Doug Clow
@dougclow.bsky.social
I help people understand things and change them, with data. Views here my own.
"I can't quite work out whether you're a tremendously silly man, a tremendously serious man or, as I suspect, a rather unholy combination of both."
dougclow.org/contact
"I can't quite work out whether you're a tremendously silly man, a tremendously serious man or, as I suspect, a rather unholy combination of both."
dougclow.org/contact
Pinned
Doug Clow
@dougclow.bsky.social
· Feb 5
Also I am loving this site at the moment because the Discover feed has clearly worked out that I love daffodils and keeps showing me them. Apologies if I have freaked you out by randomly liking yours: I genuinely just love daffodils.
This is interesting - sticking with your usual coffee after cardioversion from atrial fibrillation seems to reduce recurrence compared to coming off it. I note, though, that caffeine withdrawal is pretty heavy stuff, and also the 100 coffee drinkers had two myocardial infarctions compared to none.
Get this: Coffee suppressed atrial fibrillation!
Unexpected results for recurrence from a randomized trial in participants after cardioversion from AF
#AHA25 @jama.com
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Unexpected results for recurrence from a randomized trial in participants after cardioversion from AF
#AHA25 @jama.com
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
November 10, 2025 at 10:32 AM
This is interesting - sticking with your usual coffee after cardioversion from atrial fibrillation seems to reduce recurrence compared to coming off it. I note, though, that caffeine withdrawal is pretty heavy stuff, and also the 100 coffee drinkers had two myocardial infarctions compared to none.
“LUCA was a prokaryote-grade anaerobic acetogen” kind of sounds like they’re insulting our mutual great^grandparent by insinuating they were like bacteria, not even mouth breathers, and faintly smelling of vinegar.
The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system
The nature of the last universal common ancestor and its impact on the early Earth system - Nature Ecology & Evolution
Integration of phylogenetics, comparative genomics and palaeobiological approaches suggests that the last universal common ancestor lived about 4.2 billion years ago and was a complex prokaryote-grade anaerobic acetogen that was part of an ecosystem.
www.nature.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:58 PM
“LUCA was a prokaryote-grade anaerobic acetogen” kind of sounds like they’re insulting our mutual great^grandparent by insinuating they were like bacteria, not even mouth breathers, and faintly smelling of vinegar.
As I have remarked many times since ChatGPT burst on the scenes, a lot of bad things happen when the price of custom plausible bullshit falls through the floor. This example is the planning system but there are so, so many more.
I genuinely think there is a case that anyone using an AI product of this kind should face a short prison sentence. It's vandalism, just like painting on a wall or smashing a bus stop.
And you don’t even need an actually good bit of tech, which “Objector” may or may not be, to do this! If you just ask the free version of any genAI to do something plausible it still louses up everyone else’s productivity to work out it is bollocks!
November 9, 2025 at 6:53 PM
As I have remarked many times since ChatGPT burst on the scenes, a lot of bad things happen when the price of custom plausible bullshit falls through the floor. This example is the planning system but there are so, so many more.
Making undeliverable promises that will let voters down, is it? I guess the the current PM’s chief secretary would know about the problems that can cause, given the preparatory noises about tax and the upcoming budget, but one might expect a degree of “learn from our fail” humility about it.
EXCL: The Green party is offering “simple solutions to complex problems” and making “undeliverable” promises to voters ahead of next election, PM's chief secretary Darren Jones tells me 👇
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Greens’ ‘undeliverable’ promises will let voters down, says Labour minister
Exclusive: Darren Jones says Labour has to convince young people it is ‘modern party of the future’
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Making undeliverable promises that will let voters down, is it? I guess the the current PM’s chief secretary would know about the problems that can cause, given the preparatory noises about tax and the upcoming budget, but one might expect a degree of “learn from our fail” humility about it.
Gulp. Yes, indeed, the British have sent expeditionary forces to support our friends, the plucky Belgians, more than once before. Amusing but also very much not.
Military action to protect Belgium has a precedent ...
The UK has agreed to provide military support to Belgium after drone incursions on its airspace that are suspected to have been carried out by Russia, the new Chief of Defence Staff has said
November 9, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Gulp. Yes, indeed, the British have sent expeditionary forces to support our friends, the plucky Belgians, more than once before. Amusing but also very much not.
This story of the bungling surveillance state wrongly cutting people off from child benefit and then giving them the full bureaucratic treatment to restore it has really bothered me. We could do so much better than this with data and the government is choosing not to.
How does something get a public release, even as a pilot, with this level of failure? www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:07 PM
This story of the bungling surveillance state wrongly cutting people off from child benefit and then giving them the full bureaucratic treatment to restore it has really bothered me. We could do so much better than this with data and the government is choosing not to.
Reposted by Doug Clow
If you've missed your GP's flu clinic but are eligible for a free flu jab you can get them free at Boots too! (Probably also other pharmacies).
November 9, 2025 at 9:21 AM
If you've missed your GP's flu clinic but are eligible for a free flu jab you can get them free at Boots too! (Probably also other pharmacies).
This is a nice thread. Jocelyn Bell Burnell was also lovely to me when she had no idea who I was (and was obviously nobody important). Back even further, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkinson was also brilliant - as clever as you would expect, and generous and inspiring with her conversation.
Right, enough of James Watson - who's a senior academic you've met who's been an utter delight?
I'll go first: Jocelyn Bell Burnell
I'll go first: Jocelyn Bell Burnell
November 8, 2025 at 9:45 PM
This is a nice thread. Jocelyn Bell Burnell was also lovely to me when she had no idea who I was (and was obviously nobody important). Back even further, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkinson was also brilliant - as clever as you would expect, and generous and inspiring with her conversation.
Struck once again at how much of getting good at stuff is failing/struggling and then doing better. If you're not failing at all you're not learning. You see it at climbing walls: the newbies scamper up every problem, the actually good climbers are trying things that take multiple attempts.
1/
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November 8, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Struck once again at how much of getting good at stuff is failing/struggling and then doing better. If you're not failing at all you're not learning. You see it at climbing walls: the newbies scamper up every problem, the actually good climbers are trying things that take multiple attempts.
1/
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I absolutely love this. I do optimistic, central, and pessimistic forecasts for a living. Sometimes you can draw the spread nice and tight, sometimes uncertainty means it needs to be wide. This is … quite wide.
‘Al could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2
percentage points’
Well that’s the best chart of the year in this @johnthornhill.bsky.social column and basically sums up where we are
on.ft.com/4qMMkJd
percentage points’
Well that’s the best chart of the year in this @johnthornhill.bsky.social column and basically sums up where we are
on.ft.com/4qMMkJd
November 7, 2025 at 10:56 PM
I absolutely love this. I do optimistic, central, and pessimistic forecasts for a living. Sometimes you can draw the spread nice and tight, sometimes uncertainty means it needs to be wide. This is … quite wide.
Reposted by Doug Clow
Book launch! (Blood launch / brick launch)
A fistful of urban horrors!
My story's about the hope that art will save us, and says: what if it doesn't? What if you get stuck in a horrible mews, with a horrible muse?
Massive thanks to Neil for making it happen, and my co-contributors, who I fear.
A fistful of urban horrors!
My story's about the hope that art will save us, and says: what if it doesn't? What if you get stuck in a horrible mews, with a horrible muse?
Massive thanks to Neil for making it happen, and my co-contributors, who I fear.
It's officially launch day for Blood In The Bricks! It's folk horror, but right here in our towns and cities, written by some of my absolute favourite contemporary writers. Get it now (or They'll pay you a visit).
www.newconpress.co.uk/info/book.as...
www.newconpress.co.uk/info/book.as...
November 7, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Book launch! (Blood launch / brick launch)
A fistful of urban horrors!
My story's about the hope that art will save us, and says: what if it doesn't? What if you get stuck in a horrible mews, with a horrible muse?
Massive thanks to Neil for making it happen, and my co-contributors, who I fear.
A fistful of urban horrors!
My story's about the hope that art will save us, and says: what if it doesn't? What if you get stuck in a horrible mews, with a horrible muse?
Massive thanks to Neil for making it happen, and my co-contributors, who I fear.
Well done everyone, you've all done really well this week! Despite all the challenges and difficulties, you've made it through to another Friday evening, because you're brilliant. Well done, and all the best for the weekend.
November 7, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Well done everyone, you've all done really well this week! Despite all the challenges and difficulties, you've made it through to another Friday evening, because you're brilliant. Well done, and all the best for the weekend.
My cat just staged an intervention. He miaowed outside my door until I let him in. He jumped up on my desk, examined my diary and emails, and decided I urgently needed a wellbeing break with a purring cat on my lap. So that's what I did. Good work by the Manager, Enhancement Of Wellbeing.
November 7, 2025 at 4:09 PM
My cat just staged an intervention. He miaowed outside my door until I let him in. He jumped up on my desk, examined my diary and emails, and decided I urgently needed a wellbeing break with a purring cat on my lap. So that's what I did. Good work by the Manager, Enhancement Of Wellbeing.
Degree algorithms! In a previous life I cared a lot about this. There are some very divergent philosophies and there’s a lot of often-hidden complexity. Looks like OfS pushing the boundaries of institutional autonomy yet further.
NEW on Wonkhe: With England's regulator cracking down on “flexible” degree algorithms, Jim Dickinson argues that what’s at stake isn’t just grade inflation, but how universities define student success buff.ly/BXRbHGJ
November 7, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Degree algorithms! In a previous life I cared a lot about this. There are some very divergent philosophies and there’s a lot of often-hidden complexity. Looks like OfS pushing the boundaries of institutional autonomy yet further.
This is an amazing piece of tax reform work. The areas I know well enough to have an informed view look like big improvements (I don’t know corporate taxation in enough detail to be sure but I expect they’re right).
Alas, I don’t expect many, if any, of these proposals to happen any time soon.
Alas, I don’t expect many, if any, of these proposals to happen any time soon.
What if there was a consensus on the tax reforms the UK needs?
What if it was backed by policy experts from think tanks across the political spectrum, from the Adam Smith Institute to the Resolution Foundation?
The consensus is real. The question is: will anyone act on it?
What if it was backed by policy experts from think tanks across the political spectrum, from the Adam Smith Institute to the Resolution Foundation?
The consensus is real. The question is: will anyone act on it?
November 7, 2025 at 7:24 AM
This is an amazing piece of tax reform work. The areas I know well enough to have an informed view look like big improvements (I don’t know corporate taxation in enough detail to be sure but I expect they’re right).
Alas, I don’t expect many, if any, of these proposals to happen any time soon.
Alas, I don’t expect many, if any, of these proposals to happen any time soon.
Flu’s early. Not good. Fingers crossed it comes and goes quickly rather than this being the start of a terrible season. I’m not confident the NHS is in great shape to handle it; we could easily have a 22/23 style collapse of urgent care if it gets bad.
Flu is spiking up unusually early this year. The chart below shows hospital admissions, compared to six recent flu seasons.
Other indicators like flu test positivity paint the same picture.
From today's @ukhsa.bsky.social surveillance update:
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Other indicators like flu test positivity paint the same picture.
From today's @ukhsa.bsky.social surveillance update:
www.gov.uk/government/s...
November 6, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Flu’s early. Not good. Fingers crossed it comes and goes quickly rather than this being the start of a terrible season. I’m not confident the NHS is in great shape to handle it; we could easily have a 22/23 style collapse of urgent care if it gets bad.
Extraordinary stuff here on the detail revealed by tracking data, all available for a fee, gathered via dark consent patterns and blatant flouting of GDPR.
Well if anything s gonna get us a new ePrivacy Reg....🤣
Just look at the latest revelations that location data showing where European Commission officials live, and their movements within the Berlaymont -- data being leaked by online advertising.
Consent popups are a red herring.
What we need is enforcement of the law.
netzpolitik.org/2025/databro...
Consent popups are a red herring.
What we need is enforcement of the law.
netzpolitik.org/2025/databro...
November 5, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Extraordinary stuff here on the detail revealed by tracking data, all available for a fee, gathered via dark consent patterns and blatant flouting of GDPR.
Some woolly thinking here by the producers, but the replies have you covered for some actual knitting puns.
I am so unsettled by the title of this show. It sounds like it should be a pun. It is not a pun. Becoming increasingly distressed by this as my brain tries and fails to bridge this gap.
Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter review – Tom Daley is a twinkling, passionate joy of a presenter
November 3, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Some woolly thinking here by the producers, but the replies have you covered for some actual knitting puns.
That paper that was reported as saying you should stop taking short walks vs fewer long ones has been bothering me and the excellent Kevin McConway has written up a fair and thorough explanation of why: www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-react...
tl;dr really hard to get causal out of observational
tl;dr really hard to get causal out of observational
expert reaction to study looking at steps in one long walk vs in multiple short walks, and cardiovascular health | Science Media Centre
www.sciencemediacentre.org
November 3, 2025 at 8:37 AM
That paper that was reported as saying you should stop taking short walks vs fewer long ones has been bothering me and the excellent Kevin McConway has written up a fair and thorough explanation of why: www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-react...
tl;dr really hard to get causal out of observational
tl;dr really hard to get causal out of observational
Oh no. Oh no no no. We could have eliminated cervical cancer in this generation! This was one of my go-to examples of the triumphs of modern medicine. The chances of that are ebbing away, thanks to vaccine hesitancy and our collapsed public health infrastructure. Genuinely upset about this.
This is terrible
Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer have plummeted in Britain
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer have plummeted in Britain
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer have plummeted in Britain
Blame declining confidence, a lack of convenience and rising complacency
www.economist.com
November 1, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Oh no. Oh no no no. We could have eliminated cervical cancer in this generation! This was one of my go-to examples of the triumphs of modern medicine. The chances of that are ebbing away, thanks to vaccine hesitancy and our collapsed public health infrastructure. Genuinely upset about this.
There’s bacon and hotdogs in the replies as further zoom levels but you don’t make those (mostly) out of a pig’s nose. I like the version that goes:
🐖
🐷
🐽
⚫️
🐖
🐷
🐽
⚫️
I like how you can use emojis to zoom in on a pig
🐖
🐷
🐽
🐖
🐷
🐽
November 1, 2025 at 11:32 AM
There’s bacon and hotdogs in the replies as further zoom levels but you don’t make those (mostly) out of a pig’s nose. I like the version that goes:
🐖
🐷
🐽
⚫️
🐖
🐷
🐽
⚫️
Well done everyone, you’ve all done e really well this week! You have made it through everything to another weekend. Go you! Hope you have a good one.
October 31, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Well done everyone, you’ve all done e really well this week! You have made it through everything to another weekend. Go you! Hope you have a good one.
Reposted by Doug Clow
Birds but they get spookier each time. 🎃👻
Enter if you dare...🚪
Enter if you dare...🚪
October 31, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Birds but they get spookier each time. 🎃👻
Enter if you dare...🚪
Enter if you dare...🚪
Superb. I have an earlier work previously posted on the Other place:
THE THEME OF THE WORK IS HUBRIS
- Hello! Oh, loaded your vast new sculpture up on to the carts already, I see.
- Yes, all good to go. Very proud of this one.
- It is ... vast. And it's ... it's just the legs and half a head?
1/
THE THEME OF THE WORK IS HUBRIS
- Hello! Oh, loaded your vast new sculpture up on to the carts already, I see.
- Yes, all good to go. Very proud of this one.
- It is ... vast. And it's ... it's just the legs and half a head?
1/
I am the very model of an ancient trunkless leg of stone,
My shattered visage lies half buried with a sandy sneering frown,
The sculptor carved my arrogance upon these broken lifeless things,
My name is Ozymandias, the self-describèd King of Kings!
My shattered visage lies half buried with a sandy sneering frown,
The sculptor carved my arrogance upon these broken lifeless things,
My name is Ozymandias, the self-describèd King of Kings!
October 30, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Superb. I have an earlier work previously posted on the Other place:
THE THEME OF THE WORK IS HUBRIS
- Hello! Oh, loaded your vast new sculpture up on to the carts already, I see.
- Yes, all good to go. Very proud of this one.
- It is ... vast. And it's ... it's just the legs and half a head?
1/
THE THEME OF THE WORK IS HUBRIS
- Hello! Oh, loaded your vast new sculpture up on to the carts already, I see.
- Yes, all good to go. Very proud of this one.
- It is ... vast. And it's ... it's just the legs and half a head?
1/