Gwynedd Pickett
@gpsforthebrain.bsky.social
Cerebrovascular neurosurgeon. Mom. Professor. President 🇨🇦 Neurosurgical Society. Survival skills: archery, knitting, backwoods camping. she/her
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
The Shari Clarke Bursaries support students at HITEM in financial need. Read more about about it on our website, including our dedication of it to Shari Clarke, a fondly remembered long-term member of our early music and traditional music communities in Halifax: tradandearlymusic.ca/bursaries
November 29, 2025 at 10:55 PM
The Shari Clarke Bursaries support students at HITEM in financial need. Read more about about it on our website, including our dedication of it to Shari Clarke, a fondly remembered long-term member of our early music and traditional music communities in Halifax: tradandearlymusic.ca/bursaries
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
Small Biz Saturday! 25% off all my silk science scarves and ties through December 1st, no code required
when you could have this? www.etsy.com/shop/artolog... #sciart
November 29, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Small Biz Saturday! 25% off all my silk science scarves and ties through December 1st, no code required
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
RIP Tom Stoppard.
Out of his many quotes, the one I keep coming back to these days is this one:
“There must have been a moment, at the beginning, where we could have said -- no. But somehow we missed it.”
Out of his many quotes, the one I keep coming back to these days is this one:
“There must have been a moment, at the beginning, where we could have said -- no. But somehow we missed it.”
November 29, 2025 at 5:38 PM
RIP Tom Stoppard.
Out of his many quotes, the one I keep coming back to these days is this one:
“There must have been a moment, at the beginning, where we could have said -- no. But somehow we missed it.”
Out of his many quotes, the one I keep coming back to these days is this one:
“There must have been a moment, at the beginning, where we could have said -- no. But somehow we missed it.”
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
November 27, 2025 at 9:30 AM
"Runctitiononal features"? "Medical fymblal"? "1 Tol Line storee"? This gets worse the longer you look at it. But it's got to be good, because it was published in Nature Scientific Reports last week: www.nature.com/articles/s41... h/t @asa.tsbalans.se
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
For the record, the traffic diverter would have improved safety not only for cycling, but for pedestrians and drivers as well. The area has speeding issues on Harvard which would be prevented with this diverter. Safety, traffic easing, enhancing other forms of transportation. These are the benefits.
Well, Halifax's newest modal filter – an essential part of the Allan/Oak local street bikeway – lasted less than 24h before being torn out. #BikeHfx
November 26, 2025 at 4:42 PM
For the record, the traffic diverter would have improved safety not only for cycling, but for pedestrians and drivers as well. The area has speeding issues on Harvard which would be prevented with this diverter. Safety, traffic easing, enhancing other forms of transportation. These are the benefits.
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
This blue lobster is about one in two million, and displays the beautiful blue colouring due to a genetic mutation. This mutation suppresses other colours (red, yellow, green).
#NovaScotia #Lobster
#NovaScotia #Lobster
November 25, 2025 at 5:26 PM
This blue lobster is about one in two million, and displays the beautiful blue colouring due to a genetic mutation. This mutation suppresses other colours (red, yellow, green).
#NovaScotia #Lobster
#NovaScotia #Lobster
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
An article filled with good advice, as well as my first introduction to the extremely useful concept of 'luxury surveillance.'
Christmas is coming, and the Black Friday sales signal we’re in peak gift-buying season.
When you’re picking out gifts for friends and family this year, there’s a whole slew of tech products that are better to avoid. I put together a guide to help you through it.
When you’re picking out gifts for friends and family this year, there’s a whole slew of tech products that are better to avoid. I put together a guide to help you through it.
A tech critic’s guide to holiday gift-giving
Maybe your grandma doesn’t need that Alexa smart speaker
disconnect.blog
November 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
An article filled with good advice, as well as my first introduction to the extremely useful concept of 'luxury surveillance.'
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
Hey Canadian bike friends 🇨🇦-
The following cities have been added to our drop downs:
Abbotsford, BC
Cambridge, ON
Dieppe, NB
Edmonton, AB
Guelph, ON
Halifax, NS
Kitchener, ON
Waterloo, ON
Winnipeg, MB
The following cities have been added to our drop downs:
Abbotsford, BC
Cambridge, ON
Dieppe, NB
Edmonton, AB
Guelph, ON
Halifax, NS
Kitchener, ON
Waterloo, ON
Winnipeg, MB
November 25, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Hey Canadian bike friends 🇨🇦-
The following cities have been added to our drop downs:
Abbotsford, BC
Cambridge, ON
Dieppe, NB
Edmonton, AB
Guelph, ON
Halifax, NS
Kitchener, ON
Waterloo, ON
Winnipeg, MB
The following cities have been added to our drop downs:
Abbotsford, BC
Cambridge, ON
Dieppe, NB
Edmonton, AB
Guelph, ON
Halifax, NS
Kitchener, ON
Waterloo, ON
Winnipeg, MB
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
i’m not crying you’re crying
xkcd: Fifteen Years
xkcd: Fifteen Years
Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:58 AM
i’m not crying you’re crying
xkcd: Fifteen Years
xkcd: Fifteen Years
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
The moment Kaitlyn Lawes has to reset her shot because at noon local time, every day, across the street, they FIRE A CANNON
Never change, Halifax
#curling #cbccurl #milanocortina2026 #olympics
Never change, Halifax
#curling #cbccurl #milanocortina2026 #olympics
November 23, 2025 at 4:06 PM
The moment Kaitlyn Lawes has to reset her shot because at noon local time, every day, across the street, they FIRE A CANNON
Never change, Halifax
#curling #cbccurl #milanocortina2026 #olympics
Never change, Halifax
#curling #cbccurl #milanocortina2026 #olympics
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
We should probably consider whether social media networks should be held liable for promoting what is clearly medical advice (even if there are disclaimers which dishonesty say it isn't) from cranks and charlatans
November 22, 2025 at 7:06 PM
We should probably consider whether social media networks should be held liable for promoting what is clearly medical advice (even if there are disclaimers which dishonesty say it isn't) from cranks and charlatans
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
This is WONDERFUL chocolate made by some WONDERFUL people.
Black Friday Deal is Live Site-wide!
Chocolate makes everything better, right? 🍫 And with 20% off, you can enjoy it even more! Every bar you enjoy supports a bigger mission of spreading peace and kindness.
Get to our website and shop now at
Peacebychocolate.ca
Chocolate makes everything better, right? 🍫 And with 20% off, you can enjoy it even more! Every bar you enjoy supports a bigger mission of spreading peace and kindness.
Get to our website and shop now at
Peacebychocolate.ca
November 21, 2025 at 10:36 PM
This is WONDERFUL chocolate made by some WONDERFUL people.
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
Adversarial Poetry as a Universal Single-Turn Jailbreak Mechanism in Large Language Models
arxiv.org
November 20, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
We are witnessing a poisonous effort to destroy what the vast majority of Americans know is a key pillar of public health.
Vaccines are responsible for 40% of the reduction in child mortality achieved in the last half century.
Vaccines are responsible for 40% of the reduction in child mortality achieved in the last half century.
November 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM
We are witnessing a poisonous effort to destroy what the vast majority of Americans know is a key pillar of public health.
Vaccines are responsible for 40% of the reduction in child mortality achieved in the last half century.
Vaccines are responsible for 40% of the reduction in child mortality achieved in the last half century.
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
The CDC website has been lobotomized. Where it once presented the decades of evidence debunking the false claims of a link between vaccines and autism, that has now been replaced with junk science.
November 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM
The CDC website has been lobotomized. Where it once presented the decades of evidence debunking the false claims of a link between vaccines and autism, that has now been replaced with junk science.
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
“Since 1998, independent researchers have conducted more than 40 high-quality studies involving over 5.6 million people. The conclusion is clear and unambiguous: There’s no link between vaccines and autism." -Dr. Susan Kressly, AAP President on recent changes to the CDC's website
November 20, 2025 at 3:24 PM
“Since 1998, independent researchers have conducted more than 40 high-quality studies involving over 5.6 million people. The conclusion is clear and unambiguous: There’s no link between vaccines and autism." -Dr. Susan Kressly, AAP President on recent changes to the CDC's website
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
If there was any doubt at all that the CDC is fully destroyed, this page on autism and vaccines on its website confirms it. It's now just another vessel of dangerous health misinformation. I have no words. This is beyond sad.
November 20, 2025 at 11:06 AM
If there was any doubt at all that the CDC is fully destroyed, this page on autism and vaccines on its website confirms it. It's now just another vessel of dangerous health misinformation. I have no words. This is beyond sad.
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
The sweater you’re knitting is supposed to be 10 stitches to an inch, but you’re only getting 7? Problematic gauge gap.
Angry person yelling at chill person who is responding by being calm, which makes the angry person even more mad? Problematic rage gap.
Prisoners keep escaping because you put the bars too far apart? Problematic cage gap.
November 19, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The sweater you’re knitting is supposed to be 10 stitches to an inch, but you’re only getting 7? Problematic gauge gap.
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
The CMA is deeply disappointed that the Alberta government has invoked the notwithstanding clause to interfere in the clinical care of patients.
Our statement ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4i3bOxY
Our statement ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4i3bOxY
November 19, 2025 at 12:05 AM
The CMA is deeply disappointed that the Alberta government has invoked the notwithstanding clause to interfere in the clinical care of patients.
Our statement ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4i3bOxY
Our statement ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4i3bOxY
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
As Halifax Examiner readers know, Daniel Sampson was the last person executed in Halifax, 1935.
He was innocent.
Daniel Sampson was framed by the RCMP for a crime he did not commit, and murdered by the state.
2/6
He was innocent.
Daniel Sampson was framed by the RCMP for a crime he did not commit, and murdered by the state.
2/6
Part 4: The Wrongful Conviction and Execution of Daniel Sampson - Halifax Examiner
Sampson could be falsely charged, framed, and murdered by the state because he was powerless. He was a poor Black man in the deeply racist city of Halifax, and he had an intellectual disability that l...
www.halifaxexaminer.ca
November 12, 2025 at 12:03 PM
As Halifax Examiner readers know, Daniel Sampson was the last person executed in Halifax, 1935.
He was innocent.
Daniel Sampson was framed by the RCMP for a crime he did not commit, and murdered by the state.
2/6
He was innocent.
Daniel Sampson was framed by the RCMP for a crime he did not commit, and murdered by the state.
2/6
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
Exciting news!
Lance Sampson, who is the musician Aquakultre, has filed an Application with the Canadian Minister of Justice to review the conviction of Lance's great-great grandfather, Daniel Sampson.
Yesterday, Aquakultre released the official video of "Gallows," about Daniel Sampson.
1/6
Lance Sampson, who is the musician Aquakultre, has filed an Application with the Canadian Minister of Justice to review the conviction of Lance's great-great grandfather, Daniel Sampson.
Yesterday, Aquakultre released the official video of "Gallows," about Daniel Sampson.
1/6
Aquakultre - Gallows (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by Aquakultre
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Exciting news!
Lance Sampson, who is the musician Aquakultre, has filed an Application with the Canadian Minister of Justice to review the conviction of Lance's great-great grandfather, Daniel Sampson.
Yesterday, Aquakultre released the official video of "Gallows," about Daniel Sampson.
1/6
Lance Sampson, who is the musician Aquakultre, has filed an Application with the Canadian Minister of Justice to review the conviction of Lance's great-great grandfather, Daniel Sampson.
Yesterday, Aquakultre released the official video of "Gallows," about Daniel Sampson.
1/6
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
Lance/Aquakulture is asking the community for financial support for this work. If you are able, please consider this very worthy cause. It's an act for justice.
Please contribute towards legal expenses to exonerate Daniel Perry Sampson
Please support us in exonerating Daniel Perry Sampson. Any amount you’re willing to contribute is greatly appreciated and will help us begin to heal from the legacy of a terrible wrong.
fundrazr.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Lance/Aquakulture is asking the community for financial support for this work. If you are able, please consider this very worthy cause. It's an act for justice.
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
Tomorrow, the AMA is giving a platform to Dr. Oz — CMS Administrator destroying Medicare and Medicaid.
Residents can’t freely dissent or the AMA will punish them.
This isn’t “dialogue.” It’s coercion.
We wrote the position statement the AMA won’t.
Document link:
drive.proton.me/urls/9CR5SB3...
Residents can’t freely dissent or the AMA will punish them.
This isn’t “dialogue.” It’s coercion.
We wrote the position statement the AMA won’t.
Document link:
drive.proton.me/urls/9CR5SB3...
![REPORT OF THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE CONDITIONS, SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY, AND RESIDENT ORGANIZING IN THE POST-2020 POLICY ENVIRONMENT
Position Statement on the Dr. Mehmet Oz Event: Threats to Scientific Integrity and the Coercion of Resident Physicians
Executive Summary
The American medical profession is undergoing a structural realignment driven by three converging forces: the accelerating unionization of resident physicians [1]; the collapse of scientific and public‑health norms in the United States due to the political capture of federal agencies [2]; and a widening gap between the priorities of organized medicine’s legacy institutions and the lived reality of trainees. Medical students and residents now occupy the most precarious position in the physician workforce while simultaneously holding the greatest leverage to redirect the profession’s trajectory.
The present moment is shaped by the consolidation of political power by the current Republican administration and the placement of high‑profile COVID‑19 contrarians—individuals whose pandemic‑era claims were repeatedly discredited—into leadership roles within federal science and health agencies [3]. This shift has destabilized traditional assumptions about evidence‑based governance, regulatory oversight, and the civic role of physicians.
Meanwhile, the resident workforce—the backbone of the U.S. hospital system—faces unprecedented strain: declining inflation‑adjusted wages, chronic understaffing, escalating retaliation risks, and high levels of burnout. Residents organizing through CIR/SEIU have secured major gains across the country [4], while the AMA has only recently adopted policies supportive of collective bargaining for residents.
This report outlines the structural dynamics shaping the profession, the interaction between political disinformation and medical licensure, the implications for trainees, and recommendations for coordinated action between CIR, medical students, and aligned…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:nqarhi3oedy4dv6uv5sdoi4r/bafkreibfns5dabf36wpntpmf2hqunebhsflyg4tzxwsszlizjlpix3rpmm@jpeg)
![1997 Balanced Budget Act [6]. These decisions often relied on the belief that physician oversupply would reduce quality or compress income.
COVID‑19 exposed the fragility of this system. Several U.S.-licensed physicians—including some with academic affiliations—used their credentials to oppose public‑health measures and promote unproven treatments. Their claims were amplified by political networks and media ecosystems, contributing to public distrust and increased mortality [7].
Disciplinary action against these physicians was rare. State medical boards were slow or unwilling to intervene [8]. Meanwhile, prominent contrarian physicians consolidated political influence and now occupy key federal health leadership roles.
II. Recent Developments Affecting Trainees
Residents have responded to worsening conditions by organizing at an unprecedented rate. CIR/SEIU now represents tens of thousands of residents across major academic systems. Recent wins include wage increases, due‑process rights, parental‑leave expansions, and improved safety provisions [9].
Medical students increasingly view collective action as the only viable mechanism for improving training conditions. This generational shift is redefining the culture of medicine and the relationship between physicians and institutional authority.
The AMA, historically ambivalent toward physician unionization, adopted policy in 2024 recognizing the legitimacy of resident collective bargaining [10]. However, the AMA’s primary legislative focus remains national scope‑of‑practice battles and physician payment reform, leaving trainees without a national body focused primarily on workplace safety, retaliation protections, or fair compensation.
III. Scientific Integrity Under Political Pressure
The integration of discredited COVID‑19 contrarian physicians into federal leadership represents a fundamental change in the environment for scientific practice [11]. Their elevation undermines the authority of evidence‑based instit…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:nqarhi3oedy4dv6uv5sdoi4r/bafkreih5migf4gkghfc2latv7hvx7g25dj57e5bjtxsc4ppt25dpkoi2cy@jpeg)
![Third, trainees who advocate for evidence‑based care may face institutional retaliation, while physicians spreading disinformation face minimal consequences. This asymmetry distorts the professional environment and pushes trainees toward organized collective protection.
IV. Areas of Alignment and Conflict Between AMA Policy and Trainee Needs
While the AMA and resident unions share interest in scientific integrity and physician well‑being, their priorities diverge significantly. Residents require safe staffing, fair compensation, due‑process protections, and freedom from retaliation. The AMA has historically prioritized national legislative battles (such as scope‑of‑practice) over the day‑to‑day realities of residency training.
However, the rise of political interference in scientific institutions creates an emerging area of alignment: both trainees and segments of organized medicine recognize that defending evidence‑based practice is essential to the profession’s future.
V. Risk Assessment for Trainees in the Current Environment
Trainees now operate in a structurally unstable ecosystem shaped by political capture of federal science agencies [12], increasing right‑wing disinformation targeting medicine [13], academic‑center fragility, declining public trust, weak state board enforcement, and widespread vulnerability to employer retaliation.
These forces combine to create a historic level of risk for trainees, and senior leadership has not adequately communicated these stakes to medical students or residents.
VI. Recommendations for Residents, Students, and CIR Leadership
Residents must assert themselves as central actors in the profession’s future. Recommendations include strengthening organizing capacity across academic centers, building communication channels independent of employer oversight, establishing reporting pathways for retaliation or scientific interference, coordinating with allied organizations (including the AMA when aligned), creating educational…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:nqarhi3oedy4dv6uv5sdoi4r/bafkreiae5c47yson4c7by3jrtyk4yiaat5xeouuxvgte6j3djbzg3ezkam@jpeg)
November 16, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Tomorrow, the AMA is giving a platform to Dr. Oz — CMS Administrator destroying Medicare and Medicaid.
Residents can’t freely dissent or the AMA will punish them.
This isn’t “dialogue.” It’s coercion.
We wrote the position statement the AMA won’t.
Document link:
drive.proton.me/urls/9CR5SB3...
Residents can’t freely dissent or the AMA will punish them.
This isn’t “dialogue.” It’s coercion.
We wrote the position statement the AMA won’t.
Document link:
drive.proton.me/urls/9CR5SB3...
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
Bloody insane. Québec’s government is considering using its green fund to LOWER GAS PRICES. Um what.
Also, why does the fund even have a $1.8B surplus? Sounds like they haven’t been using it to, you know, fight climate change, like they promised voters.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Also, why does the fund even have a $1.8B surplus? Sounds like they haven’t been using it to, you know, fight climate change, like they promised voters.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Is Quebec serious about climate change? New government bill raises questions | CBC News
A new government bill aimed at reducing bureaucracy and increasing state efficiency could take a bite out of Quebec's ability to fight climate change. Under the proposed legislation, the finance minis...
www.cbc.ca
November 16, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Bloody insane. Québec’s government is considering using its green fund to LOWER GAS PRICES. Um what.
Also, why does the fund even have a $1.8B surplus? Sounds like they haven’t been using it to, you know, fight climate change, like they promised voters.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Also, why does the fund even have a $1.8B surplus? Sounds like they haven’t been using it to, you know, fight climate change, like they promised voters.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Gwynedd Pickett
The golden age of diversity and democracy in Oz.
November 16, 2025 at 7:04 AM
The golden age of diversity and democracy in Oz.