Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jonathan Roberts

@jonroberts.bsky.social

2.2K followers 710 following 1.7K posts

Research genetic counsellor. PhD in Science Communication. Researching equitable genomic testing & genetics of neurdevelopmental disorders. https://substack.com/@jonathanrob1985?utm_source=user-menu

substack.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Apr 17

Thank you to @bylinetimes.bsky.social for letting me write about this.

"Some losses are irreversible, not just in flesh, but in time and context. To lose sight of this risks us ceasing to value and protect what we have now"

substack.com/home/post/p-...

The Myth of the 'De-Extinction' of the Dire Wolf

Don't be fooled by reports of extinct animals being brought back to life, argues genetic researcher Jonathan Roberts. The truth is much scarier

substack.com

1 10

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · 9d

I'll be honest, I didn't realise it wasn't subject to VAT. Closing tax loopholes for private healthcare providers and using this to fund NHS pay rises seems like an easy win from where I'm sitting.

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 9d

“Not happening”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting says on #BBCBreakfast that there is no plan to add VAT on private healthcare

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · 11d

Maybe, and here's an idea, if Labour is intent on ushering in a far right government they shouldn't put in place the infrastructure for a surveillance state.

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · 12d

Laura Kuenssberg: do Reform's Russian connections spell the end for Keir Starmer?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Reform UK's ex-Wales leader Nathan Gill admits pro-Russia bribery

Nathan Gill admits eight charges of bribery while being a Member of the European Parliament.

www.bbc.co.uk

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · 14d

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · 29d

If you call going round putting up flags given to me by a notorious right wing extremist and then asking people to bow to them political, then yes, it's 'political'.

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · 29d

Approaching my 10th wedding anniversary and my 4 year old is incredulous my wife and I still have anything to say to each other. 10 years, in her view, should be quite enough time to say everything you need to each other.

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Sep 7

He's also failed to tackle wealth inequality (instead preferring to blame immigration for everyone's woes).

1 3 18

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Sep 6

As far as I can tell Farage has been called out in Congress after calling for sanctions against the country he seeks to lead. It's an act that should bar him from ever being PM. Yet, the BBC only seems interested in breathlessly telling us how Reform are the Government in waiting

1 1 1

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Aug 25

If anyone without children asks my advice about having children I ask one simple but important question. How much do you like side quests?

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Aug 21

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Aug 15

This feels like a mad idea because - among other things - these data centres require heaps of water and we've spent the last 30 years siphoning £50 Billion into shareholders pockets rather than investing in water infrastructure. We've built no new reservoirs in the last 30 years!

Go Green @ecowarriorss.bsky.social · Aug 15

Ireland 2023 data centers accounted for one fifth of the country's energy demand.
UK also expanding data centers that are a huge strain on water supply and increase carbon emissions
Plans for a 435-acre data centre site in North Lincolnshire

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Data centres to be expanded across UK as concerns mount

The number of data centres is set to jump by a fifth in the coming years, figures seen by the BBC suggest.

www.bbc.com

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Aug 15

New paper where we argue that (at least in the UK genomics context) we need to make it easier for the full diversity of our workforce to contribute to research. bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/8...

Putting the patient at the centre: a call for research involvement of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals working in genomics

Introduction We report the collaborative views of a group of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals (NMAHPs) in the UK who have a genomics research remit or interest. Our group includes gene...

bmjopen.bmj.com

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Aug 14

Just going through the self check out while the kids scan everything themselves

an older woman is crying and says it 's been 84 years

ALT: an older woman is crying and says it 's been 84 years

media.tenor.com

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 30

For what it's worth I've found the work of Lisa-Feldman Barrett super helpful in thinking about how to respond to my children's emotions.

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 30

There's also a lot in the gentle parenting movement (and that ilk) that prioritises validation of emotions over all else. There's little space within these frameworks for trying to re-frame or contextualise emotions.

1 3

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 15

Labour betting the house on economic growth rather than solid principles is looking worse and worse every day.

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 15

Yeah. If only those poor water companies had less regulation to deal with they could properly innovate! I bet there are a million ways they could pollute our waters they haven't even thought of yet!

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Jul 15

Reeves to say rules and red tape are ‘boot on the neck’ of innovation

At the Mansion House dinner she will call for regulators to allow more risk to clear the way for economic growth Rachel Reeves will say that rules and red tape are acting as a “boot on the neck” of businesses and risk “choking off” innovation across the UK without bold reforms. In a speech to City bosses attending the Mansion House dinner at London’s Guildhall on Tuesday evening, the chancellor will heap further pressure on regulators to allow for more risk in order to boost economic growth. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 13

Reading "the Grammar of Fantasy" by Gianni Rodari. He has a great line about why we need to nurture our imaginations: "Not because everyone is an artists, but because no one is a slave." This captures much of my worry about LLMs damaging our creative powers.

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 10

How successfully Reform is making the weather is maddening. Politics could do itself a massive favour if those in power stopped worrying about the tantrums of middle aged men.

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 8

Fair pay for NHS workers is no-brainer. However, I think the context of this will make it a real challenge to win over the majority of the public (for clarity, I'm not saying they're wrong, just that this sets up major coms challenge)

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Jul 8

Resident doctors in England vote to strike over pay

Vote comes after BMA criticised ‘woefully inadequate’ 5.4% award for medics formally known as junior doctors * UK politics live – latest updates Resident doctors in England have voted in favour of strikes that could result in industrial action lasting until January next year, the British Medical Association has announced. The strikes, over pay, will bring renewed disruption to the NHS in England, which has not faced a national strike by any staff since the last of the 11 walkouts by junior doctors ended on 2 July last year. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 4

It's will swiftly be a case of "This messiah complex isn't big enough for the both of us"

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 4

Just don't get it out in public.

The Verge @theverge.com · Jul 4

The Ploopy Knob is an open-source control dial for your PC

A big scroll wheel for your PC.

buff.ly

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jul 1

The framing of this - the two siding - is terrible from the BBC. Falling for the trick of allowing a (very small) spoon full of truth to allow a serious amount of conspiracy theory and corruption to go down.

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jun 28

Indeed, his current strategy of appeasements reminds me as a parent of trying to negotiate with a toddler.

Jonathan Roberts @jonroberts.bsky.social · Jun 28

I knew Nestle were evil, but this really takes it a step too far.

1 2