David Firth
@firthstat.bsky.social
Research in #statistics, University of Warwick. https://warwick.ac.uk/dfirth
Also @[email protected] (Mastodon)
Current main interest is compositional data analysis. Programming in #rstats
Also @[email protected] (Mastodon)
Current main interest is compositional data analysis. Programming in #rstats
Reposted by David Firth
Okay, we're screwed.
UK announces Meta-backed AI team to upgrade public services
The British government said on Tuesday it had recruited a team of artificial intelligence specialists to build AI tools to improve transport, public safety and defence, using funding from Meta .
www.reuters.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Okay, we're screwed.
Reposted by David Firth
Mistaking correlation for causation doesn’t just waste research funding, it can shape real-world health advice.
In our new blog, Prof. George Davey Smith, 2025 MRC Millennium Medal winner, explains why he encourages scientists to look for ways they might be wrong.
www.ukri.org/blog/why-evi...
In our new blog, Prof. George Davey Smith, 2025 MRC Millennium Medal winner, explains why he encourages scientists to look for ways they might be wrong.
www.ukri.org/blog/why-evi...
Why evidence matters in health research
Professor George Davey Smith explains why he encourages scientists to look for ways they might be wrong.
www.ukri.org
January 26, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Mistaking correlation for causation doesn’t just waste research funding, it can shape real-world health advice.
In our new blog, Prof. George Davey Smith, 2025 MRC Millennium Medal winner, explains why he encourages scientists to look for ways they might be wrong.
www.ukri.org/blog/why-evi...
In our new blog, Prof. George Davey Smith, 2025 MRC Millennium Medal winner, explains why he encourages scientists to look for ways they might be wrong.
www.ukri.org/blog/why-evi...
Reposted by David Firth
So @soumayakeynes.ft.com wrote this about buying Greenland, but it turns out it already has wider application
www.ft.com/content/3fb7...
www.ft.com/content/3fb7...
January 23, 2026 at 3:01 PM
So @soumayakeynes.ft.com wrote this about buying Greenland, but it turns out it already has wider application
www.ft.com/content/3fb7...
www.ft.com/content/3fb7...
Reposted by David Firth
On Multiple Time Scales and Collapsibility. David Oakes. Lifetime Data Analysis. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
On Multiple Time Scales and Collapsibility - Lifetime Data Analysis
In this anniversary issue I briefly review some work on the notion of collapsibility and indicate some lingering questions.
link.springer.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:11 PM
On Multiple Time Scales and Collapsibility. David Oakes. Lifetime Data Analysis. link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by David Firth
Isn't this a telling aspiration? To want robots to look after your kids, so you can do stuff, rather than robots to do stuff, so you can spend time with your kids?
The darkness inside these shrivelled men must be like a gaping unfillable void.
The darkness inside these shrivelled men must be like a gaping unfillable void.
January 22, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Isn't this a telling aspiration? To want robots to look after your kids, so you can do stuff, rather than robots to do stuff, so you can spend time with your kids?
The darkness inside these shrivelled men must be like a gaping unfillable void.
The darkness inside these shrivelled men must be like a gaping unfillable void.
@chilternrailway.bsky.social Only 3 coaches on my train between Birmingham and London today, same on the way back. Hopelessly inadequate. What's the reason?
January 15, 2026 at 8:39 PM
@chilternrailway.bsky.social Only 3 coaches on my train between Birmingham and London today, same on the way back. Hopelessly inadequate. What's the reason?
Reposted by David Firth
Reposted by David Firth
(3/3) @jamesbowes01.bsky.social analysis, on which the Times article is based, explains the numbers and why the government's "earned settlement" proposals are a disaster economically as well as morally. [end]
ukandeu.ac.uk/the-coming-c...
ukandeu.ac.uk/the-coming-c...
The coming collapse in immigration to the United Kingdom - UK in a changing Europe
James Bowes analyses the fall in net migration to the UK as a result of government policies and explores some of the political and economic consequences.
ukandeu.ac.uk
January 10, 2026 at 3:57 AM
(3/3) @jamesbowes01.bsky.social analysis, on which the Times article is based, explains the numbers and why the government's "earned settlement" proposals are a disaster economically as well as morally. [end]
ukandeu.ac.uk/the-coming-c...
ukandeu.ac.uk/the-coming-c...
Reposted by David Firth
"move slow and repair things" could save the world
January 10, 2026 at 10:36 AM
"move slow and repair things" could save the world
Reposted by David Firth
If a Pakistani Muslim owned X, distributed indecent images of girls on a platform where govt do their PR, where some receive payments for posts, they would have distanced themselves by now. X would be shutdown and Braverman and Farage would be calling for a ban and investigation into Pakistani men.
January 9, 2026 at 4:12 PM
If a Pakistani Muslim owned X, distributed indecent images of girls on a platform where govt do their PR, where some receive payments for posts, they would have distanced themselves by now. X would be shutdown and Braverman and Farage would be calling for a ban and investigation into Pakistani men.
Reposted by David Firth
I call on my party and my government to remove themselves entirely from X and communicate with the public where they actually participate online and can be protected from such illegality.
January 8, 2026 at 12:31 PM
I call on my party and my government to remove themselves entirely from X and communicate with the public where they actually participate online and can be protected from such illegality.
Reposted by David Firth
Forensic analysis of objective video evidence. This is how you serve readers searching for clarity.
January 8, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Forensic analysis of objective video evidence. This is how you serve readers searching for clarity.
Reposted by David Firth
Farage: "I believe in vaccinations when they're vaccinations. I don't think what happened with Covid were vaccinations. You have to keep having them every 6 months."
Conspiratorial nonsense.
Some vaccinations like Covid shots require multiple/seasonal doses because immunity fades & viruses change.
Conspiratorial nonsense.
Some vaccinations like Covid shots require multiple/seasonal doses because immunity fades & viruses change.
January 7, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Farage: "I believe in vaccinations when they're vaccinations. I don't think what happened with Covid were vaccinations. You have to keep having them every 6 months."
Conspiratorial nonsense.
Some vaccinations like Covid shots require multiple/seasonal doses because immunity fades & viruses change.
Conspiratorial nonsense.
Some vaccinations like Covid shots require multiple/seasonal doses because immunity fades & viruses change.
Reposted by David Firth
He’s utterly unhinged and out of control. Congress could stop this in an instant, but its ruling party, the GOP, has become equally untethered from principle or reality. Too many Americans still cheering this on without any comprehension of the disastrous consequences, for themselves or the world.
President Trump suggested on Sunday that the U.S. could take action against other countries after its attack on Venezuela. He threatened Colombia and its president, described Cuba as “ready to fall” and reasserted his desire to take control of Greenland.
Trump Says ‘We Need Greenland’ and Threatens U.S. Action in Colombia and Mexico
On Air Force One, President Trump threatened Colombia and its president, described Cuba as “ready to fall” and reasserted his desire to acquire Greenland.
nyti.ms
January 5, 2026 at 10:37 AM
He’s utterly unhinged and out of control. Congress could stop this in an instant, but its ruling party, the GOP, has become equally untethered from principle or reality. Too many Americans still cheering this on without any comprehension of the disastrous consequences, for themselves or the world.
Reposted by David Firth
I'd love to think that there is a future where authors can completely disengage from Amazon and still earn a living. Where they feel no pressure to view Amazon sales rank or total Amazon reviews as a barometer of their success. We are not there yet. But some of us can hope. bsky.app/profile/dj-a...
January 4, 2026 at 9:21 AM
I'd love to think that there is a future where authors can completely disengage from Amazon and still earn a living. Where they feel no pressure to view Amazon sales rank or total Amazon reviews as a barometer of their success. We are not there yet. But some of us can hope. bsky.app/profile/dj-a...
January 4, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by David Firth
Isn't it fantastic to be a sovereign nation once again, able to make our own rules and not bend to the demands of foreign politicians?
December 30, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Isn't it fantastic to be a sovereign nation once again, able to make our own rules and not bend to the demands of foreign politicians?
Reposted by David Firth
We are recruiting an Associate Professor of Statistics in the Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, in association with Jesus College.
Closing date: 19 January 2026
➡️ Details and application information: tinyurl.com/59tjt7m2
Closing date: 19 January 2026
➡️ Details and application information: tinyurl.com/59tjt7m2
December 23, 2025 at 11:20 AM
We are recruiting an Associate Professor of Statistics in the Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, in association with Jesus College.
Closing date: 19 January 2026
➡️ Details and application information: tinyurl.com/59tjt7m2
Closing date: 19 January 2026
➡️ Details and application information: tinyurl.com/59tjt7m2
Reposted by David Firth
It’s exactly this kind of dismal, prejudiced bollox from the Daily Mail that’s got us into the ruinous Brexit mess we’re in. What a moronic response to us rejoining Erasmus and all the benefits that brings. If they’re really worried about cost, they should push to cancel Brexit altogether.
December 18, 2025 at 7:21 AM
It’s exactly this kind of dismal, prejudiced bollox from the Daily Mail that’s got us into the ruinous Brexit mess we’re in. What a moronic response to us rejoining Erasmus and all the benefits that brings. If they’re really worried about cost, they should push to cancel Brexit altogether.
Reposted by David Firth
This is a thread of quotes and curiosities from Appendix 1 of The British General Election of 2024 book by John Curtice, @lottehargrave.bsky.social @patrick-pme.bsky.social and myself, available as a free pdf under "Back Matter" at link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
This is a thread of quotes and curiosities from Appendix 1 of The British General Election of 2024 book by John Curtice, @lottehargrave.bsky.social @patrick-pme.bsky.social and myself, available as a free pdf under "Back Matter" at link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Reposted by David Firth
The R Foundation is happy to be a partner on the project
"Enabling the next generation of R contributors"
awarded £500k under the Research Software Maintenance Fund (Software Sustainability Institute, UK).
Announcement: www.software.ac.uk/ssi-awards-f...
Congratulations to the project team!
"Enabling the next generation of R contributors"
awarded £500k under the Research Software Maintenance Fund (Software Sustainability Institute, UK).
Announcement: www.software.ac.uk/ssi-awards-f...
Congratulations to the project team!
SSI awards funding to 13 projects through the RSMF Round 1 | Software Sustainability Institute
We are pleased to announce that the Research Software Maintenance Fund (RSMF) has funded 13 projects to advance the sustainability and impact of research software. Through this initiative, the SSI, wi...
www.software.ac.uk
December 10, 2025 at 8:01 PM
The R Foundation is happy to be a partner on the project
"Enabling the next generation of R contributors"
awarded £500k under the Research Software Maintenance Fund (Software Sustainability Institute, UK).
Announcement: www.software.ac.uk/ssi-awards-f...
Congratulations to the project team!
"Enabling the next generation of R contributors"
awarded £500k under the Research Software Maintenance Fund (Software Sustainability Institute, UK).
Announcement: www.software.ac.uk/ssi-awards-f...
Congratulations to the project team!
Reposted by David Firth
@pimlicat: "The PM is saying what Brits have known for years, that Brexit was sold to them on false promises.
Young people have been at the sharp end of a Brexit they didn't vote for, which has taken away freedoms that other generations took for granted."
https://bit.ly/48MjK3J
Young people have been at the sharp end of a Brexit they didn't vote for, which has taken away freedoms that other generations took for granted."
https://bit.ly/48MjK3J
Keir Starmer hits out at the "wild promises" made about Brexit
Labour continues to seek closer ties with the EU and is aiming to make a deal to rejoin the Erasmus scheme within weeks
leftfootforward.org
December 2, 2025 at 5:16 PM
@pimlicat: "The PM is saying what Brits have known for years, that Brexit was sold to them on false promises.
Young people have been at the sharp end of a Brexit they didn't vote for, which has taken away freedoms that other generations took for granted."
https://bit.ly/48MjK3J
Young people have been at the sharp end of a Brexit they didn't vote for, which has taken away freedoms that other generations took for granted."
https://bit.ly/48MjK3J
Reposted by David Firth
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by David Firth
This cross-pollination IS how new ideas happen. EVERY field needs humanistic thinking, that's why they call PhDs "Doctors of Philosophy"
Alt text for those who need it. This is amazing.
December 2, 2025 at 11:38 AM
This cross-pollination IS how new ideas happen. EVERY field needs humanistic thinking, that's why they call PhDs "Doctors of Philosophy"
Reposted by David Firth
Populist Right: 'We're not racist, we just want immigrants to integrate & contribute.'
Immigrant gains BA, MA, works for charities, marries a 'Brit', becomes Brexit-supporting, lockdown-sceptic Tory MP, then Deputy Speaker of HoC.
Populist Right: 'People born abroad shouldn't be allowed to do this.'
Immigrant gains BA, MA, works for charities, marries a 'Brit', becomes Brexit-supporting, lockdown-sceptic Tory MP, then Deputy Speaker of HoC.
Populist Right: 'People born abroad shouldn't be allowed to do this.'
November 28, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Populist Right: 'We're not racist, we just want immigrants to integrate & contribute.'
Immigrant gains BA, MA, works for charities, marries a 'Brit', becomes Brexit-supporting, lockdown-sceptic Tory MP, then Deputy Speaker of HoC.
Populist Right: 'People born abroad shouldn't be allowed to do this.'
Immigrant gains BA, MA, works for charities, marries a 'Brit', becomes Brexit-supporting, lockdown-sceptic Tory MP, then Deputy Speaker of HoC.
Populist Right: 'People born abroad shouldn't be allowed to do this.'