Sam Learner
@samlearner.bsky.social
graphics/data journalist on the @financialtimes.com visual storytelling team
work: https://www.ft.com/sam-learner
projects: https://samlearner.com/projects
signal: samlearner.79
work: https://www.ft.com/sam-learner
projects: https://samlearner.com/projects
signal: samlearner.79
Pinned
Sam Learner
@samlearner.bsky.social
· Nov 12
River Runner Global
Watch the path of a raindrop from anywhere in the world
river-runner-global.samlearner.com
have migrated over here more, so making a quick thread of some visual stories/projects I’ve done over the past few years
starting with this river runner project from a couple years ago, which visualizes the path of a raindrop from anywhere on earth: river-runner-global.samlearner.com
starting with this river runner project from a couple years ago, which visualizes the path of a raindrop from anywhere on earth: river-runner-global.samlearner.com
plus I'd suspect that an "insider trying to cash out at the last minute" might have known that today wasn't actually the last minute
bsky.app/profile/chri...
bsky.app/profile/chri...
NEW: The one and only SCOTUS opinion today is Bowe v. U.S., a habeas case.
The 5-4 decision by Sotomayor vacates the Eleventh Circuit's decision against Michael Bowe and allows his challenge to continue. Gorsuch wrote the dissent, w Thomas, Alito, & Barrett.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
The 5-4 decision by Sotomayor vacates the Eleventh Circuit's decision against Michael Bowe and allows his challenge to continue. Gorsuch wrote the dissent, w Thomas, Alito, & Barrett.
www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
www.supremecourt.gov
January 9, 2026 at 3:10 PM
plus I'd suspect that an "insider trying to cash out at the last minute" might have known that today wasn't actually the last minute
bsky.app/profile/chri...
bsky.app/profile/chri...
I mean it has since dropped back down to 29%? my point is that there have been several spikes like that over the past few weeks, it's a pretty low volume market
January 9, 2026 at 3:07 PM
I mean it has since dropped back down to 29%? my point is that there have been several spikes like that over the past few weeks, it's a pretty low volume market
not saying it's nothing, but if you zoom out a little to the past month, that movement doesn't seem particularly large
January 9, 2026 at 2:49 PM
not saying it's nothing, but if you zoom out a little to the past month, that movement doesn't seem particularly large
on top of everything else, have to say again that underlining/circling two publicly-available numbers is an UNBELIEVABLY LAZY form of "data journalism", regardless of how many corny, theatric hand gestures you make
January 7, 2026 at 5:38 PM
on top of everything else, have to say again that underlining/circling two publicly-available numbers is an UNBELIEVABLY LAZY form of "data journalism", regardless of how many corny, theatric hand gestures you make
Reposted by Sam Learner
ICE reportedly shot someone at Portland and 33/34. Mspt saying bullets, could be less lethal 20+ agents on site, MPD and ambulances responding. Helicopters overhead
January 7, 2026 at 3:49 PM
ICE reportedly shot someone at Portland and 33/34. Mspt saying bullets, could be less lethal 20+ agents on site, MPD and ambulances responding. Helicopters overhead
Reposted by Sam Learner
Big day for people who don’t know what the song Fortunate Son is about
January 3, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Big day for people who don’t know what the song Fortunate Son is about
hmm, I've come across an AI-generated podcast that fully plagiarized a story of mine, slightly rephrasing it as a "conversation" between two fake hosts. not a big fan of this!
January 2, 2026 at 6:12 PM
hmm, I've come across an AI-generated podcast that fully plagiarized a story of mine, slightly rephrasing it as a "conversation" between two fake hosts. not a big fan of this!
Reposted by Sam Learner
Uh… check out what ChatGPT allegedly told a man before he killed his mother and then himself.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
December 31, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Uh… check out what ChatGPT allegedly told a man before he killed his mother and then himself.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
wrote about Kalshi's business being about 5% truth machine/95% sportsbook (even if they refuse to mention it)
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
Prediction markets barely make money; sportsbooks make money
Kalshi’s ‘truth machine’ is financialising differences of opinion (about sports)
www.ft.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:34 PM
wrote about Kalshi's business being about 5% truth machine/95% sportsbook (even if they refuse to mention it)
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
Reposted by Sam Learner
The new way to lose money gambling is very similar to the old way to lose money gambling.
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
Prediction markets barely make money; sportsbooks make money
Kalshi’s ‘truth machine’ is financialising differences of opinion (about sports)
www.ft.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:09 PM
The new way to lose money gambling is very similar to the old way to lose money gambling.
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
www.ft.com/content/1ac0...
"everyone's mad at me, so I must be doing something right!" wow, how convenient that your mark of high quality is indistinguishable from the widely-understood mark of low quality
December 19, 2025 at 1:28 AM
"everyone's mad at me, so I must be doing something right!" wow, how convenient that your mark of high quality is indistinguishable from the widely-understood mark of low quality
Reposted by Sam Learner
NEW: We took a deep dive into ICE's data dragnet: the data brokers, biometrics tools, and license plate readers powering Trump's deportation effort. Some of the contracts are for tools previous administrations deemed too intrusive.
Trump’s immigration data dragnet
The US is pulling in vast amounts of personal information in its drive to deport 1mn people this year
ig.ft.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:37 AM
NEW: We took a deep dive into ICE's data dragnet: the data brokers, biometrics tools, and license plate readers powering Trump's deportation effort. Some of the contracts are for tools previous administrations deemed too intrusive.
broke: 20.1% is about a fifth
woke: 20.1% is about half
bespoke: it's both
woke: 20.1% is about half
bespoke: it's both
November 25, 2025 at 1:01 AM
broke: 20.1% is about a fifth
woke: 20.1% is about half
bespoke: it's both
woke: 20.1% is about half
bespoke: it's both
can't even take in whatever this poll is supposed to be saying because I'm getting so angry at whatever is going on with the sizes of the bars + the blue/red color scheme that is *not* mapped to party ID...
November 24, 2025 at 9:33 PM
can't even take in whatever this poll is supposed to be saying because I'm getting so angry at whatever is going on with the sizes of the bars + the blue/red color scheme that is *not* mapped to party ID...
Reposted by Sam Learner
Q: Are you affirming that you think President Trump is a fascist?
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
November 21, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Q: Are you affirming that you think President Trump is a fascist?
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
MAMDANI: I've spoken about--
TRUMP: That's okay. You can just say yes. I don't mind.
economists need to GET OVER THEMSELVES
November 21, 2025 at 7:11 PM
economists need to GET OVER THEMSELVES
the lesson some people seem to have taken from Trump is that "winning an election" is an ontological good, "losing an election" is an ontological bad, and what happens in between doesn't matter. "addressing climate change" isn't a thing you do, it's a chip you slide on/off the table
November 18, 2025 at 3:10 PM
the lesson some people seem to have taken from Trump is that "winning an election" is an ontological good, "losing an election" is an ontological bad, and what happens in between doesn't matter. "addressing climate change" isn't a thing you do, it's a chip you slide on/off the table
"i htink weak thoughts?"
November 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
"i htink weak thoughts?"
not sure you can really call it "publicly-traded" though lol
November 12, 2025 at 6:39 AM
not sure you can really call it "publicly-traded" though lol
Reposted by Sam Learner
power, data and birds on the loneliest road in america: www.ft.com/content/729d...
The AI boom comes to America’s loneliest place
Plans for a 230-mile transmission line threaten Nevada’s wilderness and have united hunters and wildlife groups
www.ft.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:21 PM
power, data and birds on the loneliest road in america: www.ft.com/content/729d...
Reposted by Sam Learner
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:56 AM
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
hmm, didn't know they were getting different data. that's interesting, thanks!
November 5, 2025 at 3:09 AM
hmm, didn't know they were getting different data. that's interesting, thanks!
but is it an "ability to make faster calls" or is it just a "willingness to make slightly more uncertain calls"?
November 5, 2025 at 2:43 AM
but is it an "ability to make faster calls" or is it just a "willingness to make slightly more uncertain calls"?