Eoin McLaughlin

Concerns across Europe that Ireland's military shortfalls could put major summit at risk Security concerns are being raised as Ireland prepares to take on the rotating presidency of the EU next summer.

An example of free riding (if another is needed)
www.thejournal.ie/eu-presidenc...

Shrinkflation hits everyday staples, piling more pressure on households Which? finds products shrinking while supermarkets keep prices flat or rising

Shrinkflation is back! www.theguardian.com/business/202...

After submitting a FOIA request UKRI, I obtained success rates by three grant call scheme and I can only say that I am disheartened by the results:

- AHRC Responsive Mode 2025: 2%
- ESRC New Investigator Grant 2025: 1%
- ESRC Research Grant Round 2025: 1%

@seanekh.bsky.social’s @ucc.ie paper presents a new improved Quarterly Irish GDP series from 1950, written with @rebstuart.bsky.social, as part of this @researchireland.ie pathways project on “External Shocks and Fiscal Sustainability”

@eoinaldo.bsky.social kicks of the Irish Macrohist workshop 2025 in @ucc.ie “Explaining the retreat of the Irish Language Fronteir”, paper with @cliochris.bsky.social and Alan Fernihough

Manuscript done ✅ Off to production at Bloomsbury!

The book revisits Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations at 250, rethinking prosperity through inclusive wealth & sustainability

More soon… 📖✨

Donald Trump's new world order The United Nations General Assembly is meant to showcase international consensus. This week it became a stage for its fiercest critic as Donald Trump returned to New York not to flatter the global ord...

NWO: Internal consistency of the Trump sovereignty doctrine www.spectator.co.uk/article/dona...

New Zealand loosens residency restrictions as record number of citizens leave Minister for economic growth says visas for skilled and experienced migrants could help plug gaps in the workforce

So its now harder to get into the US but NZ have relaxed rules, will there be any change in flows?
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Humanities and arts degrees disappearing in parts of UK Students from rural and disadvantaged areas disproportionally affected by subject cuts, British Academy warns

'As universities close courses and departments in response to financial pressures...students in parts of the North, South West and East of England, as well as large areas of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, are losing access to social sciences, humanities and arts (SHAPE) courses.' 1/2

Office for National Statistics in crisis after another data error July's figures were delayed for two weeks after an error in compiling them was identified, prompting revisions to mistakes in previous months' figures.

Another issue with UK national statistics: Office for National Statistics in crisis after another data error www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/market...

M365 Copilot fails to up productivity in UK government trial : AI tech shows promise writing emails or summarizing meetings. Don't bother with anything more complex

Oh. The stochastic parrot does not boost productivity.

www.theregister.com/2025/09/04/m...

Long bond yields rise, gold hits record on fiscal concerns A global slide in long-dated bonds extended into Asia on Wednesday, with Japanese yield hitting a record high while gold scaled a new peak as mounting concerns over government debt and economic growth rattle investors.

Long bond yields rise, gold hits record on fiscal concerns reut.rs/4n5v1Au

Trump, With Tariffs and Threats, Tries to Strong-Arm Nations to Retreat on Climate Goals

If I had said, in 2005, that 20 years later the Republican Party would be even *more* systematically opposed, not only to domestic action on climate change, but to action on climate change anywhere in the world, I would have been dismissed as a hysterical partisan.

i promise it's not normal to have multibillion dollar handshake deals with the President media keeps reporting on Nvidia and AMD's deals with Trump as if they exist - but why aren't they filed with the SEC?

The shakedown isn't on paper...
cohen489.substack.com/p/i-promise-...

Scott Bessent floats rolling out export tax to more industries US Treasury secretary says Nvidia revenue-sharing agreement could be a model

Very 18th century policy playbook: Scott Bessent floats rolling out export tax to more industries - on.ft.com/3Hd76Qx via @FT

Experts discuss plans to save water as dry conditions worsen across England National Drought Group meets and water companies prepare to take drastic action as supplies dwindle

Droughts in England www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Donald Trump picks Heritage economist to head US Bureau of Labor Statistics EJ Antoni is an ally of the president and has criticised the agency for ‘phoney-baloney’ numbers

The end of reliable US statistics? Donald Trump picks Heritage economist to head US Bureau of Labor Statistics - on.ft.com/3JazKSY via @FT

China’s real estate collapse is blocking students’ path to the West I foresee that we will go back to the situation of 25 years ago, when only a small Chinese elite was able to study abroad, says Sabrina Wang

'given that the middle class has already lost vast amounts of wealth and that...the economic slowdown will endure for several more years yet, it does seem that the era when large numbers of Chinese students sought overseas education is coming to an end'.

A shitty map created by ChatGPT5. it purports to be US States with an R in their name, but it's wrong and dumb and worthless just like LLMs.

My goto is to ask LLMs how many states have R in their name. They always fail. GPT 5 included Indiana, Illinois, and Texas in its list. It then asked me if I wanted an alphabetical highlighted map. Sure, why not.

Or the Daily Mail... www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/art...

How changes in height show the effects of the Famine New research finds that the long‑term health impacts of the Famine varied by region and socioeconomic conditions

How changes in height show health effects of the Famine. Analysis of new data by @eoinaldo.bsky.social @heriotwattuni.bsky.social @researchireland.ie & @cliochris.bsky.social @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

Research reveals impact of Great Irish Famine on survivors’ height The research examined the impact of one of the defining events in Irish history.

Tune in to RTE Radio 1 at 13:30 today to hear our associate director of outreach @cliochris.bsky.social discuss his paper (co-authored with Matthias Blum and @eoinaldo.bsky.social) on outcomes and impacts of the Great Famine.

www.irishnews.com/news/norther...

#econhist #econsky

Shadows of the Soil Listen and make your own on Suno.

Here's a dodgy AI song based on the paper suno.com/s/LcQ89ToDkA...

Research examines impact of Great Irish Famine on survivors' height The study used the historical data of 14,500 individuals, with different exposures to famine conditions and drawn from two prisons in Dublin and Tipperary, born before, during and after the famine

Never thought I'd get quoted in the Mirror ( the paper my grandmother still reads) www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-n...

The Potato May Have Evolved From a Tomato Ancestor Nine Million Years Ago, Genetic Study Suggests A genome analysis indicates wild tomatoes and a potato-like plant called Etuberosum hybridized to create the modern potato

Tomatoes/Potatoes might share a common ancestor www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/t...

AI thrives where education has been devalued | The Observer A culture that views knowledge as a means to an end invites the misuse of new technology

Good point on public good of education (less discussed these days unfortunately)
observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

Global AI rivalry is a dangerous game When a foreign competitor gains an unexpected technological capability, it can precipitate conflict

Global AI rivalry is a dangerous game - on.ft.com/476VM2L via @FT

Scientists once hoarded pre-nuclear steel; now we’re hoarding pre-AI content Newly announced catalog collects pre-2022 sources untouched by ChatGPT and AI contamination.

Pre-AI contaminated web archive arstechnica.com/ai/2025/06/w...

Could strikes on Iran cause a nuclear disaster? Israel’s attacks on uranium enrichment facilities have caused localised radioactivity, but contamination appears limited

Could strikes on Iran cause a nuclear disaster? - on.ft.com/445Bqnv via @FT