Tag: ai

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Data centres need huge amounts of water for cooling? Easily solved in Scotland, put them near-shore in any of our 31 460 lochs

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___________________________________________________________ Help Talking-up Scotland keep going. Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: MR JW ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 ___________________________________________________________ From the Scottish Greens a few days ago: Every proposed hyperscale data centre in Scotland must face a full environmental impact assessment, the Scottish Greens have said. The call follows the Scottish Government’s decision to require assessments for proposed developments in Edinburgh and at Auchtertool in Fife. Ministers have introduced a new requirement for councils to notify them about data centre applications exceeding 50 megawatts. However, there is still no requirement for environmental assessments to be conducted as standard across Scotland. This … Continue reading Data centres need huge amounts of water for cooling? Easily solved in Scotland, put them near-shore in any of our 31 460 lochs

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‘What can Dublin teach us?’ The SNP’s competence in government endlessly revealed by Labour’s fear of looking north for answers to England’s woes

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This last 12 years, I’ve regularly read UK politicians and even academics talk of looking elsewhere for ideas on how to resolve one of England’s many worries, from knife murders, to protecting women, to hospital safety, to fire safety in tower blocks and to social housing demands. I’ve even written to the academics to then be told how they love Scotland and to be politely thanked for my help, too late of course. Here we go again. In the Guardian today: Alan Milburn is guiding a metal loop along the serpentine wire of an electrical buzzer game as he explains … Continue reading ‘What can Dublin teach us?’ The SNP’s competence in government endlessly revealed by Labour’s fear of looking north for answers to England’s woes

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Near-Shore Underwater Data Centres with Waste Heat Recovery – A Distinctly Scottish Opportunity – short and long read

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By Jim Mennie: Short version Scotland’s oil and gas industry still has a future, but that future is heavily constrained. Successive Westminster governments of all parties — Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat — have retained control over energy policy because it remains a reserved matter. As a result, Scotland has had little meaningful say over the pace of development, licensing decisions, or the long-term direction of the sector. This lack of control has left the industry and the communities that depend on it in a state of uncertainty for years.Rather than continuing to battle for greater influence within a system … Continue reading Near-Shore Underwater Data Centres with Waste Heat Recovery – A Distinctly Scottish Opportunity – short and long read

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Why Swinney is correct to reject call for AI data centre pause in Scotland

johnrobertson834

I knows this one is divisive. More than a few Talking-up Scotland readers disagree with us on it but here is the case, again, that Scotland is one of the few places with the resources – water and energy – to make a lot of money out of data centres, once independent of course. From the Sunday Mail 28 December 2025, the above back-to-front headline and: Massive new data centres planned in Scotland to power the AI revolution would use up to three quarters of the country’s total electricity demand [sic], a new study has claimed. Research firm Foxglove, which campaigns for fair tech, … Continue reading Why Swinney is correct to reject call for AI data centre pause in Scotland

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On by-election day BBC Scotland ask Scottish Government to comment on a survey of Scottish radiology heads’ opinions despite hard evidence of diagnostic waits plummeting and to far below those in NHS England

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for patients across Scotland, according to the Royal College of Radiologists. 60% of cancer centre and radiology department leaders who responded to their report said that staff shortages are causing patients’ conditions to worsen. The president of the Royal College said the findings should be causing alarm bells. The above story is another direct feed to Reporting Scotland, not being covered in greater detail elsewhere, not even on the BBC Scotland website. The Health Secretary is contacted and expected to respond to what is a partial, self-selecting, survey of opinion and not actual performance statistics. Here are some facts: 1. … Continue reading On by-election day BBC Scotland ask Scottish Government to comment on a survey of Scottish radiology heads’ opinions despite hard evidence of diagnostic waits plummeting and to far below those in NHS England

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Scotland’s additional stricter regulations mean that none of 18 000 nurses with possible criminal records in England could be registered to work here

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From Nursing Standard, four days ago, the above and: Hundreds of nurses are set to have their registrations reviewed after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) failed to follow due process for declaring health conditions and criminal convictions for 12 years.  A member of staff raised concerns about an historical failure to consistently refer declarations of health issues and criminal records to an assistant registrar, which led to an initial review of more than 18,000 registrants. That review determined that no further action was required in 17,639 cases. https://rcni.com/nursing-standard/newsroom/news/hundreds-of-nurses-to-have-nmc-registration-info-reassessed-after-astounding-failure-222771?utm_campaign=WEEKLY%20BRIEFING%2001.06.26%20-%20REG&utm_content=ZONE%201%20LINK%201%20NEWS%20Hundreds%20of%20nurses%20to%20have%20NMC%20registration%20info%20reassessed%20after%20%27astounding%20fai&utm_term=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Adestra&check_logged_in=1 Might unique NHS Scotland regulations practices and procedures make this less likely even … Continue reading Scotland’s additional stricter regulations mean that none of 18 000 nurses with possible criminal records in England could be registered to work here

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Top History Professor says ‘All of my students must use AI’ – Me too!

johnrobertson834

Regulars will have noted that TuS has been making increased use of AI in the last year or so and getting some criticism of that. I understand why many are concerned but my view is that this is another technology, like those before, we must master, a ‘tiger we must ride.’ Famous last words perhaps but we humans didn’t get where we are, on top because we are the meanest SOBs on the planet, just to let our own technology replace us. If we, crucially, educate or young to use it carefully, it can massively enhance their lives but when … Continue reading Top History Professor says ‘All of my students must use AI’ – Me too!

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Norway’s ‘superior’ ferry system exposed as failing to consult locals in time to prevent unpopular outcomes like service cuts, route adjustments driven by budget constraints or central government policy goals

johnrobertson834

Norway’s ferry service has been recently portrayed as superior to Scotland’s. I suppose they have got $2 trillion in the bank and we’ve got SFA but, wait what’s this: In Norway there are also reports and criticisms of insufficient or ineffective community involvement in decisions affecting ferry (ferge) and fast ferry (hurtigbåt) services, which serve as vital lifelines for coastal, island, and fjord communities. https://www.nho.no/siteassets/nho-regioner-filer/nho-nordland/nf17-2025-samfunnsnytten-av-hurtigbattilbudet-i-nordland.pdf Norway operates one of the world’s largest and most subsidized ferry networks, with many routes under public service obligations (PSOs) managed at the county (fylkeskommune) level or nationally. These connections are essential for daily life, … Continue reading Norway’s ‘superior’ ferry system exposed as failing to consult locals in time to prevent unpopular outcomes like service cuts, route adjustments driven by budget constraints or central government policy goals

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‘Nowhere else in the world runs their ferry networks like this?’ Well, only the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands, British Columbia, New Zealand, Washington State USA…..

johnrobertson834

OK, I’m not going on about all the Scottish Government subsidies the ‘islanders’ get because, according to Lesley Riddoch, it upsets them to be told about them but I cannot, just cannot, ignore the above claims. Are there reports of government’s excluding the communities most affected from decisions which are crucial for their wellbeing in, for example, the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands, British Columbia, New Zealand or Washington State USA? It seems there are. I’m shocked. Surely the Stornoway Gazette guy checked first. Yes, there are reports and public criticisms in several of these regions of governments or … Continue reading ‘Nowhere else in the world runs their ferry networks like this?’ Well, only the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands, British Columbia, New Zealand, Washington State USA…..

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Disturbing research finding repeat AI errors in a medical procedure cast doubt on UK Labour’s rush to replace clinicians and confirm Scottish Government’s caution

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Thanks to NHS for YES for alerting us to this. From a February 2026 peer-reviewed research paper on an AI tool for Nasogastric Tube Position, the above image and this disturbing conclusion: Administration of food or medication through a misplaced nasogastric tube (NGT) constitutes a “never event” (defined by the National Health Service as a serious incident that is wholly preventable) in health care systems given the high likelihood of patient harm. Efforts to ensure adequate NGT positioning typically focus on increased education. Artificial intelligence (AI)–driven decision-support tools could address such challenges in a more streamlined manner, yet external validation … Continue reading Disturbing research finding repeat AI errors in a medical procedure cast doubt on UK Labour’s rush to replace clinicians and confirm Scottish Government’s caution