William Carruthers
@williamcarruthers.bsky.social
Lecturer in Heritage at a university near Colchester. ‘Flooded Pasts: UNESCO, Nubia, and the Recolonization of Archaeology’ out now with Cornell UP. Fellow, RHistS. https://williamcarruthers.co.uk // williamcarruthers.wordpress.com
Pinned
The first paperback copy of my book Flooded Pasts: UNESCO, Nubia, and the Recolonization of Archaeology just arrived! Available on the 15th March from @cornellupress.bsky.social: www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501...
1/ I’m going to do a thread of the promotional writing and interviews I’ve done for my book starting with…
Suggest logging off now
January 24, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Suggest logging off now
Reposted by William Carruthers
Blistering piece on ed tech in @economist.com.
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless
Independent research identifies few learning gains
economist.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Blistering piece on ed tech in @economist.com.
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...
Reposted by William Carruthers
That all the other potential candidates have backed Burnham tells you they expect a contest soon.
Ed Miliband tells the Fabian Society conference: “I very much hope the local party will have the option of selecting Andy Burnham as the candidate”.
January 24, 2026 at 5:24 PM
That all the other potential candidates have backed Burnham tells you they expect a contest soon.
I’m going to put money on the Tories, somehow, winning the next General Election.
January 24, 2026 at 5:25 PM
I’m going to put money on the Tories, somehow, winning the next General Election.
Reposted by William Carruthers
To circle back to this, I do think you can best understand it as a game of brinksmanship between a group of people playing an entirely different game that is primarily about who said what to who at a fringe event at the 1996 Labour Party Conference.
bsky.app/profile/tpgr...
bsky.app/profile/tpgr...
Do I think it's a good idea to bring back Burnham? No.
Do I think it's a worse idea to loudly announce how cleverly you'll exploit rules to stop your party's most popular politician? Yes.
Do I think it's a worse idea to loudly announce how cleverly you'll exploit rules to stop your party's most popular politician? Yes.
Yday put something of a grenade under my day/week/next three months so forgot to post this
as.ft.com/r/02c7684c-a...
as.ft.com/r/02c7684c-a...
January 24, 2026 at 5:22 PM
To circle back to this, I do think you can best understand it as a game of brinksmanship between a group of people playing an entirely different game that is primarily about who said what to who at a fringe event at the 1996 Labour Party Conference.
bsky.app/profile/tpgr...
bsky.app/profile/tpgr...
Failing to understand why a) Andy Burnham would be any ‘better’ b) he wouldn’t lose to others in any leadership contest c) this isn’t exactly like the Tory leadership psychodrama of the last decade.
January 24, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Failing to understand why a) Andy Burnham would be any ‘better’ b) he wouldn’t lose to others in any leadership contest c) this isn’t exactly like the Tory leadership psychodrama of the last decade.
Reposted by William Carruthers
Cat‘s out of the bag now. @dollyjorgensen.bsky.social & I will be the new co-editors of Archives of Natural History @sochistnathist.bsky.social @edinburghup.bsky.social .
We’re taking over from the inimitable Anne Secord.
New submission system will be set up soon. Stay tuned.
#HistNatHist
We’re taking over from the inimitable Anne Secord.
New submission system will be set up soon. Stay tuned.
#HistNatHist
Looks like a great series! Would love to see some of these turned into articles for Archives of Natural History, which I and @dominikhhh.bsky.social have just taken over as co-editors.
January 24, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Cat‘s out of the bag now. @dollyjorgensen.bsky.social & I will be the new co-editors of Archives of Natural History @sochistnathist.bsky.social @edinburghup.bsky.social .
We’re taking over from the inimitable Anne Secord.
New submission system will be set up soon. Stay tuned.
#HistNatHist
We’re taking over from the inimitable Anne Secord.
New submission system will be set up soon. Stay tuned.
#HistNatHist
Reposted by William Carruthers
I’m sorry but as someone who has a book and a PhD on this exact thing, this is just straight up not true. The majority of Nazis discovered living abroad (particularly in the US, Australia, and UK) faced almost no legal consequences beyond the occasional loss of citizenship.
This is essentially what governments did in the late 1900s and early 2000s with respect to Nazis. Whether you were a lowly concentration camp guard or in Hitler's inner circle, if there was evidence you were a Nazi, it was straight to jail with your walker.
It worked.
It worked.
Maybe instead of identifying specific ICE agents who do particularly heinous things, we could just penalize everyone who was on payroll at the agency starting by a certain date.
January 24, 2026 at 2:02 PM
I’m sorry but as someone who has a book and a PhD on this exact thing, this is just straight up not true. The majority of Nazis discovered living abroad (particularly in the US, Australia, and UK) faced almost no legal consequences beyond the occasional loss of citizenship.
Reposted by William Carruthers
Guardian investigative correspondent Oliver Laughland and video producer Tom Silverstone report from the front lines of ordinary Americans’ war with Trump’s ICE hit squads in Minneapolis and its Minnesota environs.
@oliverlaughland.bsky.social @tomsilverstone.bsky.social
@atrupar.com
@oliverlaughland.bsky.social @tomsilverstone.bsky.social
@atrupar.com
The occupation of Minneapolis: resisting Trump’s ICE 'invasion' | Anywhere but Washington
YouTube video by The Guardian
youtube.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Guardian investigative correspondent Oliver Laughland and video producer Tom Silverstone report from the front lines of ordinary Americans’ war with Trump’s ICE hit squads in Minneapolis and its Minnesota environs.
@oliverlaughland.bsky.social @tomsilverstone.bsky.social
@atrupar.com
@oliverlaughland.bsky.social @tomsilverstone.bsky.social
@atrupar.com
I think we’re in proper ‘false Spring’ territory in London today.
January 24, 2026 at 12:18 PM
I think we’re in proper ‘false Spring’ territory in London today.
I would have liked to see Jimmy Stewart doing this
Cary Grant, Mae West and Gloria Swanson reading mean tweets would be excellent.
January 24, 2026 at 12:14 PM
I would have liked to see Jimmy Stewart doing this
Reposted by William Carruthers
One year ago today. Anyone have an update?
January 24, 2026 at 11:13 AM
One year ago today. Anyone have an update?
Still, the coldest place on earth is a flat in Cairo in January. No need for central heating, but many of them are apparently built neither to retain heat (or disperse it in the summer…)
I lived in a 1930s block of flats in central London 20 years ago and only the sitting room had a radiator.
Was intrigued, rereading the wonderful The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, to find somebody’s house having central heating being noted as remarkable. In 1973!
And indeed, only about 30 percent of UK homes would have had central heating when the book was published.
And indeed, only about 30 percent of UK homes would have had central heating when the book was published.
January 24, 2026 at 9:31 AM
Still, the coldest place on earth is a flat in Cairo in January. No need for central heating, but many of them are apparently built neither to retain heat (or disperse it in the summer…)
I lived in a 1930s block of flats in central London 20 years ago and only the sitting room had a radiator.
Was intrigued, rereading the wonderful The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, to find somebody’s house having central heating being noted as remarkable. In 1973!
And indeed, only about 30 percent of UK homes would have had central heating when the book was published.
And indeed, only about 30 percent of UK homes would have had central heating when the book was published.
January 24, 2026 at 9:29 AM
I lived in a 1930s block of flats in central London 20 years ago and only the sitting room had a radiator.
Reposted by William Carruthers
www.ft.com/content/e1fb...
In absolutely no way can you tell which high-end retail village this could possibly be.
In absolutely no way can you tell which high-end retail village this could possibly be.
January 21, 2026 at 1:45 PM
www.ft.com/content/e1fb...
In absolutely no way can you tell which high-end retail village this could possibly be.
In absolutely no way can you tell which high-end retail village this could possibly be.
I have maybe once in my life been somewhere this cold and, let me tell you, it is *cold*.
I'm on the 4 bus heading downtown and this is the most packed I've ever seen a bus in Minneapolis, ever. Everyone is bundled up ready to stand outside in -14°F weather.
January 23, 2026 at 7:25 PM
I have maybe once in my life been somewhere this cold and, let me tell you, it is *cold*.
CENTO, anyone?
Another sign of US Weakness as it retreats from the world stage. Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are establishing a defence pact which could spread to other countries in the region.
You’re starting to see rival power blocs forming everywhere.
You’re starting to see rival power blocs forming everywhere.
January 23, 2026 at 7:19 PM
CENTO, anyone?
Reposted by William Carruthers
‘Perhaps it’s time for all of us to face up to what the victims of empire and colonisation have known all along: for generations, humanity’s hopes for a better future have been built on a gross distortion of history.’
David Wengrow on ‘rules-based’ order, from the blog
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/ja...
David Wengrow on ‘rules-based’ order, from the blog
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/ja...
David Wengrow | Against the Grotian Tradition
The World Economic Forum in Davos is ending with talk of a rupture in world affairs, a collapse of international law, a...
www.lrb.co.uk
January 23, 2026 at 4:05 PM
‘Perhaps it’s time for all of us to face up to what the victims of empire and colonisation have known all along: for generations, humanity’s hopes for a better future have been built on a gross distortion of history.’
David Wengrow on ‘rules-based’ order, from the blog
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/ja...
David Wengrow on ‘rules-based’ order, from the blog
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/ja...
It’s weird seeing the results of this in both my job and our childrens’ primary education simultaneously.
What's happened to spending at different stages of the education spending over recent decades?
- HE fallen all the way back to where it was in c.2005
- secondary schools & FE still below 2010
- early years has doubled since 2010
- primary up 12% since 2010
- HE fallen all the way back to where it was in c.2005
- secondary schools & FE still below 2010
- early years has doubled since 2010
- primary up 12% since 2010
January 23, 2026 at 2:29 PM
It’s weird seeing the results of this in both my job and our childrens’ primary education simultaneously.
Recommended! I had one of these during Covid and the Trust were extremely helpful when I had to deal with the consequences of that.
If you are considering applying for the Trust's Early Career Fellowship scheme, listen to some of our former and current Fellows from universities across the UK talk about their areas of research and their experiences.
media.leverhulme.ac.uk/video/leverh...
Deadline: 19 February 2026, 4pm
media.leverhulme.ac.uk/video/leverh...
Deadline: 19 February 2026, 4pm
Leverhulme Early Career Fellows share their experiences
The Trust is proud to support early career researchers develop their ideas and become leaders in their field
media.leverhulme.ac.uk
January 23, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Recommended! I had one of these during Covid and the Trust were extremely helpful when I had to deal with the consequences of that.
Reposted by William Carruthers
I think what the "blocking Burham looks petty" arg misses is that Labour NEC have a strong reason for blocking - Burnham would have to walk out on a Combined Authority Mayoral job he was elected to less than two years, triggering by far the largest by-election in British history
A few people have said to me/others in articles I’ve seen that it would be insane for Labour to block a Burnham return given how weak and petty it would make the leadership look.
Sure, but never underestimate the level of personal animosity towards AB at the top. Visceral to the point of obsession
Sure, but never underestimate the level of personal animosity towards AB at the top. Visceral to the point of obsession
January 23, 2026 at 10:17 AM
I think what the "blocking Burham looks petty" arg misses is that Labour NEC have a strong reason for blocking - Burnham would have to walk out on a Combined Authority Mayoral job he was elected to less than two years, triggering by far the largest by-election in British history
Glad this exists
oh, this is really good on what @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk calls "airport book brain", where glib "solutions" are jumped on by politicians who want smooth narratives, discarding nuance and complexity. Complete with a nice pop at Jonathan Haidt, and at the "UPF" brigade, too. (ht @rorycj.bsky.social)
Airport Book Brain
How faddish ideas keep seducing.
www.joxleywrites.jmoxley.co.uk
January 23, 2026 at 11:59 AM
Glad this exists
Reposted by William Carruthers
What's happened to spending at different stages of the education spending over recent decades?
- HE fallen all the way back to where it was in c.2005
- secondary schools & FE still below 2010
- early years has doubled since 2010
- primary up 12% since 2010
- HE fallen all the way back to where it was in c.2005
- secondary schools & FE still below 2010
- early years has doubled since 2010
- primary up 12% since 2010
January 23, 2026 at 11:24 AM
What's happened to spending at different stages of the education spending over recent decades?
- HE fallen all the way back to where it was in c.2005
- secondary schools & FE still below 2010
- early years has doubled since 2010
- primary up 12% since 2010
- HE fallen all the way back to where it was in c.2005
- secondary schools & FE still below 2010
- early years has doubled since 2010
- primary up 12% since 2010
I think we really just have to assume that the US is going to be an unreliable member of most international organisations for the foreseeable future.
No one is safe until everyone is safe.
#PublicHealth is global. And this is deeply concerning
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/u...
#PublicHealth is global. And this is deeply concerning
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/u...
U.S. Formally Withdraws From World Health Organization
www.nytimes.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:44 AM
I think we really just have to assume that the US is going to be an unreliable member of most international organisations for the foreseeable future.
Reposted by William Carruthers
in this week's newsletter! a spirited defence of the humble hipster: youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/a-spirited...
January 23, 2026 at 9:39 AM
in this week's newsletter! a spirited defence of the humble hipster: youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/a-spirited...