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Reposted by Mike Prior-Jones

Dan McPainInTheKnees @danmckee.bsky.social · 2d

“What’s the charge? Eating a seal?”

Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 3d

even the ‘convening power of government’ - the fact that most people will accept an invitation to a meeting with a government minister or senior civil servant - means that govt has huge ability to influence businesses and other organisations.

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 3d

Even at a basic level: I once went to an innovation event featuring David Willetts during his time as a minister in the Department for Business. He said upfront that both he and SoS Vince Cable had doubted the value of the department when they took it over, but found that …

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Reposted by Mike Prior-Jones

Brynley Heaven @brynleyheaven.bsky.social · 3d

It's not what you think

www.infrastructure-now.co.uk/article/3726...

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 3d

I love the fact it’s called Bat-Ray, definitely something Adam West Batman would have had! (Yes, I know ‘ray’ is Turkish for rail…)

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Gilbert White @gilbertwhite.bsky.social · 3d

1776: The hanging beech-woods begin to be beautifully tinged, & to afford most lovely scapes, very engaging to the eye, & imagination. They afford sweet lights & shades. Maples are also finely tinged. These scenes are worthy the pencil of a Reubens.

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 3d

I definitely did my fair share of YSTV-related late nights. I definitely remember doing Roses at Lancaster with one camera… I ran round trying to get footage of as many events as possible, and then rushed it back to Kevin who was sat in a student bedroom editing like mad!

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 3d

They all had food, drinks, a little library, porters who took your parcels, and some staff who lived on site and could handle emergencies. I think the college academics also provided some pastoral care too. Later, much of this got centralised away.

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 3d

There wasn’t much in the way of college identity during my time there, tbh. But what the system was good at (sadly dismantled as the uni got more centralised) was that it made the institution more human: the colleges meant that all the facilities for people were distributed right across campus.

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 3d

Would have been around 2000-2001. I was an undergrad from 99-03, and I remember the old Alcuin in my first year and it being finished in my third or fourth year.

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 3d

It lost a lot of its appeal after the rebuild though…

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 3d

I have a split personality on this, as I started in James, but was in the founding year for Halifax when it became a college…

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 4d

So yes, definitely a Christmas film.

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 4d

I watched it on an Antarctic research station on Midwinter’s Day (this is a tradition…) which is basically Christmas - we are off work all week, exchange gifts and eat a turkey dinner.

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 5d

Thanks a heap, Microsoft. You were supposed to make collaboration easier.

(Yes, I know Microsoft are bad, but it's what the institution provides so we're stuck with it)

Microsoft 365 login box. It says "Selected user account does not exist in tenant 'University of Sussex' in red text. Below you can see that I'm signed in with a Cardiff University email address.

Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 5d

A law commission could identify the most common types of deed restrictions that are no longer necessary (anything to do with land use or buildings, as the modern planning system manages this) and then owners could apply to have the relevant clauses struck out of the deeds.

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 5d

One related topic that would benefit from reform is deed restrictions, many of which go back centuries. A house I considered buying required the Earl of Plymouth’s consent (available for a substantial fee from his solicitors) for the erection of any outbuilding.

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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 5d

Brilliant and depressing piece on how hard it is to transact property

on.ft.com/4nHDf2m

I know some people think housing policy is simple - just build more! And to do that just have less planning! - but most appreciate the more complex tangles in life.

Moving home is maddening — here’s how the system needs to change

A new government consultation promises to speed up the conveyancing process in England and Wales. But will it work?

on.ft.com

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Reposted by Mike Prior-Jones

VAW Glaciology @vaw-glaciology.bsky.social · 5d

Exploring the hidden world beneath the #PersGlacier. Scanning the ice cave in 3D with a LiDAR system to reveal its shapes and layers.

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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 5d

"if anything employment outcomes are worsening more rapidly for those with fewer skills looking for blue-collar jobs than the highly skilled seeking knowledge work"

on.ft.com/43eYeRZ

@jburnmurdoch.ft.com as ever doing the essential work.

It's not just AI. And education still matters

What the graduate unemployment story gets wrong

People with a degree are faring better, not worse than their non-graduate counterparts

on.ft.com

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Brendan Keogh @brkeogh.bsky.social · 5d

I still think the most accurate and consistent way to think about generative AI is that, in every instance, people exclusively use it for tasks that they don't have any respect for or give a shit about.

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 5d

Is it the horse?

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Andrew @generalising.bsky.social · 5d

Some very interesting if concerning stuff in here (it's particularly striking that the ONS, for all its recent struggles, is the most independent of the ones tested).

Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 6d

🧵🚨

The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.

Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

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UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation

Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.

www.ucl.ac.uk

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 6d

Not very good on the “alphabetical order” score, so I propose renaming it to the A1 University of Wyoming to improve the ranking for next year!

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Mike Prior-Jones @drmikepj.bsky.social · 7d

I see I’ve acquired a team of web developers!

Spider’s webs, glossy with dew, stretched across an area of succulent plants (actually the green roof of my bike shed)

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