Gav Roberts
@polnoon.bsky.social
Music, copyright, environment, humour
https://Linktr.ee/polnoon
https://Linktr.ee/polnoon
Reposted by Gav Roberts
It gives us great pleasure to reveal the full artist line-up for Counterflows Festival, 9-12th April 2026 in Glasgow ❤️
The final allocation of festival passes are now on sale
www.counterflows.com
The final allocation of festival passes are now on sale
www.counterflows.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:01 AM
It gives us great pleasure to reveal the full artist line-up for Counterflows Festival, 9-12th April 2026 in Glasgow ❤️
The final allocation of festival passes are now on sale
www.counterflows.com
The final allocation of festival passes are now on sale
www.counterflows.com
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Open up this picture fully.
Then look at the surface of Mars.
Then look up to the top right.
Spot Mars' moon Phobos high in the sky.
Then notice the bright spot beside Phobos.
That's Earth.
Then look at the surface of Mars.
Then look up to the top right.
Spot Mars' moon Phobos high in the sky.
Then notice the bright spot beside Phobos.
That's Earth.
December 30, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Open up this picture fully.
Then look at the surface of Mars.
Then look up to the top right.
Spot Mars' moon Phobos high in the sky.
Then notice the bright spot beside Phobos.
That's Earth.
Then look at the surface of Mars.
Then look up to the top right.
Spot Mars' moon Phobos high in the sky.
Then notice the bright spot beside Phobos.
That's Earth.
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Please join me in welcoming to the public domain such works as the 1930 Best Picture All Quiet on the Western Front, Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, several Nancy Drew books, some songs you've heard of (Dream a Little Dream of Me; Georgia on My Mind), and more:
blog.archive.org/2026/01/01/w...
blog.archive.org/2026/01/01/w...
Welcome to the Public Domain in 2026 | Internet Archive Blogs
blog.archive.org
January 2, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Please join me in welcoming to the public domain such works as the 1930 Best Picture All Quiet on the Western Front, Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, several Nancy Drew books, some songs you've heard of (Dream a Little Dream of Me; Georgia on My Mind), and more:
blog.archive.org/2026/01/01/w...
blog.archive.org/2026/01/01/w...
Reposted by Gav Roberts
pound for pound this might be the funniest thing ever written
December 31, 2025 at 6:15 PM
pound for pound this might be the funniest thing ever written
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Rare footage of St Paul’s Cathedral testing its giant flamethrower
December 21, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Rare footage of St Paul’s Cathedral testing its giant flamethrower
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Imagine posing for a photographer friend who sells your image to iStock and a year later, you see this is what The Washington Post has done with the image of you walking on a beautiful fall day
November 29, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Imagine posing for a photographer friend who sells your image to iStock and a year later, you see this is what The Washington Post has done with the image of you walking on a beautiful fall day
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
November 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Around a quarter of the world's population are affected by insomnia. Sleepless Planet is the result of Maureen Burdock's investigations into the causes. It's going to help a lot of folk. @psupress.bsky.social
theslingsandarrows.com/sleepless-pl...
theslingsandarrows.com/sleepless-pl...
November 12, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Around a quarter of the world's population are affected by insomnia. Sleepless Planet is the result of Maureen Burdock's investigations into the causes. It's going to help a lot of folk. @psupress.bsky.social
theslingsandarrows.com/sleepless-pl...
theslingsandarrows.com/sleepless-pl...
Reposted by Gav Roberts
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 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
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.
🧪🧬🧫
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Folk often ask me what I would do by way of land reform legislation. Have a read of this blog to find out. It seems pointless to do much further detailed work since there is so little appetite for such measures andywightman.scot/2023/12/land...
Land for the People (Scotland) Bill - Land Matters
Introduction This blog introduces my proposals for a comprehensive Land Reform Bill - one that goes far further than existing proposals in reforming Scotland’s land governance. I plan to publish furth...
andywightman.scot
November 5, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Folk often ask me what I would do by way of land reform legislation. Have a read of this blog to find out. It seems pointless to do much further detailed work since there is so little appetite for such measures andywightman.scot/2023/12/land...
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Comic con today included trying to explain the concept of a rom com to a Dalek
October 25, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Comic con today included trying to explain the concept of a rom com to a Dalek
Reposted by Gav Roberts
One of these rich dudes invested in a food company with all proceeds going to kids in need. The other started Sundance Institute, boosting the lives of countless artists. Hey modern rich dudes, don't be a typical greedy AI crypto-prick, be like these two.
September 16, 2025 at 7:31 PM
One of these rich dudes invested in a food company with all proceeds going to kids in need. The other started Sundance Institute, boosting the lives of countless artists. Hey modern rich dudes, don't be a typical greedy AI crypto-prick, be like these two.
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Timeless humour!
A 2,000 year-old Roman souvenir pen with a joke inscription roughly equivalent to:
“I went to Rome and all I got you was this cheap pen!" 😂
Dated circa 70 AD, this iron stylus pen was recovered in London during excavations by MOLA.
📷 Juan Jose Fuldain/MOLA
#Archaeology
A 2,000 year-old Roman souvenir pen with a joke inscription roughly equivalent to:
“I went to Rome and all I got you was this cheap pen!" 😂
Dated circa 70 AD, this iron stylus pen was recovered in London during excavations by MOLA.
📷 Juan Jose Fuldain/MOLA
#Archaeology
![The photo shows four images of the same Roman iron stylus pen, one below the other. The knib to the left. It has an inscription which runs along its length on four sides. The four images show the four lines of inscribed text which read:
‘ab urbe v[e]n[i] munus tibi
gratum adf(e)ro
acul[eat]um ut habe[a]s memor[ia]m nostra(m)
rogo si fortuna dar[e]t quo possem
largius ut longa via ceu sacculus est (v)acuus’
‘I have come from the City. I bring you a welcome gift
with a sharp point that you may remember me.
I ask, if fortune allowed, that I might be able (to give)
as generously as the way is long (and) as my purse is empty.’
The pen was used to write on wax-filled wooden writing tablets. Found in London (Roman ‘Londinium’) by MOLA. Photo by Juan Jose Fuldain/MOLA](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:j56ydp325adovobhwpkzc6sp/bafkreifzhfymde7cyrv2i7fu7e2v33veporn5rsywwi2rqdgswkxpj6xre@jpeg)
September 6, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Timeless humour!
A 2,000 year-old Roman souvenir pen with a joke inscription roughly equivalent to:
“I went to Rome and all I got you was this cheap pen!" 😂
Dated circa 70 AD, this iron stylus pen was recovered in London during excavations by MOLA.
📷 Juan Jose Fuldain/MOLA
#Archaeology
A 2,000 year-old Roman souvenir pen with a joke inscription roughly equivalent to:
“I went to Rome and all I got you was this cheap pen!" 😂
Dated circa 70 AD, this iron stylus pen was recovered in London during excavations by MOLA.
📷 Juan Jose Fuldain/MOLA
#Archaeology
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Artist’s painting of a hippo on a flake of limestone 🦛❤️
Perhaps a practice sketch, or just for the joy of painting 3,500 years ago!
From Deir el-Bahri, Thebes, Egypt, c. 1479–1425 BC. 📷 The Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
#Archaeology
Perhaps a practice sketch, or just for the joy of painting 3,500 years ago!
From Deir el-Bahri, Thebes, Egypt, c. 1479–1425 BC. 📷 The Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
#Archaeology
August 27, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Artist’s painting of a hippo on a flake of limestone 🦛❤️
Perhaps a practice sketch, or just for the joy of painting 3,500 years ago!
From Deir el-Bahri, Thebes, Egypt, c. 1479–1425 BC. 📷 The Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
#Archaeology
Perhaps a practice sketch, or just for the joy of painting 3,500 years ago!
From Deir el-Bahri, Thebes, Egypt, c. 1479–1425 BC. 📷 The Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
#Archaeology
Reposted by Gav Roberts
New from Free Movement: Briefing: the sorry state of the UK asylum system | Colin Yeo
freemovement.org.uk/briefing-the...
freemovement.org.uk/briefing-the...
Briefing: the sorry state of the UK asylum system - Free Movement
In this briefing we will take a look at what is really going on with the main features of the contemporary asylum system: arrivals, the backlog, detention,
freemovement.org.uk
August 27, 2025 at 8:17 AM
New from Free Movement: Briefing: the sorry state of the UK asylum system | Colin Yeo
freemovement.org.uk/briefing-the...
freemovement.org.uk/briefing-the...
Reposted by Gav Roberts
The shift away from Google and Microsoft will surely gain momentum in the next few years... I'd be strongly in favor of the EU subsidizing open source alternatives to all this enshittification
www.zdnet.com/article/the-...
www.zdnet.com/article/the-...
August 23, 2025 at 9:50 AM
The shift away from Google and Microsoft will surely gain momentum in the next few years... I'd be strongly in favor of the EU subsidizing open source alternatives to all this enshittification
www.zdnet.com/article/the-...
www.zdnet.com/article/the-...
Reposted by Gav Roberts
This is so good.
Historians are often tempted to tell you something is "worth about X in today's dollars." Here's why I think you should not do that, and what I think you should do instead
buttondown.com/anotherway/a...
buttondown.com/anotherway/a...
Please Stop Putting Very Old Things in "Today's Dollars"
Instead, do this
buttondown.com
August 12, 2025 at 11:22 PM
This is so good.
Reposted by Gav Roberts
These are my favourite kinds of artefacts and art - things that are ridiculously old (at the top end this is closing in on 6000 years old) but it has so much soul and whimsy. Look at its little feet!
Almost 6,000 years and we're still the same. We have always made silly little things.
Almost 6,000 years and we're still the same. We have always made silly little things.
An ancient handmade bowl with human feet to bring a smile to your face!
The bowl tips slightly forwards as if offering its contents!
Predynastic Egypt, Naqada period c. 3700-3450 BC.
At the Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
📷 by me
#Archaeology
The bowl tips slightly forwards as if offering its contents!
Predynastic Egypt, Naqada period c. 3700-3450 BC.
At the Met www.metmuseum.org/art/collecti...
📷 by me
#Archaeology
August 20, 2025 at 3:51 PM
These are my favourite kinds of artefacts and art - things that are ridiculously old (at the top end this is closing in on 6000 years old) but it has so much soul and whimsy. Look at its little feet!
Almost 6,000 years and we're still the same. We have always made silly little things.
Almost 6,000 years and we're still the same. We have always made silly little things.
Reposted by Gav Roberts
You may not have seen In. by New Yorker cartoonist Will McPhail. Take a look. It's a charming look at someone navigating modern life handicapped by being all broadcast with no reception.
theslingsandarrows.com/in/
theslingsandarrows.com/in/
August 17, 2025 at 7:12 AM
You may not have seen In. by New Yorker cartoonist Will McPhail. Take a look. It's a charming look at someone navigating modern life handicapped by being all broadcast with no reception.
theslingsandarrows.com/in/
theslingsandarrows.com/in/
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Good to see Formula 1 management employing subtitles at races 👍
August 3, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Good to see Formula 1 management employing subtitles at races 👍
Reposted by Gav Roberts
Huge and happy congrats to this brilliant ensemble of finalists!
@yarntheory.bsky.social
@edenrobins.bsky.social
@nghivo.bsky.social
@andreahairston.bsky.social
@margaret.bsky.social
@vajra.me
@vandroidhelsing.bsky.social
@nalohop.bsky.social
@yarntheory.bsky.social
@edenrobins.bsky.social
@nghivo.bsky.social
@andreahairston.bsky.social
@margaret.bsky.social
@vajra.me
@vandroidhelsing.bsky.social
@nalohop.bsky.social
We're thrilled to present the shortlist for the 2025 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction:
June 18, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Huge and happy congrats to this brilliant ensemble of finalists!
@yarntheory.bsky.social
@edenrobins.bsky.social
@nghivo.bsky.social
@andreahairston.bsky.social
@margaret.bsky.social
@vajra.me
@vandroidhelsing.bsky.social
@nalohop.bsky.social
@yarntheory.bsky.social
@edenrobins.bsky.social
@nghivo.bsky.social
@andreahairston.bsky.social
@margaret.bsky.social
@vajra.me
@vandroidhelsing.bsky.social
@nalohop.bsky.social
Never been a huge fan of VR (probably just my age) - so I do like this description “cultural academic Keren Zaiontx coined a sharp term for our consumption of immersive entertainment: “narcissistic soectatorship” via New Scientist …
June 21, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Never been a huge fan of VR (probably just my age) - so I do like this description “cultural academic Keren Zaiontx coined a sharp term for our consumption of immersive entertainment: “narcissistic soectatorship” via New Scientist …
Reposted by Gav Roberts
The Jaws image, you know the one, is and it turns out always has been public domain.
And when I see fascinating Jaws info I immediately think of @pftompkins.bsky.social
cc: @ferociousj.bsky.social
ironicsans.ghost.io/how-the-jaws...
And when I see fascinating Jaws info I immediately think of @pftompkins.bsky.social
cc: @ferociousj.bsky.social
ironicsans.ghost.io/how-the-jaws...
It’s True: The JAWS Shark is Public Domain
A story with legal drama, a mystery, snow leopards, and, uh, naughty bits.
ironicsans.ghost.io
June 19, 2025 at 8:04 PM
The Jaws image, you know the one, is and it turns out always has been public domain.
And when I see fascinating Jaws info I immediately think of @pftompkins.bsky.social
cc: @ferociousj.bsky.social
ironicsans.ghost.io/how-the-jaws...
And when I see fascinating Jaws info I immediately think of @pftompkins.bsky.social
cc: @ferociousj.bsky.social
ironicsans.ghost.io/how-the-jaws...