Dr Martin Roberts
@robertsmartino.bsky.social
Medieval & Early Modern Historian (PhD Nottingham 2020). Writes about C16 Church Courts. Postdoctoral Researcher @ University of Lincoln. Once a lawyer. Still overweight. Increasingly bald. Never keen on Fascists. Philogynist.
Pinned
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
News – University of Nottingham secures funding grant for groundbreaking research on early British voices and identities
https://www.europesays.com/uk/595100/
Wednesday, 26 November 2025
What did the voices of Britain sound like during and after…#uk #news #uknews
https://www.europesays.com/uk/595100/
Wednesday, 26 November 2025
What did the voices of Britain sound like during and after…#uk #news #uknews
News - University of Nottingham secures funding grant for groundbreaking research on early British voices and identities - United Kingdom
What did the voices of Britain sound like during and after the Roman period? How did early British communities construct and represent their identities, and
www.europesays.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM
News – University of Nottingham secures funding grant for groundbreaking research on early British voices and identities
https://www.europesays.com/uk/595100/
Wednesday, 26 November 2025
What did the voices of Britain sound like during and after…#uk #news #uknews
https://www.europesays.com/uk/595100/
Wednesday, 26 November 2025
What did the voices of Britain sound like during and after…#uk #news #uknews
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
Feuding neighbours, adultery, defamation, witchcraft...👀 welcome to the wonderful world of Early Modern Church Court Records! ✒️
Learn to decipher these important historical texts and unlock unrivalled insight into Early Modern life, online and at your own pace: imemsdurhamlearn.com/working-with...
Learn to decipher these important historical texts and unlock unrivalled insight into Early Modern life, online and at your own pace: imemsdurhamlearn.com/working-with...
November 26, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Feuding neighbours, adultery, defamation, witchcraft...👀 welcome to the wonderful world of Early Modern Church Court Records! ✒️
Learn to decipher these important historical texts and unlock unrivalled insight into Early Modern life, online and at your own pace: imemsdurhamlearn.com/working-with...
Learn to decipher these important historical texts and unlock unrivalled insight into Early Modern life, online and at your own pace: imemsdurhamlearn.com/working-with...
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
I referred to it in my publication, Harming Children. TBF it included all anti-trans measures including social & legal oppression, not just puberty blockers.
Now however the government is introducing Section 28 for trans kids, it is doing pretty much everything these Republican states did.
Now however the government is introducing Section 28 for trans kids, it is doing pretty much everything these Republican states did.
Harming children: the effects of the UK puberty blocker ban
This paper presents an analysis of data from trans children and young people and their parents following the imposition of a UK-wide ban on puberty blockers for this group. The consequences of this...
www.tandfonline.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:19 PM
I referred to it in my publication, Harming Children. TBF it included all anti-trans measures including social & legal oppression, not just puberty blockers.
Now however the government is introducing Section 28 for trans kids, it is doing pretty much everything these Republican states did.
Now however the government is introducing Section 28 for trans kids, it is doing pretty much everything these Republican states did.
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
This research was published 14 months ago. In *Nature*.
Three months BEFORE Wes Streeting announced a "permanent ban" on puberty-blockers.
& yesterday, the Tories insisted you don't even need a clinical trial to keep that ban, forever...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Three months BEFORE Wes Streeting announced a "permanent ban" on puberty-blockers.
& yesterday, the Tories insisted you don't even need a clinical trial to keep that ban, forever...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Evidence has now emerged of the adverse consequences of the laws banning GAHT for trans youth in both the US and UK. This includes sharp declines in mental health and increased suicide attempts among transgender young people.
t.co/YZaiSgdDAl
t.co/YZaiSgdDAl
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-01979-5
t.co
November 26, 2025 at 10:38 AM
This research was published 14 months ago. In *Nature*.
Three months BEFORE Wes Streeting announced a "permanent ban" on puberty-blockers.
& yesterday, the Tories insisted you don't even need a clinical trial to keep that ban, forever...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Three months BEFORE Wes Streeting announced a "permanent ban" on puberty-blockers.
& yesterday, the Tories insisted you don't even need a clinical trial to keep that ban, forever...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
What a tremendous theme! Wish I could go!!
Our final event of term is happening this Thursday (27 November) Dr Nailya Shamgunova @nailyas.bsky.social on 'English and Scottish Scholars at the Global Library, c. 1500-1700'. ✨📚 This talk will be in-person only at the IHR. You can sign up here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
English and Scottish Scholars at the Global Library, c. 1500-1700
This talk introduces the UKRI-funded Future Leaders project, The Global Library project.
www.history.ac.uk
November 26, 2025 at 12:43 PM
What a tremendous theme! Wish I could go!!
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
It highlights how much people misunderstand how research works. It’s much more ruling out what doesn’t work than the eureka moment and coloured liquid in curly glass tubes that people are led to believe.
November 26, 2025 at 10:41 AM
It highlights how much people misunderstand how research works. It’s much more ruling out what doesn’t work than the eureka moment and coloured liquid in curly glass tubes that people are led to believe.
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
Yes, definitely. This idea of ultra concentration and specialisation is naive about the way that research is done and how we achieve good outcomes from it.
November 26, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Yes, definitely. This idea of ultra concentration and specialisation is naive about the way that research is done and how we achieve good outcomes from it.
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
Also the incremental way within any project that 'excellent' research emerges, with waystations that may not be 'excellent' enabling publications that are.
November 26, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Also the incremental way within any project that 'excellent' research emerges, with waystations that may not be 'excellent' enabling publications that are.
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
The other problem with this is that research is a type of spread bet/lottery. You do lots of it and hope some of it pans out. If we had a perfect way of selecting which small bits of science and scholarship we "need", we'd have solved the funding problem. But we don't know this.
'Science minister Patrick Vallance has rejected concerns that focusing on “doing fewer things better” in research will lead to funding being concentrated in larger research-intensive universities from the Russell Group.' 1/3
Post-16 plan ‘not recipe for Russell Group domination’ – Vallance
Science minister dismisses as ‘bizarre’ fears that government push for ‘teaching-only’ specialists will further concentrate research activity in small number of institutions
www.timeshighereducation.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:11 AM
The other problem with this is that research is a type of spread bet/lottery. You do lots of it and hope some of it pans out. If we had a perfect way of selecting which small bits of science and scholarship we "need", we'd have solved the funding problem. But we don't know this.
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
If only new books also came with the gift of some time to read them :)
Just listened to @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social talking about topics of his new book, and it was so interesting. Now I have to get hands on the book (and find some time to read it, which is much more difficult.) www.historyextra.com/membership/1... #medievalsky
11th-century Europe: not just the Norman Conquest
Charles West explains how the 11th century saw a raft of major changes and a plethora of significant events that extend beyond the Norman Conquest
www.historyextra.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:36 AM
If only new books also came with the gift of some time to read them :)
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
7 x 3000+ students + 17 smaller institutions must mean 30,000+ affected students. That’s about the same size as Sheffield uni, which employs 8000ish staff. Why is the government tolerating the impending collapse of up to 24 related employers and 8000+ more lost jobs? Where is the sense of crisis?
Chief exec of OfS 'said the OfS believes there are 24 institutions at risk of exiting the market in the next 12 months, seven of which are large providers with more than 3,000 students. There are another 25 or so institutions of various sizes at risk over a two- to three-year period, she added.'
Seven ‘large providers’ at risk of going under in the next year
Skills minister says no higher education institutions are at imminent risk of collapse this year but OfS confirms more than 20 providers are being closely monitored
www.timeshighereducation.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:57 AM
7 x 3000+ students + 17 smaller institutions must mean 30,000+ affected students. That’s about the same size as Sheffield uni, which employs 8000ish staff. Why is the government tolerating the impending collapse of up to 24 related employers and 8000+ more lost jobs? Where is the sense of crisis?
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
And still nobody cares
Chief exec of OfS 'said the OfS believes there are 24 institutions at risk of exiting the market in the next 12 months, seven of which are large providers with more than 3,000 students. There are another 25 or so institutions of various sizes at risk over a two- to three-year period, she added.'
Seven ‘large providers’ at risk of going under in the next year
Skills minister says no higher education institutions are at imminent risk of collapse this year but OfS confirms more than 20 providers are being closely monitored
www.timeshighereducation.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 AM
And still nobody cares
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
November 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
The media really will treat LLMs as human before they give trans people the same courtesy
November 25, 2025 at 9:39 PM
The media really will treat LLMs as human before they give trans people the same courtesy
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
I want David Lammy to read this particular case. I want him to understand what it means.
November 25, 2025 at 9:35 PM
I want David Lammy to read this particular case. I want him to understand what it means.
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
The literal Habeas Corpus Act, the thing itself! was enacted to destroy Star Chamber and everything it represented about arbitrary tyranny masquerading as 'justice''.
That was 1640.
How we doin' there mister Lawyer Labour Prime Minister? How we doin'?
That was 1640.
How we doin' there mister Lawyer Labour Prime Minister? How we doin'?
Jury trials in England and Wales to be scrapped except for most serious cases on.ft.com/3LY1Ceq
Jury trials in England and Wales to be scrapped except for most serious cases
Proposed changes unlikely to apply for trials of serious offences such as rape and murder
on.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:20 PM
The literal Habeas Corpus Act, the thing itself! was enacted to destroy Star Chamber and everything it represented about arbitrary tyranny masquerading as 'justice''.
That was 1640.
How we doin' there mister Lawyer Labour Prime Minister? How we doin'?
That was 1640.
How we doin' there mister Lawyer Labour Prime Minister? How we doin'?
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
What? Bridget, you and Labour are destroying universities - why won’t you help with the many crises across UKHE? That target won’t be reached because there won’t be provision for them to attend - especially when they’ll presumably have to live at home
Always the way, isn't it? Graduate from top uni says other people shouldn't aspire to go to university.
The Prime Minister's target – two thirds of young people getting a degree or an apprenticeship – is the right one. Only Labour backs our young people.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
The Prime Minister's target – two thirds of young people getting a degree or an apprenticeship – is the right one. Only Labour backs our young people.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Reform UK bigwig who went to top university says fewer others should do the same
Reform UK's former chairman calls for "fewer people going to university" after benefiting from a degree from one of the country's most prestigious ones himself
www.mirror.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 7:33 PM
What? Bridget, you and Labour are destroying universities - why won’t you help with the many crises across UKHE? That target won’t be reached because there won’t be provision for them to attend - especially when they’ll presumably have to live at home
As below, please sign.
Calling all Brits, this is a really important petition.
Please sign it!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Please sign it!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...
petition.parliament.uk
November 25, 2025 at 3:38 PM
As below, please sign.
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
For years, anti-trans activists have campaigned to stop children from receiving gender-affirming care because "there's just not enough evidence" that puberty blockers are safe (even though there is: www.thepinknews.com/2024/09/10/p...).
Puberty blockers are 'safe, effective and reversible', study finds
Puberty blockers are safe, effective, and reversible according to an independent review commissioned by the NSW government in Australia.
www.thepinknews.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:50 AM
For years, anti-trans activists have campaigned to stop children from receiving gender-affirming care because "there's just not enough evidence" that puberty blockers are safe (even though there is: www.thepinknews.com/2024/09/10/p...).
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
I don't know the criminal standard specifically but Linehan did say *in court* that he was motivated by the victim's status as a trans person. If a clear statement of explicit prejudice isn't enough then you need a new standard.
news.sky.com/story/bluesk...
news.sky.com/story/bluesk...
November 25, 2025 at 1:28 PM
I don't know the criminal standard specifically but Linehan did say *in court* that he was motivated by the victim's status as a trans person. If a clear statement of explicit prejudice isn't enough then you need a new standard.
news.sky.com/story/bluesk...
news.sky.com/story/bluesk...
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
It's weird to not only have lived through an information revolution but also now living through its undoing, all within less than a generation.
Google at its peak was basically the best information retrieval system in human history and they and every competitor decided going from there to “you didn’t want answers you wanted half-assed auto-complete 80%-wrong hallucinations” in a few years was the right idea
November 25, 2025 at 12:19 PM
It's weird to not only have lived through an information revolution but also now living through its undoing, all within less than a generation.
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
Wow. Just wow. A decision in direct conflict with all the ideals of the Reith Lectures.
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Wow. Just wow. A decision in direct conflict with all the ideals of the Reith Lectures.
Thread.
"A system built on specialisation, efficiency", that right there is the death knell for the current university system in the UK, if (big if) government pushes it through. They actively don't want HE to grow, they will intervene, apparently, to help it shrink.
per this morning's education committee.
per this morning's education committee.
November 25, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Thread.
Have you seen this @goodlawproject.org and @profaliceroberts.bsky.social as per your recent conversation?
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Have you seen this @goodlawproject.org and @profaliceroberts.bsky.social as per your recent conversation?
Reposted by Dr Martin Roberts
BBC censoring its own Reith Lecturer. Jaw droppingly bad.
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:52 AM
BBC censoring its own Reith Lecturer. Jaw droppingly bad.