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Kit Yates

@kityates.bsky.social
26K followers 373 following 2.2K posts

Author and Professor of Maths and Public Engagement. Books - Math(s) of Life and Death How to Expect the Unexpected You Don't Know What You're missing tinyurl.com/37rx2yuv He/Him

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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The water company said in a statement after sentencing: "We apologise for what happened in the past." Presumably that's only because they can't yet apologise for the sewage spills in the future?
bbc.co.uk
South West Water fined almost £8m for sewage spills
South West Water previously entered guilty pleas to pollution offences spanning six years.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I’m trying to buy Oasis tickets and my Man City look like they’re getting relegated. Feels like I’m 14 years old again.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I was on BBC Inside Science on Thursday as Presenter's Friend. We talked about Leap seconds being on borrowed time, a ‘fire-loving’ amoeba and taking the temperature of T. rex. You can read all about it on my substack here: kityates.substack.co... 1/2
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Dr. Courtney Gibbons (she/her/xlookup) @courtneygibbons.phd · 22/09/2026
Two people died. "Experts stress the meningitis vaccine currently being offered to more than a million young people starting university protects against it.' Vaccines save lives.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Interesting ratios.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I was on BBC Inside Science yesterday as presenter's friend. We talked about leap seconds being on borrowed time, a ‘fire-loving’ amoeba and taking the temperature of T. rex. You can catch up with it here:
bbc.co.uk
BBC Inside Science - Do you have the correct time? - BBC Sounds
How do we measure time accurately and why is the rotation of the Earth causing problems?
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I'm on @BBCRadio4's Inside Science again this afternoon at 16:30. This week I’m going to be finding out exactly how much of a hot-blooded predator T-rex really was and detailing a new record temperature for the survival of "complex life". Check it out:
bbc.co.uk
BBC Radio 4 - BBC Inside Science, 24/09/2026
A weekly programme looking at the science that's changing our world.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I suspect she’ll be hearing about this from Oasis.
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Frances Ryan @francesryan.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
As I lay in bed with PEM, always grateful to my colleague @georgemonbiot.bsky.social for helping bring M.E. into mainstream attention. The way people with M.E. are ignored and actively harmed by medics who have been trusted to help them is a hidden scandal. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Abandoned, dismissed and gaslighted: there is no excuse for the way ME sufferers have been betrayed | George Monbiot
Changes in guidance and science seem to have little impact on millions of devastated lives. It’s a social crisis playing out behind closed doors, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Happy Kicked In The Head By A Horse Day, to all who celebrate. It's the 7th anniversary of this absolute banger.
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AdviceUK @adviceuk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
What does the UK public really think about free, independent advice? ▪️89% of UK adults say early advice stops problems getting worse. ▪️88% of people say everyone should have access to it. ▪️85% say it should be an essential local service. Our new national poll 👇 bit.ly/4d44EIF
Infographic showing the six most common issues dealt with in the last 12 months by adults in the UK.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
”Experts say it picked up some genetic material from other bugs found naturally in the throats of some people. This exchange created a new strain or variant that then spread between clubbers and caused severe illness.“
bbc.co.uk
Scientists discover why Kent meningitis outbreak was so severe
The bacteria responsible picked up some new genetic material, say experts.
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Clinically Vulnerable Families 💙💜💗 @cvcev.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Six months on, why hasn't there been action on clean air in healthcare? The Inquiry said air filtration should be prioritised across the UK. But it has slipped through the cracks of the government’s response. What happened - and what can YOU do? 👇
clinicallyvulnerable.org
The Inquiry called for clean air in healthcare. Six months on, where is it?
Opinion | 20th September 2026By Lara Wong, Founder and CEO, Clinically Vulnerable FamiliesChapter one of the Module 3 report, paragraph 1.105. Baroness Hallett writes that new hospitals should be desi...
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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The irony of it all Yesterday, @NEJM posted a new essay suggesting that the US government attacks on biomedical science will subside. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... On the same day, it was announced the President wants control of NIH funding
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
So excited to be back speaking in this fantastic lecture theatre at the Royal Institution. But this is a lot of books to sign after the talk. My hand is going to be sore.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Just arrived at the Royal Institution for my talk on “You don’t know what you’re missing”. Just made it inside before it really started to rain heavily. Wish me luck.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Just a few days until my talk at the Royal Institution on Saturday evening. Just a reminder that you can still get yourself a ticket here. Come and find out what you've been missing....
rigb.org
You don't know what you're m ss ng: The hidden data shaping our behaviour | Royal Institution
Mathematician and author Kit Yates returns to the Ri to explore how our understanding of reality is shaped b
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Delighted that my friend and colleague Alex Bellos has been awarded the 2026 Christopher Zeeman medal for communicating mathematics. Well done Alex. Here we are at the recent opening of Maths World in London alongside the excellent Alexander Masters. www.lms.ac.uk/news/a...
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I'm talking at the Royal Institution a week today. There are still some tickets left. Come and find out what you're missing.
rigb.org
You don't know what you're m ss ng: The hidden data shaping our behaviour | Royal Institution
Mathematician and author Kit Yates returns to the Ri to explore how our understanding of reality is shaped b
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I'm talking at the Royal Institution a week today. There are still some tickets left. Come and find out what you're missing.
rigb.org
You don't know what you're m ss ng: The hidden data shaping our behaviour | Royal Institution
Mathematician and author Kit Yates returns to the Ri to explore how our understanding of reality is shaped b
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Our new paper on investigating the impact of sex and gender on tuberculosis transmission. TL;DR Turns out both within-host and between-host parameters are important.
link.springer.com
An Agent-Based Modelling Approach to Investigate the Impact of Sex and Gender on Tuberculosis Transmission: A Case Study of Kampala, Uganda
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology - Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2023, it returned to being the leading cause of death from an...
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Roger Highfield @rogerhighfield.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
In 1992 I introduced Tom Stoppard to Bob May, who'd put chaos into biology. A year later I was reviewing Arcadia. It closes Saturday, at the theatre that now carries Stoppard's name. My story, plus my lost 1993 review rogerhighfield.substack.com/p/on-the-ori...
rogerhighfield.substack.com
On the Origins of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia
In 1992, I introduced Stoppard to the professor who put chaos into biology. A year later I reviewed the play that came out of it. As Arcadia is about to leave the West End, here's what happened.
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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
skullduggery and high mathematics.... the original statement by the mathematician who seems like a nice and honourable man - worth reading! cims.nyu.edu/~tristanb/st...
cims.nyu.edu
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Our new paper on investigating the impact of sex and gender on tuberculosis transmission. TL;DR Turns out both within-host and between-host parameters are important.
link.springer.com
An Agent-Based Modelling Approach to Investigate the Impact of Sex and Gender on Tuberculosis Transmission: A Case Study of Kampala, Uganda
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology - Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease caused by the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2023, it returned to being the leading cause of death from an...
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Clive Lewis MP @labourlewis.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Support for bringing water back into public ownership is rising, and MPs are taking notice. If you want clean rivers and seas, ask your MP to join next week's debate. Help me get them there! It takes 2 minutes: actionnetwork.org/letters/ask-...
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Altmetric @altmetric.com · 08/09/2026
Update: The academic flight from Twitter is now complete and appears permanent. April 2023, after the pandemic research surge, we recorded 2,234,307 posts sharing research on Twitter. As of April this year, "X" had 896,741 posts about research. That's a 60% drop in traffic.
Graph showing cumulative research sharing across platforms, including Twitter - April 2023Graph of April 2026 cumulative research sharing including "X". One third of what it was.
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Joel @snufkinlib.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
God have mercy, an old friend of mine was one of Orr’s students who had quit his PhD and can only speak about it now
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Chris Giles @chrisgiles.ft.com · 08/09/2026
Finally, UK appoints a national statistician, poaching André Loranger from Canada... "Gather, guard, grow, give" is his vision for statistics www.youtube.com/watch?v=6720...
youtube.com
ESCoE Conference 2026: André Loranger keynote interview
YouTube video by Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence
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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I'm back! Trump keeps posted various AI images of himself as futuristic supervillain. It's one of the stranger things I've logged in 18 months - it's been a disturbing week. New video: elections, the leadership cult, and the state going after its enemies. youtu.be/QTtO77sCCR0
youtu.be
Trump's supervillain AI images, and the rest of a disturbing week
YouTube video by Professor Christina Pagel
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
"As National Statistician, Andre will lead the wider UK statistical system, providing advice to the government on statistical matters." What else would you have a national statistician do?
gov.uk
André Loranger appointed as new United Kingdom National Statistician
André Loranger has been appointed as the National Statistician for the United Kingdom
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I have a feeling this story is going to be all over the science news fairly soon. It has scandal, vitriol and a $1M dollar prize at its heart.
siliconreckoner.substack.com
“If you don’t want me to be nice, then I don’t have to be nice”
Fluid dynamics and an industrial midnight drama
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
As news breaks of another robbery from a museum in France, it's probably timely to reshare this article I wrote about museum security after the heist at the Louvre last year.
bbc.com
Louvre robbery: Could a 50-year-old maths problem have kept the museum safe?
An audacious heist at the Louvre saw thieves make off with priceless crown jewels in broad daylight – here is how a decades-old geometry problem can help museums boost their security.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I was on BBC Inside Science yesterday with Roland Pease as Presenter's Friend. We talked about a new way of dating an artefact, the appearance of a decagon on Saturn and a about a hint of dark matter. You can read all about it on my substack here: kityates.substack.co...? 1/2
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Channel 4 News @channel4news.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation. 🔗 Read the exclusive story on Substack:
channel4news.substack.com
Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation. www.channel4.com/news/exclusi...
channel4.com
Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations
Undercover footage verified by Channel 4 News reveals a secret plot by senior Reform UK figures to break the law on party donations. A leading legal expert is now calling for a criminal investigation.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I'm going to be talking at the Royal Institution on Saturday September 19th. "Explore how our understanding of reality is shaped by missing information, just as much as what is there." Don't forget to get your tickets and to come and say hello:
rigb.org
You don't know what you're m ss ng: The hidden data shaping our behaviour | Royal Institution
Mathematician and author Kit Yates returns to the Ri to explore how our understanding of reality is shaped b
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I'm going to be on BBC Inside Science at 16:30 this afternoon discussing a new way to date "ancient" artefacts and the discovery of a new polygon on Saturn. Sound interesting? See you there.
bbc.co.uk
BBC Radio 4 - BBC Inside Science
A weekly programme looking at the science that's changing our world.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Can't help thinking Christopher Nolan made a big mistake in not calling his latest movie "Troy Story 2".
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
“The number of suspected illegal discharges of raw sewage into rivers and seas by water companies during dry weather increased significantly during the first five months of 2026.” Why are we still seemingly powerless to do anything about this?
theguardian.com
Dry weather sewage discharges soar as water companies face scrutiny
Exclusive: 7,280 suspected illegal spills in rivers and sea recorded in first five months of 2026
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South-East London for Europe (Selfe) @selfe.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Tomorrow morning MPs will debate the impact of the 2016 EU membership referendum on the The debate begins in Westminster Hall at 9:30am. We’ll be following it closely.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
“The number of suspected illegal discharges of raw sewage into rivers and seas by water companies during dry weather increased significantly during the first five months of 2026.” Why are we still seemingly powerless to do anything about this?
theguardian.com
Dry weather sewage discharges soar as water companies face scrutiny
Exclusive: 7,280 suspected illegal spills in rivers and sea recorded in first five months of 2026
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Can't help thinking Christopher Nolan made a big mistake in not calling his latest movie "Troy Story 2".
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Prof Gavin Yamey MD MPH @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Reminds me of Donald Trump on Covid: "If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any" Truth disrupts the goals of authoritarianism & fascism, thus truth (& a shared reality, based on facts, data, & evidence) must be destroyed. In its place comes data manipulation & propaganda.
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Anna Kornbluh @annakornbluh.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
"A projected 111,000 fewer international students are expected in the U.S. this fall — a more than 9% drop in enrollment. A coalition of higher education organizations (AND UNIONS) sued the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the rule from taking effect." www.wuky.org/wuky-news/20...
wuky.org
U.S. colleges, universities brace for loss of international students
The Trump administration is capping the length of time international students can legally remain in the U.S., and declines in their enrollment could spell disaster for colleges and universities.
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
A nice piece here on BBC FUTURE about decision making in insects. www.bbc.co.uk/future... Here’s the part about our recent work with locusts and humans. Getting people to change their minds is hard, especially when a group is split between two options. 1/10
bbc.co.uk
Want to get better at making decisions? Ask an ant
From democratic honeybees to self-aware flies, there's plenty we can learn from creepy crawlies about how to make better decisions.
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Rob Davies @byrobdavies.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
"I want your children's lungs to be smaller and less functional" is a bold electoral strategy.
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Prof Gavin Yamey MD MPH @gavinyamey.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
OMG, here's RK Jr, who lies when he says the MMR vaccine causes child deaths & "all the things that measles itself causes" And his buddy Vinay Prasad has the nerve to write a piece for the MAHA/MAHA newspaper "The Free Press" arguing that RFK Jr has successfully built confidence in the MMR vaccine!
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Trump Action Tracker @trumpactiontracker.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
The Trump administration continued operating Camp East Montana despite repeated failures in medical and mental-health care, including delayed treatment of emergencies, inadequate medical facilities and three detainee deaths within six weeks. TAT: [Nationalism | Weakening civil rights]
propublica.org
Listen to 911 Calls From Inside an Immigration Detention Center: “We Just Need to Take Him to the Hospital”
Reporters don’t have access to Camp East Montana, one of the largest immigration detention centers in the country. Emergency calls from the Texas facility offer a glimpse of unfolding crises faced by those locked inside, with few ways to get help.
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Dr Zubaida Haque @zubhaque.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
One important principle that risks being lost in polarised debate following Jason Arday’s tragic death is this: intent is not the test for discrimination or institutional racism. The more important Q for any institution is whether its processes, practices and actions produced discriminatory outcomes
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Kit Yates @kityates.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Giving a talk at Soho Farm house this evening. Found somewhere nice to work in the mean time.
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