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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 5h

@minouette.bsky.social does cool science themed prints and @stellerarts.com does space art which is often informed by her PhD (e.g. painting colours for non-visible wavelengths), @sarahmackattack.bsky.social does squid/ science art but also has a strong community activism focus.

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Reposted by Concrete grad student

The Canadian Anti-Stalking Association (CASA) @antistalkingcanada.bsky.social · 1d

Today is the International Day of the Girl!

Did you know that in Canada, girls and young women under 25 have the highest rates of sexual assault AND criminal harassment?

All girls deserve a life free from violence ❤️‍🩹

Cartoon image of three young women with the words "October 11: International Day of the Girl"

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 1d

I think that 'AI' is a technological advancement that Canada can do without. Opting to proceed cautiously and slowly shouldn't be made into a political controversy.

www.cbc.ca/news/busines...

ANALYSIS | Why OpenAI wants to help Canada build homegrown artificial intelligence | CBC News

OpenAI wants to help Canada build a sovereign digital infrastructure for artificial intelligence, putting the country in a tough spot as it tries to distance itself from overreliance on U.S. tech comp...

www.cbc.ca

Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 1d

It was pretty long and they did not further define AI which I took issue with but I feel that dissenting opinions are important. Personally I think a cautious AI approach is needed.

Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 1d

Just gave my two cents on this!

Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel) @nicomaramckay.com · 4d

Canadians: The federal government is seeking public input on how AI should be developed and used in business, research, and the military.

If this scares the shit out of you, please let them know:

Help define the next chapter of Canada's AI leadership

Current status: Open from October 1 to October 31, 2025 Canada helped invent modern AI. To stay a leader—and protect our digital sovereignty—we're running a 30-day national sprint to shape a renewed...

ised-isde.canada.ca

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 2d

I recently submitted my thesis to the committee and gotta say, my biggest regret of the PhD is that I was too stubborn to quit. Such a waste of 6 years of my life that I could have used to develope financial stability and savings with far less effort. #gradschool

Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 2d

Dr. Bray subsequently fled the country with his family because he studied (and published) about fascism.

RutgersAAUP-AFT @ruaaup-aft.bsky.social · 3d

This week, our colleague Dr. Mark Bray came under attack by Turning Point USA’s Rutgers chapter for his public scholarship. Rutgers AAUP-AFT and the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union condemn this campaign and stand in solidarity with our colleagues. Read our full statement here: https://loom.ly/BDXasRY

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 5d

A can of soup or a large coffee are each ~$2, I would consider a $5 meal pretty cheap.

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 5d

I learned recently (through a survey) that graduate students aren't eligible for the on campus food bank. Imo that's wild because even thesis based students often experience periods of food insecurity. (If my spouse didn't have a job I definitely could not have lived off of $9k to 15k net income.)

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Reposted by Concrete grad student

Linda Dalpé @dalpe.bsky.social · 8d

Could you please share this survey with Canadian university students in your life? Thank you.

"This study is being conducted to understand the adherence of public health guidance among university students to inform ongoing policy and practice."

uwo.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management

The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.

uwo.eu.qualtrics.com

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 11d

For that matter, the statement 'I remember pennies' almost makes one old. XD

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 11d

Of course the push towards subscription based products is a whole other issue which incentivises a more black box approach for products, including the right to roll out unwanted updates (often undoing customization) and broadly initiate changes like AI.

Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 11d

I completely agree about AI (and other large data driven models etc) just being tools, but I think the younger generations are also largely too comfortable with technology as black boxes. Things like troubleshooting softwares on a personal laptop are increasingly unintuitive and restricted.

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Reposted by Concrete grad student

Elise Cutts @elisecutts.bsky.social · 15d

Shared reality is simply not a thing anymore, if it ever was. "Alternative facts" create alternative realities.

In Trump's alternative reality, there's a war going on in Portland. A war that justifies the use of "Full Force" by troops that Portland did not request, sent by the "Secretary of War."

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 17d

And the stereotype is that men need jobs that will allow them to provide for a future family which is probably internalized. So if they don't go to post secondary they might struggle to enter the labour market. Even with a degree there is a lot of instability now wrt what programs lead to jobs.

Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 17d

For sure, but a high school student with an 80 vs a 90 isn't all that different especially given that some grades (like english) are subjective. Overall I think grades are inflated more now compared to 20 or 30 years ago yet the general belief is that you need a degree to get a good future job.

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 17d

(I was just reading this cbc article about the competitiveness of admissions at ucalgary which is why I was thinking about averages) www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Missing the mark: when an 89.5% average is not enough to get into engineering at the University of Calgary | CBC News

When Evan Wray applied to the University of Calgary engineering program last year, he felt confident his average of 89.5 per cent would be good enough to earn him admission. It wasn't — and Alberta's ...

www.cbc.ca

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 17d

I think it's probably back of mind and a motivator for Dr. Wells interest in understanding both why less women are in eng and why less men are going into other subjects like biology.

Especially given that Waterloo had the knife attack.

Ultimately though, the framing of the article is strange.

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 17d

For women in eng. especially the Ecole Polytechnique massacre is also often back of mind. Obviously not everyone is destined for university and it's not the right fit for a lot of people but people with high averages still often don't get the university program they want fostering resentment.

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 17d

Also Mary Wells has made enormous strides for increasing the proportion of women in engineering including in male heavy programs like mechatronics, mech and electrical. Waterloo has seen a huge increase in recent years.

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 17d

the message is more about making sure there is a diversity of opinions (including both men and women) in fields that are now skewing strongly female like biology.

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 17d

I think the framing of the article is not great. I don't subscribe to Globe and Mail but Waterloo did a post about it on their website: (uwaterloo.ca/engineering/...).

Door to higher education needs to be kept open for young men, dean says | Engineering | University of Waterloo

Dean Mary Wells discusses declining male enrolment at universities.

uwaterloo.ca

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 18d

Just a thought, but I suspect engineering faculties have always been made up primarily of people who would be considered on the spectrum today. XD

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Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 18d

Apparently it was a safety mechanism that was triggered, although the fact that BBC felt it needed to publish an article about it is wild in itself... www.bbc.com/news/article...

Safety mechanism caused Trump escalator malfunction, UN says

The US president's videographer "may have inadvertently triggered the safety function" while capturing his arrival, the UN says.

www.bbc.com

Concrete grad student @lclkrist.bsky.social · 21d

Thank you for your excellent coverage!

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