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Richard Foster

@richardjfoster.bsky.social
73 followers 171 following 842 posts

Materials Physicist now H&S officer, Injured runner, orienteer, hockey player and cyclist. Failing swimmer. Fights weeds at the allotment and in the garden. Map drawing person. Unhealthy interest in politics. Taskmaster, Only Connect, R4 and Pleasant Green

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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"Everyone" knows that cutting taxes increases the amount of money raised. Or something. And all those people on "welfare" must be bludgeoned even further. Especially those under the age of 40.
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Reposted by Richard Foster
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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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
So it defends us from Russians and Iranians launching drones from....the pas de Calais and Belgian and Dutch coasts. I have *some* questions.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I thought it was Barry Goldwater not getting elected
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
And at the same time get rid of all anachronistic imperial measures like signs in mph
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The UK should just join the Euro. It's stupid we didn't before.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I'm also curious as to what caused the great price spike of 2nd June: www.pricerunner.com/pl/620-32185...
pricerunner.com
Tunnock's Tunnocks Milk Chocolate Caramel Wafers 240g 8pcs 1pack – Best deals on PriceRunner UK
Find the cheapest prices on this Tunnock's Tunnocks Milk Chocolate Caramel Wafers 240g 8pcs 1pack on PriceRunner
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Go to Lidl! Or for even cheaper try their own brand: www.lidl.co.uk/p/tower-gate...
lidl.co.uk
Tower Gate Caramel Wafer Bars 8 Pack - Lidl
Tower Gate Caramel Wafer Bars 8 Pack - £ (29.09.2026)
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Genuinely interested why this is the case (and yes, I am being serious!)
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Is correlation causation in this instance?
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I would often that quite often the Oscars winners are objectively not the best in most categories. At least in a significant minority of cases It is after all, a highly political event
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I have never taken an Uber. I rarely take a taxi (don't recall the last time I did - it's well over 10 years ago). What is a limousine? We don't have them up t'North.
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Reposted by Richard Foster
IFLScience @iflscience.com · 04/09/2026
“As of 2026, humanity is likely below replacement fertility. That has never happened before, not in wars or pandemics.” www.iflscience.com/has-the-worl...
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
"legitimate concerns" Or something....
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I believe this was the "trick" that a 1930s German government used.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Class =/= income necessarily. I hate 'class' as an identifier, because it is old-fashioned and there are better metrics - source of income and education would be better.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
(a) yes. (b). See answer to (a).
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Think that annoyed me the most when doing the Mountain race the second time was that they had to stop it going round the peak because of people being in the way. They should just have closed the summit for the walkers for an hour First time I did it, we did get to summit & the walkers were a pain
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Given his partner lives in Dubai he can shut up
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
(maybe I'm unusual (?!) as I remember queuing to get TP to sign my copy of Soul Music in Meadowhall in 1994).
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Equal Rites was published in 1987, Northern Lights was 1995, Earthsea was late 60s? But yes, I remember reading several examples of the trope in the 90s. Way before potter appeared.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Come on, we all know Buffy invented Vampires!
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Seriously? HP might be an example of extremely popular YA, but it hardly invented the concept. Even in modern times. Books that young adults read existed before HP. I should know I was one and I read lots. Maybe nothing on the popularity scale of HP, but they *did exist*
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
This is Neil Oliver levels of crankery
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
But it was still created in the first place!
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
How does this theory explain Damien hirst?
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I'd be happy with £1m. And never have to work a day in my life quite comfortably. Never understood the lottery winners who always claimed they went back to work. Why?
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
(certainly at my GPs anyway. Have been doing it for ~2years+ish)
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
NHS in the UK widely use similar tools for note-taking during consultations now.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Lazard also estimates unsubsidised LCOE values. Most RE is unsubsidised now.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Yes, cost increased in 2026 My point is what is the overall trend of the cost of wind generation since the 1970s (adjusted for inflation) And what is the corresponding curve for nuclear? Wind has gone down. Nuclear has gone up. And I thought Lazard was global. Apologies if got that wrong.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Well this isn't correct. There are new blade technologies, bigger rotors, higher hub heights etc. Just look at the Lazard LCOE central estimates since 2015. Hinckley is still the most expensive power station ever built. When people tell me it's all 'regulation' I just want to laugh.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
(typo due to autocorrect sorry, that should have said coup!)
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
It is still a finite resource you have to buy on an open market. That's the comparison. What happens if there's suddenly a couple or war because there's a nutter in the white house etc? Can you give me a source of negative learning curve for wind, as the LCOE published by Lazard contradicts this
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
We've had this debate previously. You're wrong because "regulation" isn't the reason. This is the let's leave the EU to cut red tape argument in another coat. And still remains idiotic
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
...Low river levels. And you need to source the uranium in the same way that we source FFs (and don't give me the rubbish about extracting it from seawater) Solar, wind & PV are the way forward. That 'hot air' book in mid-2000s was hugely damaging to policy in not recognising price falls for RE 2/2
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Still makes me laugh that nuclear advocates are banging the drum for more nuclear. Aside from the fact that it's still the only energy generation mechanism with a negative learning curve, it's also susceptible to climate impacts - cf the Hungarian plant that had to stop generating because of... 1/2
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
@rincewind.run as a follow up to this polling data (and the similar one YouGov also did over there a few days Later, you may find this of interest: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
bbc.co.uk
More or Less - Would you take £50,000 or a 50/50 chance of £1m? - BBC Sounds
How to understand risk-averse financial decision making.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Wake up to money is starting earlier and earlier!
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Suspect if you look at other similar positions in other institutions you'd see a similar pattern. Both in the US and UK. The US Congress might be the starkest example. I have some thoughts about how this drift into Gerontocracy is causing some of the issues we see.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
The Humber bridge.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Yeah I think the amounts matter a lot. Even if the "right" answer is to gamble, £50k is more than 90% of UK workers' annual take-home pay. Even if I know the right answer and am pretty well paid (although in the 90%), I'd almost certainly take the £50k as it would mean I'd be mortgage free tmrw
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Build a 2nd house for all your Lego. Out of Lego of course
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Any idea why major economic shocks are becoming more frequent? 1992 Black Wednesday 2008 GFC 2016 Brexit 2020 COVID 2022-23 Ukraine 2025 Trump tariffs 2026 Iran War
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
I see, just another conspiracy theorist! "Regulation killed the nuclear industry" is just silly. It's nonsense. And irrelevant as Renewables have already won. For good and sensible reasons. Even if you don't want to see it. Ending the conversation now. Thanks
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
What on earth are you on about? You're talking nonsense now. Go and look at this. www.lazard.com/research-ins... Any more nonsense and you're blocked.
lazard.com
Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy+ (LCOE+)
Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy+ is a widely cited report that analyzes the cost competitiveness of renewables, energy storage, and system considerations.
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Jeez. You're way down the nuclear fanboi rabbit hole aren't you. Nuclear power is safe. It is legal and yes it does require regulation. And it is very expensive. The solution is Renewables and storage. By the time a nuclear plant built now comes online, the world will be running on solar power
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
It's not FF or nuclear. It's Renewables (cheap) or other (expensive - if you include externalities) Stop being a nuclear fanboi You'll be wittering about Thorium or SMRs or other unproven white whales. Nuclear power is never going to provide 'limitless power to cheap to meter'
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Newer designs are much safer & more efficient, but yes more expensive. "Safe enough for the 1970s" is not a good slogan to have. Plus you still have decommissioning & waste costs to think about. Renewables are cheap and getting cheaper & can be rapidly deployed at scale - new nuclear is 15y away
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Richard Foster @richardjfoster.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
System costs would go up *anyway* - we haven't invested in the grid properly since the 1950s!
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