Stephen Curry
@scurry.bsky.social
Proud Ballymena Professor. Senior Strategic Advisor at RoRI; Emeritus Prof at Imperial. Former DORA Chair. Husband, father, carer. Also cares about science & equity. Personal a/c. Writes occasionally at http://occamstypewriter.org/scurry/.
Pinned
22nd Probably didn’t help that I read Hammett’s “The Thin Man” in hour-long snatches last thing at night but this New York whodunnit never quite caught alight for me. Contains an impressive amount of drinking though. #BooksOf2025
What a shame that no one in the White House seems to read @ldfreedman.bsky.social’s analysis. They have a much better idea of what’s going on if they did.
New post from @ldfreedman.bsky.social
On how Ukraine should respond to the US "peace plan" and looking at some new details that emerged over the last 24 hours.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/how-should...
On how Ukraine should respond to the US "peace plan" and looking at some new details that emerged over the last 24 hours.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/how-should...
How should Ukraine respond?
And more details on the "peace plan"
samf.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
What a shame that no one in the White House seems to read @ldfreedman.bsky.social’s analysis. They have a much better idea of what’s going on if they did.
Now in my early 60s I have only just started reading Middlemarch (blame the education system…), so I am immensely grateful to @adamroberts.bsky.social for this wonderfully perceptive exploration of the epigrams at the head of each chapter. open.substack.com/pub/profadam...
Middlemarch: Epigraphs and Mirrors
George Eliot and Pascal
open.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Now in my early 60s I have only just started reading Middlemarch (blame the education system…), so I am immensely grateful to @adamroberts.bsky.social for this wonderfully perceptive exploration of the epigrams at the head of each chapter. open.substack.com/pub/profadam...
Far more insight on immigration and socioeconomic policy than you will find among government ministers.
“So besotted are conservatives with Mahmood, many even praise her use of the “race card”. Experience of racism, though, is no guarantee of wisdom in combating it.” My @theobserveruk.bsky.social column: observer.co.uk/news/columni...
Britain's problem isn’t immigration. It’s a profound breakdown in trust | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Far more insight on immigration and socioeconomic policy than you will find among government ministers.
Profile of David Byrne. Sorry never to have seen Talking Heads live, a band I loved at first sight. “The lyrics are about dissociation and distance , but they are also about connection—hope in a damaged place, love where we least expect it.“ www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
David Byrne’s Career of Earnest Alienation
At seventy-three, the former front man of Talking Heads is still asking questions about what it means to be alive. But now he’s also offering ideas of hopefulness and service.
www.newyorker.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Profile of David Byrne. Sorry never to have seen Talking Heads live, a band I loved at first sight. “The lyrics are about dissociation and distance , but they are also about connection—hope in a damaged place, love where we least expect it.“ www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
Reposted by Stephen Curry
'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them: report
www.rawstory.com/doge-employe...
www.rawstory.com/doge-employe...
'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them: report
Current and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers are growing increasingly concerned that the work they did slashing government programs and eliminating jobs will come back to hau...
www.rawstory.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:36 PM
'Suddenly exposed' DOGE employees fear prosecution after Musk abandoned them: report
www.rawstory.com/doge-employe...
www.rawstory.com/doge-employe...
Reposted by Stephen Curry
75 years young 😍
Happy Birthday Tina Weymouth, born on this day in 1950, Coronado, California
One of the greatest bass line ever:
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer - Old Grey Whistle Test
#punk #punkrock #postpunk #newwave #tinaweymouth #talkingheads #punkrockhistory #otd
Happy Birthday Tina Weymouth, born on this day in 1950, Coronado, California
One of the greatest bass line ever:
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer - Old Grey Whistle Test
#punk #punkrock #postpunk #newwave #tinaweymouth #talkingheads #punkrockhistory #otd
November 22, 2025 at 7:47 AM
75 years young 😍
Happy Birthday Tina Weymouth, born on this day in 1950, Coronado, California
One of the greatest bass line ever:
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer - Old Grey Whistle Test
#punk #punkrock #postpunk #newwave #tinaweymouth #talkingheads #punkrockhistory #otd
Happy Birthday Tina Weymouth, born on this day in 1950, Coronado, California
One of the greatest bass line ever:
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer - Old Grey Whistle Test
#punk #punkrock #postpunk #newwave #tinaweymouth #talkingheads #punkrockhistory #otd
Reposted by Stephen Curry
Here is @richardaljones.bsky.social basically telling us how it is. I’ve been thinking about this since listening to him say this stuff out loud at the @royalsociety.org
on Thursday.
softmachines.org?p=3192
on Thursday.
softmachines.org?p=3192
UK Science in a post-liberal world – Soft Machines, by Richard Jones
softmachines.org
November 22, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Here is @richardaljones.bsky.social basically telling us how it is. I’ve been thinking about this since listening to him say this stuff out loud at the @royalsociety.org
on Thursday.
softmachines.org?p=3192
on Thursday.
softmachines.org?p=3192
Reposted by Stephen Curry
Loved the quiet, luminous dignity of Anna Ancher’s portraits and her celebration of the extraordinary at the heart of the ordinariness of everyday life. (Dulwich Picture Gallery)
November 21, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Loved the quiet, luminous dignity of Anna Ancher’s portraits and her celebration of the extraordinary at the heart of the ordinariness of everyday life. (Dulwich Picture Gallery)
A Trump White House would have pressured Britain to surrender to the Nazis. Europe needs to stand strong and shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.
November 21, 2025 at 6:13 PM
A Trump White House would have pressured Britain to surrender to the Nazis. Europe needs to stand strong and shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.
Reposted by Stephen Curry
Completely agree.
The fates of Ukraine and Europe are linked.
European security system will be destroyed without Ukraine.
The fates of Ukraine and Europe are linked.
European security system will be destroyed without Ukraine.
November 21, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Completely agree.
The fates of Ukraine and Europe are linked.
European security system will be destroyed without Ukraine.
The fates of Ukraine and Europe are linked.
European security system will be destroyed without Ukraine.
Loved the quiet, luminous dignity of Anna Ancher’s portraits and her celebration of the extraordinary at the heart of the ordinariness of everyday life. (Dulwich Picture Gallery)
November 21, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Loved the quiet, luminous dignity of Anna Ancher’s portraits and her celebration of the extraordinary at the heart of the ordinariness of everyday life. (Dulwich Picture Gallery)
Reposted by Stephen Curry
🎈 Time flies! Exactly one year ago today @rorinstitute.bsky.social and @aimosinc.bsky.social launched MetaROR, a platform to publish metaresearch through the publish-review-curate approach.
Over the course of the year, we published 28 articles reviewed by 59 different reviewers.
[1/3]
Over the course of the year, we published 28 articles reviewed by 59 different reviewers.
[1/3]
MetaROR Turns One - MetaROR
An exciting year of open, community-driven evaluation of metaresearch One [...]
metaror.org
November 21, 2025 at 1:39 PM
🎈 Time flies! Exactly one year ago today @rorinstitute.bsky.social and @aimosinc.bsky.social launched MetaROR, a platform to publish metaresearch through the publish-review-curate approach.
Over the course of the year, we published 28 articles reviewed by 59 different reviewers.
[1/3]
Over the course of the year, we published 28 articles reviewed by 59 different reviewers.
[1/3]
Labour’s enshittification of the U.K.
Shabana Mahmood's Indefinite Leave To Remain Culture War
3 years - if you're earning £125k+
15 years - if you're e.g. a nurse, or a teacher
Labour's two tier system which rewards high earners and insults those who work just as hard but don't earn as much - really sad to see Labour fall
3 years - if you're earning £125k+
15 years - if you're e.g. a nurse, or a teacher
Labour's two tier system which rewards high earners and insults those who work just as hard but don't earn as much - really sad to see Labour fall
November 21, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Labour’s enshittification of the U.K.
Should we ban Boris Johnson from public office… y’know, to prevent him from killing again?
November 20, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Should we ban Boris Johnson from public office… y’know, to prevent him from killing again?
Better than Jesus, eh? The @royalsociety.org really should add that to their biography of Elon Musk FRS. royalsociety.org/people/elon-...
I asked grok who was the better role model for humanity, Jesus Christ or Elon Musk. GUESS WHAT.
November 20, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Better than Jesus, eh? The @royalsociety.org really should add that to their biography of Elon Musk FRS. royalsociety.org/people/elon-...
Gosh, it looks like culture matters when you’re trying to get people to do their best work… www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Dominic Cummings ‘poisoned the atmosphere’ of Boris Johnson’s No 10, Covid inquiry finds
Report from inquiry’s second module also says Johnson as PM ‘at times actively encouraged’ chaotic culture
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Gosh, it looks like culture matters when you’re trying to get people to do their best work… www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
The Conservative Party membership bears responsibility here for electing as leader a man who was so obviously unfit for high political office. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The Conservative Party membership bears responsibility here for electing as leader a man who was so obviously unfit for high political office. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine benefits cancer patients. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines sensitize tumours to immune checkpoint blockade - Nature
mRNA vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2 also sensitize tumours to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
www.nature.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine benefits cancer patients. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Nice clown shoes.
November 20, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Nice clown shoes.
In contrast to many members of the Trump administration… www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Be rational: chimp decision-making is guided by the strongest evidence
The ability to change your mind in response to better evidence is a hallmark of human cognition. Experiments now show that chimps are capable of rational thought too.
www.nature.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:40 PM
In contrast to many members of the Trump administration… www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Thorough & perceptive analysis. I sense Ben has thought more deeply than the govt about the challenges and opportunities here!
The government has talked about organising R&D into three 'buckets' - discovery research, research aligned to government priorities, and business support. This is a good idea that could fail in the implementation. Here are my 10 tests for success:
www.ersatzben.com/p/the-three-...
www.ersatzben.com/p/the-three-...
The three-bucket problem
Ten tests for the UK’s new R&D funding framework
www.ersatzben.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Thorough & perceptive analysis. I sense Ben has thought more deeply than the govt about the challenges and opportunities here!
When the @royalsociety.org gets round to updating the Fellows’ code of conduct they refuse to apply to the X owner, Elon Musk FRS, I guess they should include spreading fear, hatred and division as part of their refreshed mission. It used to be science and truth that they valued.
My concern: X has become deeply inflammatory, with the platform’s model profiting from fear, hatred and division. That undermines our political discourse. www.politicshome.com/news/article... 2/10
Labour MPs Call For A More Serious Review Of The Government's Use Of X
Labour MPs are calling for ministers to take control of decisions over the government’s continued use of X, as concerns grow about the platform’s s...
www.politicshome.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:46 PM
When the @royalsociety.org gets round to updating the Fellows’ code of conduct they refuse to apply to the X owner, Elon Musk FRS, I guess they should include spreading fear, hatred and division as part of their refreshed mission. It used to be science and truth that they valued.
“The debate between peer review and bibliometrics is too often framed as a battle.” No it isn’t. The most common framing is how to most responsibly combine quantitative & qualitative info in research assessment. This is a shallow & selective defence of the use of bibliometrics in RA.
Opinion: The case for metrics in research assessment is proven.
The question should be how best to combine measurements with peer review, says Giovanni Abramo.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
The question should be how best to combine measurements with peer review, says Giovanni Abramo.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
The case for metrics in research assessment is proven - Research Professional News
The question should be how best to combine measurements with peer review, says Giovanni Abramo
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:15 AM
“The debate between peer review and bibliometrics is too often framed as a battle.” No it isn’t. The most common framing is how to most responsibly combine quantitative & qualitative info in research assessment. This is a shallow & selective defence of the use of bibliometrics in RA.
Reposted by Stephen Curry
Trump has murdered at least 83 people with extrajudicial military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.
He needs to face consequences for this.
His secretary of DHHS, RFK Jr., will kill several orders of magnitude more with this disinformation.
He needs to face consequences for this.
His secretary of DHHS, RFK Jr., will kill several orders of magnitude more with this disinformation.
This is completely disgusting. Today, the CDC updated their vaccine safety page. It now says:
“The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism”.
“The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism”.
November 20, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Trump has murdered at least 83 people with extrajudicial military strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.
He needs to face consequences for this.
His secretary of DHHS, RFK Jr., will kill several orders of magnitude more with this disinformation.
He needs to face consequences for this.
His secretary of DHHS, RFK Jr., will kill several orders of magnitude more with this disinformation.
Reposted by Stephen Curry
Francophones, looking for a translation of 'Souillard' – the late medieval name of a Very Good Dog. It clearly has 'dirty' or 'grubby' connotations, but how best to translate it? Google focuses its modern meaning of a sink plug-hole but I don't think that was meant in the C15! Please RT!
November 19, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Francophones, looking for a translation of 'Souillard' – the late medieval name of a Very Good Dog. It clearly has 'dirty' or 'grubby' connotations, but how best to translate it? Google focuses its modern meaning of a sink plug-hole but I don't think that was meant in the C15! Please RT!