James Andrew Smith
@drsmith.bsky.social
Engineering professor at York University
The evidence is simply not strong enough to support that position. Whereas, it is incontrovertible that disease spreads in daycare.
This study indicates impact but admits to insufficient data.
Mitigating potential harm by having masking be temporary during high disease periods is one option.
This study indicates impact but admits to insufficient data.
Mitigating potential harm by having masking be temporary during high disease periods is one option.
November 25, 2025 at 1:50 PM
The evidence is simply not strong enough to support that position. Whereas, it is incontrovertible that disease spreads in daycare.
This study indicates impact but admits to insufficient data.
Mitigating potential harm by having masking be temporary during high disease periods is one option.
This study indicates impact but admits to insufficient data.
Mitigating potential harm by having masking be temporary during high disease periods is one option.
On CBC news they're talking about the rise of RSV season. Yes, they're recommending vaccines. That's great!
No other suggestions to _help_ stop the spread of RSV. If it's airborne, which it appears to be, then, we should talk about that.
Reference: publications.ersnet.org/content/erj/...
No other suggestions to _help_ stop the spread of RSV. If it's airborne, which it appears to be, then, we should talk about that.
Reference: publications.ersnet.org/content/erj/...
November 25, 2025 at 11:11 AM
On CBC news they're talking about the rise of RSV season. Yes, they're recommending vaccines. That's great!
No other suggestions to _help_ stop the spread of RSV. If it's airborne, which it appears to be, then, we should talk about that.
Reference: publications.ersnet.org/content/erj/...
No other suggestions to _help_ stop the spread of RSV. If it's airborne, which it appears to be, then, we should talk about that.
Reference: publications.ersnet.org/content/erj/...
The letter.
I wish that we would be informed of other health-related concerns.
I wish that we would be informed of other health-related concerns.
November 24, 2025 at 10:39 AM
The letter.
I wish that we would be informed of other health-related concerns.
I wish that we would be informed of other health-related concerns.
You know you’re in Québec when the hotel breakfast bar has a basket of real maple syrup.
Not « sirop de poteau » (fence post syrup). The real deal.
Not « sirop de poteau » (fence post syrup). The real deal.
November 23, 2025 at 12:48 PM
You know you’re in Québec when the hotel breakfast bar has a basket of real maple syrup.
Not « sirop de poteau » (fence post syrup). The real deal.
Not « sirop de poteau » (fence post syrup). The real deal.
Yeah, I don’t think that “Poutine Time” is the number one brand.
Maybe in the dubious “frozen poutine” category that no self-respecting Canadian would be caught eating.
Maybe in the dubious “frozen poutine” category that no self-respecting Canadian would be caught eating.
November 22, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Yeah, I don’t think that “Poutine Time” is the number one brand.
Maybe in the dubious “frozen poutine” category that no self-respecting Canadian would be caught eating.
Maybe in the dubious “frozen poutine” category that no self-respecting Canadian would be caught eating.
Mmm they look so good.
November 20, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Mmm they look so good.
My engineering students and I are testing out the components inside these pinball machines.
Their project is to update these 1960s and 70s era machines with modern computer control.
First thing is to test the solenoids to see if they can run at (safer) low DC voltages.
Their project is to update these 1960s and 70s era machines with modern computer control.
First thing is to test the solenoids to see if they can run at (safer) low DC voltages.
November 19, 2025 at 9:15 PM
My engineering students and I are testing out the components inside these pinball machines.
Their project is to update these 1960s and 70s era machines with modern computer control.
First thing is to test the solenoids to see if they can run at (safer) low DC voltages.
Their project is to update these 1960s and 70s era machines with modern computer control.
First thing is to test the solenoids to see if they can run at (safer) low DC voltages.
Here at YorkU our Health and Safety office is running employee surveys through Microsoft’s chatbot, Microsoft 360 CoPilot.
Last year they did the same thing but didn’t tell us ahead of time that they were going to “analyze” the surveys using a chatbot.
This year the survey has an AI warning.
Last year they did the same thing but didn’t tell us ahead of time that they were going to “analyze” the surveys using a chatbot.
This year the survey has an AI warning.
November 17, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Here at YorkU our Health and Safety office is running employee surveys through Microsoft’s chatbot, Microsoft 360 CoPilot.
Last year they did the same thing but didn’t tell us ahead of time that they were going to “analyze” the surveys using a chatbot.
This year the survey has an AI warning.
Last year they did the same thing but didn’t tell us ahead of time that they were going to “analyze” the surveys using a chatbot.
This year the survey has an AI warning.
It’s the details that matter. Like the thief outside the Chateau Laurier Lego model, stealing Karsh’s Churchill portrait.
Brix in the Six was awesome!
Brix in the Six was awesome!
November 16, 2025 at 8:11 PM
It’s the details that matter. Like the thief outside the Chateau Laurier Lego model, stealing Karsh’s Churchill portrait.
Brix in the Six was awesome!
Brix in the Six was awesome!
Beer flavoured chips. Why not?
November 15, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Beer flavoured chips. Why not?
"Rinx" is one of the grossest hockey rinks in Toronto. Right next to the recently defunct "Hockey Factory".
Peeling paint, rusty beams and so much humidity that my camera has trouble focusing.
(All that said, proud of my kid's team for holding the opposition to a tie! Well done, girls!)
Peeling paint, rusty beams and so much humidity that my camera has trouble focusing.
(All that said, proud of my kid's team for holding the opposition to a tie! Well done, girls!)
November 15, 2025 at 12:20 PM
"Rinx" is one of the grossest hockey rinks in Toronto. Right next to the recently defunct "Hockey Factory".
Peeling paint, rusty beams and so much humidity that my camera has trouble focusing.
(All that said, proud of my kid's team for holding the opposition to a tie! Well done, girls!)
Peeling paint, rusty beams and so much humidity that my camera has trouble focusing.
(All that said, proud of my kid's team for holding the opposition to a tie! Well done, girls!)
Yes it is. Furthermore, it is a paradigm. And it has big big problems. Its adherents are insular and vulnerable to its weaknesses, like p-hacks.
Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
![Criticism and pitfalls of EBM
EBMs have significant criticism and drawbacks. Critics have been cautioning about the outfalls of EBM since its inception. Interestingly, Alvan Feinstein, who was described in the history of EBM as one of the earliest pioneers of clinical epidemiology, criticized EBM more than two decades ago in the following words: "The laudable goal of making clinical decisions based on evidence can be impaired by the restricted quality and scope of what is collected as "best available evidence." However, the authoritative aura given to the collection may lead to significant abuses that produce inappropriate guidelines or doctrinaire dogmas for clinical practice [20]. He believed that the foundations of EBM are based on statistical values, and statistics textbooks overlook statistical heterogeneity [21].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:i5x3eb76crb4rousjkkk6i5l/bafkreidi7lhdxgtdxikr4cafcr3zmn6ssiamhuft7qnoan2eouwacrrnfy@jpeg)
November 14, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Yes it is. Furthermore, it is a paradigm. And it has big big problems. Its adherents are insular and vulnerable to its weaknesses, like p-hacks.
Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Guess who bought nine boxes of Count Chocula cereal at 24 cents a box and needs to hide the evidence before his wife comes home?
November 13, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Guess who bought nine boxes of Count Chocula cereal at 24 cents a box and needs to hide the evidence before his wife comes home?
It was made without meaningful consultation with faculty. The system keeps running into problems, both technical and operational.
This week, during a midterm, students couldn’t show their ID because of a software update in the university server system.
I agree it should be rolled back.
This week, during a midterm, students couldn’t show their ID because of a software update in the university server system.
I agree it should be rolled back.
November 13, 2025 at 1:57 PM
It was made without meaningful consultation with faculty. The system keeps running into problems, both technical and operational.
This week, during a midterm, students couldn’t show their ID because of a software update in the university server system.
I agree it should be rolled back.
This week, during a midterm, students couldn’t show their ID because of a software update in the university server system.
I agree it should be rolled back.
I disagree.
Infection control should adopt the "Rocket Science" approach.
Why? Because Rocket Science doesn't revolve around randomized control trials and "evidence based" medicine.
Rocket Science is based on physics, engineering, chemistry, math, public experiments and risk management.
Infection control should adopt the "Rocket Science" approach.
Why? Because Rocket Science doesn't revolve around randomized control trials and "evidence based" medicine.
Rocket Science is based on physics, engineering, chemistry, math, public experiments and risk management.
November 13, 2025 at 1:42 PM
I disagree.
Infection control should adopt the "Rocket Science" approach.
Why? Because Rocket Science doesn't revolve around randomized control trials and "evidence based" medicine.
Rocket Science is based on physics, engineering, chemistry, math, public experiments and risk management.
Infection control should adopt the "Rocket Science" approach.
Why? Because Rocket Science doesn't revolve around randomized control trials and "evidence based" medicine.
Rocket Science is based on physics, engineering, chemistry, math, public experiments and risk management.
Yes, the loss of #measles elimination status is proof that Public Health in Canada is broken.
They had one job. They saw this coming. We saw it coming.
And they did NOTHING.
Fire them all. Require all public health & infectious disease education programs in the country revise their curriculum.
They had one job. They saw this coming. We saw it coming.
And they did NOTHING.
Fire them all. Require all public health & infectious disease education programs in the country revise their curriculum.
November 13, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Yes, the loss of #measles elimination status is proof that Public Health in Canada is broken.
They had one job. They saw this coming. We saw it coming.
And they did NOTHING.
Fire them all. Require all public health & infectious disease education programs in the country revise their curriculum.
They had one job. They saw this coming. We saw it coming.
And they did NOTHING.
Fire them all. Require all public health & infectious disease education programs in the country revise their curriculum.
Watched the James Garfield series on Netflix, not knowing anything about him. Spoiler alert: he dies.
But it's the post-shooting part that got me: the doctor treated him without sterilizing his instruments or cleaning his hands. Hygiene was beneath him.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
But it's the post-shooting part that got me: the doctor treated him without sterilizing his instruments or cleaning his hands. Hygiene was beneath him.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
November 13, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Watched the James Garfield series on Netflix, not knowing anything about him. Spoiler alert: he dies.
But it's the post-shooting part that got me: the doctor treated him without sterilizing his instruments or cleaning his hands. Hygiene was beneath him.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
But it's the post-shooting part that got me: the doctor treated him without sterilizing his instruments or cleaning his hands. Hygiene was beneath him.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
This was clearly the trajectory we were on in the Spring.
We could see this coming.
Rather than ring the alarm bells, too many PH officials jumped on every opportunity to minimize this, even last month here in Ontario.
It’s shameful.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
We could see this coming.
Rather than ring the alarm bells, too many PH officials jumped on every opportunity to minimize this, even last month here in Ontario.
It’s shameful.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
November 10, 2025 at 8:13 PM
This was clearly the trajectory we were on in the Spring.
We could see this coming.
Rather than ring the alarm bells, too many PH officials jumped on every opportunity to minimize this, even last month here in Ontario.
It’s shameful.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
We could see this coming.
Rather than ring the alarm bells, too many PH officials jumped on every opportunity to minimize this, even last month here in Ontario.
It’s shameful.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Politicians are to blame, too.
Too many Public Health officials were afraid to call out politicians.
Nothing stopped PH officials from saying or (leading by example) "I think N95s are really superior and you should wear them".
Like this.
www.vancouverisawesome.com/coronavirus-...
Too many Public Health officials were afraid to call out politicians.
Nothing stopped PH officials from saying or (leading by example) "I think N95s are really superior and you should wear them".
Like this.
www.vancouverisawesome.com/coronavirus-...
November 10, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Politicians are to blame, too.
Too many Public Health officials were afraid to call out politicians.
Nothing stopped PH officials from saying or (leading by example) "I think N95s are really superior and you should wear them".
Like this.
www.vancouverisawesome.com/coronavirus-...
Too many Public Health officials were afraid to call out politicians.
Nothing stopped PH officials from saying or (leading by example) "I think N95s are really superior and you should wear them".
Like this.
www.vancouverisawesome.com/coronavirus-...
November 10, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Dear hockey arena boss in your windowed office:
don't leave your wifi router with the password facing the window.
don't leave your wifi router with the password facing the window.
November 10, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Dear hockey arena boss in your windowed office:
don't leave your wifi router with the password facing the window.
don't leave your wifi router with the password facing the window.
Conditions are getting worse on the 401. Snow is sticking more, initially on overpasses.
Saw the change before and after hockey practice in north york.
Saw the change before and after hockey practice in north york.
November 9, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Conditions are getting worse on the 401. Snow is sticking more, initially on overpasses.
Saw the change before and after hockey practice in north york.
Saw the change before and after hockey practice in north york.
First snow in Toronto. Expect problems.
November 9, 2025 at 12:53 PM
First snow in Toronto. Expect problems.
Making a sandwhich makes you an artist, so sandwiches are art and throwing them is now performance art. What a world we live in.
November 8, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Making a sandwhich makes you an artist, so sandwiches are art and throwing them is now performance art. What a world we live in.