Ben Shepherd

Just figured out where these fake tariff rates come from. They didn't actually calculate tariff rates + non-tariff barriers, as they say they did. Instead, for every country, they just took our trade deficit with that country and divided it by the country's exports to us. So we have a $17.9 billion trade deficit with Indonesia. Its exports to us are $28 billion. $17.9/$28 = 64%, which Trump claims is the tariff rate Indonesia charges us. What extraordinary nonsense this is.

james surowiecki has discovered where the completely fabricated trump tariff rate has come from for each country

"...for every country, they just took our trade deficit with that country and divided it by the country's exports to us."

Is There a Logical Inconsistency in the Constitution? The mathematician who wrote the proof of the “Incompleteness Theorem” was apparently alarmed by our founding document. He just never explained why.

Reading a biography of Einstein, I came across the story of Kurt Gödel's citizenship exam, in which he apparently found a logical flaw in the US Constitution that meant it could give rise to a fascist dictatorship. I wonder what he'd say today? slate.com/technology/2...

A screenshot of a Gmail inbox featuring two subject lines from etyres.co.uk, both reading "FASH SALE"

I thought the first one was a typo when it arrived. But twice in a row can't be a mistake? I don't want to buy tyres that support Nazis 😭

What flourishes in darkness can be defeated only by bringing it into the light. STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC: INTO THE LIGHT by Claudia Gray releases one week from today! The brave Jedi battle against Nihil marauders and the unstoppable blight on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. Check it out!

Manifest pledges are broken all the time when it suits them!

The world has changed and so must we. The UK is stronger as a part of Europe.

Let's change their minds. Sign the petition to rejoin the EU.

Rebellions are built on hope.

Mercury Rev - Arts Club, Liverpool

One of my all time favourite bands and as magical as ever - and so much love in that room as well!

HUGE NEWS 🎉: The UK Government has made good on its commitment to stop new oil and gas licensing.

This is a vital step towards ending our reliance on fossil fuels. Now the UK gov must go further and ensure a fast and fair transition.

Beastie Boys: Here's the paperwork you asked for.
Me [checking through]: Part A, B, yes good. C. And here's Part D, all filled in. Wait: where's the final part?
BB: We're not just handing that over.
Me: What?
BB: You've got to fight! For your right! To Part E.

BBC Radio 4 - Things Fell Apart, S2. Ep 7: You’ll Own Nothing and You’ll Be Happy A strange incident at Chipping Norton Town Hall.

I think Jon Ronson talks about this in an episode of Things Fell Apart: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p... (strong recommend for the whole podcast, it's very good)

Petition: Cancel Trump’s state visit Stop Trump Coalition

Another petition. Please sign. Surely someone will have to listen if all these signatures keep rolling in.

stoptrump.org.uk/petition-can...

Andor | Season 2 Trailer | Streaming April 22 on Disney+ YouTube video by Star Wars

So excited for the new series of Andor. The first one was hands-down the best thing that Star Wars ever produced since the original trilogy www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE4w...

Cover's out for Bee Speaker.

Morlais Electricity Journey YouTube video by Menter Môn

Nice tidal energy explainer video, with the added benefit of some lovely Welsh accents - for Morlais off Anglesey, the largest consented tidal energy scheme in Europe. youtu.be/DeSjarF6LPM

A group of six nature valentines. A picture of a bog with pitcher plants, with text saying "Our love is like a bog. Built up over time, resistant to decay, deeply interesting to just a small number of people." A yellow slime mold stretching out and exploring. "our love is like a slime mold. Collaborative, complex, at times unnerving to behold." A piece of limestone with a small trilobite in the corner. "Our love is like limestone. Layered, useful for many purposes, shaped by the friends we met along the way." A ring-billed gull with a french fry on a beach. "Our love is like a ring-billed gull. Abundant, found in North America, sometimes sustained by french fries." An Atlantic horseshoe crab walking on the sand. "Our love is like a horseshoe crab. Tough, timeless, unrelated to true crabs." A drawing of the phosphorus cycle, with arrows connecting various parts of a scene, including algae and fish and a farm and a river and a forest. "Our love is like the phosphorus cycle. Important, really hard to draw."

Nature valentines.
Thanks to my Patrons for keeping me drawing www.patreon.com/birdandmoon

It's doorstop SF, we expect it to be long. Plus we love your stuff so more is better! Sorry that's not helpful at all. Not a writer but a fan obvs

Me, too. This website is handy....... generalstrikeus.com

Doge staffers enter Noaa headquarters and incite reports of cuts and threats Members reportedly sought access to IT systems at agency that Project 2025 has called ‘harmful to US prosperity’

They’re looting NOAA now. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

I also just realised this is the science equivalent of those recipe blogs that have six pages of family history before the actual recipe (yes, I know why they do it!). I want to see more of this: "Finally in section 5 we propose a recipe for the perfect Cacio and pepe"

This research answers the fundamental question we've been asking for so long: "how can we make the perfect Cacio and Pepe sauce?"

Also really interesting asides on snapping spaghetti and the ouzo effect

Petition: Apply for the UK to join the European Union as a full member as soon as possible I believe joining the EU would boost the economy, increase global influence, improve collaboration and provide stability & freedom. I believe that Brexit hasn't brought any tangible benefit and there ...

Getting closer! 😍

Come on, let's smash it to 100k and then use the spare time to push it as far as possible!

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

Katy brand’s message saying that straight white men really need to be speaking up now

Last Tuesday, Katy Brand put this up on instagram and made me think about the problems of being an ally - in particular to women - so I wrote this

thecosmicshamblesnetwork.substack.com/p/why-can-we...

"The case for electoral reform is urgent and undeniable.

"First-past the post is a system that no longer functions as a fair or effective mechanism for translating the will of the electorate into parliamentary representation."
- Lisa Smart

https://youtube.com/shorts/36qJ6kOrc9Y?feature=share

The momentous and forgotten end of coal power The end of coal power marked a key moment in the UK's transition to clean energy. Did anyone notice?

"The end of coal power marked a key moment in the UK's transition to clean energy. Did anyone notice?

...at 3.35pm on 30 September 2024, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station was disconnected from the grid for the last time."

You can look up any MP on www.mpsleftright.co.uk

Westminster is debating PR on 30th January. Tell your MP to be there. Over 21 million votes cast in 2024 were ignored or wasted. After the most disproportionate election ever, there is a crucial parliamentary debate on 30th Jan on changing the voting system. Don’t let ...

Over 21 million votes cast in 2024 were ignored or wasted. After the most disproportionate election ever, there is a crucial parliamentary debate on 30th Jan on changing the voting system.

Write to demand your MP attend and support fair votes: actionnetwork.org/letters/pr-d...

"Car owner virus" surely? (not my coinage)

There is an eminent professor who sometimes prefaces his interventions at seminars with "Question:" and my god the professional energy it takes for me not to interject TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ME

Heat pumps offer vast energy efficiency gains.

They are 4x more efficient than gas boilers.

Feathers McGraw (a penguin with a rubber glove for a hat, or a chicken depending on who you ask) stands outside the entrance of The Museum of English Rural Life.

we're thrilled to share that we've started the year with a new addition to our team! he's extremely smart, capable, charming, persuasive, and boasts a wealth of museum experience