Eric Glover
@dolichon.bsky.social
Astronomy, classics, London. My book on Hipparchus due out April 2026.
The local park this morning.
December 17, 2025 at 10:08 PM
The local park this morning.
This is not okay.
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
December 8, 2025 at 6:13 AM
This is not okay.
Me too, but monomaniacally.
December 4, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Me too, but monomaniacally.
Reposted by Eric Glover
I told you they were Lennonists
December 1, 2025 at 9:33 AM
I told you they were Lennonists
Reposted by Eric Glover
‘Twas frymblal, and the Fexcectorn
AUC Totalbottl on Line Scoree.
Runctitional was the bottleneck
And Remech N FS-1 NC.
AUC Totalbottl on Line Scoree.
Runctitional was the bottleneck
And Remech N FS-1 NC.
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
November 27, 2025 at 9:36 PM
‘Twas frymblal, and the Fexcectorn
AUC Totalbottl on Line Scoree.
Runctitional was the bottleneck
And Remech N FS-1 NC.
AUC Totalbottl on Line Scoree.
Runctitional was the bottleneck
And Remech N FS-1 NC.
Reposted by Eric Glover
Right.
November 25, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Right.
Reposted by Eric Glover
For more than a decade now the government’s answer to how to fund universities has been to make money from overseas students.
The last lot then tried to discourage students from coming here.
This lot just want the money back.
But then how do we fund ourselves?
Crazy.
The last lot then tried to discourage students from coming here.
This lot just want the money back.
But then how do we fund ourselves?
Crazy.
i: Reeves to unveil £600m raid on foreign student
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
November 24, 2025 at 7:43 AM
For more than a decade now the government’s answer to how to fund universities has been to make money from overseas students.
The last lot then tried to discourage students from coming here.
This lot just want the money back.
But then how do we fund ourselves?
Crazy.
The last lot then tried to discourage students from coming here.
This lot just want the money back.
But then how do we fund ourselves?
Crazy.
Reposted by Eric Glover
Here's an extraordinarily cynical take: did the government talk up the likelihood of a manifesto-breaking income tax rise in the knowledge that it would push down gilt yields in the window the OBR will use for its forecasts? Rowing back now pushes up yields but too late to enter the forecast on 26th
And there we go 10y opened up 11 basis points erasing 1/3 of the rally since October.
39 minutes until the bond markets make reeves reconsider I reckon.
November 14, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Here's an extraordinarily cynical take: did the government talk up the likelihood of a manifesto-breaking income tax rise in the knowledge that it would push down gilt yields in the window the OBR will use for its forecasts? Rowing back now pushes up yields but too late to enter the forecast on 26th
I've always been conflicted about Nov 5th. As a child (weirdly) I thought we were celebrating the near success of GF, not the failure. I'm sad to think this tradition will probably die since, unlike Halloween and Xmas, it's hard to monetise and it means nothing to the rest of the world.
🎆 It's Bonfire Night🎆
To celebrate we're showing our copy of 'The second booke teaching most exactly, the composing of all manner of fire-works for tryumph and recreation' by John Bate, published in 1635 (shelf marl: S PAM 479).
To celebrate we're showing our copy of 'The second booke teaching most exactly, the composing of all manner of fire-works for tryumph and recreation' by John Bate, published in 1635 (shelf marl: S PAM 479).
November 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
I've always been conflicted about Nov 5th. As a child (weirdly) I thought we were celebrating the near success of GF, not the failure. I'm sad to think this tradition will probably die since, unlike Halloween and Xmas, it's hard to monetise and it means nothing to the rest of the world.
Swiftian insights
New substack: how the government can raise economic growth: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/increasing...
Increasing economic growth: some modest proposals
Commodify, enshittify, skillify.
chrisdillow.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Swiftian insights
Well worth a read by NM on the AI slop that is Grokpedia. Wales 1 - Musk 0. Pro-tip: a grammatically correct em-dash in online text suggests LLM involvement.
Grottypedia on Thucydides: “Contemporary scholarship, while acknowledging these limitations, generally upholds his evidentiary rigor against ancient norms…”
November 2, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Well worth a read by NM on the AI slop that is Grokpedia. Wales 1 - Musk 0. Pro-tip: a grammatically correct em-dash in online text suggests LLM involvement.
Iirc, that printer was just along from Aldgate station.
From when all books published in London had to be registered at Stationers' Hall, this is the 1773 record of Poems on Various Subjects by Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American woman whose writings were published, although she had to come to London to find a printer.
October 24, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Iirc, that printer was just along from Aldgate station.
Reposted by Eric Glover
The London Business School might want to rethink the name of this course.
www.london.edu/executive-ed...
www.london.edu/executive-ed...
October 22, 2025 at 8:49 AM
The London Business School might want to rethink the name of this course.
www.london.edu/executive-ed...
www.london.edu/executive-ed...
Reposted by Eric Glover
Feature, not bug. The govt needs to shift labour from consumer-facing sectors to public services & investment. Gambling should be among those sectors to shrink. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Betfred says all its shops may close if Reeves hikes gambling tax
The company's co-founder says it would be forced to close all its sites, putting 7,500 jobs at risk, if gambling taxes go up.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 19, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Feature, not bug. The govt needs to shift labour from consumer-facing sectors to public services & investment. Gambling should be among those sectors to shrink. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Ffs, BBC, an actor publishing a book is not national news. You have a show set aside for pluggers, nutters and wankers at 19:00.
October 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Ffs, BBC, an actor publishing a book is not national news. You have a show set aside for pluggers, nutters and wankers at 19:00.
Reposted by Eric Glover
This. The Tories, Reform UK Ltd & even Labour hate the actually-existing British economy, whose comparative advantage lies in higher education & the creative industries.
Badenoch and Co see education only as a means to a massive income in some soul destroying career.
Devoid of imagination and the power of knowledge they view life entirely through the prism of the CV.
My advice always is to study what interests you and the rest will follow
Devoid of imagination and the power of knowledge they view life entirely through the prism of the CV.
My advice always is to study what interests you and the rest will follow
October 8, 2025 at 11:31 AM
This. The Tories, Reform UK Ltd & even Labour hate the actually-existing British economy, whose comparative advantage lies in higher education & the creative industries.
Reposted by Eric Glover
The first of a fleet of shiny new DLR trains entered service this morning, to a collective shug from most of the passengers – and that’s exactly as it should be.
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/the...
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/the...
The DLR's newest trains carried their first passengers this morning
The first of a fleet of shiny new DLR trains entered service this morning, to a collective shug from most of the passengers – and that’s exactly as it should be.
www.ianvisits.co.uk
September 30, 2025 at 9:08 AM
The first of a fleet of shiny new DLR trains entered service this morning, to a collective shug from most of the passengers – and that’s exactly as it should be.
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/the...
www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/the...
One bad apple ...
Oh, hey, look! A UKIP/Reform MEP pleaded guilty to accepting Russian money to promote Russian narratives. Probably the only one, though, right? Right? www.bbc.com/news/article...
Ex-Reform UK Wales leader Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges
Nathan Gill admits eight charges of bribery while being a Member of the European Parliament.
www.bbc.com
September 26, 2025 at 5:22 PM
One bad apple ...
Reposted by Eric Glover
In discussion with a computer scientist from the University of Cambridge last night:
Me: "you've described some of the things that AI is good at. How would you describe the category of things it's not good at?
**pause**
Him: "Anything where it has to be right".
Me: "you've described some of the things that AI is good at. How would you describe the category of things it's not good at?
**pause**
Him: "Anything where it has to be right".
September 26, 2025 at 5:14 PM
In discussion with a computer scientist from the University of Cambridge last night:
Me: "you've described some of the things that AI is good at. How would you describe the category of things it's not good at?
**pause**
Him: "Anything where it has to be right".
Me: "you've described some of the things that AI is good at. How would you describe the category of things it's not good at?
**pause**
Him: "Anything where it has to be right".
Reposted by Eric Glover
An actual quote from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Too often people go to university to ‘explore research and knowledge’
Look forward to Wes S saying 'too often people go to hospital to have operations' or Heidi Alexander saying 'too often people go to the station to catch a train'
Too often people go to university to ‘explore research and knowledge’
Look forward to Wes S saying 'too often people go to hospital to have operations' or Heidi Alexander saying 'too often people go to the station to catch a train'
September 19, 2025 at 10:25 AM
An actual quote from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade
Too often people go to university to ‘explore research and knowledge’
Look forward to Wes S saying 'too often people go to hospital to have operations' or Heidi Alexander saying 'too often people go to the station to catch a train'
Too often people go to university to ‘explore research and knowledge’
Look forward to Wes S saying 'too often people go to hospital to have operations' or Heidi Alexander saying 'too often people go to the station to catch a train'
Reposted by Eric Glover
Free speech banned in Windsor prior to Trump visit bit.ly/4pnBOrr I cannot see how this accurate photo is ‘malicious communication’ which must be indecent, grossly offensive, or menacing but I guess the police needed an arrest to take it down.
Four arrests after images of Trump and Epstein projected on Windsor Castle
Police said four people remain in custody after the
bit.ly
September 17, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Free speech banned in Windsor prior to Trump visit bit.ly/4pnBOrr I cannot see how this accurate photo is ‘malicious communication’ which must be indecent, grossly offensive, or menacing but I guess the police needed an arrest to take it down.
Spinal Tap II. Well crafted and nicely judged, it offers knowing chuckles rather than the guffaws of the original. Very enjoyable for Tap fans, and it doesn't outstay its welcome.
September 16, 2025 at 5:45 AM
Spinal Tap II. Well crafted and nicely judged, it offers knowing chuckles rather than the guffaws of the original. Very enjoyable for Tap fans, and it doesn't outstay its welcome.
Reposted by Eric Glover
A regular reminder that there is no classical Greek source for this story - and our, much later, ancient sources name a very different messenger.
Pheidippides actually ran an ultra marathon to Sparta and back!
www.badancient.com/claims/pheid...
Pheidippides actually ran an ultra marathon to Sparta and back!
www.badancient.com/claims/pheid...
September 12, 2025 at 6:44 PM
A regular reminder that there is no classical Greek source for this story - and our, much later, ancient sources name a very different messenger.
Pheidippides actually ran an ultra marathon to Sparta and back!
www.badancient.com/claims/pheid...
Pheidippides actually ran an ultra marathon to Sparta and back!
www.badancient.com/claims/pheid...
Reposted by Eric Glover
If you see headlines claiming NASA's found life on Mars - these are new studies of features in rocks which, if they were on Earth, look like the kind of thing caused by microorganisms. But they could very well - are most probably in fact - be caused by chemistry, not biology.
September 10, 2025 at 10:16 PM
If you see headlines claiming NASA's found life on Mars - these are new studies of features in rocks which, if they were on Earth, look like the kind of thing caused by microorganisms. But they could very well - are most probably in fact - be caused by chemistry, not biology.
Reposted by Eric Glover
it's real support from actual racists
September 8, 2025 at 3:16 PM
it's real support from actual racists