Alex Brown
@adjb.net
XML geek • standards wonk • Pope's Shakespeare (PhD) • photog • randonneur • pro-science • anti-quackery • centrist dad • http://www.adjb.net
Reposted by Alex Brown
"The points in the deal appear to be so lopsided in Putin’s favor that they might as well have been dictated by Moscow."
Indeed.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Indeed.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Trump’s Devastating Plan for Ukraine
The White House is giving Putin permission to try again.
www.theatlantic.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:15 PM
"The points in the deal appear to be so lopsided in Putin’s favor that they might as well have been dictated by Moscow."
Indeed.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Indeed.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Alex Brown
Trust in UK politics is at an all time low because people have been told that we can smash a big hole in the economy, have great public services, and tax can remain low.
The fact that this is all a big lie is all around us.
The fact that this is all a big lie is all around us.
November 21, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Trust in UK politics is at an all time low because people have been told that we can smash a big hole in the economy, have great public services, and tax can remain low.
The fact that this is all a big lie is all around us.
The fact that this is all a big lie is all around us.
Reposted by Alex Brown
Sad to see the CDC is now spreading fairly straightforward lies.
CDC has overhauled its website to assert that “the claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim”
November 20, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Sad to see the CDC is now spreading fairly straightforward lies.
Reposted by Alex Brown
Reposted by Alex Brown
November 18, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Overnighting in Lyon en route to business meetings in Geneva. What better opportunity to sample some “simple” bistro fayre (confit lamb, Jerusalem artichoke purée, autumn salad)
November 13, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Overnighting in Lyon en route to business meetings in Geneva. What better opportunity to sample some “simple” bistro fayre (confit lamb, Jerusalem artichoke purée, autumn salad)
Reposted by Alex Brown
With noting that if you're interested in 2027 Paris Brest Paris, 2026 is a pre-quali season. Your longest BRM event gets you an early pre-registration. Each year PBP has more riders, and an early registration can really help.
#PBP27 #Audax #ParisBrest
#PBP27 #Audax #ParisBrest
November 8, 2025 at 2:15 PM
With noting that if you're interested in 2027 Paris Brest Paris, 2026 is a pre-quali season. Your longest BRM event gets you an early pre-registration. Each year PBP has more riders, and an early registration can really help.
#PBP27 #Audax #ParisBrest
#PBP27 #Audax #ParisBrest
Reposted by Alex Brown
Oh, it turns out the Gates is funding and advised by serial climate misinformer Bjorn Lomborg.
Seriously reassessing my esteem for his philanthropy given he's so gullible for nonsense that is likely to kill far more people than his grants could ever save.
thebulletin.org/2025/10/you-...
Seriously reassessing my esteem for his philanthropy given he's so gullible for nonsense that is likely to kill far more people than his grants could ever save.
thebulletin.org/2025/10/you-...
You can’t reboot the planet if you crash it
What Gates is putting forward aren’t legitimate arguments that can be made in good faith. They are shopworn fossil fuel industry talking points.
thebulletin.org
November 1, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Oh, it turns out the Gates is funding and advised by serial climate misinformer Bjorn Lomborg.
Seriously reassessing my esteem for his philanthropy given he's so gullible for nonsense that is likely to kill far more people than his grants could ever save.
thebulletin.org/2025/10/you-...
Seriously reassessing my esteem for his philanthropy given he's so gullible for nonsense that is likely to kill far more people than his grants could ever save.
thebulletin.org/2025/10/you-...
Wondering if a business is ever victim to an "unsophisticated" cyber attack.
October 25, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Wondering if a business is ever victim to an "unsophisticated" cyber attack.
Reposted by Alex Brown
These days, anti-GenAI screeds cross my radar every week. Even when I agree with what they’re saying (I often do), they’re mostly saying the same things. So, FWIW, here’s one with a fresh PoV: https://going-medieval.com/2025/10/21/on-ai-and-the-golem/
With an entertaining dip into […]
With an entertaining dip into […]
Original post on cosocial.ca
cosocial.ca
October 21, 2025 at 4:37 PM
These days, anti-GenAI screeds cross my radar every week. Even when I agree with what they’re saying (I often do), they’re mostly saying the same things. So, FWIW, here’s one with a fresh PoV: https://going-medieval.com/2025/10/21/on-ai-and-the-golem/
With an entertaining dip into […]
With an entertaining dip into […]
Funny when AWS/Azure goes down it's kind of accepted as a force of Nature #cloudnormativity
October 20, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Funny when AWS/Azure goes down it's kind of accepted as a force of Nature #cloudnormativity
Reposted by Alex Brown
Not a hot take, but I will note a personal observation based on @ravenonthill.bsky.social blog ⬇️
From errors, hallucinations and workslop and vibe-coded security risks, AI seemingly often eats into productivity and takes experts more time and effort to fix things than doing it from scratch.
1/
From errors, hallucinations and workslop and vibe-coded security risks, AI seemingly often eats into productivity and takes experts more time and effort to fix things than doing it from scratch.
1/
@ravenonthill.bsky.social collected some reporting that puts a big questionmark around the myth of productivity gains with AI
The evidence seems not only lacking despite people and companies searching hard for use cases; but from workslop to vibe-coded security risks, AI seemingly eats productivity
The evidence seems not only lacking despite people and companies searching hard for use cases; but from workslop to vibe-coded security risks, AI seemingly eats productivity
I've been collecting articles on the negative productivity impacts of "AI" for a while, and Philipp Markolin finally got me to gather them up and write a post about them. This is mostly about the productivity claims for "AI;" the technology has other problems, but I'm not addressing them in the post
October 9, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Not a hot take, but I will note a personal observation based on @ravenonthill.bsky.social blog ⬇️
From errors, hallucinations and workslop and vibe-coded security risks, AI seemingly often eats into productivity and takes experts more time and effort to fix things than doing it from scratch.
1/
From errors, hallucinations and workslop and vibe-coded security risks, AI seemingly often eats into productivity and takes experts more time and effort to fix things than doing it from scratch.
1/
We seem to keep having the 'last day of summer' in Cambridge
September 30, 2025 at 12:38 PM
We seem to keep having the 'last day of summer' in Cambridge
Today @theguardian.com runs a piece on how the 'Fascist playbook' is to spread distrust in institutions and science. It also runs an account of how 'mainstream medicine' misses 'Chronic Lyme Disease', replete with mentions of herbal medicine and supplements 🤔 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
September 28, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Today @theguardian.com runs a piece on how the 'Fascist playbook' is to spread distrust in institutions and science. It also runs an account of how 'mainstream medicine' misses 'Chronic Lyme Disease', replete with mentions of herbal medicine and supplements 🤔 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...
Always grateful that the late, great Norman Geras sifted out 20 classic jazz albums so I didn't need to normblog.typepad.com/normblog/200...
September 26, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Always grateful that the late, great Norman Geras sifted out 20 classic jazz albums so I didn't need to normblog.typepad.com/normblog/200...
When drug companies say the UK is the "worst country in the World for drug pricing", how is that a bad thing?
September 25, 2025 at 6:49 AM
When drug companies say the UK is the "worst country in the World for drug pricing", how is that a bad thing?
Reposted by Alex Brown
Please apply for / pass on this vacancy with @tuc.org.uk!
You'll be working with the brilliant @adamc-c.bsky.social and with us @connectedbydata.org to ensure workers' voices are an effective countervailing force that shape the adoption of AI.
tuc.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/...
You'll be working with the brilliant @adamc-c.bsky.social and with us @connectedbydata.org to ensure workers' voices are an effective countervailing force that shape the adoption of AI.
tuc.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/...
Policy and Campaigns Officer - London
Policy & Campaigns Officer, Technology and Artificial Intelligence
Grade 6 £44,228 per annum (pro rata), plus London Weighting £6,154 per annum (pro rata)
Temporary – 18 months, Four days (28 hours)...
tuc.current-vacancies.com
September 4, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Please apply for / pass on this vacancy with @tuc.org.uk!
You'll be working with the brilliant @adamc-c.bsky.social and with us @connectedbydata.org to ensure workers' voices are an effective countervailing force that shape the adoption of AI.
tuc.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/...
You'll be working with the brilliant @adamc-c.bsky.social and with us @connectedbydata.org to ensure workers' voices are an effective countervailing force that shape the adoption of AI.
tuc.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/...
With a final touch, the insertion of a stiffer spring for the ESC key – a nod to the resistant Reset key of the Apple ][ – I think I have achieved keyboard perfection. That was quite the rabbit hole.
• Bridge 75 base model board
• Huano Caramel Latte switches
• GMK CYL Extended 2048 keycaps
• Bridge 75 base model board
• Huano Caramel Latte switches
• GMK CYL Extended 2048 keycaps
September 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM
With a final touch, the insertion of a stiffer spring for the ESC key – a nod to the resistant Reset key of the Apple ][ – I think I have achieved keyboard perfection. That was quite the rabbit hole.
• Bridge 75 base model board
• Huano Caramel Latte switches
• GMK CYL Extended 2048 keycaps
• Bridge 75 base model board
• Huano Caramel Latte switches
• GMK CYL Extended 2048 keycaps
Some kind of rally going on in London ATM
September 13, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Some kind of rally going on in London ATM
Reposted by Alex Brown
Looks like another beer myth is about to be born. Scientists analyze stability of beer foam, and mistakenly conclude tripels have better foam because they're fermented three times. (They're not.)
Here's the bullshit conclusions presented in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/food/2025/au...
Here's the bullshit conclusions presented in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/food/2025/au...
‘Really rich physics going on’: the science behind a flat pint of lager
Research reveals why single fermentation beers sometimes lack the thick, stable foam of other pub favourites
www.theguardian.com
August 27, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Looks like another beer myth is about to be born. Scientists analyze stability of beer foam, and mistakenly conclude tripels have better foam because they're fermented three times. (They're not.)
Here's the bullshit conclusions presented in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/food/2025/au...
Here's the bullshit conclusions presented in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/food/2025/au...
Reposted by Alex Brown
A new expression of concern was published on this randomized clinical trial of cinnamon for diabetes.
The study itself has been cited, according to Google, 1,700 times.
I first complained about it in 2023, so let me tell you the story of one of the most problematic papers I've come across 1/n
The study itself has been cited, according to Google, 1,700 times.
I first complained about it in 2023, so let me tell you the story of one of the most problematic papers I've come across 1/n
August 25, 2025 at 3:30 AM
A new expression of concern was published on this randomized clinical trial of cinnamon for diabetes.
The study itself has been cited, according to Google, 1,700 times.
I first complained about it in 2023, so let me tell you the story of one of the most problematic papers I've come across 1/n
The study itself has been cited, according to Google, 1,700 times.
I first complained about it in 2023, so let me tell you the story of one of the most problematic papers I've come across 1/n
Reposted by Alex Brown
Journal will NOT retract the Danish paper that found aluminum in childhood vaccines wasn't linked to increased risk of conditions like autism & asthma. Retraction calls — including from Sec. Kennedy — appear to be based on a dislike of the findings, editor says. www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/au...
Aluminum in Vaccines Study Won't Be Retracted, Journal Says
Large Danish study evaluated risks of autism, asthma, and other disorders in 1.2 million children
www.medpagetoday.com
August 12, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Journal will NOT retract the Danish paper that found aluminum in childhood vaccines wasn't linked to increased risk of conditions like autism & asthma. Retraction calls — including from Sec. Kennedy — appear to be based on a dislike of the findings, editor says. www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/au...
Reposted by Alex Brown
UPDATE 19:30 MONDAY
From tomorrow morning, we're asking you to start the Southward journey. The weather still looks challenging and we are not confident we can declare the northbound route safe. Our southbound controls will be open to welcome you and look after you.
#LEL2025 #LEL25
From tomorrow morning, we're asking you to start the Southward journey. The weather still looks challenging and we are not confident we can declare the northbound route safe. Our southbound controls will be open to welcome you and look after you.
#LEL2025 #LEL25
August 4, 2025 at 6:57 PM