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Edmund Lee

@edsrlee.bsky.social
500 followers 866 following 770 posts

Retired #digital #archaeologist. #Solarpunk, stubborn optimist. UK LibDem electoral reform. Ways things could be better. Would be #Bronzepunk #TTRPG game designer and grower of apples. Amazed by ancient DNA.

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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Today's announcement marks the beginning of the end of First Past the Post. To everyone who has contributed to our movement over the years: we can't thank you enough. Now let's push PR over the finish line 💪💯 A message from our CEO @emmacampaigner.bsky.social:
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is good to hear from Andy Burnham. Please join me in signing the Electoral Reform Society petition to get #FairVotes done. action.electoral-reform.org.uk/page/201578/...
action.electoral-reform.org.uk
The PM used his big speech to promise to fix Westminster's broken voting system.
We've heard promises before. I've signed to make sure this one is kept. It takes 30 seconds
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
As @alexsobel.co.uk said: “we are closer now to this change than we have ever been in the history of this country." We didn't get here by accident, but thanks to the tireless work of a grassroots movement up and down the country. We now have a real opportunity to make history. Let's seize it.
leftfootforward.org
UK is closer than ever to getting proportional representation, Labour MP claims
"Folks, we are nearly there"
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I was 19 years old at the time... And very glad this evening that this man took five minutes to think this through, so I've had a life.
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Guy Gavriel Kay @guygavrielkay.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Very much worth reading if you don’t known about Petrov. This is the day we celebrate and honour him, and properly feel gratitude, and other things. Relying on tech in wartime can be deeply perilous. sammatey.substack.com/p/happy-stan...
sammatey.substack.com
Happy Stanislav Petrov Day
Take five minutes to not destroy civilization
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Latest addition to @natlibscot.bsky.social excellent online map collection is a layer of high resolution #lidar images optimised to highlight archaeological sites 🏺showing as subtle earthworks. Amazing imagery! More info here... maps.nls.uk/additions/#205
maps.nls.uk
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I'm playing "Which came first?" a daily trivia game on the Wikipedia Android app play.google.com/store/apps/d...
Screen shot of the Wikipedia game "Which came first?" followed by a list of historical events
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Millions of people live in seats that have been represented by the same party since WW2. If Andy Burnham really wants to spread power evenly across the country, this must include changing the voting system so that no community is taken for granted. Our Manchester activist Abbie writes:
northwestbylines.co.uk
Democracy in every postcode – Why devolution needs electoral reform
Our voting system needs reforming to make sure democracy does not suffer from the multitude of parties we have now
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Monica H Green @monicamedhist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
"High up in the continental pedigree the entire DNA fingerprint matched a predicted empty space. The Maine team had found a living lost progenitor to hundreds of varieties—a tree that had been contributing its characteristics to American apples for hundreds of years." #DNA 🧪
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Defend Our Juries @defendourjuries.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
OUR CORE WORK CONTINUES Jurors have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to their conscience. This 1670 legal principle is stated in a stone plaque inside the Old Bailey. Supporters in Oxford are today informing the public of that fact. 📸: @camerazoe.bsky.social
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Politics isn't working. It's time to call time on the broken culture in Westminster and have a fresh start with a fair voting system. I added my name to @electoralreform.bsky.social‬'s call to #MakeSeatsMatchVotes action.electoral-reform.org.uk/page/3782/pe...
action.electoral-reform.org.uk
First Past the Post means millions of our votes make no difference to parliament. Add your name now to demand a fairer voting system
It only takes 30 seconds
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Graham Simpson @grahambs.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Politics isn't working. It's time to call time on the broken culture in Westminster and have a fresh start with a fair voting system. Add your name to @electoralreform.bsky.social‬'s call to #MakeSeatsMatchVotes action.electoral-reform.org.uk/page/3782/pe...
action.electoral-reform.org.uk
First Past the Post means millions of our votes make no difference to parliament. Add your name now to demand a fairer voting system
It only takes 30 seconds
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
One for those with a long term perspective. #Archaeology of the future? 🏺 arxiv.org/html/2604.13...
arxiv.org
Projections of Earth’s Technosphere: Civilization Collapse–Recovery Dynamics and Detectability
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
To understand and counter disinformation, language skills, area studies expertise, historical knowledge and a wide range of arts, humanities & social science disciplines are requisite. SHAPE subjects are strategically vital for national interests. Is it strategic to let 'the market' shrink them?
thebritishacademy.ac.uk
Mapping SHAPE provision in UK higher education
This new project from the British Academy maps changing provision of SHAPE subjects in UK higher education institutions. It uses data to visually depict contractions and expansions in provision by a v...
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
#Pope Leo XIV asks that the development of artificial intelligence be guided by wisdom and charity, so that technological progress may serve human dignity and strengthen the bonds of the human family.... #AI Read all: www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news...
vaticannews.va
Pope Leo XIV: AI must serve human dignity and strengthen peace - Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV asks that the development of artificial intelligence be guided by wisdom and charity, so that technological progress may serve human ...
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
My pitch for a new casual game: it's Mahjong, but instead of matching tiles you are matching socks in a drawer. Match all the pairs and the drawer closes. Another drawer opens with more socks... 🧦
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Dean Lee @deanlee.info · 20/09/2026
Bloomberg Economics estimates artificial intelligence capex drove roughly half of US GDP growth over the past year. With over $700B in annual hardware spend tracking on four-year depreciation cycles, the economy cannot afford a voluntary pause without breaking corporate balance sheets.
deanlee.info
The Capex Treadmill: Why the Macroeconomy Cannot Afford an AI Slowdown
Bloomberg Economics estimates AI capex accounted for half of US GDP growth. At $700B annually on four-year depreciation schedules, deceleration threatens corporate balance sheets.
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
For #HillfortWednesday why not try out the new Heritage Gateway site from Historic England launched today? Use the 'Filters' / 'Monument Types and Dates' feature to find 1,891 records for England indexed with HILLFORT historicengland.org.uk/listing/heri...
historicengland.org.uk
Heritage Gateway | Historic England
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Marion Page @marionpage.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The new Heritage Gateway is now live, giving access to more than a million English heritage records. And more is to come....Try it out Heritage Gateway | Historic England share.google/LemczW9XclS1...
share.google
Heritage Gateway | Historic England
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
To win full control over our laws, our economy, public services and foreign policy, a party doesn't have to convince the majority of voters. Under current polling, as little as 25% of the vote might be enough.
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SETI Institute @setiinstitute.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
🌎 One pixel. That's all a future telescope will see of a distant living world. To read it and to know whether it's alive, we need a reference. So MARBLE will study the one planet we already know is inhabited: ours. 🧪 🔭 #SETIInstitute #MARBLE #SearchForLife #SETI #SpaceExploration
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
A very useful analysis, thank you Dean. "Hyperscaler capital expenditure is not a software flag that product managers can toggle." Yes - my sense is that there is a mismatch between the perspectives of tech research teams focused on software and investors who want something physical to see.
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René Walter @rawx.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I really like this emerging frame here: "the importance of separating LLMs (the technology) from AI (the product and vision of the AI companies)" terrytao.wordpress.com/2026/09/13/h... "LLMs are real, AI is fake." pluralistic.net/2026/09/12/g...
terrytao.wordpress.com
Happy, those able to know the causes of things
[This is a guest post by Nestor Guillen, crossposted from his blog. This blog post was initially written in a different file format and converted using AI. — T.] Keywords: LLMs, cultural tech…
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
🗓️ Two days to go before the launch of the all-new Heritage Gateway website from Historic England on 16th September. historicengland.org.uk/listing/heri...
historicengland.org.uk
Heritage Gateway (Beta) | Historic England
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I haven't had as much time to contribute to #WildflowerHour as I would have liked. But I offer this sedum album or white stonecrop found at Llanthony Priory in July as my #FavouritePlant from this season
A red leaved fleshy plant spawls in the sunshine across the top of a stone wall . In the background are the two gothic stone towers of a ruined priory church.
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
Election Maps UK @electionmaps.uk · 13/09/2026
General Election Nowcast - 13/09/26: LAB: 253 (-158) | 25.7% (73 Short) RFM: 136 (+131) | 23.5% CON: 101 (-20) | 19.7% LDM: 72 (=) | 10.5% SNP: 43 (+34) | 2.7% GRN: 13 (+9) | 10.6% PLC: 7 (+3) | 1.1% RES: 1 (+1) | 3.6% Oth: 5 (=) | 2.7% electionmaps.uk/nowcast
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
'Phylochronology' is my word of the day 🏺 This paper ticks two research interests for me: Ancient DNA #aDNA, and #Chronology construction using #Bayesian techniques to combine multiple dating sources. doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org
A refined phylochronology of the second plague pandemic in Western Eurasia | PNAS
The origin and spread of consecutive outbreaks of the second plague pandemic in Europe (14th to 18th c.) are still poorly understood, although over...
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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
'Humanities & social sciences research is central to ask questions about how and in whose interests technology is being developed, how it can be adopted, deployed & governed and how to create a world where AI can benefit the many, not the few' My blog for @ukri.org ukri.substack.com/p/why-ai-wil...
ukri.substack.com
Why AI will fail without the humanities and social sciences
AI can transform society. But only if society has a say in shaping it, writes Hetan Shah, Chief Executive of The British Academy.
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
The Public Domain Review @publicdomainrev.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
A Victorian thrill seeker enjoying the volcanic gas on the island of Vulcano, just off the coast of Sicily. View more photographs by the pioneering volcanologist Tempest Anderson here: publicdomainreview.org/essay/tempes…
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Quite a few journeys alone in the car recently. An opportunity to catch up on #InOurTime from BBC Sounds, including this excellent, if distressing episode on the impact of European colonisation on the Americas www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
bbc.co.uk
In Our Time - The Columbian Exchange - BBC Sounds
The impact of the spread of animals, crops and diseases between continents after 1492.
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Britz @britz.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Sometimes (again SOMETIMES) I question the nostalgia with physical books. Historians - Was there a generation lamenting the loss of clay tablets when papyrus came around?
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Some really useful thoughts on the value of counterfactual history here. I'd welcome recommendations of card driven games with an ancient or medieval Europe theme.
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
"A fair world begins with a fair map" - Robert Dussey. BBC News - UN votes to adopt new world map to reflect Africa's true size www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UN votes to adopt new world map to reflect Africa's true size
The Togo-sponsored resolution was backed by 164 nations - with the US as the only nation to vote against it.
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Data point for tracking an aging population. Today for the first time I spotted a '100 years' birthday card on sale in a village post office in Gloucestershire. Are these common now?
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
UN Environment Programme @unep.org · 02/09/2026
Global warming is set to cross 1.5°C, pushing climate risks and impacts to increasingly dangerous heights, a new UNEP report warns.   Predicted impacts include extreme weather and threats to human health and economies.
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Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 01/09/2026
I've written to the Prime Minister ahead of his first statement later today, with a clear message: Our politics is broken and we can’t fix our country until we fix our politics.
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Gladius 🗡️ Hispaniensis @gladiushispania.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
#Historia #Roma Los nombres de dos mascotas sobreviven 1.800 años en un mosaico romano descubierto en Turquía. Un hallazgo en una villa romana de Turquía revela cómo una familia de la antigüedad quiso preservar para siempre a sus mascotas. historia.nationalgeographic.com.es/a/nombres-do...
https://historia.nationalgeographic.com.es/a/nombres-dos-mascotas-sobreviven-1800-anos-mosaico-romano-descubierto-turquia_26790
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I'm sure the #MosaicMonday crowd would welcome a sweeter cat related mosaic story ... Looking at you @romanpalace.bsky.social 😸 1,800-Year-Old Roman Villa Mosaic Discovered in Türkiye Preserves the Names of a Cat and Dog | Arkeonews share.google/AhwfkLJjxkbe...
share.google
1,800-Year-Old Roman Villa Mosaic Discovered in Türkiye Preserves the Names of a Cat and Dog | Arkeonews
An 1,800-year-old Roman villa mosaic discovered at Adramytteion in Türkiye preserves the names of a cat and dog alongside striking mythological imagery.
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Edmund Lee @edsrlee.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
If you haven't found it already, I can recommend #wildflowerhour for a Sunday evening timeline cleanse. 🌼
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Proportional Commons @propvoting.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
And remember, it isn't just about how FPTP distorts elections to Westminster. It's about what MPs go on to pass into law once elected, even though they represent a minority 👇 bsky.app/profile/prop...
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Get PR Done! @getprdone.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
‘Burnham and PR voting: Will he deliver? Or will he renege like Canada’s Justin Trudeau did?’ The need for electoral reform could not be more urgent after Labour gained 63 % of the seats on a mere 34% of the overall vote in the last general election. theleftlane2024.substack.com/p/burnham-an...
theleftlane2024.substack.com
Burnham and PR voting: Will he deliver? Or will he renege like Canada’s Justin Trudeau did?
The need for electoral reform could not be more urgent after Labour gained 63 % of the seats on a mere 34% of the overall vote in the last general election.
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Electoral Reform Society @electoralreform.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The way we elect our MPs must sit above party politics. An independent review, with input from experts and citizens, creates the potential for lasting change. electoral-reform.org.uk/what-does-an...
electoral-reform.org.uk
What does an independent commission on electoral reform need to succeed?
The idea of an independent commission on electoral reform has been gaining traction lately, with nearly 200 MPs calling for one. But with a prime minister who understands the need for a
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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
"What was once a constitutional nice-to-have, has become an essential safeguard in the face of real danger to democracy." 💯 @pollytoynbee.bsky.social is right. Electoral reform can't wait any longer. We're calling on Andy Burnham to act and announce a National Commission within his first 100 days.
theguardian.com
Burnham electrified the Labour party by talking about electoral reform – now he needs to act on it | Polly Toynbee
The prime minister has lifted the spirits of the public and party members, and must use that goodwill to push through change, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee
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Graham Simpson @grahambs.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Agreed, time action on electoral reform @andyburnham.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Burnham electrified the Labour party by talking about electoral reform – now he needs to act on it | Polly Toynbee
The prime minister has lifted the spirits of the public and party members, and must use that goodwill to push through change, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee
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The Public Domain Review @publicdomainrev.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
#Onthisday in 1883, the culmination of the #Krakatoa eruption: one of the deadliest volcanic events in recorded history. Read Gerard Manley Hopkins' letters describing the odd optical effects made by the ash cloud that were seen as far away as UK: publicdomainreview.org/essay/t... #otd
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Labour4PR 🌹🗳️ @labour4pr.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
💥 BREAKING: A majority of MPs want a National Commission on Electoral Reform - finds @yougov.co.uk poll of MPs 🏛️ All MPs: Support: 53% Oppose 34% 🌹 Labour MPs: Support: 55% Oppose: 29% 📰 Read the full story on @labourlist.bsky.social 👇
labourlist.org
Majority of Labour MPs back review of voting system, poll reveals - LabourList
More than half of Labour MPs support establishing a National Commission on Electoral Reform to review Britain's electoral system, according to a poll of parliamentarians.
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Graham Simpson @grahambs.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Andy Burnham should rip up our undemocratic first past the post system. Well said Neal Lawson 👏https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/26/andy-burnham-undemocratic-first-past-the-post-system-labour?CMP=share_btn_url
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham should rip up our undemocratic first past the post system – even if some in Labour disagree | Neal Lawson
Rearguard reactionaries may try to block the idea of a national commission into proportional representation, but we should want more not less democracy, says Neal Lawson, director of Compass
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Joel @itsjoels.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
This is the letter kids got at the end of Dolly’s Imagination Library. I defy you to read this and not cry.
Sorry, I can’t type that.
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Reposted by Edmund Lee
National Heritage Science Forum @nhsf.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
📢 Historic England and English Heritage announce joint Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Landscape Award! The two organisations are inviting expressions of interest (EOIs) from academic supervisors for these projects. Funded by UKRI's AHRC. ⏰ 15 October 2026 (4pm) Learn more: buff.ly/PwGBjGy
historicengland.org.uk
Collaborative Doctoral Opportunities | Historic England
AHRC funded co-supervised PhD research projects between Historic England/English Heritage and higher education institutes.
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Make Votes Matter @makevotesmatter.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Under First Past the Post, it doesn't matter how many votes you get. All that matters is how split or united your opponents are. Elections shouldn't feel like a guessing game. It's time to make seats in Parliament reflect how the country votes. It's time for PR.
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