David
@davidisinberlin.bsky.social
Computer nerd, but don’t expect work stuff here. Opinions only my own - who else's would they be? Still a bit Yorkshire. 🇬🇧 in Berlin 🇩🇪 (he/him).
🗣️🇩🇪 und 🇬🇧
🗣️🇩🇪 und 🇬🇧
Reposted by David
Biology is so wild. It doesn't respect the rules we make up.
We all know children inherit genes from their parents. But it turns out mothers also inherit genes from their children!
And it can help them. (But it can also hurt them.)
For more, read this:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
We all know children inherit genes from their parents. But it turns out mothers also inherit genes from their children!
And it can help them. (But it can also hurt them.)
For more, read this:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
January 6, 2026 at 9:18 AM
Biology is so wild. It doesn't respect the rules we make up.
We all know children inherit genes from their parents. But it turns out mothers also inherit genes from their children!
And it can help them. (But it can also hurt them.)
For more, read this:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
We all know children inherit genes from their parents. But it turns out mothers also inherit genes from their children!
And it can help them. (But it can also hurt them.)
For more, read this:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by David
The UK government may still be on X because they're very stupid.
There are around 19.5m families in the UK. Baroness Anderson claims here, on behalf of the government, that 10.8m = 55% of them "use X as their main news source".
This is an obvious lie.
hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-0...
(1/3)
There are around 19.5m families in the UK. Baroness Anderson claims here, on behalf of the government, that 10.8m = 55% of them "use X as their main news source".
This is an obvious lie.
hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-0...
(1/3)
January 5, 2026 at 9:24 PM
The UK government may still be on X because they're very stupid.
There are around 19.5m families in the UK. Baroness Anderson claims here, on behalf of the government, that 10.8m = 55% of them "use X as their main news source".
This is an obvious lie.
hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-0...
(1/3)
There are around 19.5m families in the UK. Baroness Anderson claims here, on behalf of the government, that 10.8m = 55% of them "use X as their main news source".
This is an obvious lie.
hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-0...
(1/3)
Reposted by David
amazing how the entire machine can pivot within 24 hours. no need to slowly upsell the argument; just issue new marching orders
January 5, 2026 at 6:50 AM
amazing how the entire machine can pivot within 24 hours. no need to slowly upsell the argument; just issue new marching orders
Reposted by David
It’s actually worse than this, in that it is not obviously made up, it’s just we are governed by innumerates.
Truly Rishi Sunak’s maths to 18 policy has been validated in spades.
Truly Rishi Sunak’s maths to 18 policy has been validated in spades.
extremely cool and good that the govt is making significant decisions based on obviously made up "facts" that they are too stupid to realise are made up
January 5, 2026 at 9:01 PM
It’s actually worse than this, in that it is not obviously made up, it’s just we are governed by innumerates.
Truly Rishi Sunak’s maths to 18 policy has been validated in spades.
Truly Rishi Sunak’s maths to 18 policy has been validated in spades.
Reposted by David
The government have decided to remark in Hansard that 10 million people in Britain use X as their primary news source. A statistic that cannot possibly be true. Probably needs a correction I think.
If there is an argument then this is the argument. But lol I can’t find where this obviously false stat is coming from. And if the government does believe more than half the families in the UK are using it as their primary news source then woah maybe time to up the scrutiny of it!
January 5, 2026 at 8:38 PM
The government have decided to remark in Hansard that 10 million people in Britain use X as their primary news source. A statistic that cannot possibly be true. Probably needs a correction I think.
Reposted by David
It’s important to note the UK has multiple, strong laws against creating both CSAM and generating sexualised images of women, especially for the purposes of harassment. And it has the Online Safety Act, too.
This isn’t about needing new laws. It’s simply about enforcing existing ones.
This isn’t about needing new laws. It’s simply about enforcing existing ones.
Ofcom, which enforces the UK's Online Safety Act, says it is aware of "serious concerns" about Grok undressing people including children on X
“We have made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK," it says
“We have made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK," it says
January 5, 2026 at 3:13 PM
It’s important to note the UK has multiple, strong laws against creating both CSAM and generating sexualised images of women, especially for the purposes of harassment. And it has the Online Safety Act, too.
This isn’t about needing new laws. It’s simply about enforcing existing ones.
This isn’t about needing new laws. It’s simply about enforcing existing ones.
Reposted by David
The US rushing towards an energy source on the verge of obsolescence while China breaks records with new solar power capacity will come to be seen as one of the most idiotic legacies of Trump era.
Trump on the US running Venezuela: It will not cost us anything because the money coming out of the ground is substantial. We’re going to take back the oil.
January 4, 2026 at 6:45 PM
The US rushing towards an energy source on the verge of obsolescence while China breaks records with new solar power capacity will come to be seen as one of the most idiotic legacies of Trump era.
Reposted by David
Apart from everything else, invading a country for oil in 2026 is somewhat like doing so for horses in 1931.
“We can secure access to additional wealth and resources, allowing the country to unlock them without spilling American blood,” said U.S. Defense Secretary (Secretary of War) Pete Hegseth, highlighting the strategic and economic rationale behind the Venezuela operation.
January 4, 2026 at 9:37 AM
Apart from everything else, invading a country for oil in 2026 is somewhat like doing so for horses in 1931.
Reposted by David
Knowing this DoJ they’ll probably fail to get a grand jury indictment and their lead prosecutor will get disbarred for malpractice.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were indicted on charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking conspiracy, and weapons offenses tied to a federal case.
Live updates: Trump says Maduro captured in ‘large scale strike’ against Venezuela
The United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela, captured its president, Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country, President Trump said.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Knowing this DoJ they’ll probably fail to get a grand jury indictment and their lead prosecutor will get disbarred for malpractice.
Reposted by David
Plausible pathway (from a month ago)
Plausible worst case scenario with Venezuela in four steps:
1. Rubio and Venezuelan exiles sell the idea of decapitation strikes against Maduro to Trump as the one big thing that solves Venezuela, cartels and Cuba for the US.
1. Rubio and Venezuelan exiles sell the idea of decapitation strikes against Maduro to Trump as the one big thing that solves Venezuela, cartels and Cuba for the US.
January 3, 2026 at 10:35 AM
Plausible pathway (from a month ago)
Reposted by David
It’s exhausting and boring, but because the wilful misunderstanders will be out in force some of us are going to have to spend a lot of time saying:
No, we do not like or support Maduro.
We like and support the rule of law.
No, we do not like or support Maduro.
We like and support the rule of law.
Maduro is a brutal and oppressive dictator of Venezuela.
Trump has no legitimate legal basis for military action against Venezuela under United States or international law.
Both of those facts are simultaneously true.
Trump has no legitimate legal basis for military action against Venezuela under United States or international law.
Both of those facts are simultaneously true.
January 3, 2026 at 10:07 AM
It’s exhausting and boring, but because the wilful misunderstanders will be out in force some of us are going to have to spend a lot of time saying:
No, we do not like or support Maduro.
We like and support the rule of law.
No, we do not like or support Maduro.
We like and support the rule of law.
Reposted by David
Thoughts with @ianleslie.bsky.social at this difficult time.
June 22, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Thoughts with @ianleslie.bsky.social at this difficult time.
Reposted by David
There is, to my mind, no justification for the continued use by the UK Government of X as a platform for official comms. There hasn't been for some time, in fact, but if the latest developments around AI-generated image abuse and CSAM don't change the policy I really don't know what will.
NEW: People are using Elon Musk's chatbot, Grok, to alter images to depict real women being sexually abused, humiliated, hurt, and even killed.
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...
Grok Is Being Used to Depict Horrific Violence Against Real Women
People are asking Elon Musk's Grok chatbot to alter images to depict women being sexually abused, humiliated, and even killed.
futurism.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:18 PM
There is, to my mind, no justification for the continued use by the UK Government of X as a platform for official comms. There hasn't been for some time, in fact, but if the latest developments around AI-generated image abuse and CSAM don't change the policy I really don't know what will.
Reposted by David
it is absolutely insane that Reuters are quoting an LLM as an official comment
this is irresponsible reporting. a neural network can't comment on why it produced CSAM. a neural network can't be held answerable for generating CSAM. accountability lies within the fascist ceo and the team willing to work for him
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
www.reuters.com/legal/litiga...
Grok says safeguard lapses led to images of 'minors in minimal clothing' on X
Elon Musk's xAI artificial intelligence chatbot Grok said on Friday lapses in safeguards had resulted in "images depicting minors in minimal clothing" on social media platform X and that improvements ...
www.reuters.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:57 PM
it is absolutely insane that Reuters are quoting an LLM as an official comment
Reposted by David
Mayor Zohran Mandami’s crime reduction strategy notches early win.
January 2, 2026 at 6:47 AM
Mayor Zohran Mandami’s crime reduction strategy notches early win.
Reposted by David
An 'expert' is just another word for someone who knows what they are talking about.
Bari Weiss’s CBS News directly attacking academics, subject matter experts, in the promo for her new CBS Evening News.
January 2, 2026 at 5:20 PM
An 'expert' is just another word for someone who knows what they are talking about.
Reposted by David
Heroically ignoring stakeholders to spend more time performatively catering to the wildly racist preferences of a focus group exclusively comprising people who cannot be satisfied and will never under any circumstance vote for me.
January 2, 2026 at 9:52 AM
Heroically ignoring stakeholders to spend more time performatively catering to the wildly racist preferences of a focus group exclusively comprising people who cannot be satisfied and will never under any circumstance vote for me.
Reposted by David
Just like the Tories, Labour's centrist hacks think themselves omniscient and infallible - they cannot fail, they can only be failed. So when they do fail, they blame everyone else.
We saw it with the Tories, and it's already started from the Starmerites with this idiotic dreck: archive.ph/rHoXA
We saw it with the Tories, and it's already started from the Starmerites with this idiotic dreck: archive.ph/rHoXA
January 2, 2026 at 7:44 AM
Just like the Tories, Labour's centrist hacks think themselves omniscient and infallible - they cannot fail, they can only be failed. So when they do fail, they blame everyone else.
We saw it with the Tories, and it's already started from the Starmerites with this idiotic dreck: archive.ph/rHoXA
We saw it with the Tories, and it's already started from the Starmerites with this idiotic dreck: archive.ph/rHoXA
The Mail-ification of The Times continues.
December 30, 2025 at 11:10 AM
The Mail-ification of The Times continues.
Ganz ehrlich, warum müssen wir dafür bezahlen, nur weil ein paar Idioten Feuerwerk abbrennen wollen?
www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/poliz...
www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/poliz...
Furcht vor „Böller-Exzessen ohne Rücksicht auf Verluste“: Berlin setzt in der Silvesternacht 4300 Polizisten ein
Polizeipräsidentin Slowik Meisel will auffällige Personen über Silvester verstärkt in Gewahrsam nehmen. Mehr als 100.000 gefährliche Feuerwerkskörper wurden in der Hauptstadt schon sichergestellt.
www.tagesspiegel.de
December 29, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Ganz ehrlich, warum müssen wir dafür bezahlen, nur weil ein paar Idioten Feuerwerk abbrennen wollen?
www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/poliz...
www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/poliz...
Reposted by David
If immigration is high, the government has lost control of our borders. If it's low, it's because the country is in such a mess that nobody wants to be here. Labour is never going to win these people over, and it should stop trying.
An astonishing article in the Daily Mail.
Not only does it admit that some Romanians have left Britain because of growing discrimination after Brexit, but it also talks about the EU grants they've been able to access to start or boost their businesses back home.
archive.md/2025.12.29-1...
Not only does it admit that some Romanians have left Britain because of growing discrimination after Brexit, but it also talks about the EU grants they've been able to access to start or boost their businesses back home.
archive.md/2025.12.29-1...
December 29, 2025 at 2:40 PM
If immigration is high, the government has lost control of our borders. If it's low, it's because the country is in such a mess that nobody wants to be here. Labour is never going to win these people over, and it should stop trying.
Reposted by David
I already agree with this in principle - citizenship is an untouchable status or it is nothing - but also for reasons of prudence. “The Home Sec can revoke citizenship when he/she deems someone’s online output sufficiently offensive” is a v dangerous precedent to set with Reform leading all polls.
Hell, I'm not convinced we should revoke citizenship at all.
But certainly not for being a twat online.
But certainly not for being a twat online.
December 29, 2025 at 11:18 AM
I already agree with this in principle - citizenship is an untouchable status or it is nothing - but also for reasons of prudence. “The Home Sec can revoke citizenship when he/she deems someone’s online output sufficiently offensive” is a v dangerous precedent to set with Reform leading all polls.
Reposted by David
Having had a day to think through everything about El-Fattah, here's where I stand. Yes, it's possible to believe all of these things at once! In fact, it really shouldn't be that hard.
December 29, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Having had a day to think through everything about El-Fattah, here's where I stand. Yes, it's possible to believe all of these things at once! In fact, it really shouldn't be that hard.
Reposted by David
I think the answer is "they're not white".
Interested in how you square the circle of “British people who post ‘burn down a migrant hotel’ during race riots shouldn’t be arrested” with “someone who posted pretty objectionable and racist things 8 years before they became a British citizen should be deported” and am sure someone will ask Nigel
December 29, 2025 at 10:47 AM
I think the answer is "they're not white".
Reposted by David
will also add - yes, this is my personal crusade - that turning podcasts into videos implicitly asks women to once again make more effort than men, as the bar for "camera-ready" for one gender is obviously higher than for the other
‘Painful to hear!’ How podcasts’ rush to video is turning them into dreadful listens
‘Painful to hear!’ How podcasts’ rush to video is turning them into dreadful listens
From Joe Marler’s visual-only stunts to the incomprehensible shuffling sounds Steven Bartlett recently subjected headphone users to, dodgy audio experiences are on the rise
www.theguardian.com
December 27, 2025 at 10:20 AM
will also add - yes, this is my personal crusade - that turning podcasts into videos implicitly asks women to once again make more effort than men, as the bar for "camera-ready" for one gender is obviously higher than for the other