Interesting Links for 09-09-2024

[andrewducker]

1. Scientists invent nanorobots that can repair brain aneurysms (in rabbits)

(tags:nanotech rabbits brain )

2. Edinburgh transport: 14 challenges facing new transport convener Stephen Jenkinson from trams to parking

(tags:transport Edinburgh )

3. If anyone would like to buy me a marmot for my birthday that would be awesome

(tags:animals cute video )

4. Man Arrested for Creating Fake Bands With AI, Then Making $10 Million by Listening to Their Songs With Bots

(tags:fraud ai music automation streaming )

5. English Green Party backs rejoining EU

(tags:UK Europe green )

6. Winter fuel payment cut could kill 4,000 people, Labour research suggests

(tags:heating uk winter labour death )

Comments

[wildeabandon]

6. The numbers in that article don't seem to add up. It quotes the 2017 report as saying that "Half of the almost 10,000 decrease in so-called ‘excess winter deaths’ – the rise in mortality that occurs each winter – between 2000 and 2012 was due to the introduction of the winter fuel allowance."

If that's the case - that is, introducing the allowance prevented about 5000 deaths, but means-testing it will increase deaths by 4000, that would imply that only 20% of the prevented deaths were in the group who receive pension credits. But surely those are the people who would have been the most likely to be in fuel poverty. I just can't see how that makes sense.

[andrewducker]

My understanding is that the takeup of Pension Credit, amongst people who are entitled to it, is not as high as it could be, because a lot of pensioners are averse to any kind of special treatment/welfare and treat that as a moral issue. If all of the people who were eligible took it up then there'd definitely be much less of an issue.

Although Wikipedia indicates that the takeup is only missing 1/3 of the people who are eligible: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension_Credit#Take_up - so I'm confused too!

[wildeabandon]

I do wonder if one of the effects of this change will be to encourage people to a) check if they are eligible for pension credit, and b) take it up if they are. I would be quite amused if it actually ended up costing a similar amount in increased uptake than it saves (and also pleased, because that would clearly reduce inequality. )

[andrewducker]

Me too. The British state depends far too much on people not being capable/willing to claim things they're entitled to.

[greenwoodside]

3. Love the video. As I watched it, I thought 'that marmot reminds me a lot of the grey squirrels in my local park'. (One of the daring ones will try and climb my leg to make me feed it).

And I checked, and marmots and squirrels are all in the Sciuridae family! Heh. It's the small things.

3. If anyone would like to buy me a marmot for my birthday that would be awesome

[anef]

It would be cuter than you and eat all your biscuits.

Re: 3. If anyone would like to buy me a marmot for my birthday that would be awesome

[andrewducker]

I can't eat biscuits, so that works for me on both counts.