Craig Alexander
LightNews LightNews
craigalexander.bsky.social
Craig Alexander
@craigalexander.bsky.social
310 followers 270 following 34 posts
Main (academic) interests: econometrics, quantitative archaeology, GIS, space syntax.
Other interests: history, classical music, (vegetarian) cookery, reading (novels, SF), museums and art galleries.
Posts Replies Media Videos
craigalexander.bsky.social
Nice to see the concept spreading!

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
A vertical forest growing in the Netherlands: in pictures
A new tower brings apartments, office space and tens of thousands of plants to the heart of Utrecht
www.theguardian.com
June 23, 2025 at 11:33 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Bravo Sen. Booker!

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Cory Booker breaks record for longest speech by US senator in Trump condemnation
In speech that began Monday night, Democratic senator warns of ‘grave and urgent’ danger of Trump administration
www.theguardian.com
April 1, 2025 at 11:43 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Interesting new building in Oxford

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
A tower topped with a pangolin! The Oxford university building inspired by Tolkien … and the pandemic
A chubby, rhubarb and custard-coloured tower bedecked with anteaters and moles make a fun neighbour to the city’s dreaming spires. It’s left some locals lost for words
www.theguardian.com
April 1, 2025 at 10:57 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Looks like a fascinating exhibition!

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
‘Like a game of black-belt level Jenga’: inside the ancient art of Japanese carpentry
From the earthquake-defying joints that support a 13th-century temple to the delicacy of sashimono puzzle boxes, a new exhibition shows off the myriad possibilities of this centuries-old craft
www.theguardian.com
March 18, 2025 at 1:15 AM
craigalexander.bsky.social
I had a certain amount of - probably unjustified - hope around Starmer's (first (?)) term as PM... The "special relationship" is fiction, particularly during the Trump Ascendancy! Pretending that the current POTUS is not what he obviously is will not help friends of democracy and the rule of law...
February 21, 2025 at 11:55 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
"Perhaps it is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to provisions against danger real or pretended from abroad."

James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1798

founders.archives.gov/documents/Ma...

I am not a US citizen but lived there for 15+ years...and care!
Founders Online: From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1798
From James Madison to Thomas Jefferson, 13 May 1798
founders.archives.gov
February 2, 2025 at 11:59 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Interesting building

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
‘A slice of 1970s Babylon restored’: living the office dream at the Hanging Gardens of Basingstoke
This trailblazing office building by Arup Architects has been treated to a subtle £32m renovation that still has wellness at its heart
www.theguardian.com
January 27, 2025 at 2:01 AM
craigalexander.bsky.social
As always, wise words from William Keegan

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
The UK does have a special relationship – but it’s with Europe | William Keegan
The government is only deceiving itself by trying to ‘make Brexit work’ and forlornly pursuing a trade deal with Trump
www.theguardian.com
January 5, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Reposted by Craig Alexander
mcuban.bsky.social
Does anyone have a contact for Ann ? Would love to discuss with her the possibility of partnering with her to publish her cartoons exclusively on @bluesky
aaronparnas.bsky.social Aaron Parnas @aaronparnas.bsky.social · Jan 4
Jeff Bezos never wanted this cartoon to become public.

He killed it, and as a result, pulitzer prize editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes quit.

Make sure everyone sees this cartoon.
January 5, 2025 at 1:51 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
December 31, 2024 at 11:39 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
December 24, 2024 at 6:37 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Amen, Mr. Keegan, amen!

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Faced with Trump and Farage, Britain’s natural ally is Europe | William Keegan
The Labour party’s determination to stick to Brexit simply condemns the UK to fight a lone hand against the far-right forces ranged against it
www.theguardian.com
December 22, 2024 at 8:11 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Very interesting review of Mithen's book on origins of human language - definitely worth a read

#language #evolution #mithen #tattersall #archaeology #NYRB

www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
Look Who’s Talking | Ian Tattersall
When did our first linguistic ancestor emerge, and how did the transition from a nonlinguistic to a linguistic state take place?
www.nybooks.com
December 14, 2024 at 9:19 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Another interesting NYRB essay
Nemesis | Susan Neiman
One emerging consensus in these post-election days is that woke ideology has lost. Harris ran an impressively unwoke campaign. But as James Carville said,
www.nybooks.com
December 14, 2024 at 8:55 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Interesting piece

www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
Antisystemic Times | Ben Tarnoff
Donald Trump has spent nearly a decade discombobulating people who are paid to think about politics. His appeal has been consistently underestimated. It
www.nybooks.com
December 14, 2024 at 8:37 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
If (iff?) these poll results are confirmed by further research, will UK politicians have the nerve to follow through?

#EU #Starmer #Labour #Brexit

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Majority of Brexit voters ‘would accept free movement’ to access single market
Europe-wide polling finds UK and EU leaders now out of step with public opinion and pursue ‘ambitious reset’
www.theguardian.com
December 13, 2024 at 12:30 AM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Nice piece, pointing out upsides and downsides of 5/15 minute cities - I'm probably just a pessimist but the downsides sound like potentially politically powerful issues... www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
The five-minute city: inside Denmark’s revolutionary neighbourhood
While ambitious urban planners try to make 15-minute cities a reality, the Nordhavn district of Copenhagen has gone one better. What’s life like when everything you need is just a stroll away?
www.theguardian.com
December 10, 2024 at 11:30 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
This looks really interesting...although apparently not so easy to source here in the EU.

#Alpers #Art #History #NYRB

www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
The Occupation of Looking | Susan Tallman
The discipline of art history today is far more inclusive, more cognizant of social history, and less prone to normative aesthetic judgments—changes Svetlana Alpers helped bring about.
www.nybooks.com
December 9, 2024 at 2:37 AM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Nice piece
#architecture #landscape #Paris

Notre Dame review – glorious resurrection is as close to time travel as it gets www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Notre Dame review – glorious resurrection is as close to time travel as it gets
Five years since it was gutted by fire, the soul of Paris is about to reopen its doors. Our critic is wowed by the buttery stonework, gleaming lead and gawp-inducing gilding
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2024 at 1:55 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
I have lived more than half my life outside my birth country (UK) and have lamented its trend towards becoming a Mini-Me USA in many areas of life - FWIW I lived many years in Massachusetts... Let's hope that the poison of (mega)money in politics can be resisted.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Can we keep the Elon Musks of the world out of British politics? Only if we act now | Oliver Bullough
The tech billionaire is said to be considering giving $100m to Reform UK. That should jolt efforts to cap political donations, says author Oliver Bullough
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2024 at 11:15 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Interesting piece

#Swindon #museum #science #architecture

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Hawking Building review – the Science Museum’s giant new shed of the weird and wonderful
On an old RAF airfield, a no-frills metal barn has been built to house the reserve collections of the London museum and its associates, with 300,000 objects ranging from a 1960s nuclear missile to Ste...
www.theguardian.com
December 1, 2024 at 3:59 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
An interesting list - I only know the John's library personally...

c20society.org.uk/coming-of-ag...
Coming of Age – The Twentieth Century Society
c20society.org.uk
November 30, 2024 at 10:45 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
Portes makes some good points. Low TFR countries need migrants to avert crises caused by the need for "pay as you go" pension systems to deal with significant increases in retiree populations.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Kemi Badenoch says the Tories got it wrong on immigration. She’s right – but not for the reasons she thinks | Jonathan Portes
For 14 years, the Tories presided over a muddle of unrealistic pledges. Labour should try a little honesty instead, says the former civil servant Jonathan Portes
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2024 at 10:54 PM
craigalexander.bsky.social
The official Cambridge announcement regarding the death of (Lord) Colin Renfrew

#Archaeology #Cambridge

www.cam.ac.uk/news/profess...
Professor Lord Colin Renfrew – 1937-2024 | University of Cambridge
www.cam.ac.uk
November 25, 2024 at 9:08 PM
Reposted by Craig Alexander
piie.com
Research shows that Trump's proposed mass deportations, tariffs, & erosion of Fed independence could result in GDP nearly 10% lower than baseline by 2028. #EconSky #PIIECharts
Learn more: www.piie.com/research/pii...
Trump's economic policies could stoke inflation and hurt the US economy In the two scenarios, US real GDP will be between 2.8 and 9.7 percent lower than baseline by the end of Trump's four-year term in 2028. In terms of 2018 dollars, GDP is $750 billion to $2.57 trillion below baseline by 2028. GDP recovers a bit thereafter but remains lower through 2040, between 1.5 and 6.6 percent lower than baseline. The output loss hits manufacturing and agriculture in particular. The combined policies cause the US inflation rate to climb to between 4.1 and 7.4 percentage points higher than otherwise by 2026. That means, on top of baseline inflation of 1.9 percent, inflation peaks then at between 6 and 9.3 percent. By 2028, US consumer prices generally are between 20 and 28 percent higher. The inflation rate settles at 2 percentage points above baseline, or almost 4 percent, from 2034 through 2040.
November 25, 2024 at 5:58 PM