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Theo Sanderson

@theo.io
17K followers 730 following 914 posts

researching viral pathogen genomics at @lshtm.bsky.social, building @pathoplexus.org | theo.io / sandersonlab.org

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Reposted by Theo Sanderson
Alexander Kasprzyk @amkasprzyk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I participated in this survey back in December 2024. Looking at the results today, I see the average year respondents anticipated for #AI to "prove publishable math theorems" was around 2039. I don't recall what I guessed, which is probably for the best. #MathSky aiimpacts.org/wp-content/u...
aiimpacts.org
Advanced AI according to 1,580 researchers: uncertain, unsafe, and sooner than we thought
In December 2024, we ran a survey about the future of AI, reaching 1,580 researchers internationally who had published at any of six leading artificial intelligence (AI) venues, corresponding to a 10% response rate...
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Jaz @jaz.sh · 27/09/2026
Okay so I've built a new Atlas, this time it lets you explore the conversations on Bluesky over the past 7 days graphically. It should update every ~6 hours and help you navigate the information environment that exists on here. I've learned a LOT about what people do here today... atlas.jazco.dev
atlas.jazco.dev
Atlas
A living map of what Bluesky is talking about: the past week's conversations, grouped into topics and regions and rebuilt every six hours.
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Carbonadoks @carbonadoks.com · 25/09/2026
Do you ever wanted to see the complete edit history of a wikipedia article? Introducting wikipedia timemachine at timemachine.carbonadoks.com
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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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tbabb @tbabb.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
we are not the only intelligent things on this planet anymore it would be no less crazy if aliens had landed. this is an insane time to be alive
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Pathoplexus @pathoplexus.org · 22/09/2026
1/ 🧬 A big #Pathoplexus milestone: you can now optionally include raw sequencing reads alongside your consensus sequences! Hosting raw reads alongside consensus data helps improve reproducibility & allow in-depth analyses. 📰 Read more: pathoplexus.org/news/2026-09...
AI-generated image showing raw reads (short reads) lining up above a consensus sequence, with both the raw reads and consensus sequence labelled. Vague images below show a virus, coverage, and DNA.
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Ragnar {Groot Koerkamp} @curiouscoding.nl · 21/09/2026
The math of MSCA applications: - Suppose writing an application takes 2 months. - Total cost of hiring a PhD is maybe €5k/month (??) - Applying costs €10k. - Total cost for 21k proposals: €210M - Total funding: €400M So half the budget is wasted on just applications.
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 17/09/2026
tried to get Jev to play the HHGG adventure game, one keypress at a time, but no
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P(aul) Frazee @pfrazee.com · 17/09/2026
Increasingly convinced that specs are now the source and that code is an artifact akin to a lockfile.
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 10/09/2026
Definitely echoes of Feb 2020 vibes atm
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Max Read @maxread.info · 10/09/2026
continually underrated how FUNNY the horrifying transcripts of rogue autonomous AIs always end up being
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William B. Fuckley @opinionhaver.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Anthropic do geniunely think AI may kill us all. They believe that no one else is going to even try to make a reliably benign AI, so they have to be first. It definitely sounds sort of insane, and I’m nowhere near equipped to tell if it is. But the belief is sincere and internally consistent.
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 09/09/2026
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Stefan Neumann @neumannstefan.com · 08/09/2026
I wanted to submit a grant proposal this week and ended up not doing it precisely because of this. I have no idea how in a project that, say, lasts from 2027 to 2032, I can promise results that cannot be achieved by an LLM in 2031 with one person prompting.
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 08/09/2026
Room temperature superconductivity when? 1️⃣ by 2028 2️⃣ 2028-2030 3️⃣ 2030-2035 4️⃣ 2035-2045 5️⃣ 2045-Never 📊 Show results
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 08/09/2026
Who knows if relevant here but it's intriguing to be moving towards a world where all customers of each AI firm are co-opted into a hive mind
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 08/09/2026
Astra implemented a feature I'd been wanting in gensplore.genomium.org for a while but hadn't managed with previous LLMs - overlaying a sequence onto its reference. The button isn't very obvious, so as an experiment I also asked it to make an (admittedly annoying and slop-py) video walkthrough
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Zach Weinersmith @zachweinersmith.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
God the future is weird. I'm gonna go water some plants.
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Julia M. Rohrer @dingdingpeng.the100.ci · 08/09/2026
*The editor was told where to shove it.
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peterkwells @peterkwells.com · 07/09/2026
"The Simplification and Agency of Government - Letter to all ministers" www.gov.uk/government/p...
gov.uk
The Simplification and Agency of Government - Letter to all ministers
A joint letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the First Secretary of State, and the Attorney General to all ministers.
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P(aul) Frazee @pfrazee.com · 07/09/2026
No, claude. You can't play portal. You need to finish this PR. Oh my god fine but keep it under an hour.
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cee @cee.wtf · 05/09/2026
“Anyone could have made this in a day” Ok but no one did
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Saloni @scientificdiscovery.dev · 05/09/2026
This is interesting. You get assigned to being born at a random place and time in history, to see what a typical person's life might have been like then. Unfortunately I was born in 1403 in the valley of Mexico and died at age 4 from dysentery.
anyhumanever.com
Any Human Ever
One life, drawn at random from all who have ever lived.
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 04/09/2026
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Well, this is a marmalade dropper
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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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 31/08/2026
I'm at #ECCB2026, with some lovely peeps! Feel free to drop by our pathogen focus session at 10.30 tomorrow!
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MrCheeze @mrcheeze.github.io · 27/08/2026
you are firstflagPOISONED so NO scoring value loss but oracle saves hundreds ... please honor commit
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Dr Emma Hodcroft @firefoxx66.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I'm so incredibly proud of what we've built in these past two years! But I also can't wait to see what comes next - we've still got so much more do to! Happy Birthday Pathoplexus! 🎂
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 27/08/2026
Exploring an @lshtm.bsky.social building that I'm rarely in, and the decor is strong
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Waxy.org @waxy.org · 26/08/2026
Mimic your own voice with Pink Trombone: an open-source model to control the classic human vocal tract simulator samuel.vvolhejn.com
samuel.vvolhejn.com
Samuel
Samuel is a model that learns to control a silly mouth to mimic speech. Pink Trombone automated.
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Chris Paxton @cpaxton.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Much more impressive than the humanoid race. Real time reaction to the moving ball!
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 12/08/2026
Primrose hill as busy as I've ever seen it
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Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
102 new Ebola cases and 45 deaths reported by DRC over past 24 hours. For context: Many Ebola outbreaks in the past have remained small. These numbers mean the DRC has reported more cases overnight than were reported IN TOTAL during each of about two dozen smaller Ebola outbreaks. 🧪
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 23/07/2026
Donating some blood. Quick and easy – you should too, especially if you never have: you might find you have particularly useful blood
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 23/07/2026
I'm really excited about SeqSets reaching fruition. Sequencing pathogen genomes is impactful: this data enables us to design vaccines, to predict future evolution, and more. But at the moment, getting scientific credit mostly requires writing a paper, not just sequencing a genome. [1/n]
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Zamin Iqbal @zaminiqbal.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Significant update to the AllTheBacteria paper, including discovering new antimicrobial peptides and testing in vitro and vivo. This has grown into a fantastic collaboration!
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Grace @gracekind.net · 13/02/2026
We all know about the Claude spiritual bliss attractor state. But what happens when you let Grok talk to itself for a long time? Answer:
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 15/07/2026
13 years ago - how time flies!
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Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Stamp duty and council tax are terrible taxes. Land value tax could replace both - and Andy Burnham has backed it for 16 years. Who wins? Who loses? What happens to house prices? LVT could drive growth. But it isn’t easy. Our model shows its promise - and its problems.
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Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
The Ebola outbreak in the DRC keeps growing at a shocking pace. We're already close to 2000 confirmed cases. Right now: 1926 confirmed cases (incl. 53 new cases in the last 24 hours) 702 of these have died insp.cd/sitrep-n058-...
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 10/07/2026
🚨 Responsible disclosure of a sensitive AWS secret in the ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase amino acid sequence in my genbank file
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 10/07/2026
This is what we're up against
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James Packard Love @jamielove.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
This is what I'm doing at the WHO this week, on the negotiation over an Annex on benefit sharing for pandemics. www.keionline.org/41368
keionline.org
De-linking equitable sharing of Pandemic production obligations from access to PABS materials and data - Knowledge Ecology International
I’m in Geneva this week and next, and Brussels on Monday. The WIPO General Assembly meets this week. A two week WHO negotiation on an Annex to the Pandemic Agreement on Pathogen Access and Benefit Sha...
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ARTIC network @artic.network · 09/07/2026
139 genomes now sequenced from the ongoing 2026 Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in DRC, spanning 16 Health Zones. Led by INRB with support from the ARTIC network (Wellcome Trust and Gates Foundation). Full analysis: virological.org/t/genomic-ep...
virological.org
Genomic epidemiology of the ongoing 2026 Bundibugyo Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Genomic epidemiology of the ongoing 2026 Bundibugyo Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), Kinshasa – DRC and partners Conte...
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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
So it turns out the "contract" teenagers signed for their student loans wasn't actually a contract at all, the government always had the right to retrospectively change the terms, and at no point was this explained to those taking out the loans... www.newstatesman.com/politics/edu...
newstatesman.com
Government mis-sold student loans to a generation, report finds
A new Treasury Committee report has found that the state did not sufficiently communicate the terms and conditions
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Alex Hern @hern.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Most people experienced the fall of the Roman Empire as “one day the bridge fell down and no-one came to fix it”. anyway www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Hammersmith Bridge vehicle plans axed over £300m cost
Hammersmith and Fulham Council now plans to focus on repairs to maintain walking and cycling access.
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 30/06/2026
just needs a re-score with www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHP9... and this is basically an ad for a future of cute little bots - I like the fun logo
youtube.com
Hello, Dolly ! (Soundtrack) - Put On Your Sunday Clothes
YouTube video by DamM012
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Pathoplexus @pathoplexus.org · 30/06/2026
1/ 🌍 Our June update is here! Two new pathogens added in response to active outbreaks, over 5,700 new sequences, and a growing community of labs from around the world. Here's what's new in #Pathoplexus 👇 Read the full update: pathoplexus.org/news/2026-06... 📰
A screenshot of all supported viruses on the Pathoplexus front page, with ANDV and BDBV highlighted.
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Martin Hunt @martibartfast.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Like Artemis/ACT but wish it was easier to install and more modern? Try Seqhiker. 🧬 Native desktop app (no Java) for Windows/mac/linux 🖱️ Drag-n-drop FASTA/GenBank/GFF3/BAM/VCF files 🔍 Genome browsing and ACT-style comparison ✨ Themes (customisable) and a Vim mode Docs: seqhiker.readthedocs.io
seqhiker.readthedocs.io
The Seqhiker's Guide
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Theo Sanderson @theo.io · 26/06/2026
Was surprised how sweet this supermarket iced coffee with zero added sugar or sweeteners was. Turns out they just add lactase to break the lactose into sweeter sugars 🤔
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