Sam Learner
@samlearner.bsky.social
graphics/data journalist on the @financialtimes.com visual storytelling team
work: https://www.ft.com/sam-learner
projects: https://samlearner.com/projects
signal: samlearner.79
work: https://www.ft.com/sam-learner
projects: https://samlearner.com/projects
signal: samlearner.79
Pinned
Sam Learner
@samlearner.bsky.social
· Nov 12
River Runner Global
Watch the path of a raindrop from anywhere in the world
river-runner-global.samlearner.com
have migrated over here more, so making a quick thread of some visual stories/projects I’ve done over the past few years
starting with this river runner project from a couple years ago, which visualizes the path of a raindrop from anywhere on earth: river-runner-global.samlearner.com
starting with this river runner project from a couple years ago, which visualizes the path of a raindrop from anywhere on earth: river-runner-global.samlearner.com
"i htink weak thoughts?"
November 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
"i htink weak thoughts?"
Reposted by Sam Learner
power, data and birds on the loneliest road in america: www.ft.com/content/729d...
The AI boom comes to America’s loneliest place
Plans for a 230-mile transmission line threaten Nevada’s wilderness and have united hunters and wildlife groups
www.ft.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:21 PM
power, data and birds on the loneliest road in america: www.ft.com/content/729d...
Reposted by Sam Learner
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:56 AM
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
definitely starting to feel like the special election results were a more reliable indicator than the polling...
November 5, 2025 at 1:18 AM
definitely starting to feel like the special election results were a more reliable indicator than the polling...
making all of my friend's parents extremely jealous
October 31, 2025 at 12:34 AM
making all of my friend's parents extremely jealous
Reposted by Sam Learner
Per court filing, a federal immigration agent pointed a gun at a U.S. citizen protesting and told him “bang, bang,” and “you’re dead liberal.” From a weekend Loevy civil rights firm filing
October 27, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Per court filing, a federal immigration agent pointed a gun at a U.S. citizen protesting and told him “bang, bang,” and “you’re dead liberal.” From a weekend Loevy civil rights firm filing
from 2020-2022, I put about a dozen open source projects on the web and every year since, I suffer for it with my time/money/energy
long-term maintenance on this kind of thing is just impossible when it's not a full time job
long-term maintenance on this kind of thing is just impossible when it's not a full time job
October 22, 2025 at 1:27 AM
from 2020-2022, I put about a dozen open source projects on the web and every year since, I suffer for it with my time/money/energy
long-term maintenance on this kind of thing is just impossible when it's not a full time job
long-term maintenance on this kind of thing is just impossible when it's not a full time job
NEW: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Our story today on how storage is changing grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Our story today on how storage is changing grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Vast battery units are shoring up grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com
October 13, 2025 at 9:34 PM
NEW: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Our story today on how storage is changing grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Our story today on how storage is changing grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Reposted by Sam Learner
New: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution.
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Vast battery units are shoring up grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com
October 13, 2025 at 6:08 AM
New: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution.
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
A boom in grid-scale storage is solving renewables’ reliability problem and extending the use of clean power.
Latest visual story w/ @nassosstylianou.bsky.social @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social
🔋👉 ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Reposted by Sam Learner
NEW: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Massive shipping containers packed with powerful batteries are shoring up grids & extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Latest visual story w/ @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social @samjoiner.bsky.social
Massive shipping containers packed with powerful batteries are shoring up grids & extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Latest visual story w/ @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social @samjoiner.bsky.social
How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Vast battery units are shoring up grids and extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com
October 13, 2025 at 11:47 AM
NEW: How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Massive shipping containers packed with powerful batteries are shoring up grids & extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Latest visual story w/ @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social @samjoiner.bsky.social
Massive shipping containers packed with powerful batteries are shoring up grids & extending the use of clean power
ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...
Latest visual story w/ @samlearner.bsky.social @inari-ta.bsky.social @samjoiner.bsky.social
I'm just a guy with £50 of cash that I took out at the airport, wandering around London trying to find places that will accept it in exchange for the stuff that they're selling. you wouldn't believe how hard it's been
October 10, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I'm just a guy with £50 of cash that I took out at the airport, wandering around London trying to find places that will accept it in exchange for the stuff that they're selling. you wouldn't believe how hard it's been
first morning in London, thought I'd grab myself a traditional full english breakfast! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
October 6, 2025 at 10:16 AM
first morning in London, thought I'd grab myself a traditional full english breakfast! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Reposted by Sam Learner
LMAO the rule being used to block funding for the Hudson and Second Avenue projects appears to have only been drafted and posted as of last night. www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.go...
October 1, 2025 at 3:55 PM
LMAO the rule being used to block funding for the Hudson and Second Avenue projects appears to have only been drafted and posted as of last night. www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.go...
the red teamers who have been doing "adversarial testing" on this thing for 18 months seem to have overlooked "framing someone for a crime". alas!
October 1, 2025 at 1:36 AM
the red teamers who have been doing "adversarial testing" on this thing for 18 months seem to have overlooked "framing someone for a crime". alas!
Reposted by Sam Learner
1/ DEVELOPING: A journalist was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Hospital following another incident with an ICE agent at 26 Federal Plaza, an immigration court in NYC. The last I heard, he was getting X-rays for his lower back.
September 30, 2025 at 6:37 PM
1/ DEVELOPING: A journalist was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Hospital following another incident with an ICE agent at 26 Federal Plaza, an immigration court in NYC. The last I heard, he was getting X-rays for his lower back.
Reposted by Sam Learner
Today I spoke with Greg Bovino, a top U.S. Border Patrol chief, as he led dozens of feds in military gear through downtown Chicago.
He said they were arresting folks based on “how they look.”
“How do they look compared to, say, you?” he said, referring to me.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
He said they were arresting folks based on “how they look.”
“How do they look compared to, say, you?” he said, referring to me.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
Feds march into downtown Chicago; top border agent says people are arrested based on ‘how they look’
Immigration agents wearing tactical gear and carrying long guns made arrests in downtown Chicago and the River North neighborhood Sunday. “This is not making anybody safer — it’s a show of intimidatio...
chicago.suntimes.com
September 29, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Today I spoke with Greg Bovino, a top U.S. Border Patrol chief, as he led dozens of feds in military gear through downtown Chicago.
He said they were arresting folks based on “how they look.”
“How do they look compared to, say, you?” he said, referring to me.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
He said they were arresting folks based on “how they look.”
“How do they look compared to, say, you?” he said, referring to me.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
Reposted by Sam Learner
The Russian spy ship stalking Europe’s subsea cables on.ft.com/4nOeeCn
The Russian spy ship stalking Europe’s subsea cables
Covert operations in waters surrounding the British Isles pose a grave threat to critical infrastructure and a fresh challenge to Nato
on.ft.com
September 26, 2025 at 4:26 AM
The Russian spy ship stalking Europe’s subsea cables on.ft.com/4nOeeCn
Reposted by Sam Learner
NEW: Elon Musk keeps hyping Tesla’s FSD software, and getting more people to buy it is key to his new pay package. But in a recent test, it ignored standard street signs and even a flashing school bus stop sign – squashing mannequin child “Timmy.” Why is it legal? www.forbes.com/sites/alanoh...
Tesla’s Full-Self Driving Software Is A Mess. Should It Be Legal?
Elon Musk hypes the AI-enabled system, and getting more people to buy it is key to his new pay package. But in a recent test, it ignored some street signs and squashed a mannequin child.
www.forbes.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:22 PM
NEW: Elon Musk keeps hyping Tesla’s FSD software, and getting more people to buy it is key to his new pay package. But in a recent test, it ignored standard street signs and even a flashing school bus stop sign – squashing mannequin child “Timmy.” Why is it legal? www.forbes.com/sites/alanoh...
very complicated that interpreting the niche/dumb internet subculture references on the bullet engravings has real stakes
"is this a reference to 20th century Italian anti-fascism or an ironic groyper reference?"/"which kind of pepe is this?" don't seem like questions most media can grasp well
"is this a reference to 20th century Italian anti-fascism or an ironic groyper reference?"/"which kind of pepe is this?" don't seem like questions most media can grasp well
September 12, 2025 at 5:41 PM
very complicated that interpreting the niche/dumb internet subculture references on the bullet engravings has real stakes
"is this a reference to 20th century Italian anti-fascism or an ironic groyper reference?"/"which kind of pepe is this?" don't seem like questions most media can grasp well
"is this a reference to 20th century Italian anti-fascism or an ironic groyper reference?"/"which kind of pepe is this?" don't seem like questions most media can grasp well
NEW: How prediction markets are shaking up sports gambling in America
@okr.bsky.social and I on prediction markets' entry into sports contracts under Trump's CFTC and the resulting legal fights with states, tribal groups, and the gaming industry
on.ft.com/4nwVxDk
@okr.bsky.social and I on prediction markets' entry into sports contracts under Trump's CFTC and the resulting legal fights with states, tribal groups, and the gaming industry
on.ft.com/4nwVxDk
How prediction markets are shaking up sports gambling in America
Kalshi is spearheading a legal battle to expand access to online betting, with support from some in Trump’s circle
www.ft.com
September 12, 2025 at 4:16 AM
NEW: How prediction markets are shaking up sports gambling in America
@okr.bsky.social and I on prediction markets' entry into sports contracts under Trump's CFTC and the resulting legal fights with states, tribal groups, and the gaming industry
on.ft.com/4nwVxDk
@okr.bsky.social and I on prediction markets' entry into sports contracts under Trump's CFTC and the resulting legal fights with states, tribal groups, and the gaming industry
on.ft.com/4nwVxDk
Reposted by Sam Learner
New data shows that illegally-parked cop cars are wrecking the Jay Street busway nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/09/05/z...
Zapped: 'Emergency Vehicles' (Ahem, Cops) Repeatedly Caught Clogging the Jay Street Busway - Streetsblog New York City
Squad cars, ambulances, sheriffs department vehicles and other exempted scofflaws are blocking the busway an average of six times every day.
nyc.streetsblog.org
September 5, 2025 at 2:11 PM
New data shows that illegally-parked cop cars are wrecking the Jay Street busway nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/09/05/z...
Reposted by Sam Learner
I keep giving LLMs a chance to impress me, whenever I encounter a boring task that they should be good at, and they keep shitting the bed. Not like 'this was too hard a problem for fancy autocomplete' shitting the bed, like 'randomly deleting swathes of code' shitting the bed
August 28, 2025 at 6:43 PM
I keep giving LLMs a chance to impress me, whenever I encounter a boring task that they should be good at, and they keep shitting the bed. Not like 'this was too hard a problem for fancy autocomplete' shitting the bed, like 'randomly deleting swathes of code' shitting the bed
Reposted by Sam Learner
ICE plans to 6x its current budget for immigrant transportation and deportations. The money offers a potential windfall for a few contractors and charter airlines — some with close ties to the Trump campaign. Yet the system is already under strain, with significant concerns for detainees' safety: 🧵
The booming business of Trump’s deportation flights
Companies are jostling for billions of dollars to fly immigrant detainees out of the US
ig.ft.com
August 28, 2025 at 8:35 AM
ICE plans to 6x its current budget for immigrant transportation and deportations. The money offers a potential windfall for a few contractors and charter airlines — some with close ties to the Trump campaign. Yet the system is already under strain, with significant concerns for detainees' safety: 🧵