Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

gcb @gcball.bsky.social · 9h

This is cool an’ all, but I’d venture to suggest that the UK’s abject uselessness at electrifying rail lines isn’t down to the challenges faced by engineers

Noel Dolphin @noeldolphin.bsky.social · 10h

Is AI overhyped? Currently working on a @spacegovuk project with @AirbusSpace - using earth observation satellite data and AI to support early-stage rail infrastructure designs. To do the things that engineers can't easily or the things that are just boring
news.railbusinessdaily.com/satellites-a...

Satellites and AI to accelerate rail electrification | RailBusinessDaily

Furrer+Frey has been awarded grant funding from the UK Space Agency’s Unlocking Space for Business programme, which it will use to integrate satellite Furrer+Frey has been awarded grant funding from t...

news.railbusinessdaily.com

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Jon Burke🌍 @jonburkeuk.bsky.social · 13h

‘Lack of investment in grid capacity putting strain on Netherlands electricity grid, but don’t worry because the Dutch are investing at least €200 billion in resolving the issue.’

There @BBCNews; fixed your misleading headline for you…👍

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Netherlands' renewables drive putting pressure on its power grid - BBC News

Homes asked to use less electricity as network is overloaded by the rush to wind and solar power.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Dr Dean Burnett @garwboy.bsky.social · 1d

Neurologically speaking, there's no such thing as 'useless' subjects or 'rip-off' degrees

Insisting we should only teach useful subjects is like saying science should only do research that gives positive results

If you honestly believe that's how anything works, *your* education was the wasted one

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Aarne Granlund @aarnegranlund.bsky.social · 3d

"Hamburg voters have backed a citizen-led referendum that obliges Germany’s second largest city to step up climate action and reach climate neutrality by 2040, five years earlier than previously planned."

#ClimateAction

www.cleanenergywire.org/news/hamburg...

Hamburg referendum backs more ambitious climate action, 2040 net-zero target

www.cleanenergywire.org

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Anna Thomas @annathommy.bsky.social · 6d

🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱
EXCITING NEWS! 📣🦡♥️

The wonderful Phil Ellis and I have started a podcast called ‘Early Worms’, produced by the gorgeous ‘A Lovely Time’.

Episode 1 is out on 17th October, but you can find the show on Spotify and Apple now!!!!!!!!! Go immediately!!!!!! If you want!!!!!
🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱🪱

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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 7d

One day - *one day* - a UK newspaper will do a similar count of motor vehicles speeding inside a 20mph zone.

In 60 minutes I saw 172 cyclists run these lights – it’s a matter of time before they kill someone

The offenders included Lime bike riders, school children and a woman in high-heeled boots

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Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 8d

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Joel Morris @gralefrit.bsky.social · 8d

Arts degrees are only “worthless” because tech cunts revalued the highly desirable product of freelance artists at close to zero, cos it made running the digital supply pipes look cheaper on the spreadsheets. Pay properly for the arts, and see how worthless artists are.

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Mike Sowden @mikeachim.bsky.social · 10d

Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...

Post from Threads user rodneyowl: "Ireland has declared the Basic Income for Artists scheme permanent. This will be officially announced in tomorrow’s budget. Details to follow. Congratulations to all who fought for it and the present and future artists of all sorts in Ireland. That includes me 👌We’re just comin to the end of a 3 year pilot scheme. It’s been a roaring success. For every €1 paid out to the 2000 participants, the government got €1.46 back. Can’t argue with that. Other countries are already taking note."

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American Fietser @americanfietser.bsky.social · 10d

This is what creating "psychological friction" for drivers looks like. The changes in pavement height, color, and texture break a driver's autopilot mode. It sends a clear message that "You are entering a space designed for people. Slow down. Be alert."

Design details do the work that signs can't.

World Bike Forward @urbanupgradeglobal.bsky.social · 10d

Further up the same Stockholm street from the clip below is another traffic-calming device: intersections where cars may cross but the design is a sidewalk with low curb. Drivers tend to inch across, some of them likely not sure if they're really supposed to be there.

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Steve Doherty @stevedoherty.bsky.social · 11d

One of the best list jokes ever committed to broadcasting.

archivetvmusings @archivetvmusings.bsky.social · 11d

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (5th October 1977). Jimmy has a plan for when the balloon goes up.

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Joel Morris @gralefrit.bsky.social · 11d

Ever wondered where all the Cheers title photos are from? I did. And I've gathered everything I can find into this post. That was fun.

joelmorris.substack.com/p/where-nobo...

Where nobody knows your name...

Tracing the anonymous faces at the start of Cheers.

joelmorris.substack.com

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Carlton Reid @carltonreid.com · 12d

Yes, there are other things to be worrying about in the world but, as a historian, I find this editing of history to be deeply flawed. John Grimshaw was not one of the founders of Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, he was one of the founders of Sustrans!

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gcb @gcball.bsky.social · 13d

Paaaabs

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Take the clown statue and get out! WE DON'T HAVE ANY KIDS!!! @brainmage.bsky.social · 14d

I have updated i will strangle a horse!

It now has DEATH TRACKING! So you can see which ones you've missed in the Stats page! A Secret Thing that shows on your stats for when you get the Good ending! Nothing added to the infinite door knocking loop! But soon!

brainmage.itch.io/i-will-stran...

i will strangle a horse by BRAINMAGE

A comedy twine-based choose-your-own-adventure game where it's your first day on The Farm, and you have One Job

brainmage.itch.io

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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 14d

You might think that the mayor of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's vast Northwest Territories, would be a fan of giant pickups.

Nope. He's disgusted by car bloat.

www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...

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gcb @gcball.bsky.social · 14d

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

England's 'first official Cycle Street' being built in Cambridge

It aims to make one of the city's busiest routes safer by giving cyclists priority over motorists.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 14d

Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.

There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.

Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople

Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis

City of Madrid significantly boosted the takings of its shops and restaurants last Christmas by banning cars from the CBD, finds an analysis by Spain's second largest bank.

www.forbes.com

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Tom Burgess @nottomburgess.bsky.social · 15d

Last night was just lovely. Manchester (and looking how far some people had travelled, the North West) is so lucky to have XS Malarkey. You can see big names, rising stars and absolute freaks for insanely low prices every Tuesday night. The comedy fan's comedy club. Very precious.

Toby Hadoke @tobyhadoke.bsky.social · 15d

Happy Birthday XS Malarkey.
28 years of Tuesday night comedy. Last night’s line-up (@jainedwards.bsky.social @nottomburgess.bsky.social Josh Glanc & Chloe Petts) was a testament to the night’s ability to allow all sorts of brilliant comedians to thrive!
Thanks to our gang, our venue & our audience.

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j4 @jaffa.bsky.social · 15d

FOR FUCK'S SAKE JUST MAKE TRAINS WORK

Oxford Clarion @oxfordclarion.bsky.social · 15d

Flying electric taxis will be travelling between Oxford and Cambridge next year. A six-month pilot project (geddit) aims to prepare the infrastructure and develop a business case as a first step towards “commercially viable regional operations”.

Flying taxi over English countryside somewhere

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Steve Chambers @planningtransport.co.uk · 15d

Useless government (the Treasury in particular) cannot even provide an electric railway between these cities.

Oxford Clarion @oxfordclarion.bsky.social · 15d

Flying electric taxis will be travelling between Oxford and Cambridge next year. A six-month pilot project (geddit) aims to prepare the infrastructure and develop a business case as a first step towards “commercially viable regional operations”.

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Cathy Tuttle @cathytuttle.bsky.social · 16d

This is the SMALL bike parking garage next to Utrecht Centraal Station. Free for 24 hours. With a bike repair shop, a few hundred OVfiets rental bikes, and a 24/7 secure, staffed parking lot for 4,200 bikes.

The new lot on the other side of the station holds 11,500 bikes.

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Cassetteboy @cassetteboy.bsky.social · 16d

New! Cassetteboy vs Keir Starmer.

This took absolutely ages, so if you'd like to buy us a coffee at ko-fi.com/cassetteboy we'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

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Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives @darrencullen.bsky.social · 16d

Now in Waterstones

Photo of a book display in Waterstones, a Robert Galbraith novel with the altered title "The Toilet Constable", the cover is identical to Galbraith's latest book except for a police man stopping a woman entering the door which is signposted 'toilet'. Text below reads "A shite novel"

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Eleanor Morton @eleanormorton.bsky.social · 19d

You can't joke about anything anymore. Because you signed a multi figure contract with the Saudi government that said they wouldn't pay you if you did.

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