Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
@aivarsc.bsky.social
Researcher at Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Docent (Assistant Professor) at the University of Latvia, Head of Ethics Committee and Representative to PLI at political party "Izaugsme", and Vice-President at sex ed "Papardes zieds".
Pinned
New paper in Fishes 📄
We examine how Anisakidae infection intensity affects condition and energy reserves in Eastern Baltic cod.
🔗 www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/11...
@MDPIOpenAccess
#MarineBiology #Parasitology #BalticSea #OpenAccess
We examine how Anisakidae infection intensity affects condition and energy reserves in Eastern Baltic cod.
🔗 www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/11...
@MDPIOpenAccess
#MarineBiology #Parasitology #BalticSea #OpenAccess
Fantastic beasts: ‘giant’ springtails (Collembola) highlight convergent evolution and major changes in the superfamily Neanuroidea url: academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
Beautiful animals! :)
Beautiful animals! :)
Fantastic beasts: ‘giant’ springtails (Collembola) highlight convergent evolution and major changes in the superfamily Neanuroidea
Abstract. Collembola are often regarded as inconspicuous fauna inhabiting, but not restricted to, leaf litter, soils, and rotting wood. Within rotting wood
academic.oup.com
January 9, 2026 at 8:56 AM
Fantastic beasts: ‘giant’ springtails (Collembola) highlight convergent evolution and major changes in the superfamily Neanuroidea url: academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/a...
Beautiful animals! :)
Beautiful animals! :)
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
"ICE has waged a recruitment drive drenched in war metaphors and martial imagery. The type of person sought...is someone with a fervor for guns and an eagerness to apply violence."
Good work by @aselrod.bsky.social putting shooting in context of MAGA's violent ethos:
www.ms.now/opinion/ice-...
Good work by @aselrod.bsky.social putting shooting in context of MAGA's violent ethos:
www.ms.now/opinion/ice-...
Opinion | ICE's violence is no accident
Alan Elrod: The killing of a woman by an immigration enforcement officer in Minneapolis was the raw application of Trumpist authoritarianism.
www.ms.now
January 8, 2026 at 2:30 PM
"ICE has waged a recruitment drive drenched in war metaphors and martial imagery. The type of person sought...is someone with a fervor for guns and an eagerness to apply violence."
Good work by @aselrod.bsky.social putting shooting in context of MAGA's violent ethos:
www.ms.now/opinion/ice-...
Good work by @aselrod.bsky.social putting shooting in context of MAGA's violent ethos:
www.ms.now/opinion/ice-...
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
"As beliefs acquire social functions, it can become more important to believe what others believe than to believe what is true. Very costly belief systems can become entrenched in a community, given the great costs of losing the trust of one’s peers."
Quasi-Darwinian mechanisms: Ecological inheritance and cumulative culture
Download Citation | Quasi-Darwinian mechanisms: Ecological inheritance and cumulative culture | There is a remarkable change in the human archaeological record of the Late Pleistocene. It is one of ec...
www.researchgate.net
January 6, 2026 at 4:28 AM
"As beliefs acquire social functions, it can become more important to believe what others believe than to believe what is true. Very costly belief systems can become entrenched in a community, given the great costs of losing the trust of one’s peers."
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Maduro is a brutal and oppressive dictator of Venezuela.
Trump has no legitimate legal basis for military action against Venezuela under United States or international law.
Both of those facts are simultaneously true.
Trump has no legitimate legal basis for military action against Venezuela under United States or international law.
Both of those facts are simultaneously true.
January 3, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Maduro is a brutal and oppressive dictator of Venezuela.
Trump has no legitimate legal basis for military action against Venezuela under United States or international law.
Both of those facts are simultaneously true.
Trump has no legitimate legal basis for military action against Venezuela under United States or international law.
Both of those facts are simultaneously true.
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
"it is worth noting that we, along with most of the other authors, are liberals... those of us on the left side of the political spectrum need to pay special attention"
Liberals Should Read the HHS Review of Pediatric ‘Gender Affirming’ Care | Opinion
Conservatives and liberals alike can agree that all people, and especially children, deserve ethical, evidence-based care.
www.newsweek.com
December 30, 2025 at 2:04 PM
"it is worth noting that we, along with most of the other authors, are liberals... those of us on the left side of the political spectrum need to pay special attention"
New paper in Fishes 📄
We examine how Anisakidae infection intensity affects condition and energy reserves in Eastern Baltic cod.
🔗 www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/11...
@MDPIOpenAccess
#MarineBiology #Parasitology #BalticSea #OpenAccess
We examine how Anisakidae infection intensity affects condition and energy reserves in Eastern Baltic cod.
🔗 www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/11...
@MDPIOpenAccess
#MarineBiology #Parasitology #BalticSea #OpenAccess
December 30, 2025 at 12:49 PM
New paper in Fishes 📄
We examine how Anisakidae infection intensity affects condition and energy reserves in Eastern Baltic cod.
🔗 www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/11...
@MDPIOpenAccess
#MarineBiology #Parasitology #BalticSea #OpenAccess
We examine how Anisakidae infection intensity affects condition and energy reserves in Eastern Baltic cod.
🔗 www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/11...
@MDPIOpenAccess
#MarineBiology #Parasitology #BalticSea #OpenAccess
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Opposing the far right isn’t an excuse to indulge our tribal instincts (literally half my posting on this site, but better stated by @danwphilosophy.bsky.social)
www.conspicuouscognition.com/p/tribalism-...
www.conspicuouscognition.com/p/tribalism-...
Tribalism Corrupts Politics (Even When One Side Is Worse)
Opposing the far right isn’t an excuse to indulge our tribal instincts.
www.conspicuouscognition.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Opposing the far right isn’t an excuse to indulge our tribal instincts (literally half my posting on this site, but better stated by @danwphilosophy.bsky.social)
www.conspicuouscognition.com/p/tribalism-...
www.conspicuouscognition.com/p/tribalism-...
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
"If scientists were to find that a medical condition is more common in one group than in another, they would not automatically presume the diagnostic test is invalid or biased... Sadly, however, that is not the case with standardized tests"
Standardized Admission Tests Are Not Biased. In Fact, They’re Fairer Than Other Measures
This article challenges common misconceptions, providing robust scientific evidence that standardized admission tests are fair, unbiased, and accurate predictors of academic success, ultimately arguin...
www.skeptic.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:58 AM
"If scientists were to find that a medical condition is more common in one group than in another, they would not automatically presume the diagnostic test is invalid or biased... Sadly, however, that is not the case with standardized tests"
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
As there are no perfect definition of species, therefore there are no species 🤡 Can ("far")leftists do something useful to get elected for a change? People care about real life progress that has impact and not just ego discussions, which are clearly not important for the majority. #science #public
December 24, 2025 at 6:49 AM
My commentary is finally out in the Archives of Sexual Behavior! 🥳 Special thanks to the University of Latvia for providing the Open Access option for everyone to read it! :) #sex link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Sex Categories - Archives of Sexual Behavior
Archives of Sexual Behavior -
link.springer.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:32 AM
My commentary is finally out in the Archives of Sexual Behavior! 🥳 Special thanks to the University of Latvia for providing the Open Access option for everyone to read it! :) #sex link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Reminder that Starbucks’ CEO made 6,666x more than the company's median employee in 2024.
This was the widest CEO-to-Worker pay gap in the entire S&P 500.
And we're supposed to believe Starbucks can't afford to bargain a fair contract with its unionized workers?
This was the widest CEO-to-Worker pay gap in the entire S&P 500.
And we're supposed to believe Starbucks can't afford to bargain a fair contract with its unionized workers?
December 1, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Reminder that Starbucks’ CEO made 6,666x more than the company's median employee in 2024.
This was the widest CEO-to-Worker pay gap in the entire S&P 500.
And we're supposed to believe Starbucks can't afford to bargain a fair contract with its unionized workers?
This was the widest CEO-to-Worker pay gap in the entire S&P 500.
And we're supposed to believe Starbucks can't afford to bargain a fair contract with its unionized workers?
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Around 70% of the U.S. economy depends on consumer spending. As wealth concentrates in the richest 10%, the rest of America can’t afford to buy enough to keep the economy running. This is a huge problem — and even America’s most powerful CEOs are starting to sound the alarm.
Our Economy Is in Danger. Here’s Why
Robert Reich
www.youtube.com
November 30, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Around 70% of the U.S. economy depends on consumer spending. As wealth concentrates in the richest 10%, the rest of America can’t afford to buy enough to keep the economy running. This is a huge problem — and even America’s most powerful CEOs are starting to sound the alarm.
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Turning the military on citizens.
Attempting to rig elections.
Toying with the idea of declaring martial law.
Attacking political opponents and calling for their executions.
If this were happening in another country, what would you call it?
Attempting to rig elections.
Toying with the idea of declaring martial law.
Attacking political opponents and calling for their executions.
If this were happening in another country, what would you call it?
November 20, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Turning the military on citizens.
Attempting to rig elections.
Toying with the idea of declaring martial law.
Attacking political opponents and calling for their executions.
If this were happening in another country, what would you call it?
Attempting to rig elections.
Toying with the idea of declaring martial law.
Attacking political opponents and calling for their executions.
If this were happening in another country, what would you call it?
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Meanwhile, CEOs make 280 times the typical worker today.
The system is rigged.
The system is rigged.
November 8, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Meanwhile, CEOs make 280 times the typical worker today.
The system is rigged.
The system is rigged.
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Tesla’s profit fell 37% in the third quarter. It's been in the process of laying off 14,000 workers. It had more cars impacted by recalls than any other brand in 2024.
Yet Elon Musk just got a pay package worth $1 trillion.
American capitalism is off the rails.
Yet Elon Musk just got a pay package worth $1 trillion.
American capitalism is off the rails.
November 7, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Tesla’s profit fell 37% in the third quarter. It's been in the process of laying off 14,000 workers. It had more cars impacted by recalls than any other brand in 2024.
Yet Elon Musk just got a pay package worth $1 trillion.
American capitalism is off the rails.
Yet Elon Musk just got a pay package worth $1 trillion.
American capitalism is off the rails.
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Walmart and McDonald’s are among the top employers of workers who rely on food stamps.
McDonald's CEO raked in $18.2M last year — over 1,000x the company's median employee pay.
Walmart's CEO pocketed $27.4M — 930x the company's median employee pay.
See the problem?
McDonald's CEO raked in $18.2M last year — over 1,000x the company's median employee pay.
Walmart's CEO pocketed $27.4M — 930x the company's median employee pay.
See the problem?
November 4, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Walmart and McDonald’s are among the top employers of workers who rely on food stamps.
McDonald's CEO raked in $18.2M last year — over 1,000x the company's median employee pay.
Walmart's CEO pocketed $27.4M — 930x the company's median employee pay.
See the problem?
McDonald's CEO raked in $18.2M last year — over 1,000x the company's median employee pay.
Walmart's CEO pocketed $27.4M — 930x the company's median employee pay.
See the problem?
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Photos of scissor-tailed flycatchers in Oklahoma from Pratyaydipta Rudra
whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/10/31/r...
whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/10/31/r...
October 31, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Photos of scissor-tailed flycatchers in Oklahoma from Pratyaydipta Rudra
whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/10/31/r...
whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/10/31/r...
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
This is how our government has been corrupted:
1) Donors give huge sums to elect politicians to office
2) Elected officials rewrite rules in the donors' favor
3) Donors make huge profit
4) Repeat
We must get big money out of politics.
It is the root of our dysfunction.
1) Donors give huge sums to elect politicians to office
2) Elected officials rewrite rules in the donors' favor
3) Donors make huge profit
4) Repeat
We must get big money out of politics.
It is the root of our dysfunction.
October 29, 2025 at 7:01 PM
This is how our government has been corrupted:
1) Donors give huge sums to elect politicians to office
2) Elected officials rewrite rules in the donors' favor
3) Donors make huge profit
4) Repeat
We must get big money out of politics.
It is the root of our dysfunction.
1) Donors give huge sums to elect politicians to office
2) Elected officials rewrite rules in the donors' favor
3) Donors make huge profit
4) Repeat
We must get big money out of politics.
It is the root of our dysfunction.
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
A new study of mountain gorillas in Uganda shows that a high proportion of females live on after they stop reproducing: showing menopause. Animals known to show this include humans, chimps, gorillas, and, curiously, some toothed whales like orcas.
whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/10/23/m...
whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/10/23/m...
October 23, 2025 at 3:47 PM
A new study of mountain gorillas in Uganda shows that a high proportion of females live on after they stop reproducing: showing menopause. Animals known to show this include humans, chimps, gorillas, and, curiously, some toothed whales like orcas.
whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/10/23/m...
whyevolutionistrue.com/2025/10/23/m...
"He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good (...). But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion..."
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
October 20, 2025 at 1:13 PM
"He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good (...). But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion..."
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
An artificial heart for children with congenital heart defects was almost finished. Families had waited for years it.
Then, Trump canceled billions in grants for universities — including the grant for this device.
The cruelty is endless. www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...
Then, Trump canceled billions in grants for universities — including the grant for this device.
The cruelty is endless. www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...
This 4-year-old's heart is failing. A federal grant that might help him was canceled
A Cornell University researcher has been developing an artificial heart for children for more than 20 years. Now, his research is on hold and his lab is shut down.
www.npr.org
October 9, 2025 at 6:53 PM
An artificial heart for children with congenital heart defects was almost finished. Families had waited for years it.
Then, Trump canceled billions in grants for universities — including the grant for this device.
The cruelty is endless. www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...
Then, Trump canceled billions in grants for universities — including the grant for this device.
The cruelty is endless. www.npr.org/2025/10/09/n...
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
15-year-old Anastasiia Hrytsiv and her family were killed by a russian strike in their house in Lapaivka near Lviv💔
russia continues to murder chidren and other innocents on purpose. There can be no atonement for russia's heinous crimes against humanity.
russia continues to murder chidren and other innocents on purpose. There can be no atonement for russia's heinous crimes against humanity.
October 5, 2025 at 2:54 PM
15-year-old Anastasiia Hrytsiv and her family were killed by a russian strike in their house in Lapaivka near Lviv💔
russia continues to murder chidren and other innocents on purpose. There can be no atonement for russia's heinous crimes against humanity.
russia continues to murder chidren and other innocents on purpose. There can be no atonement for russia's heinous crimes against humanity.
Reposted by Aivars Cīrulis, PhD
Still waiting for it to trickle down...
October 6, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Still waiting for it to trickle down...