steve the skeptic
@policyskeptic.bsky.social
government policy, health policy, evidence, statistics and sometimes other topics
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Absolutely this.
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
November 10, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Absolutely this.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
This is complete fiction — apparently originating with a satirical website — but shared as fact by the President of the United States.
Obama does not receive any “royalties” from the Affordable Care Act.
Obama does not receive any “royalties” from the Affordable Care Act.
November 9, 2025 at 8:29 PM
This is complete fiction — apparently originating with a satirical website — but shared as fact by the President of the United States.
Obama does not receive any “royalties” from the Affordable Care Act.
Obama does not receive any “royalties” from the Affordable Care Act.
One big problem with building numerical forecasts is that a lack of knowledge translates into error bars that include the apocalyptic end of humanity and also a utopian paradise.
November 10, 2025 at 10:53 AM
One big problem with building numerical forecasts is that a lack of knowledge translates into error bars that include the apocalyptic end of humanity and also a utopian paradise.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
I do like how, in the bit of Prescott's memo where he criticises the BBC for editing together different parts of Trump's speech, his own quote of "what Trump actually said" is... edited together from different parts of his speech.
November 10, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I do like how, in the bit of Prescott's memo where he criticises the BBC for editing together different parts of Trump's speech, his own quote of "what Trump actually said" is... edited together from different parts of his speech.
The NHS needs better thinking on productivity and how to achieve it: www.hsj.co.uk/daily-insigh...
The mythbuster: Shallow and naive thinking will not fix NHS productivity
A panel of experts, convened by the Health Foundation to examine NHS productivity, is guilty of failing to move beyond government clichés to identify the real barriers to improvement
www.hsj.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 9:50 AM
The NHS needs better thinking on productivity and how to achieve it: www.hsj.co.uk/daily-insigh...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
This is because Intuit, Inc. gave Donald Trump $1,000,000 for his "inauguration." Intuit owns Turbo Tax, which makes money off charging taxpayers to file their returns.
The corruption is rampant and in plain sight.
The corruption is rampant and in plain sight.
November 9, 2025 at 1:47 AM
This is because Intuit, Inc. gave Donald Trump $1,000,000 for his "inauguration." Intuit owns Turbo Tax, which makes money off charging taxpayers to file their returns.
The corruption is rampant and in plain sight.
The corruption is rampant and in plain sight.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
A national newspaper journalist went on a British TV channel to claim police stats showed asylum-seekers committed 44% of sex crimes in Dorset.
This shocking claim was treated as fact by the channel which promoted the clip on social media where it was amplified by AI.
Except... it's bollocks.
This shocking claim was treated as fact by the channel which promoted the clip on social media where it was amplified by AI.
Except... it's bollocks.
November 8, 2025 at 8:39 AM
A national newspaper journalist went on a British TV channel to claim police stats showed asylum-seekers committed 44% of sex crimes in Dorset.
This shocking claim was treated as fact by the channel which promoted the clip on social media where it was amplified by AI.
Except... it's bollocks.
This shocking claim was treated as fact by the channel which promoted the clip on social media where it was amplified by AI.
Except... it's bollocks.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
It blows my mind that there are real people who see a post like this and actually believe the whole “Christmas is being cancelled by Muslims” BS 🙄
Let’s have a quick look at what’s happening to Sheffield so you can put your Express reading uncle’s mind at ease!😆
1/15
🧵
Let’s have a quick look at what’s happening to Sheffield so you can put your Express reading uncle’s mind at ease!😆
1/15
🧵
November 8, 2025 at 3:58 PM
It blows my mind that there are real people who see a post like this and actually believe the whole “Christmas is being cancelled by Muslims” BS 🙄
Let’s have a quick look at what’s happening to Sheffield so you can put your Express reading uncle’s mind at ease!😆
1/15
🧵
Let’s have a quick look at what’s happening to Sheffield so you can put your Express reading uncle’s mind at ease!😆
1/15
🧵
Reposted by steve the skeptic
New Scientific rule - anytime you use a causal term in a paper, it must be put in quotes.
This one surely has something on offer for every one: In this cross-sectional mediation analysis, the "effects" of soft drink consumption on depression were "mediated" by abundance of Eggerthela in the gut microbiome.
This was sent to me via dm and now you all got to suffer as well.
This was sent to me via dm and now you all got to suffer as well.
Soft Drink Consumption and Depression Mediated by Gut Microbiome Alterations
This cohort study examines the association between soft drink consumption and major depressive disorder diagnosis and severity and whether this association is mediated by changes in the gut microbiota...
jamanetwork.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:46 PM
New Scientific rule - anytime you use a causal term in a paper, it must be put in quotes.
Maybe all those Rapture Mongers recently in the news were right.
😂
😂
November 7, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Maybe all those Rapture Mongers recently in the news were right.
😂
😂
Reposted by steve the skeptic
One thing that always identifies charlatans - they blame patients when their treatment fails.
November 3, 2025 at 6:14 AM
One thing that always identifies charlatans - they blame patients when their treatment fails.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
One of the things that Australia really excels at is consumer protection.
This is huge news in @cameronwilson.bsky.social's @thesizzle.com.au- Microsoft is being forced by the Aus regulator refund all the ultra-dodgy AI plan pushing it was doing for Office 365
Wild that other regions aren't also using regulatory power to punish Microsoft
thesizzle.com.au/p/google-sur...
Wild that other regions aren't also using regulatory power to punish Microsoft
thesizzle.com.au/p/google-sur...
November 6, 2025 at 10:44 PM
One of the things that Australia really excels at is consumer protection.
Just because your argument has some merits is no excuse for a gross data and #dataviz lie about it.
This chart is both untethered to reliable data and a #baddtaviz...
This chart is both untethered to reliable data and a #baddtaviz...
My new piece looks at a meme that's been going viral for the last 6 years, and whether healthcare administrators are really causing healthcare costs to skyrocket in the United States.
gidmk.substack.com/p/are-admini...
gidmk.substack.com/p/are-admini...
Are Administrators To Blame For Skyrocketing Healthcare Costs?
The story of a viral meme
gidmk.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Just because your argument has some merits is no excuse for a gross data and #dataviz lie about it.
This chart is both untethered to reliable data and a #baddtaviz...
This chart is both untethered to reliable data and a #baddtaviz...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
It says a lot about the lack of numeracy in the country, and the priorities of the media/commentariat, that there was so much written about the tiny number of pupils spilling over from private to state, and so little about the inevitable large fall in pupil numbers from lower numbers of births.
November 6, 2025 at 12:53 PM
It says a lot about the lack of numeracy in the country, and the priorities of the media/commentariat, that there was so much written about the tiny number of pupils spilling over from private to state, and so little about the inevitable large fall in pupil numbers from lower numbers of births.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Appalled to hear that the so-called "Trump insurrection", for which the House of Representatives voted to impeach him in January 2021, was actually a hoax created by a BBC documentary made in 2024 and transmitted back in time by woke scientists and the deep state
“The BBC didn’t get January 6 wrong. It should be brave enough to say so. Whoever wrote the internal report seen by The Telegraph is either malign or mistaken. The way it has been weaponised to attack the BBC shows the folly of trying to appease Team Trump, or to negotiate with them in good faith.”
The BBC was right about the Capitol riots. In a sane world, Trump would be in jail
Trump faced impeachment over the riots, and in a world where Republicans had more courage, he would have been found guilty
inews.co.uk
November 4, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Appalled to hear that the so-called "Trump insurrection", for which the House of Representatives voted to impeach him in January 2021, was actually a hoax created by a BBC documentary made in 2024 and transmitted back in time by woke scientists and the deep state
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Please can you promise to bail us out because potential lenders think we might not be able to pay them back because perhaps what we build won’t generate the revenues to pay them back but they are wrong, scouts’ honour.
BREAKING: OpenAI is requesting US government support to help guarantee financing for the massive investments in AI chips and data centers it needs for expansion, per Bloomberg.
November 6, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Please can you promise to bail us out because potential lenders think we might not be able to pay them back because perhaps what we build won’t generate the revenues to pay them back but they are wrong, scouts’ honour.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Former Foreign Minister of Lithuania, said it plainly:
"Putin never escalates when we help Ukraine. He escalates when we don't help enough."
This isn't philosophy. It's a pattern. Weakness invites aggression. Support raises the cost. 👇
"Putin never escalates when we help Ukraine. He escalates when we don't help enough."
This isn't philosophy. It's a pattern. Weakness invites aggression. Support raises the cost. 👇
November 6, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Former Foreign Minister of Lithuania, said it plainly:
"Putin never escalates when we help Ukraine. He escalates when we don't help enough."
This isn't philosophy. It's a pattern. Weakness invites aggression. Support raises the cost. 👇
"Putin never escalates when we help Ukraine. He escalates when we don't help enough."
This isn't philosophy. It's a pattern. Weakness invites aggression. Support raises the cost. 👇
There are some very important and very neglected lessons here about NHs management: www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...
But there are two big issues with it...
But there are two big issues with it...
Why Management Matters To The NHS 10 Year Health Plan | The Kings Fund
Professor Judith Smith, Suzie Bailey and Professor Sir Chris Ham explore why strong, well-trained NHS management is essential to delivering the ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan.
www.kingsfund.org.uk
November 5, 2025 at 3:02 PM
There are some very important and very neglected lessons here about NHs management: www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...
But there are two big issues with it...
But there are two big issues with it...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Yes, the diversion policy has been a complete waste of time and money. I don’t know why they still persist with it.
But the big intervention that could fix waits is downstream from A&E (fixing beds is the big issue). But policy has been focussed upstream of A&E on diverting patients for a decade and hasn't worked at all...
November 5, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Yes, the diversion policy has been a complete waste of time and money. I don’t know why they still persist with it.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
100% this across the whole of government
A major barrier to NHS productivity is that it thinks of cost cutting in silos not value adding across systems. This means that lower costs in one silo can cause huge waste in other silos making the whole system far less productive...
November 5, 2025 at 12:38 PM
100% this across the whole of government
A major barrier to NHS productivity is that it thinks of cost cutting in silos not value adding across systems. This means that lower costs in one silo can cause huge waste in other silos making the whole system far less productive...
November 5, 2025 at 12:31 PM
A major barrier to NHS productivity is that it thinks of cost cutting in silos not value adding across systems. This means that lower costs in one silo can cause huge waste in other silos making the whole system far less productive...
The experts consulted to opine on NHS productivity by the Health Foundation commission are part of the problem not part of the solution:
The Experts consulted by the Health Foundation's productivity commission are fairly pessimistic about the potential for rapid productivity growth in the NHS: www.health.org.uk/features-and... ...
www.health.org.uk
November 5, 2025 at 12:22 PM
The experts consulted to opine on NHS productivity by the Health Foundation commission are part of the problem not part of the solution:
Reposted by steve the skeptic
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 5, 2025 at 9:51 AM
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?
Reposted by steve the skeptic
🫣 “OpenAI is struggling to convince more than a measly five percent of its 800 million active ChatGPT users to pay for a subscription.” 🤡
November 5, 2025 at 11:51 AM
🫣 “OpenAI is struggling to convince more than a measly five percent of its 800 million active ChatGPT users to pay for a subscription.” 🤡
Reposted by steve the skeptic
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 11:19 AM
Thanks for that Google AI - very helpful.
(I was checking the spelling of dephlogisticated air)
(I was checking the spelling of dephlogisticated air)