Magsmanston
@magsmanston.bsky.social
Personal account of a Biologist. General nerd (computer games, physics, Raspberry Pi, tinkering, stats). Likes frogs and fish. Runner. Same handle as on the old place.
Reposted by Magsmanston
Sometimes wonder if what the UK needs is a thinktank that doesn't do any new research, it just repeats obviously true statements that people try to ignore because they're inconvenient.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
November 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Sometimes wonder if what the UK needs is a thinktank that doesn't do any new research, it just repeats obviously true statements that people try to ignore because they're inconvenient.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
International students cross-subsidise home students. Your pension is paid for out of general taxation.
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Toby Young, self-appointed king of free speech, is speaking in Hungary tomorrow about UK “censorship”.
He’ll be addressing a group funded by Viktor Orbán’s autocratic regime, which has seized control of the country’s media, judiciary, and routinely harasses its critics
He’ll be addressing a group funded by Viktor Orbán’s autocratic regime, which has seized control of the country’s media, judiciary, and routinely harasses its critics
Toby Young to Address Orbán-Backed Group on UK ‘Censorship’
Conservative peer and right-wing commentator Toby Young is due to deliver a talk tomorrow (25 November) at the in-house think tank of Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán. Young is being interviewed by Mat...
www.desmog.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Toby Young, self-appointed king of free speech, is speaking in Hungary tomorrow about UK “censorship”.
He’ll be addressing a group funded by Viktor Orbán’s autocratic regime, which has seized control of the country’s media, judiciary, and routinely harasses its critics
He’ll be addressing a group funded by Viktor Orbán’s autocratic regime, which has seized control of the country’s media, judiciary, and routinely harasses its critics
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Indeed. Yeah, maybe your parents really are toxic and you should cut them out of your life. But everyone hates their parents at some point, how confident are we in the ability of that Reddit thread to give you good advice on this exactly
November 24, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Indeed. Yeah, maybe your parents really are toxic and you should cut them out of your life. But everyone hates their parents at some point, how confident are we in the ability of that Reddit thread to give you good advice on this exactly
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Maybe he could hypnotise the bond market into shrinking its yields?
November 24, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Maybe he could hypnotise the bond market into shrinking its yields?
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I don't think this was actually deliberately published as ragebait, but the entitlement contained within is remarkable and a classic example of the sort of sentiment governments sometimes just have to face down inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...?
We were hit with a £148k inheritance tax bill when mum died at 97 - it's disgusting
Jill Lemon has labelled inheritance tax as 'cruel', 'horrible' and 'unfair'
inews.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 8:18 AM
I don't think this was actually deliberately published as ragebait, but the entitlement contained within is remarkable and a classic example of the sort of sentiment governments sometimes just have to face down inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...?
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Went to World War Two British Commonwealth War Graves close to the Stanley Fort, Hong Kong. You know, the good old days, 1940s, when Britain had no pesky foreigners, just good Anglican Anglo-Saxons, dying gallantly for the Great Britannia. No "Ahmeds" /s
November 22, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Went to World War Two British Commonwealth War Graves close to the Stanley Fort, Hong Kong. You know, the good old days, 1940s, when Britain had no pesky foreigners, just good Anglican Anglo-Saxons, dying gallantly for the Great Britannia. No "Ahmeds" /s
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Attempt number seven at uploading this video of intermediate filaments in an enormous COS7 cell. I have a feeling the BlueSky compression will not do it any favors.
November 21, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Attempt number seven at uploading this video of intermediate filaments in an enormous COS7 cell. I have a feeling the BlueSky compression will not do it any favors.
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Such a wonderful and unique meeting. Small scale, very interactive, amazing speakers and participants and all on the remarkable UCSC campus,. HIGHLY recommended!!!
SAVE THE DATE! Stoked to organize the 2026 Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting with @rashmi-priya.bsky.social, @lowelab.bsky.social, and Shelbi Russell. Come learn about Biomedicine, Biomechanics, and the Biosphere, August 24-28, 2026. Registration dates, etc., coming soon! Please RT
November 20, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Such a wonderful and unique meeting. Small scale, very interactive, amazing speakers and participants and all on the remarkable UCSC campus,. HIGHLY recommended!!!
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It’s remarkable to me that a single American believes that Trump cares about anything other than himself when he delights in making clear that nothing else matters
One of the most enraging things about the shit the Trump Admin is doing to destroy a century of medical progress and bring about a new wave of disease focused on kids is that Trump doesn’t care!! He literally doesn’t care at all! He’s happy to just nod it through because some guy did him a favour
November 20, 2025 at 2:25 PM
It’s remarkable to me that a single American believes that Trump cares about anything other than himself when he delights in making clear that nothing else matters
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EU imports from Russia have exceeded aid to Ukraine by €124 billion since the start of the full‑scale invasion, according to Sweden’s foreign minister.
Europe has provided €187 billion in support to Ukraine, while importing oil and goods worth €311 billion.
Europe has provided €187 billion in support to Ukraine, while importing oil and goods worth €311 billion.
November 20, 2025 at 2:29 PM
EU imports from Russia have exceeded aid to Ukraine by €124 billion since the start of the full‑scale invasion, according to Sweden’s foreign minister.
Europe has provided €187 billion in support to Ukraine, while importing oil and goods worth €311 billion.
Europe has provided €187 billion in support to Ukraine, while importing oil and goods worth €311 billion.
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The definition of "terrorism" usually boils down to "committing violent crimes in order to influence policy through fear".
Palestine Action are a terrorist organisation.
Palestine Action are a terrorist organisation.
In August of last year, six members of Palestine Action broke into a factory near Bristol, #UK.
Now that they are on trial, we are getting the grisly details of what happened.
1/4
Now that they are on trial, we are getting the grisly details of what happened.
1/4
November 20, 2025 at 11:28 AM
The definition of "terrorism" usually boils down to "committing violent crimes in order to influence policy through fear".
Palestine Action are a terrorist organisation.
Palestine Action are a terrorist organisation.
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Does he even own a suit?
November 19, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Does he even own a suit?
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There is abundant evidence in the social science literature that (a) social norms matter (b) political elites play an important role in setting and reinforcing social norms (c) that 'unexpected' rhetoric behaviour (e.g. centre left sounding intolerant) has more powerful corrosive effect on norms.
November 18, 2025 at 10:28 AM
There is abundant evidence in the social science literature that (a) social norms matter (b) political elites play an important role in setting and reinforcing social norms (c) that 'unexpected' rhetoric behaviour (e.g. centre left sounding intolerant) has more powerful corrosive effect on norms.
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I am sure there will be no economic or structual consequences to this, in a country with a rapidly aging population and unsustainable population pyramid
Net migration now estimated to have fallen from 944,000 to 345,000 in Dec ‘24.
Some projections even suggest David Cameron’s old target of “tens of thousands” could be met. ukandeu.ac.uk/the-coming-c...
Some projections even suggest David Cameron’s old target of “tens of thousands” could be met. 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
November 18, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I am sure there will be no economic or structual consequences to this, in a country with a rapidly aging population and unsustainable population pyramid
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More accurate and rapidly updated migration statistics might help defuse a lot of polarisation and prevent a lot of bad knee jerk policy change - one argument for universal ID systems is they would facilitate this.
Net migration was 345,000 in 2024, the Office for National Statistics now estimates - 20% lower than its first estimate of 431,000: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula.... The update includes much higher emigration of British citizens than previously thought.
Improving long-term international migration statistics, updating our methods and estimates - Office for National Statistics
Headline findings and revised estimates from updated data and new methods to estimate long-term international migration of British and EU+ nationals. These are official statistics in development.
www.ons.gov.uk
November 18, 2025 at 2:00 PM
More accurate and rapidly updated migration statistics might help defuse a lot of polarisation and prevent a lot of bad knee jerk policy change - one argument for universal ID systems is they would facilitate this.
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The MCU is weird because Captain America remains staunchly Christian despite personally knowing several other gods.
November 18, 2025 at 1:15 PM
The MCU is weird because Captain America remains staunchly Christian despite personally knowing several other gods.
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Look, for fuck’s sake, humans have been migrating continuously for our entire existence.
Every single human in the world is the product of migration.
It’s what humans do. There is nothing *more* human.
That’s never going to change.
Just grow up, get the fuck over it and plan accordingly.
Every single human in the world is the product of migration.
It’s what humans do. There is nothing *more* human.
That’s never going to change.
Just grow up, get the fuck over it and plan accordingly.
November 16, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Look, for fuck’s sake, humans have been migrating continuously for our entire existence.
Every single human in the world is the product of migration.
It’s what humans do. There is nothing *more* human.
That’s never going to change.
Just grow up, get the fuck over it and plan accordingly.
Every single human in the world is the product of migration.
It’s what humans do. There is nothing *more* human.
That’s never going to change.
Just grow up, get the fuck over it and plan accordingly.
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Pretty much. We now seem to have shifted from ‘stop the boats’ to ‘punish people coming on the boats’ and that us just not right (it’s also exactly why the entire policy direction is now performative- being cruel).
I've been very soft on this Labour government. They inherited a booby-trapped nightmare and even though they're even now probably still the best of all our shitty options, the immigration thing is draconian, stupid and deliberately cruel.
Starmer and McSweeney must go. Now.
Starmer and McSweeney must go. Now.
November 16, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Pretty much. We now seem to have shifted from ‘stop the boats’ to ‘punish people coming on the boats’ and that us just not right (it’s also exactly why the entire policy direction is now performative- being cruel).
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Someone should ask Starmer and Mahmood whether they think the Kindertransport, for example, should have been a return ticket. Whether Alf Dubs, rather than becoming a Labour MP and now Lord, ought to have been sent back with his family to Czechoslovakia once it was liberated from German rule.
This contribution to the volume of human misery is yet another policy from Labour based on a false premise, in this case that refugees are overly attracted to Britain. It will increase bureaucratic limbo, thus making worse the problem of "cohesion" it purports to solve.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays
Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Someone should ask Starmer and Mahmood whether they think the Kindertransport, for example, should have been a return ticket. Whether Alf Dubs, rather than becoming a Labour MP and now Lord, ought to have been sent back with his family to Czechoslovakia once it was liberated from German rule.
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Yes we can let sexual assault pass but surely we must draw the line at underage girls, right?… right?
November 16, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Yes we can let sexual assault pass but surely we must draw the line at underage girls, right?… right?
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#ZebrafishZunday: Cytoplasmic (or ooplasmic) streaming leads to the segregation of embryo from yolk granules. Credit to @shamipourshayan.bsky.social & @heisenbergcplab.bsky.social. 🧪
November 16, 2025 at 9:31 AM
#ZebrafishZunday: Cytoplasmic (or ooplasmic) streaming leads to the segregation of embryo from yolk granules. Credit to @shamipourshayan.bsky.social & @heisenbergcplab.bsky.social. 🧪
Reposted by Magsmanston
![[Scene is a kitchen - a middle aged woman called JANET is boiling peas at the stove. A younger more colourfully dressed woman named LIZ approached her.]
JANET:
Ugh...
LIZ:
What's up?
JANET:
I am so bored of cooking peas!
LIZ:
Have you tried...
AI peas?
JANET:
AI peas?
LIZ:
They're peas with AI!
[Liz holds up to us a packet of peas labelled: Pea-i AI - Peas with AI].
LIZ:
Al-powered peas harness the potential of your peas
JANET:
What
LIZ [Now a voiceover as we cut to a whizzy technology diagram of peas all connected by meaningless dotted lines]
Why not take your peas to the next level with Al Peas' new Al tools to power your peas?
[Show a techno diagram of a pea with a label reading 'AI' pointing to a random zone in it]
LIZ:
Each pea has Al in a way we haven't quite worked out yet but it's fine
[Show Janet and Liz now in a Matrix-style world of peas]
LIZ:
With Al peas you can supercharge productivity and make AI work for your peas!
JANET:
What
LIZ:
Shut up
LIZ:
Our game-changing Pea-Al gives you the freedom to unlock the potential of the power of the future of your peas workflow
From opening the bag of peas
to boiling the peas
to eating the peas
To spending millions on adding Al to the peas and then having to work out what that even means.
JANET:
Is it really necessary to-
LIZ [Grabbing Janet by the collar]:
THE PEAS HAVE GOT AI, JANET
[Cut to an advert ending screen, with the bag of peas and the slogan:
AI PEAS: Just 'Peas' for god's sake buy the AI peas.
[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayqa37f7kik7l7s7fbtfp2sir5ckb662ry2lylinyjrfa2rkvvka@jpeg)
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Interested in a #PhD with neuroendocrine and bioimaging focus? Check out our @swbiodtp.bsky.social project 'Creating a functional map for brain-gut signalling in a simple worm', with @alexdcorbett.bsky.social and CASE partner Cairn Research Ltd. Application deadline Wednesday 3rd December.
November 11, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Interested in a #PhD with neuroendocrine and bioimaging focus? Check out our @swbiodtp.bsky.social project 'Creating a functional map for brain-gut signalling in a simple worm', with @alexdcorbett.bsky.social and CASE partner Cairn Research Ltd. Application deadline Wednesday 3rd December.
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A reminder of the importance of universities to a local economy. Lancaster's university is fundamental to the area, with the centre already looking rather run down.
'The prospect of hundreds of job cuts at Lancaster University could damage the city's economy, students have warned.'
'Could'? Surely 'will'.
'Could'? Surely 'will'.
Fears Lancaster University job cuts would hit city's businesses
Lancaster University is seeking to cut 400 full-time posts as part of efforts to save £30m.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 13, 2025 at 9:22 AM
A reminder of the importance of universities to a local economy. Lancaster's university is fundamental to the area, with the centre already looking rather run down.
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the right winger who was appointed to lead the BBC in the hope of appeasing right wingers has been driven out by right wingers for not appeasing right wingers enough and the BBC has the chance to do the funniest thing ever
November 9, 2025 at 6:38 PM
the right winger who was appointed to lead the BBC in the hope of appeasing right wingers has been driven out by right wingers for not appeasing right wingers enough and the BBC has the chance to do the funniest thing ever