Simon Waldman
@swaldman.bsky.social
Follow @simon-on-energy for energy, environment & academia. Stay here for anything else. All tweets in personal capacity. he/him.
Can also be found at mendeddrum.org/@swaldman
Can also be found at mendeddrum.org/@swaldman
I can't be sure that this picture is genuine; reverse image search suggests that it's a still from a video, and I can't bothered going through the video looking.
But the King's expression is priceless.
But the King's expression is priceless.
September 18, 2025 at 1:53 PM
I can't be sure that this picture is genuine; reverse image search suggests that it's a still from a video, and I can't bothered going through the video looking.
But the King's expression is priceless.
But the King's expression is priceless.
Loving this little section of auto-transcription from a meeting last week.
September 11, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Loving this little section of auto-transcription from a meeting last week.
Live view of academics reaching the end of the summer.
August 23, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Live view of academics reaching the end of the summer.
This is amazing.
mathstodon.xyz/@OscarCunnin...
Turns out that QR code pixels only have to be black/white at the centre, and the rest is ignored - so you can put pretty much anything in there, so long as it can incorporate black and white dots.
Obviously less resiliant than a normal code.
mathstodon.xyz/@OscarCunnin...
Turns out that QR code pixels only have to be black/white at the centre, and the rest is ignored - so you can put pretty much anything in there, so long as it can incorporate black and white dots.
Obviously less resiliant than a normal code.
August 18, 2025 at 1:17 PM
This is amazing.
mathstodon.xyz/@OscarCunnin...
Turns out that QR code pixels only have to be black/white at the centre, and the rest is ignored - so you can put pretty much anything in there, so long as it can incorporate black and white dots.
Obviously less resiliant than a normal code.
mathstodon.xyz/@OscarCunnin...
Turns out that QR code pixels only have to be black/white at the centre, and the rest is ignored - so you can put pretty much anything in there, so long as it can incorporate black and white dots.
Obviously less resiliant than a normal code.
Iran isn't wrong here. Already happened in 2014 & 2022, but now it's *another* permenant member of the security council.
When Trump won again, one long term consequence I feared was further undermining of UN; demonstration that its authority, like that of the ICC, only applies to the little guys.
When Trump won again, one long term consequence I feared was further undermining of UN; demonstration that its authority, like that of the ICC, only applies to the little guys.
June 22, 2025 at 5:13 AM
Iran isn't wrong here. Already happened in 2014 & 2022, but now it's *another* permenant member of the security council.
When Trump won again, one long term consequence I feared was further undermining of UN; demonstration that its authority, like that of the ICC, only applies to the little guys.
When Trump won again, one long term consequence I feared was further undermining of UN; demonstration that its authority, like that of the ICC, only applies to the little guys.
New favourite bit of LLM "reasoning"
June 2, 2025 at 11:07 AM
New favourite bit of LLM "reasoning"
Sweden: If Wes Anderson did #Eurovision. I kinda like it.
May 13, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Sweden: If Wes Anderson did #Eurovision. I kinda like it.
Oh lord. Whatever the intent, when your followup talking points include clarifications like this, you know you're not in a great place...
May 13, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Oh lord. Whatever the intent, when your followup talking points include clarifications like this, you know you're not in a great place...
This nicely highlights the absurdity of making one's "legal status for daily matters" different from what is written on one's identity documents, and doing it the way round that means that everyday life is based on that which it's impossible to tell in an everyday setting.
April 22, 2025 at 8:05 AM
This nicely highlights the absurdity of making one's "legal status for daily matters" different from what is written on one's identity documents, and doing it the way round that means that everyday life is based on that which it's impossible to tell in an everyday setting.
Best sign that I've seen from yesterday (and there's been competition)
April 6, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Best sign that I've seen from yesterday (and there's been competition)
I can't help thinking that within DOGE, in addition to the slash-and-burners and Nazis, there are probably some good-faith techbros who are somewhere in panel 3 of xkcd.com/1831/
March 18, 2025 at 6:52 PM
I can't help thinking that within DOGE, in addition to the slash-and-burners and Nazis, there are probably some good-faith techbros who are somewhere in panel 3 of xkcd.com/1831/
Interesting comparison between road rage and online behaviour.
February 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Interesting comparison between road rage and online behaviour.
This is not the important thing about this story - see my blog post of five minutes ago for that - but... when did all the major sites' style guides drop the degree sign and switch to "C" rather than "°C"?
So far I've noticed it with the BBC, the Guardian, and the FT.
So far I've noticed it with the BBC, the Guardian, and the FT.
January 10, 2025 at 7:33 AM
This is not the important thing about this story - see my blog post of five minutes ago for that - but... when did all the major sites' style guides drop the degree sign and switch to "C" rather than "°C"?
So far I've noticed it with the BBC, the Guardian, and the FT.
So far I've noticed it with the BBC, the Guardian, and the FT.
National Grid did design some "nicer" towers a few years ago. I've not seen them really take off. Maybe they found that people were more against the principal of pylons than the specific design.
Personally I think they are far too visually heavy, but I am an admirier of the new Dutch ones (pic).
Personally I think they are far too visually heavy, but I am an admirier of the new Dutch ones (pic).
December 23, 2024 at 8:26 PM
National Grid did design some "nicer" towers a few years ago. I've not seen them really take off. Maybe they found that people were more against the principal of pylons than the specific design.
Personally I think they are far too visually heavy, but I am an admirier of the new Dutch ones (pic).
Personally I think they are far too visually heavy, but I am an admirier of the new Dutch ones (pic).
End of the line. This is the most northerly point of the British rail network. Always feels a bit weird to stand here and reflect on that.
October 9, 2024 at 7:19 AM
End of the line. This is the most northerly point of the British rail network. Always feels a bit weird to stand here and reflect on that.
New favourite auto-transcription. There's been a change in who will do my performance review this year.... 😂🤽
August 20, 2024 at 11:17 AM
New favourite auto-transcription. There's been a change in who will do my performance review this year.... 😂🤽
Hello people. Finally made a personal account over here, since it seems to be the way things are going. Not gonna lie, prefer Mastodon (@swaldman@mendeddrum.org), but no good if it's not where people are.
Question : what's the difference between these two buttons?
Question : what's the difference between these two buttons?
August 19, 2024 at 8:13 AM
Hello people. Finally made a personal account over here, since it seems to be the way things are going. Not gonna lie, prefer Mastodon (@swaldman@mendeddrum.org), but no good if it's not where people are.
Question : what's the difference between these two buttons?
Question : what's the difference between these two buttons?