Patrick Blanchenay
@pblanchenay.bsky.social
Global Evaluations and Research Advisor at Norwegian Church Aid (Oslo). Opinions not my employer's. Making aid impact better documented, and aid work more evidence -based. Previously assistant prof (teaching) at U. Toronto; OECD. PhD Economics.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Avant que l’histoire ne commence, il y a une première phrase. Une ligne, parfois anodine, parfois fulgurante, qui suffit à créer un univers. De Tolstoï à Camus, en passant par Kafka, Duras ou Yourcenar, tour d’horizon des incipits qui ont marqué la littérature
➡️ https://l.franceculture.fr/qfT
➡️ https://l.franceculture.fr/qfT
December 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Avant que l’histoire ne commence, il y a une première phrase. Une ligne, parfois anodine, parfois fulgurante, qui suffit à créer un univers. De Tolstoï à Camus, en passant par Kafka, Duras ou Yourcenar, tour d’horizon des incipits qui ont marqué la littérature
➡️ https://l.franceculture.fr/qfT
➡️ https://l.franceculture.fr/qfT
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Quite breathtaking story - military grade drones at Dublin airport which flew on the path Zelensky's plane took. The drones reached the flight path of his plane exactly the time it should have been there, but just missed it because Zelensky arrived ahead of schedule:
Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin
Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.
www.thejournal.ie
December 4, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Quite breathtaking story - military grade drones at Dublin airport which flew on the path Zelensky's plane took. The drones reached the flight path of his plane exactly the time it should have been there, but just missed it because Zelensky arrived ahead of schedule:
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Fewer Grants & Funds = Fewer Innovations & Discoveries
The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine
Federal Funding for Scientific R&D and Education is by far the greatest investment in America's Future!
A Fantastic 🧪 READ: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine
Federal Funding for Scientific R&D and Education is by far the greatest investment in America's Future!
A Fantastic 🧪 READ: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine
A quiet policy change means the government is making fewer bets on long-term science.
www.nytimes.com
December 2, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Fewer Grants & Funds = Fewer Innovations & Discoveries
The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine
Federal Funding for Scientific R&D and Education is by far the greatest investment in America's Future!
A Fantastic 🧪 READ: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
The U.S. Is Funding Fewer Grants in Every Area of Science and Medicine
Federal Funding for Scientific R&D and Education is by far the greatest investment in America's Future!
A Fantastic 🧪 READ: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
if only the public had some kind of radar to detect lies. but what would we call it......
December 2, 2025 at 2:23 PM
if only the public had some kind of radar to detect lies. but what would we call it......
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
based on how often the naughty teens of major cities throw the rentable scooters directly into the river i've formed a theory that the many iron age swords and cauldrons found in lakes around europe that we've previously assumed were ceremonial and sacrificial in nature were in fact thrown by teens
August 17, 2024 at 4:38 PM
based on how often the naughty teens of major cities throw the rentable scooters directly into the river i've formed a theory that the many iron age swords and cauldrons found in lakes around europe that we've previously assumed were ceremonial and sacrificial in nature were in fact thrown by teens
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Arctic sea-ice extent on November 30th was about 400,000 square kilometers below the previous record low for the date, set in 2016.
December 1, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Arctic sea-ice extent on November 30th was about 400,000 square kilometers below the previous record low for the date, set in 2016.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
En RDC, les autorités annoncent officiellement la fin de la dernière épidémie d’Ebola
En RDC, les autorités annoncent officiellement la fin de la dernière épidémie d’Ebola
L’épidémie s’était déclarée à la fin d’août dans le centre du pays. Au moins 34 morts ont été enregistrées, parmi 53 cas confirmés.
www.lemonde.fr
December 1, 2025 at 11:45 AM
En RDC, les autorités annoncent officiellement la fin de la dernière épidémie d’Ebola
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
PrEP, sexe à risque, coupes budgétaires... Mythes et réalités sur le VIH
PrEP, sexe à risque, coupes budgétaires... Mythes et réalités sur le VIH
À l'occasion de la Journée mondiale de lutte contre le Sida, l'Onusida décrit un monde "en recul" face au VIH. Les jeunes sont de plus en plus touchés, le dépistage recule et plusieurs pays coupent dans les financements. Dans ce contexte, de nombreux mythes persistent et brouillent la prévention.
f24.my
December 1, 2025 at 6:13 AM
PrEP, sexe à risque, coupes budgétaires... Mythes et réalités sur le VIH
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Business cards found in the pockets of author William Lindsay Gresham, who committed suicide in a hotel room, 1962.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...
November 30, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Business cards found in the pockets of author William Lindsay Gresham, who committed suicide in a hotel room, 1962.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
You can run from counterfactuals but you cannot hide.
W/o showing his work, Prasad blames at least 10 pediatric deaths on the COVID vax.
Meanwhile, a "2023 JAMA paper said that during the 12 months ending in July 2022, 821 people aged 19 and under died of Covid." The authors also indicated that was an underestimate.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/29/c...
Meanwhile, a "2023 JAMA paper said that during the 12 months ending in July 2022, 821 people aged 19 and under died of Covid." The authors also indicated that was an underestimate.
www.statnews.com/2025/11/29/c...
Experts say top FDA official’s claim that Covid vaccines caused kids’ deaths requires more evidence
The FDA’s top vaccine regulator asserted in a staff email that the Covid vaccine caused at least 10 kids' deaths, but experts told STAT they are skeptical of the “extraordinary” claim because it was n...
www.statnews.com
November 30, 2025 at 1:21 PM
You can run from counterfactuals but you cannot hide.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
You can tell how fundamental this was as an obvious war crime from how you have to use a mix of archaic English terminology, diplomatic terms of art codified in French, and legal maxims expressed in Latin, to even describe how illegal it is. That's how old the relevant concepts are.
November 29, 2025 at 9:10 AM
You can tell how fundamental this was as an obvious war crime from how you have to use a mix of archaic English terminology, diplomatic terms of art codified in French, and legal maxims expressed in Latin, to even describe how illegal it is. That's how old the relevant concepts are.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
This year explaining regression to the mean took forever but I’m sure next year will be better.
November 28, 2025 at 10:25 AM
This year explaining regression to the mean took forever but I’m sure next year will be better.
The dream of any NGO.
November 24, 2025 at 6:30 PM
The dream of any NGO.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
A 🧵:
1/x?
The ancient hydraulic marvel of the Marib Dam:
“It is between three mountains, and the flood waters all flow to the one location, and because of that the water only discharges in one direction; and the ancients blocked that place with hard rocks and lead.
(cont 👇)
1/x?
The ancient hydraulic marvel of the Marib Dam:
“It is between three mountains, and the flood waters all flow to the one location, and because of that the water only discharges in one direction; and the ancients blocked that place with hard rocks and lead.
(cont 👇)
January 12, 2025 at 9:44 AM
A 🧵:
1/x?
The ancient hydraulic marvel of the Marib Dam:
“It is between three mountains, and the flood waters all flow to the one location, and because of that the water only discharges in one direction; and the ancients blocked that place with hard rocks and lead.
(cont 👇)
1/x?
The ancient hydraulic marvel of the Marib Dam:
“It is between three mountains, and the flood waters all flow to the one location, and because of that the water only discharges in one direction; and the ancients blocked that place with hard rocks and lead.
(cont 👇)
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Hearing news that Carl Dieffenbach, the Director of the Division of AIDS at #NIH (NIAID), has been removed from his position because he was "not aligned with HHS/OMB."
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
November 24, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Hearing news that Carl Dieffenbach, the Director of the Division of AIDS at #NIH (NIAID), has been removed from his position because he was "not aligned with HHS/OMB."
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
X rolled out a new feature overnight showing where accounts are based. This network of “Trump-supporting independent women” that claimed to be “real Americans” are based in Thailand.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
November 23, 2025 at 12:55 PM
X rolled out a new feature overnight showing where accounts are based. This network of “Trump-supporting independent women” that claimed to be “real Americans” are based in Thailand.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
The European Parliament's far right scored a major victory last week when the center-right EPP worked with them to press ahead with plans to cut green rules.
Now, the far right has its eyes set on migrants, cars and red tape.
🔗 politi.co/485yw3V
Now, the far right has its eyes set on migrants, cars and red tape.
🔗 politi.co/485yw3V
November 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
The European Parliament's far right scored a major victory last week when the center-right EPP worked with them to press ahead with plans to cut green rules.
Now, the far right has its eyes set on migrants, cars and red tape.
🔗 politi.co/485yw3V
Now, the far right has its eyes set on migrants, cars and red tape.
🔗 politi.co/485yw3V
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
"Créer un peu de bonheur, ça n'a pas de prix", Nathalie Rabusseau et l'escalade comme moteur d'inclusion.
Rencontre avec celle qui organise des sorties pour les publics fragilisés.
www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...
Rencontre avec celle qui organise des sorties pour les publics fragilisés.
www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...
"Créer un peu de bonheur, ça n'a pas de prix", Nathalie Rabusseau et l'escalade comme moteur d'inclusion
Passionnée d'escalade depuis trois ans, Nathalie Rabusseau a créé Climbing Bitches, une communauté basée sur l'inclusion. Pour aller plus loin, elle a fondé la déclinaison associative en 2024. Avec Ha...
www.radiofrance.fr
November 23, 2025 at 10:13 AM
"Créer un peu de bonheur, ça n'a pas de prix", Nathalie Rabusseau et l'escalade comme moteur d'inclusion.
Rencontre avec celle qui organise des sorties pour les publics fragilisés.
www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...
Rencontre avec celle qui organise des sorties pour les publics fragilisés.
www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
He's not challenging "orthodoxy", he's ignoring data. Stop dancing around his disinformation campaign and call it what it is -- an all out attack on Science and America's place in the scientific world.
November 21, 2025 at 6:58 PM
He's not challenging "orthodoxy", he's ignoring data. Stop dancing around his disinformation campaign and call it what it is -- an all out attack on Science and America's place in the scientific world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask_of... In August 2014, the beard accidentally became detached from the mask when it was taken out of its display case for cleaning. The museum workers responsible used quick-drying epoxy in an attempt to fix it, leaving the beard off-cente
Mask of Tutankhamun - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 22, 2025 at 9:09 PM
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask_of... In August 2014, the beard accidentally became detached from the mask when it was taken out of its display case for cleaning. The museum workers responsible used quick-drying epoxy in an attempt to fix it, leaving the beard off-cente
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
France has added Musk’s Grok to an ongoing cybercrime investigation after it produced French-language posts echoing Holocaust denial about Auschwitz.
November 22, 2025 at 1:29 PM
France has added Musk’s Grok to an ongoing cybercrime investigation after it produced French-language posts echoing Holocaust denial about Auschwitz.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Find someone that looks at you the way that universities look at AI
November 22, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Find someone that looks at you the way that universities look at AI
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
“adversarial poetry”??? holy shit
who wants to hire me and @pa.ulst.ar to be white hat poet ronin, I’m so serious right now
who wants to hire me and @pa.ulst.ar to be white hat poet ronin, I’m so serious right now
November 20, 2025 at 7:22 PM
“adversarial poetry”??? holy shit
who wants to hire me and @pa.ulst.ar to be white hat poet ronin, I’m so serious right now
who wants to hire me and @pa.ulst.ar to be white hat poet ronin, I’m so serious right now
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Woah!
📌 Need to read the full paper
Police bargaining rights explain 14% of civilian deaths. (What about serious injury but not quite death?)
#econsky
📌 Need to read the full paper
Police bargaining rights explain 14% of civilian deaths. (What about serious injury but not quite death?)
#econsky
Forthcoming in AEJ: Economic Policy: "Collective Bargaining Rights, Policing, and Civilian Deaths" by Jamein P. Cunningham and Rob Gillezeau. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Collective Bargaining Rights, Policing, and Civilian Deaths
(Forthcoming Article) - Using an event-study design, we examine whether states' introduction of duty to bargain requirements for police unions led to meaningful changes in civilians killed by law enfo...
www.aeaweb.org
November 20, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Woah!
📌 Need to read the full paper
Police bargaining rights explain 14% of civilian deaths. (What about serious injury but not quite death?)
#econsky
📌 Need to read the full paper
Police bargaining rights explain 14% of civilian deaths. (What about serious injury but not quite death?)
#econsky
TIL online based surveys were ever considered appropriate for research.
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 18, 2025 at 8:38 PM
TIL online based surveys were ever considered appropriate for research.