Fergus Murray
@fergus.oolong.co.uk
Monotropic writer, science tutor, Autistic community organiser and independent researcher. Based in Edinburgh.
they/them.
https://linktr.ee/0olong
they/them.
https://linktr.ee/0olong
Pinned
Fergus Murray
@fergus.oolong.co.uk
· Jan 24
Hi everyone!
I'm Fergus Murray. I'm a science person, writer of nonfiction, and #Autistic community organiser (Chair of @amasedin.bsky.social). Also #ADHD, but I often just say I'm monotropic.
I'm here to post and learn more about #neurodiversity, politics, science, language and other things.
I'm Fergus Murray. I'm a science person, writer of nonfiction, and #Autistic community organiser (Chair of @amasedin.bsky.social). Also #ADHD, but I often just say I'm monotropic.
I'm here to post and learn more about #neurodiversity, politics, science, language and other things.
I thought I might make a pinned thread of my threads here (some of which are effectively photo albums) starting with this long Introductory thread:
bsky.app/profile/ferg...
bsky.app/profile/ferg...
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Interesting to have an article about the one person who has left and not the 100k who have joined. Wonder why the BBC chose that approach and didn’t ask people joining whether trans inclusivity had anything to do with their choice…
November 20, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Interesting to have an article about the one person who has left and not the 100k who have joined. Wonder why the BBC chose that approach and didn’t ask people joining whether trans inclusivity had anything to do with their choice…
Reposted by Fergus Murray
🧵 This is a truly interesting piece by @scottsantens.com on the first-ever, proper introduction of Universal Basic Income #UBI.
Find the core facts below. The text gives you lots more interesting information and background.
scottsantens.substack.com/p/marshall-i...
Find the core facts below. The text gives you lots more interesting information and background.
scottsantens.substack.com/p/marshall-i...
The Marshall Islands Just Quietly Implemented the First National Universal Basic Income (UBI)
How the Marshall Islands built the first nationwide universal basic income, funded by a US-capitalized Compact Trust Fund, and what it means for UBI everywhere.
scottsantens.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:09 AM
🧵 This is a truly interesting piece by @scottsantens.com on the first-ever, proper introduction of Universal Basic Income #UBI.
Find the core facts below. The text gives you lots more interesting information and background.
scottsantens.substack.com/p/marshall-i...
Find the core facts below. The text gives you lots more interesting information and background.
scottsantens.substack.com/p/marshall-i...
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Tessa Munt MP highlights how Germany is taking post-infectious diseases seriously, committing €500m over 10 years to research #MECFS & #LongCOVID. She asks if the UK Government will make a comparable commitment, or wait a decade for the Germans’ conclusions before taking action?
November 20, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Tessa Munt MP highlights how Germany is taking post-infectious diseases seriously, committing €500m over 10 years to research #MECFS & #LongCOVID. She asks if the UK Government will make a comparable commitment, or wait a decade for the Germans’ conclusions before taking action?
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Today is Trans Day Of Remembrance
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
November 20, 2025 at 6:58 AM
Today is Trans Day Of Remembrance
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
#TransLivesMatter #TDoR #TDoR2025 #TransDayOfRemembrance #TransAwarenessWeek #SayTheirNames
*** Trigger warning for the following thread: Violence against trans people (especially TWOC) * * *
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Excellent public health messaging from New York City!!
Be the happy peace sign waving emoji instead of the sick and sniffling emoji.
How can you do that?
Wear a mask! Ideally a respirator like an N95.
It’ll help keep you and your community safe.
Be the happy peace sign waving emoji instead of the sick and sniffling emoji.
How can you do that?
Wear a mask! Ideally a respirator like an N95.
It’ll help keep you and your community safe.
November 19, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Excellent public health messaging from New York City!!
Be the happy peace sign waving emoji instead of the sick and sniffling emoji.
How can you do that?
Wear a mask! Ideally a respirator like an N95.
It’ll help keep you and your community safe.
Be the happy peace sign waving emoji instead of the sick and sniffling emoji.
How can you do that?
Wear a mask! Ideally a respirator like an N95.
It’ll help keep you and your community safe.
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Those remaining supporters need to remember that this Labour government went after trans healthcare in Week 1.
November 18, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Those remaining supporters need to remember that this Labour government went after trans healthcare in Week 1.
If I was Supreme Ruler, I'd ban the use of hold music with a looping time of less than ten minutes.
November 19, 2025 at 2:28 PM
If I was Supreme Ruler, I'd ban the use of hold music with a looping time of less than ten minutes.
Reposted by Fergus Murray
No no no, I think you're misunderstanding the idea. Altman is proposing creating huge data centres full of *Acorn* Electrons. It's that sort of out-of-the-box thinking that I just can't compete with. Imagine how much AI you can do with en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_E...
Acorn Electron - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 19, 2025 at 10:09 AM
No no no, I think you're misunderstanding the idea. Altman is proposing creating huge data centres full of *Acorn* Electrons. It's that sort of out-of-the-box thinking that I just can't compete with. Imagine how much AI you can do with en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_E...
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Final trailer! Wake Up Dead Man is in theaters 11/26 and on Netflix 12/12. Can’t WAIT for you all to see it. #wakeupdeadman
November 17, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Final trailer! Wake Up Dead Man is in theaters 11/26 and on Netflix 12/12. Can’t WAIT for you all to see it. #wakeupdeadman
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Asylum seekers aren't crying and terrified all the time and that makes the Daily Express mad
November 19, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Asylum seekers aren't crying and terrified all the time and that makes the Daily Express mad
This is something I wouldn't necessarily expect the average person off the street to understand, but the head of an AI company thinking there are *not enough electrons* is deeply offensive to me as a physics person.
All ordinary matter is full of electrons. In metals, they are free to move around.
All ordinary matter is full of electrons. In metals, they are free to move around.
I laughed at loud. These people are so pathetic; our enemies are numbskulls. They will kill us all and still not know hs physics.
COWEN: The stupidest question possible: Why don’t we just make more GPUs?
ALTMAN: Because we need to make more electrons.
conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/sam...
COWEN: The stupidest question possible: Why don’t we just make more GPUs?
ALTMAN: Because we need to make more electrons.
conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/sam...
November 19, 2025 at 9:54 AM
This is something I wouldn't necessarily expect the average person off the street to understand, but the head of an AI company thinking there are *not enough electrons* is deeply offensive to me as a physics person.
All ordinary matter is full of electrons. In metals, they are free to move around.
All ordinary matter is full of electrons. In metals, they are free to move around.
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Ear defenders are inexpensive and dont inconvenience anyone. The only reason to go after people using them like this is if you are in principle against inclusion and desegregation. Reform is a fascist party and disabled people are one of fheir key targets.
www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...
www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...
Reform UK’s Richard Tice says children wearing ear defenders in school is ‘insane’
Tice was outlining Reform’s Doge (Department of government efficiency) unit’s progress
www.independent.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Ear defenders are inexpensive and dont inconvenience anyone. The only reason to go after people using them like this is if you are in principle against inclusion and desegregation. Reform is a fascist party and disabled people are one of fheir key targets.
www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...
www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...
Reposted by Fergus Murray
What was I saying two years ago? I said: there is no plan here, they think they’ll win then everyone will be so happy at being governed by them that the economy will boom. Because that’s what happened last time, isn’t it. That’s what all the chat about the imminent sunny optimism and Good Vibes was.
Lack of planning has hit Labour’s efforts to fix public services, says thinktank
Keir Starmer accused of failing to adequately strategise while in opposition, leading to uncoordinated policymaking
www.theguardian.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:43 AM
What was I saying two years ago? I said: there is no plan here, they think they’ll win then everyone will be so happy at being governed by them that the economy will boom. Because that’s what happened last time, isn’t it. That’s what all the chat about the imminent sunny optimism and Good Vibes was.
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Germany set to allocate 500 millions euros in 10 years for the study of post-infectious diseases such as Long Covid and ME/CFS
www.bmftr.bund.de/SharedDocs/K...
www.bmftr.bund.de/SharedDocs/K...
www.bmftr.bund.de
November 14, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Germany set to allocate 500 millions euros in 10 years for the study of post-infectious diseases such as Long Covid and ME/CFS
www.bmftr.bund.de/SharedDocs/K...
www.bmftr.bund.de/SharedDocs/K...
Reposted by Fergus Murray
💻Live Q&A - Monotropism and Autistic Parenting
Helen Edgar will be joining Tanya Adkin live on our public Facebook page for a Q&A session on the topic of Monotropism and Autistic Parenting.
🗓️Tuesday 25th November at 7pm.
fb.me/e/88MNXwHwA
Helen Edgar will be joining Tanya Adkin live on our public Facebook page for a Q&A session on the topic of Monotropism and Autistic Parenting.
🗓️Tuesday 25th November at 7pm.
fb.me/e/88MNXwHwA
November 18, 2025 at 6:42 PM
💻Live Q&A - Monotropism and Autistic Parenting
Helen Edgar will be joining Tanya Adkin live on our public Facebook page for a Q&A session on the topic of Monotropism and Autistic Parenting.
🗓️Tuesday 25th November at 7pm.
fb.me/e/88MNXwHwA
Helen Edgar will be joining Tanya Adkin live on our public Facebook page for a Q&A session on the topic of Monotropism and Autistic Parenting.
🗓️Tuesday 25th November at 7pm.
fb.me/e/88MNXwHwA
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Moderation mistakes happen, will always happen
It’s how they are handled that matters most and this site’s failure to reinstate Link is a simply unforgivable own goal that would have been readily rectified
It’s how they are handled that matters most and this site’s failure to reinstate Link is a simply unforgivable own goal that would have been readily rectified
November 18, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Moderation mistakes happen, will always happen
It’s how they are handled that matters most and this site’s failure to reinstate Link is a simply unforgivable own goal that would have been readily rectified
It’s how they are handled that matters most and this site’s failure to reinstate Link is a simply unforgivable own goal that would have been readily rectified
Reposted by Fergus Murray
It's difficult to come to conclusions in electoral politics with strong empirical backing. The sample sizes are small, the circumstances are wildly different each time. But conceding to far right framing on immigration has happened so often to no avail that you can definitively call it a failure.
November 17, 2025 at 4:32 PM
It's difficult to come to conclusions in electoral politics with strong empirical backing. The sample sizes are small, the circumstances are wildly different each time. But conceding to far right framing on immigration has happened so often to no avail that you can definitively call it a failure.
Reposted by Fergus Murray
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
Reposted by Fergus Murray
Part 158 of 200 in historically interesting things to inspire your ttrpg
16th century German ring that unfolds into an astronomical sphere
16th century German ring that unfolds into an astronomical sphere
November 18, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Part 158 of 200 in historically interesting things to inspire your ttrpg
16th century German ring that unfolds into an astronomical sphere
16th century German ring that unfolds into an astronomical sphere
I wouldn't normally support imprisonment for something like this, but "fines and the appointment of security guards had failed to stop Mr Burke and there was no other option left but to imprison him again.
The judge has also ruled that criminal contempt proceedings should be taken against Mr Burke"
The judge has also ruled that criminal contempt proceedings should be taken against Mr Burke"
"The judge described this as the "grotesque behaviour" of a teacher putting his own "ridiculous sense of himself" above the needs of pupils. He said Mr Burke was willing to sacrifice the pupils of the school on the altar of his fanatical campaign against transgenderism." www.rte.ie/news/ireland...
High Court orders Enoch Burke be imprisoned immediately
The High Court has said that Enoch Burke and his family have engaged in the most deliberate, sustained and concerted attack on the civil courts and the rule of law in this country in recent times and ...
www.rte.ie
November 18, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I wouldn't normally support imprisonment for something like this, but "fines and the appointment of security guards had failed to stop Mr Burke and there was no other option left but to imprison him again.
The judge has also ruled that criminal contempt proceedings should be taken against Mr Burke"
The judge has also ruled that criminal contempt proceedings should be taken against Mr Burke"
Reposted by Fergus Murray
My trailblazing game industry bad-ass friend Rebecca Heineman has passed away.
Fuck cancer.
Friends, let’s not forget her: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca...
Fuck cancer.
Friends, let’s not forget her: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca...
Rebecca Heineman - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 17, 2025 at 9:52 PM
My trailblazing game industry bad-ass friend Rebecca Heineman has passed away.
Fuck cancer.
Friends, let’s not forget her: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca...
Fuck cancer.
Friends, let’s not forget her: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca...
Reposted by Fergus Murray
This passage from Jean Boulton’s ‘The Dao of Complexity’ nearly sums up my frustration with mechanical, linear ‘theories of change’ (as per conversation earlier).
#theoryofchange #complexity
#theoryofchange #complexity
November 26, 2024 at 1:43 PM
This passage from Jean Boulton’s ‘The Dao of Complexity’ nearly sums up my frustration with mechanical, linear ‘theories of change’ (as per conversation earlier).
#theoryofchange #complexity
#theoryofchange #complexity
Reposted by Fergus Murray
'Every single Labour MP needs to look to their conscience'
Zack hits the nail on the head!
Zack hits the nail on the head!
A Government of cowards.
Rather than tackle inequality - they've gone for pensioners, disabled people and now it's people fleeing war and persecution.
They can't get away with this.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
Rather than tackle inequality - they've gone for pensioners, disabled people and now it's people fleeing war and persecution.
They can't get away with this.
Join.greenparty.org.uk
November 18, 2025 at 9:41 AM
'Every single Labour MP needs to look to their conscience'
Zack hits the nail on the head!
Zack hits the nail on the head!
Reposted by Fergus Murray
And also how the international anti-trans movement is driven by opposition to LGBT rights and women’s rights in general.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
A good explainer on how the far right in politics and the church invented 'trans ideology' and pushed it as an existential threat.
A good explainer on how the far right in politics and the church invented 'trans ideology' and pushed it as an existential threat.
How the right uses "gender ideology" to blame trans people for everything
MAGA learned from global autocrats the language needed to push fear.
www.motherjones.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:44 AM
And also how the international anti-trans movement is driven by opposition to LGBT rights and women’s rights in general.
Mahmood trying to tell us she'd be this wildly racist even if Reform didn't exist to compare themselves with.
Interesting.
Interesting.
Green MP Carla Denyer accuses Shabana Mahmood of trying to "out Reform Reform" and says "toxic racist narratives and the scapegoating of migrants" are to blame for "tearing our country apart" not migrants.
Mahmood: "I couldn't care less what any other political party has to say about these matters"
Mahmood: "I couldn't care less what any other political party has to say about these matters"
November 18, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Mahmood trying to tell us she'd be this wildly racist even if Reform didn't exist to compare themselves with.
Interesting.
Interesting.