Dave Cornell
@drdavecornell.bsky.social
Philosopher | Writer | Lecturer
It should never have been in doubt, Manchester. But at least we got there in the end… Labour's Bev Craig elected Greater Manchester mayor www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Labour's Bev Craig elected new mayor of Greater Manchester
Labour's Bev Craig secures nearly double the number of votes won by Reform UK's Sian Astley.
bbc.co.uk
The Ancient Agora, Athens. This morning. It was strangely emotional to tread what could have been the very footsteps of Socrates himself.
Back in December, I posted this. Well look at 'em now! (see comments)
Dave Cornell@drdavecornell.bsky.social · 8mo agoI've been digging up dahlia tubers to store over winter. Amazing how things so gnarled and ugly can produce such beautiful flowers.
Borrowed yet another library book that's been covered in scribbles today. Including this particularly insightful annotation...
Picture perfect English countryside in the lakes today…
I’m marking essays. It’s that time of year. I don’t have nearly as many essays to mark as I would have had, say, 10 years ago, but somehow, it takes me just as long anyway. I believe this is an instance of Parkinson’s Law. Well, Parkinson, you know what I say? The law is an ass.
Only a matter of time before the first UK university goes bust. There's something deeply sad about that. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/no-plan...
No plan to stop ‘disorderly exit’ if university goes bust, say MPs
Uncertainty remains on whether students would be locked out of classrooms mid-semester if a university folded, education committee warns
timeshighereducation.com
First day at the cricket for me this season. The sun’s peeking through, the beer’s cold, and lancs are going steady.
“I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun.” Raymond Chandler. He sure had a way with words.
Delighted for Wu Yize. What a player. And that has to be the greatest World Championship final since 1985... www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/m...
Wu Yize beats Shaun Murphy in thrilling final frame to win World Snooker Championship
Wu Yize has won the World Snooker Championship final, beating Shaun Murphy 18-17, with a break of 85 in the deciding frame
theguardian.com
The Viburnum is in flower 🤩. My favourite plant in the whole garden.
Outlook's new security test to prove you're not a robot is impossible. I've failed it three times in a row. Or hang on... maybe I am a robot after all?
Interesting stuff. But "electroweak penguin decay"? How can we be sure that these scientists aren't just taking the piss out of us? theconversation.com/our-large-ha...
Our Large Hadron Collider results hint at undiscovered physics
The behaviour of sub-atomic particles in the LHC seems to disagree with the Standard Model.
theconversation.com
Excited about the start of the Cricket County Champs today. Got my fantasy team picked and I’m looking forward to the first ball being bowled. My money’s on Somerset to win their first ever title, inspired by the Rew brothers. And I’m backing Lancashire (of course!) to win Division Two.
The disdain with which Parfit sometimes dismisses critics is stunning. On p.354 he gets rid of one objection by saying: “This view is too implausible to be worth discussing”. What a great line. I intend to use it next time I’m having an argument with my wife. I’ll let you know how that goes…
Happy 430th Birthday René Descartes. The Father of Modern Philosophy. Here is a never-before-seen photo of him, recently unearthed by archivists, taken in preparation for this very day, back in 1640. (He looks pleased with himself because he’s just finished a first draft of the Meditations).
They say that Anaximander (in the 6th century BCE) drew the first ever map of the world. It wasn't very good. It doesn't even have Stockport on it.
Conscious experience really is remarkable. And mysterious! www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG6...
selective attention test
YouTube video by Daniel Simons
youtube.com
Here's a fact to brighten your day: Gary Oldman is younger than Gary Numan. You're welcome!
