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Ben Goldacre

@bengoldacre.bsky.social
13K followers 630 following 289 posts

Prof of EBM @UniOxford, author, Bad Science person, more... I run bennett.ox.ac.uk making tools+papers from data OpenSAFELY.org OpenPrescribing.net

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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
A boring thought. I bought a used first gen Google Pixel Fold when the 2nd gen came out. It's great. It cost £500 from cex: so, 70% cheaper. A one yr old phone is never that much cheaper. Why the difference? My guess: most people who buy a folding phone would rather die than have last year's model.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Sad to see people posting on social media negatively about Rod Liddle, who died yesterday. If I have disagreed with you very strongly in life - and you die - I hope I'll be either silent, or kind.
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Richard Delevan @richard.wickedproblems.earth · 25/07/2026
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Just went to The Music Box on Cowley Rd to get my guitar fixed. I bought it in 1990 aged 16 for £85, from him. Now he's the only instrument shop left in Oxford. No smiling photos because (a) I'm not like that (b) as you'd hope from a great guitar shop he's appalled at the prospect of more customers.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Watering new trees is permitted during a hosepipe ban. But how do you communicate to neighbours that your noisy babbling hose is on legitimate legal business? Single foghorn blast then confident announcement on a loudhailer? (First timer, I've just bought three trees, soon they will die).
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
SUVs are higher at the front and three times more likely to kill a child when they hit them. SUV drivers drag the child under their vehicle, and then they crush the child to death. It's incredible that SUVs don't have higher tax, and why not lower speed limits. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Britain’s cars and SUVs are growing bigger – but there is a way to stop this deadly ‘carspreading’ | Christian Wolmar
Larger vehicles crowd our roads and are far more dangerous to pedestrians. Let’s curb them before they do even more damage, says says transport commentator Christian Wolmar
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
HISTORIC MOMENT Today at 14:40 Dr Mark Russell from KCL pressed the button to execute the first ever job on the new OpenSAFELY service. Until today, OpenSAFELY was COVID only. Now we are open to critical analyses that improve all patient care, on GP records, securely, at scale. PICS! THREAD!
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Hannah White @drhannahwhite.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
We are hiring! Brilliant senior job running our new UK Government team… …looking for someone creative and strategic with experience of government who would seize this fantastic opportunity to make government work well for the people of the UK! www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/about-us/car...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Director, UK Government | Institute for Government
A rare and exciting opportunity to become a core member of the Institute for Government’s newly restructured senior team.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
It is the weekend, and tomorrow we are promised CLOUDS. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HmC...
youtube.com
Yip Roc Heresy
YouTube video by Slim Gaillard - Topic
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
planning a stern letter to the climate change denialists
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
In 2009 I bought a ludicrous old vampire cape from a charity shop in Bath. Then I went to the supermarket. But my new cape manifested... at the Waitrose checkout... through its own magical powers... Giles from Buffy. RIP, what a magical hero.
Giles from Buffy. Geek in vampire cape.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
*EPIC FREE LECTURE ON THURSDAY IN OXFORD* Our heroic CTO Seb Bacon on open science, open code, OpenSAFELY and more!
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
*EPIC FREE LECTURE ON THURSDAY IN OXFORD* Our heroic CTO Seb Bacon on open science, open code, OpenSAFELY and more!
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Inaugural Lecture Klaxon! Our magnificent CTO Seb Bacon is a hero of the modern age, and now PROFESSOR Seb Bacon... Come to his inaugural lecture in Oxford! OpenSAFELY! OpenPrescribing! TrialsTracker! OpenCorporates! Open Code! Open Everything! www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/blog/2026/05... bacon.boutique
bennett.ox.ac.uk
"On The Record" - Seb Bacon’s Inaugural Lecture | Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science
Come and join Seb for his inaugural lecture as the first-ever Professor of Practice at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Inaugural Lecture Klaxon! Our magnificent CTO Seb Bacon is a hero of the modern age, and now PROFESSOR Seb Bacon... Come to his inaugural lecture in Oxford! OpenSAFELY! OpenPrescribing! TrialsTracker! OpenCorporates! Open Code! Open Everything! www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/blog/2026/05... bacon.boutique
bennett.ox.ac.uk
"On The Record" - Seb Bacon’s Inaugural Lecture | Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science
Come and join Seb for his inaugural lecture as the first-ever Professor of Practice at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Genuinely delighted that the UK is being represented by an analogue modular synthesizer geek with a full onrejoin message
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
"I really like it when a house smells slightly of cat wee" is one of those things you can say, genuinely mean, but still end up in unjust social bother.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Deerhoof last night were magnificent. Here's a great interview with Greg Saunier... politics, art and money... We have brief lives: scrolling AI-curated doom-slop is a waste. Consume books, interviews, music, life, and recommendations like this, from friends! www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQeW...
deerhoof on stage in oxford 2026
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Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
My latest Paris dispatch on how 300 streets outside of schools became some of the coolest places in the city. But even more importantly, these family-centric improvements provide ubiquitous reminders that this society prioritizes children
torched.la
Cool streets
Paris's school streets are effectively sculpting out instant parks in the locations where they'll provide immense public health benefits to the city's most vulnerable populations
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Brian @brianmackenna.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Application deadline is Thursday! APPLY #medsky
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Amazing thread on how social media is no longer what you choose, from humans you selected, but algae content, from strangers and LLMs, selected on the basis of your twitches.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
A miraculous live gig tape archive. Add n to x.. Stereolab.. Godspeed.. Robyn Hitchcock.. Dinosaur Jr... Is it ok? I hope so. Commercial streamers profit by robbing artists. I doubt I'd have paid for these live recordings. But I did just buy new vinyl because of them. archive.org/details/@aad...
archive.org
Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
The drum and bass on a bike chap is back! Broad Street Oxford today, 2pm. youtu.be/-pSGF3Z1N3o?...
youtu.be
Drum & Bass On The Bike - OXFORD
YouTube video by Dom Whiting
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
YouTube has removed "sort by date" in search results. Here's why that's "platform enshittification" (© @doctorow.pluralistic.net) the recurring process of 1. Lock in users with good service 2. Exploit your monopoly for advert £$€ 3. Chase profit so hard that your platform becomes bad for everyone
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Things I say that get me in trouble, part 7426: "No but I'll sponsor your partner to look after your children while you train for it".
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
YouTube has removed "sort by date" in search results. Here's why that's "platform enshittification" (© @doctorow.pluralistic.net) the recurring process of 1. Lock in users with good service 2. Exploit your monopoly for advert £$€ 3. Chase profit so hard that your platform becomes bad for everyone
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
In the news today, a cyclist on the pavement who killed a man is charged with manslaughter. By contrast, here's a van driver who killed a little girl. He was driving on the pavement: common, and illegal. Killed her. Only charged with dangerous driving. Fully let off. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-engl...
bbc.co.uk
Cheshire van driver cleared of dangerous driving after four-year-old's death
Four-year-old Esmé Rose Weir was run over as she rode her scooter along the pavement to pre-school.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Like any DIY synth geek I've loved Look Mum No Computer for many years. But I didn't expect to him to be the UK 2026 entry to Eurovision. Bravo man, this is the UK at its best, open and inclusive to other cultures, blue tack, string, and very silly. On! youtu.be/niMKvJ-Itq8?...
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
OpenSAFELY is open from today! Huge thanks to all who supported this vast collaboration: whole population GP data; in a productive platform; innovative privacy protections; unprecedented support from professions, privacy campaigners; &c Now it's over to users! www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/blog/2026/02...
bennett.ox.ac.uk
OpenSAFELY news: you can apply to do non-COVID research, from today! | Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science
We are delighted to announce that - from today - you can submit applications to the OpenSAFELY service for non-COVID-19 studies.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Just bought one of these gloriously absurd mirror masks freddieyauner.co.uk/products/wha...
freddieyauner.co.uk
Mirror Mask - What I'm looking at
What I’m Looking At is a mirrored mask that allows you to see what the wearer is looking at, reflecting colour, texture, light and movement. #whatimlookingat It is anti selfie - away from the self and...
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
I wish that Spotify or similar would let people make radio shows, where they play music and talk in between. Since you've paid to access the music, it would be nice to have people share and curate, but with rambling humanity in the chat, not just playlists. This is the narrowcasting of my dreams.
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Lilian Edwards @lilianedwards.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Wonderful to see something good that is not just in the lab or proof of concept
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David Durant @bowsy.co.uk · 24/02/2026
What a huge achievement! A major milestone for science in general and a significant world exemplar. I hope many more similar things follow.
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Jonathan Bliss @jonathanbliss.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
I started my career as a Körner implementation clerk in 1987. Since then I have spent most of my career in jobs with data, information or analyst in the title, all working with NHS data to try and improve public health. I retired last year. This is one of the most exciting developments I’ve seen.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
BIG NEWS!
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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 23/02/2026
This is excellent news and a huge deal! (Here's my explainer on OpenSafely and why it is incredibly cool.) takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/how-to-use...
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk
How to use NHS data for scientific research – without creating a privacy nightmare
What happened when Ben Goldacre stopped writing fun popular science books and got a real job instead.
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Tom Loosemore @tomski.com · 23/02/2026
Brilliant, geeky, healthy news... well done to @bengoldacre.bsky.social et al.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
OpenSAFELY is open from today! Huge thanks to all who supported this vast collaboration: whole population GP data; in a productive platform; innovative privacy protections; unprecedented support from professions, privacy campaigners; &c Now it's over to users! www.bennett.ox.ac.uk/blog/2026/02...
bennett.ox.ac.uk
OpenSAFELY news: you can apply to do non-COVID research, from today! | Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science
We are delighted to announce that - from today - you can submit applications to the OpenSAFELY service for non-COVID-19 studies.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
The world has its problems, yes. But I've just bought Brigitte Fontaine's 1969 album with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Don't look on Spotify: you won't find it there. (But YouTube link below...) youtu.be/XgTdI4S3hns?...
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
I once met a man at hotel breakfast who was in the Potters Bar rail crash. He told a very harrowing story. Then his wife said "ask him what he did after he got out". He looked embarrassed, shrugged, and said "I walked to work". He didn't call. Disasters are incredibly disorienting. Sorrow for Spain.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
How you pop to the shops, if it's minus 64° Celsius in your town. This is what I want from the internet: other people's fascinating lives. Not lies about crime in London invented by boring racists. youtube.com/watch?v=uPGI...
youtube.com
What I Wear at –64°C (−83°F) in the Coldest City on Earth | Yakutsk, Siberia
YouTube video by Kiun B
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Three Yorkshiremen drive their Ford Transits overland from Bradford to Pakistan in time for Eid in the 1990s. Ultimate cosy retro TV. The voiceover is funny, candid, and incredibly warm in its frustrations (eg minute 7, but watch the whole thing). Highly recommend! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfbe...
youtube.com
The Punjab Road Runners Bradford to Pakistan in Ford Transit Mk2
YouTube video by Davy
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
I'm too cheap to buy one - and too lazy to learn the skillz - but this guy's polyphonic ceramic bass whistles are the goat. youtube.com/shorts/X57nT...
youtube.com
Innato in B3, more info at www.stonewhistle.com
YouTube video by Stonewhistle
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Really enjoying the new series of Gone Fishing, tho it was a fierce choice to replace Bob Mortimer with Tom Waits and that guy from the Jim Jarmusch movies youtu.be/sF4OkZ0B-q8?...
youtu.be
Tom Waits - Fishing With John, Episode 2 (1991)
YouTube video by Tom Waits
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Kate Watson @loreandordure.com · 08/01/2026
I think we forget sometimes that barometers are miracle machines. It’s not windy yet at home; it is raining but nothing exceptional. Without the barometer, if you were just relying on local observations (like most mariners for most of history) you would have no idea it was time to run for your life.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Fuel poverty is more than twice as common among people aged 16-24 than it is for older people. This is a cold country right now. trustforlondon.org.uk/data/fuel-po...
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
My old friend Patrick Matthews slogged for years to build up a few small struggling cafes in London parks. Now they're a success, so the parks are rewarding him by giving the cafes to someone who offered them more money. www.change.org/p/require-th... veganconfidential.substack.com/p/the-park-c...
change.org
Sign the Petition
Require the City of London to retain current cafe operators
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
At this time of year (a) I want a notarised statement from 1991 to say that I loved port and cheese as a teenager before I became an ancient Oxford prof; and (b) I'm annoyed that delicious port obligatorily contains the drug alcohol. It's like if all hobknobs were laced with ketamine.
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Tracy King @tracyking.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
In lovely science news, it is now official: I am the inaugural Writer in Residence at the Royal Institution to mark 200 years of the Christmas Lectures: www.rigb.org/explore-scie...
rigb.org
Tracy King announced as Writer in Residence to the CHRISTMAS LECTURES
Critically acclaimed author appointed as Writer in Residence to the 2025 CHRISTMAS LECTURES from the Royal Institution.
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Ben Goldacre @bengoldacre.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
ACCIDENTALLY BOUGHT CHRISTMAS WRAITH. EVERYONE DEAD.
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