Benoît Jones

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🇨🇵🇪🇺🇬🇧

Civil Engineer/Engineering Geologist/Geotechnical Engineer and author of 'Soft Ground Tunnel Design' textbook, Telemark Skier, Runner, Guitarist/Singer, trumpet player, former academic, long covid sufferer, Repair Café co-organiser. Trans ally, believer in learning who people are, from them.

Interested in: #grunge, #folk and #classical music, #art, #history, #geology, #SteamDeck gaming, #MurderMysteries, #books in general, #mountains #skiing #naturephotography #birdwatching.

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npub195f5d6t9ke7nsc9sxynxt7mtlpcxlmtqr8kpkfwazda05psllwmqspnqyg

NIP-05 Address

huxley_at_mstdn.social@momostr.pink

Profile Code

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relay.momostr.pink

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npub195f5d6t9ke7nsc9sxynxt7mtlpcxlmtqr8kpkfwazda05psllwmqspnqyg

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Published at

2026-06-08T00:43:14Z

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Last Notes

2026-04-12 20:22:53 UTC

Tonight's visitors: two baby hedgehogs!
#hedgehogs #SilentSunday
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/116/393/591/975/954/177/original/b13a5405e1258bf0.jpg

2026-04-08 05:59:22 UTC

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I also wish university (and any other form of post-18 training/education) were free.
But calling student loans 'debt' is misleading. For the vast majority, who never pay off the principal before it gets wiped, and who only pay according to their means each month, it is essentially a graduate tax. Whether the amount you 'owe' goes up or not is irrelevant!

2026-04-07 13:10:28 UTC

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Great distance and at a good pace! Well done! And that looks like what my local cafe calls a 'morning bun', only with ice cream on top!

2026-04-02 07:36:24 UTC

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This is a nice article in today's Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/01/artemis-moon-mission-international-astronauts-earth-space

2026-03-07 12:28:37 UTC

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I'm thinking that tariffs are a great way of shifting the tax burden from rich people to poor people...

2026-02-08 10:14:07 UTC

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Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B
By the Andrews Sisters. Absolute banger!

2026-01-31 09:49:13 UTC

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Some things that shocked me about my fellow academics:
1. They were mostly quite conservative politically - I had kind of assumed academics would be mainly lefty/liberal.
2. Very few academics had a hinterland - hobbies, or even just general knowledge of art, culture and what is going on in the world outside.
3. Discussions in the common room revolved around grants rather than ideas.
4. Everyone thinks they do more teaching/admin than everyone else.

2026-01-31 09:43:10 UTC

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I often felt like an odd one out. I felt most at home as a postgrad at Southampton, as in our group it was quite international, but also the UK postgrads were more likely to be from similar backgrounds to me.
As an academic at Warwick and Cambridge, I definitely felt like an outsider. I think this was mainly because I loved learning and ideas and wasn't so interested in playing the academic game of salami slicing journal papers and applying for grants every other day.

2026-01-31 09:38:29 UTC

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I think there is a big difference in privilege between those from multi-generational middle class families, and those who are first or even second generation middle class.
I have been an undergraduate, a postgraduate and an academic, at Bristol, Southampton, Warwick and Cambridge. I have also spent 20 years working in industry. I went to a comprehensive school and although state school kids exist at those unis, many of them were actually from selective grammars.

2026-01-21 11:48:09 UTC

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Congratulations, it looks like a lovely place!

2025-12-25 16:57:42 UTC

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Happy holidays @npub1s20…twmm !

2025-12-15 21:59:20 UTC

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The ECHR is only anti-communist if we're talking about Leninist, Stalinist or Maoist communism, i.e. a totalitarian state hell bent on the eradication of the individual. Democratic forms of socialism are totally compatible with liberalism. In fact many liberals are progressive social liberals because there is nothing that impinges on liberty more than poverty, racism, sexism and wealth inequality.

2025-12-15 21:55:02 UTC

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Johnson was not a liberal by any stretch of the imagination, he was a populist who had no ideology. I think you are using the word carelessly to mean any roughly centrist politician, but liberalism is not centrism and nor is it capitalism. It is about valuing the rights and freedoms of individuals. So yes, the ECHR is a liberal project, I don't understand why you think human rights are a bad thing?

2025-11-15 22:51:57 UTC

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Compare how he was treated by the justice system to how the AI companies are for much worse 'piracy'.

2025-10-30 09:29:20 UTC

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you should switch to kms rather than miles because you will do bigger numbers and it sounds better, e.g. 8km sounds better than 5 miles!

2025-10-25 16:37:46 UTC

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probably will also be a bit delayed also, so first thing is to get out of the stock market!

2025-10-25 13:17:34 UTC

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is cash safer, or will a stock market crash cause big inflation?

2025-09-27 07:11:53 UTC

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it seems like the left has given up on trying to move the window, whereas the right are actively trying to move it.

2025-09-15 07:04:43 UTC

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I work in construction, mainly of tunnels. We all know the rule book is written in blood. H&S is taken very seriously, because the cost of getting it wrong means someone not going home to their family.
At a corporate level, large contractors know they need a strong safety culture and a good safety record if they are to win work. They are also aware of corporate manslaughter.
This is a very different world compared to, for example, domestic builders.

2025-09-10 19:49:59 UTC

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best wishes to you and your dad.

2025-09-07 12:35:14 UTC

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thanks!

2025-09-07 12:00:49 UTC

Well I managed to run a whole half marathon this morning!
Longest training run was only 10km so I wasn't sure I would make the distance.
I've never done one before, so 2 hrs 12 mins is my new PB!
#running

2025-09-04 20:05:51 UTC

Twitchy the baby #hedgehog is visiting tonight!
#nature #NaturePhotography #wildlife #mammals #hedgehogs #CuteAnimal
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/115/147/811/919/446/991/original/be1e23df85d7b154.jpg

2025-09-03 05:15:10 UTC

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This seems very plausible, the transition is going to be traumatic, especially to those with SEN or less social capital. The article doesn't, however, say whether this is a worsening problem or whether it is actually much better than it used to be.
Our experience of the transition with our kid was that it was very well managed by primary and secondary teachers. Now we are moving to 6th form, it is also very good.
Nothing like this when we were kids! In at the deep end!

2025-09-02 17:51:34 UTC

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you put Garlic in a salad?!!!

2025-08-17 10:50:00 UTC

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Maybe the skills needed to get elected are a totally different set of skills from those needed to govern well? Case in point: BoJo.

2025-08-11 10:57:45 UTC

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Construction started in February of 'Eastern Green Link 1' - a subsea HVDC link from Torness in East Lothian and Hawthorn Pit in County Durham.
This seems to be thing you are advocating they do? Seems like they already started?

2025-08-04 17:19:34 UTC

Mastodon appears to have an insatiable appetite for #hedgehog photos, so here is one of Streaky Bum (one of the adults) from last night's visitation.
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/114/971/626/556/354/805/original/dd8eb70541f93bbe.jpeg

2025-08-02 10:10:33 UTC

#bloomscrolling #fleuristonfil
Morning Glory
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/114/958/624/102/271/996/original/99353bac60ad90ac.jpg

2025-07-12 09:21:13 UTC

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to be honest, I also hate 'If', it's so pompous and patronising.
Benjamin Zephaniah's version 'What if?' pokes fun at it and is much more real:
https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/what-if

2025-05-25 15:51:51 UTC

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Good meowing to you too!

2025-04-13 10:14:20 UTC

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none of this would be a problem if everyone had just voted lib dem 😂.

2025-03-29 20:59:00 UTC

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Miss Marple rocks!

2025-03-22 09:49:19 UTC

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Just want to add that Heathrow has been planning to upgrade its power supply, and this will likely involve quite a lot of tunnelling to avoid disrupting airport operations.
The reason is decarbonisation, so increased use of EVs and also supplying planes with air conditioning etc direct from the stands.
Across the UK, there are huge upgrades to the national grid planned.

2025-03-18 19:16:49 UTC

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To start with he decided to paint, and (I think) to use oil on canvas. The next constraint was abstraction - he decided not to put any recognisable objects in his paintings, but he also developed a style that had constraints.
We're getting quite far from your original point, about the economy. Industry likes well-thought-through regulations that they can count on not changing for a few years and even then not without consultation and warning.

2025-03-18 18:44:39 UTC

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I think my point is, if there were literally no constraints, you would have to begin by setting some for yourself. In your example, (1) you decided to write a piece of music (2) for a small ensemble (3) in a blues style.
Bad constraints are unhelpful, but constraints in line with a good set of values are a good and necessary starting point for any creative act.

2025-03-18 17:52:04 UTC

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My grand theory of creativity, let's call it "Jones's Law"(TM, patent pending), is that creativity loves constraints. It begins with constraints, it is shaped by constraints. It is very hard to be creative without constraints.
Let's start with a blank sheet of paper... constraint! You decided to make something out of or draw something onto a blank sheet of paper.
People who say regulations stifle creativity don't understand the first thing about creativity.

2025-03-17 07:24:18 UTC

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Streeting is turning out to be a bit of an idiot, especially his intervention on assisted dying where he talked about the money it might save 🫣

2025-02-17 08:38:23 UTC

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A gigantic economic crash may be the best thing that could happen. It certainly helped get rid of Truss here. But US system doesn't make it easy to get rid of a president and they may well be wanting a disaster which they will blame on whoever they want to victimise.

2025-01-31 13:14:04 UTC

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you are a wonderful being 🥰

2024-12-30 11:30:29 UTC

#walking #hiking #woodland #nature
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/113/741/537/731/536/421/original/50ca35f29c5508ba.jpg

2024-12-23 09:32:41 UTC

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I'm not as thunk as you drink I am

2024-12-12 06:45:05 UTC

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Also his Bugs song is great 😃

2024-11-25 14:59:04 UTC

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Have you heard of Snowboard Jesus? He's a bit of a legend.

2024-11-15 10:03:02 UTC

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Even though every belief is under determined by the evidence (we cannot know anything for certain), this does not make all beliefs equally likely to be true!
God does not hide in the shadows of our ignorance.
If there are areas of our understanding of the universe where we simply do not know (e.g. dark matter), it doesn't mean we have to make shit up to fill those gaps.

2024-11-15 09:17:13 UTC

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Ok, so, let's break it down.
1. Belief does not have to be binary. We can be more or less certain about whether something is true. Sometimes we can even quantify uncertainty.
2. We don't always have to decide whether something is true or not. We can just admit that we don't know, or that we need to do tests to find out.
3. If something is uncertain, it does not mean that any answer is equally valid.

2024-11-14 23:40:48 UTC

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The problem with this is you first have to define what you mean by 'believe'.
When a scientist/atheist/empiricist says they believe something, what they mean is that the evidence indicates it is very likely to be true.
When a religious person says they believe something, they mean that they feel it is true. In fact some people define belief as faith in something that cannot be proven or disproven.
As usual philosophy boils down to semantics.

2024-11-11 16:55:53 UTC

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It ain't easy being green.

2024-11-08 10:18:57 UTC

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I don't think we can rule out an EU trade deal or joining Customs Union or Single Market. Labour under Starmer seem capable of implacably ruling things out right up until the moment they suddenly do a thing.
Also, I think sending messages of congratulations to Trump and Vance is just sensible diplomacy and essentially meaningless.

2024-11-03 13:13:45 UTC

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I think global population is mainly still increasing because of increased life expectancy in the third world, despite decreasing birth rates.

2024-10-27 15:25:11 UTC

Banana cake om nom nom 😋
#SilentSunday #Baking #Cake
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/113/380/073/219/967/340/original/c5434a05df011f4e.jpg

2024-10-25 22:10:08 UTC

This was quite early on Thursday morning from our London office window.
#FensterFreitag #London #ParLaFenêtre
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/113/370/324/286/544/500/original/8b127f881c53be07.jpg

2024-10-23 19:42:45 UTC

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This fact is of exceptionally high quality!

2024-10-13 08:39:24 UTC

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Is mstdn.social ok? I presume it is a different server because I'm on it and I get no spam.

2024-10-12 19:28:04 UTC

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Everybody's got something to hide except for me and my monkey
Beatles, White Album

2024-10-07 07:56:57 UTC

Autumn is coming.
#Autumn
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/113/265/059/778/495/274/original/fed4c55cacc133b7.jpeg
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/113/265/059/887/842/052/original/ccec03c5e24e50f4.jpeg
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/113/265/059/894/470/847/original/f91d7d71d184010a.jpeg

2024-10-06 12:25:42 UTC

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Sue Gray just resigned, so clearly £180k was not worth the hassle.

2024-10-06 10:56:44 UTC

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There is no correlation between how much people are paid and (a) how hard they work or (b) how valuable their job is.
What is really pernicious is high earners believing they have somehow 'earnt' it and deserve it.
I can get on board with the idea that perhaps some people should be paid more because their jobs are stressful, have long hours, are particularly unpleasant or traumatic, are dangerous, etc. but plenty of these jobs are not well paid.

2024-09-28 21:47:45 UTC

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See also: French Fancies.
I have it on good authority that these are not french at all and most french people would consider these an abomination.
However, french people generally do quite like les frites.
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/113/217/368/776/059/887/original/fc598f7369d5101a.jpg

2024-09-14 15:56:09 UTC

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That looks probable thanks! The yellow diagonal stripes on the sides are not very visible in my photos so I wasn't sure.

2024-09-14 15:34:43 UTC

A dragonfly! Not sure about identification, perhaps someone can help.
#Dragonflies #NaturePhotography #Insects #WildlifePhotography #Nature #Wildlife
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/113/136/607/988/671/708/original/2a44dd83dc1cc77c.jpeg
https://media.mstdn.social/media_attachments/files/113/136/607/992/596/519/original/b9cc4e66e22fa775.jpeg

2024-09-13 06:52:39 UTC

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Interesting! Yes, Carter is a very kind person. But he was running against Gerald Ford, the incumbent, who had taken over from Nixon two years before after Watergate. As such, there are reasons why Ford and/or the Republicans were pretty toxic. Carter narrowly won, served one term, and was beaten by Reagan in the next one.
So one could argue he was the exception that proves the rule?
By the way, I would love this rule to be proven wrong, but it seems legit.

2024-09-12 22:00:53 UTC

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They're all about the performative cruelty.
As my sage friend once told me, "no one ever won votes by being kind".

2024-09-04 06:24:48 UTC

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I think just generally speaking, academia is not a healthy place to work. It's often quite isolated and stressful.

2024-09-02 12:52:17 UTC

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Don't we all?

2024-08-27 12:21:37 UTC

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Democracy is the radical uncoupling of wealth and power, where one person = one vote.
Before democracy, wealth = power and we had a feudal system where most people are not free.
Wealth, however, constantly tries to buy itself influence in whatever way it can, which undermines democracy.

2024-08-27 07:05:08 UTC

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I must admit I haven't followed this as closely as I should (I am a French citizen), my excuse being it hasn't been much talked about on UK media.
I am left/socialist/green by inclination, but the NFP keep talking as though they represent the will of the people, and really they were nowhere near a majority. Whoever becomes PM needs to command a majority by going into some sort of coalition agreement. It seems the NFP want to be a minority government, but Macron wants a coalition?

2024-08-25 13:33:40 UTC

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Before AI and Crypto, Kárahnjúkar hydro plant was built to power an aluminium smelter iirc. The government should decide who should use the power available, not just let the market decide.

2024-08-24 22:24:12 UTC

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Your photos really are amazing 😍

2024-08-21 17:15:16 UTC

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Rage is the only sane response.
With Tories, it's performative cruelty, i.e. the cruelty is the point. Or with some of them, it's just a total lack of awareness of what it's like to not be rich.
With Labour it's triangulation and lack of courage, I guess.

2024-08-21 10:18:23 UTC

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I'm sure Keynes had buried the myth in the 1920s but it keeps coming back!

2024-08-21 07:50:34 UTC

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I think they can do a lot better than the conservatives in terms of just competence and longer term certainty for businesses. This will in itself promote growth and investment.
They also can try to channel investment away from property to business by increasing the requirements and minimum standards for domestic landlords.
But I agree that this is all fiddling with the deckchairs while Rome is sinking.

2024-08-09 17:56:31 UTC

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It's not a problem but it grows quickly and you think you have a shrub/bush and the next day it's a small tree!

2024-08-08 06:57:30 UTC

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Buddleia are ok if you keep them under tight control, but they do have a tendency to grow fast and take over.
We saw a large area of Himalayan Balsam the other day (next to a garden centre - they should know better!). It's beautiful but good thing we looked it up because it's massively invasive! It wouldn't be good to have that in the garden!

2024-08-07 19:38:19 UTC

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Sorry for misunderstanding.
If we see a weed we like, we sometimes move it into the garden.
Except buddleia, buddleia can go destroy a brick viaduct somewhere and not invade my garden (I know, butterflies love it!)

2024-08-07 19:14:11 UTC

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There's nowt wrong with Hollyhocks!

2024-08-07 08:42:28 UTC

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I think social media is creating the problem, or at least is adding more people or bringing together more people than would otherwise subscribe to these views. If you are patriotic, perhaps a fan of military things, football, you will be shown memes saying things like "Stop international aid and spend the money on our veterans/nurses/homeless instead". Not in itself inflammatory but leads people into 'them and us' thinking.