Sam Radford

Husband, father, lover of books, writer, tech geek, armchair sports fan, and whisky enthusiast from Sheffield, UK.

Golden ages thrive on openness

There’s a fascinating article in The Economist this week on how golden ages start and end. It’s inspired by a new book called Peak Human by Johan Norberg, a Swedish historian. The author argues that there is one thing the most successful societies had in common:

…the polities that outshone their peers did so because they were more open: to trade, to strangers and to ideas that discomfited the mighty. When they closed up again, they lost their shine.

The book was written before Donald Trump’s election and the current tariff and trade wars. Even so, the book’s point holds without needing to mention him explicitly.

→ 9:13 AM, 7 May

“Mental Load – the Movie”

Caitlin Moran’s column in The Times this morning is a thought-provoking take on the reality show Stacey & Joe. Seeing beyond the lightness of the show, she observes that what the show should really be called is Mental Load – the Movie as it highlights the discrepancies in what men and women do—or don’t do—around the house. She concludes:

…I’ve started to see Stacey & Joe not as a joyful piece of primetime relaxation - but an important social document… in every episode, the disparity. There are two high-profile showbiz adults, with big careers, in the house — but only one knows how to use the washing machine, or thinks to pick their clothes off the floor. And only one is finding time for fishing trips with the lads.

→ 8:33 AM, 3 May

My heart is not happy with me watching this #Arsenal game, but I’d have absolutely taken 0–0 at half time prior to kick off. Especially as we’ve look more like scoring (and should have scored that penalty).

→ 9:00 PM, 16 Apr

People are saying #Arsenal should play it safe tonight, focus on protecting the 3–0 lead. That doesn’t sit right with me. We shouldn’t be careless, but our mindset should be to take this game by the jugular and kill it off. Go for it. Don’t invite them onto us by sitting back and playing safe.

→ 8:24 AM, 16 Apr

🔗 Have we been thinking about ADHD all wrong?

This is a long—very long!—article, but well worth the time.

→ 10:50 AM, 15 Apr

Screen usage and back and neck pain

This is definitely something I worry about with my girls.

🔗 My patients used to have back pain at 40. Now they’re in their 20s

Musculoskeletal problems of all kinds are increasing among children and teenagers — with NHS referrals among those aged 18 and under up 50 per cent since 2019. The recent wave of younger patients comprises the first people who had a mobile phone at secondary school and a smartphone in their early twenties. They gamed through their teens and went to university with a laptop. They fully embraced the idea of taking your laptop with you everywhere and working anywhere. They have sat leaning over their laptop and mobile phones in that curved C-shaped desk “office posture” for ten years before they got anywhere near an office. The effects of all this are incredibly stark.

→ 8:08 AM, 13 Apr

“Trump’s latest approval rating dropped this week to just 43%.”

What does it say about America that nearly half the country is still on board with him? After everything?

I’m glad it’s dropping, but how is it still this high?!

→ 9:02 AM, 4 Apr

Age and forgiveness

The older I get, the more it feels like I must forgive almost everything for not being perfect, or as I first wanted or needed it to be.

—Richard Rohr, The Tears of Things

→ 3:44 PM, 3 Apr

📚 I gave All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton a solid shot—made it about 30% through—but it’s just not clicking for me. No matter how much I try, I can’t seem to get into it, so I’m moving on to something that grabs me more!

→ 8:48 PM, 9 Mar

Enjoying a relaxing spa day at Champneys Springs in Leicestershire with Rachel. Spent a blissful hour and a half making my way through FT Weekend—there’s still something uniquely satisfying about a leisurely newspaper read on a weekend. Informative, engaging, and a great companion to a day of unwinding.

→ 12:49 PM, 8 Mar

📚 Finished reading The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose last night. Very enjoyable! The socially awkward yet endearing main character works well. In the best sense of the word, it’s just a really nice book!

→ 10:30 PM, 26 Feb

#Arsenal just not nearly threatening enough. Not enough guile. Not enough pace. Not enough potency. Disappointing. There’s reasons, but still…

→ 10:25 PM, 26 Feb

Great to see that Apple’s AirPods Pro hearing aid feature is now available in the UK.

🔗 You can now use AirPods Pro as hearing aids in the UK

→ 1:54 PM, 24 Feb

🏉 Didn’t really deserve that, and a really inconsistent, bitty performance, but not going to complain about finally beating Scotland again!

→ 7:44 PM, 22 Feb

There’s a reason the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” has stood the test of time.

→ 9:00 AM, 22 Feb

I am not sure what the “row“ is. This is basically Apple saying “screw you” to the UK government in response to their draconian, abhorrent request to undermine the privacy and security of millions of users.

🔗 Apple pulls data protection tool after UK government security row

→ 7:42 PM, 21 Feb

📚 Currently reading: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. As with the first in this series, it’s an easy, comfortable read with just enough intrigue to keep me hooked.

→ 9:14 AM, 20 Feb

⚽️ That was a tough game, but a fantastic win for #Arsenal! Who needs a striker when we’ve got Merino?! As for Sterling, it’s time to move on—sad to say, but he just can’t cut it at this level anymore. And Nwaneri… there aren’t enough superlatives. What a talent!

→ 3:39 PM, 15 Feb

📚 Finished reading Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly late last night. As always with the Lincoln Lawyer series, it’s the perfect mix of the familiar and the unexpected that keeps me hooked. A gripping crime read—loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

→ 1:02 PM, 15 Feb

A deprivation of our inner world

This from John Philip Newell in The Great Search, reflecting on the wisdom of Thomas Berry, offers a striking insight:

It is not just our lungs and bodies that are damaged by particle and light pollution in the cities. It is “soul-deprivation”, says [Thomas] Berry. To not be able to see the stars is a deprivation of our inner world, a loss of wonder, and thus a diminishing of our imagination and the ability to remember our origins in the heavens and to dream our way forward into new beginnings on Earth.

→ 12:56 PM, 15 Feb

📚 Started reading The Great Search by John Philip Newell. Always appreciate Newell’s thoughts and insights. Looking forward to diving into his latest reflections.

→ 10:01 AM, 12 Feb

⚽️ I don’t usually watch much football that doesn’t involve Arsenal, but I’ve got the Man City vs Real Madrid game on tonight. The best part? Both teams take throw-ins straight away! Wish Arsenal wouldn’t slow the game down so much.

→ 10:40 PM, 11 Feb

📚 Switching gears! After the gentle-yet-gripping Intermezzo, I’m diving into Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly. Time for some classic crime, sharp twists, and a dose of legal drama—looking forward to seeing where this one takes me!

→ 8:13 PM, 11 Feb

📚 I’ve finally finished reading Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. That it took me the best part of a month is no reflection of my enjoyment—quite the opposite. This is a novel to be savoured, and savour it I did. The richness and depth of the characters were a delight, with Rooney doing a great job capturing the complexities of two brothers navigating life after their father’s death. Her exploration of unconventional relationships is both subtle and thought-provoking, leaving plenty of space to reflect on life’s messy realities. A thoroughly rewarding read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

→ 2:44 PM, 11 Feb

🏉 There’s plenty of positivity in the media and online after England’s win over France on Saturday—I share it! But if we don’t back it up with a win against Scotland, have we really progressed? That’s the key game that will show if we’ve truly turned a corner.

→ 9:45 AM, 10 Feb