Hacker News with Generative AI: United Kingdom

The decline and fall of the British economy (2022) (worksinprogress.co)
When America’s economy overtook Britain’s a century ago, it remade the world order. How it happened is still debated.

Economics, History, United Kingdom, United States

86 points by MrBuddyCasino 4 days ago | 124 comments

King Arthur's ancient trail across Britain (cnn.com)

History, Archaeology, England, United Kingdom, Mythology

45 points by peutetre 4 days ago | 41 comments

UK shrinkflation hits an absurd milestone (ycombinator.com)
Shrinkflation e.g. your favourite chocolate bar price is unchanged but weight sneakily reduced by 10%.<p>Now... underpants. H&M Cotton-rich short trunks Large were 33in at waist and are now (on the sample I bought today) 30in.<p>And unlike the chocolate bar which is marked e.g. "25g", the shorts' packaging lacks any figure to reveal the reduction in the number of inches you are getting.<p>What next? 11-inch rulers? :)

Consumerism, Marketing, United Kingdom, Economics

6 points by chrisjj 6 days ago | 7 comments

Samantha Harvey's 'beautiful and ambitious' Orbital wins Booker prize (theguardian.com)
Orbital by Samantha Harvey, the only British writer shortlisted this year, has won the 2024 Booker prize, the UK’s most prestigious prize for fiction.

Literature, Awards, United Kingdom

39 points by mitchbob 8 days ago | 10 comments

Magic Circle tries to track down first female member – who posed as a man (theguardian.com)
The council meeting of the Magic Circle on 9 October 1991 was a historic occasion, marking the moment when the first cohort of women, including Debbie McGee and Fay Presto, were admitted to its previously male-only ranks of magicians.

Magic, Gender, History, United Kingdom, Entertainment

33 points by Emigre_ 10 days ago | 46 comments

Somebody moved the UK's oldest satellite in the mid 1970s, but no one knows who (bbc.co.uk)
Someone moved the UK's oldest satellite and there appears to be no record of exactly who, when or why.

Space Exploration, History, Mystery, United Kingdom

181 points by mindracer 12 days ago | 98 comments

Tommy Robinson arrested under Terrorism Act for not unlocking phone (independent.co.uk)
Political activist Tommy Robinson will miss his own planned protest in central London on Saturday after he was remanded into custody by police.

Terrorism, Law Enforcement, Politics, United Kingdom

32 points by quazar 25 days ago | 36 comments

UK sleep experts say it's time to kill daylight saving for good (theregister.com)
The streets of Soho aren't alive with disco or bellbottoms anymore, so maybe it's time to ditch another '70s icon we should have outgrown by now, says the British Sleep Society (BSS).

Time, Health, United Kingdom, Daylight Saving

28 points by DamonHD 25 days ago | 28 comments

The rollercoaster king: the man behind the UK's fastest thrill-ride (theguardian.com)
John Burton was just 27 when he was put in charge of creating Thorpe Park’s biggest-ever project. Once too scared to go on rides himself, how did he become the architect of so many daredevils’ dreams?

Amusement Parks, Roller Coasters, United Kingdom

65 points by pepys 25 days ago | 5 comments

UK Vows to Face Down NIMBYism to Deliver Rapid Energy Shift (bloomberg.com)
The UK won’t let NIMBYism thwart the massive clean-energy build-out required to decarbonize the grid by 2030, the country’s energy secretary said Tuesday.

Energy, Policy, Climate Change, United Kingdom

12 points by JumpCrisscross 29 days ago | 2 comments

Who Governs Britain (In 2029)? (edwest.co.uk)
The Starmer government’s popularity slide continues, and it’s an impressive achievement that, considering everything, they have managed to get the Tories back on level pegging in the polls after just three months.

Politics, United Kingdom, Elections, Polling

4 points by paulpauper 35 days ago | 1 comments

UK considering making USB-C the common charging standard, following the EU (neowin.net)
Following moves by both the European Union and India to implement USB-C as the default charging port for all consumer devices, the British government has now begun a consultation on whether it should follow suit and implement a common standard for charging, and if this should be USB-C.

Technology, Legislation, Standardization, Consumer Electronics, United Kingdom

22 points by speckx 38 days ago | 13 comments

BBC Weather app bug suggests hurricane winds in UK (bbc.co.uk)
The BBC Weather website and app are experiencing a data fault issue - leading to incorrect forecasts of hurricane force winds in the UK and across the globe.

Weather, Software Bugs, United Kingdom, BBC

11 points by LiamPa 42 days ago | 9 comments

Represent the UK Cyber Team – Nationwide Search for Elite Cyber Talent (sans.org)
A nationwide search for elite cyber talent has begun. Compete in three Capture the Flag events and showcase your skills to gain your place representing the UK on the international Capture the Flag stage.

Cybersecurity, Competitions, Talent Acquisition, United Kingdom

8 points by sharpshadow 43 days ago | 0 comments

The other British invasion: how UK lingo conquered the US (theguardian.com)
It used to be that Brits would complain about Americanisms diluting the English language. But in fact it’s a two-way street

Language, Culture, United Kingdom, United States

124 points by n1b0m 50 days ago | 250 comments

Since 1882, UK will have no coal-fired power plants (arstechnica.com)
On Monday, the UK will see the closure of its last operational coal power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, which has been operating since 1968.

Energy, Environment, United Kingdom, Coal Power

5 points by OptionOfT 51 days ago | 5 comments

UK to finish with coal power after 142 years (bbc.com)
The UK is about to stop producing any electricity from burning coal - ending its 142-year reliance on the fossil fuel.

Energy, Environment, United Kingdom, Coal, Fossil Fuels

7 points by frasermarlow 52 days ago | 1 comments

The forgotten story of Britain’s perilous bid to fly around the world (telegraph.co.uk)
In late September 1924, a train rolled into London Euston station. In different circumstances there would have been great fanfare around the arrival of the three airmen on board, but instead it was a muted affair.

History, Aviation, United Kingdom

15 points by bsmithers 53 days ago | 4 comments

Britain paying highest electricity prices in the world (telegraph.co.uk)
British companies are paying the highest electricity prices of anywhere in the developed world, official data has shown.

Energy, Economics, United Kingdom, Europe

48 points by okasaki 55 days ago | 27 comments

'Ceefax gave you news when you wanted it' – Teletext at 50 (bbc.co.uk)
The world's first teletext service is to be celebrated at a special exhibition marking its 50th anniversary.

Technology, History, Television, Media, United Kingdom

27 points by timthorn 59 days ago | 1 comments

Hinkley Point C: Building Britain's first nuclear reactor in 30 years (building.co.uk)

Nuclear Power, United Kingdom, Construction, Energy

80 points by chickenbig 59 days ago | 200 comments

UK Debt Hits 100% of GDP, Highest Level Since 1960s (theguardian.com)
The scale of the challenge facing Rachel Reeves ahead of the autumn budget has been laid bare by a rise in Britain’s national debt to the highest levels since the 1960s and a collapse in consumer confidence.

Economics, United Kingdom, Finance, Debt

25 points by sarimkx 62 days ago | 39 comments

Foundations: Why Britain Has Stagnated (ukfoundations.co)
Here are some facts to set the scene about the state of the British economy.

Economy, United Kingdom, Analysis, Business, Research

188 points by tollandlebas 62 days ago | 333 comments

The hell and horror of cow attacks: 'I told my husband to leave me to die' (theguardian.com)
Cattle are the most common cause of death in the UK farming industry – with some figures suggesting cows kill more people than dogs. So what can you do if the herd approaches?

Agriculture, Animals, Safety, United Kingdom

7 points by howard941 70 days ago | 0 comments

Americans pay eight times more for hearing aids than the British (thebignewsletter.com)
Why do Americans pay eight times more for hearing aids than the British? Hearing aids are big business, and a cartel controls the industry through mergers, patents, and control of audiologists.

Health, Economics, United States, United Kingdom, Consumer Protection

26 points by sponno 72 days ago | 0 comments

Wind Becomes Britain's Largest Electricity Source (electricinsights.co.uk)
After a century of either coal or gas being our main source of electricity, wind power is now Britain’s single largest source of electricity generation.

Renewable Energy, Energy, United Kingdom

59 points by tonyedgecombe 73 days ago | 84 comments

Breaking Down OnlyFans' Economics (matthewball.co)
Though a private company, Felix International (“OnlyFans”) is a UK company and therefore required to publicly disclose certain information pertaining to its business and operations. And while these disclosures are limited, they reveal enough about the OnlyFan’s revenues, profits, scale, defensibility, reach, and impact to say that it is probably the most successful UK company founded since DeepMind in 2010, and the most significant media platform founded since TikTok (via Musical.ly in 2014), and dedicated creator economy platform… ever

Business, Social Media, Finance, United Kingdom, Media

447 points by mef 73 days ago | 807 comments

PwC tells UK staff it will monitor office attendance using location data (ft.com)

Privacy, Work Culture, Technology, United Kingdom

30 points by eh_why_not 75 days ago | 27 comments

Robinhood lets Brits lend shares for income to grow international footprint (cnbc.com)