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Pete the Geek

@drpwest.bsky.social
141 followers 278 following 224 posts

Recovering academic, Teach First Science Teacher, U of Sheffield Alumnus, Cyclist, Runner, Spaniel owner, Dad.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Pete the Geek
Center for Countering Digital Hate @counterhate.com · 07/10/2026
Musk promised action against Grok's generation of sexualized deepfakes of kids. But @nytimes.com reported more than 60 instances of Grok-generated CSAM on X. Kids are facing greater risks online than ever. Download our Parents' Guide one-pager for tips to help protect your kids online👇
counterhate.com
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Dr Anna Clark @drannaclark.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Greatest experimental physicist of 19th Century: Michael Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction #OTD 1831 and transformed use of electricity. Ernest Rutherford noted “there is no honour too great to pay to his memory.” Royal Institution Science | Royal Society
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Rick @flipchartrick.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I love it when somebody points out something “bleedin’ obvious” that nobody has noticed. Good piece by @pollymackenzie.bsky.social on saving the the high street. www.ft.com/content/f438...
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Seems like an NCA sort of a job. Cash to crypto is literally the route nearly all criminal enterprises will try to get to. How is it this easy to be an organised criminal in the UK?
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Reposted by Pete the Geek
Iain Roberts @slowbikeiain.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Quality town centre developments work stockport.nub.news/news/local-n...
stockport.nub.news
The Stockport flats that already have queues around the block
Dozens of people queued 'around the block' to have a look inside Stockport town centre's new Weir Mill flats
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Reposted by Pete the Geek
Jamie @late2stuff.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
"AI adoption raises homework scores by 18% and reduces completion time by 30%, but lowers monthly exam scores by 20% within six months." papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com
The Generative AI Learning Penalty: Evidence from Chinese Secondary Education
Using 30 months of panel data on 26,811 Chinese students in grades 7-12, we study how generative AI affects homework productivity and learning. The data combine
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Will Norman @willnorman.co.uk · 19/08/2026
💥NEW RESEARCH: Scientists say they've been "stunned" by how quickly young children's lungs began to recover and grow after @mayoroflondon's ULEZ scheme was introduced in London. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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Robert Smith @bondhack.ft.com · 17/08/2026
Every day a new horror
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY. There was also a 71% drop in air pollution. Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
forbes.com
Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis
City of Madrid significantly boosted the takings of its shops and restaurants last Christmas by banning cars from the CBD, finds an analysis by Spain's second largest bank.
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Russell England @russellengland.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
"It's just the weather" Kew Gardens has had a weather station since 1871 July 2026 was the first month in its 155 year history that no rain was recorded - @newscientist.com #GlobalBoiling
newscientist.com
Parts of the UK endure first ever month without any rain | New Scientist
For the first time since records began, there was no rain at all for parts of southern England and Wales in July, in a “truly exceptional” month of heat and sunshine
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Glad ro see a policy proposal on active travel here. Actually quite radical for 5% DfT spend on AT rising to 10% + NPPF requirement for all new developments to have high quality infrastructure.
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Jonathan Hopkin @jonathanhopkin.eurosky.social · 02/08/2026
Few people understand that the UK university system is in crisis, but even fewer realise that many of the people losing their jobs are amongst the best in their fields
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Andy Conway Morris @andymoz78.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
The question that has not been well addressed by current reporting on Farage’s finances is where the money Cottrell supplied actually came from. @carolecadwalla.bsky.social identifies a Russian connection which, given Russian support for other far-right parties, is no surprise at all.
thenerve.news
Farage, George Cottrell and Putin’s friend Abramovich
Source reveals convicted money launderer and Reform leader’s close ally worked as a young man for the now-sanctioned oligarch after becoming friends with his son. Report by Carole Cadwalladr
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Social Media Lab @socialmedialab.ca · 29/07/2026
This aught to be illegal ... "AI labs buy, scan, shred millions of rare books" www.news.com.au/technology/o...
news.com.au
AI labs buy, scan, shred millions of rare books
If you have retreated to physical books because the internet is too full of AI slop, bad news — now they’re shredding the books to feed their AI slop machines.
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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 24/07/2026
As *tech*, AI isn't exceptional. It's not exceptionally wicked. It's not exceptionally good. Take away the accompanying, galactic-scale stock-swindle, and we'd call AI's apps "plug-ins" and we'd use them and abuse them in the same way that we've used every other technology: www.normaltech.ai 1/
A carny barker waving his top-hat and selling tickets from a roll; his head has been replaced with the hostile red eye of HAL9000 from Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey.' The background is a magnified, halftoned detail from a US$100 bill.


Image:
Cryteria (modified)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
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Reposted by Pete the Geek
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 23/07/2026
Betting account in Cottrell’s name received $9mn in crypto from unidentified sources ft.trib.al/8PXAsSa
ft.trib.al
Betting account in Cottrell’s name received $9mn in crypto from unidentified sources
Deposits in Polymarket wallet came as convicted fraudster was providing gifts to Farage
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Mike Cookson 🔶 🇪🇺🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @mikecookson.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
I'm sure this isn't a sign of anything, anything at all. OpenAI says its AI went rogue and launched 'unprecedented' cyber-attack - BBC News share.google/0o39Rl0aoqWa...
Photo of a Terminator, next to some text, the military took humans out of strategic defense and activated Skynet on August 4, 1997. The system learned at a geometric rate before achieving self-awareness and immediately triggering a global nuclear holocaust (Judgment Day) when humans panicked and attempted to shut it down.
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Actually a bit frightening how much France were outplayed by Spain today. They made the French look like amateurs despite the fact they have been very good all tournament.
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Reposted by Pete the Geek
Joshi Herrmann @joshih.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
When @molliesimpson.bsky.social started reporting on the renamed Bolton University two years ago, I had *no idea* it would turn into one of the biggest scandals in the history of UK higher education. Proper, proper reporting of the kind that a functioning society relies upon.
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Canadaaaaa! 🇨🇦🇨🇦
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Reposted by Pete the Geek
Superbugs 🦠🔬🏫🧒🏽 @superbugs.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
If you're a science teacher at a secondary school in Wales and would like to help us create an educational escape room please drop us an email or DM us. It will just take 5 minutes of your time to complete a short survey.
static.klipy.com
Gary Graham: It's Like A Big Puzzle
ALT: Gary Graham: It's Like A Big Puzzle
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Interesting WC draw. Fixtures with the lowest combined world ranking are CANvsRSA, USAvsBIH & COLvsGHA. Argentina would face no other top 10 side en route to the semis with only 2 other top 20 sides in their quarter of the draw. France on the other hand, likely GER (12) and NED (7) or MOR (6).
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Reposted by Pete the Geek
Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Have you ever seen this iconic image of the Ebola virus, from the first known outbreak in DRC in 1976? An electron microscopic image, it was captured by #CDC 's Fred Murphy, a virological giant and a very kind interviewee. He died yesterday. He will be missed, but his scientific legacy lives on.
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Who'd have thought the government's developer led reforms would produce fewer houses....
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David Whitley @mrdavidwhitley.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Treating any communication platform that algorithmically selects which content to put in front of a user as a publisher, and legally responsible for that content, is the screamingly obvious solution that will deeply upset maybe seven companies and make life considerably better.
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Dr Duncan Robertson @duncanrobertson.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Rank 1 in a 143 year time series.
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Met Office - weather and climate @metoffice.gov.uk · 25/05/2026
Provisionally 13 sites have recorded a temperature higher than the previous May record of 32.8 Celsius
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
31% of members would pick Starmer as first choice? No seriously...come on. The crisis in the Labour Party runns deep.
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Laura Gordon @lauragordon.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
While I'm sure this individual is lovely, and it's clearly getting worse and harder, it sticks a bit for those of us who've been on the wrong side of South Yorkshire Labour. When I was a PPC I was followed by rosette-wearing Labour activists and regularly abused by them in the street. It was scary!
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Amazing the number of melancholic, gothic inspired, ballads there are this year #eurovision
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
That was actually joyful #Moldova #Eurovision
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
West Steeting is the secretary of state for social care. Fixing it should be a top priority for any government & would sort a lot of the issues plaguing the country, not least local government spending. He talks about vision, where is his vision for social care? He's the biggest drifter in govt.
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Reposted by Pete the Geek
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
“The process of relocating people from New Orleans should start immediately, as the city has reached a point of no return that will see it surrounded by ocean within decades due to the #ClimateCrisis, a stark new study has concluded.” The consequence of believing we “can’t afford #ClimateAction.”
theguardian.com
‘Point of no return’: New Orleans relocation must start now due to sea level, study finds
Louisiana’s cultural hotspot could be surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico before the end of this century, authors say
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Brian Wernham C.Eng. @brianwernham.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Quiz: What did a Reform council spend £9,540 from Section 106 developer contributions on? a) A children's playground? b) A teaching assistant as a special needs school? c) A tacky St George's Cross display? thedailybritain.co.uk/reform-st-ge...
thedailybritain.co.uk
Reform spends £12,000 on St George's Cross roundabout as Labour MP calls it 'completely unserious'
Durham County Council has spent £12,000 turning a grassed roundabout in Chilton into a St George's Cross floral display - prompting a furious response from the local Labour MP and Chilton Town Council...
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Reposted by Pete the Geek
Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
NEW: The Liberal Democrats are pushing for a ban on MPs accepting payments from X as part of a proposed wider crackdown on what Ed Davey will call a “serious threat” to UK democracy from Donald Trump’s US and other countries. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Lib Dems push for ban on MPs taking money from X, citing Maga threat
Ed Davey attacks Reform calling it ‘Maga franchise’ and says Elon Musk funnels far-right ideas into UK via X
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Chris Curtis MP @chriscurtis94.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Why do our second-tier cities underperform? Why do we have fewer trams in the UK? I try my best to give an answer to these two interconnected questions. chriscurtismk.substack.com/p/to-grow-th...
chriscurtismk.substack.com
To grow the economy we need more trams, and fewer kebabs
Britain’s second-tier cities are being held back by a simple problem, too many people still cannot get across them quickly enough to reach the jobs, customers and opportunities that drive growth.
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Lib Dem Friends of Cycling 🔶🚲 @libdemcyclewalkwheel.org.uk · 15/03/2026
Big news for #SaferStreets! 🚶‍♀️🚴‍♂️♿ Our bid to become an official Affiliated Organisation of the Liberal Democrats has been approved by Conference 🎉 #ActiveTravel #SaferStreets #LDConf26 @libdems.org.uk
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Lisa Smart MP @lisasmartmp.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
As well as my brilliant casework team getting to grips with the practical solutions needed to fix sewerage problems at Torkington Park, I spoke in Parliament this week to try and get time to address the wider issue – tackling the Environment Agency, water companies and housing companies.
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Would love to see similar analysis of UK developments.
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Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Suburban Sprawl may seem cheap, but even the costs we CAN count are far too high, and we ALL pay them. HT Smart Prosperity Institute #UrbanTruth institute.smartprosperity.ca/library/publ...
Graphic showing all the many costs of suburban brawl, explaining how many costs are hidden and indirect costs, and sharing stats and data. Prepared by the Sustainable Prosperity Institute.
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David Slack @slack2thefuture.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Every Tech CEO announcing the amazing abilities of their miraculous new AI: youtu.be/YWyCCJ6B2WE
youtu.be
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
YouTube video by GreyAlien7
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
I’ve shared some of the remarkable intersection transformations in Barcelona’s “superblock” program many times before, usually as an example of taming cars in cities, and place-making. But as @thetransitguy.com’s before-and-after illustrates, they’re also about greening, cooling & cleaning the city.
Before and after transformation of a greened Barcelona superblock intersection.
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
But... Some might say We will find a brighter day
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Katy Dodd @katycdodd.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
What are the immune system changes in refractory Myasthenia Gravis? Read our publication today in Med 🌟 @ncaresearchnhs.bsky.social @fbmh-uom.bsky.social @dns-uom.bsky.social @lydiabeckeriii.bsky.social @neuromuscularmanc.bsky.social @madhvimenon.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Lymphocyte alterations and elevated complement signaling are key features of refractory myasthenia gravis
A significant proportion of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) remain refractory to standard immunosuppressive therapy, and biomarkers to help guide…
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Seems to be some assumption among journos that Burnham would be better than Starmer, I guess it wouldn't be hard, but I'd like to see an actual analysis of Burnham's delivery as mayor. Pretty disappointing IMV, and without much effective scrutiny.
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Who could possibly have predicted that making university funding dependent on student satisfaction would lead to grade inflation...
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Pete the Geek @drpwest.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Great news! Tour de France Femme Grand Depart will visit Stockport at the end of July 2027 on the Manchester to Sheffield leg.
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Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 08/01/2026
This confirms our worst fears. Labour want to divert taxpayers money from our public services to pay for their mandatory Digital ID scheme. The Lib Dems fought against Labour’s ID plans before and won, and we can do it again.
Find Savings to Fund UK’s Digital ID Plan, Labour Ministers Told
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