Chris Dymond
@chrisdymond.bsky.social
*Interested in tech and cities*
Director of the Smart City Management masters programme at Zigurat Institute of Technology | Co-director of Sheffield Digital | Founder of Unfolding ltd.
Director of the Smart City Management masters programme at Zigurat Institute of Technology | Co-director of Sheffield Digital | Founder of Unfolding ltd.
Pinned
Chris Dymond
@chrisdymond.bsky.social
· Nov 28
Hello to everyone who’s followed me today! I very much appreciate it and it’s great to see so many people making leap over here to BlueSky 🦋
I post about #SmartCities, #UrbanInnovation & emerging technologies, and work mainly in education & capacity building. Get in touch if you do too!
I post about #SmartCities, #UrbanInnovation & emerging technologies, and work mainly in education & capacity building. Get in touch if you do too!
I’m super excited about the upcoming Terminator prequel!!
A Russian company presented the country's first (per TASS) humanoid robot equipped with AI today; it didn't go very well. (The soundtrack is spot-on though)
November 11, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I’m super excited about the upcoming Terminator prequel!!
Reposted by Chris Dymond
The Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) urgent appealing to children’s authors, writers and publishers to donate stories to its new bedtime stories app.
The charity relies on stories in the public domain but are running out of books.
Anyone willing to donate should contact [email protected].
The charity relies on stories in the public domain but are running out of books.
Anyone willing to donate should contact [email protected].
September 23, 2025 at 8:37 AM
The Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) urgent appealing to children’s authors, writers and publishers to donate stories to its new bedtime stories app.
The charity relies on stories in the public domain but are running out of books.
Anyone willing to donate should contact [email protected].
The charity relies on stories in the public domain but are running out of books.
Anyone willing to donate should contact [email protected].
Question: Does “tech prosperity” really mean U.S. firms investing in British startups that are building surveillance technologies ostensibly to provide compliance with the online harms act..?
September 18, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Question: Does “tech prosperity” really mean U.S. firms investing in British startups that are building surveillance technologies ostensibly to provide compliance with the online harms act..?
Reposted by Chris Dymond
New from me at my favourite newsletter (again): the origins of the UK Online Safety Act were not grounded in child safety, but rather the authoritarian fantasies of the affluent white English right wing. So why aren't they over the moon about it?
internet.exchangepoint.tech/the-dog-that...
internet.exchangepoint.tech/the-dog-that...
The Dog that Caught the Car: Britain's 'World-Leading' Internet
Billed as a “world-leading” child-protection law, the UK’s Online Safety Act has instead normalized surveillance and ID checks. “Tech policy wonk" Heather Burns writes that the model is spreading acro...
internet.exchangepoint.tech
September 12, 2025 at 5:33 AM
New from me at my favourite newsletter (again): the origins of the UK Online Safety Act were not grounded in child safety, but rather the authoritarian fantasies of the affluent white English right wing. So why aren't they over the moon about it?
internet.exchangepoint.tech/the-dog-that...
internet.exchangepoint.tech/the-dog-that...
Reposted by Chris Dymond
Here you go, enjoy the back catalogue:
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
Unlimited digital access to Prospect!
To celebrate our 30th anniversary we are giving you free access to Prospect's entire digital archive until 4pm GMT on 8th September.
Visit www.prospectmagazine... and enter your email address when prompted to start reading.
To celebrate our 30th anniversary we are giving you free access to Prospect's entire digital archive until 4pm GMT on 8th September.
Visit www.prospectmagazine... and enter your email address when prompted to start reading.
September 7, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Here you go, enjoy the back catalogue:
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...
Reposted by Chris Dymond
Nick Clegg's new book is absolutely atrocious and I cannot in good conscience recommend you read it. Instead, read my review for @newscientist.com about how bad it is www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
Nick Clegg says nothing at all in new book How to Save the Internet
During his time as a Meta executive, Nick Clegg witnessed some of the biggest decisions to ever affect the online world. But this collection of tired tropes offers little insight, says Chris Stokel-Wa...
www.newscientist.com
September 3, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Nick Clegg's new book is absolutely atrocious and I cannot in good conscience recommend you read it. Instead, read my review for @newscientist.com about how bad it is www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
See also South Yorkshire…
The West Midlands local growth plan claims that unlike other large city-regions, it is multi- rather than mono-centred and its policies will aim to reinforce this.
Is the West Midlands really the exception to the rule?👇
buff.ly/kmg2DMi
Is the West Midlands really the exception to the rule?👇
buff.ly/kmg2DMi
Is the West Midlands really the exception to the rule? - Centre for Cities
The West Midlands local growth plan claims that unlike other large city-regions, it is multi- rather than mono-centred and its policies will aim to reinforce this. The opposite should be the case.
buff.ly
August 28, 2025 at 9:08 AM
See also South Yorkshire…
Reposted by Chris Dymond
Poli sci students: study this carefully. This is the game of politics in action.
www.ft.com/content/3a3e...
www.ft.com/content/3a3e...
UK government seeks way out of clash with US over Apple encryption
Officials fear technology deals with Washington could be impeded after Trump administration weighs in
www.ft.com
July 21, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Poli sci students: study this carefully. This is the game of politics in action.
www.ft.com/content/3a3e...
www.ft.com/content/3a3e...
Reposted by Chris Dymond
Globally, roughly a third more power is being generated from the sun this spring than last. If this exponential rate of growth can continue, we will soon live in a very different world, @billmckibben.bsky.social writes.
4.6 Billion Years On, the Sun Is Having a Moment
In the past two years, without much notice, solar power has begun to truly transform the world’s energy system.
www.newyorker.com
July 19, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Globally, roughly a third more power is being generated from the sun this spring than last. If this exponential rate of growth can continue, we will soon live in a very different world, @billmckibben.bsky.social writes.
This is the most cyberpunk thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life 😲
"SCPs that got hoovered up and regurgitated by chatbots end up giving tech executives schizophrenia" is perhaps fittingly a very SCP thing to happen
July 19, 2025 at 7:25 AM
This is the most cyberpunk thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life 😲
Reposted by Chris Dymond
Just to be completely clear - this British Army Vet was NOT forced out of military housing to accommodate Afghans - who, by the way, put their own lives at risk to support and protect British soldiers.
Just ever more rage-baiting by Matt!
🧵1/14
Just ever more rage-baiting by Matt!
🧵1/14
July 17, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Just to be completely clear - this British Army Vet was NOT forced out of military housing to accommodate Afghans - who, by the way, put their own lives at risk to support and protect British soldiers.
Just ever more rage-baiting by Matt!
🧵1/14
Just ever more rage-baiting by Matt!
🧵1/14
Reposted by Chris Dymond
Please apply for this! While it's only advisory (and unpaid), it's a good opportunity to highlight what's working, and not working, in public sector AI adoption to ministers and senior civil servants.
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Role specification for external panel members of the GDS Responsible AI Advisory Panel
The Government Digital Service (GDS) Responsible AI Advisory Panel is seeking applicants for external panel members.
www.gov.uk
July 16, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Please apply for this! While it's only advisory (and unpaid), it's a good opportunity to highlight what's working, and not working, in public sector AI adoption to ministers and senior civil servants.
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Reposted by Chris Dymond
I believe it is worth interrogating the fundamental forces re-shaping our information spheres away from liberal democracy towards myth, manipulation and magical thinking empowering autocracy and nihilism.
Here’s how it all falls apart—a 🧵 in 6 figures ⬇️
www.protagonist-science.com/p/how-social...
Here’s how it all falls apart—a 🧵 in 6 figures ⬇️
www.protagonist-science.com/p/how-social...
How social media destroys democratic discourse, explained in 6 easy figures
Where we all went wrong
www.protagonist-science.com
July 11, 2025 at 2:20 PM
I believe it is worth interrogating the fundamental forces re-shaping our information spheres away from liberal democracy towards myth, manipulation and magical thinking empowering autocracy and nihilism.
Here’s how it all falls apart—a 🧵 in 6 figures ⬇️
www.protagonist-science.com/p/how-social...
Here’s how it all falls apart—a 🧵 in 6 figures ⬇️
www.protagonist-science.com/p/how-social...
@kevinmarks.com Great to see you’re in Sheffield & attending Front End North, Kevin! Are you here for the event or more permanently?
If it’s the latter, it would be great to see you at GeekBrekky sometime - its every Friday morning from 9am at HowSt Cafe :)
If it’s the latter, it would be great to see you at GeekBrekky sometime - its every Friday morning from 9am at HowSt Cafe :)
July 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
@kevinmarks.com Great to see you’re in Sheffield & attending Front End North, Kevin! Are you here for the event or more permanently?
If it’s the latter, it would be great to see you at GeekBrekky sometime - its every Friday morning from 9am at HowSt Cafe :)
If it’s the latter, it would be great to see you at GeekBrekky sometime - its every Friday morning from 9am at HowSt Cafe :)
It’s mind-boggling to me how much blame young people get for the failure of educators to excite, entertain, engage and motivate them. Of course they don’t have the resources of the digitised entertainment/advertising industrial complex, but so many educators do not even appear to trying!
July 10, 2025 at 8:19 AM
It’s mind-boggling to me how much blame young people get for the failure of educators to excite, entertain, engage and motivate them. Of course they don’t have the resources of the digitised entertainment/advertising industrial complex, but so many educators do not even appear to trying!
Love this!
A rant so good it creates an entire language of resistance 🙌
A rant so good it creates an entire language of resistance 🙌
@eev.ee is spot on here. I tried to use google to multiply 3 lengths to get the volume of a suitcase yesterday, and it wrote me an LLM essay about how to do it step by step. No-one wants that. I used Wolfram Alpha instead and while it digressed too, at least it was about maths eev.ee/blog/2025/07...
The rise of Whatever
This was originally titled “I miss when computers were fun”. But in the course of writing it, I discovered that there is a reason computers became less fun, a dark thread woven through a number of eve...
eev.ee
July 4, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Love this!
A rant so good it creates an entire language of resistance 🙌
A rant so good it creates an entire language of resistance 🙌
@suw.bsky.social Hey Suw, were you aware this happened at the Royal Albert Hall last night 🎉🎶
adalovelace.org.uk/news/2025-06...
adalovelace.org.uk/news/2025-06...
Ealing Together - Harmony in Diversity trip to the Royal Albert Hall
Last night a group of students from Ada Lovelace attended the Royal Albert Hall for the Ealing Together - Harmony in Diversity event which showcased and celebrated musical talent from the Borough of E...
adalovelace.org.uk
June 25, 2025 at 6:29 PM
@suw.bsky.social Hey Suw, were you aware this happened at the Royal Albert Hall last night 🎉🎶
adalovelace.org.uk/news/2025-06...
adalovelace.org.uk/news/2025-06...
Reposted by Chris Dymond
Wrote a briefing for @NEF about how Europe needs an ambitious, coordinated, and long-termist macroeconomic approach in order to achieve its goals in this age of shocks and challenges.
Whereas current policy is incremental, piecemeal, and short-termist...
neweconomics.org/2025/06/a-co...
Whereas current policy is incremental, piecemeal, and short-termist...
neweconomics.org/2025/06/a-co...
A coordinated macroeconomic framework for Europe
EU macroeconomic policy in an age of shocks and the case for monetary-fiscal coordination
neweconomics.org
June 16, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Wrote a briefing for @NEF about how Europe needs an ambitious, coordinated, and long-termist macroeconomic approach in order to achieve its goals in this age of shocks and challenges.
Whereas current policy is incremental, piecemeal, and short-termist...
neweconomics.org/2025/06/a-co...
Whereas current policy is incremental, piecemeal, and short-termist...
neweconomics.org/2025/06/a-co...
Reposted by Chris Dymond
Someone out there's got £7 to just push us over that milestone, haven't they?
Can we reach our stretch goal before I finish writing my next update to our GoFundMe? There's just £47 left to go for the stretch goal, so if there are a few people with a tenner kicking about, please take a look!
www.gofundme.com/f/save-ada-l...
www.gofundme.com/f/save-ada-l...
Donate to Save Ada Lovelace Day's archives and newsletter, organized by Suw Charman-Anderson
Last year, I took the difficult decision not to organise another … Suw Charman-Anderson needs your support for Save Ada Lovelace Day's archives and newsletter
www.gofundme.com
May 8, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Someone out there's got £7 to just push us over that milestone, haven't they?
If this is true then all the Trump administration’s Tariffs should have been a quarter the size!!!!
😳
youtu.be/ML8_65_9tl4?...
😳
youtu.be/ML8_65_9tl4?...
Economist says there's a math error in the formula used to calculate Trump's tariffs
YouTube video by CNN
youtu.be
April 8, 2025 at 7:17 PM
If this is true then all the Trump administration’s Tariffs should have been a quarter the size!!!!
😳
youtu.be/ML8_65_9tl4?...
😳
youtu.be/ML8_65_9tl4?...
How is *John Bolton* the voice of reason now? 😐
April 2, 2025 at 8:42 AM
How is *John Bolton* the voice of reason now? 😐
Being targeted by AI recruitment bots to contract for an AI company that's creating multi-lingual training data in a language they think I speak from 'analysing my profile', but in fact is not a lanugage I speak, really is a new low. 🙄
March 28, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Being targeted by AI recruitment bots to contract for an AI company that's creating multi-lingual training data in a language they think I speak from 'analysing my profile', but in fact is not a lanugage I speak, really is a new low. 🙄
This is an interesting local inititative in Oxford, UK that invites #decorbonisation project "developers" and project "funders" to register their interest and then be matched with each other in order to drive more projects that support the city's overall carbon reduction targets.
Local Carbon Oxford Project – Oxford City Council
Local Carbon Oxford Project
www.oxford.gov.uk
March 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
This is an interesting local inititative in Oxford, UK that invites #decorbonisation project "developers" and project "funders" to register their interest and then be matched with each other in order to drive more projects that support the city's overall carbon reduction targets.
This looks like an interesting book. I'll reserve judgement until I read it, but I do like the notion that city leaders shouild be troublemakers - "bold enough to challenge the status quo while maintaining institutional trust".
Why cities need “effective troublemakers” - Cities Today
Cities are at a crossroads, according to Nicholas Lalla—struggling between legacy industries and the promise of technological transformation.His new book offers a timely and compelling blueprint for…
cities-today.com
March 24, 2025 at 1:11 PM
This looks like an interesting book. I'll reserve judgement until I read it, but I do like the notion that city leaders shouild be troublemakers - "bold enough to challenge the status quo while maintaining institutional trust".
Current autonomous vehicle projects are like the famous "Iron Bridge" - interstitial expressions of a new technology applied within an old modality. Innovations in the process of adapting to new realities, but not *of* them.
The incentives aren't right yet, anywhere in the world.
The incentives aren't right yet, anywhere in the world.
The unseen environmental costs of autonomous cars
Robotaxis and self-driving cars could be a big step backwards in sustainability, cautions the CEO of an advanced transportation firm.
www.smartcitiesdive.com
March 24, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Current autonomous vehicle projects are like the famous "Iron Bridge" - interstitial expressions of a new technology applied within an old modality. Innovations in the process of adapting to new realities, but not *of* them.
The incentives aren't right yet, anywhere in the world.
The incentives aren't right yet, anywhere in the world.