Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
@karakpatterson.bsky.social
Associate professor, senior scientist, physiotherapist. A dance obsessive and music enthusiast searching for ways to integrate them into my research. (She/her)
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
Day 3 of Berton’s advent calendar
December 4, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Day 3 of Berton’s advent calendar
Justified text is the absolute worst way to format a manuscript or a grant and this is a hill I am willing to die on.
a close up of a woman making a funny face with her hands in the air .
Alt: a close up of a woman making a funny face with her hands in the air expressing frustration and annoyance
media.tenor.com
December 4, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Justified text is the absolute worst way to format a manuscript or a grant and this is a hill I am willing to die on.
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
There are more disabled people who are pretending to be healthy so that you don’t judge us or think us incapable than there are healthy people pretending to be disabled. If you find yourself questioning whether someone is really disabled, you’re doing the work of the oppressor. #disability
December 2, 2025 at 2:48 AM
There are more disabled people who are pretending to be healthy so that you don’t judge us or think us incapable than there are healthy people pretending to be disabled. If you find yourself questioning whether someone is really disabled, you’re doing the work of the oppressor. #disability
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
December 1, 2025 at 11:09 AM
This is actually quite brilliant, up to and including the final sentence 🔥
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
What a great headline
November 28, 2025 at 3:49 PM
What a great headline
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
i know WHY this is but that just makes it even more of a kick in the pants lmao
November 28, 2025 at 3:28 AM
i know WHY this is but that just makes it even more of a kick in the pants lmao
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
Definitely something wrong with our healthcare system. However, beware the easy non-solution of "just privatize it!"
"Ontario recorded the highest number of wait-list deaths: 10,634, including more than 9,100 diagnostic-scan deaths where patients died before reaching the point of receiving or being scheduled for surgery."
I guess it's not "hallway healthcare" if you never make it to the hospital hallway.
I guess it's not "hallway healthcare" if you never make it to the hospital hallway.
Tens of thousands of Canadians died waiting for medical care in the past year: report
A new report is raising alarm over growing wait-list deaths in Canada.
www.ctvnews.ca
November 27, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Definitely something wrong with our healthcare system. However, beware the easy non-solution of "just privatize it!"
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
SocArXiv announces moratorium on AI-topic papers
In light of record submission rates and a large volume of AI-generated slop, SocArXiv recently implemented a policy requiring ORCIDs linked in the OSF profile of submitting authors, and narrowing our focus to social science subjects. Today we are taking two more steps:
/1
/1
November 27, 2025 at 3:04 PM
SocArXiv announces moratorium on AI-topic papers
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
Some are suggesting you deliberately write inaccurate or confusing alt text, because they say this confuses AI scrapers that are analyzing images.
The purpose of alt text is to help people who cannot see the image. Deliberately misrepresenting the image is a gross misuse of alt text. Don't do it.
The purpose of alt text is to help people who cannot see the image. Deliberately misrepresenting the image is a gross misuse of alt text. Don't do it.
November 26, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Some are suggesting you deliberately write inaccurate or confusing alt text, because they say this confuses AI scrapers that are analyzing images.
The purpose of alt text is to help people who cannot see the image. Deliberately misrepresenting the image is a gross misuse of alt text. Don't do it.
The purpose of alt text is to help people who cannot see the image. Deliberately misrepresenting the image is a gross misuse of alt text. Don't do it.
You’ve been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you. Who’s coming to save you?
Outcome … uncertain
Outcome … uncertain
November 26, 2025 at 6:54 PM
You’ve been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you. Who’s coming to save you?
Outcome … uncertain
Outcome … uncertain
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
November 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
(A) stop feeling pressure to be perfect;
(B) normalize asking questions, because that is normalizing learning;
(C) do not ask AI if your turkey is done; ask a meat thermometer
(B) normalize asking questions, because that is normalizing learning;
(C) do not ask AI if your turkey is done; ask a meat thermometer
This is so soulless, I can't stand it. We have BRAINS. We can USE THEM.
November 25, 2025 at 5:56 PM
(A) stop feeling pressure to be perfect;
(B) normalize asking questions, because that is normalizing learning;
(C) do not ask AI if your turkey is done; ask a meat thermometer
(B) normalize asking questions, because that is normalizing learning;
(C) do not ask AI if your turkey is done; ask a meat thermometer
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Is this the moment Canada gets serious about science and the economy?
The federal budget includes $1.7-billion to attract international researchers and support Canadian R&D and IP protections
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
Fund the scientists who are already here. Fund basic science.
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
Will PRIVATIZING Canadian MEDICARE WORK?
Researchers compared 25 wealthy countries.
The more each relies on FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES to deliver healthcare
...the WORSE LIFE EXPECTANCY gets.
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Researchers compared 25 wealthy countries.
The more each relies on FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES to deliver healthcare
...the WORSE LIFE EXPECTANCY gets.
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
November 22, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Will PRIVATIZING Canadian MEDICARE WORK?
Researchers compared 25 wealthy countries.
The more each relies on FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES to deliver healthcare
...the WORSE LIFE EXPECTANCY gets.
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Researchers compared 25 wealthy countries.
The more each relies on FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES to deliver healthcare
...the WORSE LIFE EXPECTANCY gets.
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
"This bag will fix me: A memoir"
November 22, 2025 at 7:03 PM
"This bag will fix me: A memoir"
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
November 22, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Journalist challenge: Use “Machine Learning” when you mean machine learning and “LLM” when you mean LLM. Ditch “AI” as a catch-all term, it’s not useful for readers and it helps companies trying to confuse the public by obscuring the roles played by different technologies. 🧪
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
Archaeologist here. For 99.5% of human history (ca 300-400,000 years), we were peaceful (no war). There was conflict and smaller scale violence, but countless studies on the 119 known modern hunter gatherer groups show cooperation, negotiation, and peace instead of conflict. Please read books.
Revenge/physical combat was how people settled things for literally millions of years, it's normal human behavior, we're wolves not sheep, the government project trying to social engineer us and domesticate us into sheep has been unsuccessful
November 17, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Archaeologist here. For 99.5% of human history (ca 300-400,000 years), we were peaceful (no war). There was conflict and smaller scale violence, but countless studies on the 119 known modern hunter gatherer groups show cooperation, negotiation, and peace instead of conflict. Please read books.
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
More private health care linked to higher mortality: Quebec study https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/experts-concerned-that-privatization-of-health-care-could-increase-mortality-rates/
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 ⇢ CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 ⇢ CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
November 21, 2025 at 6:10 PM
More private health care linked to higher mortality: Quebec study https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/experts-concerned-that-privatization-of-health-care-could-increase-mortality-rates/
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 ⇢ CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 ⇢ CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
Normalize admitting you don’t know what some shit means!
completely outside of politics, this is so charming
November 21, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Normalize admitting you don’t know what some shit means!
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
This is a remarkably consistent story across so many once-helpful digital tools: text-to-speech, speech-to-text, spellcheck, grammar check etc
All have become infected with this aggressive inventiveness that either (a) adds hours of work or (b) puts you at massive risk of using fabricated content
All have become infected with this aggressive inventiveness that either (a) adds hours of work or (b) puts you at massive risk of using fabricated content
Amazing discussion right now in a small corner of doctor FB about the apparent enshittification of AI scribes. Especially the free versions.
This revolutionary time saver now requires extra time to fact check the note.
Don't lose your note writing skills, friends! Tech will not save us. #medsky
This revolutionary time saver now requires extra time to fact check the note.
Don't lose your note writing skills, friends! Tech will not save us. #medsky
November 21, 2025 at 12:20 PM
This is a remarkably consistent story across so many once-helpful digital tools: text-to-speech, speech-to-text, spellcheck, grammar check etc
All have become infected with this aggressive inventiveness that either (a) adds hours of work or (b) puts you at massive risk of using fabricated content
All have become infected with this aggressive inventiveness that either (a) adds hours of work or (b) puts you at massive risk of using fabricated content
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
Generative AI causes so many demonstrable harms, from counseling kids into suicide, stealing creative work and destroying the market for it, perverting education, and this predictable horror. Any other product like this would be regulated into the smallest possible box by a responsible society.
This is one of the worst, most horrifying exposures we have ever seen. It is hard to overstate how bad the things that people are using tools like for are, and it's insane to pretend like these tools are anything other than nonconsensual porn machines
www.404media.co/ai-porn-secr...
www.404media.co/ai-porn-secr...
Massive Leak Shows Erotic Chatbot Users Turned Women’s Yearbook Pictures Into AI Porn
Chatbot roleplay and image generator platform SecretDesires.ai left cloud storage containers of nearly two million of images and videos exposed, including photos and full names of women from social me...
www.404media.co
November 19, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Generative AI causes so many demonstrable harms, from counseling kids into suicide, stealing creative work and destroying the market for it, perverting education, and this predictable horror. Any other product like this would be regulated into the smallest possible box by a responsible society.
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
The lab class I teach is a course-based ugrad research experience, and I was stoked that the data we analyzed today showed that my initial hunch/hypothesis was completely wrong (in fact, the opposite). Great learning opportunity to show them it's about the data, never the ego.
November 19, 2025 at 1:51 AM
The lab class I teach is a course-based ugrad research experience, and I was stoked that the data we analyzed today showed that my initial hunch/hypothesis was completely wrong (in fact, the opposite). Great learning opportunity to show them it's about the data, never the ego.
Reposted by Kara Patterson 🇨🇦
POV: you are a young woman celebrating a recent academic success
November 17, 2025 at 7:20 PM
POV: you are a young woman celebrating a recent academic success