Fabrizio Scarpa
@fabrizioscarpa.bsky.social
Academic at Uni Bristol 🏴 FRAeS ERC work on #metamaterials and #biobased #materials. Love for history, geopolitics and climate. Banner shows a 2D metamaterial. Links: ibit.ly/b_Dsn and ibit.ly/MuO03 Personal opinions, etc ... 🧪⚙️🤖👾♻️🚤✈️🏋️♀️🏛🐈
Pinned
Content Analysis: A delightful mix of academic rigor and witty banter, Fabrizio’s style reads like a conversation with a friend at a coffee shop, where every sip comes with a side of insight and a sprinkle of sarcasm. Expect footnotes—a lot of them!
blueskyroast.com
blueskyroast.com
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
I do think it's worth addressing that the intellectual lodestar of this government is a gibbering idiot.
There are some truly unhinged bits in the piece about Glasman, as to be expected when dealing with Glasman, but seriously what the actual? That's...one hell of a conflation of terminology.
November 23, 2025 at 4:30 PM
I do think it's worth addressing that the intellectual lodestar of this government is a gibbering idiot.
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
Labour's hate-mongering doesn't stop just because it's Sunday.
November 23, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Labour's hate-mongering doesn't stop just because it's Sunday.
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
1/ A two-way Anschluss is happening today, as thousands of cars carrying auxiliary voters go from Serbia to Republika Srpska, which is holding snap presidential elections. Thousands of cars and buses come from there to Serbia when there are elections here. ⬇️
Mediji: Na dan izbora u RS duge kolone vozila iz Srbije na graničnom prelazu Trbušnica - Šepak
Na graničnom prelazu Trbušnica - Šepak danas su neuobičajeno duge kolone vozila, koja iz Srbije ulaze u Bosnu i Hercegovinu (BiH), na dan kada se u Republici Sr
n1info.rs
November 23, 2025 at 3:33 PM
1/ A two-way Anschluss is happening today, as thousands of cars carrying auxiliary voters go from Serbia to Republika Srpska, which is holding snap presidential elections. Thousands of cars and buses come from there to Serbia when there are elections here. ⬇️
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
The theoretical physicists Juan Maldacena and Ying Zhao helped create the “island formula,” a theoretical approach for exploring the interiors of black holes. When this method is applied to a whole universe, a puzzle emerges. www.quantamagazine.org/cosmic-parad...
November 23, 2025 at 2:15 PM
The theoretical physicists Juan Maldacena and Ying Zhao helped create the “island formula,” a theoretical approach for exploring the interiors of black holes. When this method is applied to a whole universe, a puzzle emerges. www.quantamagazine.org/cosmic-parad...
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
There is a post circulating on Bluesky encouraging the moving of a frozen turkey straight into a pot of hot oil. We are combating this misinformation the best way we know how - through the power of dance music.
November 23, 2025 at 1:31 PM
There is a post circulating on Bluesky encouraging the moving of a frozen turkey straight into a pot of hot oil. We are combating this misinformation the best way we know how - through the power of dance music.
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
“Academy schools in working class areas have been instrumental in reducing the range of the curriculum and increasing the amount of repetition and routine memorisation.”
Output planning in neoliberal form #LateSovietBritain
Output planning in neoliberal form #LateSovietBritain
Rigid and joyless teaching for the masses, seems to have becoming increasingly normal (I'm lucky, my very ordinary 80s state education came before the point where we'd been trained *not* to expect the state to do some good things, that has definitely worsened) blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities...
The chronic miseducation of working class children in the UK
A regime of “teaching to the test”, harsh discipline and a narrow curriculum is robbing working class children of a good education and tools for self-expression
blogs.lse.ac.uk
November 23, 2025 at 1:27 PM
“Academy schools in working class areas have been instrumental in reducing the range of the curriculum and increasing the amount of repetition and routine memorisation.”
Output planning in neoliberal form #LateSovietBritain
Output planning in neoliberal form #LateSovietBritain
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
'It is notable that in the last Research Excellence Framework exercise the Department of American Studies at Nottingham was ranked third in the Area Studies unit of assessment and was one of the top-performing units across the whole of the University of Nottingham.' 1/2
RED ALERT: the University of Nottingham is threatening to close its Department of American Studies, putting all staff at risk of redundancy, and ending any American specialist knowledge in the Faculty of Arts.
Sign the petition here to save jobs:
www.change.org/p/save-ameri...
Sign the petition here to save jobs:
www.change.org/p/save-ameri...
Sign the Petition
SAVE AMERICAN STUDIES TEACHING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
www.change.org
November 23, 2025 at 1:38 PM
'It is notable that in the last Research Excellence Framework exercise the Department of American Studies at Nottingham was ranked third in the Area Studies unit of assessment and was one of the top-performing units across the whole of the University of Nottingham.' 1/2
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
Just to stress: if you are a civilian killed by a bomb it doesn't matter what was in the heart of the person who dropped it.
There are a thousand decision points that lead up to a Reaper Drone firing a Hellfire Missile and the procedures and values guiding those decisions matter.
There are a thousand decision points that lead up to a Reaper Drone firing a Hellfire Missile and the procedures and values guiding those decisions matter.
November 23, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Just to stress: if you are a civilian killed by a bomb it doesn't matter what was in the heart of the person who dropped it.
There are a thousand decision points that lead up to a Reaper Drone firing a Hellfire Missile and the procedures and values guiding those decisions matter.
There are a thousand decision points that lead up to a Reaper Drone firing a Hellfire Missile and the procedures and values guiding those decisions matter.
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
'The religious city of Mashhad has entered full rationing, Nasrollah Pejmanfar, a lawmaker, said on Friday.
The city’s Dousti dam, he added, “has no water left to transfer, and the reservoirs supplying Mashhad have reached zero” '
#Iran 🇮🇷
The city’s Dousti dam, he added, “has no water left to transfer, and the reservoirs supplying Mashhad have reached zero” '
#Iran 🇮🇷
Iran’s deepening water crisis nears critical levels in major cities
Iran’s worsening drought has pushed water supplies in several provinces to critical levels, with officials in Tehran, Mashhad and Kerman warning that some reservoirs are close to the point where routi...
www.iranintl.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:49 AM
'The religious city of Mashhad has entered full rationing, Nasrollah Pejmanfar, a lawmaker, said on Friday.
The city’s Dousti dam, he added, “has no water left to transfer, and the reservoirs supplying Mashhad have reached zero” '
#Iran 🇮🇷
The city’s Dousti dam, he added, “has no water left to transfer, and the reservoirs supplying Mashhad have reached zero” '
#Iran 🇮🇷
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
Rigid and joyless teaching for the masses, seems to have becoming increasingly normal (I'm lucky, my very ordinary 80s state education came before the point where we'd been trained *not* to expect the state to do some good things, that has definitely worsened) blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities...
The chronic miseducation of working class children in the UK
A regime of “teaching to the test”, harsh discipline and a narrow curriculum is robbing working class children of a good education and tools for self-expression
blogs.lse.ac.uk
November 23, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Rigid and joyless teaching for the masses, seems to have becoming increasingly normal (I'm lucky, my very ordinary 80s state education came before the point where we'd been trained *not* to expect the state to do some good things, that has definitely worsened) blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities...
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
Open letter from over 1,000 UK scientists urging all MPs to attend the National Emergency Briefing. A huge list full of highly respected names.
"Without much more urgent and decisive action, we risk seeing these impacts overwhelm our capacity to respond."
Please share with your MP. #NEB2025
"Without much more urgent and decisive action, we risk seeing these impacts overwhelm our capacity to respond."
Please share with your MP. #NEB2025
National Emergency Briefing
An unfiltered assessment of the latest threats to UK food supply, health and national security from eight leading experts to an invitation-only audience - also covering positive solutions. Westminster...
www.nebriefing.org
November 23, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Open letter from over 1,000 UK scientists urging all MPs to attend the National Emergency Briefing. A huge list full of highly respected names.
"Without much more urgent and decisive action, we risk seeing these impacts overwhelm our capacity to respond."
Please share with your MP. #NEB2025
"Without much more urgent and decisive action, we risk seeing these impacts overwhelm our capacity to respond."
Please share with your MP. #NEB2025
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
The EU has published a world-first risk landscape report under the #DSA.
It flags systemic risks on big platforms — from illegal content to generative AI— and tracks how platforms are addressing them.
More transparency. More accountability.
A safer online space for all.
link.europa.eu/NKM4yd
It flags systemic risks on big platforms — from illegal content to generative AI— and tracks how platforms are addressing them.
More transparency. More accountability.
A safer online space for all.
link.europa.eu/NKM4yd
November 23, 2025 at 9:13 AM
The EU has published a world-first risk landscape report under the #DSA.
It flags systemic risks on big platforms — from illegal content to generative AI— and tracks how platforms are addressing them.
More transparency. More accountability.
A safer online space for all.
link.europa.eu/NKM4yd
It flags systemic risks on big platforms — from illegal content to generative AI— and tracks how platforms are addressing them.
More transparency. More accountability.
A safer online space for all.
link.europa.eu/NKM4yd
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
Lovely work, using lipid isotopic labelling to trace the revival of ancient frozen microorganisms.
Microbes frozen for 40,000 years revive, reorganize, devour carbon - Earth.com share.google/pFWZEOpeO0M1...
Microbes frozen for 40,000 years revive, reorganize, devour carbon - Earth.com share.google/pFWZEOpeO0M1...
Earth and Environmental News, Videos and Images
At Earth.com, our goal is to provide the internet with a homepage for anything and everything about our planet Earth and the environment.
Earth.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Lovely work, using lipid isotopic labelling to trace the revival of ancient frozen microorganisms.
Microbes frozen for 40,000 years revive, reorganize, devour carbon - Earth.com share.google/pFWZEOpeO0M1...
Microbes frozen for 40,000 years revive, reorganize, devour carbon - Earth.com share.google/pFWZEOpeO0M1...
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
“Here kitty kitty” ❤️
33 lb Maine Coon
Theodore Scritches McWiggles
TT: tonnagrimm
33 lb Maine Coon
Theodore Scritches McWiggles
TT: tonnagrimm
November 22, 2025 at 1:53 PM
“Here kitty kitty” ❤️
33 lb Maine Coon
Theodore Scritches McWiggles
TT: tonnagrimm
33 lb Maine Coon
Theodore Scritches McWiggles
TT: tonnagrimm
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
This, from the Guardian, is Ryanair at its very worst.
It's not good enough for them to insist that they're a low-cost airline and everyone knows the rules, in circumstances like this...
I wonder if legislation is needed?
It's not good enough for them to insist that they're a low-cost airline and everyone knows the rules, in circumstances like this...
I wonder if legislation is needed?
November 22, 2025 at 5:53 PM
This, from the Guardian, is Ryanair at its very worst.
It's not good enough for them to insist that they're a low-cost airline and everyone knows the rules, in circumstances like this...
I wonder if legislation is needed?
It's not good enough for them to insist that they're a low-cost airline and everyone knows the rules, in circumstances like this...
I wonder if legislation is needed?
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
Most potential pet owners consider things like breeding, size, coat, intelligence, trainability, and temperament. Often overlooked is the crucially important element of aerodynamics, which can greatly affect your gas mileage, raising the overall cost of ownership significantly.
November 6, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Most potential pet owners consider things like breeding, size, coat, intelligence, trainability, and temperament. Often overlooked is the crucially important element of aerodynamics, which can greatly affect your gas mileage, raising the overall cost of ownership significantly.
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
There’s some very bad news hidden in the Ofgem price cap for January announced yesterday: the electricity to gas price ratio has jumped to 4.67, its highest level since before the energy crisis.
This is a big barrier to households adopting heat pumps in Britain, and threatens our climate goals
This is a big barrier to households adopting heat pumps in Britain, and threatens our climate goals
November 22, 2025 at 7:51 AM
There’s some very bad news hidden in the Ofgem price cap for January announced yesterday: the electricity to gas price ratio has jumped to 4.67, its highest level since before the energy crisis.
This is a big barrier to households adopting heat pumps in Britain, and threatens our climate goals
This is a big barrier to households adopting heat pumps in Britain, and threatens our climate goals
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
You never appreciate the Enlightenment until it’s gone.
Breaking News: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he personally instructed the CDC to abandon its position that vaccines do not cause autism. The move underscores his determination to challenge scientific orthodoxy — in this case, that vaccines save lives — and bend the health department to his will.
RFK Jr. Says He Instructed CDC to Change Vaccines and Autism Language on Website
In an interview, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited gaps in vaccine safety research. His critics say he is ignoring a larger point: Vaccines save lives.
nyti.ms
November 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
You never appreciate the Enlightenment until it’s gone.
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
Hysteria about a Trump Ukraine-Russia peace deal that is not going to happen also means no attention to signs of a Trump US-Venezuela war that looks increasingly likely to happen
November 21, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Hysteria about a Trump Ukraine-Russia peace deal that is not going to happen also means no attention to signs of a Trump US-Venezuela war that looks increasingly likely to happen
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
🧪 One substance = one assessment.
The European Parliament has backed the creation of a new European database for chemicals – which will streamline information about their uses, properties, emissions, hazards and environmental sustainability.
🔗 Read more: link.europa.eu/gh7Vd4
The European Parliament has backed the creation of a new European database for chemicals – which will streamline information about their uses, properties, emissions, hazards and environmental sustainability.
🔗 Read more: link.europa.eu/gh7Vd4
November 9, 2025 at 7:33 AM
🧪 One substance = one assessment.
The European Parliament has backed the creation of a new European database for chemicals – which will streamline information about their uses, properties, emissions, hazards and environmental sustainability.
🔗 Read more: link.europa.eu/gh7Vd4
The European Parliament has backed the creation of a new European database for chemicals – which will streamline information about their uses, properties, emissions, hazards and environmental sustainability.
🔗 Read more: link.europa.eu/gh7Vd4
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
This research is important because it corroborates what we already knew - that when comparing the UK to peer economies, it has had a big slowdown since 2016. It does so with firm-level data and finds more EU-connected firms have sizeable shortfalls in productivity and investment compared to less.
Brexit has caused almost twice as much damage to the UK economy than estimated by official forecasts, according to new paper from a group of experts including a senior Bank of England economist
Brexit Hit to UK Economy Double Official Estimate, Study Finds
Brexit has caused almost twice as much damage to the UK economy than estimated by official forecasts, according to new paper from a group of experts including a senior Bank of England economist.
bloom.bg
November 21, 2025 at 11:14 AM
This research is important because it corroborates what we already knew - that when comparing the UK to peer economies, it has had a big slowdown since 2016. It does so with firm-level data and finds more EU-connected firms have sizeable shortfalls in productivity and investment compared to less.
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
Never mind the fact that malign state and non-state actors will find various techniques to deliberately feed disinformation into LLMs
Another similarity of LLMs to humans: if you expose them to a lot of disinformation, they will believe it. Which you can exploit, apparently called "LLM grooming". So LLMs fail at three levels: /1 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Hundreds of English-language websites link to pro-Kremlin propaganda
Thinktank says internet flooded with disinformation by Russia-aligned Pravda network, which many websites treat as credible
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Never mind the fact that malign state and non-state actors will find various techniques to deliberately feed disinformation into LLMs
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
Best thing the UK can do for global trade is maintain openness and focus on services strengths. Unfortunately that clashes with domestic politics with regard to immigration.
November 21, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Best thing the UK can do for global trade is maintain openness and focus on services strengths. Unfortunately that clashes with domestic politics with regard to immigration.
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
All those people, including current government, who falsely claim migrants are to blame for failings with the NHS, along with infrastructure in general, are in for one hell of a shock with how much worse things will get with Labour's anti-immigration policies.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Overseas-trained doctors leaving the UK in record numbers
Medical bodies warn that hostility towards migrants is behind a 26% rise in departures last year that imperils NHS
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:43 AM
All those people, including current government, who falsely claim migrants are to blame for failings with the NHS, along with infrastructure in general, are in for one hell of a shock with how much worse things will get with Labour's anti-immigration policies.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Reposted by Fabrizio Scarpa
"Which is closer to your view?"
Humans evolved over millions of years: 61%
God created humans within the last 10,000 years: 23%
Unsure: 16%
Research Co. / Oct 26, 2025 / n=1002 / Online
Humans evolved over millions of years: 61%
God created humans within the last 10,000 years: 23%
Unsure: 16%
Research Co. / Oct 26, 2025 / n=1002 / Online
November 20, 2025 at 5:17 PM
"Which is closer to your view?"
Humans evolved over millions of years: 61%
God created humans within the last 10,000 years: 23%
Unsure: 16%
Research Co. / Oct 26, 2025 / n=1002 / Online
Humans evolved over millions of years: 61%
God created humans within the last 10,000 years: 23%
Unsure: 16%
Research Co. / Oct 26, 2025 / n=1002 / Online