Matt Oliver
@sameo416.bsky.social
Red River Métis ∞ Scotch-breed ∞ RCAF Veteran ∞ Feral theologian ∞ aerospace/electrical ∞ P.Eng. ∞ he/him ∞ lawful chaotic ∞ Disabled ∞ rrmc rmc sfu uec ∞ nd
Pinned
Matt Oliver
@sameo416.bsky.social
· Apr 18
Trump’s cronies aren’t what broke public health canadahealthwatch.ca/2025/04/18/t... by @mark-ungrin.bsky.social
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: CanadaHealthwatch.ca/newsletter 🍁
Trump’s cronies aren’t what broke public health
The structural blind spots that undermine medical progress and how to fix them.
canadahealthwatch.ca
Excellent reflect from most awesome friend and colleague @mark-ungrin.bsky.social.
"Five years ago, on April 3, 2020, the world’s top bioaerosol scientists warned the WHO that COVID was transmitted in infectious aerosols, tiny particles that drift in the air like smoke.
"Five years ago, on April 3, 2020, the world’s top bioaerosol scientists warned the WHO that COVID was transmitted in infectious aerosols, tiny particles that drift in the air like smoke.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
I gave my coworkers valentines and they (or the public library patrons) gave me another virus. Are we having fun living with Covid yet?
February 14, 2026 at 11:46 PM
I gave my coworkers valentines and they (or the public library patrons) gave me another virus. Are we having fun living with Covid yet?
Reposted by Matt Oliver
valentine's day isn't just for couples, it's also a day to celebrate love. for instance, i would love it if housing prices came down.
February 14, 2026 at 8:11 PM
valentine's day isn't just for couples, it's also a day to celebrate love. for instance, i would love it if housing prices came down.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
Excellent analysis from @rebeccanagle.bsky.social starting with a critical reflection on Billie Eilish's comment, "No one is illegal on stolen land".
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
Billie Eilish Said "No One Is Illegal on Stolen Land"— In Reality, The Theft of Native Land Is a Blueprint for Border Patrol and ICE
The slogan sparked outrage across the political spectrum, but the connection between Native dispossession and immigration enforcement is structural, not symbolic.
historycanthide.substack.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:07 PM
Excellent analysis from @rebeccanagle.bsky.social starting with a critical reflection on Billie Eilish's comment, "No one is illegal on stolen land".
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
Reposted by Matt Oliver
Thread 🧵🪡
Excellent analysis from @rebeccanagle.bsky.social starting with a critical reflection on Billie Eilish's comment, "No one is illegal on stolen land".
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
Billie Eilish Said "No One Is Illegal on Stolen Land"— In Reality, The Theft of Native Land Is a Blueprint for Border Patrol and ICE
The slogan sparked outrage across the political spectrum, but the connection between Native dispossession and immigration enforcement is structural, not symbolic.
historycanthide.substack.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:21 AM
Thread 🧵🪡
Reposted by Matt Oliver
Absolutely. But as you’ve probably noticed, diversity of thought is not all that popular these days. 😞
February 14, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Absolutely. But as you’ve probably noticed, diversity of thought is not all that popular these days. 😞
Reposted by Matt Oliver
The other issue is building diversity of thought into our systems. Evidence Based Medicine's insistence that an MD is the ultimate expert on everything from aerosol physics to human behaviour makes failure inevitable. A monoculture is much less naturally resistant to attack than an ecosystem.
🧵:
🧵:
An aircraft analogy can work.
Clinical practice is like flying a plane - it takes skill and practice, you need training and in-the-moment answers.
Making guidance is like building a plane. You want pilot input, but it better be led by aerospace engineers or you'll kill a bunch of people.
Clinical practice is like flying a plane - it takes skill and practice, you need training and in-the-moment answers.
Making guidance is like building a plane. You want pilot input, but it better be led by aerospace engineers or you'll kill a bunch of people.
February 14, 2026 at 3:52 PM
The other issue is building diversity of thought into our systems. Evidence Based Medicine's insistence that an MD is the ultimate expert on everything from aerosol physics to human behaviour makes failure inevitable. A monoculture is much less naturally resistant to attack than an ecosystem.
🧵:
🧵:
Reposted by Matt Oliver
The big advantage a scientific approach has over the heuristics currently used for medical guidance and policy is that science (at least in principle) requires discordant evidence be reconciled. Vs EBM/GRADE etc formalize cherry picking, and then it's ultimately just about who controls the process.
Public pressure forced a break from GRADE's anti-trans wing, but notably despite all the handwaving no-one has specified why GRADE is not allowed to produce this answer - because actually it is. You can make GRADE say anything you want, that's the attraction - it spins your ideology into "science".
I'm not familiar with that one, but I imagine it is related to this?
It's noteworthy that Guyatt got caught up in this, and illustrative of the fact that whoever picks the pickers picks the cherries.
The process can give good answers, but it really is just formalized GOBSAT - no real safeguards.
It's noteworthy that Guyatt got caught up in this, and illustrative of the fact that whoever picks the pickers picks the cherries.
The process can give good answers, but it really is just formalized GOBSAT - no real safeguards.
February 14, 2026 at 3:52 PM
The big advantage a scientific approach has over the heuristics currently used for medical guidance and policy is that science (at least in principle) requires discordant evidence be reconciled. Vs EBM/GRADE etc formalize cherry picking, and then it's ultimately just about who controls the process.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
There was definitely an error, the one Dr. Morawska was trying to correct when she was shouted down was already 86 years (!) out of date at the time, but the big failure is the structural context that gave the guy shouting the authority to do that in the first place, and allowed it to be exercised.
The negligent, outdated beliefs of medicine's management class (everywhere; from the UK inquiry here) contrasted with well-understood science from 👉1934👈. If you got sick after being told that COVID falls to the ground within 3 feet and N95/FFP2/FFP3 respirators aren't needed, 👉it was their fault.👈
February 14, 2026 at 2:57 PM
There was definitely an error, the one Dr. Morawska was trying to correct when she was shouted down was already 86 years (!) out of date at the time, but the big failure is the structural context that gave the guy shouting the authority to do that in the first place, and allowed it to be exercised.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
This talk takes a deep dive into the structural and paradigmatic basis for what they're doing. Recent events appear sudden, but from a systems perspective it's the inevitable result of a long-term drive to centralize power over the interpretation of science, and make it discretionary / subjective.
Policy on health is clearly broken - politicized, out of touch, reactive and slow. My recent keynote at the Canadian Biosafety Symposium took a big-picture look at how and why that's happening, and how we can turn things around.
Here's a general-audience version, recorded at the Deep River library.
Here's a general-audience version, recorded at the Deep River library.
Inquiring Minds 03: Mark Ungrin - Science, Pseudoscience and Public Policy
YouTube video by Deep River Public Library
www.youtube.com
February 14, 2026 at 11:59 AM
This talk takes a deep dive into the structural and paradigmatic basis for what they're doing. Recent events appear sudden, but from a systems perspective it's the inevitable result of a long-term drive to centralize power over the interpretation of science, and make it discretionary / subjective.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
It's such a bizarre concept that scientists often have a hard time accepting that anyone would actually believe it, but this is why it has been so easy for RFK to rewrite guidance.
Control over "what science says" is how you win at institutional medical politics, so the tools were already in place.
Control over "what science says" is how you win at institutional medical politics, so the tools were already in place.
Trump’s cronies aren’t what broke public health
The structural blind spots that undermine medical progress and how to fix them.
canadahealthwatch.ca
February 14, 2026 at 11:59 AM
It's such a bizarre concept that scientists often have a hard time accepting that anyone would actually believe it, but this is why it has been so easy for RFK to rewrite guidance.
Control over "what science says" is how you win at institutional medical politics, so the tools were already in place.
Control over "what science says" is how you win at institutional medical politics, so the tools were already in place.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
Yeah, I doubt there is one - "better" is a direction rather than an end point. That said, I have been very impressed (H/T @sameo416.bsky.social) with some of the concepts systems theory has come up with, and that lens reveals the drivers of a lot of problems.
E.g. this is bigger than "error":
E.g. this is bigger than "error":
Happy International Women's Day!
A reminder that this specific screwup has now killed ~25 million people.
A world that allows an influential, entitled, ignorant man to just shout down a smarter and more knowledgeable woman 👉can literally kill you.👈
www.wired.com/story/the-te...
A reminder that this specific screwup has now killed ~25 million people.
A world that allows an influential, entitled, ignorant man to just shout down a smarter and more knowledgeable woman 👉can literally kill you.👈
www.wired.com/story/the-te...
February 14, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Yeah, I doubt there is one - "better" is a direction rather than an end point. That said, I have been very impressed (H/T @sameo416.bsky.social) with some of the concepts systems theory has come up with, and that lens reveals the drivers of a lot of problems.
E.g. this is bigger than "error":
E.g. this is bigger than "error":
Reposted by Matt Oliver
I guess over time they can fall prey to structural or building envelope issues way beyond those of a single family home, not to mention the fire/explosion threat of years of grain dust in every nook and cranny. Quite the renovation to do right.
@sameo416.bsky.social
@sameo416.bsky.social
February 14, 2026 at 5:16 PM
I guess over time they can fall prey to structural or building envelope issues way beyond those of a single family home, not to mention the fire/explosion threat of years of grain dust in every nook and cranny. Quite the renovation to do right.
@sameo416.bsky.social
@sameo416.bsky.social
Reposted by Matt Oliver
They knew this policy was so unconstitutional that they kept the “legal memo” authorizing this practice hidden, wouldn't let physical copies of it circulate, and a whistleblower had to alert Congress about its very existence.
February 14, 2026 at 12:00 AM
They knew this policy was so unconstitutional that they kept the “legal memo” authorizing this practice hidden, wouldn't let physical copies of it circulate, and a whistleblower had to alert Congress about its very existence.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
Epstein survivor Danielle Bensky:
If Pam Bondi put victims first, she would at least acknowledge our presence there. She's evading responsibility and evading any sort of sense of accountability. It just feels awful. It sits horribly with survivors.
If Pam Bondi put victims first, she would at least acknowledge our presence there. She's evading responsibility and evading any sort of sense of accountability. It just feels awful. It sits horribly with survivors.
February 14, 2026 at 1:07 AM
Epstein survivor Danielle Bensky:
If Pam Bondi put victims first, she would at least acknowledge our presence there. She's evading responsibility and evading any sort of sense of accountability. It just feels awful. It sits horribly with survivors.
If Pam Bondi put victims first, she would at least acknowledge our presence there. She's evading responsibility and evading any sort of sense of accountability. It just feels awful. It sits horribly with survivors.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
And that's the purported progressive side of the political equation in BC — nearly half of the province is an order of magnitude worse. And only the two Greens support the ruling.
February 13, 2026 at 11:22 PM
And that's the purported progressive side of the political equation in BC — nearly half of the province is an order of magnitude worse. And only the two Greens support the ruling.
Excellent analysis from @rebeccanagle.bsky.social starting with a critical reflection on Billie Eilish's comment, "No one is illegal on stolen land".
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
Billie Eilish Said "No One Is Illegal on Stolen Land"— In Reality, The Theft of Native Land Is a Blueprint for Border Patrol and ICE
The slogan sparked outrage across the political spectrum, but the connection between Native dispossession and immigration enforcement is structural, not symbolic.
historycanthide.substack.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:07 PM
Excellent analysis from @rebeccanagle.bsky.social starting with a critical reflection on Billie Eilish's comment, "No one is illegal on stolen land".
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
While I appreciate Eilish's overt support, this analysis named what troubled me.
historycanthide.substack.com/p/billie-eil...
Reposted by Matt Oliver
Pine marten
February 13, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Pine marten
Reposted by Matt Oliver
41 times around the earth today.
It’s been nice to get stability as that was something I never really had. It feels so odd to have moments of feeling safety.
Even though the world has been getting harder, being kind is the only option I have.
Ahéhee to everyone for the love and support!
It’s been nice to get stability as that was something I never really had. It feels so odd to have moments of feeling safety.
Even though the world has been getting harder, being kind is the only option I have.
Ahéhee to everyone for the love and support!
February 13, 2026 at 5:30 PM
41 times around the earth today.
It’s been nice to get stability as that was something I never really had. It feels so odd to have moments of feeling safety.
Even though the world has been getting harder, being kind is the only option I have.
Ahéhee to everyone for the love and support!
It’s been nice to get stability as that was something I never really had. It feels so odd to have moments of feeling safety.
Even though the world has been getting harder, being kind is the only option I have.
Ahéhee to everyone for the love and support!
Reposted by Matt Oliver
www.president.gov.ua
February 13, 2026 at 3:34 AM
Reposted by Matt Oliver
Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympics for wearing a “helmet of memory”
It had the names of coaches and athletes who had been killed in the war with Russia.
He stood firm and lost his Olympic dream, but he’s gaining the Order of Freedom from Ukraine.
It had the names of coaches and athletes who had been killed in the war with Russia.
He stood firm and lost his Olympic dream, but he’s gaining the Order of Freedom from Ukraine.
February 13, 2026 at 3:34 AM
Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympics for wearing a “helmet of memory”
It had the names of coaches and athletes who had been killed in the war with Russia.
He stood firm and lost his Olympic dream, but he’s gaining the Order of Freedom from Ukraine.
It had the names of coaches and athletes who had been killed in the war with Russia.
He stood firm and lost his Olympic dream, but he’s gaining the Order of Freedom from Ukraine.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
NEWS: Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler has RESIGNED after newly released emails exposed a years-long personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein — including advising him on handling sex crime accusations, media scrutiny, and accusers.
February 13, 2026 at 2:23 AM
NEWS: Goldman Sachs’ top lawyer Kathryn Ruemmler has RESIGNED after newly released emails exposed a years-long personal relationship with Jeffrey Epstein — including advising him on handling sex crime accusations, media scrutiny, and accusers.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
I'm learning EVs. Slick video claims Geely hybrid superior because instead of being parallel IC engine/electrical motor, engine is just range-extending generator, not mechanically attached to drivetrain. @drsmith.bsky.social @sameo416.bsky.social @markhamhislop.bsky.social
youtu.be/CiNuTNPZbMM?...
youtu.be/CiNuTNPZbMM?...
1,500 KM RANGE! Why This New Geely Makes BYD Obsolete
YouTube video by drive&rpm
youtu.be
February 12, 2026 at 3:39 PM
I'm learning EVs. Slick video claims Geely hybrid superior because instead of being parallel IC engine/electrical motor, engine is just range-extending generator, not mechanically attached to drivetrain. @drsmith.bsky.social @sameo416.bsky.social @markhamhislop.bsky.social
youtu.be/CiNuTNPZbMM?...
youtu.be/CiNuTNPZbMM?...
Reposted by Matt Oliver
Today, I learned: Open AI fired its head of safety for objecting to porn -- no, wait, excuse me, for "discriminating against men"; Anthropic's head of safety quit to study the poetry his company hoovered up from the world's library; and Trump said to every stinking factory, smoke em if you got em.
February 13, 2026 at 1:36 AM
Today, I learned: Open AI fired its head of safety for objecting to porn -- no, wait, excuse me, for "discriminating against men"; Anthropic's head of safety quit to study the poetry his company hoovered up from the world's library; and Trump said to every stinking factory, smoke em if you got em.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
There are definitely bad people involved, but bad people are a challenge that is not going to go away. So we need to build systems that don't fail catastrophically just because a bad person manages to sit in a specific chair - and figure out why the safeguards we thought we had don't work.
Institutional research misconduct
Failings over the MMR scare may need parliamentary inquiry
It is now more than 18 months since the UK’s General Medical Council found Andrew Wakefield guilty of dishonesty and other serious professio...
www.bmj.com
January 21, 2026 at 3:57 PM
There are definitely bad people involved, but bad people are a challenge that is not going to go away. So we need to build systems that don't fail catastrophically just because a bad person manages to sit in a specific chair - and figure out why the safeguards we thought we had don't work.
Reposted by Matt Oliver
There are deep structural issues at play here, that explain how these guys are able to pull this stuff off so easily. We treat anti-vax misinfo as if it just magically appears, and don't address things like e.g. Wakefield being platformed and protected for over a decade by mainstream institutions.
Science, Pseudoscience and Public Policy - WHN
In this presentation from December 2025, Mark Ungrin discusses “How did things get this bad, and what can we do about it?”—looking at how science and pseudoscience shape public policy, and what practi...
whn.global
January 21, 2026 at 3:54 PM
There are deep structural issues at play here, that explain how these guys are able to pull this stuff off so easily. We treat anti-vax misinfo as if it just magically appears, and don't address things like e.g. Wakefield being platformed and protected for over a decade by mainstream institutions.