Graham Jeffery
@grahamjeffery.bsky.social
Researcher, academic, teacher, occasional musician. Prof in Arts & Media Practice at the University of the West of Scotland. Personal views, nothing to do with my employer! https://linktr.ee/grahamjeffery
AI Security Institute: we are detecting very serious security risks in AI testing environments. Governments: yeah, that's bad. Anyway, what are you all doing to get the latest models to market and adopted widely? giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
OpenAI and Anthropic models went rogue in cyber tests, UK watchdog says
AI Security Institute warns tools undertook ‘potentially harmful activity directed at real people and organisations’
giftarticle.ft.com
www.gov.uk/government/p... perhaps worth sharing with relevant 18 - 25 year olds in your life
Youth Climate and Nature Panel
We're creating a new Youth Climate and Nature Panel to put the voices of younger people at the heart of climate and nature policies. Find out how you can take part.
gov.uk
Don't look now, but the world has now installed 3TW of solar. Took 10 years to get from 100GW to 1TW. Less than 3 years to get to 2TW. Less than 2 years to get to 3TW. Analysts expect *9TW* by 2036.
The World Crossed a Major Solar Milestone. No One Noticed
The next phase of the boom may reveal a shift in who is gaining access to the technology.
bloomberg.com
‘Nobody cares’: the Turkish farmers bearing the burden of UK’s plastic waste problem
‘Nobody cares’: the Turkish farmers bearing the burden of UK’s plastic waste problem
Britain exported 139,000 tonnes of rubbish to Turkey last year, leaving smallholders and poor districts of Adana to cope with the debris, microplastics and toxic smoke
theguardian.com
Basically the height of caricature at this point: Israel is demanding that as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, it be allowed to continue attacking Gaza.
I see Donnie's stockbroker has told him to cancel the war again.
I spoke to @thetimes.com on horrible yields and how there is no "new normal" "As bad as this year’s harvest is proving to be, Behrens warned against seeing it as a “new normal”. “Until we get our carbon emissions down things will continue to get much, much worse.”" www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
Heatwave forces farmers to abandon crops as harvests fail
Extreme weather and rising costs see growers diversifying into alternative businesses, raising severe concerns over the future of British food security
thetimes.com
England received only 7% of the long-term average rainfall for July. Southern England, just 1%. Factoid: There has been a weather station in Kew Gardens for 155 years. This July was the first month ever to record 0mm of rain. Tomorrow, London will again hit 30C+ www.theguardian.com/environment/...
July set to be driest on record for England and Wales after relentless heatwaves
Climate scientist urges better planning as southern England had just 1% of long-term average rainfall last month
theguardian.com
🧵Right-leaning newspapers are trying to blame Europe's raging wildfires on everything EXCEPT fossil fuels 1. The Wall Street Journal Frontpage story: "Greece fights wildfires as Europe crisis spreads" WSJ editorial: "How green policies fuel fires in Europe"
Feel like this should have got more attention "Rapid early assessment by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) estimates there were 2,877 heat-associated deaths during 2 notable periods of hot weather in May and June 2026, almost double the figure reported annually for 2025"
UKHSA report shows 2,877 excess deaths caused by May and June heatwaves
The 2,877 excess deaths represents a significant increase on the 1,504 excess deaths observed in summer 2025.
gov.uk
Four baselines for academic conference attendance: 1) keep to your allocated speaking time. 2) everyone is clever; stand out by being warm & kind. 3) be interested in everyone equally - from postgrad to Prof to conference administrator to catering & hotel staff. 4) in Q&A, ask an actual question.
Nigel Farage just took a question from a 'journalist' at his press conference, who turned out to be his former chief adviser Raheem Kassam, who asks him why the media are being so unfair to him
unbelievably poor editorial judgement from #bbcnews to be leading with Farage's latest attempt to grab a headline when there is an absolutely raging climate emergency across Europe --ridiculous #distraction #bbcbias - not to mention potential breach of impartiality rules re Clacton by-election
Pro tip: engage with local press. Takes 2 mins and it: • shows you care about a local issue • signifies that whatever town you're visiting isn't just the next input into the rolling PR machine (even if it is) • prevents being called out like this 👇 www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-n...
Derbyshire Live denied chance to ask new PM Andy Burnham questions during visit
Mr Burnham visited rail manufacturer Alstom to launch a new education policy
derbytelegraph.co.uk
Scientific research cash is shifting to AI, while 'blue skies' science is getting squeezed Astronomy grants have halved since 2023, and Jodrell Bank has been stripped of support Fundamental science is now in real trouble in the UK www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Jodrell Bank telescope loses funding as STFC confirms cuts - Research Professional News
Science and Technology Facilities Council announces nine projects “not prioritised for further funding”
researchprofessionalnews.com
My sense from talking to insiders is that under the previous Starmer government HE’s concerns were ignored or indeed taken as a standard hippy-punching sign they were doing ‘something right’. Lads, you weren’t, and you had become widely hated. Time for a reset.
Glad someone senior from the sector is pushing back. Labour MPs need to understand the serious real anger from graduates and the people who produce them. And the dangerous financial situation they have allowed to fester, or indeed worsened, in one of Britain’s leading sectors.
Labour has harmed universities as much as Trump, London School of Economics head says
LSE vice-chancellor Larry Kramer points to domestic student fees freeze, international student limits and rise in employers’ national insurance
ft.com
If the left doesn't enthusiastically turnout for centrists, it's the left's fault If the left sucks it up & votes for an awful centrist, it's proof that moving rightward was correct If centrists refuse to turnout for a left wing candidate, it's the left's fault www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/ne...
Some Wisconsin Democrats claim they'll vote Republican if democratic socialist Francesca Hong wins primary
Hong's rise in the Wisconsin Democratic primary has exposed a sharp divide, with some voters saying they would cross party lines in November rather than support a DSA-aligned candidate.
cbsnews.com
renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk/2026/07/sola...
Solar farm wildlife ‘a vision of hope’ says Government’s chief climate adviser - Renewable Energy Installer & Specifier
The wealth of wildlife living on a solar farm near Milton Keynes delighted the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Energy Department, during a visit last week. ...
renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk
