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Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire

@stunathan.bsky.social

340 followers 790 following 1.1K posts

Storytelling science and technology. Enemy of jargon and wilful obscurity. Often doesn't follow back - nothing personal, just keeping my feed manageable.

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Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · Feb 15

Words to live by, from Primo Levi, who knew what he was talking about.

Shema, by Primo Levi
You who safely live
In your warm houses,
You that find, coming late,
Warm food and friendly faces,
Think, if this is a man,
Thst works in mud,
That doesn't know peace,
Thst fights for a piece of bread,
That dies for a yes or no.
Think, if this is a woman,
Without hair, without name,
Without the strength to remember,
Empty eyes and cold womb
Like a frog during winter.
Think, that this has been.
I command you these words,
Sculpt them upon your heart,
At home walking around,
Going to sleep, waking up.
Teach them to your children,
Or may your house be destroyed,
May illness haunt you
And your children turn their faces from you.

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 14h

...and then they elected him as President.

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 18h

I strongly suspect worse.

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 18h

Have to say it does not *sound* good.

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 19h

Thanks for digging that out. I was intrigued, as I know that bit of coast quite well and have been in that church (although not seen the plaque).

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 19h

Who've you cursed this time? Joe Marler?1

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 1d

Somebody hit the Downing St policy unit over the head with this repeatedly.

Nick Harkaway @nickharkaway.com · 1d

There‘s been quite a lot of research on this recently.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Adopting rightwing policies ‘does not help centre-left win votes’

Study of European electoral data suggests social democratic parties alienate supporters by moving towards the political centre

www.theguardian.com

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Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 1d

I wonder why she took her mother's surname rather than her father's?

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Reposted by Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire

George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 1d

Farage’s big weakness, as I’ve often written, is that 60%+ of voters don’t want him to become Prime Minister.

For a populist he’s not that popular. www.newstatesman.com/politics/mor...

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Reposted by Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire

Destination Venus sells comics in Harrogate! @destinationvenus.bsky.social · 1d

@thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social is getting close, and some of the folks who have asked us to act as a shipping address for the books they're bringing Thought Bubble have started sending us stuff. So far so good! But it's not too late - if you're exhibiting at TBubs and we can help, just message us!

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 1d

Quite the thing. The choir was particularly amazing

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Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 1d

Saw that a few years ago with an orchestra and choir doing the soundtrack live.

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Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 2d

That's a great cover.

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 2d

Do you go through a lot of throat lozenges?

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 2d

Jonn is, of course, quite correct.

Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 2d

"The idea of deporting people with settled status is disgusting, and anyone proposing it should be immediately drummed out of polite society. Breaking promises made in good faith to our friends and neighbours is racist, extremist and immoral."

I'm basically shouting at the sky here, but still.

It’s racist, it’s extremist and it’s immoral

The right is still calling for deportations, and the government is still being cowardly about it. Also: London’s first green belt; some notes on a shark; and some news, on my next book.

jonn.substack.com

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 3d

I always salt the water when I boil new potatoes, then think, "Why did I do that?"

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 3d

I wouldn't have thought the dashi flavour would get through the skin. Am I wrong?

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 3d

Sharia courts rule on religious disputes. What "basic British values" does Racist Bob think that violates?

Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 3d

It's straight up islamophobia. Call it what it is. It's a far right soundbite, and Islamophobic. Also, ignores that many women choose to wear one. I wouldn't want my daughter or grandkids to have to live in any country where the "society" was built on the type of division and racism Jenrick promotes

16.03 BST

Jenrick accused of being 'anti-British' after he says he would 'probably' ban burqa

Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, has said that he would probably support banning women wearing burqas in public.

In making the comment, in a phone-in on Talk, Jenrick contradicted the position taken by his party leader, Kemi Badenoch.

Asked if he would ban the burqa, Jenrick replied: "I probably would ban the burqa."

Jenrick dismissed suggestions that this was an extreme position, saying that in Italy the prime minister Giorgia Meloni is introducing a burqa ban. He went on:

I think there's definitely a strong argument for it. There are basic values in this country and we should stand up and defend them, and and where you're seeing them fraying at the edges or frankly being completely destroyed, whether it's Sharia courts or wearing of the burqa, these are issues we're going to have to confront if we want to build the kind of society that we want to hand on to our kids and grandkids.

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Reposted by Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire

Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 4d

Bafflingly there are still people out there in the world who think being passionate about nature is “kind of weird”. or “a niche interest”. These people have it all wrong. Nature isn’t some quirky sideline to the main business. It IS the main business.

A photo I took of a freshly washed bee, who is feeling particularly proud of his fur

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Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 4d

I can remember reading articles claiming that the rise in food allergies was proof that society was raising a generation of weaklings. It'll be interesting to see how widely this study is reported, what spin is put on it, and by whom. Watch this space.

Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 4d

"43% drop in peanut allergies"

Good example of how science evolves.

And "how a public health recommendation can change children’s health.”

And how good research (support, pls) informs policy.

Peanut Allergies Have Plummeted in Children, Study Shows www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/w...

Peanut Allergies Have Plummeted in Children, Study Shows

www.nytimes.com

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 4d

Of course it's going to be fugly. He's incapable of making anything beautiful.

Reposted by Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 8d

Decades after the Heysel and Hillsborough disasters, can politicians please not second-guess expert safety assessments for football stadiums.

Thank you.

An Aston Villa fan.

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Reposted by Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire

Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 5d

1
Nurse:
It’s become a real problem in this area

2
Nurse:
We’ve seen the whole community lost to addiction

3
Show a building sign posted:
Westminster ‘X’ Addiction Clinic
With various Westminster people or looking at their phones outside it

Nurse:
Ministers, Spads, Researchers…

4
Nurse:
Most mornings we’ll get a call about someone acting strangely

[Nurse on phone taking a call]
Ok - we’ll be right over

5
Nurse:
We just have a gentle chat

[Nurses approach a minister –Robert Jenrick? - standing in the Palace of Westminster

Minister:
I understand your concerns…

6
Nurse:
Are you OK love?

Minister:
Yes I’m just hearing legitimate concerns from real voters

7
Nurse:
That’s a robot, a Nazi and a poorly-disguised Russian

[Show that the people he is talking to are precisely these characters]

Nurse 2:
Give us your phone, love

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Nurse:
At the clinic we put them in a Grass-Touching Pod, with a real voter to talk to

[We see them back at the clinic, holding the minister's head and pushing him into a glass isolation booth with a grass floor. And it is a baffled looking woman, on a chair, ready to talk to him.]

9
Minister:
YOU MUST BE WORRIED ABOUT THE COMING CIVIL WAR

[woman looks baffled]

10
woman:
I just want a bus service

Minister:
LOOK AT MY FLAG
[produces a St George's flag]

[ends]

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Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 5d

The man has his head screwed on right.

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Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 5d

It's very good as an ingredient in bread.

Stu Nathan, science word-wrangler for hire @stunathan.bsky.social · 5d

Good to see you do what you're told, told to do.