Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ben Goldacre

@bengoldacre.bsky.social

11K followers 550 following 170 posts

Prof of EBM @UniOxford, author, Bad Science person, more... I run http://bennett.ox.ac.uk making tools+papers from data http://OpenSAFELY.org http://OpenPrescribing.net

bennett.ox.ac.uk

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Feb 20

I'm delighted to say our highly secure and productive OpenSAFELY platform has received a further £17 million in funding from Wellcome, including for a new mental health data project. More here, and clips from Today on Radio4 this morning too!

www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/blog/2025/02...

Game-changing new funding from Wellcome for OpenSAFELY and mental health data | Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science

This morning the Today programme on Radio 4 did two great spots on OpenSAFELY.

www.bennett.ox.ac.uk

3 23 140

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 1d

Just said this to someone else too, but I love the open data on train locations, often use and cite as example of open data done usefully and well

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 1d

I love the open data on train locations, often use and cite as example of open data done usefully and well

1 1

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 1d

Oh yes

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 1d

Fair!

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 1d

Ah yes

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 1d

In fact, maybe you could also get: information on your refund entitlement and how to complain; an estimate of the total wasted human life hours attributable to that train company this year; and the salary of the ceo.

2 3 24

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 1d

Here's a mediocre idea for a webapp or twitter bot: "Is It Just Me Or Are The Trains Crap". You tell it the train you're on, and how late it is; you get, in return, contextual information about how unusual that is.

6 7 54

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 13d

COME TO OUR CONFERENCE!

Lots of people work on medicines data: researchers; but also "medicines optimisation" teams, using data to directly improve NHS care; and teams who build data tools. These clans rarely meet... Until now! Join us, Dec 10th, in Oxford.

www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/events/2025-...

2025 Bennett Institute Medicines Symposium | Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science

The two-day 2025 Bennett Institute Medicines Symposium will take place at Jesus College in Oxford on 10–11 December 2025.

www.bennett.ox.ac.uk

2 12 14

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 17d

This is great to see. I want my government to do all it can to stop our allies, the Israeli government, killing more Palestinian civilians.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

UK recognises Palestine as an independent state

Deeply symbolic move comes seven decades after end of British mandate in Palestine and formation of state of Israel

www.theguardian.com

5 40

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 28d

Oh wait no I'm wrong there are some with marzipan thanks!

1 2

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 29d

Ah no, iced fruit cake without marzipan, and only top iced Christmas cake...

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 29d

NICE THANKS

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Sep 3

That's good management. I have cake but it's open and dry, no room in the freezer even for rectangular options these days.

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Sep 3

Any christmas cake sightings in UK supermarkets? Ocado / M&S has pudding but no cake so far.

11 1 11

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Aug 30

My ultimate aim is to seize control of the Belgian coast.

1 8

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Aug 30

Just ordered some fence posts and trellis for same-day delivery. I have no DIY skills and it's raining heavily. With huge respect to my great grandfather - who did a better day's work there than I ever will - this is going to be like Paschendale.

6 41

Reposted by Ben Goldacre

Kate @rebelraising.bsky.social · Aug 20

Seating is social and public transport infrastructure and yes, removing the Kirkgate benches was a crime.

Fiery Mark @fierymark.bsky.social · Aug 20

The benches at the Kirkgate in Leith have been removed.
Has a crime been committed 🤔

Crime Scene cordon around image of bench spray painted on the ground

1 15 56

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Aug 20

I agree with this praise of humans curating things you might like, and I'm surprised there's never been a popular platform facilitating it as a central foreground activity, where you can follow people for their curated links, music, or other stuff.

Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · Aug 20

"One of the handful of art exhibitions I suspect I will remember forever is something I only saw because we wanted to see some art, and somebody I will never meet said, 'Hey, look at this – it’s good.'”

In praise of curation

In Praise of Curation

This week: a self-interested defence of someone just showing you the good stuff. Also: the longest mountain chain on earth; and what is a stink pipe?

jonn.substack.com

2 4 20

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Aug 12

Lots of these problems are better solved with an annual property value tax, like US states do, ~1-2% per year. We could let people defer it against their house if they wish, taken at death. Can't be dodged: the house is there. And progressive: the rich pay more www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Treasury targeting inheritance tax reforms to help plug UK deficit

Exclusive: Chancellor also looking at tweaks to capital gains tax to try to bridge £40bn-plus spending gap before budget

www.theguardian.com

5 10 44

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Aug 10

During all future DIY rages let it be known that on this day, August 10th 2025, I actually was able to quickly find the specific screws I needed in the house.

7 72

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Aug 5

This is a really interesting public health move. Ban cigarettes with filters, on the basis that they were fraudulent, polluting, and lead to compensatory risk behaviours that do harm. Force smokers to go full filterless cough cough Woodbine, or stop.

London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · Aug 5

‘In October 2024, Santa Cruz, California became the first jurisdiction to ban the sale of filtered cigarettes. It is to be hoped that negotiations in Geneva will deliver global action to eliminate them completely.’

Nicholas Hopkinson on smoking and plastic pollution: www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/au...

Nicholas Hopkinson | Compensatory Puffing

The main component of cigarette filters is a plastic, cellulose acetate, and trillions of butts are discarded into the...

www.lrb.co.uk

4 12 35

Reposted by Ben Goldacre

Jamie Cummins @jamiecummins.bsky.social · Jul 28

Happy to share that (from August 1st) I'll be spending the next 6 months working at the University of Oxford as a visiting researcher!

I'll be working with @ndevito1.bsky.social and @bengoldacre.bsky.social on developing and extending features of RegCheck (regcheck.app).

RegCheck

RegCheck is an AI tool to compare preregistrations with papers instantly.

regcheck.app

2 5 24

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Jul 27

Bravo!

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Jul 27

ANOTHER 4 LONG DRIVES WITH OLDER KIDS

The i Game

Have a normal conversation; if you use any word with the letter "i" in it, you're out. No hesitation or repetition. Good luck in your new life without present participles or the first person pronoun. It's a fun combination of annoying and creative.

3 6

Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · Jul 24

The streaming rights for South Park just sold at... $1.5 BILLION? I genuinely feel more optimistic for humanity after hearing this. Long may we all combine stupid with clever.

Rolling Stone @rollingstone.com · Jul 24

Donald Trump’s White House is melting down over Wednesday night’s South Park premiere, which just so happened to attack the president’s “teeny tiny” manhood.

Trump White House Rages Over 'South Park' Episode, Calls Show 'Fourth-Rate'

The White House is furious at "South Park" after the show's premiere lampooned Donald Trump, depicting him in bed with Satan.

www.rollingstone.com

7 30