Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 7h

You can get lost

Reposted by John Rentoul

Andy Ibbs @andyibbs.bsky.social · 8h

Poor guy, I hope his name didn’t give him an inferiority complex

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Reposted by John Rentoul

Tom Freeman @tomfreeman.bsky.social · 2d

I finally realised what AI dependency reminds me of

A mock-up of an old D&D guide detailing the properties of magical items, featuring "Altman’s Quill of Artifice". The entry reads:
This enchanted quill, made from the feather of a harpy, serves as a magical scribe and sage, able to answer all its owner’s queries. The owner must use it to write a question at the top of a piece of paper or parchment, such as “Where is the secret entrance to the King’s treasury?” or “How can I cure lycanthropy?” Acting under its own power, it will write an answer. But despite its apparent (and often genuine) usefulness, this item is cursed.
Roll d20 to determine the result of any query: 1 Hopelessly wrong, 2-5 Contains major errors, 6-10 Contains minor errors, 11-16 Accurate but incomplete, 17-20 Fully accurate.
Apply modifiers in line with the rules for consulting sages (see Table 62) depending on the nature of the question (general 0, specific -2, exacting -4) and the availability of relevant knowledge (complete 0, partial -2, non-existent -6). The DM should choose the nature of any errors, as well as the consequences of believing them.
If the answer is less than fully accurate, that will not be obvious, as the quill of artifice writes in a confident and authoritative manner. A reader may scrutinise the answer to attempt to notice any problem, but to succeed they must pass an intelligence check at a penalty of -2. Anyone who has previously failed such a check makes all future checks at -4. The owner of the quill is particularly vulnerable, permanently losing one point of intelligence with each inaccurate answer that is believed. The owner will be unaware of this loss, and will become fiercely possessive of the quill, refusing to give it up and distrusting anyone who doubts its output.
A remove curse spell may make the owner willing to part with it, but the loss of intelligence is irreparable.

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 11h

“At 43, I am not saying ‘situationship’.” Janan Ganesh www.ft.com/content/0774...

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 12h

No, because that is not what I said

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 12h

What an extravagant and self-important way of saying you disagree – without any attempt at explanation

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 12h

And here is the painting by Albert Turpin, of the East London Group artuk.org/discover/art...

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 12h

St James the Less, Bethnal Green

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 13h

The PM will travel to Egypt tomorrow to attend the signing ceremony of the peace plan for Gaza, recalling this extract from Andrew Roberts on Churchill, which featured in the Commons Confidential newsletter last month

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 16h

My sister Sue has a show in south London next month

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 17h

Originally from Simon Ricketts, 10 years ago: “When they name roads in Novia Scotia five minutes before the bar is open” www.google.co.uk/maps/@44.738...

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 17h

Love this: "mediocre" is the only one US and UK agree on; US rates "average" above average

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 19h

How good (or bad) are good (or bad) words? @yougov.co.uk includes comparing how Americans and British people hear these words
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 17h

I think the McSweeney strategy is the right one, because most marginal seats are Labour-Reform contests

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 17h

Blaming Farage and Brexit for tax rises is a sign of Starmer’s desperation www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-...

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Reposted by John Rentoul

Steve Walmsley @s10countryman.bsky.social · 1d

Why does anyone pay any attention to anything @rentouljohn.bsky.social says?

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 1d

Trying to blame Farage and Brexit for tax rises is a sign of Starmer’s desperation. My weekend article for @the-independent.com www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-...

Trying to blame Farage and Brexit for tax rises is a sign of Starmer’s desperation

The prime minister and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, are expected to argue that Brexit – backed by the Reform leader’s ‘easy sloganeering’ – is responsible for Budget tax hikes this autumn. But, says...

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by John Rentoul

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 2d

Kemi Badenoch has a brilliant idea – will Rachel Reeves steal it? www.independent.co.uk/voices/kemi-...

Kemi Badenoch has a brilliant idea – will Rachel Reeves steal it?

The struggling Tory leader ‘won’ the conference season with her headline-grabbing pledge to abolish stamp duty – as a difficult Budget looms, the chancellor must find a way to respond, says John Rento...

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by John Rentoul

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 1d

From the archive, 10 years ago: Boon boon, fiyt fiyt, ronron – #Top10 Animal Noises in Other Languages independent.co.uk/news/world/t...

The top ten animal noises in other languages

Thanks to Derek Abbott at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Adelaide, who has compiled a fine online database…

independent.co.uk

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Reposted by John Rentoul

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 1d

Research re polarisation by Tadeas Cely via @ianleslie.bsky.social www.ian-leslie.com/p/successful...

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Reposted by John Rentoul

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 1d

The answers to the i paper quiz are here docs.google.com/document/d/1...

i Quiz answers

11 Oct 4 Oct 27 Sep 20 Sep 13 Sep 6 Sep 30 Aug 23 Aug 16 Aug 9 Aug 2 Aug 26 Jul 19 Jul 12 Jul 5 Jul 28 Jun 21 Jun 14 Jun 7 Jun 31 May 24 May 17 May 10 May 3 May 26 Apr 19 Apr ...

docs.google.com

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Reposted by John Rentoul

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 1d

Trying to blame Farage and Brexit for tax rises is a sign of Starmer’s desperation. My weekend article for @the-independent.com www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-...

Trying to blame Farage and Brexit for tax rises is a sign of Starmer’s desperation

The prime minister and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, are expected to argue that Brexit – backed by the Reform leader’s ‘easy sloganeering’ – is responsible for Budget tax hikes this autumn. But, says...

www.independent.co.uk

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John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 1d

Trying to blame Farage and Brexit for tax rises is a sign of Starmer’s desperation. My weekend article for @the-independent.com www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-...

Trying to blame Farage and Brexit for tax rises is a sign of Starmer’s desperation

The prime minister and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, are expected to argue that Brexit – backed by the Reform leader’s ‘easy sloganeering’ – is responsible for Budget tax hikes this autumn. But, says...

www.independent.co.uk