The Scrapbook with Mark Nolan

Asking AI to “act like a professor” changes its tone, not its intelligence. Research shows confident delivery can hide mistakes. AI works best as an assistant — guided, checked, and shaped by humans. The post Why “Act Like a Professor” Does Not Make AI Smarter first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Your choice. But thanks anyway.

The week of 15 to 21 December is packed with major events affecting many people, from Spain’s role in landmark EU trade and financial decisions to intense political and legal scrutiny in the UK. With central banks, courts and global leaders all in focus, these are major global developments closing out the year. The post The Week Ahead: 15 to 21 December 2025 first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thank...

TikTok enters mid‑December with a surge of festive micro‑vlogs, nostalgic audio trends and emotionally honest storytelling. Highly produced adverts continue to fade as users opt for authenticity during the holiday season. The post TikTok December Trends – Of COURSE It’s Christmas! first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Your choice. But t...

Rescued wildlife and restored habitats in the UK to a heartening pension boost in Spain and global animal‑welfare efforts reaching farther than ever. The post A Little Bit of Welcome Good News first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Your choice. But thanks anyway.

UK regulators banned misleading health‑related social ads while debates over privacy‑intrusive digital billboards intensified. Global ad spend forecasts have been revised upwards, and Spain has emerged as Europe’s fastest‑growing free‑ad‑supported streaming market. Strategic planning for 2026 must navigate both regulatory scrutiny and new consumption patterns. The post Advertising Trends Weekly –...

From instant coffee to café culture, price is never the real story — value is. Coffee shows how perception, experience, and emotion shape what people are willing to pay. Businesses that focus on value, not price, win every time. The post How Much Is That Coffee in the Window? Understanding Value Beyond the Price Tag first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thanks for listening, please remember to follow...

Major fines hit Meta in Spain while UK marketers shift focus toward compliance and timing. In both markets advertisers must balance data, regulation and strategic creativity. The post Regulation and Compliance Must Never be Ignored first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Your choice. But thanks anyway.

Explore the latest TikTok creative shifts across UK, Spain and Europe – from soft‑spoken video styles to creative audio remixes – and discover what this means for brands and educators in November 2025. The post TikTok Trends are all Routine! first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Your choice. But thanks anyway.

The team behind the award-winning N332 road safety project will officially launch N332 for Kids this weekend at Expo Torrevieja, The post Mad Black Cat Helps Bring N332 for Kids to Life at Expo Torrevieja first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Your choice. But thanks anyway.

This week we bring you five uplifting stories of people and animals stepping up in thoughtful, human‑centred ways. You’ll meet a seaside lifeboat volunteer in the UK, a Spanish village planting hope, a cross‑continent school connection, and more. Tune in, feel good and let a little light in. UK Volunteer lifeboat crew saves stranded dog […] The post The Good News You May Have Missed – From Rescued...

The week of 3 to 9 November brings major events affecting many people, from Spain’s policy planning to the UK’s economic decisions and Europe’s environmental diplomacy. With COP30 in Brazil, Remembrance services in London, and global financial updates, this is a week of reflection, responsibility and major global developments. The post The Week Ahead: 3 to 9 November 2025 first appeared on Mad Bla...

This week on the N332 Driving in Spain podcast , we dive into major developments impacting drivers across Spain and the UK. Mark Nolan covers the DGT's significant revamp of the Spanish driving theory test, which now incorporates new road signs and plans for video-based questions to better test real-world judgement. We also look at the UK Government’s introduction of a new mandatory digital renewa...

This week, the N332 Driving in Spain Podcast delivers essential updates affecting drivers across Europe. We begin in Spain, where the DGT has formally revamped the driving theory test, introducing new questions based on updated road signage and confirming plans to integrate video-based risk assessment in 2026—a model inspired by the UK and Australia. If you are learning to drive or renewing your k...

This week, the DGT is targeting every form of driver distraction—from holding a mobile phone (a 6-point, €200 offence) to subtle habits like smoking or talking to passengers. We detail why this campaign is crucial, reviewing a news story where a driver changing a song caused a horrific school bus accident. Plus, we highlight our three new website articles, explaining the mandatory need for identic...

Jane Mansfield’s untimely death in 1967 was one of Hollywood’s darkest moments. Yet her legacy endures in a surprising way: through a life-saving feature on lorries and trucks seen every day across the UK and Spain. The post Jane Mansfield’s Legacy on the Road: How a Hollywood Tragedy Saved Lives first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Yo...

How many ZX Spectrums would it take to draw a cat? Millions. A ZX81? Forget it, you’d still be waiting. This episode puts AI image generation into context, comparing today’s technology with the computers many of us grew up with — a fun reminder of how far we’ve come. Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Your choice. But thanks anyway.

An AI image of two cats took 30 seconds to generate. On a ZX Spectrum it would have taken millions of machines working together, and on a ZX81… well, you’d still be waiting. A light-hearted look at how far computers have come in just a few decades. The post How Many ZX Spectrums Does It Take to Draw a Cat? first appeared on Mad Black Cat . Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more....

A lively social media planner for October, prioritising Spain, the UK and Europe. Creative Instagram-first ideas include Halloween fun, cosy autumn themes, and a nod to World Food Day, with a featured ODC and Lanson image concept and a ready-to-use radio script. Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Your choice. But thanks anyway.

A light-hearted look at why you can swear at ChatGPT all you want — and why it never swears back. We explore how AI interprets swearing as playful, emphatic, or hostile, and what that says about human frustration with technology. Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for more. Or not. Your choice. But thanks anyway.

From Spain’s legislative push to Labour’s final conference speeches, and from the European Political Community Summit to global cultural launches, the week of 29 September to 5 October is rich with major events affecting many people. With Taylor Swift’s album release, the Ryder Cup’s close, and international summits, it is a week defined by major global developments. Thanks for listening, please r...

This week on the N332 Driving in Spain Podcast , Mark Nolan delivers urgent safety information and traffic alerts as Spain heads into autumn. We dissect the DGT’s latest, worrying statistics showing that vulnerable road users now account for half of all road fatalities, underscoring the vital need to eliminate distraction, alcohol, and speed. A critical warning is issued regarding the EU’s new Ent...

This week we bring you urgent lessons from tragedies and policy changes across Europe, combined with fresh initiatives here in Spain. Our September focus continues: school run safety, cycling protection, and safer mobility for all. Our main articles on N332.es this week focus on essential topics for autumn: a detailed guide to road safety near schools, a stark reminder that the only safe limit for...

The week of 22 to 28 September delivers major events affecting many people: Spain’s political return, the UK’s conferences and inquiries, and Europe’s policy signals, all set against a crowded UN General Assembly. From the Ryder Cup to the Labour conference protests, and Barcelona’s potential Camp Nou reopening, the week embodies the weight of major global developments. Thanks for listening, pleas...

This week on TikTok Trends: a quirky new Paloma Blanca dance takes off with stiff synchronised moves, while nostalgia re-emerges through Trainspotting’s Born Slippy and the Choose Life monologue. AutumnCozy routines, retro 2000s vibes, and soft fitness trends rise, as The Chair challenge fades. All the new, rising and fading trends—explained. Thanks for listening, please remember to follow for mor...

From 12 September 2025, the EU Data Act became law across all EU countries, including Spain. It is a big new framework for how companies handle data from connected products and cloud services. For large tech firms it means major change, but what about the smallest businesses—like a café with a website, or a local service provider with a Facebook page and a list of customer contacts? Thanks for lis...