about 'It was a different time' doesn't cut it when someone's views haven't changed, and they haven't apologised.
November 20, 2025 at 6:27 PM
It's not a smear if it's likely to be true - waffle about 'It was a different time' doesn't cut it when someone's views haven't changed, and they haven't apologised.
Reposted by Prof Bob Davis
The best poetry books to read this year on.ft.com/4prGCex
The best poetry books to read this year
Maria Crawford selects her must-read titles
on.ft.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:16 PM
The best poetry books to read this year on.ft.com/4prGCex