James McCaw
@jmccaw.bsky.social
Professor in Mathematical Biology and Epidemiology and Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow. I investigate the determinants and impacts of infectious diseases. Otherwise, find me in outdoors cycling, running, hiking, adventuring
Reposted by James McCaw
Australian friends!
I'm going to be visiting Sydney in just over a week. I'll be at UNSW on June 23-25th and Macquarie on June 26-27th.
I'd love to catch up with people in person, and also will be giving (at least) two talks at UNSW.
The first is science-of-science modeling talk, on June 23:
I'm going to be visiting Sydney in just over a week. I'll be at UNSW on June 23-25th and Macquarie on June 26-27th.
I'd love to catch up with people in person, and also will be giving (at least) two talks at UNSW.
The first is science-of-science modeling talk, on June 23:
June 13, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Australian friends!
I'm going to be visiting Sydney in just over a week. I'll be at UNSW on June 23-25th and Macquarie on June 26-27th.
I'd love to catch up with people in person, and also will be giving (at least) two talks at UNSW.
The first is science-of-science modeling talk, on June 23:
I'm going to be visiting Sydney in just over a week. I'll be at UNSW on June 23-25th and Macquarie on June 26-27th.
I'd love to catch up with people in person, and also will be giving (at least) two talks at UNSW.
The first is science-of-science modeling talk, on June 23:
Reposted by James McCaw
Possibly the best thing I've read about ChatGPT yet.
h/t @melaniemitchell.bsky.social
amandaguinzburg.substack.com/p/diabolus-e...
h/t @melaniemitchell.bsky.social
amandaguinzburg.substack.com/p/diabolus-e...
Diabolus Ex Machina
This Is Not An Essay
amandaguinzburg.substack.com
June 4, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Possibly the best thing I've read about ChatGPT yet.
h/t @melaniemitchell.bsky.social
amandaguinzburg.substack.com/p/diabolus-e...
h/t @melaniemitchell.bsky.social
amandaguinzburg.substack.com/p/diabolus-e...
Reposted by James McCaw
For example, explaining that smoking causes lung cancer "directs people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes."
Helping people understand that vaccines prevent diseases and do not cause autism "directs people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes."
Helping people understand that vaccines prevent diseases and do not cause autism "directs people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes."
March 26, 2025 at 7:39 PM
For example, explaining that smoking causes lung cancer "directs people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes."
Helping people understand that vaccines prevent diseases and do not cause autism "directs people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes."
Helping people understand that vaccines prevent diseases and do not cause autism "directs people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes."
Reposted by James McCaw
A core element of public health involves working with the public to help them understand how they can protect themselves and their neighbors from disease.
This memo (see the next post) equates this vital aspect of public communication with censorship.
This memo (see the next post) equates this vital aspect of public communication with censorship.
Search terms that NIH staff should use include:
Media literacy (!!!)
Disinformation
Social media
Misinformation
Social distancing
Lockdown
Masks
The guidance instructs staff that "it is most important to identify studies that would appear to be attempts to manipulate public opinion".
Media literacy (!!!)
Disinformation
Social media
Misinformation
Social distancing
Lockdown
Masks
The guidance instructs staff that "it is most important to identify studies that would appear to be attempts to manipulate public opinion".
March 26, 2025 at 7:35 PM
A core element of public health involves working with the public to help them understand how they can protect themselves and their neighbors from disease.
This memo (see the next post) equates this vital aspect of public communication with censorship.
This memo (see the next post) equates this vital aspect of public communication with censorship.
Reposted by James McCaw
Here NIH officials target contracts that "may be related to any form of censorship at all or *directing people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes*."
Directing people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes IS public health. It's also education.
Directing people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes IS public health. It's also education.
March 26, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Here NIH officials target contracts that "may be related to any form of censorship at all or *directing people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes*."
Directing people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes IS public health. It's also education.
Directing people to believe one idea over another regarding health outcomes IS public health. It's also education.
Reposted by James McCaw
A science agency wants to stop knowing which ideas are true and which ones aren’t.
🚨 NIH sent out another data call, this time for projects "related to any form of censorship at all or directing people to believe one idea over another related to health outcomes… e,g., any contracts to promote COVID vaccine uptake," I'm told.
These data calls have recently preceded terminations.
These data calls have recently preceded terminations.
March 26, 2025 at 6:27 PM
A science agency wants to stop knowing which ideas are true and which ones aren’t.
Reposted by James McCaw
Nailed it
Profit motives absolutely generate a great deal of societal value. However, the societal value of a university is completely rooted in the fact that they *aren't* profit driven. This is what allows universities to pursue new knowledge for the public good....
March 26, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Nailed it
Reposted by James McCaw
I would very much like the researchers we already have in Australia to be properly funded, before we consider new money for poaching people from other countries. But one cannot help but contrast this ERC announcement with the narrow thinking here in Australia.
March 25, 2025 at 10:54 PM
I would very much like the researchers we already have in Australia to be properly funded, before we consider new money for poaching people from other countries. But one cannot help but contrast this ERC announcement with the narrow thinking here in Australia.
Reposted by James McCaw
Reposted by James McCaw
Very important paper that avoids saying ANZ had some easily followable approach to COVID, while at the same time drawing out genuinely general principles for pandemic response - not least that it requires but is not receiving adequate resources.
Preparing for the next pandemic: insights from Aotearoa New Zealand’s Covid-19 response
(with a better link in case the original one doesn't work)
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
(with a better link in case the original one doesn't work)
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
March 20, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Very important paper that avoids saying ANZ had some easily followable approach to COVID, while at the same time drawing out genuinely general principles for pandemic response - not least that it requires but is not receiving adequate resources.
Reposted by James McCaw
Latest post on measles vaccines and the fallacy of ‘one more study to settle things’: kucharski.substack.com/p/a-wild-vac...
March 13, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Latest post on measles vaccines and the fallacy of ‘one more study to settle things’: kucharski.substack.com/p/a-wild-vac...
Reposted by James McCaw
In one week:
- An unnecessary study to investigate a debunked vaccine conspiracy has been authorized.
- Federal grants to study vaccine hesitancy have been rescinded.
- False conspiracies regarding measles are been pushed by health leadership.
The scale of damage this is causing will last decades.
- An unnecessary study to investigate a debunked vaccine conspiracy has been authorized.
- Federal grants to study vaccine hesitancy have been rescinded.
- False conspiracies regarding measles are been pushed by health leadership.
The scale of damage this is causing will last decades.
March 11, 2025 at 10:37 AM
In one week:
- An unnecessary study to investigate a debunked vaccine conspiracy has been authorized.
- Federal grants to study vaccine hesitancy have been rescinded.
- False conspiracies regarding measles are been pushed by health leadership.
The scale of damage this is causing will last decades.
- An unnecessary study to investigate a debunked vaccine conspiracy has been authorized.
- Federal grants to study vaccine hesitancy have been rescinded.
- False conspiracies regarding measles are been pushed by health leadership.
The scale of damage this is causing will last decades.
Reposted by James McCaw
I don't know how else to say this except for bluntly:
It is not normal to have outbreaks of preventable diseases in wealthy countries.
It is not normal to have children dying from preventable diseases in wealthy countries.
This is the first US measles death in 10 years. There should be none.
It is not normal to have outbreaks of preventable diseases in wealthy countries.
It is not normal to have children dying from preventable diseases in wealthy countries.
This is the first US measles death in 10 years. There should be none.
February 28, 2025 at 11:15 AM
I don't know how else to say this except for bluntly:
It is not normal to have outbreaks of preventable diseases in wealthy countries.
It is not normal to have children dying from preventable diseases in wealthy countries.
This is the first US measles death in 10 years. There should be none.
It is not normal to have outbreaks of preventable diseases in wealthy countries.
It is not normal to have children dying from preventable diseases in wealthy countries.
This is the first US measles death in 10 years. There should be none.
Reposted by James McCaw
PhD position (Melbourne, Australia)
Developing an integrated modelling and health economics approach to understand Strep A transmission and control.
with Rebecca Chisholm, Angela Devine
at La Trobe University
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2281
Developing an integrated modelling and health economics approach to understand Strep A transmission and control.
with Rebecca Chisholm, Angela Devine
at La Trobe University
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2281
February 28, 2025 at 9:59 PM
PhD position (Melbourne, Australia)
Developing an integrated modelling and health economics approach to understand Strep A transmission and control.
with Rebecca Chisholm, Angela Devine
at La Trobe University
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2281
Developing an integrated modelling and health economics approach to understand Strep A transmission and control.
with Rebecca Chisholm, Angela Devine
at La Trobe University
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2281
Reposted by James McCaw
this is how it's done
PLOS has issued a statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity.
We are determined to stand firmly behind our mission, our values and our principles, and against any attempt at censorship or undermining of the core principles of scientific inquiry.
plos.io/3D4O8cH
We are determined to stand firmly behind our mission, our values and our principles, and against any attempt at censorship or undermining of the core principles of scientific inquiry.
plos.io/3D4O8cH
PLOS statement on recent US Executive Orders and scientific integrity - The Official PLOS Blog
Since its founding over twenty five years ago PLOS has been dedicated to advancing open science, ensuring that knowledge is accessible to…
plos.io
February 21, 2025 at 9:57 PM
this is how it's done
Reposted by James McCaw
PhD position (Melbourne, Australia)
Mathematical modelling of antivirals against influenza virus infection
with @ada-w-yan.bsky.social @jmccaw.bsky.social
at University of Melbourne
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2268
Mathematical modelling of antivirals against influenza virus infection
with @ada-w-yan.bsky.social @jmccaw.bsky.social
at University of Melbourne
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2268
February 19, 2025 at 5:25 PM
PhD position (Melbourne, Australia)
Mathematical modelling of antivirals against influenza virus infection
with @ada-w-yan.bsky.social @jmccaw.bsky.social
at University of Melbourne
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2268
Mathematical modelling of antivirals against influenza virus infection
with @ada-w-yan.bsky.social @jmccaw.bsky.social
at University of Melbourne
More details: http://iddjobs.org/jobs/2268
Reposted by James McCaw
The quadratic formula is one of the great achievements of human civilisation; artists of all people should realise that we should provide support to and education in all such endeavours regardless of immediate utility or variability in subjective enjoyment.
Teachers don't have time machines to tell what every student will find useful in the future - as though life is some process that ends in a fixed, easily-determined outcome and a teacher's goal is merely to teach things that lead up to that future for every child
![A comic showing a teacher presenting the quadratic formula, with the caption '"To prepare you for how much of adult life is wasted on needless tasks, you're going to memorize this, use it a lot over the next four years, and then never see it again for the rest of your life.' [sic, missing the close quotation]. It was shared within a post by the artist, who said "My cartoon in this week's issue of The New Yorker. Huge thanks to all my middle school and high school math teachers for inspiring this cartoon by wasting years of my life."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:c56dfqq2kropq4ys65h5pvgr/bafkreicyqwvnie4s5kzclj4s47pyp5g2wfngbqhfb75btaunmuyn5xlcqy@jpeg)
December 15, 2024 at 6:47 PM
The quadratic formula is one of the great achievements of human civilisation; artists of all people should realise that we should provide support to and education in all such endeavours regardless of immediate utility or variability in subjective enjoyment.
Reposted by James McCaw
Reposted by James McCaw
“in seeking to conflate and confuse on its centrepiece policy, the Coalition is doing little more than treating voters like mugs, assuming they'll be more interested in style over substance.”
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...
Coalition's nuclear costs effectively comparing apples and elephants
In the world of comparing apples and oranges, the Coalition's claim that its nuclear plan would be hundreds of billions cheaper than Labor's looks to have come from comparing apples and elephants.
www.abc.net.au
December 13, 2024 at 4:37 AM
“in seeking to conflate and confuse on its centrepiece policy, the Coalition is doing little more than treating voters like mugs, assuming they'll be more interested in style over substance.”
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...
www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...
Reposted by James McCaw
Struck today looking at the {EpiNow2} contributors page how much work it takes to maintain a package over the long term.
Below link is filtered to just the maintenance period in which there has been no "output" (in the traditional academic sense).
github.com/epiforecasts...
Below link is filtered to just the maintenance period in which there has been no "output" (in the traditional academic sense).
github.com/epiforecasts...
December 6, 2024 at 11:08 AM
Struck today looking at the {EpiNow2} contributors page how much work it takes to maintain a package over the long term.
Below link is filtered to just the maintenance period in which there has been no "output" (in the traditional academic sense).
github.com/epiforecasts...
Below link is filtered to just the maintenance period in which there has been no "output" (in the traditional academic sense).
github.com/epiforecasts...
Reposted by James McCaw
This is so backward
1. Science is more than just commercialisable widgetry
2. Making progress on our biggest problems (climate change, infectious diseases, misinfo to name a few) will need more collaboration between STEM and hum/social sci not less.
1. Science is more than just commercialisable widgetry
2. Making progress on our biggest problems (climate change, infectious diseases, misinfo to name a few) will need more collaboration between STEM and hum/social sci not less.
December 4, 2024 at 2:46 AM
This is so backward
1. Science is more than just commercialisable widgetry
2. Making progress on our biggest problems (climate change, infectious diseases, misinfo to name a few) will need more collaboration between STEM and hum/social sci not less.
1. Science is more than just commercialisable widgetry
2. Making progress on our biggest problems (climate change, infectious diseases, misinfo to name a few) will need more collaboration between STEM and hum/social sci not less.
Reposted by James McCaw
Make no mistake, colleagues: the exclusion of humanities & social science research from national competitive funding could easily happen here in Australia. The signs & actors are already clear. We let it happen at our collective peril.
This is so backward
1. Science is more than just commercialisable widgetry
2. Making progress on our biggest problems (climate change, infectious diseases, misinfo to name a few) will need more collaboration between STEM and hum/social sci not less.
1. Science is more than just commercialisable widgetry
2. Making progress on our biggest problems (climate change, infectious diseases, misinfo to name a few) will need more collaboration between STEM and hum/social sci not less.
December 4, 2024 at 5:06 AM
Make no mistake, colleagues: the exclusion of humanities & social science research from national competitive funding could easily happen here in Australia. The signs & actors are already clear. We let it happen at our collective peril.
Reposted by James McCaw
Historical revisionism on Covid threatens NZ's pandemic preparedness, by @marcdaalder.bsky.social
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/03/h...
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/03/h...
Historical revisionism on Covid threatens NZ's pandemic preparedness
Comment: The Royal Commission report fundamentally validates the strategic and tactical choices made during the acute phase of the pandemic
newsroom.co.nz
December 2, 2024 at 7:01 PM
Historical revisionism on Covid threatens NZ's pandemic preparedness, by @marcdaalder.bsky.social
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/03/h...
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/03/h...
Inspired by @michaelplanknz.bsky.social 's pictures, and that hiking is one of my go-to pastimes, I thought I'd post a few photos of my favourite places in Victoria, Australia - Mt Buffalo (in colour) and near Mt Magdala (in b&w). These are from summer 2023, both covered in snow during the winter.
November 25, 2024 at 2:45 AM
Inspired by @michaelplanknz.bsky.social 's pictures, and that hiking is one of my go-to pastimes, I thought I'd post a few photos of my favourite places in Victoria, Australia - Mt Buffalo (in colour) and near Mt Magdala (in b&w). These are from summer 2023, both covered in snow during the winter.
Well, I'm making my first post here, and it is a fun one: I have recently advertised for up to 4 post-doctoral research positions, 3-5 years in duration. If you are interested please get in touch or apply. An opportunity to work in Melbourne, great team, great city! Details at iddjobs.org:
IDDjobs — Research Fellow - Infectious Disease Dynamics (Multiple Positions) — The University of Melbourne
Find infectious disease dynamics modelling jobs, studentships, and fellowships.
iddjobs.org
November 24, 2024 at 10:29 PM
Well, I'm making my first post here, and it is a fun one: I have recently advertised for up to 4 post-doctoral research positions, 3-5 years in duration. If you are interested please get in touch or apply. An opportunity to work in Melbourne, great team, great city! Details at iddjobs.org: