Simon ExX
@sizc.bsky.social
Politics, International Relations, Science, Climate Change, Laughs and more. Retired.
Reposted by Simon ExX
#Cartoon from the #NewYorker by Guy Richards Smit: “Gosh! Whatever’s in those Epstein files must be really, really bad!”
August 13, 2025 at 8:49 PM
#Cartoon from the #NewYorker by Guy Richards Smit: “Gosh! Whatever’s in those Epstein files must be really, really bad!”
Reposted by Simon ExX
Killing journalists.
My @smh cartoon.
My @smh cartoon.
August 12, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Killing journalists.
My @smh cartoon.
My @smh cartoon.
I was not at all surprised by the results - but I was taken aback by to surprise at the results. Surely you would expect the young to be more susceptible to conspiracy theories? They do not have enough life experience to know how things actually work in practice.
The researchers of a new study were 'quite surprised' that it was this group most likely to fall prey to conspiracy beliefs such as QAnon and the flat Earth theory, reports Brittany Wong for HuffPost. www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/this-a...
This Age Group Is Most Likely To Fall For Conspiracy Theories (It's Not Who You Think)
The researchers of a new study were 'quite surprised' that it was this group most likely to fall prey to conspiracy beliefs such as QAnon and the flat Earth theory.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
August 13, 2025 at 9:36 AM
I was not at all surprised by the results - but I was taken aback by to surprise at the results. Surely you would expect the young to be more susceptible to conspiracy theories? They do not have enough life experience to know how things actually work in practice.
Reposted by Simon ExX
The consultant proverb was that there's two kinds of government business; free work and paid work, and the difference is that free work is more profitable
August 13, 2025 at 8:02 AM
The consultant proverb was that there's two kinds of government business; free work and paid work, and the difference is that free work is more profitable
I would be interested to know what the SRA's response is. Nothing yet in the recent decisions dbase www.sra.org.uk/consumers/so...
August 13, 2025 at 9:09 AM
I would be interested to know what the SRA's response is. Nothing yet in the recent decisions dbase www.sra.org.uk/consumers/so...
Reposted by Simon ExX
A lesser aspect, in the grand scheme of things, with Trump's administration is that no serious academic, researcher, advocate etc will be able to rely on any data and information generated by the US government.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Trump administration rewrites and scales back annual human rights report
The report reduces criticism of some US allies like Israel, and escalates disapproval of perceived foes such as Brazil.
www.bbc.com
August 13, 2025 at 8:26 AM
A lesser aspect, in the grand scheme of things, with Trump's administration is that no serious academic, researcher, advocate etc will be able to rely on any data and information generated by the US government.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
I am not optimistic. A few years ago I would have offered this prescription: If you want to know the science, ask a scientist. But do not ask them to give their view; rather ask them what the consensus view is of subject matter experts, and how strong that consensus is.
8. This has been a short and honestly rather peevish thread, so if you want read more that has been written in a more equanimous tone, here's a short piece that I coauthored a few years ago, precisely about how we deal with this kind of duplicity.
To Fight Misinformation, We Need to Teach That Science Is Dynamic
Science is a social process, and teaching students how researchers work in tandem to develop facts will make them less likely to be duped by falsehoods
www.scientificamerican.com
August 12, 2025 at 11:15 AM
I am not optimistic. A few years ago I would have offered this prescription: If you want to know the science, ask a scientist. But do not ask them to give their view; rather ask them what the consensus view is of subject matter experts, and how strong that consensus is.
This is exactly why I log in every day
August 7, 2025 at 12:27 PM
This is exactly why I log in every day
Reposted by Simon ExX
I don't say this lightly: The New York Times should fire the reporter and editor who chose to present a leak from the white house as if it was a leak from Harvard.
Don't print lies in the newspaper
Don't print lies in the newspaper
Important details from this story:
1) Yet another news-break by student journalists (this time @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social) www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
2) Harvard saying "see you in court," not "let's make a deal."
3) Per Garber, WH/MAGA leaked news of a "deal." NYT then ran with it.
1) Yet another news-break by student journalists (this time @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social) www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
2) Harvard saying "see you in court," not "let's make a deal."
3) Per Garber, WH/MAGA leaked news of a "deal." NYT then ran with it.
August 4, 2025 at 4:13 AM
I don't say this lightly: The New York Times should fire the reporter and editor who chose to present a leak from the white house as if it was a leak from Harvard.
Don't print lies in the newspaper
Don't print lies in the newspaper
As of today, no retraction / correction from the NYT that I can find
I don't say this lightly: The New York Times should fire the reporter and editor who chose to present a leak from the white house as if it was a leak from Harvard.
Don't print lies in the newspaper
Don't print lies in the newspaper
Important details from this story:
1) Yet another news-break by student journalists (this time @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social) www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
2) Harvard saying "see you in court," not "let's make a deal."
3) Per Garber, WH/MAGA leaked news of a "deal." NYT then ran with it.
1) Yet another news-break by student journalists (this time @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social) www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
2) Harvard saying "see you in court," not "let's make a deal."
3) Per Garber, WH/MAGA leaked news of a "deal." NYT then ran with it.
August 4, 2025 at 10:01 AM
As of today, no retraction / correction from the NYT that I can find
There is an inherent tribal instinct in pack animals such as humans that kicks in when there is a perception of scarce resources. So when there is an economic downturn, or people think that they are not getting their fair share, populists can exploit this and easily whip up nationalism / racism.
something I keep thinking about and which I can't make up my mind on is: were swathes of the right, centre-right and, in some cases, the centre, full of racists hiding their beliefs for decades, or are these people all incredibly suggestible? neither answer is good!
large parts of UK politics are swinging far-right with very, very frightening speed, and racists are getting increasingly open about expressing their bigotry.
August 4, 2025 at 9:49 AM
There is an inherent tribal instinct in pack animals such as humans that kicks in when there is a perception of scarce resources. So when there is an economic downturn, or people think that they are not getting their fair share, populists can exploit this and easily whip up nationalism / racism.
Reposted by Simon ExX
Barclays Bank the latest to put short term profit ahead of our shared future.
If you don’t want your bank funding new gas & oil, it’s super easy to switch. One quick form and all your payees and DDs are moved.
Fossil free banks: Co-op, Starling, Triodos, Nationwide, Metro, Coventry Building Soc
If you don’t want your bank funding new gas & oil, it’s super easy to switch. One quick form and all your payees and DDs are moved.
Fossil free banks: Co-op, Starling, Triodos, Nationwide, Metro, Coventry Building Soc
Barclays becomes latest firm to exit Net-Zero Banking Alliance - edie
Barclays has become the latest high-profile financial institution to depart the UN-backed Net-Zero Banking Alliance.
www.edie.net
August 4, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Barclays Bank the latest to put short term profit ahead of our shared future.
If you don’t want your bank funding new gas & oil, it’s super easy to switch. One quick form and all your payees and DDs are moved.
Fossil free banks: Co-op, Starling, Triodos, Nationwide, Metro, Coventry Building Soc
If you don’t want your bank funding new gas & oil, it’s super easy to switch. One quick form and all your payees and DDs are moved.
Fossil free banks: Co-op, Starling, Triodos, Nationwide, Metro, Coventry Building Soc
Reposted by Simon ExX
The Peculiar Persistence of the AI Denialists
open.substack.com/pub/yaschamo...
open.substack.com/pub/yaschamo...
The Peculiar Persistence of the AI Denialists
The history of the world will be split into a pre-AI and a post-AI era. Too many people are still in denial.
open.substack.com
August 1, 2025 at 1:45 PM
The Peculiar Persistence of the AI Denialists
open.substack.com/pub/yaschamo...
open.substack.com/pub/yaschamo...
Probably fell on deaf ears, as the US has always had a strong isolationist streak. But I can see a time when US tech does get substantially shut out from the rest of the world, on the grounds that the US is unreliable & tends to weaponise everything it can. If so, that will hurt.
🎯
August 3, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Probably fell on deaf ears, as the US has always had a strong isolationist streak. But I can see a time when US tech does get substantially shut out from the rest of the world, on the grounds that the US is unreliable & tends to weaponise everything it can. If so, that will hurt.
On purely aesthetic grounds, I cannot understand how people can complain about modern windmills but take in their stride the horrendous electricity pilons scarring the UK landscape or the telegraph pole sprawl in our cities. 'The shock of the new' I suppose.
August 3, 2025 at 10:59 AM
On purely aesthetic grounds, I cannot understand how people can complain about modern windmills but take in their stride the horrendous electricity pilons scarring the UK landscape or the telegraph pole sprawl in our cities. 'The shock of the new' I suppose.
Always great listens
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!
Today’s political trial is one of the most notorious in American history: eight men charged with & convicted of murder in 1886 for a terrorist outrage that none of them committed. A witch hunt of the movement that was thought to have inspired it.
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
Today’s political trial is one of the most notorious in American history: eight men charged with & convicted of murder in 1886 for a terrorist outrage that none of them committed. A witch hunt of the movement that was thought to have inspired it.
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
August 3, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Always great listens
Reposted by Simon ExX
DuckDuckGo has added a feature to filter out AI images from search results.
August 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM
DuckDuckGo has added a feature to filter out AI images from search results.
Reposted by Simon ExX
I don't really know what the right media response is to this, at this point, but it can't just keep being "We cover this & ask questions as if this is a regular president & it's normal politics as we've covered since WWII." Whatever norms of journalism folks thought they were upholding are gone.
Trump calls today's bad jobs report "rigged" and says, "I'll think you'll see some very interesting information come out. You have to have honest reports."
August 1, 2025 at 9:12 PM
I don't really know what the right media response is to this, at this point, but it can't just keep being "We cover this & ask questions as if this is a regular president & it's normal politics as we've covered since WWII." Whatever norms of journalism folks thought they were upholding are gone.
Reposted by Simon ExX
François Cherix
Fiers de ne pas faire partie de l’UE, certains de plaire aux Américains, sûrs d’être plus malins que les Européens, les Suisses sont frappés de 39% de droits de douane par Donald Trump, ami et modèle de la populiste UDC! Seuls les ânes ont pour stratégie de faire cavalier seul.
Fiers de ne pas faire partie de l’UE, certains de plaire aux Américains, sûrs d’être plus malins que les Européens, les Suisses sont frappés de 39% de droits de douane par Donald Trump, ami et modèle de la populiste UDC! Seuls les ânes ont pour stratégie de faire cavalier seul.
a donkey from shrek is standing in the dirt and says nope on the bottom
ALT: a donkey from shrek is standing in the dirt and says nope on the bottom
media.tenor.com
August 2, 2025 at 10:31 AM
François Cherix
Fiers de ne pas faire partie de l’UE, certains de plaire aux Américains, sûrs d’être plus malins que les Européens, les Suisses sont frappés de 39% de droits de douane par Donald Trump, ami et modèle de la populiste UDC! Seuls les ânes ont pour stratégie de faire cavalier seul.
Fiers de ne pas faire partie de l’UE, certains de plaire aux Américains, sûrs d’être plus malins que les Européens, les Suisses sont frappés de 39% de droits de douane par Donald Trump, ami et modèle de la populiste UDC! Seuls les ânes ont pour stratégie de faire cavalier seul.
Reposted by Simon ExX
Interesting, Yahoo took down this eight-month-old story re: "Election fraud claims go silent after Trump win," featuring comments from our co-director. Good thing it's still available via AFP in France. www.france24.com/en/live-news...
August 1, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Interesting, Yahoo took down this eight-month-old story re: "Election fraud claims go silent after Trump win," featuring comments from our co-director. Good thing it's still available via AFP in France. www.france24.com/en/live-news...
Reposted by Simon ExX
August 2, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Fascinating Bloomberg article on the workings of DOGE www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
Portrait of a Young DOGE Coder Dismantling America’s Institutions
Luke Farritor could have been an artist, or a builder, or someone dedicated to seeing a great historical mystery through. Instead he wound up at the Department of Government Efficiency, slashing, dism...
www.bloomberg.com
July 31, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Fascinating Bloomberg article on the workings of DOGE www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
Well worth a read
In an exclusive interview, Malcolm Turnbull says more world leaders should be putting their countries’ interests first, and standing up to Trump. Read today's Australia Briefing for your daily dose of the best of Bloomberg from Down Under and around the world.
Turnbull on Trump, Trade and Earning Respect in Washington
Good morning, it’s Keira here in Sydney. Donald Trump has finished up his tour of the Federal Reserve’s renovation project in a remarkable meeting with Jerome Powell. But first, here are the stories you need to know before you wrap up your week...Today’s must-reads:• Turnbull on the US• New podcast on crypto• BP exits green hydrogen
bloom.bg
July 26, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Well worth a read
Reposted by Simon ExX
Realität und Satire sind nicht mehr zweifelsfrei unterscheidbar, Teil MCLXXXIV.
June 20, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Realität und Satire sind nicht mehr zweifelsfrei unterscheidbar, Teil MCLXXXIV.
Fascinating
A charismatic businessman-politician, who wants to make his country great again, demands massive tariffs against hostile powers taking his country for a ride.
I joined @ppfideas.bsky.social to discuss Joe Chamberlain, "tariff reform" & the eery parallels with Trump.
www.ppfideas.com/episodes/ide...
I joined @ppfideas.bsky.social to discuss Joe Chamberlain, "tariff reform" & the eery parallels with Trump.
www.ppfideas.com/episodes/ide...
May 2, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Fascinating