Michael
@shevekuk.bsky.social
He/him. Gay guy from London, very ex-physicist, into all kinds of science and geeky stuff. Left wing, when's the fully automated luxury communism arriving?
I feel like a bloody stereotype - I'm trying to sleep but I could kill for a cup of tea
December 20, 2025 at 7:06 AM
I feel like a bloody stereotype - I'm trying to sleep but I could kill for a cup of tea
Reposted by Michael
The name "Popular Science" doesn't mean we shift our coverage depending on public opinion. It means we cover relevant subjects that are rigorously researched, reliable, and grounded in reality.
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
First-of-a-kind study shows encouraging data for trans kids who socially transition
Ninety-four percent of participants in a new study stood firm in their trans identity after five years, and "detransitioning" is rare.
www.popsci.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:16 PM
The name "Popular Science" doesn't mean we shift our coverage depending on public opinion. It means we cover relevant subjects that are rigorously researched, reliable, and grounded in reality.
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
Reposted by Michael
Maria has been accused over the years of fabricating her story that she had gone to the FBI. After finding the document in the trove, I called her. She broke down in tears.
“I’ve waited 30 years. I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
“I’ve waited 30 years. I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
December 20, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Maria has been accused over the years of fabricating her story that she had gone to the FBI. After finding the document in the trove, I called her. She broke down in tears.
“I’ve waited 30 years. I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
“I’ve waited 30 years. I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER
I... but... just... WHAT?!?!?!?!?
I... but... just... WHAT?!?!?!?!?
BREAKING: RFKJr directs that the US instantly stop recommending all vaccinations for children. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Under RFK Jr., U.S. plans to stop recommending most vaccines, defer to doctors
The plan, which is not finalized, suggests children get fewer shots and shifts to a model telling parents to consult doctors to make their own vaccine choices.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:18 AM
HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER
I... but... just... WHAT?!?!?!?!?
I... but... just... WHAT?!?!?!?!?
Argh there's a planning thing in Chelmsford for the Northern Radial Distributor Road (very sensible)...
but argh argh argh it's not bloody radial IT'S TANGENTIAL!
The dying embers of my maths education are weeping in the dark
but argh argh argh it's not bloody radial IT'S TANGENTIAL!
The dying embers of my maths education are weeping in the dark
December 20, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Argh there's a planning thing in Chelmsford for the Northern Radial Distributor Road (very sensible)...
but argh argh argh it's not bloody radial IT'S TANGENTIAL!
The dying embers of my maths education are weeping in the dark
but argh argh argh it's not bloody radial IT'S TANGENTIAL!
The dying embers of my maths education are weeping in the dark
Reposted by Michael
I know this is something I circle back to a lot, but it honestly feels, to me, like half the attacks on our trans siblings roots back to "children aren't people." The doctor said "boy," so I get to be the parent of a boy child! Not a girl child! How dare my child want things I don't want?!
December 19, 2025 at 10:58 PM
I know this is something I circle back to a lot, but it honestly feels, to me, like half the attacks on our trans siblings roots back to "children aren't people." The doctor said "boy," so I get to be the parent of a boy child! Not a girl child! How dare my child want things I don't want?!
Reposted by Michael
For the record, the law states that "No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary." www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
🚨 "The Justice Department redacted the names and identifiers of victims. Fox News Digital has learned that the same redaction standards were applied to politically exposed individuals and government officials. "
h/t @kleinmatic.bsky.social
h/t @kleinmatic.bsky.social
Epstein files explode open as DOJ details discovery of powerful figures and more than 1,200 victims
EXCLUSIVE: More than a dozen people and government officials' names appear in the hundreds of thousands of pages of Jeffrey Epstein files made public Friday, sources said.
www.foxnews.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:07 PM
For the record, the law states that "No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary." www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
Reposted by Michael
Russian billionaire Alex Gerko is amongst the funders of the Cambridge Union TERF society, reports The Times.
December 19, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Russian billionaire Alex Gerko is amongst the funders of the Cambridge Union TERF society, reports The Times.
The real story seems to be that the law was ignored...
"This was not unanimous," said Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, one of the board's members. "I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"This was not unanimous," said Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, one of the board's members. "I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Kennedy Center to be renamed Trump-Kennedy Center, White House says
The board of the performing arts centre, which was appointed by Trump, voted to rename it to honour him, the White House press secretary says.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 19, 2025 at 1:17 AM
The real story seems to be that the law was ignored...
"This was not unanimous," said Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, one of the board's members. "I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"This was not unanimous," said Ohio Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, one of the board's members. "I was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Michael
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH
Atomic Kitten’s The Tide Is High is now further from us than Blondie’s was from them.
::runs away::
::runs away::
December 18, 2025 at 11:19 PM
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH
This is... I cannot say how stupid this is
French publishing house Harlequin decided to use AI translation instead of human translations.
All their freelance translators (some of whom had been working with Harlequin for +30y!!!) were told they would no longer receive work from Harlequin
All their freelance translators (some of whom had been working with Harlequin for +30y!!!) were told they would no longer receive work from Harlequin
December 18, 2025 at 11:17 PM
This is... I cannot say how stupid this is
Reposted by Michael
Clay letters from ancient Mesopotamia are alive with idiom, sayings, and everyday language that I love.
Here are just a few random ones so you can enjoy them too.
Here are just a few random ones so you can enjoy them too.
December 17, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Clay letters from ancient Mesopotamia are alive with idiom, sayings, and everyday language that I love.
Here are just a few random ones so you can enjoy them too.
Here are just a few random ones so you can enjoy them too.
Reposted by Michael
Holy shit this is good (the speech, not 21 years of pain)
December 17, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Holy shit this is good (the speech, not 21 years of pain)
Reposted by Michael
Other crimes are also continuing to fall. Compared to the same time period in 2024/25, in the first quarter of the financial year 2025/26, residential burglary in London fell by 10 per cent, theft from person by 13 per cent and personal robbery by 13 per cent9
December 13, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Other crimes are also continuing to fall. Compared to the same time period in 2024/25, in the first quarter of the financial year 2025/26, residential burglary in London fell by 10 per cent, theft from person by 13 per cent and personal robbery by 13 per cent9
Reposted by Michael
London is the safest city I’ve ever lived in. Every other American I know that lives here feels the same way simply by virtue of the lack of gun violence.
Any pundit or public figure (often taking gulf $) trying to paint this city as crime-ridden is plainly wrong and probably lying to you.
Any pundit or public figure (often taking gulf $) trying to paint this city as crime-ridden is plainly wrong and probably lying to you.
The number of murders in the capital in the first nine months (1st January to 30th September) of 2025 is the lowest since monthly records began and represents a fall of almost 60 per cent compared to 2003.
www.london.gov.uk/london-recor...
www.london.gov.uk/london-recor...
London records fewest homicides this year since monthly records began
The number of homicides in London in the first nine months of 2025 was lower than any year since monthly homicide records began in 2003, according to new analysis from the Mayor’s Office for Policing ...
www.london.gov.uk
December 13, 2025 at 9:32 AM
London is the safest city I’ve ever lived in. Every other American I know that lives here feels the same way simply by virtue of the lack of gun violence.
Any pundit or public figure (often taking gulf $) trying to paint this city as crime-ridden is plainly wrong and probably lying to you.
Any pundit or public figure (often taking gulf $) trying to paint this city as crime-ridden is plainly wrong and probably lying to you.
Reposted by Michael
UK study using samples from the UK ME/CFS biobank
Abnormal T-Cell activation and cytotoxic T-Cell frequency discriminate symptom severity in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Screenshot from Science for ME weekly update
#MEcfs #PwME
Abnormal T-Cell activation and cytotoxic T-Cell frequency discriminate symptom severity in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Screenshot from Science for ME weekly update
#MEcfs #PwME
December 17, 2025 at 1:36 AM
UK study using samples from the UK ME/CFS biobank
Abnormal T-Cell activation and cytotoxic T-Cell frequency discriminate symptom severity in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Screenshot from Science for ME weekly update
#MEcfs #PwME
Abnormal T-Cell activation and cytotoxic T-Cell frequency discriminate symptom severity in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Screenshot from Science for ME weekly update
#MEcfs #PwME
FOR FUCK'S SAKE - Greater Anglia have a useful expanding scheme of contactless payment touch in touch out between stations... but there's no way to add a Railcard to that
(That's from a very helpful and direct reply from their customer service ppl, I certainly can't fault that though)
(That's from a very helpful and direct reply from their customer service ppl, I certainly can't fault that though)
December 17, 2025 at 1:11 AM
FOR FUCK'S SAKE - Greater Anglia have a useful expanding scheme of contactless payment touch in touch out between stations... but there's no way to add a Railcard to that
(That's from a very helpful and direct reply from their customer service ppl, I certainly can't fault that though)
(That's from a very helpful and direct reply from their customer service ppl, I certainly can't fault that though)
I'm reading what I can tell is the one of the best books I'll ever read and I'm not even a third of the way in
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine
I feel like I'm embroiled in an alien culture that's human, and I bloody love it
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine
I feel like I'm embroiled in an alien culture that's human, and I bloody love it
December 16, 2025 at 11:34 PM
I'm reading what I can tell is the one of the best books I'll ever read and I'm not even a third of the way in
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine
I feel like I'm embroiled in an alien culture that's human, and I bloody love it
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine
I feel like I'm embroiled in an alien culture that's human, and I bloody love it
Reposted by Michael
What the absolute shit is this? ACM using AI summaries instead of abstracts in search results?! So, if I understand correctly, instead of the author's own summary of the work (i.e. an abstract) we are better off with some regurgitated slop version of that summary instead? @chi.acm.org
December 16, 2025 at 8:02 PM
What the absolute shit is this? ACM using AI summaries instead of abstracts in search results?! So, if I understand correctly, instead of the author's own summary of the work (i.e. an abstract) we are better off with some regurgitated slop version of that summary instead? @chi.acm.org
Reposted by Michael
important to note that "1 in 10" here refers to 84 children. in all of the UK. a country with a population of approximately 12 million children.
i have chaperoned field trips with more children than this
i have chaperoned field trips with more children than this
Hannah Barnes wearing a hot dog suit "we're all trying to find the person that did this."
December 16, 2025 at 7:30 PM
important to note that "1 in 10" here refers to 84 children. in all of the UK. a country with a population of approximately 12 million children.
i have chaperoned field trips with more children than this
i have chaperoned field trips with more children than this
Reposted by Michael
This is absurd! It's not as though anyone has been caught taking bribes from Russia, or accepting £9m donations from people living in Thailand, or allowing donations in crypto so their origin can't be traced, or...
December 16, 2025 at 5:56 PM
This is absurd! It's not as though anyone has been caught taking bribes from Russia, or accepting £9m donations from people living in Thailand, or allowing donations in crypto so their origin can't be traced, or...
I swear this unpasteurised kimchi is already doing me good and I only just ate it
December 16, 2025 at 5:12 PM
I swear this unpasteurised kimchi is already doing me good and I only just ate it
People in my phone: what's the polite way to refer to someone who was somewhat famous whilst living as one gender but has now transitioned (and is still famous)?
Do I use their current name when refer to old media or their then-current name?
Do I use their current name when refer to old media or their then-current name?
December 16, 2025 at 5:09 PM
People in my phone: what's the polite way to refer to someone who was somewhat famous whilst living as one gender but has now transitioned (and is still famous)?
Do I use their current name when refer to old media or their then-current name?
Do I use their current name when refer to old media or their then-current name?