Dean Shamess
@deanshamess.ca
deanshamess.ca
Ph.D. Candidate at JSGS USask // Science Policy, Science of Science, Science and Power and Populism // econ, policy, polisci… whatever works
Ph.D. Candidate at JSGS USask // Science Policy, Science of Science, Science and Power and Populism // econ, policy, polisci… whatever works
Reposted by Dean Shamess
Reposted by Dean Shamess
This is contact juggling. There's maybe a few hundred people in the world for whom contact juggling has at one point been their primary source of income, and most of us know each other. It coalesced as an art from in the 1980s and got its name in 1990, though it pulls from practices far older.
January 6, 2026 at 12:27 AM
This is contact juggling. There's maybe a few hundred people in the world for whom contact juggling has at one point been their primary source of income, and most of us know each other. It coalesced as an art from in the 1980s and got its name in 1990, though it pulls from practices far older.
This is very good and worth a read, wherever you land.
The inclusion of Drake dissing is particularly to my taste.
The inclusion of Drake dissing is particularly to my taste.
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
open.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 10:46 PM
This is very good and worth a read, wherever you land.
The inclusion of Drake dissing is particularly to my taste.
The inclusion of Drake dissing is particularly to my taste.
Reposted by Dean Shamess
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Caveat Vendor
Universities, audience capture, and bullshit; Beowulf, Kendrick Lamar
open.substack.com
January 2, 2026 at 11:00 AM
I wrote about the endless temptation successful people feel to justify and feel justified in a clearly toxic system. Happy new year.
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
open.substack.com/pub/rottenan...
Reposted by Dean Shamess
3/ As the division of labor between universities and firms deepens, policymakers increasingly rely on these programs.
Yet we still know surprisingly little about what participation means for scientists themselves.
Yet we still know surprisingly little about what participation means for scientists themselves.
January 2, 2026 at 1:15 PM
3/ As the division of labor between universities and firms deepens, policymakers increasingly rely on these programs.
Yet we still know surprisingly little about what participation means for scientists themselves.
Yet we still know surprisingly little about what participation means for scientists themselves.
Reposted by Dean Shamess
Today is the last day that you can repost this image
December 31, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Today is the last day that you can repost this image
Reposted by Dean Shamess
FACETS Journal is accepting submissions for its 10-year anniversary collection exploring the opportunities and challenges in research. Submit by March 31, 2026. More here ▶️ https://ow.ly/zAa550XLtu6
Guest editors: Jules Blais & Fanie Pelletier
Guest editors: Jules Blais & Fanie Pelletier
December 26, 2025 at 9:40 PM
FACETS Journal is accepting submissions for its 10-year anniversary collection exploring the opportunities and challenges in research. Submit by March 31, 2026. More here ▶️ https://ow.ly/zAa550XLtu6
Guest editors: Jules Blais & Fanie Pelletier
Guest editors: Jules Blais & Fanie Pelletier
Reposted by Dean Shamess
A propos of some stuff, a brief thread on randomized experiments. 👇
We like randomization as it provides us with a powerful way to solve a big problem: identification.
Identification should not - cannot - precede other parts of the research process: theory, conceptualization, operationalization.
We like randomization as it provides us with a powerful way to solve a big problem: identification.
Identification should not - cannot - precede other parts of the research process: theory, conceptualization, operationalization.
December 21, 2025 at 1:50 PM
A propos of some stuff, a brief thread on randomized experiments. 👇
We like randomization as it provides us with a powerful way to solve a big problem: identification.
Identification should not - cannot - precede other parts of the research process: theory, conceptualization, operationalization.
We like randomization as it provides us with a powerful way to solve a big problem: identification.
Identification should not - cannot - precede other parts of the research process: theory, conceptualization, operationalization.
I had to update a tonne of R packages this morning... RIP to me and all of the ways none of my work will work anymore 😪
December 18, 2025 at 3:06 PM
I had to update a tonne of R packages this morning... RIP to me and all of the ways none of my work will work anymore 😪
Reposted by Dean Shamess
Call me anti-innovation or whatever, but I prefer my scientists to think like Bengio:
“As scientists, I believe we have a duty to observe current trends in our fields, warn the public and policymakers if significant risks arise, and contribute to potential solutions.”
thelogic.co/commentary/q...
“As scientists, I believe we have a duty to observe current trends in our fields, warn the public and policymakers if significant risks arise, and contribute to potential solutions.”
thelogic.co/commentary/q...
They say Canada’s AI industry has a doom-and-gloom problem - The Logic
Canada is home to some of the finest AI researchers in the world. Yet some prominent figures say negative views of the technology are holding the country back.
thelogic.co
December 15, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Call me anti-innovation or whatever, but I prefer my scientists to think like Bengio:
“As scientists, I believe we have a duty to observe current trends in our fields, warn the public and policymakers if significant risks arise, and contribute to potential solutions.”
thelogic.co/commentary/q...
“As scientists, I believe we have a duty to observe current trends in our fields, warn the public and policymakers if significant risks arise, and contribute to potential solutions.”
thelogic.co/commentary/q...
Academia has felt like a real slog for the last ~18 months.
In the last 2 though, 4-5 projects (some solo, some w/ co's) have all reared their heads again and sprinted towards the finish-ish (aka submission).
While I know there's a long road post-sub to anything, it feels pretty reinvigorating!
In the last 2 though, 4-5 projects (some solo, some w/ co's) have all reared their heads again and sprinted towards the finish-ish (aka submission).
While I know there's a long road post-sub to anything, it feels pretty reinvigorating!
December 14, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Academia has felt like a real slog for the last ~18 months.
In the last 2 though, 4-5 projects (some solo, some w/ co's) have all reared their heads again and sprinted towards the finish-ish (aka submission).
While I know there's a long road post-sub to anything, it feels pretty reinvigorating!
In the last 2 though, 4-5 projects (some solo, some w/ co's) have all reared their heads again and sprinted towards the finish-ish (aka submission).
While I know there's a long road post-sub to anything, it feels pretty reinvigorating!
Reposted by Dean Shamess
Political polarization on confidence in the scientific community accelerated in the 2024 General Social Survey, with moderates now showing a significant downturn.
(Apologies if I missed this updated with 2024 data already)
/1
(Apologies if I missed this updated with 2024 data already)
/1
December 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Political polarization on confidence in the scientific community accelerated in the 2024 General Social Survey, with moderates now showing a significant downturn.
(Apologies if I missed this updated with 2024 data already)
/1
(Apologies if I missed this updated with 2024 data already)
/1
You’ve just died.
The sixth picture in your phone gallery is what killed you.
The sixth picture in your phone gallery is what killed you.
November 27, 2025 at 12:58 AM
You’ve just died.
The sixth picture in your phone gallery is what killed you.
The sixth picture in your phone gallery is what killed you.
Re: Summers, Sahm and econ’s many other problems.
I’m a pretty average PhD student, and I didn’t pursue an Econ PhD because of its issues with race, gender, hierarchy etc etc etc
1) in the minds of some - I know this first hand - it’s “just a women’s issue” … the “just” being absurd even
I’m a pretty average PhD student, and I didn’t pursue an Econ PhD because of its issues with race, gender, hierarchy etc etc etc
1) in the minds of some - I know this first hand - it’s “just a women’s issue” … the “just” being absurd even
November 20, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Re: Summers, Sahm and econ’s many other problems.
I’m a pretty average PhD student, and I didn’t pursue an Econ PhD because of its issues with race, gender, hierarchy etc etc etc
1) in the minds of some - I know this first hand - it’s “just a women’s issue” … the “just” being absurd even
I’m a pretty average PhD student, and I didn’t pursue an Econ PhD because of its issues with race, gender, hierarchy etc etc etc
1) in the minds of some - I know this first hand - it’s “just a women’s issue” … the “just” being absurd even
Reposted by Dean Shamess
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 7:16 PM
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
Reposted by Dean Shamess
Reposted by Dean Shamess
W O W
Good news: If you would like to watch Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants on YouTube I have done a painstaking 4k upscale of this. www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0gW...
November 17, 2025 at 3:16 AM
W O W
Reposted by Dean Shamess
"The multiyear spending plan also calls for a 2% cut to the nation’s three major research funding councils. But that reduction is far smaller than the 15% cut researchers had feared was coming, and science advocacy groups generally welcomed the budget."
Canada makes pitch for US researchers to relocate with $1.7bn in new funding. My story for @science.org 🧪
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Canada’s new budget aims to lure U.S. researchers to relocate
Spending plan also calls for smaller research spending cut than feared
www.science.org
November 5, 2025 at 6:39 PM
"The multiyear spending plan also calls for a 2% cut to the nation’s three major research funding councils. But that reduction is far smaller than the 15% cut researchers had feared was coming, and science advocacy groups generally welcomed the budget."
Reposted by Dean Shamess
It has been a great day at @stemcellnetwork.ca's #TMM2025!
And I'm looking forward to more tomorrow, including joining @jsnyder.bsky.social, @lr-bg.bsky.social, & @deanshamess.ca first thing, for a discussion on public trust in science and policy decisions.
And I'm looking forward to more tomorrow, including joining @jsnyder.bsky.social, @lr-bg.bsky.social, & @deanshamess.ca first thing, for a discussion on public trust in science and policy decisions.
Looking forward to presenting - bright and early - tomorrow at #TMM2025. I'll be talking about how how markers of legitimacy can be sticky - that is, hard to get out of the public domain and imagination - once they are in circulation. @stemcellnetwork.ca
November 3, 2025 at 11:13 PM
It has been a great day at @stemcellnetwork.ca's #TMM2025!
And I'm looking forward to more tomorrow, including joining @jsnyder.bsky.social, @lr-bg.bsky.social, & @deanshamess.ca first thing, for a discussion on public trust in science and policy decisions.
And I'm looking forward to more tomorrow, including joining @jsnyder.bsky.social, @lr-bg.bsky.social, & @deanshamess.ca first thing, for a discussion on public trust in science and policy decisions.
Incredibly excited to be presenting some (preliminary) results from my dissertation at Till & McCulloch 2025 @stemcellnetwork.ca tomorrow.
Bigger thread to follow but, we launched an experiment in Canada and the US exploring some timely questions about the public funding of science (PFS).
(1/2)
Bigger thread to follow but, we launched an experiment in Canada and the US exploring some timely questions about the public funding of science (PFS).
(1/2)
November 3, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Incredibly excited to be presenting some (preliminary) results from my dissertation at Till & McCulloch 2025 @stemcellnetwork.ca tomorrow.
Bigger thread to follow but, we launched an experiment in Canada and the US exploring some timely questions about the public funding of science (PFS).
(1/2)
Bigger thread to follow but, we launched an experiment in Canada and the US exploring some timely questions about the public funding of science (PFS).
(1/2)
Reposted by Dean Shamess
How do people around the world encounter science, and what shapes those encounters?
Our new global study found that social media now carries much of the world’s science content, but local culture, infrastructure, and curiosity still determine how people engage. #ScienceSky #scicomm
Our new global study found that social media now carries much of the world’s science content, but local culture, infrastructure, and curiosity still determine how people engage. #ScienceSky #scicomm
How the World Talks About Science
Our new international study finds that science communication looks very different depending on culture, media systems, and access to technology.
matthewfacciani.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:35 PM
How do people around the world encounter science, and what shapes those encounters?
Our new global study found that social media now carries much of the world’s science content, but local culture, infrastructure, and curiosity still determine how people engage. #ScienceSky #scicomm
Our new global study found that social media now carries much of the world’s science content, but local culture, infrastructure, and curiosity still determine how people engage. #ScienceSky #scicomm
Reposted by Dean Shamess
Anti-elitism is so effective today that campaigns against populist candidates can *increase* support for them. www.nber.org/papers/w34430
Political Information and Network Effects
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
www.nber.org
November 3, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Anti-elitism is so effective today that campaigns against populist candidates can *increase* support for them. www.nber.org/papers/w34430
Reposted by Dean Shamess
to keep functioning, a society must discourage baldfaced lying, especially by authorities
NEW: I reviewed a text chain provided by an acquaintance of Graham Platner where the person discussed with others Platner’s Nazi-like tattoo months before the story became public, undercutting claims Platner only recently learned of it.
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...
Graham Platner’s claims that he didn’t know tattoo was Nazi-linked undercut by new evidence | CNN Politics
A KFile investigation has uncovered mounting evidence that Platner — a Marine veteran— was aware of and defended the use of Nazi symbolism that had come to be embraced by some members of the military.
www.cnn.com
October 25, 2025 at 1:20 AM
to keep functioning, a society must discourage baldfaced lying, especially by authorities
Reposted by Dean Shamess
One tactic these data guys use online is to dismiss academic work they don’t like by calling it “overly complex” or “disconnected from reality.” I call this anti-rigor propaganda. It’s a move to sour people on serious scholarship when you don’t have better evidence.
Adam addresses it in the piece.
Adam addresses it in the piece.
October 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
One tactic these data guys use online is to dismiss academic work they don’t like by calling it “overly complex” or “disconnected from reality.” I call this anti-rigor propaganda. It’s a move to sour people on serious scholarship when you don’t have better evidence.
Adam addresses it in the piece.
Adam addresses it in the piece.