Alex Selby-Boothroyd
LightNews LightNews
banner
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Alex Selby-Boothroyd
@alexselbyb.bsky.social
14K followers 1.4K following 2.2K posts
Head of data journalism at The Economist
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Alex Selby-Boothroyd @alexselbyb.bsky.social · Nov 18
Day 18 #30DayMapChallenge
I 3D-printed John Snow's 1854 cholera map of Soho. It took ages.
3D-printed map of Soho in 1854. Black marks on top of the buildings represent deaths from cholera caused by infected water from the Broad Street Pump (note the missing handle!). Top-down view. 3D-printed map of Soho in 1854. Black marks on top of the buildings represent deaths from cholera caused by infected water from the Broad Street Pump (note the missing handle!). Side view. 3D-printed map of Soho in 1854. Black marks on top of the buildings represent deaths from cholera caused by infected water from the Broad Street Pump (note the missing handle!). Framed, close-up. 3D-printed map of Soho in 1854. Black marks on top of the buildings represent deaths from cholera caused by infected water from the Broad Street Pump (note the missing handle!). Frame, "artful" shot.
alexselbyb.bsky.social
I wrote about music trends for The World Ahead. More AI-generated music is coming, whether you like it or not

www.economist.com/the-world-ah...
Tracking the world’s most popular music genres
Expect to hear more K-pop and AI-generated music in 2026—and “dark country”
www.economist.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:28 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Lost a quiz last night because we didn't know the name of the villain in The Incredibles. (The right answer would have been worth 17 points.)

Nothing to do with phone cheats, I'm just disappointed.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Question 1: Are phone cheats killing the pub quiz?
Quizmasters are banning smart devices, using dedicated apps and finding plain old honesty can combat trivial offences
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:25 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Just when I thought I was out, they asked to connect on LinkedIn.
www.economist.com/europe/2025/...
How Italy’s mafia uses social media to recruit new blood
TikTok is struggling to contain it
www.economist.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:59 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Liar
Chart showing illegal immigration in the US. It was 11m in 2022
November 13, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Reposted by Alex Selby-Boothroyd
peternimmo.bsky.social
A Scottish Bond isn't a new idea
Sean Connery as James Bond
November 13, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Alex Selby-Boothroyd
caylen.bsky.social
a “Space Force”, if you will
dieworkwear.bsky.social derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 2d
we need a department of kerning
The Department of War's seal hangs on a wall. The kerning appears to be off.
November 13, 2025 at 2:27 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
There are some lovely maps in tomorrow's edition of The Economist, which features our annual World Ahead pullout

www.economist.com/the-world-ah...
Map from The Economist showing the Pearl River Delta, a chain of southern Chinese cities that have fused into one vast sprawl. Its population is projected to reach 73m people in 2026 Map from The Economist showing the largest ports in Taiwan, which are on its northern and western coasts, close to the shipping lanes of the Taiwan Strait and facing the Chinese coast. This makes the island vulnerable to a potential naval blockade by China Map from The Economist showing the outflow of gold from Sudan. The gold trade was one of the factors that led to the outbreak of civil war in the country in 2023 Map from The Economist showing the gerrymandering of the heavily Democratic Kansas City to erase a Democratic-held district
November 13, 2025 at 1:59 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Normalise replacing "I used ChatGPT" with "I used autocomplete"
November 13, 2025 at 1:32 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Truss's story makes Hemingway's "Baby Shoes" look like "War and Peace"
philipjcowley.bsky.social Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.bsky.social · 2d
What I most like in this graph from @britainelects.com is that they are all distinct journeys, albeit to roughly the same destination. Each graph tells a different story.
November 12, 2025 at 2:39 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
That should be called a Frankenspace
jsthrill.modphi.com John Stuart Chill ☃️ @jsthrill.modphi.com · 2d
For anyone who is like “the creature is also named Frankenstein”; Mary Shelley went to see a play version of Frankenstein and was tickled that they listed the creature as “———“ in the dramatis personae:

“this nameless mode of naming the unnameable is rather good”

www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3...
But lo and behold! I found myself famous. Frankenstein had prodigious success as a drama, and was about to be repeated, for the twenty-third night, at the English Opera House. The play-bill amused me extremely, for, in the list of dramatis personce, came "———, by Mr. T. Cooke." This nameless mode of naming the unnameable is rather good. On Friday, 29th August, Jane, my Father, William, and I went to the theatre to see it. Wallack looked very well as Frankenstein. He is at the beginning full of hope and expectation. At the end of the first act the stage represents a room with a staircase leading to Frankenstein's workshop; he goes to it, and you see his light at a small window, through which a frightened servant peeps, who runs off in terror when Frankenstein exclaims "It lives!" Presently Frankenstein himself rushes in horror and trepidation from the room, and, while still expressing his agony and terror, "———" throws down the door of the laboratory, leaps the staircase, and presents his unearthly and monstrous person on the stage. The story is not well managed, but Cooke played ———'s part extremely well; his seeking, as it were, for support; his trying to grasp at the sounds he heard; all, indeed, he does was well imagined and executed. I was much amused, and it appeared to excite a breathless eagerness in the audience. It was a third piece, a scanty pit filled at half-price, and all stayed till it was over. They continue to play it even now.
November 12, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Alex Selby-Boothroyd
shashj.bsky.social
"The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal" edition.cnn.com/2025/11/11/p...
Exclusive: UK suspends some intelligence sharing with US over boat strike concerns in major break | CNN Politics
The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes ...
edition.cnn.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:31 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
My grandad, who apparently had it goin' on
November 11, 2025 at 9:21 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Trump's $1bn lawsuit could cost every BBC licence payer £33.27—the equivalent of about three pints in London, or two days of health insurance for the average American
One billion US dollars divided by 22.8 million licence payers is approximately £33.27 per licence payer.
November 11, 2025 at 3:57 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Four Seasons Total Landscaping vibes
johnsimpsonnews.bsky.social John Simpson @johnsimpsonnews.bsky.social · 3d
Donald Trump’s demand for a billion dollars from the BBC comes from a local Florida law firm. It was sent to the wrong address, and the writer didn’t know what ‘salacious’ really means: ‘Due to their salacious nature, the fabricated statements that were aired by the BBC…’
November 11, 2025 at 1:39 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
The best obituary I've ever read
www.economist.com/obituary/201...
Bill Millin
Bill Millin, piper at the D-Day landings, died on August 17th, aged 88
www.economist.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:51 AM
Reposted by Alex Selby-Boothroyd
jasonforrest.bsky.social
www.linkedin.com/posts/svadat...
Where Design Meets Data: The Future of Visualization at SVA (David Rhodes) | SVA MPS Data Visualization and Communication
“Different by design.” SVA President David Rhodes discusses our 10-month MPS graduate program where scientific thinking meets visual communication to make data understandable and persuasive. Our Dat...
www.linkedin.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:31 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
The kid turned 16 today, which seems unconscionable
The kid as a kid The kid as a kid with Victorian vibes The kid as a cold kid The kid as a cool kid
November 10, 2025 at 9:33 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Having played sax at seven weddings (and three funerals), can confirm
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/s...
Saxophones Are Taking Over Weddings (and Dividing Guests)
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:18 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Is Chuck Schumer the one that looks like a turtle or the one that looks like Grandpa Munster??
November 10, 2025 at 6:54 AM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
"I—then say your name—do solemnly swear..." is just perfect
amutepiggy.bsky.social alexis simpson @amutepiggy.bsky.social · 5d
I didn't catch this until i saw @intense.wiggling.me 's post but he literally says "I, then say your name, do solemnly swear" oh my GOD
acyn.bsky.social Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 5d
Trump getting booed at the Commanders game
November 9, 2025 at 11:31 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
That's practically just driving
bencollins.bsky.social Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 5d
Things are fine.
Flying at 8000 feet today News Captain says flying at 8000 feet (!) Newark to Savannah today instead of 34000 because of air traffic control restrictions. Everyone has to say seated including flight attendants. Never in my 40 years in flying has this happened … wondering what the view will be 😀
November 9, 2025 at 8:37 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
One of these slipping off meant Death by Fire or Ice for whoever was at the tap end
November 9, 2025 at 8:11 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Relieved we kept them to just three 😑
November 9, 2025 at 6:29 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
I hate/massively admire Doku
November 9, 2025 at 5:57 PM
alexselbyb.bsky.social
Which one of these was Robertson guilty of?
November 9, 2025 at 5:31 PM