Alex Hern
@hern.bsky.social
AI correspondent at the Economist. I write about it, that is. I’m still human. One of literally dozens of people online who is not American.
Reposted by Alex Hern
In case you want a prestigious certificate on your wall theagat.co
The AGAT - The Adventure Game Aptitude Test
Can you beat an 80s adventure game without a walkthrough? Prove it by taking the world's first standardized gaming exam.
theagat.co
February 9, 2026 at 8:28 PM
In case you want a prestigious certificate on your wall theagat.co
Gonna have to admit that maybe those of us saying “you’re all addicted to Brexit psychodrama, normal parties don’t just replace their leaders within two years of an election” called it wrong
February 9, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Gonna have to admit that maybe those of us saying “you’re all addicted to Brexit psychodrama, normal parties don’t just replace their leaders within two years of an election” called it wrong
www.ft.com/content/a38d... Absolutely imperative that the UK government builds an immigration programme welcoming to these people
US embassy in London denies visas to executives over minor offences
Immigration lawyers say top-level corporate figures and tech leaders among those barred from visiting America
www.ft.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:12 PM
www.ft.com/content/a38d... Absolutely imperative that the UK government builds an immigration programme welcoming to these people
Amongst the many funny things about this - limiting you to 30 downloads a month? - this entire streaming service will die the second Netflix completes its acquisition
HBO Max is to launch in the UK on Thursday 26th March.
The Pitt S1 will be on there with S2 episodes out weekly.
It will be the home of TNT Sports (£30.99 a month). Four different other packages available from £4.99 a month.
The Pitt S1 will be on there with S2 episodes out weekly.
It will be the home of TNT Sports (£30.99 a month). Four different other packages available from £4.99 a month.
February 9, 2026 at 12:27 PM
Amongst the many funny things about this - limiting you to 30 downloads a month? - this entire streaming service will die the second Netflix completes its acquisition
what's happening in 2033. what do they know
February 9, 2026 at 9:22 AM
what's happening in 2033. what do they know
Rejoinerism would honestly be an extremely good strategy for Labour to pursue at this point
February 8, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Rejoinerism would honestly be an extremely good strategy for Labour to pursue at this point
FYI Elder Millennials: the figure skating heat has a 90s theme. Poland does Everybody Dance Now, France goes for Vogue, Georgia plays Pretty Fly For a White Guy and Britain works a Spice Girls medley
February 7, 2026 at 6:43 PM
FYI Elder Millennials: the figure skating heat has a 90s theme. Poland does Everybody Dance Now, France goes for Vogue, Georgia plays Pretty Fly For a White Guy and Britain works a Spice Girls medley
Reposted by Alex Hern
The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout 'SAVE US!'...and Ed will look down and whisper 'okie dokie then’.
February 6, 2026 at 7:37 PM
The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout 'SAVE US!'...and Ed will look down and whisper 'okie dokie then’.
When you see that label in your replies you know you’re in for a good time
February 6, 2026 at 7:26 PM
When you see that label in your replies you know you’re in for a good time
GUY WHO FOLLOWS BRITISH POLITICS CLOSELY BUT ALSO HAS RETROGRADE AMNESIA: still just absolutely reeling from the news that peter mandleson had compromising connections to wealthy crooks. it must have been such a shock to keir starmer to discover that fact. there were no warning signs
February 6, 2026 at 2:47 PM
GUY WHO FOLLOWS BRITISH POLITICS CLOSELY BUT ALSO HAS RETROGRADE AMNESIA: still just absolutely reeling from the news that peter mandleson had compromising connections to wealthy crooks. it must have been such a shock to keir starmer to discover that fact. there were no warning signs
Reposted by Alex Hern
in this week's newsletter! my very, very hot take, which is that one of the reasons politics has got bad is that our politicians have got.......too good - do read it, see what you think, shout at me, etc youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/politics-i... [free edition!]
February 6, 2026 at 10:23 AM
in this week's newsletter! my very, very hot take, which is that one of the reasons politics has got bad is that our politicians have got.......too good - do read it, see what you think, shout at me, etc youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/politics-i... [free edition!]
Normal building: buy parts from a catalogue that are made in a factory
Fancy building: buy parts from a catalogue that are made by an artisan
Bespoke building: commission an artisan to make parts to order
The House of Commons restore and rebuild: commission a university to make artisans to order
Fancy building: buy parts from a catalogue that are made by an artisan
Bespoke building: commission an artisan to make parts to order
The House of Commons restore and rebuild: commission a university to make artisans to order
February 6, 2026 at 8:44 AM
Normal building: buy parts from a catalogue that are made in a factory
Fancy building: buy parts from a catalogue that are made by an artisan
Bespoke building: commission an artisan to make parts to order
The House of Commons restore and rebuild: commission a university to make artisans to order
Fancy building: buy parts from a catalogue that are made by an artisan
Bespoke building: commission an artisan to make parts to order
The House of Commons restore and rebuild: commission a university to make artisans to order
Finished this on the plane on Monday. Great little one shot
February 5, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Finished this on the plane on Monday. Great little one shot
Frog FURIOUS that Scorpion promised not to sting.
February 5, 2026 at 11:53 AM
Frog FURIOUS that Scorpion promised not to sting.
just put a 25 storey building here. reckon you could do that for £2bn. spend the other £13bn on treats
February 5, 2026 at 11:28 AM
just put a 25 storey building here. reckon you could do that for £2bn. spend the other £13bn on treats
I don’t think it would help, really, but it would be interesting if Starmer just openly gave the only feasible excuse for hiring Mandy: “the Americans will never acknowledge this stuff is bad so we wanted to send over someone who was in the same boat”
February 4, 2026 at 7:02 PM
I don’t think it would help, really, but it would be interesting if Starmer just openly gave the only feasible excuse for hiring Mandy: “the Americans will never acknowledge this stuff is bad so we wanted to send over someone who was in the same boat”
Come and work with me at one of the best places in the world to cover science and technology
The Economist is seeking promising journalists and would-be journalists to apply for the 2026 Richard Casement internship in London. Apply by March 6th and find out more here:
The Economist’s science and technology internship
We invite applications for the 2026 Richard Casement internship
econ.st
February 4, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Come and work with me at one of the best places in the world to cover science and technology
I’m sure someone else has said this better but it is insane how close the experience of reporting on the Epstein files is to playing a database mystery Her Story or The Roottrees Are Dead
February 4, 2026 at 9:25 AM
I’m sure someone else has said this better but it is insane how close the experience of reporting on the Epstein files is to playing a database mystery Her Story or The Roottrees Are Dead
'this is how you spell "hahaha we destroyed the hopes and dreams of a generation of faux-romantics"' has to be an alltimer
Deleted a post about “what’s your least favorite song” because the vibes are bad enough already.
Instead: what’s your favorite song that has a long title, say at least 6 words long?
Mine: “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” (Pearl Jam)
Instead: what’s your favorite song that has a long title, say at least 6 words long?
Mine: “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” (Pearl Jam)
February 4, 2026 at 7:25 AM
'this is how you spell "hahaha we destroyed the hopes and dreams of a generation of faux-romantics"' has to be an alltimer
Reposted by Alex Hern
The clunking fist is five years younger than the president of the United States.
Hear me out: can we have Gordon back
Gordon Brown writes to Met to back case for investigation into Mandelson's 'inexcusable and unpatriotic' leaking - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
February 3, 2026 at 5:06 PM
The clunking fist is five years younger than the president of the United States.
Hear me out: can we have Gordon back
Gordon Brown writes to Met to back case for investigation into Mandelson's 'inexcusable and unpatriotic' leaking - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
February 3, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Hear me out: can we have Gordon back
It’s so bad, pals
once you start looking for it, you see evidence and consequences of online desocialization everywhere nymag.com/intelligence...
February 3, 2026 at 4:42 PM
It’s so bad, pals
contrast with the Parisian prosecutors office, which used the same tweet to announce a raid on X as it did to announce that it would no longer be posting on X
Information Commissioner launches formal investigation in X / Grok over use of people's personal data to create sexual images of children without consent. (The government will continue to post through it, no doubt.)
February 3, 2026 at 12:19 PM
contrast with the Parisian prosecutors office, which used the same tweet to announce a raid on X as it did to announce that it would no longer be posting on X
this is obviously a bit self-important i guess but — it is such a bizarre quirk of world history that Brexit was both so incredibly influential in getting us to this shit place, and also so _incredibly_ avoidable.
February 3, 2026 at 5:41 AM
this is obviously a bit self-important i guess but — it is such a bizarre quirk of world history that Brexit was both so incredibly influential in getting us to this shit place, and also so _incredibly_ avoidable.