Brendan Larvor
@bplarvor.bsky.social
Alexandre Borovik, "The Tool/Weapon Duality of Mathematics," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 16 Issue 1 (January 2026), pages 365-392. Available at: scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol16/is...
The Tool/Weapon Duality of Mathematics
This paper outlines the principal moral and ethical issues of mathematics and existential choices a mathematician may face in his professional life. My text is a manifesto; it is a list of declaration...
scholarship.claremont.edu
February 9, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Alexandre Borovik, "The Tool/Weapon Duality of Mathematics," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 16 Issue 1 (January 2026), pages 365-392. Available at: scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol16/is...
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
Marge Simspson voice: "The secret ingredient is shame!"
One by one, Europeans mentioned in the Epstein files who still hold political office are beginning to resign or are being forced out of office.
Meanwhile, ruled by an administration almost entirely made up of Epstein associates, the US carries on as if nothing really happened.
Meanwhile, ruled by an administration almost entirely made up of Epstein associates, the US carries on as if nothing really happened.
February 4, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Marge Simspson voice: "The secret ingredient is shame!"
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
The missing René Magritte. This Is Not a Drill.
February 3, 2026 at 10:06 AM
The missing René Magritte. This Is Not a Drill.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
Seeing the US government flail in trying to frame these as anything but executions by incompetent trigger happy goons makes me feel like I owe an apology to the FSB morons I mocked for trying to stage an apartment as a Ukrainian terror plot but planting a copy of The Sims III instead of 3 SIM cards.
January 26, 2026 at 10:04 AM
Seeing the US government flail in trying to frame these as anything but executions by incompetent trigger happy goons makes me feel like I owe an apology to the FSB morons I mocked for trying to stage an apartment as a Ukrainian terror plot but planting a copy of The Sims III instead of 3 SIM cards.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
Just a reminder that listening to <ANYTHING AT ALL THAT IS NOT THE WRETCHED BBC RADIO FOUR TODAY PROGRAMME> in the mornings is far superior to listening to the Today programme.
Just a reminder that listening to BBC World Service in the mornings is far superior to listening to the Today programme.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
World Service - Listen Live - BBC Sounds
Listen live to World Service on BBC Sounds
www.bbc.co.uk
January 4, 2026 at 8:50 AM
Just a reminder that listening to <ANYTHING AT ALL THAT IS NOT THE WRETCHED BBC RADIO FOUR TODAY PROGRAMME> in the mornings is far superior to listening to the Today programme.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
In this Year of Reading, a gentle reminder:
The best way to get your kids reading is to let them see *you* reading. The way to *stop* your kids reading is to criticize their choices, or to make reading a competition, or a punishment, or a race, or a learning tool. Let it be fun. Let them read.
The best way to get your kids reading is to let them see *you* reading. The way to *stop* your kids reading is to criticize their choices, or to make reading a competition, or a punishment, or a race, or a learning tool. Let it be fun. Let them read.
January 2, 2026 at 7:23 PM
In this Year of Reading, a gentle reminder:
The best way to get your kids reading is to let them see *you* reading. The way to *stop* your kids reading is to criticize their choices, or to make reading a competition, or a punishment, or a race, or a learning tool. Let it be fun. Let them read.
The best way to get your kids reading is to let them see *you* reading. The way to *stop* your kids reading is to criticize their choices, or to make reading a competition, or a punishment, or a race, or a learning tool. Let it be fun. Let them read.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
The UK is now facing an emigration crisis and a shrinking population. It must, must, must reverse engines on immigration immediately - throw the doors open and wave people in. Otherwise we are inviting disaster.
December 22, 2025 at 10:39 AM
The UK is now facing an emigration crisis and a shrinking population. It must, must, must reverse engines on immigration immediately - throw the doors open and wave people in. Otherwise we are inviting disaster.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
People saying ‘I didn’t get the job because …’ I’ve been on very many hiring and grant committees. Each committee member has their own reasons. All that can be said is you didn’t get the job/grant because more committee members preferred another applicant. Then a reason is made up for the form.
December 17, 2025 at 2:21 PM
People saying ‘I didn’t get the job because …’ I’ve been on very many hiring and grant committees. Each committee member has their own reasons. All that can be said is you didn’t get the job/grant because more committee members preferred another applicant. Then a reason is made up for the form.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
I heard there was a secret meat
With paprika, and spicy heat
But you don't really care for sausage
Nduja
...sorry, I can delete this. I've just seen a few posts in this format and I wanted in.
With paprika, and spicy heat
But you don't really care for sausage
Nduja
...sorry, I can delete this. I've just seen a few posts in this format and I wanted in.
December 17, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I heard there was a secret meat
With paprika, and spicy heat
But you don't really care for sausage
Nduja
...sorry, I can delete this. I've just seen a few posts in this format and I wanted in.
With paprika, and spicy heat
But you don't really care for sausage
Nduja
...sorry, I can delete this. I've just seen a few posts in this format and I wanted in.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
An academic disliked an Oxford Very Short Introduction (145 pages) in his field so much that he wrote a 200 page book review attacking it. www.pierre-legrand.com/ewExternalFi...
December 11, 2025 at 8:56 PM
An academic disliked an Oxford Very Short Introduction (145 pages) in his field so much that he wrote a 200 page book review attacking it. www.pierre-legrand.com/ewExternalFi...
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
December 11, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
are we still on about em dashes and ai. imo human writers should just use the em dashes even harder. we should be out here pummeling out those em dashes like we're emily dickinson
December 10, 2025 at 3:22 AM
are we still on about em dashes and ai. imo human writers should just use the em dashes even harder. we should be out here pummeling out those em dashes like we're emily dickinson
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
The calls from America this weekend to "abolish the EU" are for one simple reason: the EU is the only thing that can keep European nation-states from becoming Russian or American vassals.
The US has declared rhetorical war on the EU
The calls from America this weekend to destroy the EU are revealing. They hate the union because it's the only thing that can keep European countries from being Russian or American vassals.
davekeating.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:05 AM
The calls from America this weekend to "abolish the EU" are for one simple reason: the EU is the only thing that can keep European nation-states from becoming Russian or American vassals.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
I feel like writing “A Day In The Life of True Born Little Englander” making clear how much of their life, from emptying their bins to bringing in fish and chips, depends on immigrants of all wage levels.
December 7, 2025 at 11:00 AM
I feel like writing “A Day In The Life of True Born Little Englander” making clear how much of their life, from emptying their bins to bringing in fish and chips, depends on immigrants of all wage levels.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
"immigration has to go up for our growth goals, but our policy is to bring it down"
uk politics in a nutshell
uk politics in a nutshell
There is an actual interesting little deceit in the budget, namely ther have the OBR still forecasting based on increasing net immigration back to 300-350k whilst the Home Secretary is promising to bring it down from 200k, which does dissolve about half the headroom, but somehow we're doing vibes.
Think this is exactly right - political journalism that is completely abstracted from policy, which was not the norm before 2017, has become the default. Impossible to have a serious attempt to either shrink what the state does or widen the tax base (have to do at least one) on that basis.
December 1, 2025 at 6:15 PM
"immigration has to go up for our growth goals, but our policy is to bring it down"
uk politics in a nutshell
uk politics in a nutshell
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
It's amazing how often I have cause to post this cartoon of mine. Two armchairs vulgarly roasting each other.
November 24, 2025 at 1:48 PM
It's amazing how often I have cause to post this cartoon of mine. Two armchairs vulgarly roasting each other.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
"In her telling, racism and xenophobia seem not themselves objectively bad things that must be combatted, but a natural outcome that occurs when too many rights are given to immigrants and asylum seekers." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Shabana Mahmood is an avatar of open Britain – that’s what makes her fable about immigration so seductive | Nesrine Malik
‘She is the daughter of immigrants,’ supporters of her cruel asylum policies say. ‘How can she be wrong?’ Let me put them straight, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:18 AM
"In her telling, racism and xenophobia seem not themselves objectively bad things that must be combatted, but a natural outcome that occurs when too many rights are given to immigrants and asylum seekers." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
They remain the only government in my lifetime without a theory of how economic growth happens and a determination that it definitely not be through universities, immigration, high skilled services, tax simplification, trade relations etc
November 24, 2025 at 8:34 AM
They remain the only government in my lifetime without a theory of how economic growth happens and a determination that it definitely not be through universities, immigration, high skilled services, tax simplification, trade relations etc
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
Get serious, Europeans. You are your only hope.
"EU imports from Russia worth €124 billion have exceeded the amount of aid provided to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion." - stated Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.
censor.net/en/news/3586...
censor.net/en/news/3586...
November 23, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Get serious, Europeans. You are your only hope.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
This focuses on politics. But we should also care about *outcomes*.
In the UK, migrants (both from EU and elsewhere) are more likely to have a job than the UK born. In Denmark, there's a gap of 15-20%. Similarly for education outcomes.
Why would we want to copy that?
In the UK, migrants (both from EU and elsewhere) are more likely to have a job than the UK born. In Denmark, there's a gap of 15-20%. Similarly for education outcomes.
Why would we want to copy that?
After more than 10 years of “the Danish Model”, nativism is hegemonic in the country, the far right polls near level highs again, and the Social Democrats lost Copenhagen and poll at historic low.
European Social Democrats should look at the facts, not the myths!
Me in @theguardian.com
European Social Democrats should look at the facts, not the myths!
Me in @theguardian.com
The ‘Danish model’ is the darling of centre-left parties like Labour. The problem is, it doesn’t even work in Denmark | Cas Mudde
This week’s local elections are the latest reminder that when social democrats move rightwards, they’re making a mistake, says academic and author Cas Mudde
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:31 AM
This focuses on politics. But we should also care about *outcomes*.
In the UK, migrants (both from EU and elsewhere) are more likely to have a job than the UK born. In Denmark, there's a gap of 15-20%. Similarly for education outcomes.
Why would we want to copy that?
In the UK, migrants (both from EU and elsewhere) are more likely to have a job than the UK born. In Denmark, there's a gap of 15-20%. Similarly for education outcomes.
Why would we want to copy that?
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
Why do people think England flags have been raised on lampposts?
White adults
National pride: 26%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 49%
Both: 19%
Ethnic minority adults
National pride: 15%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 55%
Both: 20%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
White adults
National pride: 26%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 49%
Both: 19%
Ethnic minority adults
National pride: 15%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 55%
Both: 20%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
November 21, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Why do people think England flags have been raised on lampposts?
White adults
National pride: 26%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 49%
Both: 19%
Ethnic minority adults
National pride: 15%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 55%
Both: 20%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
White adults
National pride: 26%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 49%
Both: 19%
Ethnic minority adults
National pride: 15%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 55%
Both: 20%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
This from @stephenkb.bsky.social cuts to the heart of the matter. Does the government not understand how toxic this argument is? Do they think they can somehow weaponise it? The last governments at least had the merit not of making this kind of foul claim.
November 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM
This from @stephenkb.bsky.social cuts to the heart of the matter. Does the government not understand how toxic this argument is? Do they think they can somehow weaponise it? The last governments at least had the merit not of making this kind of foul claim.
Reposted by Brendan Larvor
Can we go back to the days when politicians said that they really wanted to help people but it’s very hard and takes time, rather than saying that they want to hurt people and can do it quickly?
November 16, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Can we go back to the days when politicians said that they really wanted to help people but it’s very hard and takes time, rather than saying that they want to hurt people and can do it quickly?