Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 18h

Agree, with the added observation that these huge gigs are usually soulless.
So many grassroots bands you can see in 200-cap venues or smaller. £10, and decent priced beer. Much more fun, and you get added smug when a band you saw blows up to be the next Smiths.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The best gig I ever saw cost £4. Spiralling concert prices are a cultural disaster | John Harris

Tickets for big tours have vastly outstripped inflation, while smaller artists and venues struggle. The magic is in danger of being snuffed out entirely, says Guardian columnist John Harris

www.theguardian.com

1

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 2d

Privilege to be in Brussels, meeting with economists, policymakers, academics and trade unionists in the very room where Marx wrote his Communist Manifesto to discuss the #FutureOfWork and social democracy.

1

Reposted by Kester

Sathnam Sanghera @sathnam.bsky.social · 6d

Please let this be true.

Have we passed peak social media? - on.ft.com/4pTb1Di via @FT

Have we passed peak social media?

As platforms degrade into outrage and slop, users are turning away

on.ft.com

8 32 230

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 9d

See the @ifow.org report I co-authored on this, following workshops done in schools from Bodmin to Oldham on AI, future mapping and what young people think of tech. www.ifow.org/publications...

Motivating futures - helping young people from low-income backgrounds to thrive in a changing world of work - IFOW

How can intrinsic and internalised motivation help young people from low-income backgrounds access better jobs?

www.ifow.org

1 1

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 9d

Great to be in Liverpool today with @eyfoundation.bsky.social for expert round table of MPs, careers support specialists and firms presenting on how young people from lower-income backgrounds can access better jobs in this era of AI turbulence. Motivation is key, as is time for reflective practice.

1 1 2

Reposted by Kester

Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 13d

Waiting for Godot: The Hunt for Godot is the recently announced newest installment of the Godotverse. The long awaited sidequel follows Godot's adventures during the events of the original play.

44 320 1.5K

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 15d

This is so important, and speaks to bigger issues about work generally. Technologies don't stand alone in a vacuum - they tap into deep-seated feelings about value and engagement. So if we're doing 'slop', and thinking 'that's fine,' the questions shouldn't be focused on AI.
hbr.org/2025/09/ai-g...

AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity

Despite a surge in generative AI use across workplaces, most companies are seeing little measurable ROI. One possible reason is because AI tools are being used to produce “workslop”—content that appea...

hbr.org

3

Reposted by Kester

cow tools daily @cowtoolsdaily.bsky.social · Mar 19

That fateful night in October of 1982:

Two tall buildings stand next to each other. One has a signed at the top reading "Institute for the understanding and appreciation of jokes". the other building has a sign at the top which is just the Far Side cow tools cartoon, featuring a bipedal cow showing off her 4 crudely made tools. An angry mob is exiting the first building and heading towards the cow tools building, carrying pitchforks, bats, and guns. Caption reads, "The dam bursts."

5 100 670

Reposted by Kester

Stefan Marciniak @profmarciniak.bsky.social · 18d

Reading papers is a basic skill (and dare I say duty?) of scientists, and I include medical doctors in that group. Keeping abreast of the literature is a foundational part of our professions. There aren’t good shortcuts. In any case, reading papers regularly is fun.
arstechnica.com/ai/2025/09/s...

Science journalists find ChatGPT is bad at summarizing scientific papers

LLM “tended to sacrifice accuracy for simplicity” when writing news briefs.

arstechnica.com

11 130 280

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 18d

Parallel tougher fines for motorcyclists, constantly breaking laws with speeding, super-aggressive riding and noise pollution? Oh yes, forgot, as one PC explained to a community meeting recently, 'it's hard to stop motorbikes, so it's easier to focus on cyclists.' 🤷‍♂️

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

City of London to examine tougher cycling fines

Officials within the square mile say tougher sanctions are needed to tackle problem cyclists.

www.bbc.co.uk

1

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 19d

Fantastic event. Real privilege to be a part of.

ESRC Centre for Digital Futures at Work (Digit) @digitcentre.bsky.social · 19d

Huge thanks to everyone from government, industry, charities, and trade unions who joined us today for the first #DigitCoLab.

🧵

1

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 20d

Should be - if all is working properly!

1

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 20d

The gods of small things.
Interesting to see this come to pass (and further post on how AI has basically now consumed everything so… what next?) - something I talk about in my book, God-like: a 500-Year History of AI

www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=god-like...

2 1 1

Reposted by Kester

Henry Morris @mrhenrymorris.substack.com · 21d

Oi, Martin Daubney. Get your tanks off Partridge's lawn.

42 24 160

Reposted by Kester

Sacha Hilhorst @sachahilhorst.bsky.social · 21d

So much talk about Reform voters, but I'm yet to read much about their lives beyond tropes and excuses ('legitimate concerns').

I've been back in the midlands to interview people and learn more. Here's my piece on them and Reform's attempts to present itself as a community-minded, pro-worker party:

Reform’s aesthetics of industry

Renewal 33.2_HilhorstRenewal 33.2_Hilhorst.pdf110 KBdownload-circle In North Nottinghamshire, Reform UK present themselves as the party of workers, community and coalmining heritage. But this image...

renewal.org.uk

7 31 68

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 21d

“One day everyone will have always been against this”

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Why I’m hosting a concert for Palestine at Wembley Arena | Brian Eno

I hope tonight’s gig will have the same galvanising effect as the 1988 Nelson Mandela concert – and give people courage to speak out about Gaza, says music producer Brian Eno

www.theguardian.com

2

Reposted by Kester

Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 22d

This is how Britain is welcoming Trump for his state visit at Windsor Castle where he will meet King Charles tomorrow morning.

Quality work, @ledbydonkeys.org.

14 150 590

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 23d

Larry Tesler, inventor of the cut, copy, and paste commands, dies at 74
Larry Tesler, inventor of the cut, copy, and paste commands, dies at 74

Tombmas Spooks @thomasfuchs.at · 23d

Larry Tesler, inventor of the cut, copy, and paste commands, dies at 74
Larry Tesler, inventor of the cut, copy, and paste commands, dies at 74

Amy Hoy @amyhoy.bsky.social · 23d

Larry Tesler, inventor of the cut, copy, and paste commands, dies at 74

1

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 24d

This whole series - Rise / War / Downfall / Manhunt - is superb.

Much wisdom on how horror could have been avoidable.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Rise of the Nazis - Series 1: 1. Politics

Delving into the corridors of power where Germany’s top political mastermind sees an opportunity to use the popularity of the Nazis for his own ends.

www.bbc.co.uk

1

Reposted by Kester

🎃 🧟 Prof. Dr Beth Singler 👻 🎃 @bvlsingler.bsky.social · 27d

9 33

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 27d

Know! Love that place so much.

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 28d

A while ago, and my own views on the transcendent have shifted considerably (down to around zero), but I did a lot of reflecting on this need to engage 'the other' in this book published by @hodderbooks.bsky.social : www.amazon.co.uk/Other-Embrac...

Other: Embracing Difference in a Fractured World: Amazon.co.uk: Brewin, Kester: 9781444701104: Books

Buy Other: Embracing Difference in a Fractured World by Brewin, Kester (ISBN: 9781444701104) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 28d

Empathy is the only thing that withers fascism on its bitter vine.

Almost every problem we face is a problem rooted in fear of The Other.

Rap Bastardz® @rapbastardz.bsky.social · 28d

Without comment:

Oct 12, 2022 - Screen grab of a tweet from Jason Campbell:

Still from the Charlie Kirk show Charlie speaking. Underneath the quote from Charlie reads a quote from Charlie’s broadcast that day:

“I can’t stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made up New Age term that does a lot of damage.”

9 41 130

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · 28d

Killing. Fascists. Does. Not. Kill. Fascism.

1 2

Kester @kesterbrewin.com · Sep 9

‘In an age like ours, when everyone, to gain attention, walks on their hands, the individual who stands on their own two feet will be taken for an acrobat.’

So loved doing this podcast with the #BeMorePirate crew. And that #Kundera quote does good heavy lifting :)
open.spotify.com/episode/0hFJ...

Kester Brewin

open.spotify.com