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Rachel Bernhard

@rivb.bsky.social
3K followers 3.4K following 124 posts

Associate Professor in Politics, Nuffield College, Oxford.

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Reposted by Rachel Bernhard
Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 25/09/2026
I have blamed The agents That hacked Your website And which You probably Reasonably thought I controlled Forgive me I am rich And unaccustomed To taking responsibility
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John Stott @jpsastro.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Had a UKRI funded grant proposal rejected at the "AI triage stage". "This AI-based triage was used only to identify approximately 50% of the strongest proposals to take forward to full human review." 🧪 #academicsky
I am writing to let you know that, unfortunately, your application was not successful.

Review process

As part of the initial triage of the 179 proposals submitted to this call, each was assessed using an AI-based review. Every proposal was read independently by several different AI models against the same seven criteria used to shape this call (including cyber security relevance, research quality and novelty, importance of the problem addressed, feasibility of the project plan, likely outputs and impact, value for money, and responsible research practice), with each model asked to give a score and a written justification with supporting quotations from the text. To guard against any one model's idiosyncrasies, we also ran a second, independent process in which different AI models debated the merits and weaknesses of each proposal before reaching a judgement, again against the same criteria. Scores from both processes were combined to produce an overall ranking. 

This AI-based triage was used only to identify approximately 50% of the strongest proposals to take forward to full human review.  Projects selected for funding were drawn from those that progressed to the full human review stage. We recognise that AI-assisted assessment is a new and evolving part of the review process, and we are continuing to evaluate how well it aligns with the judgements of human reviewers on this call. We will soon produce a document detailing our method, so that others can build upon it and improve it.

Feedback on your application

Your application was not selected to progress beyond the AI triage stage.  To provide transparency on the outcome of this assessment, we are sharing below the scores (out of 5) from each of the two AI review processes described above, together with the mean score across the two processes.
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Tyron @tyron.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Lmao, AfD fumbling their one shot at forming a state government in Saxony-Anhalt in the most predictable way possible
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Reunite Families UK @rfuk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
🚨 £5bn. The Home Office made almost £5bn in profit last year from visa, citizenship and immigration fees — more than it gets in corporation tax from energy, gas, water, sewage and hospitality combined. 🧵
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Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco @joshpizpom.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
EXC: 90 programmes in Edinburgh University's College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences are to be closed. The casualties, which include 48 language and literature programmes, will be 'taught out', w/ no admissions after 2027. @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2655839...
heraldscotland.com
Ninety programmes to close at leading university as savings plan takes shape
According to the document, a total of 90 programmes will be “taught out” over the next several years, including 48 in the School of Language.
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elia ayoub @ayoub.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Friend shared this video of a man unveiling the library he hid when he fled Damascus in 2011. It’s incredible
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Donghyun Danny Choi @dhdannychoi.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The Watson School and the Dept of Political Science at Brown are searching for a postdoctoral research associate in comparative politics. The search is broadly defined with respect to region, substantive focus, and methodological approach. Please spread the word! apply.interfolio.com/191974
apply.interfolio.com
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
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Richard E Frankel @refrankel.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Kushner on Czechoslovakia: “Reich Chancellor Hitler’s laid out his line of what he wants to achieve. If Czechoslovakia, you know, wanted to withdraw to that line, then obviously, you know, we have the rest of the deal set up and put together. Czechoslovakia right now does not want to do that.”
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Musa Okwonga @okwonga.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Most of these politicians have grown up without natural predators and it shows. If they had then their self-protective instincts would be far stronger.
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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
There have been so many impeachable offenses, but lying about how you were a hero on a day that 2,753 people died in NYC in the 9/11 disaster—when you were on the other side of town, safely calling local media to brag about how you now had the tallest downtown building—is such a despicable one
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SwiftOnSecurity @swiftonsecurity.com · 09/09/2026
INSIDE YOU THERE ARE TWO OUTLOOKS
NEITHER ARE WORKING
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Jeff Asher @jeffasher.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
This is so incredibly addictive anyhumanever.com
anyhumanever.com
Any Human Ever
One life, drawn at random from all who have ever lived.
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Michal Grahn @grahn.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Excited to present work with @payoub.bsky.social at APSA in Boston. We study a real-world disinformation event in which a Swedish far-right organization abused the visual identity of Swedish LGBTQ+ civil-society organizations to make it appear as though they support the legalization of paedophilia.
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BITE-SCIS @bitesciz.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
What if old research has discovered more than we realise? substack.com/@bitesciz/no...
substack.com
Out with the New, in with the Old.
Old research might have the answers.
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Julia M. Rohrer @dingdingpeng.the100.ci · 27/08/2026
Psychological Science special issue call 📣 Ever had your research denigrated bc it's "only descriptive", "what's the mechanism though?" and "but what are the theoretical implications?" Now has come your time to shine. Send your best descriptive work! www.psychologicalscience.org/publications...
Psychological Science invites submissions that advance psychological science through careful description of psychological phenomena. Psychological research often focuses on explaining and predicting phenomena before we have a sufficiently detailed understanding of them. It can be difficult to build strong theories on incomplete empirical foundations of the phenomena themselves. Careful descriptive research helps establish shared empirical reference points developed around well-characterized phenomena. As such, descriptive research contributes to psychological science both by improving our understanding of the phenomena themselves and by providing a stronger foundation for future theory-building, explanation, and prediction.

We are interested in manuscripts that:

Deepen our understanding of psychological phenomena, including what they look like, how they vary, and how they unfold;
Draw on a variety of sources of evidence and methods, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches; research conducted in naturalistic settings; intensive, longitudinal, or small-sample designs; and open or large-scale datasets; 
Provide necessary context for interpreting what is being described, including who is represented in the data, the settings and circumstances in which phenomena occur, and the broader social contexts in which they are situated; and/or
Make a substantive contribution to psychological science through the quality, depth, or significance of the description provided.
The deadline for submitting regular manuscripts is April 15, 2027. Registered Reports will also be considered. The deadline for submitting Stage 1 Registered Reports is November 15, 2026. Authors should indicate in the “Comments to Editor” box during submission that the manuscript is intended for the “Descriptive Research in Psychological Science” special issue.
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William Shakespeare @shakespeare.lol · 25/08/2026
[Exit Queen.]
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Emma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Jason's 30 marathons in 35 days was a life-defining achievement. And everything I have referenced so far was available for journalists to find. But they chose to claim there was "no evidence" of it happening. Imagine what that must have felt like for him 😢 11/
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Deidre Lynch @drbibliomane.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
I got tired of waiting for the journalists at @theharvardcrimson.bsky.social to cover this (it IS summer), but this is to say that ALL the staff members in Women & Gender Studies here were laid off last week, on the top of the cutting of 5 lecturer positions in the program last year.+
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Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 15/08/2026
These last remarks on the inability to stop him being hired, the inability to control his white supremacy once hired, and the general ineffectiveness of the university to enforce their ethical and social policies to stop racism and sexism are true for so many of us sadly. 24/
Cofnas’s appointment clearly has a negative impact on the department, the students, and the
university as a whole. The fact that the university administration cannot protect us from this negative
impact within the current regulatory framework is a major organizational and moral problem for Ghent
University. The main structural obstacles are:

- Compliance with Ghent University’s code of ethics prior to employment is not specified in job
postings.

- Ghent University’s code of ethics is too weak to ensure that staff members adhere to the university's
stated values.

- In the recruitment of academic staff, budget holders enjoy autonomy that can be abused in extreme
cases, but in all cases reflects an outdated management culture. Because the four-eyes principle is not
applied, the risk of violating principles of good governance (principle of due diligence, principle of
equality, principle of impartiality) is increased.
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 17/08/2026
Public in England and Wales wrongly think most killers are minority ethnic
theguardian.com
Public in England and Wales wrongly think most killers are minority ethnic
Research from King’s College London finds that Reform voters’ perceptions were furthest from the truth The public overestimate how many minority ethnic people are killers, as well as how many foreign national offenders there are, a new study has found. The research from King’s College London tested knowledge and perceptions of crime at a time when radical right parties are trying to link offending to ethnicity and nationality to gain votes. Continue reading...
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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 14/08/2026
Two married professors and their son are being held in ICE detention, despite being legal permanent residents and having no criminal records. All, apparently, because their mom/MIL was a translator for the Iranian hostage takers in 1979, before they were even born. www.thenation.com/article/soci...
thenation.com
One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention
My husband, son, and I have been locked up for months—despite being permanent residents with no criminal record. It is an unendurable, unending nightmare.
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Dr Juliette @ferrydanini.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Saw some cool eclipse komorebi
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Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 24/07/2026
I co-sign this great summary from @dereklowe.bsky.social . The goal is to destroy academic science, and these are the reasons. And all the “gold standard” and “needs reform” and “not high risk” stuff is transparent bullshit to hide the ball on what they are doing.
=
Science
science. But let me make something clear right up front. When I talk to people about this subject (and that includes some journalists as well) and say what I'm about to at the end of this paragaph I am sometimes met with disbelief. But I mean what I say and I am trying my best to say what I mean: The Trump administration hates academic science funding, full stop. They hate where that money goes, and they hate who it goes to. They want to keep all that money for themselves, to hand out to favored cronies who can help them get elected and to steer yet more money and more power back into their hands.
That's it. That's the story. They are naturally not putting it in those words, but instead talking about "gold standard science" and the
"reproducibility crisis" and funding "bold inquiry" for "transformational
breakthroughs". This is all bullshit, and it's important to realize that. Shameless hand-waving bullshit, delivered in a how-dare-vou-
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Andrew Connelly @connellyandrew.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Asylum seekers are not allowed to work, now the government wants to pick their pockets too.
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Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Londoners, there is a webpage for you to see where your nearest "cool spaces" are when the extreme heat hits - places with water, air-conditioning & shade. Have a look and spread the word, especially to those who may need this but might not think to look for it: apps.london.gov.uk/cool-spaces/
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
RIP Mark Rothko. You would have loved how the hydrogen peroxide bleach is only turning the Reflecting Pool blue around the perimeter
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Denny Carter @dennycarter.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Listened to an NPR story this morning about mass child starvation in Senegal without a single mention of Elon Musk, the guy who gleefully created the conditions for the mass starvation
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Lee Billings @leebillings.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Now on @sciam.bsky.social: A rare meteorite recovered in 2019 from the Sahara Desert seems to be a half-kilo hunk blasted from the depths of a long-lost planet that roamed the (very) early solar system. Cool story by @jennaahart.bsky.social. www.scientificamerican.com/article/rare...
scientificamerican.com
Scientists found a piece of a lost planet in the Sahara Desert
Hints of high-pressure chemistry within a rare meteorite suggest this fallen space rock comes from a planet gone wrong in the solar system’s early history
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public health guy @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
"the bill would reduce monthly fruit and vegetable benefits from $52 to $13 for breastfeeding mothers and from $26 to $10 for young children."
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Liz Szabo @lizszabo.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
House bill rolls back food aid for pregnant women, children Millions of WIC recipients would have less money for fruits and vegetables under the legislation, which funds the Agriculture Department and other agencies. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
washingtonpost.com
House bill rolls back food aid for pregnant women, children
Millions of WIC recipients would have less money for fruits and vegetables under the legislation, which funds the Agriculture Department and other agencies.
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Sarah O'Connor @sarahoconnorft.ft.com · 15/05/2026
Are you tired of the non-stop utopian/dystopian AI predictions from CEOs? Do you want to hear what's ACTUALLY happening, from the people it's actually happening TO? If so, I have good news: I felt the same, so I have worn out my shoe-leather & written this book! www.penguin.co.uk/books/462159...
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Scott Lemieux @lemieuxlgm.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
I don't even think you can say the misogyny is subtextual at this point. It's just the text
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Rachel Navarre @rnavarre.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
For non- Spanish speakers, this is announcement of the passing of Raúl Pacheco Vega. It doesn’t say when or what happened, but comments on his work and how generous he has been to colleagues not just at his home institution but around the world.
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Sumitra Badrinathan @sumitra.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
lots of discussion on how this will affect tech jobs, but once again this applies to academia also every professor you know on a visa will now have to leave the US for a green card, sometimes for multiple years. many will give up in the process. universities may not give them back their jobs.
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 16/05/2026
As Jacksonville Rep. Angie Nixon was detained, her supporters and members of the press were told to leave the Capitol or also face arrest.
bit.ly
Florida lawmaker running for US Senate arrested after sit-in at DeSantis’ office
As Jacksonville Rep. Angie Nixon was detained, her supporters and members of the press were told to leave the Capitol or also face arrest.
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Lisa Song @lisalsong.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
1/ Tear gas was created to incapacitate grown men. So when I started seeing reports of kids hurt by tear gas deployed by federal immigration agents, I wondered how often it was happening. My colleagues and I started to count:
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Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 09/05/2026
Trump promised his ballroom wouldn’t cost you a penny. Now, Senate Republicans are asking taxpayers to foot a $1 BILLION bill for it.
Trump promised his ballroom wouldn’t cost you a penny. 

Now, Senate Republicans are asking taxpayers to foot a $1 BILLION bill for it.
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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
This is quite literally one mechanism Orban used to destroy democracy in Hungary.
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
AOC on possibly running for the Senate or President: They assume my ambition is a title or a seat. My ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country. Presidents come and go, elected officials come and go, single payer healthcare is forever.
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DrDinD.bsky.social @drdind.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
The reporter who asked this question is a veteran journalist, Rachel Scott. She is also a Black American. Trump called her question stupid and twice seemed to imply she was comfortable with dirt. Just naked misogyny and racism
ABC reporter Rachel Scott
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Cas Mudde @casmudde.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
To fight the far right, we need to learn the right lessons. Do not make them look stronger than they are, but also don’t write them off because one of them loses an election. My new op-Ed in the Guardian makes a couple of points 🧵
theguardian.com
Trump may be toxic and Orbán is gone, but Europe’s far right is not in decline | Cas Mudde
Let’s not draw the wrong conclusions from Hungary’s election or the US president’s troubles, says political scientist Cas Mudde
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Duaa Eldeib @deldeib.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
This was a hard story to report. Newborns who don’t get a vitamin K shot are 81 times more likely to develop a condition where they bleed uncontrollably. But more and more families are declining the shot. And babies are dying. www.propublica.org/article/more...
propublica.org
Babies Are Bleeding to Death as Parents Reject a Vitamin Shot Given at Birth
A lifesaving injection given at birth to prevent severe bleeding has become collateral damage of the anti-vaccine movement.
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Social Media Lab @socialmedialab.ca · 30/04/2026
The reshaping of America. "US supreme court ‘demolishes’ Voting Rights Act, gutting provision that prevented racial discrimination" www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
US supreme court ‘demolishes’ Voting Rights Act, gutting provision that prevented racial discrimination
Justices rule in landmark decision Louisiana must redraw congressional map, largely killing major civil rights law
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Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Britain in the early 21st century We can apparently afford new nuclear-capable fighter planes But not to keep our schools in a fit condition www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
Half of England’s schools unfit due to leaks, mould and faulty toilets, poll finds
NAHT survey says widespread disrepair forcing closure of playgrounds and classrooms, with Send facilities also hit
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Carsten Timmermann @ctimmermann.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
This puts it in perspective: the importance of higher education for the economy of a place like Manchester.
The University of Manchester employs more than 12,000 staff and brought in £1.4 billion last year, more income than Manchester City and Manchester United combined. Its research makes waves around the world. Its 46,000 students are so pivotal to the economics of the city that when Ivison was recruited in 2023, Manchester’s council leader was part of the hiring process. When the BBC’s economics editor Faisal Islam analysed Manchester’s success recently, he noted that along with MMU, it makes up Europe’s biggest university campus.
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Jeff Lazarus @jlazarus.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
It's not hyperbole in the least to say Musk purchased a six-month shadow presidency for $280 million and used the power of that shadow presidency to 1. Steal the government’s data, 2. Permanently damage the state’s ability to regulate his businesses, and 3, kill non-white people.
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Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Israel performed a literal quadruple tap attack in Lebanon to massacre three separate sets of medics. Truly pushing the bounds of human depravity. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
When they received the call to respond to an Israeli airstrike in the city of Mayfadoun, in southern Lebanon, most of the paramedics held back, having previously seen colleagues killed by double-tap attacks targeting rescuers. But the medics from the Islamic Health Association (IHA) rushed to the scene.

By the time the other emergency workers arrived at the site, they found the IHA medics had indeed been caught in a second strike. They started evacuating their wounded colleagues, only for their ambulances to be hit in two further attacks.

One of the paramedics covered his ears and screamed, convulsing in pain as shrapnel shattered the back window of the ambulance.

The rescue mission on Wednesday afternoon had turned into a nightmare as Israel carried out three consecutive strikes on three sets of ambulances and medical workers.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 22/04/2026
The acting head of the CDC has canceled the publication of a study that found that the Covid vaccine sharply cut the odds of hospitalizations and emergency visits last winter, a Health Department spokesman said.
nyti.ms
C.D.C. Cancels Publication of Study Showing Benefits of Covid Vaccines
The report found that the shots cut the likelihood of hospitalizations, but the agency’s acting head said it gave an inaccurate picture of the vaccines’ effectiveness.
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Tom Usher @tomusher.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
strange these op-eds about women being too angry have all come out the last few days when during the same time there's also been a massive investigation published on an online rape academy with millions of viewers a month and none of them have bothered to even cover it, even as news
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