Crazy to have to type this out, but if something crazy ever happens to me via the state, I don’t want people to “remain calm” or “wait for justice to be served.” Do what’s RIGHT. Send me some company.

Horrific in the Lords debates on assisted dying today. Lord Falconer: “Choice is the key thing. Your financial position might be an element in what makes you reach a decision.” No. It is not a free choice if financial considerations push you towards ending your own life.

BBC report at a headline level that Grok will now not make sexually exploitative images any more. An actual reporter comes on and explains that it will do no such thing, and will just make the images invisible in the UK. These are two very, very different things.

Today, it’s not your vote that determines whether the government brutalizes you or sends officers to your door. It’s your neighbors’ vote. If you’re ok with this happening to Minnesotans, don’t get comfortable. You won’t be exempt for long. In the end, a lawless administration comes for everyone.

Harriet: I am a former criminal barrister, the author of several psychological thrillers *turns to camera* which are available at all good bookshops or online. #TheTraitors

So just to get this clear: Fiona, who WAS A TRAITOR, outed Rachel as a traitor, and still everyone’s going “oh no it can’t be Rachel”? #TheTraitors

I get that decision making re:when/what vaccines to give each yr is complex&about weighing up risk But as a parent w a poorly asthmatic kid-who couldn’t get the vaccine earlier despite trying,this is😩 Parents urged to vaccinate children over half-term as flu cases rise www.bbc.com/news/article...

Parents urged to vaccinate children as flu cases rise

Flu season has come early and cases are rising among children, NHS England says.

bbc.com

If you don’t frequently see families with kids traveling to destinations by bike, your bike network isn’t safe enough (&/or your zoning forces sprawl & car dependency).

The release of hostages and prisoners shows that even in the worst circumstances, change is possible. The bombs must stop, and guns must stay silent. Aid and food must flow freely. The suffering is immense. We must work together, across all divides, for lasting and fair peace. It's possible.

Massive news for Leeds. Tom Cruise, Taylor Swift, David Beckham, Barack Obama, Kylie Jenner, and Justin Bieber may all not be coming to your city on Monday... but I am .. and I promise not to sing. So come along if you're free. trumanbooks.co.uk/event/an-eve...

I just keep thinking how very Big Bang Theory this is 😂

Yashar Ali 🐘@yasharali.bsky.social · 12mo ago

One of my favorite moments from Nobel Prize history: The Nobel Committee couldn’t reach Stanford professor Paul Milgrom to let him know that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics, so his fellow winner, Robert Wilson, went over to his house in the middle of the night to wake him up!

I think this is hugely important. I have done a lot of research on religion and politics for my book (about 🇬🇧) and I cannot overstate the difference between the pundits and politicians who talk aggressively about "cultural Christianity“ and the people you meet when you actually go to church.

Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 12mo ago

"People who attend church or identify with a Christian tradition are not systematically more (or less) nativist, authoritarian or populist than their secular counterparts. Conversely, people who hold nativist and authoritarian views are often also Islamophobes, and vice versa." 👏 @kai-arzheimer.com

Also, if you're "in bed with flu", it's almost certainly Covid.

Prof Christina Pagel@chrischirp.bsky.social · 12mo ago

After a long pause, I've just done another England Covid & NHS update as we head into the autumn/winter season. TLDR: we're in a significant Covid wave now, the NHS is stretched, get boosted if you're eligible. christinapagel.substack.com/p/england-is...

As many parents will tell you, the earlier you set the boundaries (whilst recognising the big feelings are real), the better … for the little person and family unit as a whole #nobelpeaceprize

Adam Bienkov@adambienkov.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Who could have guessed that Trump's "Give me the peace prize now or I'll go to war with you" strategy wouldn't work out?

Private Eye offers up an excellently scornful commentary on the relentless polling. It’s become ridiculous and has oversimplified our politics to dangerous levels of stupid and irresponsible.

We've seen how a Trump administration has taken over scientific bodies, so independent research is suppressed if its findings aren't what he wants, and outputs just become govt propaganda. Could the same thing happen here, if a future PM wanted to do the same? Important analysis ⬇️

Prof Christina Pagel@chrischirp.bsky.social · 12mo ago

🧵🚨 The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news. Today our report is published! www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n... 1/11

Everyone who studies research methods just had an aneurysm

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 12mo ago

RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."

What percentage of the health research funding pot do you think goes on methods and meta science? Around 2% (if you add together all mention of research design and methodologies across all areas from research.hscni.net/sites/defaul...) Just 2% spent on the part that underpins EVERYTHING we do.

Dr Will Ball@wpball.com · 12mo ago

Reading some interest stats about health research funding in the UK in recent years. - Only 7% goes to Mental Health research - Only 5% of that MH funding goes to studies related to prevention

Best day of my @nihr.bsky.social fellowship so far today Time spent with social scientists and methodologists doing excellent work and pushing us to think hard Thanks team @bcqr.bsky.social @laurasheard.bsky.social

A gentle warning from Carl Sagan

This - as any historian who has studied the subject of immigration knows - is what always happens over time & there is no reason to believe it will not continue. The only enemies of this benign process are those that highlight & seek to profit from division.

Omar Khan@omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 12mo ago

I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them

Does she also think that walking through a community and seeing no black or Asian faces means that integration has failed?

Am wondering if all of those suddenly deciding they’re against communities living “parallel lives” might reconsider their support of religious schools? Or indeed private ones?

A chilling read as a UK citizen I hope our health leaders don’t wait until this stage to speak out &realise their role now is a lot different to their recent predecessors I don’t envy them- but public health depends on it “we know that politics are complicated. But this is bigger than politics.”

Dan Diamond@ddiamond.bsky.social · 12mo ago

“Secretary Kennedy is entitled to his views. But he is not entitled to put people’s health at risk.” Six former surgeons general condemn RFK Jr.

*cries in public health*

JAMA@jama.com · last yr.

📊 JAMA Data Brief: Despite medical advances, US children's health is worsening with increased mortality and chronic conditions, partly due to inadequate insurance and societal investment. ja.ma/4oA1Ve8

The first planned migration of an entire country due to climate change is happening! Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation, is at risk of being submerged under rising sea level, so it has signed an agreement with Australia to allow 280 Tuvaluans to settle in Australia as permanent residents each year.

The First Planned Migration of an Entire Country Is Underway

The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu could be submerged in 25 years due to rising sea levels, so a plan is being implemented to relocate its population to Australia.

wired.com

Dementia’s broad reach: More than 1 in 4 families of older adults at risk for providing care news.umich.edu/dementias-br... by @umich.edu #Alzheimers #dementia #caregiving

Dementia's broad reach: More than 1 in 4 families of older adults at risk for providing care

About 26% of both households and immediate families of older adults include an individual with dementia—often requiring relatives to step into unexpected caregiving roles, according to a new Universit...

news.umich.edu

I used to wonder why med-tech investors don't have independent experts, especially medical statisticians, evaluate whether the tech actually works. I eventually realized that they simply don't care.

Meredith Whittaker @meredithmeredith.bsky.social · 2y ago

Stand by this: www.politico.com/newsletters/...