Sunil
@sdvr.bsky.social
Erstwhile researcher in human computer interaction/tech, accessible environments, sociology, politics, transport/urbanism and rare diseases: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=oSEzsOoAAAAJ&hl=en
Apropos of nothing: the fact that there are multiple ‘cycle to work’ schemes, each of which uses its own website/process and which can be further complicated via “employee benefit” portals, is a really good example of needless over-complication.
January 4, 2026 at 1:17 PM
Apropos of nothing: the fact that there are multiple ‘cycle to work’ schemes, each of which uses its own website/process and which can be further complicated via “employee benefit” portals, is a really good example of needless over-complication.
@stevensenior.bsky.social Steve, would it be possible to drop you a DM about something? I don’t think you’ve got them open to followers who don’t follow you back.
January 2, 2026 at 4:20 PM
@stevensenior.bsky.social Steve, would it be possible to drop you a DM about something? I don’t think you’ve got them open to followers who don’t follow you back.
Can any cyclists in/near Manchester recommend bike shops for a new purchase (cycle to work scheme)? Would prefer to support indies but the ones with good Google reviews have shockingly bad websites. I realise it’s not their main focus but as a customer I’d appreciate even a basic stock/price list!
January 2, 2026 at 11:16 AM
Can any cyclists in/near Manchester recommend bike shops for a new purchase (cycle to work scheme)? Would prefer to support indies but the ones with good Google reviews have shockingly bad websites. I realise it’s not their main focus but as a customer I’d appreciate even a basic stock/price list!
Oh hello insomnia.
Awake for an hour an a half now.
😠
Awake for an hour an a half now.
😠
December 30, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Oh hello insomnia.
Awake for an hour an a half now.
😠
Awake for an hour an a half now.
😠
Grateful to @meemalee.bsky.social for posting this - as a (non-bilingual) child I knew Asterix books used clever wordplay but I didn‘t realise just how clever!
More on the genius of the Asterix translations by Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge
(the “rather, old fruit” exchange is one of my favourite gags)
auntymuriel.com/2012/12/23/a...
(the “rather, old fruit” exchange is one of my favourite gags)
auntymuriel.com/2012/12/23/a...
Asterix in translation: the genius of Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge
As promised in a previous blog entry, what follows is a discussion of the translation of some of my favourite Asterix gags. The translators’ modus operandi was to include as many jokes in the Engli…
auntymuriel.com
December 29, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Grateful to @meemalee.bsky.social for posting this - as a (non-bilingual) child I knew Asterix books used clever wordplay but I didn‘t realise just how clever!
Reposted by Sunil
THIS. Read Asterix in English, and see how Hockridge and Bell don’t just transliterate but remake whole puns and wordplays that sparkle in English culturally as well as linguistically. Flawless work that simply cannot be done without true understanding of *the concept of meaning*
AND ANOTHER THING, WHILE I'M AT IT:
ENOUGH WITH THESE BULLSHIT CLAIMS THAT AI CAN REPLACE HUMAN TRANSLATORS!!!
Translation is *not* the science of finding the perfect definition of a word from a foreign language and putting that definition into the text.
Translators translate, of course. But!
ENOUGH WITH THESE BULLSHIT CLAIMS THAT AI CAN REPLACE HUMAN TRANSLATORS!!!
Translation is *not* the science of finding the perfect definition of a word from a foreign language and putting that definition into the text.
Translators translate, of course. But!
December 28, 2025 at 7:21 PM
THIS. Read Asterix in English, and see how Hockridge and Bell don’t just transliterate but remake whole puns and wordplays that sparkle in English culturally as well as linguistically. Flawless work that simply cannot be done without true understanding of *the concept of meaning*
First time using Cambridge North station, due to engineering works completely closing Cambridge itself.
Didn’t realise there isn't a shop or any kind of cafe etc.
There’s a fast food van outside but due to where the rail replacement bus dropped us off I only saw it once I was past barriers…
Didn’t realise there isn't a shop or any kind of cafe etc.
There’s a fast food van outside but due to where the rail replacement bus dropped us off I only saw it once I was past barriers…
December 29, 2025 at 1:18 PM
First time using Cambridge North station, due to engineering works completely closing Cambridge itself.
Didn’t realise there isn't a shop or any kind of cafe etc.
There’s a fast food van outside but due to where the rail replacement bus dropped us off I only saw it once I was past barriers…
Didn’t realise there isn't a shop or any kind of cafe etc.
There’s a fast food van outside but due to where the rail replacement bus dropped us off I only saw it once I was past barriers…
Idly looking at station usage data and found this page at ORR: dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/u...
Which has the latest data release as .CSV, then the last few years as .ODS (with quite varying formats - all sorts of horrible stuff going on!)
... do we really not have a longitudinal dataset?!
Which has the latest data release as .CSV, then the last few years as .ODS (with quite varying formats - all sorts of horrible stuff going on!)
... do we really not have a longitudinal dataset?!
Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal
dataportal.orr.gov.uk
December 27, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Idly looking at station usage data and found this page at ORR: dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/u...
Which has the latest data release as .CSV, then the last few years as .ODS (with quite varying formats - all sorts of horrible stuff going on!)
... do we really not have a longitudinal dataset?!
Which has the latest data release as .CSV, then the last few years as .ODS (with quite varying formats - all sorts of horrible stuff going on!)
... do we really not have a longitudinal dataset?!
One for infrastructure/transport/regional development folks on here - welcome thoughts! e.g. @planningtransport.co.uk @stephenkb.bsky.social @jburnmurdoch.ft.com @marktewdwr-jones.bsky.social @mrtimdunn.bsky.social @owlernook.bsky.social @acarpen.bsky.social @gregmarsden-leeds.bsky.social
Did several walks this week in southern fringe of Cambridge, incl around the new CBG South station/Biomedical Campus.
Great it is finally being built (albeit further delayed), but perfect example of UK's frankly appalling approach to joined up public transport.
So many missed opportunities 🧵
Great it is finally being built (albeit further delayed), but perfect example of UK's frankly appalling approach to joined up public transport.
So many missed opportunities 🧵
December 27, 2025 at 10:14 PM
One for infrastructure/transport/regional development folks on here - welcome thoughts! e.g. @planningtransport.co.uk @stephenkb.bsky.social @jburnmurdoch.ft.com @marktewdwr-jones.bsky.social @mrtimdunn.bsky.social @owlernook.bsky.social @acarpen.bsky.social @gregmarsden-leeds.bsky.social
Did several walks this week in southern fringe of Cambridge, incl around the new CBG South station/Biomedical Campus.
Great it is finally being built (albeit further delayed), but perfect example of UK's frankly appalling approach to joined up public transport.
So many missed opportunities 🧵
Great it is finally being built (albeit further delayed), but perfect example of UK's frankly appalling approach to joined up public transport.
So many missed opportunities 🧵
December 27, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Did several walks this week in southern fringe of Cambridge, incl around the new CBG South station/Biomedical Campus.
Great it is finally being built (albeit further delayed), but perfect example of UK's frankly appalling approach to joined up public transport.
So many missed opportunities 🧵
Great it is finally being built (albeit further delayed), but perfect example of UK's frankly appalling approach to joined up public transport.
So many missed opportunities 🧵
Whichever FT subeditor chose the photo for this piece - very well done.
December 27, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Whichever FT subeditor chose the photo for this piece - very well done.
Just had to wrangle with the United Utilities website and my god is it awful.
Realised was still on paper bills; would rather download PDFs. Option to switch comes with somewhat confusing warning about 'if you switch back you'll no longer be able to access online'.
Try to access PDFs. Nope
Realised was still on paper bills; would rather download PDFs. Option to switch comes with somewhat confusing warning about 'if you switch back you'll no longer be able to access online'.
Try to access PDFs. Nope
December 27, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Just had to wrangle with the United Utilities website and my god is it awful.
Realised was still on paper bills; would rather download PDFs. Option to switch comes with somewhat confusing warning about 'if you switch back you'll no longer be able to access online'.
Try to access PDFs. Nope
Realised was still on paper bills; would rather download PDFs. Option to switch comes with somewhat confusing warning about 'if you switch back you'll no longer be able to access online'.
Try to access PDFs. Nope
Yikes. This is something I’ve been concerned about for some time. More widely the pollution of the information ecosystem, which implies a need to fact-check everything (entirely unrealistic at scale and ineffective in countering mass-produced dis/misinformation) will cause a lot of problems
🧵Have you ever heard of LLM-authored books being used as part of an disinformation operation?
Well now you have!
#AI #Disinformation
open.substack.com/pub/marcowen...
Well now you have!
#AI #Disinformation
open.substack.com/pub/marcowen...
December 27, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Yikes. This is something I’ve been concerned about for some time. More widely the pollution of the information ecosystem, which implies a need to fact-check everything (entirely unrealistic at scale and ineffective in countering mass-produced dis/misinformation) will cause a lot of problems
Reposted by Sunil
Over 24 years, Louise Cocker has captured almost half a million Norfolk Gravestones. ‘As a result, she has produced a remarkable dataset… which experts consider one of the most comprehensive photographic records of gravestones and memorials in England.’
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
‘The hidden engine room’: how amateur historians are powering genealogical research
Wealth of datasets compiled as private passions are now a goldmine for those hunting for their ancestors
www.theguardian.com
December 26, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Over 24 years, Louise Cocker has captured almost half a million Norfolk Gravestones. ‘As a result, she has produced a remarkable dataset… which experts consider one of the most comprehensive photographic records of gravestones and memorials in England.’
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
In an unrelated question, if any of my followers have recently been in the market for a home NAS box and have opinions, I'm very much willing to hear them!
10+ years ago when I bought a Synology NAS, it was easy to find high quality reviews and content relating to consumer tech.
Now, enshittification driven (I can only assume) by SEO/content farms and LLMs, there are pages of very generic crap that doesn't actually help you decide.
Sigh
Now, enshittification driven (I can only assume) by SEO/content farms and LLMs, there are pages of very generic crap that doesn't actually help you decide.
Sigh
December 26, 2025 at 5:22 PM
In an unrelated question, if any of my followers have recently been in the market for a home NAS box and have opinions, I'm very much willing to hear them!
10+ years ago when I bought a Synology NAS, it was easy to find high quality reviews and content relating to consumer tech.
Now, enshittification driven (I can only assume) by SEO/content farms and LLMs, there are pages of very generic crap that doesn't actually help you decide.
Sigh
Now, enshittification driven (I can only assume) by SEO/content farms and LLMs, there are pages of very generic crap that doesn't actually help you decide.
Sigh
December 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
10+ years ago when I bought a Synology NAS, it was easy to find high quality reviews and content relating to consumer tech.
Now, enshittification driven (I can only assume) by SEO/content farms and LLMs, there are pages of very generic crap that doesn't actually help you decide.
Sigh
Now, enshittification driven (I can only assume) by SEO/content farms and LLMs, there are pages of very generic crap that doesn't actually help you decide.
Sigh
Reposted by Sunil
DOGE was A LOT less likely to cancel contracts from companies that donated money to Republicans than companies that donated to Democrats.
December 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
DOGE was A LOT less likely to cancel contracts from companies that donated money to Republicans than companies that donated to Democrats.
Reposted by Sunil
Debates on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods often focus on disabled people's experiences.
In a new paper led by @ersiliav.bsky.social and @tricyclemayor.bsky.social, we use videos/interviews to explore the impacts on disabled people's everyday walking and wheeling.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
In a new paper led by @ersiliav.bsky.social and @tricyclemayor.bsky.social, we use videos/interviews to explore the impacts on disabled people's everyday walking and wheeling.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Walking and wheeling in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods: A mixed methods study of mobility aid users’ interactions with changing public spaces
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) seek to discourage car use by making vehicle journeys more circuitous, and to make active travel journeys safer and more pleasant, thus improving public health. LT...
www.tandfonline.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Debates on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods often focus on disabled people's experiences.
In a new paper led by @ersiliav.bsky.social and @tricyclemayor.bsky.social, we use videos/interviews to explore the impacts on disabled people's everyday walking and wheeling.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
In a new paper led by @ersiliav.bsky.social and @tricyclemayor.bsky.social, we use videos/interviews to explore the impacts on disabled people's everyday walking and wheeling.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
It is very alien to most British folk too, I’d wager.
Thread. This is a crucial thing for non-Christian Americans to understand. Most Christian Nationalists think it’s an act of kindness on their part to tell you that you will be going to hell if you don’t convert. It’s incomprehensible to most of them that they’re being bigots.
I'm going to tell my favorite story again about reflecting the certainty of beliefs back at people who don't expect it.
A friend was one of the few Jews on faculty at a North Dakota University. Every year, his colleague in religious studies would invite him to come to his religious studies class...
A friend was one of the few Jews on faculty at a North Dakota University. Every year, his colleague in religious studies would invite him to come to his religious studies class...
December 25, 2025 at 9:28 PM
It is very alien to most British folk too, I’d wager.
Reposted by Sunil
Fascinating thread and once again striking how weird American Christianity can be.
I'm going to tell my favorite story again about reflecting the certainty of beliefs back at people who don't expect it.
A friend was one of the few Jews on faculty at a North Dakota University. Every year, his colleague in religious studies would invite him to come to his religious studies class...
A friend was one of the few Jews on faculty at a North Dakota University. Every year, his colleague in religious studies would invite him to come to his religious studies class...
December 25, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Fascinating thread and once again striking how weird American Christianity can be.
You can tell I miss being a researcher by the fact that it’s 9:30pm on Christmas Day and I’m off down a rabbit hole of research papers…
December 25, 2025 at 9:25 PM
You can tell I miss being a researcher by the fact that it’s 9:30pm on Christmas Day and I’m off down a rabbit hole of research papers…
This is a fantastic essay and anyone working or interested in health and social policies (broadly defined) should read and reflect on it. Thank you for writing it @donnawakefield.bsky.social and congratulations on the prize!
🏆 Its been the biggest honour of my life to win The Lancet 2025 Wakley Prize and have my essay published in the final @thelancet.com of the year 📖 🤩
It was the perfect #Christmas present to receive the paper edition, as a surprise delivery yesterday 🚚 📦
@wolfsonpallcare.bsky.social
It was the perfect #Christmas present to receive the paper edition, as a surprise delivery yesterday 🚚 📦
@wolfsonpallcare.bsky.social
December 25, 2025 at 9:16 PM
This is a fantastic essay and anyone working or interested in health and social policies (broadly defined) should read and reflect on it. Thank you for writing it @donnawakefield.bsky.social and congratulations on the prize!
Quite aside from the white “christian“ nationalist and the anti-constitutionality of this whole thing… it’s the sheer tackiness that pervades everything they do that is truly astounding.
Same as with the Home Depot fake gold plaster mouldings in the WH. Cheap, tasteless bling.
Same as with the Home Depot fake gold plaster mouldings in the WH. Cheap, tasteless bling.
Here’s the U.S. government being officially religious in a country with no official religion.
December 25, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Quite aside from the white “christian“ nationalist and the anti-constitutionality of this whole thing… it’s the sheer tackiness that pervades everything they do that is truly astounding.
Same as with the Home Depot fake gold plaster mouldings in the WH. Cheap, tasteless bling.
Same as with the Home Depot fake gold plaster mouldings in the WH. Cheap, tasteless bling.
On a walk near my parents. Crossed paths with an elderly lady with a terrier - nodded and wished her a Merry Christmas, no reply. Hmh.
Contrast with a couple of lads, maybe 12 years old a bit further on. I had my head down looking at my phone. To my surprise they wished me a Merry Christmas.
Contrast with a couple of lads, maybe 12 years old a bit further on. I had my head down looking at my phone. To my surprise they wished me a Merry Christmas.
December 25, 2025 at 4:12 PM
On a walk near my parents. Crossed paths with an elderly lady with a terrier - nodded and wished her a Merry Christmas, no reply. Hmh.
Contrast with a couple of lads, maybe 12 years old a bit further on. I had my head down looking at my phone. To my surprise they wished me a Merry Christmas.
Contrast with a couple of lads, maybe 12 years old a bit further on. I had my head down looking at my phone. To my surprise they wished me a Merry Christmas.
Reposted by Sunil
Wishing a very Merry Christmas to all of my friends celebrating around the world. Please reply with photos of cats enjoying presents/boxes/turkey/napping x
December 25, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Wishing a very Merry Christmas to all of my friends celebrating around the world. Please reply with photos of cats enjoying presents/boxes/turkey/napping x