Tom Wells

Work for @uksciencechief on tech and foresight. Former green chemist, science & media advisor, @tenteleni Trustee and @ukinindia SINner. All views personal.

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

@TfL morning, any word on when your payment systems will be back up please? I’ve been unable to add a new contactless to my oyster account for four days, due to “maintenance”

[Tom Westgarth @Tom_Westgarth15]

Chemistry is one of the scientific fields most 'AI-ready'. Compared to, for e.g., physics, chemistry has better standardisation of software+data

New tools, such as Coscientist, are using web search+chemistry tools to do both experimental design+execution https://t.co/4VjGssXZQT

[Government Office for Science @uksciencechief]

📢 Calling all academics!

We would love to hear you views on interacting with the Government, including the types of engagement you have had and the factors impacting this.

Have your say by filling out this survey: https://t.co/cwRzogCJnQ. Deadline: 5pm on 16.08.

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

Very pleased to share an update to our well-loved Futures Toolkit - a practical guide to thinking about the future https://t.co/bsBIbYPEJB

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

@thomasforth Your kidneys are going to struggle to process more than about 3-4 cans of water an hour (alcohol aside), so I think you’re in trouble from about 2am onwards

[Terrible Maps @TerribleMaps]

Using only a food, tell us where you live

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

@pizzapilgrims hi, my NYE bundle arrived without the dessert calzone and Prosecco. Any chance of those arriving before tomorrow eve pls?

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

Excellent thread (above and below this tweet). I’m going to write “One bit of genetics doesn’t predict well for another” on my hand the next time I have a meeting about genomics

[Ewan Birney @ewanbirney]

It is not that humans are perfectly mixed with genetics - we keep swirling around with different movements in different places, and the frequency of different genetic components goes up and down. It is just that one bit of genetics doesn't predict well another.

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

@DrAnnaDixon @ESRC @HealthyAgeingUK I’d love to hear about these too. Will there be a readout?

[Yair Rosenberg @Yair_Rosenberg]

Interesting Biden line from today:

"There comes a time maybe every 6, 8 generations where the world changes in a very short time. We are at that time now, and I think what happens in the next 2-3 years is going to determine what the world looks like for the next 5 or 6 decades."

[Government Office for Science @uksciencechief]

Reports on Frontier AI risk published today, including a technical paper from the Government Office for Science. Read here➡️https://t.co/h2V6w8Y5YM

[Government Office for Science @uksciencechief]

The @royalsociety Pairing Scheme is a great opportunity for civil servants and talented UK scientists to experience each other’s worlds and ensure that Government is empowered by the best scientific evidence. Apply now: https://t.co/WRQzbEfHpc.

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

@emollick Interesting, thanks! What are your go to studies for that 20-60% estimate pls? Expanding my reading list

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

@conradgodfrey Not a bad demonstration of the 2nd law of thermodynamics?

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

@g__j I didn’t get this email, but am an @OctopusEnergy customer. How do I get on the right list pls?

[Government Office for Science @uksciencechief]

Check out the Areas of Research Interest database – the new one-stop shop to help you find the topics that government departments are interested in researching. Learn about its benefits and access it here: https://t.co/RW0wWIoPYf

[Tom Wells @_tomwells]

There must have been a way to get leaky toilets into this tweet

[New Scientist @newscientist]

Toilets with built-in gadgets that monitor your health are poised to make a splash in the world of wellness tech, but security experts warn that the risk of sensitive data leaks makes them too dangerous to sell as consumer devices. https://t.co/w4g4MoaZRG

[Stian Westlake @stianwestlake]

We've launched an important new resource to connect researchers and policymakers.

The Areas of Research Interest Database lets you see the research questions Government departments are interested in, plus UKRI-funded work by area, all in an easy-to-use interface. (1/3)

[Ian Hogarth @soundboy]

1/ 11 weeks ago I agreed to Chair the UK's efforts to accelerate state capacity in AI Safety - measuring and mitigating the risks of frontier models so we can safety capture their opportunities. Here is our first progress report: https://t.co/x33pgAMYeO

[Jonathan Camrose @JonathanCamrose]

The problem is not how do we make people trust AI, the problem is how do we make AI trustworthy.

The first ever global AI Safety Summit in Bletchley will bring together leaders from across the world to create safer AI that will bolster public confidence in this technology.