Close. So close. But not close enough.

@tonytoners.bsky.social We're currently doing a little bit of overdue data clear out and came across this gem. Are we OK to delete? Or is the research too important?

New post just out: "Burnham's first mistake" Splitting 14 year olds into academic and vocational paths seems intuitive. But it's a terrible idea that risks increasing inequality, and closing down options for the young people that need them most. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/b...

Burnham's first mistake

The problem with his education plan

open.substack.com

I want to go back in time and tell the child version of Elliot Anderson that in like a decade he will be sold in the same year, and for the same fee, as Argos.

Unofficial BBCNews (UK) Bot@bbcnews-uk-rss.bsky.social · 6d ago

Sainsbury's to sell Argos for £120m

The data report from the first three months of the Australian social media ban has now been released: www.esafety.gov.au/research/soc... Some thoughts:

One of the things I find odd about UK skills and jobs policies over the last 10 years is the idea that - for young people - place is destiny. It's like we've taken the Brexit memo and double stamped it into meaning you need to stay put to be a success. The geographical footprint of the UK is *tiny*

We must remember the Utøya massacre, and remember it for what it was: a far-right attack specifically targeted against democratic socialist activists. Today, the ideologies of its perpetrator are openly espoused by a global network of nationalist oligarchs as they wage war on democratic societies.

Roberta Metsola@president.europarl.europa.eu · 2w ago

Fifteen years ago today, 77 lives were taken - most of them young - on an island that should have been a place of summer, friendship, and first ideas about the world they wanted to build. On that day, Norway grieved, and Europe grieved with it. Utøya. Oslo. We remember.

Nice way to finish the school year.

I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here@imascientist.org.uk · 2w ago

One of our moderators just noticed this interaction in the last I'm a Scientist Chat of the academic year and we agreed the student's summary was the perfect message to take into the summer!

Honoured to receive the Sir Colin Humphreys Education Award from @iom3.bsky.social Huge thanks to everyone who has helped make the Magic of Materials Summer School such a success. Together we've inspired more than 250 future scientists and engineers. www.iom3.org/events-award... #MaterialsScience

And now Healey has to find the money for the defence budget. Nice move AB.

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2w ago

John Healey is Chancellor

This appeared in my Basecamp notifications this morning. Boy o boy, @mark-carney.bsky.social is going to be annoyed. Or maybe he'll support the @imascientist.org.uk pilot we're planning for the autumn / fall?

Accurate.

Right now, A level Computer Science students across the country are taking their paper 2 exam. We want to wish the best of luck to everyone, and congratulate students and teachers alike for their persistance and commitment to computing. Well done for making it to this wonderful milestone! 🎉

It still feels rare to find senior ministers on BlueSky so am reposting @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social so it makes a move from the cxsspit easier

Bridget Phillipson MP@bphillipsonmp.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The Tories haven't tabled a debate on education for the King's Speech. I wonder why? Maybe they don't want to talk about all the things Labour are doing to give children growing up in our country the best start in life – so here's your reminder. 👇

Woo hoo. Waldegrave School has their first chat in imacomputerscientist.uk today. And it was also the 1,000th that we've run so far this academic year. Well done team @imascientist.org.uk

This is a fun little game for history nerds -- guess the year from the historical headlines www.headlines.games

Headlines | Guess the Year | Daily History Game

Read the headline. Guess the year. A new daily history quiz — 5 real headlines, no dates, just your instincts.

headlines.games

Karl, as expected, is dead on here.

Karl Byrne@kjcbyrne.bsky.social · 2mo ago

"Othering" is rife in Northern Ireland. It's baked into the very fabric of it. 30 years ago that was still mostly on the Catholic/Protestant divide (partly because there just wasn't that many immigrants and people of colour). Then it was EU immigrants. Now it's anyone who isn't white. #Belfast 1/7

Big thanks to the DUP, Reform, Tories etc for stirring this up all day. Thugs are now attacking people's homes in Belfast, wrecking hostels, checking cars at roadblocks for 'immigrants', burning vehicles and generally scaring the shit out of people. Hope you're all proud of yourselves. #Belfast

Treating any communication platform that algorithmically selects which content to put in front of a user as a publisher, and legally responsible for that content, is the screamingly obvious solution that will deeply upset maybe seven companies and make life considerably better.

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2mo ago

One of the obvious problems with a under-16 social media ban is that it won't work. (60%+ of Australian under-16s are still using these platforms). But it will make people feel like something has been done so they won't tackle the content, which is the real issue.

Do @moreincommonuk.bsky.social use swear word filters on their word clouds? I can't see the four letter word I normally associate with that

"But since then, No.10 has seemed, if anything, embarrassed by what energy security and net zero secretary Ed Miliband has achieved." Detailed account of some of the good happening within governments. Incl the previous Tory ones. open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...

Guest Post: Labour's Net Zero triumph

In the face of frenzied right-wing attacks, this government has successfully executed one of the most ambitious climate change projects in the world. It's time to give credit where it's due.

open.substack.com

Yet again @chrisdillow.bsky.social explains economics effectively. A clear explanation of the daftness of mindless adherence to fiscal rules. open.substack.com/pub/chrisdil...

Fetishising fiscal rules

The government can game its fiscal rules but it cannot game the inflation constraint.

open.substack.com

It’s Pride 🏳️‍🌈 Spare one repost for a small creator? 🥺 My science and sci fi pins raise money for homeless LGBTQ+ people. Just sent another £800 to @aktcharity.bsky.social bringing total to £47,521 New for Pride 2026: 🌈Scientist🌈 🏳️‍🌈🐥🦜🦅🏳️‍🌈 🌈pronouns🌈 www.jamiebgall.co.uk/shop

I got my first book deal through an interaction on Twitter. Come on Bluesky, prove you can do the same.

Alom Shaha@alomshaha.bsky.social · 2mo ago

If any picture book publishers are reading this, I have a *killer* picture book text waiting for you. It is, like much of my work, about family, love, and *science*.

Absolutely sick making to the stomach

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 3mo ago

Providers charge the state an average of £384,020 per child per year, a huge rise from a decade ago. That is multiple times the cost of the country’s most prestigious boarding schools such as Eton College and of its young offenders institutions. ft.trib.al/MwQX4gy

Heard a clearly emotional @mrjamesob.bsky.social make his announcement on @lbc.co.uk. It is about time and I’m sure every right minded person will be hoping the CPS have the courage to follow through on prosecuting those responsible for the tragic and unnecessary deaths.

Grenfell United@grenfellunited.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Our statement following the publication of the Grenfell criminal investigation timeline today 💚

Recent immigration continues to reshape the UK labour market. 15 years ago working-age adults born outside the EU were about 10 percentage points less likely than the UK-born to be in work - a *huge* gap. Now they are significantly *more* likely to have a job.

This has cheered me up on a day when other things have not. Just downloaded the report for some late afternoon reading. I hope the rest of it doesn't give me nightmares: royalsociety.org/news-resourc...

Science for society | Royal Society

The Royal Society has published the Science for society report exploring the multiple connections between science and the public, and proposes recommendations for how these connections might be streng...

royalsociety.org

Jack Stilgoe@jackstilgoe.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The % of scientists who think public engagement makes science better has gone up from 21% in 2006 to 64% now. That's huge.

I've finished reading and posting selected highlights. Well worth a look for scientists and PEPs.

Shane McCracken@shane.mccracken.org.uk · 3mo ago

This has cheered me up on a day when other things have not. Just downloaded the report for some late afternoon reading. I hope the rest of it doesn't give me nightmares: royalsociety.org/news-resourc...

This has cheered me up on a day when other things have not. Just downloaded the report for some late afternoon reading. I hope the rest of it doesn't give me nightmares: royalsociety.org/news-resourc...

Science for society | Royal Society

The Royal Society has published the Science for society report exploring the multiple connections between science and the public, and proposes recommendations for how these connections might be streng...

royalsociety.org

Jack Stilgoe@jackstilgoe.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The % of scientists who think public engagement makes science better has gone up from 21% in 2006 to 64% now. That's huge.