Peter W 🇺🇦

@patmcfaddenmp @campbellclaret For 400,000 people with ME in the UK, the answer to that is medical research, but until a few weeks ago, the world has mostly been disinterested. It’s great that SequenceME has finally been funded, but there’s much to catch up on.

As I often say in interviews and in the Department, "we have to change the question the system asks from "what benefits are you entitled to" to "how do we help you change your life". From BBC PM programme...last Thursday (28 May).

@cfs_jo Taylor-Maclauren expansions haven’t come up since school, but perhaps the knowledge of using one thing to match another is a vaguely useful concept.

OMG the people saying algebra 🤦‍♀️ We use it all the time. Calculating things like how much petrol we’ll need for a journey. Or whether to buy two small packs of something instead of one large one at the supermarket.

Today I have discovered that the spelling of "heterogeneous" is heterogeneous, with the alternative spelling also being - metaphorically - heterogenous due to its (I assume?) US origin.

@ZacharyGrinDPT @davidtuller1 Just move on man. You’re too young to dig yourself into this weird psychological hole. Go find something else to do.

@mediumwhite @davidtuller1 We have no clue why they said they would edit it, what they will edit it to say and if they will even edit it! Unprofessional for David to claim “victory” and crash out over this on social media so quickly and without transparency.

I’m sure the Journal & authors agreed to make a small edit bc it’s not worth arguing with @davidtuller1. Best to make 1 small edit to shut him up. Understandable but a bit disappointing the authors didn’t push back. David confused mechanism for etiology.

@ProfBrianCox I don’t know the details of this, but I do often wonder at the cost of astrophysics projects. How much did the James Webb telescope cost? Isn’t investment in disease therapies or developing new clean energy tech a better use of limited resources?

This is indeed a superb letter from The Astronomer Royal of Scotland. “Someone, somewhere, has taken the decision to defund astrophysics research in the UK, but no-one seems quite sure who that was, or why.” I agree - my colleagues in particle physics have also tried, without success, to discover who owns the decision to damage physics research in the UK, perhaps irreparably, at a time when our economy desperately needs the skills and knowledge we develop and teach. @UKRI_News need to get a grip urgently and fix the problem someone, somewhere, has created.

@davidtuller1 @ZacharyGrinDPT Is this the same Zachary Grin who says that 10 sessions in his clinic rarely result in "meaningful change in disability and quality of life" while attempting to support his methods? I am not sure he has the status among his peers to match his behaviour.

In his "gotcha" comment, @ZacharyGrinDPT wrote: "The journal does not need to issue a correction. You need to correct your misunderstanding. There is no way for you to twist this one." Oops! The journal and the authors apparently disagreed with Zachary. Nice try, Zachary!!!

After I asked for a correction for a paper's categorical statement about what is "generating" functional neurological symptoms, @ZacharyGrinDPT demanded I apologize to the authors. However, the authors immediately said they will revise the problematic sentence. 1/

@kevinroose 1) no preference, just needs a good reader. 2) definitely not! 3) 0.8-0.9: I listen to help get to sleep, so please dial down the excitement, keep it all super chill. General comment: don’t assume people all want to stay awake when listening. I do not.

people who listen to audiobooks: do you 1) like it when the author reads the book, rather than a voice actor? 2) like it when there's stuff other than a straight readthrough (interviews, multiple voices, etc.) that makes it more like a podcast? 3) listen at 1x speed?

What world are we in when Yanis Varoufakis (who thought he could hold the rest of the European Union to ransom, and catastrophically failed) thinks he can stand on a high horse and lecture others about economic stability?

@RorPreston @isnit0 I have one at home, and would avoid a “Pengiun” model like the plague. Yes they are cheap but they don’t work so well. If you want to do it, get a split model. Most brands are fine.

@isnit0 What model did you go for? Going to purchase. Do you run the heat exhaust out the window?

I bought an aircon and it’s great. You should buy an aircon for your home too if you feel uncomfortable in the heat. This should not be controversial.

@EricTopol Incredibly exciting developments! Thank you for this overview.

I wrote about the remarkable proliferation of cancer immunotherapies, and what's in store erictopol.substack.com/p/the-remarkab…

@KarenLHargrave @theipaper I am very sorry you are in this awful situation. Thank you for speaking so openly about it.

I spoke to @theipaper recently about the battle I’ve faced the past two years covering the spiralling costs of James’ care. Since the interview our local authority has offered a new care package that will take the pressure off - but still doesn’t reflect James’ 24/7 needs.

Congratulations to all the new trustees at Long Covid Kids. Thanks for your work and contribution to such an important cause. Looks like a good and capable team. (Yes this is a passive aggressive post towards the @MEAssociation)

@ompsychiatrist They’re not that difficult to diagnose, and loads of diseases don’t have biomarkers: Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, MND, Asthma, and many others. Lack of training is real, but once believed, they aren’t hard to spot.

As a psychiatrist I see this regularly - patients with ME/CFS, Long COVID and hEDS who have real trauma from being dismissed and disbelieved by doctors for years. Their pain is genuine. I do have a problem though with the term 'clinician-associated traumatization' (here iatrogenic/Medical PTSD). It feels like it is making clinicians as 'the enemy'. A big part of the problem is the honest uncertainty these conditions create as they often lack clear biomarkers and are difficult to diagnose. We need more empathy and better training on both sides instead of blame.

@Paula_JKnight Action for ME has a great research fund supporting SequenceME. ME Research UK is also good. Invest in ME takes time to build then disperse funds as it is quite small.

@SockFoam @MEAssociation It's really 'tea and cakes with the vicar'. I just don't get who thinks this is appropriate to such a group of people...

@mediumwhite @MEAssociation It's passive-aggressive. They're showing in a not very subtle way that they actually hate us. Either that or they're senile.

I don't understand this. I don't understand why somebody at the @MEAssociation thinks this is a good idea. What is it about the desperate need for research, understanding, and advocacy which makes people believe that photos of pot plants provide hope?

Comedy palate cleanser. Robert Jenrick about to grandstand but reminded of his defection from one party to another this year is gold. The timing. First line great. Second line superb but crowd not recovered from the first to fully appreciate it 😊

@katkatski @KSchnickelfritz @MEAssociation Something to calm us down after months of successful advocacy resulting in £millions in research funding, and respectful, supportive care across the NHS?

@KSchnickelfritz @mediumwhite @MEAssociation Yes! This ⬆️ This is a nice-to-have, as an adjunct to powerful, effective campaigning and advocacy.

@johnthejack They are also tasty.

Deer populations have spiralled largely unchecked since new species were introduced to Britain by the Victorians. Their excessive numbers are harming tree planting, affecting biodiversity, damaging farmland and increasing road collisions. (£) thetimes.com/uk/environment…