James Murphy

This is a really appalling editorial error on BBC Question Time

"Apparently one in three children don't speak English as a first language, why does this matter?"

Chair says "have English as a second language"

Caption changes the meaning entirely
"Don't speak fluent English"

Of course. He wants a peerage when the air goes out of the inflatable giraffe that is Reform

This is how we need to be thinking about IQ scores - not as a ceiling but a base to build on!

Not been in the vicinity at all, yer honour!

But it’s good to see they had three major crime units involved in the search. Says a lot!

At the Fair Education Alliance Summit in London’s Science Museum. Cool venue.

I think 🤔 m curious ming to the conclusion that in the next election I’ll have to vote for the party that’s serious about capping political donations.
If we can’t do that elections become a charade, not a decision making process.

Consensus Without Clarity for Dyslexia Identification: A Commentary on Holden et al. Holden et al. (2025) conducted a Delphi study to establish consensus on how to define, identify, and assess dyslexia, with the definitional component primarily reported by Carroll et al. (2025). Alth...

New paper, continuing the conversation on identifying and diagnosing dyslexia. doi.org/10.1002/dys....

I am just watching the Owen Jones interview with Ischenko about "the devastating truth of Ukraine and the west."

I came back from Ukraine a few weeks ago, where I interviewed many Ukrainian leftists about the war. These are people who are on the frontlines, who are living up close to the threat of

Exactly this. To access frankly paltry funds, you must give up your dignity. Many choose not to.

No one in receipt of public funds shall ever be allowed to live a happy life.

Unless they are wealthy conmen, in which case here’s a VIP Lane.

It’s like stupidity has a gravitational pull on stupidity

Congratulations, Doctor!

Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.

So encouraging!

The power of ordering from an indie bookstore!

The man last time rocking the small white coffin of his baby — murdered by a precise russian missile strike in Ternopil.

The men having power to bring real peace and punish the aggressor — choosing instead to punish the victim, pushing Ukraine toward capitulation.

Two worlds.

Brave, beautiful Georgia! 🇬🇪

🙄 Oh well, at least we got the lies out there first, that’s the main thing.

It's unsurprising Trump is trying again to blackmail Ukraine into surrender. Keep in mind that Ukrainians have always been clear-eyed about the fickleness of the US as an ally. Ukraine has never been a US proxy. It fights for its independence and sovereignty and a US betrayal won't change that.

Great photo!

Thanks all. This was v nice to think about.

Well put 😊

Ah yes, the Wights. That’s when it starts to feel seriously scary

Yes, that’s true, he was largely world building for all of the first book before the narrative gets moving in Moria.

Also I think Tom adds in recognisably English folklore as a transition from the Shire into a more solidly Norse/Anglo-Saxon mythology.

I have a question about why Tolkien added him into the plot when he has (and wants) nothing to do with anything? He makes no difference to cause and effect or character development. Book might be better without him really?

Yes, grim. But destruction of habitat/nature is a major theme and fits the pattern of Fangorn. Tom’s realm would probably be the last to go but he is quite unpredictable.

He always gets other people to do his work anyway. Probs really unfit.

Also if it was in Tom’s realm nothing can touch him but outside that he seems to have no power and no interest.

No question there.