Matt Ballantine
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ballantine70.bsky.social
Matt Ballantine
@ballantine70.bsky.social
420 followers 270 following 550 posts
Sociologist. Musician. Technologist. Dad.

Current side project: randomthebook.com
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ballantine70.bsky.social
This, from @adamgrant.bsky.social's Originals probably won't help, but might explain...
An extract from Adam Grant's book... The Discipline to Delay Procrastination turns out to be a com- mon habit of creative thinkers and great problem solvers. Consider winners of the Science Talent Search, which is known as the "Super Bowl of Science" for high school seniors in the United States. A team led by psychologist Rena Subotnik inter- viewed I these elite performers more than a decade after their victories, when they were in their early thirties, asking whether thev procrastinated on routine and cre- ative tasks, as well as in social life and health behavior. More than 68 percent ad- mitted procrastinating in at least two of the four domains. Procrastination proved especially fruitful for creative work. The science stars "used procrastination as a form of incubation to stave off a prema- ture choice of a scientific problem or so- lution."8, 2 As one explained: "Often when I am procrastinating, I really have some- thing on the back burner and I need the time to work it through." Another said: "In scientific work. ideas need time to mature," and procrastination is one way to "restrain that urge to respond prema- turely." After poring over the interviews with these precocious thinkers and doers, Subotnik's team drew a curious conclu-
October 27, 2025 at 7:32 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Ah, those poster children for AI and data Netflix...
A screen shot of Netflix where "24 Hours in Aldi" is classified as "Horror"
October 11, 2025 at 7:53 PM
ballantine70.bsky.social
The world's shittest ventriloquism act.
Robert Jenrick presumably stirring up hate again at a conference lecturn pointing aggressively with his left hand whilst inexplicably balancing a judge's wig on his right.
October 7, 2025 at 12:06 PM
ballantine70.bsky.social
To everyone in Britain's Jewish Community: You are not alone. We will not let hate or those who spread it win. We stand with you.
October 2, 2025 at 6:43 PM
ballantine70.bsky.social
If you see this, post a bridge...
A very sleek Norwegian concrete bridge with a sunset in the background
September 27, 2025 at 8:38 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
If you see this, post a bridge
The Millau viaduct in southern France, a bloomin' enormous, very modern bridge designed by Foster Associates.
September 26, 2025 at 5:59 PM
ballantine70.bsky.social
A le crueset-style iPhone case
September 21, 2025 at 8:26 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
What is it with ad UI design at the moment?

This wonky button from Microsoft's Copilot ad...
An ad for Copilot in which the "download free" button is about 5° off horizontal.
September 9, 2025 at 12:17 PM
ballantine70.bsky.social
I thought leaving the EU was supposed to free us from this straight banana nonsense?
A straight banana
September 3, 2025 at 3:22 PM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Is an AI Robotic barista going to help?
A coffee vending machine.
September 3, 2025 at 2:12 PM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Infringe copyright!
A picture of an advert for the RayBan Meta glasses with the following text: "They See What You See. Bring the concert to them with hands-free video calling on Ray-Ban Meta glasses."
September 2, 2025 at 6:13 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
I've had it for weeks, but with holidays etc this is the first time I've had undivided time to listen to the latest release from @unspunheroes.com
The Tracksuit Trilogy album sleeve from The Experimental Pop Band The record playing...
September 1, 2025 at 6:44 PM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Trillions of dollars being spent.

Less intelligence than a 1980s text adventure game.
August 30, 2025 at 6:35 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
I'm really not sure what I'd do without the help of GenAI.
Al Overview No, other microphones are not only compatible with the DJI Action 5 Pro, but they are also not compatible with the DJI Action 5.
August 23, 2025 at 4:08 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Before there was GenAI there was Tiger Balm Gardens...
A big pig, sitting upright, in a hat with his shirt hanging open A pagoda in the background. A water feature in the foreground. Look, tbh *I* don't know what I'm looking at here. A skin of in pants having an argument with a rat in a skirt.
August 22, 2025 at 4:43 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Saw these and thought of you @radiobeartime.com ...
Bears in Singapore Gardens in the Bay Bears in the Gardens on the Bay An Irish bear
August 14, 2025 at 4:18 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Bet Sam Altman sleeps on one of these...
An advert at Changi Airport for the DeRucci Smart AI Mattress
August 13, 2025 at 10:40 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Here's Biddy, my sister and me in about 1984. Not the best photo of me, it has to be said...
A picture of my sister aged about 10 with Biddy Baxter giving us a hug in the middle of the picture, and my body, chin and mouth. Not the greatest composition...
August 11, 2025 at 9:46 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
It gets rid of some of our duff PMs completely...
Chat gpt's attempt at a visual guide to British pms
August 9, 2025 at 2:44 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
The next prototype for RandomtheBook.com

The book will comprise around 130 of these cards, images on one side and a story about randomness on the other. As we are espousing the value of randomness, we wanted it to be easy for the book to be read in a massive number of random orders.
A selection of the brightly coloured cards that are the contents of Random the Book. All are a bit obscured to build up a bit of intrigue...
July 31, 2025 at 6:20 PM
ballantine70.bsky.social
It's this kind of cutesy nonsense that reminds me, despite their undeniable utility, we are being played by the people who make LLMs.
A screen from Claude which reads "Warming up the engines"
July 23, 2025 at 6:51 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Nobody has a career long enough to prove statistically that their success came from their own efforts rather than luck. This isn't pessimism. It's mathematics. To prove that personal skill rather than circumstance drives career outcomes, you'd need thousands of comparable data points tracked over decades. Even with sophisticated statistical methods, you'd require samples of 1,500+ independent observations for skill to reliably dominate chance factors. But individual careers provide maybe 50-100 major decisions over 20-40 years. These aren't independent events either—early luck creates later opportunities through path dependence. That first break, that crucial introduction, that market timing beyond your control—they compound throughout your career.
July 18, 2025 at 6:04 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
#coffeerorschach time. There's definitely an eye there. And the face of a lion?
The top of my coffee
July 15, 2025 at 6:56 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Whoever gave him a statue of oversized goalie gloves was in top trolling mood...
Donald Trump Holding a gold goalie glove trophy.
July 14, 2025 at 7:25 AM
ballantine70.bsky.social
Google neatly summarises the gov.uk rebranding...
Google notification with the highlight "GOV.UK changes to GOV.UK"
July 1, 2025 at 7:53 PM