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Reposted by David Hills

Nick Brown @steamtraen.eu · 1h

Next time an institution tells you how seriously it takes research misconduct, ask them if it's *this* seriously. www.bmj.com/content/297/...

In 1916 the BMJ published an article about the work done by James Shearer, an American physician working in the British Army as a sergeant (because he had no British qualification). He had described a
"delineator" which was better than x rays for portraying gunshot wounds. This caused a sensation and a lot of interest — but on investigation the work was found to have been invented. The BMJ published a retraction, but Shearer was tried by court martial and sentenced to death by firing squad.

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Reposted by David Hills

Emily ✨🎃 @emilyoram.bsky.social · 1d

God love Kew, this is incredible

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David Hills @wanderingteacake.bsky.social · 1d

So does that mean more Russian bribes, Nige, or fewer?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Banner headline from BBC News - "Reform's policies in Wales will differ from status quo, says Farage"

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Reposted by David Hills

Maq @maqusan.bsky.social · 1d

It’s like Cyrano de Bergerac if Cyrano farted 10kg of CO₂ every time he fed you a line.

C. Buckthorn @cbuckthorn.bsky.social · 1d

This is amazing. I laughed out loud www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

As 32-year-old Rich points out, though, "it's not like using ChatGPT guarantees success".
When he met someone in a bar one Friday night and swapped social media handles, he asked AI what his next move should be.
ChatGPT discerned that sending an initial message on Monday midmorning would set the right pace. "Then it gave me some options for what the message could be," says Rich.
"Keep it light, warm, and low-stakes so it reads as genuine interest without urgency," the bot advised. "Something like: Hey Sarah, still laughing about [tiny shared moment/reference if you've got one] - good to meet you!" Rich went back and forth with ChatGPT until he felt they'd hit upon exactly the right message ("Hey Sarah, it was lovely to meet you") but sadly she never replied, he says. "It's been two weeks now."

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James Murray @james-bg.bsky.social · 2d

It is utterly surreal this is not being treated as a bigger story.

Tom Hunter @onelifestand87.bsky.social · 3d

It is embarassing not to see the BBC pulling up Reform leaders claiming that Nathan Gill was just some fan who got photos taken with Farage - he was an MEP for them & their leader in Wales while taking cash from Russia to act against the UK! Literally the very basics of your job to point this out

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Lev Parikian @levparikian.bsky.social · 3d

If only there were a French expression to denote an uncanny feeling of having experienced something before

Sophie Pedder @sophiepedder.bsky.social · 3d

France’s new prime minister is…the very one who resigned on Monday, Sébastien Lecornu. It rounds off the most chaotic and absurdist week in French politics in modern times

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Cats of Yore @catsofyore.bsky.social · 4d

Someone just reminded me that Fergus was the subject of this tweet years ago that turned into a minorly viral meme. So if you do an image search for 'big strong man tiny potato boy' right now all the top results are Fergus. 🥹

Screenshot of a tweet by me dated 2022. There is a photo of my brown tuxedo. tabby Fergus and the text reads "Fraud alert: local woman makes conflicting statements about her cat, claiming he both a big strong man and a tiny potato boy"

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Reposted by David Hills

Nick Walker @nickwalker.bsky.social · 3d

Academy Award level intrigue raised by the police and ambulance outside and the passing comment "The vegetable aisle was closed".

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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 5d

Matthew Syed, who recently wrote a long read about why he just joined the Conservatives, objected to his BBC introduction including this fact: "Yes, I just joined the Conservatives, but I still see myself, first and foremost, as an objective journalist, if I may say so."

Phew! Glad that's settled.

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Captain Howdy @captainhowdy.bsky.social · 5d

💥

A black and white photo of an old woman asleep in her armchair, unaware that the balloon bobbing about on the table next to her is about to be popped by a mischievous kitten. There are words applied to each of them - the old woman is "AI COMPANIES", the balloon is "AI" and the mischievous kitten is "REALITY".

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Rhydian @grhydian.bsky.social · 7d

In eighty years time, people who collect these will keep them a special room they don't let everybody see, and it will sit proudly alongside Goerring's favourite teapot

Laura Nelson @lauranelson1005.bsky.social · 7d

I thought this was a joke when I first saw it.

It isn't

The US Treasury plans to release it in 2026.

Remember: when this regime falls--and it will--those complicit will be held to account.

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Reposted by David Hills

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 8d

*gasp*

“Everyone thought we’d come in and there were going to be these huge costs we could cut away but there just aren’t,” said a third senior Reform cabinet member in Kent.

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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · Sep 10

NOTHING will prepare you for this 45-second story arc. From "I'm just doing this because I love the flag, it's totally grassroots, and I'm not part of anything political"... to who actually gave him the flags the night before.

Anyone who believes it is an innocent movement needs to see this.

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Vittoria Elliott @telliotter.bsky.social · 11d

NEW! Dept of Education workers say their OOO replies were forcibly changed to blame Democrats for shutdown. When employees changed their responses back to the more neutral language, it changed yet again to the partisan response.

@wired.com @leahfeiger.bsky.social

www.wired.com/story/govern...

Government Workers Say Their Out-of-Office Replies Were Forcibly Changed to Blame Democrats for Shutdown

Some employees at the Department of Education changed their responses back to the more neutral language, only to have it changed yet again to the partisan response, multiple sources tell WIRED.

www.wired.com

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David Hills @wanderingteacake.bsky.social · 12d

I read that as being a list of what we the voters can demand of the party.

Reposted by David Hills

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 12d

The Royal Society has met to discuss Elon Musk – and they’re NOT removing his fellowship. They are criticising him publicly, but stopping short of actual removal.

This feels like the kind of compromise that will please *absolutely nobody*.

“I am increasingly concerned over threats to the values that allow science to flourish. Today at a meeting of the Royal Society’s Council, I led a discussion regarding some of those threats.

“Science thrives when individuals and institutions have the freedom to carry out research without fear of discrimination, censorship, or other restrictions that would hinder their work. In support of that, Council believes that it is not the role of the Royal Society to police the personal political opinions of individual Fellows and disciplinary procedures should not be initiated because of a Fellow’s social and political views.

“However, the Society can and will criticise Fellows who act in a way that runs counter to the values of tolerance, courtesy and respect for others that allow science to flourish. Elon Musk’s contribution to the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally is an example of a growing tendency towards the use of the language of violence, and narratives of division and polarisation. This language and these narratives threaten the values that enable science to thrive and the Royal Society rejects them, from wherever they originate.”

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David Hills @wanderingteacake.bsky.social · 12d

Sorry, sorry, and I know this isn't an area I know anything about, but I can't get over the phrase "partnership with sports bra experts boobydoo."

Kate Bevan @katebevan.com · 12d

I am someone who, having done a lot of work on/with AI in the past year or so, thinks AI can be genuinely useful and can deliver value in some business situations.

I do not think "buying a bra" is one of those situations.