Richard Cupitt

Year 2, Week 6 Jan 31-Feb 6, 2026 - bureaucromancy

Each Friday night, I write about what happened in US science & higher ed. 🧪

Year 2, Week 6: Feb 6
- civil servants face Schedule F
- NSF disappoints on pre & postdoc research fellowships
- Oklahoma ends tenure
- Dept of Ed Civil Rights Office fails

& much more - buttondown.com/liminalcreat...

'Do you love me?': The Viking messages unearthed on Sweden's rune stones Runic inscriptions from the Viking Age still turn up in Sweden 1,000 years after they were written – revealing fascinating stories of love, loss and epic battles.

www.bbc.com/future/artic...

I am compelled, as if under a spell, to enter bookshops.

Consequently my priority metric for books is now tending towards “size”.

The surprisingly big health benefits of just a little exercise ‘Exercise snacks’ and other forms of everyday movement can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease and death.

A feature in Nature reports how research shows that ‘exercise snacks’ and other forms of everyday movement can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease and death. #medsky 🧪

Thanks, Mr. President.

We've got an editorial series of "expert comments" for you.

#NewSTART #armscontrol #nuclearweapons #nukesky

#nukesky #NuclearTesting

New START ends. But a one-year extension could bring many benefits Rose Gottemoeller, the former chief US negotiator for New START, explains that a one-year extension of the treaty limits would not prejudice any of the vital steps Washington is taking to respond to C...

Rose Gottemoeller, the former chief US negotiator for New START, explains that a one-year extension of the treaty limits would not prejudice any of the vital steps Washington is taking to respond to China's nuclear build-up.

- 9/n

#NewSTART #armscontrol #nukesky @stanfordcisac.bsky.social

Imagine bringing American food to Italy

Thanks for highlighting the ludicrous notion that we'd go for massive retaliation when we don't know who attacked us (even if it's not an accident or rogue national element). @thebulletin.org

Trump's rush to build nuclear reactors across the U.S. raises safety worries A new program at the Department of Energy is pushing the development of nearly a dozen new reactor designs at breakneck speed.

www.npr.org/2025/12/17/n... Not a word on security? Safety isn’t the whole story (and I favor having more nuclear power options) especially with plans to sell SMRs worldwide.

Yesterday was my last day working at the State Department. This time around I had the privilege to serve first as a Senior Advisor to Under Secretary Amb Bonnie Jenkins and later as a Senior Advisor (Consultant) to AUKUS Senior Advisor Matt Steinhelfer and the great teams they assembled.

Switzerland launches its own open-source AI model Switzerland has just released Apertus, its open-source national Large Language Model (LLM) that it hopes would be an alternative to models offered by companies like OpenAI.

www.engadget.com/ai/switzerla...

📣 We're looking for post-docs in the fields of heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics and fundamental physics.

Come carry out your independent research with us.

Apply to the ESA Research #Fellowships in Space Science 👉 www.cosmos.esa.int/web/space-sc... 🔭🧪☄️

Opinion | The atomic bomb’s first victims deserve to be remembered The Trinity nuclear test was not conducted on barren, uninhabited land.

Tomorrow is the 80th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb test. I wrote about its human impact in today's @washingtonpost.com. wapo.st/44vNOP1 #trinity #oppenheimermovie #nukesky

I imagined the Chatsubo in 1984. 41 years later I opened its door. Neuromancer is in production.

Russia's 'relentless' drone strikes cause over 3,000 civilian casualties in Ukraine, UN reports

Russia's 'relentless' drone strikes cause over 3,000 civilian casualties in Ukraine, UN reports #Ukraine

Russia deliberately targets civilians with drones – UN report Russian forces are increasingly using FPV drones for targeted strikes on civilians in Ukraine. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission (HRMMU) has documented many cases of war crimes.

'Russia deliberately targets civilians with drones – UN report' www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/202...

Paid internship at The Economist. Put a lot of effort into the piece. Be original and write it well. www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Graph showing that 65% of germans support higher defence expenditures to reach NATO’s 5% goal.

Absolutely striking numbers. 65% of Germans support Germany significantly increasing its defence expenditures to reach NATO’s 5%* goal.

*it’s a 3,5%+ goal, to be exact.

Excited to announce I'm recruiting for my first two Postdoctoral Research Associates! These 5-year positions will allow the holders to dive into applying quantum foundations to understand and develop quantum advantage!

Rosatom confirms long-term plans to restart Zaporizhia Rosatom has a plan to bring the Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP) to full capacity, and it is currently being approved, Rosatom…

www.neimagazine.com/news/rosatom...

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, giant of African literature, dies aged 87 Kenyan writer’s death announced by his daughter, who wrote: ‘He lived a full life, fought a good fight’

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

Onosato promoted to yokozuna after record-setting ascent in sumo Onosato has been promoted to sumo’s highest rank of yokozuna, completing a meteoric rise to the summit of the sport in the record span of 13 tournaments

www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/m... Looking forward to the Yokozuna clashes.

Meet the people vying to lead Africa's top development bank Five candidates are running to become President of the African Development Bank in an election on Thursday during the lender's annual meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Meet the people vying to lead Africa's top development bank - www.reuters.com/world/africa...

White House National Security Council hit by more firings, sources say Staff dealing with a variety of major geopolitical issues were sent termination notices on Friday.

White House National Security Council slashes staff in dramatic restructuring, sources say - www.reuters.com/world/us/whi...

The £20M Power Move: Alexis Ohanian, Chelsea Women, and the Battle for Global Relevance The Reddit co-founder has joined Chelsea FCW’s board after a landmark investment. Here’s how it could reshape the global perception of women’s football.

The £20M Power Move: Alexis Ohanian, Chelsea Women, and the Battle for Global Relevance
open.substack.com/pub/original... @thepriceoffootball.bsky.social

Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive form’ of prostate cancer, his office says Former US president is reviewing treatment options with family as cancer has spread to the bone

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025... Bless you sir.

‘Right now all of us lose’: Shakhtar claim Ukrainian Cup in glimpse of past life The final against Dynamo Kyiv had edge, flares and burning Russian flags but some of the enmity has gone; as one fan says: ‘Aggression must stay in the war zone’

www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Scientific giant Dick Garwin died yesterday. He turned 97 less than a month ago.

Physicist Enrico Fermi once called Garwin “the only true genius I have ever met.”

Despite his pivotal work on nuclear weapons, Garwin never observed an atmospheric nuclear explosion. “I didn’t want to take the time.”

Germany arrests three Ukrainians over alleged Russian parcel bomb plot Prosecutors say men intended to attack German cargo transport by sending packages that would explode in transit

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...