Neil Chadborn

In yet more devastating news, the VC has confirmed her plans to cut 80% of academic staff from Essex Pathways, our foundation year department. This would effectively close down all our existing foundation year programmes through the back door.

But it's not a done deal yet. Please share urgently.

Being a British parent is so weird bc you're actually worried about paying the sky high rent/mortgage & getting GP appointments but the entire press keeps telling you you're worried there's a trans person or immigrant nearby & the vat on Eton means there'll only be two skiing holidays this year

We need you:

Calling all researchers who do work in the field of primary progressive aphasia!

The first ever Int Conf on PPA 16-17th July 2026 in 🇬🇧

Only 6 weeks until the call for papers closes: www.speechtherapyppa.com/icppa-confer...

I wonder what would be demand on data centres, power / water usage etc if every car (now) was self-drive?

The exemplar of superhuman A.I. performance to date
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/o...

To all UK and European friends - this post must be shared to all you know - Lots of people STILL support Trump/Farage etc but they need to be in no doubt about what they are supporting. Europe and the UK MUST come together and anyone who opposes it - be it on their head if the unthinkable happens.

I wonder if applicants will be informed that their confidential innovative proposals are being submitted to AI? Data security? Intellectual property? @ukri.org

Mani, symbol of the ‘90s Manchester music scene, will be sorely missed Stone Roses bassist Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield died aged 63 years old, a sad loss to the Manchester music scene, but he leaves behind some great memories

It's the 21st anniversary of the Second Coming by the Stone Roses, my favourite of their albums and wish I'd made this clearer in this article remembering Mani for @northwestbylines.co.uk

I've bloody loved listening to it again...

I’ll never forget the look of hatred Nigel Farage had for me at school, simply for existing The Reform UK leader doubts people can recall their abuse from years ago. I’ve never forgotten his – it felt malicious

I’ll never forget the look of hatred Nigel Farage had for me at school, simply for existing

White House: Europe 'unrecognisable in 20 years or less' A new White House National Security Strategy gives us an insight into how President Trump views the world, and the US's place within it.

Of course #Trump and #Putin want to break up the EU

They want to make Europe economically and militarily weak so they can install their far right puppet leaders

#Brexit was a far right coup and fired the starting gun for project 2025

news.sky.com/story/white-...

The 'Pink Ladies' Laundering Anti-Migrant Views Into the Mainstream An anti-migrant movement backed by Reform and Conservative politicians and regularly invited onto news channels is funded by a far-right group and has platformed a Neo-Nazi activist

A supposedly grassroots anti-migrant movement led by 'ordinary' women, which is backed by Reform and Conservative politicians and is regularly invited onto news channels to promote their views, is funded by a far-right group and has platformed a Neo-Nazi activist

bylinetimes.com/2025/12/05/t...

Applying decolonial thought to the study of racial microaggressions The term ‘decolonisation’ is widely used in social work, but its meaning and the implications of committing to decolonised practice are often unclear. This article suggests pluriversality, a concep...

Everyone interested in decolonial and anti-racist thinking go and read this excellent paper by Mary Francis. The fusion of psychosocial research and decolonial thought highlights Black African social worker's lived experiences and racist microaggressions. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Home Office admits facial recognition tech issue with black and Asian subjects Calls for review after technology found to return more false positives for ‘some demographic groups’ on certain settings Ministers are facing calls for stronger safeguards on facial recognition technology after the Home Office admitted that it is more likely to incorrectly identify black and Asian people than their white counterparts on some settings. Following the latest testing conducted by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) of the technology’s application within the police national database, the Home Office said it was “more likely to incorrectly include some demographic groups in its search results”. Continue reading...

Home Office admits facial recognition tech issue with black and Asian subjects

They’re killing people as a twitter joke. It’s depraved. Can’t let yourself lose the capacity to be appalled and disgusted and outraged by this.

Waterstones would sell books written by AI, says chain's boss James Daunt says booksellers instinctively have

I hereby add Waterstones to list of places not to buy books from

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

RTÉ to boycott Eurovision Song Contest over Israel Ireland will not participate in next year's Eurovision Song Contest, and it will not be broadcast on RTÉ, after organiser the European Broadcasting Union confirmed today that Israel will be allowed to...

Ireland to boycott the Eurovision due to Israel’s participation in the competition

Spain and The Netherlands are also withdrawing from the competition for the same reason

www.rte.ie/entertainmen...

With tenure behind me, it finally feels like there’s time to learn new skills…I’m finally taking steps towards learning R!! First of which is requesting funds for a workshop to get me started.

Words read: "Important update for those involved in the Neighbourhood Mental Health Centre programme."

@england.nhs.uk has released guidance on capital funding for #NeighbourhoodMentalHealth Centres.

170+ centres could secure investment and this is the only capital window for the next 4 years.

#ICBs are leading the process and a high-level draft plan is due by 17 December 2025.

Please share.

BREAKING: Our fake Chinese AI investor bought access into heart of Labour government Ex-Tory MP facilitated meetings with 10+ Labour MPs and met ministers in “cash-for-access operation”

🔴 BREAKING: Our fake Chinese AI investor bought access to 10+ Labour MPs and minister

Brand new investigation by Democracy for Sale and Led By Donkeys.

democracyforsale.substack.com/p/breaking-o...

UK using more wood to make electricity than ever, Drax figures show Giant biomass plant reveals burning of wood pellets made 9% of UK’s electricity in July, its largest ever monthly share

UK using more wood to make electricity than ever, Drax figures show.

Drax burns wood, the most expensive electricity, biggest UK polluter.

Drax is highly profitable. Received subsidies for years, will receive £458.6m a year between 2027 and 2031. Govt doesn't take any equity stake.

@bsgtechagesig.bsky.social @bsg-era.bsky.social @britishgerontology.bsky.social @gerisoc.bsky.social

Co-design of novel technologies for ageing British Society of Gerontology Technology and Ageing Special Interest Group Webinar Series

Webinar today:
Co-design of novel technologies for ageing
12:30GMT 3rd Dec
Co-design is transforming creation of technologies supporting people as they age. 2 speakers will highlight the positive impact of partnering with users when designing technology www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/co-design-...

Remembrance: 75 years of the ECHR The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) celebrates its 75th birthday this month – like all elders, it has a lifetime of wisdom to share

"In the ashes of war... Europe pulled together to create collaborative bodies designed to prevent a repeat of the horrors of Nazi Germany.

One such body was the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)."

King Charles's personal wealth jumped from £30 million to £640 million all while being exempt from taxes on Crown Estate profits, capital gains, & inheritance tax.
Why is he exempt and what has he done to lift children in HIS country out of poverty??

#charlesthelast
#downwiththecrown
#wealthtax

screenshot of research integrity article of informal peer review envisioning authors being some day alerted to discussions of their article on social media (centralized repository needed).

Published in 2015, but still true.

"Currently there is no mechanism for an author to be alerted to discussions of his or her article on social media."

"The key goal... involve the entire community - authors,editors, and the target audience...

Cf: @altmetric.com

dx.doi.org/10.1080/0898...

🏆 Day 3 of #ARCEMRewind2025

⏪ Rewinding to March: Dr @CharlotteLHall2 won the first-ever @nihr.bsky.social Impact Prize for her work on digital ADHD assessment (QbTest) now used across the NHS.

🔗 Read here: tinyurl.com/3xvmzkj3
@nihrmindtech.bsky.social @healthinnovation-em.org.uk

Sabrina Carpenter vs. The White House: A Pop Star Just Drew the Line Trump Never Expected Inside the cultural, legal, and political fallout after the administration used a pop hit to glorify ICE raids

substack.com/@allenanalys...

This should be the main story on all TV news programmes. The University of Essex is closing its Southend campus because of the fall in the number of foreign students and the loss of income they provided for the University. www.echo-news.co.uk/news/2566689...

Multiple large natural experiments have documented Shingles vaccine is linked with ~20-25% reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A new report today adds to that and extends the to slowing the progression of dementia @cellcellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Great culture can save lives. Literally.

Amazing letter in today’s @thetimes.com about Tom Stoppard