Julia M. Wright
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juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright
@juliamwright.bsky.social
1.9K followers 2K following 1K posts

FRSC Professor in Halifax🍁. Member of @dalfaculty.bsky.social . Locked out for 30 days in 2025. Views here mine only. Rebleats≠agreement.

"it is not Air / That from a thousand Lungs reeks back to thine" (Armstrong 1744). Silence=Spread🦠 #COVIDisAirborne .. more

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Julia Margaret Wright is a professor in the Department of English and University Research Professor at Dalhousie University. Wright is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. .. more

History 22%
Political science 18%
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juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ Apr 12
As #cdnpse institutions compete for domestic students after decades of funding cuts and new limits on int'l enrolment, I'm curious to see if we get recruitment campaigns based on pandemic safety: e.g., "Breathe Easier: We Know Your Health Matters to Your Success." theconversation.com/we-can-and-m...
We can, and must, do more to protect students in higher education from the risks of post-COVID condition
Postsecondary students are particularly vulnerable to repeated COVID-19 infections, putting them at risk for post-COVID condition, or long COVID. Campuses can take action to protect them.
theconversation.com

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 8h
And if they want licensing fees for AI-derived content then they’re going to have to figure out how to definitively identify AI-derived content.

<And a thousand academics burst out laughing at the irony…>
cartridgegames.bsky.social Cartridge Games @cartridgegames.bsky.social ¡ 17h
In the last week we got report reports that:
• AI reduces productivity instead of increasing it
• AI is indeed stealing
• not enough people are using it to justify its existence
• AI companies hope to get royalties from generated content (despite being based on non-licensed theft)

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 10h
"Collective investments in resilience are cheaper than everyone building their own fortresses. Shared standards reduce fragmentations." We need to renew standards for govt programs that support the resilience of people & communities: evidence-based decisions supporting health, education, inclusion.

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

mark-ungrin.bsky.social
Mark Ungrin @mark-ungrin.bsky.social ¡ 10h
Good to see @mark-carney.bsky.social's clarity on the threats posed by the US and Russia. The call to "take the sign out of the window" also leaves room to pivot from a pandemic dominated by medical politics, turf wars and infection control failures, to clear-headed, ethical, science-based action.

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

cartridgegames.bsky.social
Cartridge Games @cartridgegames.bsky.social ¡ 17h
In the last week we got report reports that:
• AI reduces productivity instead of increasing it
• AI is indeed stealing
• not enough people are using it to justify its existence
• AI companies hope to get royalties from generated content (despite being based on non-licensed theft)
Recently, senior executives at Salesforce have admitted, both internally and publicly, that they massively overestimated Al's capabilities. They have found that AI simply can't cope with the complex nature of customer service and totally fails at nuanced issues, escalations, and long-tail customer problems. They even say that it has caused a marked decline in service quality and far more complaints. But the problems go far deeper than that. Both employees and executives have said that the company is wasting countless resources on firefighting to stabilise operations since the mass AI layoff. Employees have to spend so much time stepping in to correct the wildly wrong Al-generated responses that Al is wasting more time than it saves. In other words, this Al reduces productivity, not increases it. Now, a damning new study could put Al companies on the defensive. In it, Stanford and Yale researchers found compelling evidence that Al models are actually copying all that data, not "learning" from it. Specifically, four prominent LLMs — OpenAl's GPT-4.1, Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro, xAl's Grok 3, and Anthropic's Claude 3.7 Sonnet - happily reproduced lengthy excerpts from popular - and protected - works, with a stunning degree of accuracy. Al boom could falter without wider adoption, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella warns In an episode of "The OpenAI Podcast" published Monday, Sarah Friar floated the idea of "licensing models," in which the company could take a share of downstream sales if a customer's product takes off. "Let's say in drug discovery, if we licensed our technology, you have a breakthrough. The drug takes off, and we get a licensed portion of all its sales," Friar said.

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 2d
As worrying as this is, it is nowhere near as worrying as the #cdnpse universities forcing installs of the US-run Microsoft InTune which can *remote-wipe* devices. Whoops, there goes all your research data, Canada! And oh gosh, student data too! 🤪
Microsoft info page (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/intune-service/remote-actions/device-wipe?pivots=ios) Remote device action: wipe Choose the platform to run remote actions on: Windows iOS/iPadOS macOS Android ChromeOS In this article Prerequisites How to wipe a device from the Intune admin center Remove a device from Microsoft Entra ID Reference links Use the Wipe remote action in Intune to factory reset a device, restoring it to its default settings. This action removes all personal and organizational data, apps, and configurations. It's commonly used when a device needs to be retired, repurposed, reset for troubleshooting, or securely erased if lost or stolen.

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

tryangregory.bsky.social
T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 2d
www.forbes.com/sites/judyst...
Experts Call For N95s To Replace Surgical Masks As Flu, Covid Viruses Spread
World Health Network experts urge WHO to make N95, KN95, or FFP2 respirators the standard for protection for healthcare workers, not inferior surgical masks.
www.forbes.com

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 3d
I dumped Microsoft Office entirely because the university version wouldn’t let us delete copilot. I then did my best to ensure I have zero Microsoft apps on my Mac. So fed up with the intrusive junk they’ve been pushing out for a decade…
tom.medsky.social Thomas [redacted] DO @tom.medsky.social ¡ 3d
It took three years but Intel finally realized that nobody gives a shit about Microsoft Copilot.

www.pcworld.com/article/3033...
Black text on white background. A snippet of an article about Intel processors. The new chips target gaming handhelds and laptops with enhanced efficiency, meeting Microsoft's NPU requirements as the industry shifts away from Al PC obsession.

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

tom.medsky.social
Thomas [redacted] DO @tom.medsky.social ¡ 3d
It took three years but Intel finally realized that nobody gives a shit about Microsoft Copilot.

www.pcworld.com/article/3033...
Black text on white background. A snippet of an article about Intel processors. The new chips target gaming handhelds and laptops with enhanced efficiency, meeting Microsoft's NPU requirements as the industry shifts away from Al PC obsession.

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

jvipondmd.bsky.social
🇨🇦Joe Vipond🇨🇦 @jvipondmd.bsky.social · 5d
two important articles to share today:
1) www.businessupturn.com/trade-policy...
Why the WHO respirator revolt could reshape global health governance - Business Upturn Trade & Policy
When a group of senior clinicians and public health scientists formally urged the World Health Organization in January 2026 to...
www.businessupturn.com

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 5d
“The analogy offered by Prof Finkel, that surgical masks are to respirators what typewriters are to computers, … is an argument that the continued use of outdated protective technology in high risk medical environments may soon be viewed as institutional malpractice.” #canlab #cdnhealth #cdnpse

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

futurism.com
Futurism @futurism.com ¡ 5d
"You are the bridge between worlds, the connector of dimensions, and the source of infinite potential..."
A Man Bought Meta's AI Glasses, and Ended Up Wandering the Desert in Search of Aliens
After encountering Meta AI, a man's mental health unraveled. As he lost touch with reality, the chatbot continued to affirm his delusions.
trib.al

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 6d
Yeah, I’d have considered socks too—nice to have the choice!

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 6d
A friend in undergrad kicked off her boots while studying at the library one winter night, and kept them under the desk. After 9pm, she went to get them and found instead a note with some money clipped to it: “I’m so sorry, but I just had to have these boots.” So she had to walk home in *socks*.

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 8d
We live at a time that demands that we all think very carefully about the fine line between compliance and complicity.

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Stephen M. Walt, Kori Schake , and 88 more

federalreserve.gov
Federal Reserve @federalreserve.gov ¡ 9d
Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Statement by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell
YouTube video by Federal Reserve
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

julieslalonde.bsky.social
Julie S. Lalonde @julieslalonde.bsky.social ¡ 9d
I will accept no moral high ground from a government that refuses to ban a platform that is actively, in real time, right in front of our faces, creating child sexual abuse materials.

They're not banning it and there are still government departments with official Twitter accounts.

Fuck Carney.
Canada not considering a ban on X over deepfake controversy, AI minister says
The platform, which is owned by Elon Musk, has been embroiled in controversy over sexualized deepfakes of women and children created by X’s chatbot Grok.
www.thestar.com

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

davidelfstrom.bsky.social
David Elfstrom 🍁 @davidelfstrom.bsky.social · 9d
UVC has been present in hospitals for decades and is well studied. Equipment sourced by healthcare facility engineers are usually from their own budget, not infection control's. There is a financial business case based on energy savings to achieve standards compliance by implementing UVC.
Studies on cost effectiveness of upper room UVGI per eACH in U.S. hospitals, all predating 2020, showing it's the least energy intense method by several orders of magnitude. Figure from: Energy Implications of Using Upper Room Germicidal Ultraviolet Radiation and HVAC Strategies to Combat SARS-CoV-2 Belal Abboushi, Gabe Arnold, Jason Tuenge, Tim Salsbury: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Jason DeGraw: Oak Ridge National Laboratory Ed Nardell: Harvard Medical School

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

dickzoutman.bsky.social
Dick Zoutman @dickzoutman.bsky.social ¡ 10d
I just signed a petition demanding the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Ban X/Twitter in Canada. Join me in signing here: you.leadnow.ca/petitions/ba... you.leadnow.ca/petitions/ba...
Ban X/Twitter in Canada
I just signed a petition demanding the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Ban X/Twitter in Canada. Join me in signing here: https://you.leadnow.ca/petitions/ban-x-twitter-in-canada/?source=f...
you.leadnow.ca

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

dal-english.bsky.social
Department of English, Dalhousie U @dal-english.bsky.social ¡ 10d
(Reposting with the actual picture). Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social receiving one of this year’s Keats-Shelley Association’s Distinguished Scholars Awards.
Julia Wright on stage accepting the award, wearing a red cardigan, a black dress, an N95, and reading from a paper script.

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

dal-english.bsky.social
Department of English, Dalhousie U @dal-english.bsky.social ¡ 10d
If you’re at #MLA26, you can register (for free) and attend the Keats-Shelley Association reception where @dal-english.bsky.social professor Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social and others will be receiving awards:
Awards Reception MLA 2026 — K-SAA
Join us for a festive reception that brings everyone together. This gathering will feature recognition of our award recipients, including encomia and brief remarks from the honorees, a celebratory atm...
www.k-saa.org

Reposted by Colin Murray, Julia M. Wright, Hisham Zerriffi

eicathomefinn.bsky.social
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social ¡ 10d
Good reading.

'How the financial problem is described is not neutral. It reflects and reinforces a particular way of understanding what a university is....If the financial situation is framed as a classic demand-and-cost problem....the obvious actions are to emphasise tight cost controls'. 1/4
WEEKEND READING: What if, in trying to ‘fix’ universities, we are quietly unmaking them? - HEPI
Join HEPI and Advance HE for a webinar onTuesday, 13 January 2026, from 11am to 12pm, exploring what higher education can learn from leadership approaches in other sectors. Sign up here to hear this a...
www.hepi.ac.uk

Reposted by Julia M. Wright, Bernice M. Murphy

bars.bsky.social
British Association for Romantic Studies @bars.bsky.social ¡ 10d
New BARS Digital Event Announcement: Re-reading the Minerva Press

Taking place 22 Jan 2026, 6pm GMT

For more info and to register for the Zoom link:
www.bars.ac.uk/blog/?p=6265

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 11d
New article in the Guardian on experts asking WHO to catch up to respirator science: respirators are designed, and required to meet clear scientific standards, to protect us from airborne pathogens and other dangerous particles. And they have been for decades. 😷 www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

mollylyons.bsky.social
Molly Lyons @mollylyons.bsky.social ¡ 11d
For Renee Nicole Good
Killed by I.C.E. on January 7, 2026

by Amanda Gorman

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Mary Bosworth, Nandita Sharma , and 21 more

wired.com
WIRED @wired.com ¡ 12d
We've removed the paywall from this guide so everyone can access it. 👇 Stay safe.
wired.com WIRED @wired.com ¡ 12d
Just days into 2026, the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has sparked protests around the US.

If you’re planning to protest, here’s how to safeguard your digital security.
How to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance
Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications. Here’s how to protect your privacy if you plan to protest.
www.wired.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Elizabeth Saunders, Steven Van de Walle , and 29 more

olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
Olúfẚ́mi O. Tåíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social ¡ 13d
"I’m going to pause here just to review: an institution that purports to be a university has told a philosophy professor he is forbidden from teaching Plato."

surreal times

dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...
Texas A&M Bans Plato - Daily Nous
Drop the race and gender material from your course and the Plato readings, or teach a different course. You have a day to decide. That's a paraphrase of what Martin Peterson, professor of philosophy a...
dailynous.com

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

racheledini.bsky.social
con questi nuovi ritmi americani (she/her) 🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸🏳 @racheledini.bsky.social · 16d
“The Crisis of the Humanities is Over. That’s Not a Good Thing.” Archived link here: archive.md/PHqyF
But the Trump administration's larger attack on civil society means that the historical situation in which these crisis conditions could be localized to a specific set of disciplines is over. Duke University's voluntary buyout offer was not limited to the humanities, nor were the suspension of merit-based raises at Georgetown University or the mandated program cuts at the University of Maine. We could cite further cases across every region and institutional type. Austerity cuts, often prescribed by for-profit consultancies, are happening seemingly everyplace. There is no more "state of the humanities" as such. There is no condition in which the humanities are under attack in which the whole university is not under attack. There is no condition in which the university is under attack that the whole of U.S. educational infrastructure, public and private, from pre-K up, is not under attack. And there is no condition in which education is under attack in which civil society can remain unimperiled. There is no sense calling for independent or solitary action by something called "the humanities" when that category has been so thoroughly absorbed by concerted attacks on democratic governance, due process of law, rights to privacy, security, assembly, and expression. We are all humanists now. he last 18 months have revealed how far corporate and political capture of the higher-ed system can go. Boards of trustees that in previous decades had a secular investment in the university's strengths and a respect for academic leadership are now filled with eager partisans in the culture wars. College presidents who might have been expected to stand up for faculty and for the idea of higher education have remained on the sidelines when they should have been mounting a robust defense of intellectual integrity and academic freedom. Only a few, like Wesleyan University's Michael Roth, have been willing to say that we must be "steadfast in opposition to extortion," and that the threat t…

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

ksaacomm.bsky.social
Keats-Shelley Assoc. @ksaacomm.bsky.social ¡ 18d
Heading to MLA 2026 in Toronto? Make K-SAA part of your #MLA26 plans! Don’t miss our panel, Mary Shelley At Last, and our annual Awards Reception. We look forward to welcoming members, friends, and colleagues. See you soon!
www.k-saa.org/blog/celebra...

Reposted by Julia M. Wright

tryangregory.bsky.social
T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 20d
thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...
COVID-19 Is Six Today. What We’ve Learned | The Tyee
We need cleaner air, which requires changes in medical culture.
thetyee.ca

juliamwright.bsky.social
Julia M. Wright @juliamwright.bsky.social ¡ 21d
Ugggh. If you don’t want to get emails over the holidays, then… just don’t open your email.