Hetan Shah

My heart is heavy that we are making a collective miscalculation in undervaluing the humanities - from my FT piece www.ft.com/content/fbde...

The next phase of AI training data. Hundreds of thousands of workers in South Asia and Latin America are being paid to wear cameras on their head to record as they engage in their work - from cutting hair to textiles and through to domestic chores www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

“I’d never met him before. I invited him randomly: I thought, fuck it, why not?” “This huge cherry-red Bentley came into the drive . . . and out got Elton John, wearing a pink suit and purple sunglasses. Fucking amazing,” Kureishi on inviting Elton John to his wedding www.ft.com/content/9743...

Evergreen message from the Financial Times to its readers www.ft.com/content/88c8...

Scathing but fair from @geoffmulgan.bsky.social that many of those who leave government complaining of the weakness of the state had not done enough to prepare for power and didn’t know how things work. He makes a strong case for training for politicians geoffmulgan.substack.com/p/power-fail...

ICYMI - a good read for the weekend

Good job here by the Guardian in bringing together data on cocaine usage (crime survey/waste water), price, crime, treatment and deaths into one place. Not an entirely straightforward picture but prices hit lows in 2025 and usage has been growing in tandem www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

May I recommend this lovely interview with ‘literary power couple’ Marlon James and Nicholas Boggs. Both have particularly worked on giving voice to the forgotten histories of Black gay men. James is shortlisted for the Booker and Boggs for the Baillie Gifford… www.theguardian.com/books/2026/o...

May I recommend this lovely interview with ‘literary power couple’ Marlon James and Nicholas Boggs. Both have particularly worked on giving voice to the forgotten histories of Black gay men. James is shortlisted for the Booker and Boggs for the Baillie Gifford… www.theguardian.com/books/2026/o...

You probably know about the Jaffa Cakes VAT thing, but here are a bunch of others compiled for your tax nerdy pleasure by @timharford.ft.com www.ft.com/content/2b77...

‘While heatstroke can kill, most heat-related deaths are indirect — heart attacks, strokes and respiratory failure become more common as the body strains to cool itself. The elderly, the young and those with underlying health issues are most at risk.’ www.ft.com/content/0047...

‘The number of overseas visitors to the US was down 5.7% year on year in the 9 months to the end of September. Some of the steepest declines came from western Europeans, the country’s largest overseas tourist source market, where numbers have slipped 8.7% so far in 2026’ www.ft.com/content/9ddd...

It’s nothing to boast about as they’ve had so much longer than the rest of us to build up their followers www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It’s nothing to boast about as they’ve had so much longer than the rest of us to build up their followers www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

We are recruiting! Come and join our brilliant team at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/about-us/car...

Excited to say we have opened a call for the @britishacademy.bsky.social / @wolfsonfdn.bsky.social Fellowships. These are amazing three year awards for early career researchers and gives you time for your research. It is open to Independent Research Orgs www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...

👏👏👏 for AI’s rendition of a ‘chip muffin’ and ‘bacon and egg soda’ on the Just Eat website. Regional code for bread and rolls is our secret resistance to the Man www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

👏👏👏 for AI’s rendition of a ‘chip muffin’ and ‘bacon and egg soda’ on the Just Eat website. Regional code for bread and rolls is our secret resistance to the Man www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The story of why nothing has been working today is actually a bit scary www.thetimes.com/article/624a...

Another perm sec change coming - this time at DfE

You might imagine that humanities are nowhere to be found at Imperial College but today I was pleased to speak at the centenary of their humanities prize! A fantastic crowd of scientists who wanted to embrace humanities perspectives 😃 www.imperial.ac.uk/events/21179...

We are funding this really nice little research project to document the changes in funeral & wake practices in Northern Ireland over time. The idea came from the researcher noticing changes between her father’s death 25 years ago & when her mother died more recently. www.staffs.ac.uk/news/2026/de...

Excited to say we have opened a call for the @britishacademy.bsky.social / @wolfsonfdn.bsky.social Fellowships. These are amazing three year awards for early career researchers and gives you time for your research. It is open to Independent Research Orgs www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...

In the context of pressured finances and changing expectations and technology, it's clear that public services will need to innovate. The latest @nao.org.uk report looks at how DWP is trying to do this and is fairly positive - lessons here for other Departments www.nao.org.uk/reports/dwps...

The UK Statistics Authority is looking for three non executives to join the Board to oversee the statistical system. 24 days a year. £15k. 5 year term apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/9647?n...