Matt Roser

Faux-Somewheres, paid for by Anywheres

Britain is a nation of cat lovers, so why do black cats still wait longest for a home? For Black Cat Day, we look at the superstitions that keep them in rescue centres – and why they deserve better.

Today's diversion: how the EU might handle UK non-participation in the Eurozone tl;dr understandings bump into obligations 1/

'Then you read what the ratings do. A university rated “Requires improvement” has to cut its intake by ten per cent, then by another ten per cent the following year'.

Given the huge pressures on universities and debates about their future role, I'm pleased to say we are launching a new @britishacademy.bsky.social programme of policy work on UK higher education to understand the landscape and plot ways forward www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy/highe...

Le Pen has no interest in attacking Melenchon for the riots across France as she knows she would beat him easily 67-33 in a Round Two matchup. Her interest is served by pinning the blame on President Macron and by ricochet, the centrist candidates, such as the former PM, Edouard Philippe

I think we will eventually agree that Trump has done Europe and much of the world a favour. It is dangerous to rely so heavily on America, commercially, militarily and crucially technologically. Europe needs to strengthen and counterbalance the power of the US and China www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A defiant President Zelenskyy told the FT in an interview that Ukraine would restart strikes on Russia’s oil refineries despite US objections. “The block [on attacking refineries] is out," he said. "We’re done." Read — and watch — the interview in full 👉 ft.trib.al/mhOMAxU

hahahah #fail

A rather sad announcement from @anandmenon.bsky.social on the future of UK in a Changing Europe. ukandeu.ac.uk/announcement...

Excited to share our new paper, published in the European Journal of Neuroscience! 🧠⚡ We looked at whether healthy volunteers could learn to control their own sensorimotor beta activity using EEG neurofeedback:. Link: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #neuroskyence #EEG #neurofeedback

Fun day :)

Our report from June explains how the replacement for the triple lock will work (we called it a 'smoothed' triple lock). It's a much better policy than the current triple lock - State Pension is protected from inflation spikes and tracks earnings long term, but the expensive ratchet is removed.

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

which other country/region would each British city fit best in? eg Bristol is West German, Sheffield is East German, Birmingham is American

Genuine evil has been unleashed in England.

'The latest Home Office data – which shows a stark drop in the number of people seeking sponsored study visas in August – is sending shockwaves through UK higher education, with some warning of university closures should the trend continue.'

Fiscal hawks of the left, unite! New post for Arguably. - Raise taxes on middle-earners – stop pretending you can fund social democracy through the wealthy alone. - Scrap the fiscally and morally unsustainable triple lock. - Pursue a far more ambitious EU deal. www.arguably.uk/p/fiscal-haw...

Your regular reminder: If the Russians stop fighting, the war ends. If the Ukrainians stop fighting, their land will be occupied, their leaders will be killed, their history and language will be erased, their children will be kidnapped to serve Russia.

Reform is the richest party in Britain. Its leaders are almost all millionaires. It is funded almost exclusively by billionaires. It has a supportive TV station and widespread media backing. So naturally, this donation comes with the usual attack on "elites". www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

After the AI news this last fortnight, I've heard numerous people saying they want to understand more about why some think it could kill us all. It's an area where I still feel very uncertain. But here are three pieces that have helped me understand those who are worried. 🧵

As I keep pointing out, does no one understand Ricardian comparative advantage anymore. FACT: China produces over 1 million engineering graduates per year FACT: To date, China has not produced a single internationally marketable game show format Where does it look like our advantage lies?

🚨 How big is the open-model threat to AI hyperscalers? (Spoiler: non-trivial) www.ft.com/content/4858...

I'm a big Star Trek fan so chairing tonight's 60th anniversary event is the highlight of my week 🖖 Gene Roddenberry was a humanist who filled the Enterprise with people who trust reason and evidence over superstition and dogma, and trust each other over rank. #StarTrek60

it’s weirdly fortuitous that the FT Magazine just happened to run a brilliant deep dive into James Orr yesterday morning, hours before the scandal broke: www.ft.com/content/c2d0...

Now might be a good time to read up on how political polling is regulated in the UK... and by happy chance, I've just written two pieces on this. Learn to tell your BPC from your MRS here: theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/a-warning-... and here: theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/market-res...

Haha an 'internal investigation' is an interesting concept. How do you investigate something you did repeatedly and knowingly? Who is going to investigate what?

With Europe’s economic growth lagging, the FT polled dozens of banks, law firms and execs on which companies they would merge to create European champions. Like fantasy football for business nerds, here are the fantasy megamergers — from the creative to the crazy — that could transform Europe 👇

Some 🚨personal news🚨 After 11 brilliant years at IfG (time that on a personal level has included one cross-country move and the addition of one child) I've decided it's time for a new challenge! From 1 Sept I'm going freelance. If you'd like to work together, I'm on alice[at]aliceolilly[dot]com

I have a new report out today with @simonpittaway.bsky.social on Britain's productivity revival – which is real, if it you measure it properly. And it isn’t being driven by the economy shedding low-paid jobs. 🧵

Ghent University suspends Cofnas, a supporter of eugenics and biological racism. Prior to his role in the Arday controversy, the department in Ghent had issued an account doubting the opaque recruitment process was on merit, or that he was qualified for the role www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Fed up with people shirking responsibility by arguing that the UK causes just 1% of emissions? Here are two fantastic analogies from a primary school teacher, Mark in Coventry, who called Sheila Fogerty on @lbc.co.uk - one involving dog poo 😆 Other arguments here: www.nebriefing.org/mp-dialogue

This is a lovely site which helps remind us of much of what we take for granted in material progress ordinaryabundance.com (HT @aveek18.bsky.social)

Great thread on public interest technology and what Mamdani is doing in NYC.

small, single corridor shopping centre in Stevenage Old Town. Called the 'Magnet centre' after the family that owned the land. odd nik-nak and dress shops... ...and in the mid-90s briefly, hidden at the back, the town's first comic shop. we discovered it as teens. it was like finding heaven /1

Ed Davey has cared for his mother, his grandmother, and now his son. As cross-party talks on social care begin, he argues it can be fixed by finally putting the millions of unpaid family carers at the heart of any deal.

Great news! "Erasmus+ is an EU programme that provides grant funding for placements and projects for organisations working in education, training, youth and sport". The UK and the EU have agreed for the UK to associate to the Erasmus+ programme from 2027. www.gov.uk/government/p...

We may well see more media headlines once the first boat arrivals come under the new government. That can be a partisan press choice. The public service broadcaster should be looking to inform the broad public of a significant, unknown shift + to explore what it means and does not mean

Summary of Cabinet Changes that doesn't require you to read a whole article behind a paywall :)

RIP Kevin Keegan. So many iconic eras over 3 decades as player + manager with Scunthorpe Liverpool, Hamburg, Southampton, Newcastle, Man City & England on and off the pitch (Superstars!). I indelibly associate him with the first World Cup that I remember, when he battled with injury to play Spain

Exeter University confuses Higher Education Academy and British Academy. It's just too telling in the context of the redundancy announcements.

"A closed country will be poorer. A country that underinvests will not grow. A state that refuses to reform tax will ration ambition. And a Labour government afraid to say these things will discover once again that caution, too, has costs." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

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.

Bold move, Spain. Though calling it ESF is a bit disappointing when "PURSE — Pan-European Union Resource for Sovereign Expenditure" or even "BRAVE — Borrowing and Refinancing for a Viable Europe" was there for the taking. Needs work. www.politico.eu/article/spai...