Notices by Daniel MacPhee 🔬🧬🧫🇨🇦 (dmacphee@mas.to)

This article really takes a hammer to the BS from conservative think tanks, the UCP and the like who denigrate public education. Well done McGill OSS.

“Because when we stop investing in education, we stop investing in ourselves.”
#Canada #Education #PublicEducation

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/student-contributors/false-economy-education-cuts

You have got to be kidding me.
No bloody way.
#Canada #Space #SpacePollution #NightSky
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/reflect-orbital-space-mirror-9.6947427

These thirsty AI data centres should be fought against tooth and nail. They are raping the country of its water with literally zero oversight. For goodness sakes don’t use shit AI programs when you have your own intelligence.
#Water #Canada #Cdnpoli

https://www.cbc.ca/news/ai-data-centre-canada-water-use-9.6939684

Just Like That, Alberta Is Less Safe for Girls

“any girl who is perceived as too tall, strong, fast or masculine may have their eligibility to participate in school athletics anonymously challenged, then investigated by the school district. These new rules will disproportionately affect female athletes of colour, who regularly face racist scrutiny and false gender accusations. And it makes all girls less safe.”

Disgraceful.
#Alberta #Canada
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2025/09/10/Alberta-Less-Safe-Girls/

Fascism/extremism is on the rise in Canada…big time. It has no place in any country.
#Canada #Extremism
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/second-sons-rally-in-niagara-1.7628162

@AskPippa can you help with this @libreoffice ?

“As with all of his vaccine policy decisions, this one will make America more vulnerable, less capable of responding to infectious disease outbreaks, more sick, and more dead. Killing mRNA vaccine development will kill people.”
#VaccinesWork #Vaccines
https://rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/whats-old-is-new-and-whats-new-is

For those without The Atlantic access

https://anneapplebaum.substack.com/p/the-great-realignment

Powerful piece from @anneapplebaum
#Fascism #Ukraine #USA
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/07/putin-trump-russia-ukraine/683414/?utm_source=apple_news

LibreOffice takes aim at Microsoft Office with free guides to help users switch

Excellent
#LibreOffice #FOSS #Software
https://www.neowin.net/news/libreoffice-takes-aim-at-microsoft-office-with-free-guides-to-help-users-switch/

“When hundreds of scholars—many who have dedicated their lives to studying the fall of democracies—warn that fascism is returning, they are not being dramatic. They are being precise.”
#Fascism #Autocracy #USA
https://time.com/7294056/signs-of-fascism-are-here/

An excellent op-ed
“Democracy only works when the institutional pillars that support it are strong. The academy — alongside the press, the courts, and the legislature — is one of those vital pillars. Promoting and respecting diverse scholarship doesn’t just signal a healthy democracy; it helps create one.”
#Academia #HigherEd #Canada
https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-canadian-democracy-needs-universities-now-more-than-ever

The Long, Strange History of Teflon, the Indestructible Product Nothing Seems to Stick to | Smithsonian
#Teflon #Science #Chemistry #Education #History
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-long-strange-history-of-teflon-the-indestructible-product-nothing-seems-to-stick-to-180984920/

Oil companies sold the public on a fake climate solution — and swindled taxpayers out of billions

A con-job plain and simple.

“in the best-case scenario, with carbon capture technology working flawlessly and deployed at large scale, it could only account for a little over 2 percent of global carbon emissions reductions by 2030.”
#Environment #ClimateChange #Canada #cdnpoli #Saskatchewan #skpoli

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/08/08/news/oil-companies-sold-public-fake-climate-solution-and-swindled-taxpayers

Project 2025 Plan for Trump Presidency Has Far-Reaching Threats to Science

These days it seems that no one wants to talk about policies, but just focus on personalities, image and age. The outcomes could be devastating.

#Science #Politics #USA #Canada

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/project-2025-plan-for-trump-presidency-has-far-reaching-threats-to-science/

The disinformation nonsense of chemtrails. Perhaps the Premier of #Saskatchewan should read the article.

“What actually needs to be stopped is the perverse hijacking of physics and chemistry to make unsubstantiated claims about the public being harmed by nonexistent chemtrails, and the threats to scientists who are carrying out research that aims to benefit the public.”
#Science #Scicomm #ChemTrails #Disinformation #Canada

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-environment/trail-chemtrail-nonsense

The benefits of vaccination to protect against COVID-19.

“for the vast majority of people — including young and otherwise healthy people — COVID-19 vaccination is not only safe, but the cardiovascular protection it offers could be life-saving.”
#COVID19 #VaccinesWork #Vaccination #Science #Scicomm
https://theconversation.com/cardiovascular-risks-and-covid-19-new-research-confirms-the-benefits-of-vaccination-226130

Melatonin commonly taken by kids not a magic bullet, pediatricians say.
Parents should be cautious: “…parents often reported giving melatonin for more than 12 months, but research on its long-term safety in kids and teens is lacking.”

In fact such use is considered off label.
#Melatonin #Sleep #Medicine #Science #Canada

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/melatonin-kids-1.7050217

To the delight of eager U.K. ecologists, London welcomes its first baby beaver in centuries
Definitely a keystone species.
#Beavers #Environment #Ecology #Science

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/to-the-delight-of-eager-u-k-ecologists-london-welcomes-its-first-baby-beaver-in-centuries-1.7009202