Frank Norman
@franknorman.bsky.social
Retired librarian. Interested in science (mainly biomedical), choral music, running, countryside, libraries (of course), literature, the Philippines, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergence.
Reposted by Frank Norman
You may have missed this gem yesterday. From which we learn that:
1. Betting shops are really good for the mental health of isolated people.
2. Most drug-takers are not a problem.
3. Kids put tuppence in slot machines in the hope of getting rich.
4. Farage probably has a gambling industry donor.
1. Betting shops are really good for the mental health of isolated people.
2. Most drug-takers are not a problem.
3. Kids put tuppence in slot machines in the hope of getting rich.
4. Farage probably has a gambling industry donor.
November 11, 2025 at 10:08 AM
You may have missed this gem yesterday. From which we learn that:
1. Betting shops are really good for the mental health of isolated people.
2. Most drug-takers are not a problem.
3. Kids put tuppence in slot machines in the hope of getting rich.
4. Farage probably has a gambling industry donor.
1. Betting shops are really good for the mental health of isolated people.
2. Most drug-takers are not a problem.
3. Kids put tuppence in slot machines in the hope of getting rich.
4. Farage probably has a gambling industry donor.
Reposted by Frank Norman
Still fuming they are using the Lovelace name to give themselves licence to bring together five dudes to discuss the future of the UK’s research system #AdaWashing
November 11, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Still fuming they are using the Lovelace name to give themselves licence to bring together five dudes to discuss the future of the UK’s research system #AdaWashing
Reposted by Frank Norman
It takes an obscene amount of hubris to lecture the BBC when you have The Telegraph’s record on truth-telling.
Some of the paper’s errors this year are so bad they’re almost laughable 👇🏻
Some of the paper’s errors this year are so bad they’re almost laughable 👇🏻
The Telegraph’s BBC hypocrisy
A paper that knows a thing or two about editorial f*ck-ups...
writesbright.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:48 PM
It takes an obscene amount of hubris to lecture the BBC when you have The Telegraph’s record on truth-telling.
Some of the paper’s errors this year are so bad they’re almost laughable 👇🏻
Some of the paper’s errors this year are so bad they’re almost laughable 👇🏻
Reposted by Frank Norman
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
November 10, 2025 at 6:40 PM
SUPERB and angrily unvarnished response, by former BBC chairman, Lord Patten.
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
"I don't think that we should allow ourselves to be bullied into thinking that the BBC is only any good, if it reflects the prejudice of the last person who shouted at it." ~AA
Reposted by Frank Norman
#r4today #wato #bbcpm
The first step towards saving our precious BBC: remove Robbie Gibb from the board | Ed Davey www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The first step towards saving our precious BBC: remove Robbie Gibb from the board | Ed Davey www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The first step towards saving our precious BBC: remove Robbie Gibb from the board | Ed Davey
The BBC belongs to all of us, and it is under attack as never before. The government must defend it from its enemies, within and without, says Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:03 PM
#r4today #wato #bbcpm
The first step towards saving our precious BBC: remove Robbie Gibb from the board | Ed Davey www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The first step towards saving our precious BBC: remove Robbie Gibb from the board | Ed Davey www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Frank Norman
10am November 17 deadline!
One week to go! >>
One week to go! >>
ScienceWrite 2026 is open for applications! 🧪
Our programme for minoritised/marginalised science writers based in the UK is running again!
Have an idea for a book, article or other writing project for a lay audience? This is for you!
Apply & find out more at sciencewrite.co.uk
Our programme for minoritised/marginalised science writers based in the UK is running again!
Have an idea for a book, article or other writing project for a lay audience? This is for you!
Apply & find out more at sciencewrite.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 7:15 PM
10am November 17 deadline!
One week to go! >>
One week to go! >>
Reposted by Frank Norman
Goodreads getting competition from Musk’s new site, “Pathetic Manchild Reads”
November 10, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Goodreads getting competition from Musk’s new site, “Pathetic Manchild Reads”
Reposted by Frank Norman
The theme for LGBT+ History Month UK 2026 is ‘Science and Innovation’. The new badge is available from our website (lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/shop/).
Find out more about the month and our five figures at: lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/lgbt-history...
#LGBTQIA
#LGBTplusHM
#lgbthm26
Find out more about the month and our five figures at: lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/lgbt-history...
#LGBTQIA
#LGBTplusHM
#lgbthm26
November 8, 2025 at 12:36 PM
The theme for LGBT+ History Month UK 2026 is ‘Science and Innovation’. The new badge is available from our website (lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/shop/).
Find out more about the month and our five figures at: lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/lgbt-history...
#LGBTQIA
#LGBTplusHM
#lgbthm26
Find out more about the month and our five figures at: lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/lgbt-history...
#LGBTQIA
#LGBTplusHM
#lgbthm26
Reposted by Frank Norman
People gossiped about JD Vance and Erika Kirk. Then, inevitably, came the "don't gossip" scoldings.
Screw it! Let's defend wild speculation. First, these two deserve it.
Second, the gossip tells us a lot about JD Vance's political future. An analysis.
www.salon.com/2025/11/10/w...
Screw it! Let's defend wild speculation. First, these two deserve it.
Second, the gossip tells us a lot about JD Vance's political future. An analysis.
www.salon.com/2025/11/10/w...
Why JD Vance and Erika Kirk's hug made tongues wag
The vice president’s current wife, Usha, is a growing political liability
www.salon.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
People gossiped about JD Vance and Erika Kirk. Then, inevitably, came the "don't gossip" scoldings.
Screw it! Let's defend wild speculation. First, these two deserve it.
Second, the gossip tells us a lot about JD Vance's political future. An analysis.
www.salon.com/2025/11/10/w...
Screw it! Let's defend wild speculation. First, these two deserve it.
Second, the gossip tells us a lot about JD Vance's political future. An analysis.
www.salon.com/2025/11/10/w...
Spent the morning filling in a multitude of forms from my solicitor linked to sale of my flat. Just have to print/sign/scan and send them off. Hoping there’s no more to come.
November 10, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Spent the morning filling in a multitude of forms from my solicitor linked to sale of my flat. Just have to print/sign/scan and send them off. Hoping there’s no more to come.
Reposted by Frank Norman
Well well well. Finally, in the light of the resignations of DG and BBC news CEO, the BBC is reporting about the entryists on its own Board, and their agenda to force the BBC's editorial position to the right, even the far right.
Step into the spotlight, Robbie Gibb.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Step into the spotlight, Robbie Gibb.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 10, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Well well well. Finally, in the light of the resignations of DG and BBC news CEO, the BBC is reporting about the entryists on its own Board, and their agenda to force the BBC's editorial position to the right, even the far right.
Step into the spotlight, Robbie Gibb.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Step into the spotlight, Robbie Gibb.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Frank Norman
New DG, a shoo in
Gary Lineker: "This is the mistake the BBC makes. The BBC tries to appease the people that hate the BBC, rather than worrying about the people that love the BBC."
November 10, 2025 at 10:30 AM
New DG, a shoo in
Reposted by Frank Norman
Good to see someone involved in the field describing the techbro fantasies as “bullshit”. But note the link between this nonsense and eugenicist ideas from Altman. These people are rich, stupid and influential, which = dangerous.
Investors’ ‘dumb transhumanist ideas’ setting back neurotech progress, say experts
Investors’ ‘dumb transhumanist ideas’ setting back neurotech progress, say experts
Fascination of investors such as Elon Musk with uploading their brains to computers is hindering progress in curing disease, say scientists
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Good to see someone involved in the field describing the techbro fantasies as “bullshit”. But note the link between this nonsense and eugenicist ideas from Altman. These people are rich, stupid and influential, which = dangerous.
Reposted by Frank Norman
"[I]t will be critical to maintain a human in the loop even as we seek to incorporate the strengths of #AI-based review in our editorial process."
Read this Editorial from the editors and staff of JAMA and the JAMA Network journals.
ja.ma/4oXjl3H
Read this Editorial from the editors and staff of JAMA and the JAMA Network journals.
ja.ma/4oXjl3H
November 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM
"[I]t will be critical to maintain a human in the loop even as we seek to incorporate the strengths of #AI-based review in our editorial process."
Read this Editorial from the editors and staff of JAMA and the JAMA Network journals.
ja.ma/4oXjl3H
Read this Editorial from the editors and staff of JAMA and the JAMA Network journals.
ja.ma/4oXjl3H
This Historian of Life Sciences three-year position at Cold Spring Harbord Lab, NY is worth a look. #HistSci
www.schooljobs.com/careers/cshl...
www.schooljobs.com/careers/cshl...
Career Opportunities | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Careers
www.schooljobs.com
November 8, 2025 at 4:16 PM
This Historian of Life Sciences three-year position at Cold Spring Harbord Lab, NY is worth a look. #HistSci
www.schooljobs.com/careers/cshl...
www.schooljobs.com/careers/cshl...
Reposted by Frank Norman
I've been on a few panels/podcasts lately & a point raised as been how much people actually use specialised ai research tools like Elicit, Undermind, or even ai from established players like Scopus Ai Vs using chatgpt/Gemini maybe+ deep research. After all we see much more use of Google scholar (1)
November 8, 2025 at 2:25 AM
I've been on a few panels/podcasts lately & a point raised as been how much people actually use specialised ai research tools like Elicit, Undermind, or even ai from established players like Scopus Ai Vs using chatgpt/Gemini maybe+ deep research. After all we see much more use of Google scholar (1)
Reposted by Frank Norman
November 7, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Reposted by Frank Norman
View from a fascinating new exhibition at the Foundling Museum - read more about it on our blog: iaml-uk-irl.org/hallelujah-a...
November 1, 2025 at 10:57 AM
View from a fascinating new exhibition at the Foundling Museum - read more about it on our blog: iaml-uk-irl.org/hallelujah-a...
Reposted by Frank Norman
“For nine months, Sky News' Data and Forensics team has been investigating whether X's algorithm amplifies right-wing and extreme content. It does.”
Still intrigued not as to why folks still post there (each to their own, etc), but whether X still actually works? 🤷🏾♂️
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Still intrigued not as to why folks still post there (each to their own, etc), but whether X still actually works? 🤷🏾♂️
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:54 AM
“For nine months, Sky News' Data and Forensics team has been investigating whether X's algorithm amplifies right-wing and extreme content. It does.”
Still intrigued not as to why folks still post there (each to their own, etc), but whether X still actually works? 🤷🏾♂️
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Still intrigued not as to why folks still post there (each to their own, etc), but whether X still actually works? 🤷🏾♂️
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Reposted by Frank Norman
"So a major driver of immigration becoming such a central societal and political issue is a growing concern about asylum seekers perceived as coming illegally – but this is built on an extraordinarily wrong view of their scale"
@bobbyduffy.bsky.social & @elielcohen.bsky.social write for the LSE
@bobbyduffy.bsky.social & @elielcohen.bsky.social write for the LSE
Imagined immigration is shaping our politics | British Politics and Policy at LSE
Enjoying this post? Then sign up to our newsletter and receive a weekly roundup of all our articles. Immigration has become the central issue in British politics. The public now rank it as the most im...
blogs.lse.ac.uk
November 5, 2025 at 12:23 PM
"So a major driver of immigration becoming such a central societal and political issue is a growing concern about asylum seekers perceived as coming illegally – but this is built on an extraordinarily wrong view of their scale"
@bobbyduffy.bsky.social & @elielcohen.bsky.social write for the LSE
@bobbyduffy.bsky.social & @elielcohen.bsky.social write for the LSE
AGI is so difficult. The LLMs valiantly try to guess the context but they get it wrong very often. #ArtificialGeneralIntelligence #NotThereYet
Thanks for that Google AI - very helpful.
(I was checking the spelling of dephlogisticated air)
(I was checking the spelling of dephlogisticated air)
November 5, 2025 at 11:28 AM
AGI is so difficult. The LLMs valiantly try to guess the context but they get it wrong very often. #ArtificialGeneralIntelligence #NotThereYet
Reposted by Frank Norman
Honestly TELL THE STORY. Won’t someone just tell the fucking story of how Brexit created this economic hardship, how a Muslim immigrant just saved the lives of those commuters on that train, won’t someone in politics or even media just connect the fucking dots and TELL THE STORY. IT’S RIGHT THERE
November 5, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Honestly TELL THE STORY. Won’t someone just tell the fucking story of how Brexit created this economic hardship, how a Muslim immigrant just saved the lives of those commuters on that train, won’t someone in politics or even media just connect the fucking dots and TELL THE STORY. IT’S RIGHT THERE
Reposted by Frank Norman
@altmetric.com - I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you need to start capturing LinkedIn shares for academic publications. That's rapidly becoming the most active platform in my experience.
November 4, 2025 at 9:37 AM
@altmetric.com - I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think you need to start capturing LinkedIn shares for academic publications. That's rapidly becoming the most active platform in my experience.
Reposted by Frank Norman
"a magisterial new biography" - congrats @matthewcobb.bsky.social! #histSTM
Book review 📚 Sex, drugs and the conscious brain: Francis Crick beyond the double helix
go.nature.com/4oJQAra
go.nature.com/4oJQAra
Sex, drugs and the conscious brain: Francis Crick beyond the double helix
A thoroughly researched account of the history and relationships that shaped the scientist who co-discovered the structure of DNA.
go.nature.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:21 AM
"a magisterial new biography" - congrats @matthewcobb.bsky.social! #histSTM
Sad and infuriating to read of yet another ignored and under-diagnosed condition womens health issue. #irondeficiency #womenshealth #medicalmisogyny
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Tired all the time? There may be a simple reason for that
Levels of fatigue among women in Britain are soaring, and this isn’t the kind that can be cured by a nap. What lies behind the exhaustion epidemic?
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Sad and infuriating to read of yet another ignored and under-diagnosed condition womens health issue. #irondeficiency #womenshealth #medicalmisogyny
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...