Mark Mac Lean
@marktmaclean.bsky.social
Mathematician. Full of contradictions. Opinions are entirely my own. Reposts =/= endorsements. Likes are often bookmarks or acknowledgements. He/him/his.
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
I know no media is covering the Canada Student Grant cuts, but it's real and it's going to cost several hundred thousand students about $1200 this year. Here's the explainer.
The Canada Student Grant Cut | HESA
Somewhat remarkably, no media have picked up the story that the Canada Student Grants were slashed in last week’s budget. Possibly, this is because the government did not issue a press release saying ...
higheredstrategy.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:34 PM
I know no media is covering the Canada Student Grant cuts, but it's real and it's going to cost several hundred thousand students about $1200 this year. Here's the explainer.
Transparency has not been our Mayor's strong suit.
Worth noting that because Sim brought forward his proposal for a property tax freeze requiring millions in cuts with just weeks left in the budget process, this is not up for public debate and is not outlined in the documents available to councillors when they vote on this
SCOOP: Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is planning to eliminate the city's sustainability and climate department under the guise of a push to prevent increases to property taxes in his proposed 2026 budget.
Great source work by Marc Fawcett-Atkinson to uncover this
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/11/n...
Great source work by Marc Fawcett-Atkinson to uncover this
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/11/n...
November 11, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Transparency has not been our Mayor's strong suit.
"And while the budget pours money into infrastructure and emphasizes resource extraction, it fails to leverage our country’s most significant economic drivers: people, research and education."
In case you missed it over the weekend, my op-ed on the federal budget.
GIFT LINK - My Toronto Star op-ed on the federal budget, and the failure to account for provincial action on post-secondary education. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
November 11, 2025 at 1:35 AM
"And while the budget pours money into infrastructure and emphasizes resource extraction, it fails to leverage our country’s most significant economic drivers: people, research and education."
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
Measles cases per 100K is also a map of how frequently the premier says "parental rights."
November 10, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Measles cases per 100K is also a map of how frequently the premier says "parental rights."
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
"Instead of trying to assuage critics’ fears, the pro-UBI movement needs to challenge the narrative in which any refusal to accept employment is a 'bad' experimental observation."
The latest from @karlwiderquist.bsky.social:
The latest from @karlwiderquist.bsky.social:
The Fatal Trap UBI Boosters Keep Falling Into
To win the argument for universal basic income, advocates must confront the myth that less work means less worth.
thereader.mitpress.mit.edu
November 10, 2025 at 3:38 PM
"Instead of trying to assuage critics’ fears, the pro-UBI movement needs to challenge the narrative in which any refusal to accept employment is a 'bad' experimental observation."
The latest from @karlwiderquist.bsky.social:
The latest from @karlwiderquist.bsky.social:
Things I do not want for Christmas:
A BC provincial election;
A federal election.
A BC provincial election;
A federal election.
November 10, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Things I do not want for Christmas:
A BC provincial election;
A federal election.
A BC provincial election;
A federal election.
M. Legault est dans' champ.
'No to Bill 2': Thousands of doctors pack Bell Centre for massive protest against health-care law montrealgazette.com/news/local-n...
November 9, 2025 at 11:46 PM
M. Legault est dans' champ.
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
A perfect dissection of Watson individually, but also Nobel Prize Syndrome generally: a pernicious disorder that the patient enjoys while everyone else suffers.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:06 PM
A perfect dissection of Watson individually, but also Nobel Prize Syndrome generally: a pernicious disorder that the patient enjoys while everyone else suffers.
Alberta's universities have been under financial pressure for some time. They have also been under political pressure from a government hostile to institutional autonomy, a core principle that allows universities to protect their integrity.
Does any Canadian university take political positions?
Does any Canadian university take political positions?
November 7, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Alberta's universities have been under financial pressure for some time. They have also been under political pressure from a government hostile to institutional autonomy, a core principle that allows universities to protect their integrity.
Does any Canadian university take political positions?
Does any Canadian university take political positions?
Always a good plot in Justin's reporting.
This one shows a 42.2% increase in the police budget since Mayor Sim too office.
Police and Fire fighters, but does we ever talk about our failing paramedic system?
This one shows a 42.2% increase in the police budget since Mayor Sim too office.
Police and Fire fighters, but does we ever talk about our failing paramedic system?
November 7, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Always a good plot in Justin's reporting.
This one shows a 42.2% increase in the police budget since Mayor Sim too office.
Police and Fire fighters, but does we ever talk about our failing paramedic system?
This one shows a 42.2% increase in the police budget since Mayor Sim too office.
Police and Fire fighters, but does we ever talk about our failing paramedic system?
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
BREAKING: The BC Labour Relations Board has ruled that all research assistants at Simon Fraser University are workers and members of the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU).
TSSU successfully organized research assistants twice over the last six years.
www.tssu.ca/grad-student...
TSSU successfully organized research assistants twice over the last six years.
www.tssu.ca/grad-student...
GRAD STUDENT RAs ARE WORKERS AND TSSU MEMBERS! - TSSU
www.tssu.ca
November 6, 2025 at 11:47 PM
BREAKING: The BC Labour Relations Board has ruled that all research assistants at Simon Fraser University are workers and members of the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU).
TSSU successfully organized research assistants twice over the last six years.
www.tssu.ca/grad-student...
TSSU successfully organized research assistants twice over the last six years.
www.tssu.ca/grad-student...
Some good news.
An update on my column: Parliamentary committee drops most contentious parts of its demand for data on research funding. It now wants aggregated, not disaggregated data. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
November 6, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Some good news.
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
Vancouver's proposed 2026 budget has been released.
It proposes a property tax freeze, a 10% increase to the Police Services budget, a 6% increase to Fire/Rescue Services, and lots of other cuts, including Arts & Culture, Planning & Sustainability, and much more.
Full report here.
It proposes a property tax freeze, a 10% increase to the Police Services budget, a 6% increase to Fire/Rescue Services, and lots of other cuts, including Arts & Culture, Planning & Sustainability, and much more.
Full report here.
council.vancouver.ca
November 5, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Vancouver's proposed 2026 budget has been released.
It proposes a property tax freeze, a 10% increase to the Police Services budget, a 6% increase to Fire/Rescue Services, and lots of other cuts, including Arts & Culture, Planning & Sustainability, and much more.
Full report here.
It proposes a property tax freeze, a 10% increase to the Police Services budget, a 6% increase to Fire/Rescue Services, and lots of other cuts, including Arts & Culture, Planning & Sustainability, and much more.
Full report here.
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
“Canada is the best place to live, and top talent from around the world want to come here because they see opportunities and possibilities to contribute to cutting-edge research”...
...he says while allocating $1.7B to bribe people to move here and cutting grant funding. Unbelievable.
...he says while allocating $1.7B to bribe people to move here and cutting grant funding. Unbelievable.
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 10:16 PM
“Canada is the best place to live, and top talent from around the world want to come here because they see opportunities and possibilities to contribute to cutting-edge research”...
...he says while allocating $1.7B to bribe people to move here and cutting grant funding. Unbelievable.
...he says while allocating $1.7B to bribe people to move here and cutting grant funding. Unbelievable.
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
Among those critical of the app's rollout is the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who say Mobile Identify's use by local law enforcement will further erode due process and subject more Americans to "omnipresent surveillance and unjust detainment.”
US gives local police a face-scanning app similar to one used by ICE agents
Mobile Identify app on Google Play helps police perform tasks delegated by ICE.
arstechnica.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Among those critical of the app's rollout is the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who say Mobile Identify's use by local law enforcement will further erode due process and subject more Americans to "omnipresent surveillance and unjust detainment.”
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
Are you, or one of your friends, or one of your students, interested in a funded PhD position, based on the beautiful campus of UBC in Vancouver, Canada, in the area of advanced electron microscopy & materials engineering, of materials for transport & clean energy - if so - see 👇
🧪🔬
🧪🔬
We have two funded PhD positions in the group (based at UBC, Vancouver, Canada) - for a May or September 2026 start date - in advancing electron microscopy & materials for clean energy + transportation - to find out more:
www.expmicromech.com/people/oppor...
www.expmicromech.com/people/oppor...
Experimental Micromechanical Characterisation Research Group - Opportunities
NEW OPPORTUNITIES:
2 Fully Funded PhD Positions: Advanced Electron Microscopy for Materials Engineering @ UBC (Vancouver) – www.expmicromech.com/people/opportunities
Join the Experimental Micromechani...
www.expmicromech.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Are you, or one of your friends, or one of your students, interested in a funded PhD position, based on the beautiful campus of UBC in Vancouver, Canada, in the area of advanced electron microscopy & materials engineering, of materials for transport & clean energy - if so - see 👇
🧪🔬
🧪🔬
UBC Board of Governors elections for faculty and staff representatives are coming up with voting from November 13th to 27th.
6 UBCV faculty candidates (I am one of them). 2 UBCO faculty candidates.
13 UBCV staff candidates. 2 UBC staff candidates.
facultystaff.students.ubc.ca/enrolment-se...
6 UBCV faculty candidates (I am one of them). 2 UBCO faculty candidates.
13 UBCV staff candidates. 2 UBC staff candidates.
facultystaff.students.ubc.ca/enrolment-se...
Board of Governors (2025-2026 Triennial Elections) | Student Services - Faculty & Staff Resources
facultystaff.students.ubc.ca
November 4, 2025 at 11:17 PM
UBC Board of Governors elections for faculty and staff representatives are coming up with voting from November 13th to 27th.
6 UBCV faculty candidates (I am one of them). 2 UBCO faculty candidates.
13 UBCV staff candidates. 2 UBC staff candidates.
facultystaff.students.ubc.ca/enrolment-se...
6 UBCV faculty candidates (I am one of them). 2 UBCO faculty candidates.
13 UBCV staff candidates. 2 UBC staff candidates.
facultystaff.students.ubc.ca/enrolment-se...
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
On the surface, this is great. But without adequate funding for university operating budgets - a provincial responsibility - this may actually result in more program cuts, not fewer.
Globe & Mail reports “the budget is expected to include up to $1-billion to attract high-quality talent and researchers from the United States and elsewhere”
So far hospitals and universities have been going it alone….
www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic...
@ctvnews-mirror.bsky.social
So far hospitals and universities have been going it alone….
www.ctvnews.ca/health/artic...
@ctvnews-mirror.bsky.social
November 4, 2025 at 4:36 PM
On the surface, this is great. But without adequate funding for university operating budgets - a provincial responsibility - this may actually result in more program cuts, not fewer.
A friend living in Seattle was contacted yesterday by Elections Canada to confirm their address for mailing a ballot if there is an election.
📊Federal 🇨🇦 voting intentions from Liaison Strategies:
🔴LPC 42%
🔵CPC 38%
🟠NDP 11%
⚜️BQ 5% (22% in QC)
🟢GPC 2%
🟣PPC 1%
→ 338canada.com/20251102-lia...
[Liaison Strategies, November 1-3, 2025, n=1,000]
#canpoli
🔴LPC 42%
🔵CPC 38%
🟠NDP 11%
⚜️BQ 5% (22% in QC)
🟢GPC 2%
🟣PPC 1%
→ 338canada.com/20251102-lia...
[Liaison Strategies, November 1-3, 2025, n=1,000]
#canpoli
338Canada | Liaison Strategies federal poll, November 2025
338canada.com
November 4, 2025 at 4:04 PM
A friend living in Seattle was contacted yesterday by Elections Canada to confirm their address for mailing a ballot if there is an election.
Reposted by Mark Mac Lean
Everywhere universities are under assault. Some are shooting themselves. www.bbc.com/news/article...
China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show
Sheffield Hallam University apologises to Professor Laura Murphy for restricting her academic freedom.
www.bbc.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Everywhere universities are under assault. Some are shooting themselves. www.bbc.com/news/article...