Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 4h

“As the authors shared their experiences on stage, guests dined under the gilded portraits of a society founded in 1660 with the motto nullius in verba (take nobody’s word for it) that still welcomes Musk, a known spreader of misinformation, as a fellow.”

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 4h

“In a statement issued last week, after a meeting of its council, the Royal Society said it rejected the “use of language of violence and narratives of division and polarisation” but that it was not its role to “police the personal political opinions” of fellows.”

The Royal Society should be protecting science, not Musk

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 4h

“How dissonant, then, that as people prepared to gather at the Royal Society last week to learn who had scooped the world’s top science-writing accolade, they were offered the blandest statement imaginable about one of its elected fellows, Elon Musk.” on.ft.com/4nOgY3i

The esteemed club risks becoming a bystander as reason and rationality come under attack

on.ft.com

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Reposted by John Williams

Frank Norman @franknorman.bsky.social · 4h

‘Climate change is not caused by paracetamol’. That made me laugh!

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 5h

“Apples fall from trees. Gravity is real. Climate change is not caused by paracetamol. Science & facts matter. It’s important that places like Oxford tell truthful stories, not make-believe ones — but we must also understand what drives the make-believe and the human response.“ PPE types take note!

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John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 4h

A great line…

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 5h

“Apples fall from trees. Gravity is real. Climate change is not caused by paracetamol. Science & facts matter. It’s important that places like Oxford tell truthful stories, not make-believe ones — but we must also understand what drives the make-believe and the human response.“ PPE types take note!

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 5h

“With omnipresent AI and at a time of crisis for humanities nationwide, Oxford is doubling down. We are standing up for, supporting and celebrating the humanities like you’ve never seen before.”

Oxford students need diversity training ‘to protect free speech’

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 5h

“Memory, logic and problem-solving, cognitive dissonance and friction — we do not yet know the cost to our brains if we abdicate these abilities to an algorithm.”

www.thetimes.com/article/0aac...

Professor Irene Tracey, the university’s vice-chancellor, stressed the importance of EDI on campus

www.thetimes.com

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John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 5h

Photos don’t go bigger than mine’:

“Gursky’s very particular way of seeing: seismographic, at times deadpan, & never short of awe. In a world flooded with thoughtless photographs quickly forgotten, everything hanging in this gallery was made for a reason”

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

‘Photos don’t go bigger than mine’: the epic, impossible images of the great Andreas Gursky

From Amazon warehouses to Olympic skiers and the crowd at a Madonna gig, his pictures have made him one of the world’s most feted photographers. So why did the German artist want to postpone his new s...

Scientists develop first ‘accurate blood test’ to detect chronic fatigue syndrome

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 5h

“some of the claims made by the research team were “premature”.

“This test needs to be fully validated in better-designed and independent studies before it is considered for clinical application”

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Research could offer hope for ME patients – but some experts urge caution and say more studies needed

‘I’m the total opposite to Cav and Brad’: Geraint Thomas on how a normal bloke won the Tour de France

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 5h

Retirement is tough, searching for my own sense of purpose as I depart the world of work.

“You wake up every morning knowing what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. That’s what I will have to find again otherwise you go a bit crazy.’

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/o...

The two-time Olympic gold medallist tells Donald McRae about the grit and sacrifice needed to succeed for two decades in elite cycling

Sex-stratified genome-wide association meta-analysis of major depressive disorder - Nature Communications

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 17h

“These findings underscore the importance of considering sex-specific genetic architectures in the study of health conditions, including Major Depressive Disorder, paving the way for more targeted treatment strategies.”

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Sex differences are well established in the prevalence and symptoms of depression. Here, the authors identify a novel X chromosome variant, greater genetic risk, and stronger links to metabolic traits in females, highlighting the importance of sex-aware approaches.

www.nature.com

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 17h

“we already know that females are twice as likely to suffer from depression in their lifetime than males”.

“Until now, there hasn’t been much consistent research to explain why depression affects females and males differently”

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Women carry a higher genetic risk of depression, new study says

Researchers in Australia find 16 genetic variants linked to depression in women but only eight in men

Reposted by John Williams

Mary Dixon-Woods @marydixonwoods.bsky.social · 18h

I’d say a clinician is anyone who works clinically with patients - so a term not restricted to any professional group.

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 3d

A cogent analysis by a knowledgeable team.

A question that it prompted in my mind is what we now mean when we use the word clinician?

www.bmj.com/content/390/...

www.bmj.com

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John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 21h

Who built modern Manchester?

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 22h

“Mr. Whitney’s brain is full of amyloid, probably even more than other mutation carriers in his family because he has lived so long…But he has very little tau.”

“He’s resistant to tau aggregation and tau spread,” ... “That’s where his resilience is.”

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 22h

“Researchers call Mr. Whitney an Alzheimer’s escapee. Scientists have so far conclusively identified two others in the world who were resilient to the early-onset dementia their mutations should have caused.”

He Was Expected to Get Alzheimer’s 25 Years Ago. Why Hasn’t He?

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 22h

“Mr. Whitney, 76, is a scientific unicorn with potential to provide answers about one of the world’s most devastating diseases. He has a rare genetic mutation that essentially guaranteed he would develop Alzheimer’s disease in his late 40s or early 50s”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/h...

Opinion | Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller.

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John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 22h

Grim prospect !

“The most permanent damage, however, is the precedent. With these guardrails shattered, the temptation for a future Democratic administration to launch its own campaign of retribution — using a weakened system for its own ends — becomes immense.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...

Why new NHS buildings are not ready for patients on opening day

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 1d

Why new NHS buildings are not ready for patients on opening day |

“A finished building is not the same as a ready hospital. Integration and rehearsal are the game changers. It’s time we treated them as such.”

Remarkable this needs to be stated!

www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-...

New NHS buildings are often declared complete before they are ready to start operating. Poor planning leaves staff unprepared and patients at risk, writes Michelle Higgins

www.hsj.co.uk

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 1d

an informed comment with some sensible suggestions as to how the Conservatives became relevant again.

“Coalition of the excluded and the insulated.’

“However that Brexit Boris Coalition has in turn broken down because of the failure of Brexit”

conservativehome.com/2025/10/07/d...

David Willetts: A first job and help towards buying a home might make the Conservatives less at sea in the polls | Conservative Home

I have long wanted to see a Conservative offer for young people and have advocated a £10,000 capital grant to help spread property ownership as council house sales and privatisation did.

conservativehome.com

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 1d

A receptive audience was identified and a business built.

“What is undeniable is The Free Press built a new media business in a time when everybody thinks the news is dying as a business — and got it to a place of flourishing in a space of three years,”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/b...

How Bari Weiss Won

Elon Musk Gambles on Sexy A.I. Companions

John Williams @johnhuww.bsky.social · 1d

Elon Musk Gambles on Sexy A.I. Companions

“Musk has said the A.I. companions will help people strengthen their real-world connections & address one of his chief anxieties: population decline that he warns could lead to civilizational collapse.” 🤔

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/t...