Wild to read that there is a saliva test being developed to detect concussions! I have had a couple really bad concussions (and post concussion syndrome) and definitely current tests make it hard to identify the initial injury or chart recovery. uwaterloo.ca/news/media/d...

I think this will be a year of goodbyes. Not to negate the really scary situation south of the border, but my BF was pretty sad today when he realized most cereals in canadian stores are products of the USA. Canadians are still angry.

As someone studying concrete deterioration mechanisms I love looking at the gardiner when I'm in Toronto. Excellent art project XD During the Royal I've heard exhibitors sometimes put their animals under the highway which can be an issue with falling concrete maybe room to expand the art project?

"Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it" -Winston Churchill, WW2* *paraphrasing sentiment originated by George Santayana, 1905

This is purpura fulminans, a severe complication of meningitis (which as of today is no longer on our universal vaccine schedule) Micro clots & bleeding into the skin cause skin & tissue death. It’s more common in kids & associated with 20-70% mortality. Those who survive often lose limbs.

Having just driven from a freezing-rain hit region (London ON) to a region soon to be hit by freezing rain (near Wasaga) we never the less did not consider picking up sand or salt. We have now tried covering the walkway (to get from one floor to another) w snow in hopes that it will be less slippy

These are so cute!

I am currently sick with a cold, it's miserable. When I need to go out I wear a mask because I don't want to make other people sick. Do I wish I had worn a mask more and not gotten sick? Yes. Did I wear a mask when I was healthy and went home to help out when a parent got surgery? Also yes.

I've heard academics advise their students to carefully check their reference lists after using ChatGPT, to make sure they haven't included any made-up papers My advice is to not cite any papers you haven't actually read

Back at the beginning of the pandemic I made a redbubble account with my sister and we uploaded a bunch of fun art. Sharing the designs was one of my motivators for making a twitter account but I have mostly neglected it over the past couple years. Anyways, here are some of my favourite designs:

Dear engineering students: It’s even more important to participate in engineering clubs and competitions today. This is just one more reason.

My mantra trying to eat a little healthier during the holidays: just because you Pelican doesn’t mean you Peli-should. 📷: Mark Smith

The horrifying news from Bondi Beach breaks my heart. May the victims’ memory be a blessing, and may their families know peace. To my friends in the Jewish community, I am so sorry that a celebration of light has been marked by violence. I stand beside you in the spirit of care and repair.

One thing I didn't realize I was signing up for as a state school prof was longer semesters with fewer days off? Compared to MIT (my postdoc uni), Purdue's semesters are two weeks (14%) longer and have 17% fewer days off during the semester. I understood the salary and cost-of-living differences, ..

the prairies are incredibly pretty and if you try to tell me otherwise, i won’t hear it and i won’t respond to it 🙂‍↔️❄️✨ #art

I will never understand how volunteering at the local Bingo hall manages to keep so many of our local charities and community groups afloat. Just who in the world is playing Bingo so much!? #smallTownLife

Today, December 6th, is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. I wrote about the event that precipitated its creation, and its role in my own life, on its 25th anniversary. buttondown.com/metafoundry/...

I apparently just missed wrapping up my thesis (i.e. getting my thesis accepted by the library) so now I have to wait for an email in February to apply to graduate. I genuinely think I might forget and my completeness of the degree isn't going to change. #GradSchool #PhD

I’m 56 years old, and for my whole life we’ve been asking some version of the question “what would WE, our generation, have done to stop the Nazis, either in Germany as they were rising, or around the world to fight for freedom. Now we’re answering the question in real time. Each of us & all of us.

More concerning than some doctors potentially over-charging the system was the end of this discussion on the radio where it was mentioned that ~40% of doctors are near retirement. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Polytechnique expands scholarship program to 14 women in memory of 1989 tragedy

6 years ago today: A man in Wuhan, China starts feeling ill, becoming the first confirmed case of COVID-19

Just in case anyone, like me, has never understood this meme, this is my go-to resource: www.sahilbloom.com/newsletter/t... Yummy looking biscuits btw 😋

Why doesn't anyone send cool ambassadors to Canada 😭

It feels really performative at this point, but a reminder that it’s National Day of Mourning for Native folks Relatedly, thousands of Native women are still disappearing and agencies are doing fuck all about it Learn more here: www.niwrc.org/mmiwr-awaren... And here: notournativedaughters.org

4 yrs ago today, a family member managed a truly spectacular own goal, splintered his domestic bliss, & in the process, united the world for a day. On popular request, I shall now recreate the livetweet thread from that day So gather around children, for this is the tale of The Rice Truck Saga

Scientists: have you been the target of an online harassment campaign, doxxing, or weaponized FOIA requests? I'd like to talk to you about steps you had to take to protect your digital security for an upcoming Nature story. (You can be anonymous if necessary.) RTs appreciated.

@derricksimpson.bsky.social Do you have any strong feelings about protected intersections? The city is putting one in near where I live and so far (the construction is not complete) I feel much less safe crossing the road due to high right turn volumes.

Bit of a healthcare frustrations story: My mom had a surgery and came out with a catheter for 5 days (most people with this surgery end up with a catheter for 3 days). The folks in recovery told her that someone with home care would phone either day of the surgery or the next day to schedule removal

I am very curious about people's thoughts. I generally have very low trust of AI but there must be existing algorithms (if not for transit maybe things like trail cameras?). I think both the cost of AI (Would it reduce cost or increase reliability of the system?) and security of footage are issues

"Warming is going to exceed 1.5°C. We are heading into overshoot within the next few years": a stark message by PIK Director Rockström & James Dyke in @theconversation.com. Yet, science shows a way back: fossil-fuel phase-out, nature protection, carbon removal. theconversation.com/the-world-lo...

Visiting my parents because my mom had a day surgery. My mom is really milking her recovery with questions like 'oh, does no heavy lifting mean no vacuuming'? (Not that she usually does a ton of vacuuming).

This has happened to me several times somewhat recently and I just can not fathom why you would message a colleague just 'hey'. People are busy, just put your ask in the message.

After unprecedented autism-vaccine messaging change, scientists, advocates say CDC no longer trustworthy Doctors, public health advocates, and the autism community expressed anger and sorrow over the CDCs reversal of it messaging on vaccines and autism. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

"wow, so you really like to stay inside a lot" - my mom when I'm slightly hesitant to embark on the second 1 hour walk of the day...

Cool to find that VIA rail trains now have land acknowledgements. Given that railways facilitated in part the colonization of Canada this seems like a reasonable measure.

Me just casually forcing my whole immediate family to take an online autism quiz thus dragging them out of denial courtesy of my sister who arguably has both the most autistic tendencies and is the most in denial...

@ethankocak.com has done profile pics of a lot of scientists. Also, sometimes as dinosaurs. He's also been working on a comic about very disappointing authors. Here is me as a technological ceratopsid:

🚇Have any thoughts on your bus service? Now’s your chance to give us your input. Take a few minutes to share your experiences through the International Bus Benchmarking Group’s annual survey. Take the bus survey here 👉 www.octranspo.com/en...

I wasn't going to share that I passed my PhD defense (with minor corrections) last Wed, but in view of this nastiness and the perfect timing. It took me 6 years because my giant research specimens were hard to access during covid but now have a doctorate in civil eng related to ASR in concrete.

If women are underrepresented in STEM, it's at least partly because men like this offer mentoring, then embarrass themselves by assuming their mentees must be into them, then decide the best solution is to cut ties, which sends the signal to other faculty that the mentee must not be good enough.

Imagine the lack of support women in that audience had overcome 20+ years ago, not to mention a low support of women, especially during pregnancy and early motherhood where it's true there is a biological difference between men and women. The low support for career progression is still there today

Love this idea to use small data centers as heating for buildings! (I also like that the first example specifies they don't have it set up for AI). www.bbc.com/news/article...

how stupid is it the “glass ceiling” probably just turned out to be “donors want dudes they can blackmail, not competent people who are good at their jobs”

Do any of my followers live near Toronto & know of this place? I’m trying to order 1 very specific bag of candy because I want to paint it. They only take payment by phone or through email (lol not doing that). Sigh teleportation powers would be nice idk how to safely pay for this candy!

www.canada.ca/en/public-he... Get yourself and your kids vaccinated! Canada can re-establish its measles elimination status once transmission of the measles strain associated with the current outbreak is interrupted for at least 12 months.

As someone who grew up in the area, it is very upsetting that the province is considering selling off portions of Wasaga beach provincial park. In addition to being a nature area accessible from Toronto it also has a big role in wildlife preservation (esp. the piping plovers).

pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.

Nov 25 is the UN's Int'l Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Dec 6th is Canada's National Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence against Women in commemoration of the Montreal Massacre. Want to do something tangible to mark the dates? Let me teach you bystander intervention!

During my MASc in Mech. Eng I bonded with other women over the fact that the nearest washroom had a single hygiene container on a wall instead of inside the two stalls (a true wtf moment). Great to see these period product innovations by these women engineers at McMaster! www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...