Plus: Looking for cocaine in London's sewage, Lime bikes are getting regulated, the Green candidate standing for his tenth party, Reform UK's Tooting diatribes.
As a scientist, I'm in awe of the Royal Institution. Always going above and beyond to nurture curiosity and disseminate knowledge. I imagine this event came with a trigger warning or some kind of disclaimer, and instead of clutching our pearls perhaps it should be celebrated - I would have loved to attend! The lion was dead anyway and we need to learn from it to help future lions and related species. That's how scientific knowledge advances.
What I find staggering is not one news outlet other than yours has covered Stephanie Dearden's absolutely vile and horrendous social media posts. Not a single one. And in the run up to an election. Reform get to play politics on easy mode.
Regarding Oxford Street and its impending pedestrianisation (that will cause chaos in surrounding streets) why doesn’t Sadiq K emulate the Japanese solution. Just close it against traffic at the weekend. Makes far more sense.
Like with all of these things, Paris' south bank, Trafalgar Square being predestrianised in the 2000s, even on a small scale Dulwich Square last year: there are detractors in the run up who claim disaster will ensue, and almost without fail fast forward a few years and everyone loves it. Who now for example would turn the really impressive space of Trafalgar Square back into a square roundabout?
The Oxford St naming thing reminds me of the time Google Maps decided the A3 was actually to be the M3 and made it all blue. While Elephant and Castle roads can be wide, there wasn't an actual urban motorway there and good luck getting to 7mph some days let alone 70.
In the year 2026 and rising politicians still do not know how to use social media. Reform can capitalise on being racist and generally by vice signalling, but I really cannot understand how the Greens are letting this happen.
On bikes.. yes Deidre Costigan MP (Ealing and Southall) specifically noted that the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will be used to stop the bike dead zones which we know well and love. While it will probably allow three or so bike brands to run under one platform, there will ultimately be a primus inter pares, because of course there will be
I'm not sure at what point Laila Cunningham states that she is Muslim, but accepts racism targeted at Islam from her own party candidates, or becomes fully apostate.
Tests on the River Po in Italy have proved an effective way of gauging levels of substance abuse - thanks to the presence of human byproducts from cocaine in the water.
Researchers found the equivalent of 4kg a day of Colombia's most famous export being washed into the Adriatic, showing that Italians were consuming far more cocaine than figures had indicated.
Surveys, crime statistics and other estimates suggested that 15,000 young adults in the region of the Po - which flows from the Alps to the Adriatic, its valley home to about five million people - admitted to using cocaine, about once a month.
But the river data tell another story - that at least 40,000 people now snort, smoke or inject 100mg of the substance every day. Ettore Zuccato, of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, in Milan, and colleagues, today state, in the journal Environmental Health, that as cocaine users excrete benzoylecgonine in their urine, and as the byproduct has no other source, the sewage water of the cities and the Po itself does give an accurate picture.
"We expected our field data on cocaine consumption to give estimates within the range of official estimates, or perhaps lower, but certainly not higher," they write.
The results suggested that 27 in 1,000 people in the region, aged 15 to 34, took the drug daily. "The large amount of cocaine [at least 1,500kg, or almost one and a half tonnes] our findings suggest are consumed per year in the River Po basin would amount to about $150m [£85m] in street value."
22 years ago Stephanie Dearden was known for more positive reasons - as only the second openly trans candidate to stand in a parliamentary election. At that time she was a LibDem, and seemed to have fairly progressive politics (I spoke to her a few times during the campaign). She won 19.5% of the vote in the Tooting constituency in the 2005 general election, losing to Sadiq Khan. https://www.zoeoconnell.co.uk/2014/12/a-brief-history-of-trans-parliamentarians/
Google Maps can be very frustrating, eg it absolutely refuses to show the Highams Park in Waltham Forest as green and it clearly is green in satellite view (and a public park) and trying to correct this is virtually impossible.
By the way , Jim , Have you covered the proliferation of Men's barbers that seem to be everywhere now- all kitted out and yet often several members of staff hanging around with few heads to cut? Are they legitimate independents or part of some larger group? I am afraid I am getting dodgy nail bar/sweet shop vibes though I hope I am wrong.
I’m sure you will also be documenting the number of anti semitic posts and tweets by prospective Green Party candidates in London too, right? If it helps, Andrew Gilligan at The Spectator has been cataloguing them. I am sure you would also want to bring this to your readers attention.
Two arrests have been made plus coverage from various national outlets. Just LC and http://Putney.news highlighting this Reform candidate, with no arrest.
Lols ok point proved you win Reform are the baddies and London Centric should exclude anti semites because “others” haha well done that’s me shot down. 👏👏👏👏
I'm not sure the Community Empowerment Bill will give more community empowerment if it gives more power to the mayor at the expense of the capital’s local councils.
Appalling such a vile performance allowed to take place. Prurient and just plain wrong. They should be ashamed of themselves- no it’s not helping science.
Could it not be said to encourage future generations of zoologists/conservationists/vetenarians etc - seems a bit pearl clutching to suggest it is prurient. It wasn't done without the need to apply/attend/be aware of what you were going to see.
Animals need us to understand them biologically speaking and if that work can occasionally be made public to allow those interested/possibly inspired to pursue that same ability to understand and help, it seems fair enough.
Nothing new was learnt- nothing. Rather like the Austrian with a hat curing up humans being for pleasure and profit, s.. all to do with science- not pearl clutching, more pointing out how desensitisation encouraged by our harsh social media age is legitimising the nasty, cheap and prurient. If you want to be a vet great- attending a modern day freak event is not how you go about it- sit some A- levels, work hard and develop some ethics, all do help. Barnum and Bailey is not the same as the Royal Soc of Veterinary Surgeons.
As a scientist, I'm in awe of the Royal Institution. Always going above and beyond to nurture curiosity and disseminate knowledge. I imagine this event came with a trigger warning or some kind of disclaimer, and instead of clutching our pearls perhaps it should be celebrated - I would have loved to attend! The lion was dead anyway and we need to learn from it to help future lions and related species. That's how scientific knowledge advances.
Great journalism again.
What I find staggering is not one news outlet other than yours has covered Stephanie Dearden's absolutely vile and horrendous social media posts. Not a single one. And in the run up to an election. Reform get to play politics on easy mode.
Regarding Oxford Street and its impending pedestrianisation (that will cause chaos in surrounding streets) why doesn’t Sadiq K emulate the Japanese solution. Just close it against traffic at the weekend. Makes far more sense.
Weekdays have pretty high footfall too, even without pedestrianisation!
Like with all of these things, Paris' south bank, Trafalgar Square being predestrianised in the 2000s, even on a small scale Dulwich Square last year: there are detractors in the run up who claim disaster will ensue, and almost without fail fast forward a few years and everyone loves it. Who now for example would turn the really impressive space of Trafalgar Square back into a square roundabout?
The Oxford St naming thing reminds me of the time Google Maps decided the A3 was actually to be the M3 and made it all blue. While Elephant and Castle roads can be wide, there wasn't an actual urban motorway there and good luck getting to 7mph some days let alone 70.
In the year 2026 and rising politicians still do not know how to use social media. Reform can capitalise on being racist and generally by vice signalling, but I really cannot understand how the Greens are letting this happen.
On bikes.. yes Deidre Costigan MP (Ealing and Southall) specifically noted that the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will be used to stop the bike dead zones which we know well and love. While it will probably allow three or so bike brands to run under one platform, there will ultimately be a primus inter pares, because of course there will be
I'm not sure at what point Laila Cunningham states that she is Muslim, but accepts racism targeted at Islam from her own party candidates, or becomes fully apostate.
The penalty for becoming an apostate is? Not sure the left know the answer.
She should probably just face the racism.
An eclectic mix Jim, thank you. how does the British drug use compare to Italy 2005?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/aug/05/highereducation.research?CMP=share_btn_url
Tim Radford Guardian
Tests on the River Po in Italy have proved an effective way of gauging levels of substance abuse - thanks to the presence of human byproducts from cocaine in the water.
Researchers found the equivalent of 4kg a day of Colombia's most famous export being washed into the Adriatic, showing that Italians were consuming far more cocaine than figures had indicated.
Surveys, crime statistics and other estimates suggested that 15,000 young adults in the region of the Po - which flows from the Alps to the Adriatic, its valley home to about five million people - admitted to using cocaine, about once a month.
But the river data tell another story - that at least 40,000 people now snort, smoke or inject 100mg of the substance every day. Ettore Zuccato, of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, in Milan, and colleagues, today state, in the journal Environmental Health, that as cocaine users excrete benzoylecgonine in their urine, and as the byproduct has no other source, the sewage water of the cities and the Po itself does give an accurate picture.
"We expected our field data on cocaine consumption to give estimates within the range of official estimates, or perhaps lower, but certainly not higher," they write.
The results suggested that 27 in 1,000 people in the region, aged 15 to 34, took the drug daily. "The large amount of cocaine [at least 1,500kg, or almost one and a half tonnes] our findings suggest are consumed per year in the River Po basin would amount to about $150m [£85m] in street value."
Possibly a little *too* eclectic!
22 years ago Stephanie Dearden was known for more positive reasons - as only the second openly trans candidate to stand in a parliamentary election. At that time she was a LibDem, and seemed to have fairly progressive politics (I spoke to her a few times during the campaign). She won 19.5% of the vote in the Tooting constituency in the 2005 general election, losing to Sadiq Khan. https://www.zoeoconnell.co.uk/2014/12/a-brief-history-of-trans-parliamentarians/
I presume she want to get a spot so that she can pay for dental work
Google Maps can be very frustrating, eg it absolutely refuses to show the Highams Park in Waltham Forest as green and it clearly is green in satellite view (and a public park) and trying to correct this is virtually impossible.
By the way , Jim , Have you covered the proliferation of Men's barbers that seem to be everywhere now- all kitted out and yet often several members of staff hanging around with few heads to cut? Are they legitimate independents or part of some larger group? I am afraid I am getting dodgy nail bar/sweet shop vibes though I hope I am wrong.
Unless you’re sat in a car staking out these barber shops all day, you’re seeing only a tiny slice of their business whenever you pass by.
Great to see my hyperlocal news source Putney.news namechecked in my favourite London-wide news source 😊
I’m sure you will also be documenting the number of anti semitic posts and tweets by prospective Green Party candidates in London too, right? If it helps, Andrew Gilligan at The Spectator has been cataloguing them. I am sure you would also want to bring this to your readers attention.
I’m sure you’ve also pointed Andrew Gilligan to where he can find information about Reform candidates, great work if so!
Try reading it, you’ll see
Two arrests have been made plus coverage from various national outlets. Just LC and http://Putney.news highlighting this Reform candidate, with no arrest.
Lols ok point proved you win Reform are the baddies and London Centric should exclude anti semites because “others” haha well done that’s me shot down. 👏👏👏👏
They’re not excluded, they’re widely reported on
By London Centric?
I'm not sure the Community Empowerment Bill will give more community empowerment if it gives more power to the mayor at the expense of the capital’s local councils.
Superb reporting and what a mix.
Appalling such a vile performance allowed to take place. Prurient and just plain wrong. They should be ashamed of themselves- no it’s not helping science.
Could it not be said to encourage future generations of zoologists/conservationists/vetenarians etc - seems a bit pearl clutching to suggest it is prurient. It wasn't done without the need to apply/attend/be aware of what you were going to see.
Animals need us to understand them biologically speaking and if that work can occasionally be made public to allow those interested/possibly inspired to pursue that same ability to understand and help, it seems fair enough.
Studying a dead animal is exactly how science and human understanding of our impact on the planet progresses
Indeed- and not with an audience. How it’s meant to be. Fine end for the King of the Jungle. Sad.
Nothing new was learnt- nothing. Rather like the Austrian with a hat curing up humans being for pleasure and profit, s.. all to do with science- not pearl clutching, more pointing out how desensitisation encouraged by our harsh social media age is legitimising the nasty, cheap and prurient. If you want to be a vet great- attending a modern day freak event is not how you go about it- sit some A- levels, work hard and develop some ethics, all do help. Barnum and Bailey is not the same as the Royal Soc of Veterinary Surgeons.
Pretty sure eventually a vet will dissect something.
ooh, you're so bold. so heterodox.
Sockpuppet account to write incendiary posts? No thanks