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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

@tarquinhh.bsky.social

2.6K followers 5.9K following 2.2K posts

Oxford Law Research Admin (currently on a GLAMorous secondment), dabbler in history, philosophy & sociology of the life sciences & medicine.

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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · Jun 24

My former PI Carrie Friese's book on lab animal welfare is out today and is open access:
opensquare.nyupress.org/books/978147...
#sts #sociology

A Mouse in a Cage: Rethinking Humanitarianism and the Rights of Lab Animals

[Open Access] Questions the treatment of laboratory animals in biomedical researchLaboratory animals are often used to develop medical treatments: vaccines, antibiotics, and organ transplants have all...

opensquare.nyupress.org

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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 10h

The 'banging-one's-head-against-the-door-to-make-the-lump-bigger' administration.

Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 10h

Returning to the gold standard but then immediately adopting "Free Silver" style bimetallism as a nod to midwestern voters.

Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 10h

Yes, but it's mostly about the fine-tuning problem, actually.

Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 10h

Greg Bear's scrapped sequel to Darwin's Radio?

Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 19h

I understand that eating swans is what gets you from left to right via absorbing all the Ugly Duckling energy from their meat.

Reposted by Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 21h

ME/CFS is a devastating condition that has long been denied, dismissed, psychologised and underdiagnosed. Research is at last starting to catch up with it, with glimmers of hope for those who have been left untreated for so long.
There's a huge BUT coming ...🧵
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

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

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

www.theguardian.com

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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 1d

Three weeks from now...

A bearded and disoriented Howard Hughes-esque Mr Burns holding a model plane in his left hand and pointing a gun with his right at a surgical mask wearing Smithers while stating "I said hop in".

Reposted by Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

Jason Linkins @dceiver.bsky.social · 1d

love that we had a whole national reckoning over the media's coverage of Biden's advanced age and none of the scolds who High Horsed us can be bothered to spend even a minute reflecting on the fact that Trump has basically become Mr. Burns in the "Spruce Moose" episode of THE SIMPSONS

CNN @cnn.com · 1d

The Trump administration has ordered FBI employees in Washington, DC, to immediately search their workstations and digital media for any records pertaining to the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, a law enforcement source told CNN.

FBI employees ordered to immediately search for records related to Amelia Earhart, source says | CNN Politics

www.cnn.com

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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 1d

"Don't worry, it's not pig ham - well, not short pig ham anyway"

Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 1d

The burnt brown crunchy bits, a la Sam Vimes

Reposted by Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

Sarah-Maria Schober @smschober.bsky.social · 1d

Want to work on the history of hair? I am looking for a doc and postdoc to join my project team researching #earlymodern hair, race, trade and multispecies history at the University of Lucerne.

Do apply and spread the word!

www.unilu.ch/en/universit...

www.unilu.ch/en/universit...

PhD position in History (100%, 4 years) - Vacancies - University of Lucerne

Assistant or doctoral positions, employment or internship: Looking for a job at the University of Lucerne? Find our listed open positions and apprenticeships here.

www.unilu.ch

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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 2d

"You're a promptophile, you're a slop badger, you're a parrot perv, you're a small LLM regarder, you're a bot botherer, you're the Crazy World of Sam Altman, you're a ChatGPT bottler, you're a grok rocketeer..."

"...Yes, well, it's just another form of racism"

Scene from Brass Eye of Chris Morris on left in grey suit reading a list out to a bearded man on right wearing sunglasses, tie and a dark suit (bushes in background).

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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 2d

Can't be a proper megalomaniac villain without some kind of evil island base.

Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 2d

Certainly in my age cohort of late '80s/early '90s millenials it seems every third or so English woman is a Rebecca, Becca or Becky. Rachels somewhat rarer but far from uncommon.

Reposted by Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

Sophie Michell @sophiemhistory.bsky.social · 3d

Ok, this is a first... a coroner holding an inquest over a man HE KILLED

Come on gang, we're going in...

A clip from an 1893 copy of a Lincolnshire newspaper titled A coroner.
People are not aware of a coroner's enormous power. He has more power than a Prime Minister. He stands next to the Queen. Boston is fortunate in having as coroner a gentleman who does not put in force all the power the law gives. The Bobby (police) says he ought to fill two offices - MP for Boston as well as coroner. Many years ago we had a coroner called Mastin who held an inquest on a man he had killed a few hours before. Mr Mastin held an inqust at Butterwick. The jury sat late and the coroner on returning was stopped by a man in a lane who seized his mare by the head and demanded money or life. Old Mastin, like an Englishman, fought for it. The man was knocked down and the wheel of his gig (a small carriage) went over his head and killed him. He was a stranger - no one knew him.

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Reposted by Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

Ben Whitham @drbenwhitham.bsky.social · 3d

Men in balaclavas set fire to a mosque in East Sussex last night. It's only appearing on the BBC's local coverage, rather than its main national headlines, despite coming just a week after the (also under-reported) firebombing of an asylum hotel in London last week
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Peacehaven: Fire at East Sussex mosque probed as 'hate crime'

Video appears to show two people in balaclavas at the mosque before a large blaze spreads.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 4d

Regular people: My to-read list

November's Doom fans:

Cover art for November's Doom - The Novella Reservoir, depicted a figure lying face down prone in an umbrella floating a flooded field full of crosses.

Reposted by Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

Miles, knitting screaming agony werewolf @queermedieval.bsky.social · 16d

11) anxious and distressed frog feeling the weight of the universe (mood) from Bibliothèque interuniversitaire. Section Médecine, H 418, fol. 23v

A very anxious-looking medieval manuscript frog, making a face that looks like if frogs could say the word "yikes"

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Reposted by Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

Yair Wallach @yairwallach.bsky.social · 5d

That was the Israeli plan for Gaza City, by the way (ch12 news), for when it is established that Hamas gave a negative answer:

Everyone who stays in the city will be killed.
(Quarter of a million people are there; many cannot leave)

New details on IDF plan if Hamas says NO
Israel will deliver an ultimatum to 200k people who are still in Gaza City. Anyone who stays will be considered a terrorist. No water, food and electricity supply - all those who remain will be killed.

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Reposted by Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

Celso Neto @celsoneto.bsky.social · 6d

Interested in the social implications of genomics and its philosophical aspects?

Our project has numerous activities coming up! Follow the blusky account to stay up-to-date.

#philsky #STS #popgen #metascience #philsci #HPbio

HUGERA @hugeraproject.bsky.social · 6d

Hello BLue-Sky, are you interested in the study of the social implications of genomics? Our project brings together philosophers, social scientists, and geneticists to address this question. Follow us here and sign-up for our mailing list at Hugera.org/contact/ #philsky #STS #metascience

Contact - HUGERA

The HUGERA team welcomes new collaborators and partners, within and outside academia. Most of our activities, such as lectures and workshops, are open. To know more about our activities, join our mail...

Hugera.org

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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 6d

"Whilst widely believed to be descended from rites associated with the ancient Celtic festival of Halmha Demoraine, recent historical evidence shows that it was likely the late Victorian invention of a colonial officer under the influence of malarial fever dreams and six bottles of gin"

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Reposted by Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes

Chris Bertram @crookedfootball.bsky.social · 6d

Some British citizens are more British citizens than others as a result of the process where the UK has gradually sought to reduce the rights of its former imperial subjects since WW2. The Windrush scandal was one effect of that process and this is another.

UK accused of ‘stark injustice’ as woman from Montserrat refused free NHS care

Cherry Brown, 69, a British overseas territory citizen, was left sleeping rough after being sent to England for treatment

www.theguardian.com

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Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 7d

I mean, Edward Jenner not only determined that cowpox was protective against smallpox, he also was one of the first people to study cuckoo brood parasitism, plus was a Freemason. Which is to say, at the very least he was a bit of a weird nerd.

Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 7d

"Now, now - you took part in our Century of Humiliation, it's only fair that we take part in yours. So about those illegitimate 19th century treaties..."

Tarquin 'Howling Mad' Holmes @tarquinhh.bsky.social · 7d

"Jim Crow laws are racist, but I think its unproductive to call white Southerners racists just because they want protect their women and children from the rapacity of rogue negro men"