Adrian Blau

@adrianblau.bsky.social

Professor of Politics at King's College London. I work on politics, philosophy & history. My surname rhymes with "flaw". BlauBlog: http://adrianblau.wordpress.com (He/him)

Any big-budget Wittgenstein film should be 75% Wittgenstein being an unremitting asshole to everyone he meets, with the director varying whether only we think the target deserves it, 23% him being terrible to himself, and then 2% this specific moment, which is unexpectedly the heart of the film.

After about two hours of reading or discussion, we would go for a walk and then have tea at Lyons, or in the restaurant above the Regal cinema. Sometimes he came to my house in Searle Street for supper. Once after supper, Wittgenstein, my wife, and I went for a walk on Midsummer Common. We talked about the movements of the bodies of the solar system. It occurred to Wittgenstein that the three of us should represent the movements of the sun, earth, and moon, relative to one another. My wife was the sun and maintained a steady pace across the meadow; I was the earth and circled her at a trot. Wittgenstein took the most strenuous part of all, the moon, and ran around me while I circled my wife. Wittgenstein entered into this game with great enthusiasm and seriousness, shouting instructions at us as he ran. He became quite breathless and dizzy with exhaustion.
Brett Karlan@oldjerryfodor.bsky.social · last wk.

Bro if Christopher Nolan ever directs a big-budget retelling of the Wittgenstein-Popper poker incident, imma write a review in the LRB that is SO scathing

The world may have moved on from Minneapolis but its immigrant community continues to struggle. We spoke to single mothers who hid from ICE for months, ran through their savings, and now can’t pay to renew their DACA applications. At least dozens are in this situation. 19thnews.org/2026/07/ice-...

Single mothers lost months of income hiding from ICE — and now can’t afford to renew immigration papers

They survived ICE's takeover in Minneapolis. But now their DACA protections are set to expire, leaving dozens scrambling to afford hundreds of dollars in fees to maintain their legal status.

19thnews.org

B

……Mahmood will destroy the labour party with the continuing viscious attacks on immigrants and refugees. She wouldn’t be in a job, let alone Britain if these policies were in place when her parents arrived in Britain. she’ll be Burnham’s downfall, unless he reins her in.

George Monbiot@georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 2w ago

I strongly believe in giving the man a chance. But keeping Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary suggests the vicious attacks on immigrants and refugees, and self-defeating attempts to outrun the far right, are likely to continue. Which is pretty damn depressing. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I know it's not the biggest news of the day, but I just spotted this... One of Keir Starmer's last acts in Govt is this: Laying legislation that will legalise 'plug-in solar' (aka balcony solar) panels in Britain It means plug-in solar panels do not (legally) have to be wired in by an electrician.

Timeline - SI 2026/848 - Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026 - Statutory Instruments - UK Parl...

Timeline for Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 and Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (Amendment) Regulations 2026

statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk

Ontario jails are using an AI tool that claims to predict prisoners’ behaviour. And it’s disproportionately placing Black prisoners in maximum security. An investigation by @desmondcole.bsky.social reveals the province knew the tool would discriminate against Black people—and used it anyway.

Black prisoners are assigned harsher living conditions in Ontario jails—thanks to AI ⋆ The Breach

Ontario jails are using a program that claims it can predict prisoners’ behaviour, disproportionately putting Black prisoners in higher-security facilities

breachmedia.ca