Live data from Hacker News

No. 10 Downing Street hiring data scientists, physicists, weirdos

dominiccummings.com

1–10 of 35 posts

Re: No. 10 Downing Street hiring data scientists, physicists, weirdos

#3
Is there some context or information missing here? He's a disciple because he quotes Graham once in a blog post in a fairly pedestrian way? Surely no reasonable person would describe that relationship as being a 'disciple' unless there is something more?

Searching the wider internet for "Dominic Cummings" "Paul Graham" doesn't seem to reveal any meaningful connections.

And who is the person who has editorialised this title quoting when they say 'heads' in quotes?

Re: No. 10 Downing Street hiring data scientists, physicists, weirdos

#5
My read: he's realized that England's government gave up with hint of a clue it had after the rise of the EU, Brexit is about to reveal that fact, and it's time to grasp at straws in hopes that some kind of half assed imitation of ARPA will save it?

Come now. Let's just accept England's natural fate as a US protectorate alongside Guam if it leaves the EU.

Re: No. 10 Downing Street hiring data scientists, physicists, weirdos

#6

My read: he's realized that England's government gave up with hint of a clue it had after the rise of the EU, Brexit is about to reveal that fact, and it's time to grasp at straws in hopes that some kind of half assed imitation of ARPA will save it? Come now. Let's just accept England's natural fate as a US protectorate alongside Guam if it leaves the EU.

The US is looking for allies not protectorates.

Re: No. 10 Downing Street hiring data scientists, physicists, weirdos

#9
Dominic Cummings is the Chief-of-staff of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He managed the Vote Leave campaign in 2016, the primary campaign during the UK referendum on European Union membership (campaigning successfully to leave the EU).

His success in Vote Leave is down to a targeted digital campaign on Facebook using the services of Cambridge Analytica / AggregateIQ. These are the root actions that sparked Facebooks turmoil around election advertisements that may again affect the 2020 US Presidential campaign.

Cummings is an anarchist and has said he wants to tear down the UK Civil Service, getting rid of mandarins and long-term civil servants, and replace it with something else. This blog post is part of that change.

It's government by data science, perhaps technocratic. With a governing majority of 80 seats, by December 2019 election, he thinks he -- the government -- has space to do controversial or unpopular things, and tearing down the civil service is something he believes is necessary.

Re: No. 10 Downing Street hiring data scientists, physicists, weirdos

#10
post #6

My read: he's realized that England's government gave up with hint of a clue it had after the rise of the EU, Brexit is about to reveal that fact, and it's time to grasp at straws in hopes that some kind of half assed imitation of ARPA will save it? Come now. Let's just accept England's natural fate as a US protectorate alongside Guam if it leaves the EU.

The US is looking for allies not protectorates.

Giving the benefit of doubt, I'm assuming that they meant the UK being a protector of the US interest[s]; however, I could be wrong.
Post reply on HN