iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

D. Hicks @danhicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

(This thread is commentary, not criticism!) The "anti-science" label is tricky, because the attacks on science are being framed in the rhetoric of good science: transparency, rigor, objectivity, open debate How can promoting these values be *anti* science? 1/

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D. Hicks @danhicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

If science is understood narrowly as the pursuit of truth, it's hard to explain what's wrong with any of these things, because they self-evidently promote the pursuit of truth In the jargon of #philsci, they're all clearly epistemic ("truth-promoting") values 2/

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

D. Hicks @danhicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

But notice that Gleick's science isn't aimed narrowly at the pursuit of truth. His aims are much broader, addressing important threats to human health and the environment. 3/

Screenshot from the original piece: For me, silence has never been a comfortable option. My work addresses climate change
and the extensive challenges associated with
freshwater resources, including the failure
to provide universal safe water and sanitation, the links between water and energy, the
human right to water, and the growing risks
of water-related violence

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

D. Hicks @danhicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

I've argued that this is true in general. Most scientific fields don't just have epistemic aims, like truth and understanding. They also have pragmatic or practical aims. 4/ www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....

frontiersin.org

Frontiers | Impacting Capabilities: A Conceptual Framework for the Social Value of Research

There is widespread interest in evaluating the social impacts of research and other scholarly activities. Conventional metrics for social impacts focus on ec...

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

D. Hicks @danhicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

And members of the general public think so too! In my survey work (still under review), we've found that even political conservatives tend agree that a primary aim of science — along with truth — is to improve our understanding of threats to human health and the environment. 5/ osf.io/ks2ta_v1/

osf.io

OSF

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

D. Hicks @danhicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Because science typically has practical aims, the standards of good science need to go *beyond* truth. Just exemplifying those epistemic values at the top of the thread isn't good enough. Science should be "fit-for-purpose." 6/ link.springer.com/10.1007/s131...

link.springer.com

Non-epistemic values and scientific assessment: an adequacy-for-purpose view - European Journal for Philosophy of Science

The literature on values in science struggles with questions about how to describe and manage the role of values in scientific research. We argue that progress can be made by shifting this literature’...

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

D. Hicks @danhicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Scientists have often been trained to adopt value-free, politically nonpartisan positions in social controversies. (See Marcia McNutt's comments this morning.) But this posture is itself anti-scientific, when it enables the weaponization of purported scientific values. 13/

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D. Hicks @danhicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Instead, I think scientists should be explicit about the values that motivate and influence their work. In my survey work on this — which has been published! — disclosing values like protecting human health seems to *increase* trust relative to value-freedom. 14/ www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....

frontiersin.org

Frontiers | Values disclosures and trust in science: A replication study

While philosophers of science generally agree that social, political, and ethical values can play legitimate roles in science, there is active debate over wh...

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

D. Hicks @danhicks.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

Take home message: Science and advocacy aren't mutually exclusive, because most science are *already* advocates. They just don't present themselves as *partisans*. Scientists should be explicit that their work is about making a better world. 15/15

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Kaitlin Stack Whitney @kstackwhitney.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

YESS to everything you share in this amazing thread. It was @savewildbees.bsky.social who I first learned about this article from, and I find it resonates with students at my tech school since it's from a fellow scientist academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...

academic.oup.com

Being a scientist means taking sides

Mary H. O'Brien; Being a scientist means taking sides, BioScience, Volume 43, Issue 10, 1 November 1993, Pages 706–708, https://doi.org/10.2307/1312342

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Michelle Cyca @michellecyca.com · 27/04/2025

if you are feeling helpless, a simple but incredibly valuable thing that many of us can do after a catastrophe is sign up to donate blood and plasma. www.blood.ca/en

blood.ca

Canadian Blood Services | Canada's Lifeline

There are many ways to join Canada's Lifeline. Discover how you can make all the difference for someone in Canada today.

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

Kelsey Hightower @kelseyhightower.com · 11/04/2025

"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you." - President Lyndon B. Johnson

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Sheila Colla, Ph.D @savewildbees.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Euro HBs came here with colonists and continue to extract pollen and nectar from native pollinators. Canadian bees don't make honey. The HB industry is for sure capitalist. Worst analogy ever. Flies are critical pollinators, esp. in Northern Canada. Go to school.

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Sheila Colla, Ph.D @savewildbees.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

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Sheila Colla, Ph.D @savewildbees.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

This guy needs a biology lesson but yes wild bees pollinate. Euro HBs make honey & pollinate at a smaller scale than wild bees would if we took care of ag-lands. Flies (depending on which) have their own benefits whether its pollinating, esp in the north, parasitism (keeping populations in check).

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

Dr. Andrea Wishart @wishartae.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Congratulations to @savewildbees.bsky.social, a recipient of the NSERC Awards for Science Promotion. I’ve learned so much about pollinator conservation and ecology from Dr. Colla over the years @csee-scee.bsky.social 🧪🌎 #WomenInSTEM www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Prizes-Prix/...

nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Winners - NSERC Awards for Science Promotion - NSERC

NSERC - NSERC Awards for Science Promotion - Winners

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Sheila Colla, Ph.D @savewildbees.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Meghan Markle's new @netflix show sure isn't going to help with this.

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Jude MacDonald (s / he / r) @judemacdonald.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Alt text to describe the image: Two children and an adult in a swimming pool. Above a child struggling to swim is the text “Native pollinators.” The adult has her back to him. The adult (“General public”) is instead focused on a happy, safe child who is identified as “Honeybees” for this meme.

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Sheila Colla, Ph.D @savewildbees.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Happy #WorldWildlifeDay. A friendly reminder that livestock cannot replace native biodiversity, despite what you may have heard.

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Sheila Colla, Ph.D @savewildbees.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

I can't @dhlovelife.bsky.social believe it's been 20 years since Kill Bill but it was nice to see you on the #oscars and your shout out to 🇺🇦. I appreciate how you use you platform whenever you can.

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Lorraine Johnson @ljohnsonauthor.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

A significant victory in the legal effort to reform grass and weeds bylaws. Wolf Ruck of Mississauga was in the Ontario Court of Appeal yesterday, arguing that Mississauga’s enforcement against his naturalized garden were unjustified under Administrative law. 1/3 #BylawsForBiodiversity

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Sheila Colla, Ph.D @savewildbees.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

#BeachesEastYork, today is the last day to advance vote. I went last night, and it took just a few minutes. We are so lucky to have an amazing candidate in @DrKateTO to vote for. So beat the Eday rush and vote for Kate today!

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Climate Justice Alliance @cjaourpower.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

💔 February 14 is National Missing and Murdered Relatives Remembrance Day We honor and remember our stolen sisters, girls, two-spirit, and relatives who have been taken by the #MMIR crisis.

Photo of a protests to raise awareness about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives.

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Philip Loring @philiploring.com · 13/02/2025

There are lots of issues debated in the political sphere that have a wide range of debatable facets and defensible positions. But we have to acknowledge that some issues are binary. Like racism. And oppression. There isn’t reasonable common ground somewhere in the middle of these issues.

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

Michael Allen @mjallen176.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

This is super cool! Browsed with my evening tea ✅

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Sheila Colla, Ph.D @savewildbees.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

On #WorldCancerDay I'm finally being released from the hospital after being admitted w/ a fever due to my low white blood cell counts. I don't know how I'm going to get through my chemo w/ my 8 & 11 yr olds bringing in all sorts of things circulating in schools. Please @fordnation, #CleanTheAir

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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

The breach extends further, giving Musk’s associates access to systems related to employee onboarding, job performance reviews, and healthcare management. This raises serious concerns about potential violations of federal privacy laws, including those protecting health information under HIPAA.

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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Musk’s team has been reviewing these position descriptions to identify and target roles, including those related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), which have subsequently been removed.

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Trump is considering executive action to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Please speak up protect our children. 💚

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Approximately 20 members of Elon Musk’s staff have begun working within the Education Department. They have gained access to multiple sensitive internal systems, including a financial aid dataset containing the personal information of millions of students enrolled in the federal student aid program.

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

It's hard to imagine a more brutal illustration of climate injustice and a failed society than indentured teenage slaves being used to protect the homes of wealthy Americans.

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Reposted by Sheila Colla, Ph.D

Duane Bratt🇨🇦 @duanebratt.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alber... "John Conly, a physician and former head of the University of Calgary’s medical department, on Monday told The Globe and Mail he was not on Alberta’s COVID review panel and never consented to his name being associated with its 269-page report."

theglobeandmail.com

Alberta physician listed on provincial COVID report says he doesn’t agree with findings, demands his name be removed

The Canadian Medical Association and the Alberta Medical Association have issued separate statements dismissing the $2-million project as ‘misinformation’

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Mary L Trump @maryltrump.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

To everybody who said our Nazi comparisons were hyperbolic:

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Sheila Colla, Ph.D @savewildbees.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Cool, cool. I guess a new generation will be going through the same hell ai am.

Raging California wildfires may spread toxic asbestos

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UAINE @mahtowin1.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Israel’s 15 month war on Gaza has left a trail of destruction, displacement and death, with the lives of more than 2 million Palestinians devastated. — in pictures aje.io/o1ofb8 from Al Jazeera English

aje.io

Israel’s war on Gaza: 15 months, 15 pictures

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 46,707 Palestinians and wounded 110,265 since October 7, 2023.

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Elaine @fuzzibumblebee.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Beautiful male rusty patched bumble bee from last summer

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 05/01/2025

Analysis by Dan Balz: Donald Trump will begin his second term stronger and more dominant as a player on the world stage than when he was sworn in eight years ago. The world that awaits him, however, is far different — and more threatening — than when he left the presidency four years ago.

washingtonpost.com

Analysis | A different and more dangerous world awaits President-elect Trump

The war in Ukraine presents immediate challenges for the incoming president, with other problems looming in the Middle East and China.

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 05/01/2025

"We hear the voices of the people under the rubble." Rescuers in Gaza rushing to the scene of Israeli airstrikes save those who they can, but are forced to leave many behind, taking a heavy physical, mental and emotional toll. nyti.ms/4a7xaX1

nyti.ms

Gaza Rescuers Are Haunted by Voices of Those They Couldn’t Save

Rescuers rushing to the scene of Israeli airstrikes save those who they can, but are forced to leave many behind. “My soul is tired from this war,” one said.

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Elly Knight @ellycknight.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Are you interested in how species distribution models are used in land use planning? Come work us! This is going to be a super cool position understanding how model reliability affects model applications. Creative! Collaborative! Quantitative! Apply by Jan 10: ow.ly/gzPn50UsUQG

A photo of flowers and lichen with a caption that says "Now Hiring Statistical Ecologist"

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