Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 2h

Gulp! The moment of anticipation before giving the Chancellor’s Lecture at York St John University tonight…

Lecture theatre with two chairs on stage

Reposted by Hetan Shah

Kiran Stacey @kiranstacey.bsky.social · 2h

This is fascinating by @chrisgiles.ft.com.

What if the massive rise in people claiming out of work benefits is actually because we've raised the state pension age?

www.ft.com/content/ee67...

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 9h

'My own “rip-off” degree in Old and Middle English led to my writing 100 Horrid Henry stories, millions of books sold worldwide and countless kids becoming readers.'
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Kemi Badenoch wants to end ‘rip-off degrees’ – but I wouldn’t have created Horrid Henry without mine | Francesca Simon

I studied Old and Middle English. Although I didn’t know it, I couldn’t have chosen a better subject to train me to become a children’s author, says author Francesca Simon

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

Sean Harrison, PhD @sean-h.bsky.social · 23h

There's also the argument, which I haven't seen elsewhere, that the costs of treatment for cancers that will never cause harm mean funding will be reduced elsewhere in the NHS.

So one or 2 deaths prevented *from prostate cancer*.

Unknown numbers caused by reduction in services elsewhere.

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

A rare chance to hear from Dipesh Chakrabarty from Chicago in London (or online) on 28 October as part of our Living with the Planet season www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events/livin...

Global Perspectives with Professor Dipesh Chakrabarty FBA

What does it mean to be human when our actions have become a force that shapes the planet itself? Professor Dipesh Chakrabarty FBA joins Professor Harriet Bulkeley FBA to explore the history and chall...

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

98%! Only 2 in every 100 installations don’t need corrective action. Read it and weep

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

98% of homes with external wall insulation installed under the government’s ECO scheme require work to correct major issues that will cause problems such as damp and mould - our new @nao.org.uk report www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... (full report www.nao.org.uk/reports/ener...)

Thousands of homes with botched eco insulation 'must be fixed'

Insulation programmes costing billions of pounds have led to widespread problems with damp and mould.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

Stephen Soldz @ethicalpsycholo.bsky.social · 1d

We desperately need more medical research to address this problem.

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

1 in 6 bacterial infections now resistant to treatment, says WHO - rising to 1 in 3 in SE Asia on.ft.com/46Zv7Dq

One in six bacterial infections now resistant to treatment, says WHO

Levels of antimicrobial resistance highest in south-east Asia and eastern Mediterranean

on.ft.com

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

Why the maths on screening often doesn’t add up
www.thetimes.com/article/1cc6...

The US National Cancer Institute estimates that if you screened 1,000 men aged 55-69 for 13 years, 240 men would have a positive result. Of those, 100 would end up diagnosed with prostate cancer, often after a biopsy.
Eighty would receive some intervention, whether radiation treatment or surgery. Of those, 50 would experience some erectile dysfunction, and 15 incontinence. Between one and two deaths would be prevented.
This is why many doctors argue that the risks - in terms of unnecessary surgery and unnecessary worry - outweigh the benefits.

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

For critiques of Joel Mokyr see here

Dave Andress @davidandress.bsky.social · 1d

2/2
Contrast these two learned contributions to the Journal of the British Academy, taking JM to task for this:
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/35...
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/35...

With this IEA blogpost that treats him as a rightwing gospel:
iea.org.uk/empire-the-s...

www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

Nice piece from @antonhowes.bsky.social on @britishacademy.bsky.social Fellow Joel Mokyr who won the economics Nobel. As Anton brings out, it’s great to see the prize recognising economic history, especially that which comes out in books
www.worksinprogress.news/p/what-makes...

What makes Joel Mokyr great

His Nobel is a triumph for history and the importance of ideas

www.worksinprogress.news

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

Ah good - let’s throw more money at it. Hope they fix some of the other stuff too
www.thetimes.com/article/90a3...

Larry Ellison to invest extra £890m in Oxford institute

Oracle tycoon commits to extension of the campus at Oxford Science Park and aides say the economic benefit of the project could ultimately be worth billions

www.thetimes.com

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 1d

Excellent Guardian piece on Aadhar, India's digital ID system, that captures the dilemma extremely well. Digital-by-default methods create huge convenience for some, double-down on social exclusion for others, and it is easy for their scope to rapidly expand www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

‘Your basis to live is checked at each and every step’: India’s ID system divides opinion

Keir Starmer is considering Aadhaar as model for UK, but detractors warn of ‘digital coercion’ and security breaches

www.theguardian.com

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

98%! Only 2 in every 100 installations don’t need corrective action. Read it and weep

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

98% of homes with external wall insulation installed under the government’s ECO scheme require work to correct major issues that will cause problems such as damp and mould - our new @nao.org.uk report www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... (full report www.nao.org.uk/reports/ener...)

Thousands of homes with botched eco insulation 'must be fixed'

Insulation programmes costing billions of pounds have led to widespread problems with damp and mould.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

1 in 6 bacterial infections now resistant to treatment, says WHO - rising to 1 in 3 in SE Asia on.ft.com/46Zv7Dq

One in six bacterial infections now resistant to treatment, says WHO

Levels of antimicrobial resistance highest in south-east Asia and eastern Mediterranean

on.ft.com

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

98% of homes with external wall insulation installed under the government’s ECO scheme require work to correct major issues that will cause problems such as damp and mould - our new @nao.org.uk report www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... (full report www.nao.org.uk/reports/ener...)

Thousands of homes with botched eco insulation 'must be fixed'

Insulation programmes costing billions of pounds have led to widespread problems with damp and mould.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

Good appointment - @christophersmith.bsky.social to chair the National Library of Scotland www.gov.scot/publications...

Public appointment: Chair appointed to the National Library of Scotland

Scottish public appointments news release.

www.gov.scot

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 1d

Tonight we had a lovely ceremony welcoming newly elected Fellows of @britishacademy.bsky.social. My personal highlight was seeing two of our new Honorary Fellows - the librarian @richove.bsky.social and the composer Judith Weir. Both will have a lot to contribute to our Fellowship

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 2d

The Kings AI Institute is looking for a 1 day a week chair of its advisory board
www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/127225-...

Advisory Board Chair, King’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence | King's College London

www.kcl.ac.uk

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 2d

We need some pieces on whether the ‘AI bubble’ bubble will burst before the AI bubble itself

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

Jon Agar @jonagar.bsky.social · 2d

Why wait for retirement?
For many years I have been trying to visit:
1) all the SSSIs in the country (all ones within M25 ticked, but in total a ridiculous fools’ errand)
2) all Cold War defence research establishments

Remarkably I am still married and occasionally am invited to parties

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 2d

What policy themed visitor trail would you do upon retirement? I would pilgrimage to visit the 100 Rishi Sunak outdoor chess sets around the country. I genuinely think it would be one of those fun random things that would take me to places I’d never otherwise go to

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

Turmut Hoer @4u5t0.bsky.social · 2d

Rail stations reopened as a result of Transport Act 1962 (Amendment) Act 1981.

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 2d

What policy themed visitor trail would you do upon retirement? I would pilgrimage to visit the 100 Rishi Sunak outdoor chess sets around the country. I genuinely think it would be one of those fun random things that would take me to places I’d never otherwise go to

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

Jonathan Calder @lordbonkers.bsky.social · 2d

I've photographed the three Edward VIII postboxes in Leicestershire, but there's no comprehensive national list.

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

Alison Stenning @alisonstenning.bsky.social · 2d

Yes, it was a foundation set up in his memory, eventually funded by grant-in-aid, to support the establishment of playing fields, predominantly in urban areas, to be protected in perpetuity. Most of the fields established are still protected by what is now Fields in Trust.

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

James C @iguandonjim.bsky.social · 2d

Was George V playing fields a specific policy intervention? I just assumed all the things called George V was one of those random flushes of particularly positive disposition to monarchy?

I've been to at least 1 (as it has a Parkrun)

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Reposted by Hetan Shah

Alison Stenning @alisonstenning.bsky.social · 2d

Either all the King George V Playing Fields, or I’d track down as many of the 750+ designated mid C20th play streets/street playgrounds as I could. Or the playgrounds funded by the 2008 national play strategy.

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