Ben Barr

@benjaminbarr.bsky.social

1.9K followers 1.9K following 210 posts

Professor in Applied Public Health Research. Head WHO collaborating centre for policy research on the determinants of health equity.
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/population-health/staff/benjamin-barr/ . Was once an anthropologist, maybe I still am. .. more

Videos

Public Health 46%

Medicine 29%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Diane Coyle, Stephen P. Jenkins, Michael A. Clemens , and 7 more Diane Coyle, Stephen P. Jenkins, Michael A. Clemens, Ben Barr, Richard Shaw, Max Nathan, Stephen Cushion, Rory O’Connell, Dana R. Fisher, Pepper D. Culpepper

John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 22h

Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:

One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.

Reposted by Ben Barr

Prof Nisreen Alwan @nisreenalwan.bsky.social · 3d

Unlike politics, there’s no such thing as public health centrism. It’s evidence-based radicalism. It’s all about change towards health justice and equity, not tinkering around the edges trying to keep everyone happy. Such notions, my friends, are rather radical and there’s no shame in that.

Reposted by Ben Barr

European Centre for Environment & Human Health @ecehh.org · 4d

How can natural infrastructure reduce health inequalities?

Prof Ben Wheeler is exploring:

"Geographical health inequalities in the UK are stark...the gap in healthy life expectancy across local authorities in England is around 20 years."

www.ecehh.org/news/nature-health-inequalities-webinar/

Webinar report on planning, health inequalities, and nature | ECEHH

Over 350 participants recently joined us for a webinar exploring links between nature and health inequalities.

www.ecehh.org

Reposted by Ben Barr, Julia Lynch, David D. Buck

Ally Brown @allybrown.bsky.social · 5d

The health inequalities agenda is "tired and risks having run out of road" - not my words, the words of a senior health policymaker in the Scottish Government. But other SG policymakers told me health inequalities were a "huge priority" - so what's going on? A thread... 1/

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Michael S. Rosenberg, John R. Hutchinson , and 3 more Anna O. Law, Michael S. Rosenberg, John R. Hutchinson, Ben Barr, Dustin Mulvaney, Christine Kooi

Cristian Vlad @cristianvlad.bsky.social · 6d

Wonder why this scene looks so familiar...
#WildlifeWednesday 🐦🐕

Reposted by Ben Barr, Daniel Kuehn

Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.bsky.social · 8d

Your life is worse off because too many white people hate Black people.

Reposted by Ben Barr

Scott L Greer @scottlgreer.bsky.social · 10d

Academics doom but honestly: I’m paid to speak with smart people of all ages, do research that might improve the world, and work with policy makers, while having a high level of autonomy so I waste less time. I could be paid more to have a less interesting, useful, challenging job. But… no.

Reposted by Ben Barr, Simon Otjes, Richard Waite , and 2 more Ben Barr, Simon Otjes, Richard Waite, Jacob Montgomery, Damian Trilling

Thomas @thomasfuchs.at · 10d

Meme showing six logical operators illustrated with jack-o'-lantern images.

trick OR treat
trick AND treat
trick XOR treat
trick NOR treat
trick NAND treat
trick XNOR treat

Reposted by Ben Barr

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 11d

Index of Multiple Deprivation shows highly deprived areas are concentrated in the North of England
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Highly deprived neighbourhoods concentrated in the north of England
Proportion of neighbourhoods in each English local authority that are highly deprived
0% 0 0-10% 010-20% 020-30% •>30%
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Note: Highly deprived neighbourhoods are in the most deprived 10% across England

North-south divide on deprivation levels
Proportion of neighbourhoods in each English region that are highly deprived
North East
North West
Yorkshire and The Humber
West Midlands
East Midlands
London
South West
East of England
South East
21.5%
20.2%
18.5%
16%
8.2%
4%
3.9%
3.9%
3.3%
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
BBC

Reposted by Andrew Scott, Ben Barr, Michael H. Whitworth , and 2 more Andrew Scott, Ben Barr, Michael H. Whitworth, Jae-Young Son, David Spurrett

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 11d

I can answer this. I interviewed Peterson's tailor a few years ago, although the interview was never published because I fell behind on work. Here is the story of this suit. 🧵

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias.bsky.social · 11d

What is happening with this outfit?

Reposted by Ben Barr, Jae-Young Son, David Spurrett

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias.bsky.social · 11d

What is happening with this outfit?

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Steve Peers, Ben Barr , and 3 more Jonathan Portes, Steve Peers, Ben Barr, David Bailey, Ruth Patrick, Gráinne McKeever

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 12d

New post out:

"The worst social policy ever"

Today we have a guest post from @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social on the abomination that is the two-child limit and why Labour need to scrap it ASAP.

Lots of data but also powerful testimony.

(Free to read)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...

"The worst social policy ever"

We have a couple of bonus guest posts over the next week.

open.substack.com

Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 12d

I couldn't find any information on the survey methodology

Reposted by Ben Barr

Miska Knapek @miskaknapek.bsky.social · 12d

#datascience

the foundation behind the #python programming language, has rejected a $1.5 million grant, as it required removing DEI and diversity efforts of the foundation

arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

Python plan to boost software security foiled by Trump admin’s anti-DEI rules

National Science Foundation said grantees must not operate any DEI programs.

arstechnica.com

Reposted by Ben Barr

uk-news.bsky.social @uk-news.bsky.social · 12d

NHS England » Ethnicity Recording Improvement Plan

https://www.europesays.com/uk/536786/

Introduction The NHS is committed to reducing healthcare inequalities and delivering equitable access, excellent experiences and optimal outcomes…#uk #news #uknews

NHS England » Ethnicity Recording Improvement Plan - United Kingdom

Introduction

www.europesays.com

Reposted by Ben Barr

Frank de Vocht @frankdv.bsky.social · 12d

We’ll present our research on #advertising of unhealthy products and #publichealth at #EvidenceWeek @senseaboutsci.bsky.social
on 4th Nov:
senseaboutscience.org/evidence-wee...

We "invented" a game for it!

@danaldridgemp.bsky.social @sadikal-hassanmp.bsky.social @kennethstevenson.bsky.social

Reposted by Steve Peers, Ben Barr

Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 12d

Yes, Lord of the Rings is about how you must trust the “hard men.” Just as Narnia is about an evil lion. And the New Testament tells a tale of a wimp who wouldn’t fight back. Next week on “fascists read classics,” we’ll meet tech visionary George Orwell…

Reposted by Ben Barr

jeannette @reedermt.bsky.social · 14d

Everyone should send a donation to Wikipedia if you haven't already. I just did.

Reposted by Michael A. Clemens, Ben Barr, Magnus Johansson , and 4 more Michael A. Clemens, Ben Barr, Magnus Johansson, Ingo Rohlfing, Jens Rommel, Jill A. Jacobson, Jan R. Boehnke

Dan Lewer @danlewer.bsky.social · 14d

We wrote an article explaining why you shouldn't put several variables into a regression model and report which are statistically significant - even as exploratory research. bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/4/1/.... How did we do?

A "methods primer" article in the journal "BMJ Medicine", titled "Factors associated with: problems of using exploratory multivariable regression to identify causal risk factors"

Reposted by Ben Barr

Julia Lynch @jlynch13.bsky.social · 15d

Ecological fallacy alert. Of the folks in these areas who are reliant on SNAP, how many voted for Trump? I don’t have the numbers, but I bet @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social does.

Shoe+ @shoe.bsky.social · 15d

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 1 more Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Ben Barr

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 15d

To the surprise of nobody, Grok is sharing an innumerate and exaggerated defence of Sarah Pochin's comments, which is being widely celebrated by those with as or more prejudiced views than those expressed by Pochin.

Reposted by Andrew Scott, Ben Barr

Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 16d

We must make racism disgraceful again. This kind of shameless ugly inadequacy from Pochin should be career-ending, not career-enhancing. Honestly… the Little England nastiness is repulsive.

Reposted by Ben Barr

f the new york times @fnyt.bsky.social · 17d

Opinion | What Happened in Gaza Might Be Even Worse Than We Think (10/23/2025)
f the nyt

Opinion | What Happened in Gaza Might Be Even Worse Than We Think

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Ben Barr

Medieval Military Medicine @medmilmedicine.bsky.social · 18d

Simon and Robert sat there smugly, secure in the knowledge that he hadn’t said ‘Simon says…’ before commanding everyone to put their head on their hand - 12th century, Amiens. Bibliothèques d'Amiens Métropole, Ms. 108, f. 99v

Reposted by Ben Barr

CarolD @carolwildbird.bsky.social · 19d

Thank you, Andrew-- I wish your head honchos would speak sooner and stronger on this appalling proposal, de facto for mass deportation. This is not who we are as a country indeed.

Reposted by Ben Barr

Andrew Lewin MP @andrewlewinmp.bsky.social · 19d

Irrespective of whether she was freelancing, or speaking for the Conservative Party - Katie Lam is plain wrong.

It's unconscionable to threaten to deport hundreds of thousands of people who have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.

This is not who we are as a country.

Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 20d

Here's a study suggestive of collider bias -Why the ‘thrifty gene’ hypothesis is back - on.ft.com/3Wln4vM via @FT

Why the ‘thrifty gene’ hypothesis is back

An unexpected finding shows that obesity and heart disease do not always go hand-in-hand

on.ft.com

Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 20d

In other words, don't write badly. A lot of academic writing is. I tell people the biggest predictor of getting through review is often how easy it is to read. And tell them to apply Orwell's 6 rules. This is also good www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Novelist Cormac McCarthy’s tips on how to write a great science paper

The Pulitzer prizewinner shares his advice for pleasing readers, editors and yourself.

www.nature.com

Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 20d

My wife, 20 years on ILR working for the NHS feels kicked in the teeth by these proposals.

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Simon Hix, Will Jennings , and 5 more Jonathan Portes, Simon Hix, Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Ben Barr, Jonathan Hopkin, Ben Rosamond, Colm O’Cinneíde

Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 21d

If Labour cannot denounce mass deportation of permanent residents, Idi Amin style, what is the point of them?

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