Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 5h

Finally got around to listening to the Starship Alexandria podcast from @emmanewman.bsky.social & @aptshadow.bsky.social. I really enjoyed it but what struck me is how similar it is to ours @still-love-it.bsky.social . Check it out if you're a fan of the former!

open.spotify.com/show/0XGwZT1...

Episode 106 - Tipping the Velvet

open.spotify.com

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 6h

We created a geocache specifically to help people find largely forgotten mosaics in the Enfield area.

coord.info/GCACTF1

Lost Treasures

Use a smartphone or GPS device to navigate to the provided coordinates, which will then lead you to one or more locations. Look for a micro hidden container. When you find it, write your name and date...

coord.info

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Reposted by David Durant

James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 9h

New episode of THE ABUNDANCE AGENDA!

🐌 How snails stopped the build of *20,000* homes in Sussex
🌳 Have the Tories been abundance-pilled on energy?
🏠 And we speak to @prafulnargund.bsky.social from @goodgrowthfdn.bsky.social about housing, Eurostar and more!

www.abundancepod.com/p/natural-en...

Natural England's war on Sussex

Plus have the Tories embraced energy abundance?

www.abundancepod.com

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 8h

#ApoliticalDay was very good. I hope it expands to more people next year. Also some good shots of @edent.tel and @derekalton.bsky.social in this amongst others 😄.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNSm...

Thank you for an amazing Apolitical Day 2025!

YouTube video by Apolitical

www.youtube.com

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 8h

The fact that it's not using One Login and that it's implementing components that other services use over and over again is of course another point but it's exhausting making that point every single time.

David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 8h

*This* is the power of working in the open. As well as a silly name this highlights how this service is being implemented without focusing on user needs.

www.gov.uk/service-stan...

Conclave - Alpha Assessment

The Report for the Crown Commercial Service's Conclave Service Alpha Assessment on 24th March 2021

www.gov.uk

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 22h

Imagine a well funded campaign from The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to get people to delete Facebook and Twitter. Never happen though because of "biasing the markets" and the markets rule above all...

Olly Benson @ollybenson.uk · 22h

"More than half of the young people involved said they would like to reduce screen time, but 46% felt “unable” to. And then came the kicker: “93% of young people who have attended a youth centre say it has made a positive difference to their lives.”"

Britain's youth clubs have been quietly decimated. What's most revealing is that few seem to care | John Harris

These vital spaces have been the first targets of cuts in a nation that favours age over youth – despite being the remedy for blights such as social division, polarisation and loneliness, says Guardia...

www.theguardian.com

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 1d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

"Highly recommended by McKinsey"

Mike Bell @rebelmike.bsky.social · 1d

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand

“Under specific microarchitectural conditions”

luna @moonbase.lgbt · 1d

I'll do it in three:

"possible race condition"

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 1d

I want to see hyper-local digital services be a thing (a-la @hilarycottam.bsky.social 's Radical Help) but what I *really* want is GDS to build a national platform they can be built not rather than tiny orgs having to do it from scratch every time.

David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 1d

I want to see new civic tech orgs succeed but there's a history of short lived ones, especially when the initial funding runs out and they realise they need to spend as much effort on grant seeking as developing their product.

David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 1d

This is an excellent idea but I worry a bit about (1) whether groups already good at proposal writing ( @mysociety.org . @democracyclub.org.uk ) would get most of the funding and (2) the longevity of newly funded orgs.

I'd be keen to help with / offer feedback on any proposal.

James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 2d

Are there any live proposals to get DSIT (and/or CLG?) to create a Civic Tech Fund? An initiative to support the UK’s civic tech movement (pro-social platforms like Library of Things, Olio, Park Run, etc) and shared infrastructure for community organising. 1/n

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Reposted by David Durant

James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 1d

This sounds like a good idea. Could also open up some address datasets to help people build local services too.

James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 2d

Are there any live proposals to get DSIT (and/or CLG?) to create a Civic Tech Fund? An initiative to support the UK’s civic tech movement (pro-social platforms like Library of Things, Olio, Park Run, etc) and shared infrastructure for community organising. 1/n

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 1d

This is depressingly accurate but excellently made.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=75Ct...

BOTS - TIFF 2025 Official Selection

YouTube video by Compy Films

www.youtube.com

David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 1d

I find myself wondering what would have happened if in 2013 GDS had founded the "UK Government Software Factory" as a place to centrally build digital services and apps that were then used by by teams across government (*built* not procured).

David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 1d

Slightly older post from Mike but perennially relevant alas. It's baffling who senior government people still think procuring an existing complex software system will somehow be faster / cheaper than iteratively building their own.

public.digital/pd-insights/...

The UK needs to understand digital sovereignty as we enter the AI era.

An article by Mike Bracken in which he argues that the UK risks relinquishing control over policymaking by depending on monopolist international platforms.

public.digital

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 1d

This is one of the most fascinating things I've seen in years. Self replicating code spontaneously appearing from random data is amazing.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhSJ...

Blaise Agüera y Arcas | What is Intelligence? | Long Now Talks

YouTube video by The Long Now Foundation

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by David Durant

George Penney @georgepenney.bsky.social · 2d

🧵Spotted on Market Day in Aotearoa New Zealand:

A small human (4?) is strutting along next to Dad, gripping a cheese scone that's almost as big as his face, munching on it like an apple.
Bare feet.
The sun's shining.
Crumbs flying everywhere and no one cares.
He's having a GOOD day. (1)

8 34 360

Reposted by David Durant

Atheists United @atheistsunited.bsky.social · 2d

What a cool achievement! Congrats @humanists.uk

First-ever humanist pastoral carer in the UK Armed Forces – Humanists UK humanists.uk/2025/10/07/f...

First-ever humanist pastoral carer in the UK Armed Forces

The UK Armed Forces has sworn in its first-ever non-religious pastoral carer. Dr Neil Weddell has been appointed a ‘chaplain’ in the Army and started in the role on 23 June, has already helped many pe...

humanists.uk

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Reposted by David Durant

Anthony Zacharzewski @anthonyzach.be · 2d

Important message for Sébastien Lecornu.

The Whimsical Muse @whimsicalmuse.bsky.social · 2d

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but you’re under absolutely no obligation to justify yourself to anyone if you choose to spend the entire weekend drinking tea, reading books, and eating a scandalous amount of cinnamon rolls.

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Reposted by David Durant

Transform Wales @transform.wales · 3d

Today, we're launching Transforming Public Services for a Modern Wales. This report sets out a clear path for the next Welsh Government to move beyond short-term fixes and deliver better, human-centred services.

#DigitalWales #PublicServiceReform

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 3d

This is excellent but it seems a little unfortunate not to simultaneously plug the very similar excellent work being done by @bengoldacre.bsky.social at OpenSAFELY.

gds.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/09/u...

Using Privacy Enhancing Technologies to Enable International Data Sharing

Hear from the GDS team, in collaboration with colleagues in NHSE, on the results of their pilot using novel Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) to enable international data collaboration on ultra-ra...

gds.blog.gov.uk

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Reposted by David Durant

Republic @republiccampaign.bsky.social · 3d

Why should the monarchy be able to opt-out of laws when they want to? #NotMyKing #AbolishTheMonarchy

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Reposted by David Durant

Mariana Mazzucato @mazzucatom.bsky.social · 4d

This morning, I shared lessons from @iipp-ucl.bsky.social work on cities with mayors from 30 cities across Europe. Great to discuss the skills & tools needed to scale up local innovations for public value.

The new IIPP report from the Public Sector Capabilities Index ➡️ www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/pub...

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Reposted by David Durant

Steve Parks @steveparks.me · 4d

If you haven't had your vaccine top-up yet, folks, I highly recommend getting it pronto!

Stuart McDonald @actuarybyday.bsky.social · 4d

First Covid wave for 12 months is well underway. Hospital admissions are already higher than last year's peak, but are much lower than we were seeing in earlier waves.

There will be weekly surveillance reports through the winter months here:
www.gov.uk/government/s...

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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 4d

Difficult to know whether @smithsam.bsky.social is referring to "tech" as in "tech people" or "tech" as in "AI models".

I suspect the answer is "yes".

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