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Hester

@hesterkw.bsky.social
201 followers 172 following 574 posts

Drink beer, ride bikes, do nerd things. She/Her.

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Reposted by Hester
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 14h
There is a rather wider minority for abolishing the Monarchy (about 1 in 5 to 1 in 4) than for the controversy of whether only white people can be English (1 in 10). It is weird the media classes are so rarely across how niche this 'controversy' is - about 1/4 Reform voters, but few others
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Ciara | Ciaraíoch 🎨 @ciaraioch.bsky.social · 03/04/2025
Artists as the world economy crumbles around us
The Danny Devito Egg In This Trying Time meme, with the egg replaced with one of my prints. Please keep buying prints from artists. They're probably less expensive than US eggs at this point.

#Art #ArtSky
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Sarah Elizabeth Cox @oispooky.bsky.social · 12h
- Never smoked - Never got married - Never been forced to use Teams 🤷🏻‍♀️
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Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 16h
the concept of being nonbinary as like ….. abstaining from the indulgence of gender???? is the funniest way to be wrong about something I’ve ever heard in my life
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Lucy Bellwood @lubellwoo.bsky.social · 20h
Every time I see someone hop on the Melville Bandwagon my strength grows tenfold
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Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
That piece you sent: every single example near enough is something that tells you why AI will be brilliant if you're the only person with AI. The writer does not even bother to consider the second order consequences. Like most writers on AI
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rax ‘levon honkers’ king @raxkingisdead.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
gregor samsa awoke one morning to discover he had been transformed into a sickass beetle. fuck yeah he said scuttling all over the walls and ceiling like no dumbfuck traveling salesman could ever do. this is the best day of my life he said
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Simon Kuestenmacher @simongerman600.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
How sheepish is Europe? This map shows the distribution of sheep across Europe. Source: buff.ly/dSfHDOe
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Hester @hesterkw.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Babel-17 by Samuel R Delany. Fascinating characters, a diverse and lively background to a story exploring how language shapes thought. Ends abruptly, but I had good fun along the way. Interesting comparison to F451, which is stuck in its contemporary social context, where this feels modern.
There's a large green humanoid that has a tail and a fin extension to an arm, an elongated head and pointy claws. In the background is a spaceship against an orangey nebula thing. It has very little to do with the contents of the book.
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Hester @hesterkw.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
I was pondering going into town (Cambridge) later and you know what, maybe this is the sign to reconsider.
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Matthew Cobb @matthewcobb.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
A lot of excitement on here about the article in Science summarising the discoveries of @alistairsponsel.bsky.social and Brian Sutton, just published in the Journal of the History of Biology. Some people have asked, so here is what I think they show, and what are the implications:
link.springer.com
Photograph 49 is the Key to Understanding the History of Rosalind Franklin’s DNA Photograph 51 - Journal of the History of Biology
This essay, co-authored by a historian of science and an X-ray crystallographer, sheds new light on Rosalind Franklin’s Photograph 51. We refute the infamous claim that, unlike James Watson, Franklin ...
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Hester @hesterkw.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The characterisation is thin, but at 170 pages it does not outstay its welcome as a thematic piece. I've known the one-line summary of the book for decades and it was a pleasant surprise to enjoy the reality of a classic.
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Hester @hesterkw.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The writing was a surprise; the first page alone is gorgeous. The themes are also more relevant to today than I was expecting: choosing difficulty and ambiguity over mind-numbing comfort, over-familiar personalised entertainment and detachment from other people.
A dark blue book cover with white text and a white stylised flame inside a small frame.
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Jay Hulme @jayhulmepoet.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
I always found it interesting, when I spent November in The USA, how little they could comprehend the shortness of our days in winter, and how amazed I was by their long hours of daylight, and it all came down to the fact that the UK is much much further north than people think.
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toilet bones @toiletbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Found the email I sent when I got accidentally added to the faculty listserv of an orthopedic surgery clinic and nobody would remove me so I sent this email to all faculty/staff/med students and they removed me almost immediately
Hello Bone Colleagues, 
I have invented a new type of ankle and I'm very excited to show it to you. Early raccoon trials suggest a 60% increase in scurrying speed and dramatic increases in fine motor banditry. I know we are not supposed to create super raccoons, but I think you'll change your mind and professional ethics when you see how cute they are. I believe we are on the cusp of a new era in advanced human scurrying because if medical science has taught me anything, it's that improvements in raccoons correspond 1:1 to improvements in humans. 

--
[My name]
Chief Bone Inventor
Chair, Department of Foot and Leg Innovation
Lord Mayor, Musculoskeletal Medicine 
Hartford HealthCare,
The Bone & Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital.
190113633091
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Tits McGee @scientits.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
New discourse just dropped
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Micah @rincewind.run · 06/10/2026
there are many reasons I think Night Watch is the best Discworld book it has some of Terry’s best character work, and sharpest social commentary, and tightest plotting, and getting to see the younger version of everyone is a blast and also it has maybe the best stupid pun he ever wrote
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Micah @rincewind.run · 06/10/2026
Discworld QOTD, from Night Watch
But the helmet has gold decoration, and the bespoke armorers had made a new gleaming breastplate with useless gold ornamentation on it. Sam Vimes felt like a class traitor every time he wore it. He hated being thought of as one of those people that work stupid ornamental armor. It was gilt by association.
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karanormal activity 💜 @deadontheoutside.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
coroner: it appears the subject died of multiple tab wounds
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The Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) @themerl.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
can't stop thinking about our latest Google review
A Google review with five stars. It says "I’ve never been so amazed by a place before, This and Puregym are tied first place"
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR TO ASK WHETHER JONN ELLEDGE BOOKS MIGHT BE RIGHT FOR YOU
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Max Roser @maxroser.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The share of children who died before they were 5 years old in 1950 and 75 years later. Africa: 33% ↘ 6% Asia: 25% ↘ 2.5% Oceania: 9.3% ↘ 2% Latin America: 21% ↘ 1.5% Northern America: 3.8% ↘ 0.6% Europe: 10.5% ↘ 0.4% Globally: 23% ↘ 3.5%
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Engineer Like A Girl @engineerlikeagirl.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
A) Yes you can. B) But anyway, nobody is saying that you have to. C) It is perfectly possible to own a car and also do most of your journeys NOT by car (and/or want to reduce how many journeys you drive). D) What do the many people who don't have a car do? So fed up with this ridiculous argument.
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Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 04/10/2026
have absolutely no intention of going to see Digger so I decided to read the plot on Wikipedia and, from the bottom of my heart: what
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Found out yesterday that one of the first pet cats whose name we know belonged to Crown Prince Thutmose of the 18th dynasty pf Egypt. She was named Ta-Miu, which translates, roughly, as "Miaow Girl".
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Rachel Deering @racheldeering.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Bat, Frederick II, De arte venandi cum avibus, c.1310. 🦇 #Gothtober #Baturday #31daysofhalloween
Marginalia of black bat with giant fan like wing.
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Gail Simone @gailsimone.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
You guys want to hear a short but adorable story that happened right in front of me at the baggage claim in NYC yesterday? I wasn't part of it and there are bits I didn't catch but holy crap, I can't stop thinking about it.
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simonrussell.website @simonrussell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I hope we’ll see so many cases like this(“it might be ai”) that art directors move away from the fashionable homogenous look of the last 20 years toward commissioning more individual idiosyncratic illustration (it’s already started with the likes of The Fence magazine’s illustration choices)
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Garth Marenghi's Catbus @catbus.phd · 30/09/2026
don't bother addressing a congregation unless you're in the baroque creature pulpit
Baroque pulpit ca. 1750, rebuilt 1856, Parish church in Dobroszów.

a fanciful scaled sculpture where the serpents open mouth serves as the pulpit
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Roger @rogger.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Working in a book shop years ago people would often flag you down asking "do you work here?", and I just could not stop myself saying "Well, 'work' is a bit strong, but what can I do for you?" Across three years I got maybe two laughs and one manager complaint.
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maura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Yes every woman has been harassed, many assaulted. But every woman has also experienced invisible loss from moments she avoided harassment. She felt a space becoming unsafe, so she left, while men stayed on. And in leaving, she lost: opportunities, experiences, learning, promotions, even simply fun.
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Hieronymous J Doom @hjdoom.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Friction is underrated for psychological health. Some small stuff needs to be annoying so we can practice resilience for the bigger stuff. And that's why my midweek hangover is good actually. I'm basically doing excellent psychological work on myself by struggling to get out of bed.
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👻🎃 Pumpkin Spiced Lattes 🎃👻 @fuelledbylattes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
My favourite anecdote forever will be about one of my high school teachers, Mr. Dalziel. Most of my year couldn't fathom pronouncing it "Dee-ell", so he just said "RIGHT JUST CALL ME MR. DAZZLE." and he was Mr. Dazzle at least until I left school in 2000. The yogh has a lot to answer for!
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Chris Farnell @thebrainofchris.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
At some point over the last decade we really seem to have just ditched the distinction between "Politicians basically embezzling public funds because they believe it's their right" and "Parliamentary expenses covering stuff any sole trader would claim back without blinking".
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Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I think about this interview with the distinguished philosopher Conan O'Brien a lot. I actually think this is a healthy way to live your life! www.nytimes.com/2019/01/14/a...
Is this how you want to go out, with a show that gets smaller and smaller until it’s gone?

Maybe that’s O.K. I think you have more of a problem with that than I do. [Laughs.] At this point in my career, I could go out with a grand, 21-gun salute, and climb into a rocket and the entire Supreme Court walks out and they jointly press a button, I’m shot up into the air and there’s an explosion and it’s orange and it spells, “Good night and God love.” In this culture? Two years later, it’s going to be, who’s Conan? This is going to sound grim, but eventually, all our graves go unattended.

You’re right, that does sound grim.

Sorry. Calvin Coolidge was a pretty popular president. I’ve been to his grave in Vermont. It has the presidential seal on it. Nobody was there. And by the way, I’m the only late-night host that has been to Calvin Coolidge’s grave. I think that’s what separates me from the other hosts.

I had a great conversation with Albert Brooks once. When I met him for the first time, I was kind of stammering. I said, you make movies, they live on forever. I just do these late-night shows, they get lost, they’re never seen again and who cares? And he looked at me and he said, [Albert Brooks voice] “What are you talking about? None of it matters.” None of it matters? “No, that’s the secret. In 1940, people said Clark Gable is the face of the 20th Century. Who [expletive] thinks about Clark Gable? It doesn’t matter. You’ll be forgotten. I’ll be forgotten. We’ll all be forgotten.” It’s so funny because you’d think that would depress me. I was walking on air after that.
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Rose/T.A. Summers @rosepetals1984.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Going in tandem with Alex's post, I always post this video with Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop talking about the concept herself, especially since she wrote the book about it. She was talking about children and reading, SPECIFICALLY. youtu.be/_AAu58SNSyc?...
youtu.be
Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors
YouTube video by Reading Rockets
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kottke.org @kottke.org · 30/09/2026
Treat your to-read pile like a river, not a bucket. “There’s no point beating yourself up for failing to clear a backlog (of unread books, undone tasks, unrealized dreams) that was always inherently unfeasible to clear in the first place.” [oliverburkeman.com]
oliverburkeman.com
Treat your to-read pile like a river | Oliver Burkeman
I'm going to take a wild guess here and say that you, like me, have a large pile (or digital equivalent) of books or articles you've been meaning to get around to reading, plus maybe a long queue of podcast episodes to which you'd love to listen, if only you had the time.
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Hester @hesterkw.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Answering questions nobody needed the answer to. Would happily have removed it from the season entirely.
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Jon Owen @anotherjon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Paddling (canoeing) across Windermere today, into the teeth of a pretty stiff Force 3 wind - lumpy, and just this side of whitecaps - I came across a swimming squirrel, looking very stressed. Not a planned swim, I'm guessing. It was 300m to either shore, so I'm not sure s/he was going to be okay.
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Kendra P @hagofbolding.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Freaky guy flash: reptile edition! kptats.club
Tattoo flash drawing of a colorful snapping turtle with an eyeball embedded in its shellTattoo flash drawing of a colorful snake coiled around a long star. The snake has a head on both of its ends (ie: a head where its tail would be) and a pattern of eyes down its backTattoo flash drawing of a colorful alligator / crocodile with two sets of jaws and glowing stars on its back. Presented in two color options, teal or gold
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Hester @hesterkw.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Still making my way through the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes, but I do think it was at its best in this first series. Absolutely couldn't take my eyes off Brett.
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Hester @hesterkw.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"with Hugh Laurie as Control". Casting having a little joke there.
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Melissa Caruso @melissacaruso.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Discoverability for new SFF books seems way down these days, especially outside of bestsellers and certain subgenres. I'm noticing this as both a reader and a writer. Great stuff is in danger of sinking without a trace. Please post about new/recent books you love or are excited for!!! I'll start:
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Phil Rodgers @philrodgers.co.uk · 29/09/2026
Interesting analysis of property ownership in Cambridge and Oxford. gaffon.com/blog/oxford-...
gaffon.com
Oxford v Cambridge
Two provincial cities trading at nine-tenths of London: what a world-leading university does to the price of a terraced house, from the sale registers of both.
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Mrs. Detective PikaBOO, Esq. @clapifyoulikeme.favrd.social · 29/09/2026
This is like a fucking SNL skit where studios keep making hockey shows instead of gay shows
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Hester @hesterkw.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Where workers are punished for anything less than 5 stars so 5 stars becomes 'there was nothing obviously wrong with it'.
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Alasdair Beckett-King @misterabk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Is it me, or does Michaelmas start earlier every year?
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Comics Covers @comicscovers.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Hellblazer 97 (3464)
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Ian Duhig @ianduhig.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Itō Jakuchū's 'Frog' of 1790 for me is the iconic image of numbed uncomfortable bafflement at the predicament of existence in the coming modern world, much as Munch's 'Scream' expressed it through horror.
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