RCA Design Research also at @rcadesres.bsky.social

Staff and student research in the School of Design at the Royal College of Art, London.

[Andrew Prescott @Ajprescott]

Just completed a very strange and confused survey by @britishlibrary intended to inform its future strategy. Seems to be chiefly aimed at justifying selling off reading rooms. I'd urge everyone to complete it (open until 17 Nov): https://t.co/P4guV7Ikmm

[Association for Computing Machinery @TheOfficialACM]

Happy Birthday to Joseph-Marie Jacquard, who was born on this day in 1752.

In 1804, Jacquard transformed textile manufacturing with a loom that used a series of punched cards to automatically control intricate weaving patterns. By encoding instructions on interchangeable cards, his invention demonstrated that a machine could be directed by stored instructions, a concept that would later become fundamental to programmable computing.

The Jacquard loom's punched-card system inspired Charles Babbage's designs for the Analytical Engine and later became the basis for Herman Hollerith's tabulating machines, which helped launch the modern data processing industry.

Today, Jacquard's legacy is a reminder that transformative ideas often emerge from practical needs.

#PioneerPOV #ACM #Pioneer #ComputerScience #ComputingHistory

[Phil Baty @Phil_Baty]

There is a “catastrophic decline” in formal language learning in Britain:

Only 2.97% of A-Levels taken in 2024 were for Modern Foreign Languages, Classical Subjects, Welsh (Second Language) and Irish.

https://t.co/4nWf1uwZBM

[Research Fortnight @ResFortnight]

Collapse of languages has ‘knock-on effects’ for research

University-wide language provision increasingly important for international research capabilities, says Hepi report author.
https://t.co/hDktzy3x1E

[Historic England @HistoricEngland]

Saltburn-by-the-Sea's historic cliff lift has been a much-loved treasure since it opened in 1884.

This incredible piece of heritage is made even more unique as it's powered by water. It's one of the oldest water-balanced funiculars in England. 🌊

[Municipal Dreams @MunicipalDreams]

The 1919 Housing Act - the Addison Act - received the royal assent on this day 106 years ago. 176,000 council homes were built under its terms and its standard of high quality housing set a benchmark for decades to come (Examples from Poplar, Newcastle, Lancaster and Winchester)

[Zamaan Qureshi @zamaan_qureshi]

Pretty stunning testimony here from Sarah Wynn-Williams, the latest Meta whistleblower to come forward, to Sen. @MarshaBlackburn:

"Facebook was targeting 13-17-year-olds. It could identify when they were feeling worthless, or helpless... and share it with advertisers."

[University of Leeds @UniversityLeeds]

Since 2009, we’ve used this account to share University updates, highlight research stories, and connect with the Leeds community far and wide.

However, in recent years - like many others - we’ve experienced a huge drop in engagement due to developments on the platform.

[RCA Design Research also at @rcadesres.bsky.social @RCADesRes]

This is now also the position off the RCA Design Research account. Follow us instead on @rcadesres.bsky.social

We cannot improve on George Monbiot’s description of the problem…

[George Monbiot @GeorgeMonbiot]

This is my farewell post. I am not deleting this account, as I don’t want to lose the archive, and I don’t want my name taken by imposters. But, for as long as Musk owns the platform, I’ll no longer use it. I’m now posting at https://t.co/0iVBaQEKGy.

Since Elon Musk bought this site, he has transformed it from one on which millions could converse as equals into his personal megaphone. Now the world’s richest man uses it to wage his class war, transferring blame for the ills of capitalism onto vulnerable minorities, boosting the grimmest and most antisocial accounts while suppressing the humane voices with whom he disagrees.

He has used X not only to subvert the election for the US presidency, but to create a role for himself in US politics which, though he has never stood for election and would not be eligible, grants him immense power over the citizens of that nation. This site has been used as a tool to help replace democracy with oligarchy.

Musk claimed, on purchasing the platform, to be a “free speech absolutist”. He is in fact a prolific censor, suspending dissenting accounts and using lawsuits to shut down free speech, while employing an algorithm to increase the reach of his own posts 1,000-fold. He cannot abide a level playing field.

He has permitted or encouraged the growth of a ghost army of bots and trolls to degrade the experience of all who disagree with him. Their task is not just to abuse opponents but, perhaps more importantly, to drown intelligent conversation with a tsunami of stupidity. They respond to data with denial, expertise with execration, insight with insult, humour with hatred and thinking with thuggery. They suck the meaning out of everything. The stupidity trends in one direction: in the service of economic power. It is a weapon used to suppress the possibility of a better world.

Many years ago, when I lived in Brazil, I learnt that the military dictatorship had actively sought to suppress educational levels in schools, as it saw a well-informed population as a political threat. A confused, distracted and ignorant population is easy to manipulate. Now this counter-educational model is being rolled out worldwide, and Elon Musk is its primary sponsor.

I stayed here long after I first considered leaving, as I believed it was wrong to cede the ground to an oligarch and his minions. But I came to see that those of us who do not subscribe to Musk’s grim project are being used as groundbait: stimulating the feeding frenzy of 15-minute, 24-hour hate that now powers this platform. We can no longer build anything of value here. Brute force – the unmediated power of money – has beaten humanity, intelligence, humour and democracy.

On Bluesky I can be the person I want to be, a better person than I am on X, where it is almost impossible not to get dragged into the mud. I feel I can be understood because I am not confronting a deliberate effort to misunderstand me. So I can speak more quietly.

There is no guarantee that Bluesky will not also one day be monetised by its owners or captured by self-serving billionaires. But for now it remains a place in which interesting and enjoyable conversations can be had, kindness can be shown to strangers and a better world can be imagined. I hope to see you there.

[Times Higher Education @timeshighered]

Germany’s decision to sign a national agreement with open access publisher MDPI has been criticised as “highly problematic” in light of the firm’s “questionable practices” regarding peer review and special issues
https://t.co/hEEp5DUAh5

[Campaign for the Arts @_CFTA]

Our drama schools are facing a financial crisis, shutting down opportunities for the next generation.

In today's @guardian, CFTA trustee Samuel West (@exitthelemming) calls for "urgent action to protect and expand everyone’s access to the arts".
https://t.co/Cnsjl3jJY1

[RCA Design Research also at @rcadesres.bsky.social @RCADesRes]

Bristol Old Vic theatre school: the capping of student fees, restrictions to international student visas, cuts in grants and increases in costs of living and teaching had all influenced the decision to shut down the undergrad programme from September 2025. https://t.co/PhmIKpoxIz

[Dr Adam Rutherford @AdamRutherford]

Every university that does this, regardless of the reasons, weakens the racket stranglehold that this publisher has on them

Surrey says Jisc-negotiated deal “not sustainable in the current financial climate”

https://t.co/5rDRfyIsH5

[Martyn Evans @martyn_evans]

Consuming arts and culture is good for health and wellbeing, research finds https://t.co/4KPi6Xbmyu

[Computing History @computermuseum]

#OTD in 1815, Ada Lovelace was born to poet Lord Byron and social reformer Annabella Milbanke. Ada's talents in maths led her to work with Charles Babbage and her visionary notes on his Analytical Engine saw the potential for computers to go beyond mathematics. #ComputingHerstory

[The Royal Society @royalsociety]

Born #OnThisDay in 1906 was American computer scientist Grace Hopper. She was a pioneer of computer programming, developing programming languages like COBOL which is still in use today. She was one of the first programmers on the Harvard Mark I computer and is credited with writing the first computer manual.

[Reuters Science News @ReutersScience]

Extraordinarily high temperatures are expected to persist into at least the first few months of 2025. https://t.co/6BhEoLUT7D https://t.co/6BhEoLUT7D

[C20 Society @C20Society]

“M&S should sell the present building to someone who can see its conversion potential” - C20 Chair @hughpearman in @TheArtNewspaper on the growing backlash to the Secretary of State’s controversial demolition decision.

[Phil Baty @Phil_Baty]

It should have been a simple moment of shared joy.

Ally Louks posted a smiling selfie on X (Twitter) to say she had passed her #PhD viva with no corrections.

But instead she was subject to a torrent of vile abuse, including rape threats.

https://t.co/mACzAYDUTo

[Extinction Rebellion UK 🌍 @XRebellionUK]

#dontbuyanything