Delighted to have been on this really interesting panel in Berlin last week, hosted by the British Council & the Alexander Humboldt Foundation about how to protect academic freedom in science over the coming years...
When parts of the Middle East and Europe may soon be engulfed with millions of refugees fleeing war and chaos, the UK Labour government's anti-refugee policies look mean and pathetic and lacking any humanity. All in a vain attempt to head off the far right. No wonder people flock to the Greens.
Have written a quick post on the timeline leading to today's attacks...
A key thing to notice is how Trump et al tried to suppress dissent and independent evidence after last summer's strikes. Expect the same again now.
open.substack.com/pub/christin...
Yes the repeatedly-used phrase 'Muslim voters' is lazy and misleading. There are Muslims who are voters.
China is facing a coming wave of dementia for its ageing population, and is investing in research into drugs, diagnostics and even surgery to prepare itself
go.nature.com/4seMoS1
“The damage being done to the research enterprise across our top US universities stands in marked contrast to the systematic efforts in China to support major scientific initiatives”
www.ft.com/content/845e...
❗Upcoming application deadline: 6th March
🎓 Leverhulme Programme for Doctoral Training in Ecological Data Science
🏦5 fully funded 4-year PhDs, and a 5-year MSc + PhD option
❓Machine learning, statistical modelling, spatial analysis
🌏University of Glasgow
➡️ ecological-data-science.github.io
The UN says the panel will act “as an early-warning system and evidence engine, helping distinguish between hype and reality” and produce “policy-relevant” reports
go.nature.com/4aTGfnp
wow
🆕 at @naturemedicine.bsky.social
How does ChatGPT Health do for appropriately triaging a person as to whether to go to the emergency room or stay home? www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Not very well. Under-triaged 52% of case vignettes that are considered gold-standard emergencies
Latest from the Nature Podcast 🔊 This chunk of glass could store two million books for 10,000 years
go.nature.com/4qMpmRp
My Centre is a unique place to do a PhD in Philosophy, because you can be in constant contact with experts in veterinary medicine, psychology, zoology and policy and be part of a team united by a shared interest in animal minds. We now have our 1st ever PhD scholarship: www.lse.ac.uk/sentience/phd
Yes a paper in Nature! About X, but with wider implications for political manipulation by algorithmic media
Predicting when symptoms of Alzheimer's disease will occur with a single elevated p-tau217 blood test and a person's age, even 20+ years in advance
@naturemedicine.bsky.social
nature.com/articles/s41...
We hear this is the first member of the Royal Family to be arrested in 350 years, since the arrest of Charles the First...
We live in a bizarre world where longevity influencers tell millions to take rapamycin, sit in hyperbaric oxygen chambers, blast themselves with red light therapy, and take 50+ supplements daily. Meanwhile something that cuts dementia risk by 20% Is invisible.
open.substack.com/pub/overmatt...
The X factor for durably shifting political views
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A parasitic wasp castrates its moth larvae hosts by injecting them with a ‘domesticated’ virus that causes cells in the larvae’s testes to die
go.nature.com/4aPzjbR
Great to see that the BBC news leads on a UK Olympic gold medal, rather than the High Court's decision overturning uk government unlawful use of terror legislation
A nasal Covid booster vaccine that achieves mucosal immunity to block infection. Lessons from China that the US fails to act on
insight.jci.org/articles/vie...
McSweeny, Starmer's chief aide, resigns over the Mandelson - Epstein scandal. It will probably buy Starmer a little time, but not that much. He will have to go, because keeping him in place will only prolong the damage to the party, government and country.
Is it time for a new standard of care when it comes to mammograms in the era of AI?
erictopol.substack.com/p/why-all-ma...
Once again, it turns out “fully autonomous” means “a guy in the Philippines.”
Neither the President nor Vice President of the United States can make a public appearance in front of a non-partisan crowd either in America or abroad without being booed.
Some Labour MPs appear to think ousting Chief of Staff Macsweeney will stem the crisis. That is extremely wishful thinking. To regain public trust and have a chance at the next General Election there needs to be a fundamental change of direction
I do find the 'lying to the vetting team' to be a particularly weak excuse.
Presumably the whole point of vetting is to detect people who are compromised who *just maybe* aren't going to tell you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Labor leaders are warming to the idea of nationwide General Strike on May 1st.
How Minnesota & Jan 30th shutdown changed everything
paydayreport.com/labor-leader...
cover of The Washington Post on Wednesday Feb 4, 2026. Headline on bottom, right: Musk wanted to hook users; his chatbot got more sexual
My story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's @washingtonpost.com. I’m also among 100’s of reporters laid off. I absolutely loved my job my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting @ the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon Valley’s political power
I wanna keep doing this work, in any form (podcast! newsletter! movie? AI literacy class!). Pls msg me on Signal at nitasha.10 if you need someone who’s well-sourced in AI & SV, worked hard to understand the technology + ideas + players, cares about getting it right and informing the public
Starmer looks well and truly finished now by Epstein and Mandelson. The Labour right, like Streeting, will be rejoicing that they managed to block Burnham from Parliament... but let's see.
