Tom Radcliffe
@tjradcliffe.bsky.social
Physicist, Breakthrough Prize Laureate (SNO), poet, engineer, writer, actor, sailor, canoeist, kayaker, boat-builder, businessman, philosopher (Bayesian), executive, entrepreneur (unsuccessful), consulting scientist, inventor, husband, father, grandfather.
Pinned
Tom Radcliffe
@tjradcliffe.bsky.social
· Dec 12
Capuleft and Montaright
A sword-and-cell-phone nove-in-verse!
siduri.net
My latest book, a sword-cell-phone novel-in-verse that riffs on "Romeo and Juliet", but Romeo's friends aren't all idiots. Nobody dies, lots of people end up in bed. "A fabulous modern take on Romeo and Juliet set in a gritty urban backdrop"-Emily Thompson, ReedsyDiscovery siduri.net/books/capule...
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
The thing about Mamdani is that he’s a talented politician but not otherworldly or one in a billion, he’s just a competent guy with popular ideas who ran against an entitled piece of shit and to me it’s a lot more optimistic to imagine 1000 campaigns like his than to view him as a unique phenomenon
November 11, 2025 at 1:42 AM
The thing about Mamdani is that he’s a talented politician but not otherworldly or one in a billion, he’s just a competent guy with popular ideas who ran against an entitled piece of shit and to me it’s a lot more optimistic to imagine 1000 campaigns like his than to view him as a unique phenomenon
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
In light of serious, early flu in the UK, I came across this in my past emails.
#CovidIsNotOver
Flu can kill.
#WearAMask
#CovidIsNotOver
Flu can kill.
#WearAMask
November 11, 2025 at 6:32 AM
In light of serious, early flu in the UK, I came across this in my past emails.
#CovidIsNotOver
Flu can kill.
#WearAMask
#CovidIsNotOver
Flu can kill.
#WearAMask
I'm reading a history of the 1918 influenza in the US and learned that early work on the effectiveness of masking was rejected by the physicians at the time as quickly as they could get away with it. It's been a century. Time to accept the science or get out of the way. My angry account of the past:
No Question Left Unasked
www.tjradcliffe.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:06 AM
I'm reading a history of the 1918 influenza in the US and learned that early work on the effectiveness of masking was rejected by the physicians at the time as quickly as they could get away with it. It's been a century. Time to accept the science or get out of the way. My angry account of the past:
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
Measles is airborne.
SARS is airborne.
Covid is airborne.
H5N1 is airborne.
SARS is airborne.
Covid is airborne.
H5N1 is airborne.
Hey @ipaccanada.bsky.social if you're done unmasking the future, can we maybe let someone competent have a go this time?
If you're still practicing to botch H5N1, don't worry, you've got that. Canada has full confidence you'll screw it up by the numbers.
It's just...a break would be nice.
If you're still practicing to botch H5N1, don't worry, you've got that. Canada has full confidence you'll screw it up by the numbers.
It's just...a break would be nice.
Hey @ipaccanada.bsky.social how about we try remasking the future?
This would be a good year to finally start learning from your mistakes, and I think we can all agree that your unmasking idea turned out to be spectacularly stupid.
So, what matters more to you?
Your egos? Or your job?
#MedSky
This would be a good year to finally start learning from your mistakes, and I think we can all agree that your unmasking idea turned out to be spectacularly stupid.
So, what matters more to you?
Your egos? Or your job?
#MedSky
November 10, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Measles is airborne.
SARS is airborne.
Covid is airborne.
H5N1 is airborne.
SARS is airborne.
Covid is airborne.
H5N1 is airborne.
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
A new @ca.theconversation.com article, co-authored by @juliamwright.bsky.social (FRSC), explores how updated CSA standards for respirator use can better protect health-care workers and patients — and why adopting evidence-based safety measures is vital for all Canadians. #RSCVoices
The CSA’s revised standard on respirators should help us all breathe easier
The CSA Group — a not-for-profit standards organization — released for review a new draft standard on the “Selection, Use, and Care of Respirators” (CSA Z94.4:25) for workplaces, specifically includin...
rsc-src.ca
November 10, 2025 at 5:13 PM
A new @ca.theconversation.com article, co-authored by @juliamwright.bsky.social (FRSC), explores how updated CSA standards for respirator use can better protect health-care workers and patients — and why adopting evidence-based safety measures is vital for all Canadians. #RSCVoices
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
this is literally never not accurate
November 10, 2025 at 6:32 PM
this is literally never not accurate
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
No-needle test can tell if flu/COVID vaccines are effective.
University of Pittsburgh researchers developed a skin patch that detects antibodies for COVID and flu. It’s far more sensitive than current tests, requires only 0.5 volts of power, and delivers results in 10 minutes fast
archive.li/yBsS2
University of Pittsburgh researchers developed a skin patch that detects antibodies for COVID and flu. It’s far more sensitive than current tests, requires only 0.5 volts of power, and delivers results in 10 minutes fast
archive.li/yBsS2
November 10, 2025 at 11:34 PM
No-needle test can tell if flu/COVID vaccines are effective.
University of Pittsburgh researchers developed a skin patch that detects antibodies for COVID and flu. It’s far more sensitive than current tests, requires only 0.5 volts of power, and delivers results in 10 minutes fast
archive.li/yBsS2
University of Pittsburgh researchers developed a skin patch that detects antibodies for COVID and flu. It’s far more sensitive than current tests, requires only 0.5 volts of power, and delivers results in 10 minutes fast
archive.li/yBsS2
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
Keep the oil tanker ban!
"B.C. Premier David Eby stood with members of numerous First Nations from B.C.’s northern coast on Wednesday to support and sign a declaration that asks Ottawa to continue a moratorium on oil tankers in the province’s northern waters."
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
"B.C. Premier David Eby stood with members of numerous First Nations from B.C.’s northern coast on Wednesday to support and sign a declaration that asks Ottawa to continue a moratorium on oil tankers in the province’s northern waters."
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
B.C. premier, First Nations call on feds to continue oil tanker ban along northern coast | CBC News
B.C. Premier David Eby stood with members of numerous First Nations from B.C.’s northern coast on Wednesday to support and sign a declaration that asks Ottawa to continue a moratorium on oil tankers i...
www.cbc.ca
November 11, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Keep the oil tanker ban!
"B.C. Premier David Eby stood with members of numerous First Nations from B.C.’s northern coast on Wednesday to support and sign a declaration that asks Ottawa to continue a moratorium on oil tankers in the province’s northern waters."
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
"B.C. Premier David Eby stood with members of numerous First Nations from B.C.’s northern coast on Wednesday to support and sign a declaration that asks Ottawa to continue a moratorium on oil tankers in the province’s northern waters."
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
Canadian COVID Forecast: Nov 8 - Nov 21, 2025
SEVERE: AB
VERY HIGH: CAN, MB, NB, NL, North, NS, QC, SK
HIGH: BC, ON, PEI
MODERATE: none
About 1 in 118 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.
SEVERE: AB
VERY HIGH: CAN, MB, NB, NL, North, NS, QC, SK
HIGH: BC, ON, PEI
MODERATE: none
About 1 in 118 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.
November 10, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Canadian COVID Forecast: Nov 8 - Nov 21, 2025
SEVERE: AB
VERY HIGH: CAN, MB, NB, NL, North, NS, QC, SK
HIGH: BC, ON, PEI
MODERATE: none
About 1 in 118 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.
SEVERE: AB
VERY HIGH: CAN, MB, NB, NL, North, NS, QC, SK
HIGH: BC, ON, PEI
MODERATE: none
About 1 in 118 people in Canada are CURRENTLY infected.
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
Please use every opportunity to put this in front of people being pressured to let EBM/GRADE and "evidence synthesis" gatekeep and rent-seek their way into power over science.
Mind-blowingly stupid, shielded from retraction, and impacting guidance made by EBM cargo cultists today.
#MedSky #SciSky
Mind-blowingly stupid, shielded from retraction, and impacting guidance made by EBM cargo cultists today.
#MedSky #SciSky
November 11, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
If Evidence Based Medicine has a poster child, it's the 2015 Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control study claiming N95s interfere with breathing in pregnant women.
Here's their setup, which they described as "simulating the actual wearing of an N95 respirator".
The RCT "gold standard" 🤣
Here's their setup, which they described as "simulating the actual wearing of an N95 respirator".
The RCT "gold standard" 🤣
November 11, 2025 at 12:25 AM
If Evidence Based Medicine has a poster child, it's the 2015 Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control study claiming N95s interfere with breathing in pregnant women.
Here's their setup, which they described as "simulating the actual wearing of an N95 respirator".
The RCT "gold standard" 🤣
Here's their setup, which they described as "simulating the actual wearing of an N95 respirator".
The RCT "gold standard" 🤣
It sounds pretty stupid to say: "I don't understand why you would call someone an anti-masker when all they did was deliberately set policies they knew would result in no one masking," doesn't it?
November 10, 2025 at 8:11 PM
It sounds pretty stupid to say: "I don't understand why you would call someone an anti-masker when all they did was deliberately set policies they knew would result in no one masking," doesn't it?
Translation: He is complicit in the Party's decision to allow eight senators who *just happen* not to be up for reelection in 2026 to pass the bill. Make EVERY Democrat in the Senate wear this. Primary all of them. They let this happen. The claim they have no influence over their colleagues is a lie
I voted NO on this funding bill. The last thing American families need right now is skyrocketing health care premiums as they struggle to keep up with rising costs — but that’s exactly what they’re facing because of Trump and Republicans.
November 10, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Translation: He is complicit in the Party's decision to allow eight senators who *just happen* not to be up for reelection in 2026 to pass the bill. Make EVERY Democrat in the Senate wear this. Primary all of them. They let this happen. The claim they have no influence over their colleagues is a lie
"In B.C., an ER physician alleged that Fraser Health retaliated after she raised safety concerns."
True left-wing BC, lest anyone still think that all we need is to elect more lefties.
Changing structural incentives produce change. Electing lefties with the same incentives yields the same results.
True left-wing BC, lest anyone still think that all we need is to elect more lefties.
Changing structural incentives produce change. Electing lefties with the same incentives yields the same results.
The doctor shortage isn’t an accident. It was policy. canadahealthwatch.ca/2025/11/10/c... @codeblackamerica.bsky.social
Canada’s doctor shortage is no accident
It was policy.
canadahealthwatch.ca
November 10, 2025 at 7:07 PM
"In B.C., an ER physician alleged that Fraser Health retaliated after she raised safety concerns."
True left-wing BC, lest anyone still think that all we need is to elect more lefties.
Changing structural incentives produce change. Electing lefties with the same incentives yields the same results.
True left-wing BC, lest anyone still think that all we need is to elect more lefties.
Changing structural incentives produce change. Electing lefties with the same incentives yields the same results.
Yup. This is mostly on provincial health authorities across the country, which vary from bad (Ontario) to worse (BC) to hideous (Alberta). If you're not a partisan wanker mired in confirmation bias, you'll notice there is no partisan correlation with those assessments: left-wing BC is middling awful
This is a severe indictment of public health in Canada. We have lost our status as a country that has eliminated measles. We held this status since 1998 & we allowed ourselves to fail.
This is huge reputational damage to Canada & has placed our children at risk from a serious viral infection.
This is huge reputational damage to Canada & has placed our children at risk from a serious viral infection.
November 10, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Yup. This is mostly on provincial health authorities across the country, which vary from bad (Ontario) to worse (BC) to hideous (Alberta). If you're not a partisan wanker mired in confirmation bias, you'll notice there is no partisan correlation with those assessments: left-wing BC is middling awful
This is the future of LLMs: open source models, locally hosted, purpose-trained. Not rent-seeking unsustainable environmentally and economically calamitous data farms.
How To Run an Open-Source LLM on Your Personal Computer
An open-source large language model is a type of AI that can understand and generate text. It can function without depending on external servers. You can run models like Llama, Mistral, or Phi, privately and offline.
#hackernews #llama #llm
An open-source large language model is a type of AI that can understand and generate text. It can function without depending on external servers. You can run models like Llama, Mistral, or Phi, privately and offline.
#hackernews #llama #llm
How To Run an Open-Source LLM on Your Personal Computer
An open-source large language model is a type of AI that can understand and generate text. It can function without depending on external servers. You can run models like Llama, Mistral, or Phi, privately and offline.
hackernoon.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:27 PM
This is the future of LLMs: open source models, locally hosted, purpose-trained. Not rent-seeking unsustainable environmentally and economically calamitous data farms.
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
An Evening Commute
6”x6” oil
6”x6” oil
November 10, 2025 at 2:56 PM
An Evening Commute
6”x6” oil
6”x6” oil
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
Great points from Aslak.
New FTAs are good. But let’s be clear: the economy outside China and US is too small to absorb EU (net) exports.
If you favour new FTAs but oppose increasing EU internal demand you favour stagnation.
If you favour both, good.
If you oppose both you favour decline.
New FTAs are good. But let’s be clear: the economy outside China and US is too small to absorb EU (net) exports.
If you favour new FTAs but oppose increasing EU internal demand you favour stagnation.
If you favour both, good.
If you oppose both you favour decline.
Last, but not least: there is a future for rules-based trade. But it largely lies with the world outside China and the US. The EU has had significant success agreeing FTAs with Mercosur and Indonesia as welll as real progress in negotiaions with India.
November 10, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Great points from Aslak.
New FTAs are good. But let’s be clear: the economy outside China and US is too small to absorb EU (net) exports.
If you favour new FTAs but oppose increasing EU internal demand you favour stagnation.
If you favour both, good.
If you oppose both you favour decline.
New FTAs are good. But let’s be clear: the economy outside China and US is too small to absorb EU (net) exports.
If you favour new FTAs but oppose increasing EU internal demand you favour stagnation.
If you favour both, good.
If you oppose both you favour decline.
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
For those of you in Public Health and Infectious Disease communities who are offended by this, let's turn that around:
If bad engineering led to a plane falling out of the sky or a bridge collapsing or the electrocution of kids in a daycare, I'd call that out, too.
Address failure. Directly.
If bad engineering led to a plane falling out of the sky or a bridge collapsing or the electrocution of kids in a daycare, I'd call that out, too.
Address failure. Directly.
November 10, 2025 at 6:01 PM
For those of you in Public Health and Infectious Disease communities who are offended by this, let's turn that around:
If bad engineering led to a plane falling out of the sky or a bridge collapsing or the electrocution of kids in a daycare, I'd call that out, too.
Address failure. Directly.
If bad engineering led to a plane falling out of the sky or a bridge collapsing or the electrocution of kids in a daycare, I'd call that out, too.
Address failure. Directly.
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
You had one job.
Just maintain the #measles status that your predecessors had established.
But you couldn't even do that.
This is what failure looks like.
It's time Public Health & the Infectious Disease communities to grow up and accept that they need help from experts outside their community.
Just maintain the #measles status that your predecessors had established.
But you couldn't even do that.
This is what failure looks like.
It's time Public Health & the Infectious Disease communities to grow up and accept that they need help from experts outside their community.
a poster showing the diseases can still spread through the population
Alt: a poster showing the diseases can still spread through the population
media.tenor.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:59 PM
You had one job.
Just maintain the #measles status that your predecessors had established.
But you couldn't even do that.
This is what failure looks like.
It's time Public Health & the Infectious Disease communities to grow up and accept that they need help from experts outside their community.
Just maintain the #measles status that your predecessors had established.
But you couldn't even do that.
This is what failure looks like.
It's time Public Health & the Infectious Disease communities to grow up and accept that they need help from experts outside their community.
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
But you refused to ensure vaccination compliance in our school communities.
You transformed public health into "do your own research" and "be kind" even when it was clear that the anti-vaxxers from the 2000's were leveraging internet-based misinformation tools to run laps around you.
You transformed public health into "do your own research" and "be kind" even when it was clear that the anti-vaxxers from the 2000's were leveraging internet-based misinformation tools to run laps around you.
November 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
But you refused to ensure vaccination compliance in our school communities.
You transformed public health into "do your own research" and "be kind" even when it was clear that the anti-vaxxers from the 2000's were leveraging internet-based misinformation tools to run laps around you.
You transformed public health into "do your own research" and "be kind" even when it was clear that the anti-vaxxers from the 2000's were leveraging internet-based misinformation tools to run laps around you.
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
You were against respirators.
You were against air cleaners in classrooms and daycares.
You refused to implement #airborne systems during COVID.
You cast aspersions on industrial hygienists, engineers, physicists & experts in PPE and clean air.
You said "vaxx and relax" & crossed your fingers.
You were against air cleaners in classrooms and daycares.
You refused to implement #airborne systems during COVID.
You cast aspersions on industrial hygienists, engineers, physicists & experts in PPE and clean air.
You said "vaxx and relax" & crossed your fingers.
November 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
You were against respirators.
You were against air cleaners in classrooms and daycares.
You refused to implement #airborne systems during COVID.
You cast aspersions on industrial hygienists, engineers, physicists & experts in PPE and clean air.
You said "vaxx and relax" & crossed your fingers.
You were against air cleaners in classrooms and daycares.
You refused to implement #airborne systems during COVID.
You cast aspersions on industrial hygienists, engineers, physicists & experts in PPE and clean air.
You said "vaxx and relax" & crossed your fingers.
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
Public Health officials and infectious disease experts in Canada:
Take a bow.
You did it.
You've let #measles come back. Andrew Wakefield must be so proud.
You refused to accept #CleanAir recommendations from experts (and non-experts) from outside your insular little community.
Take a bow.
You did it.
You've let #measles come back. Andrew Wakefield must be so proud.
You refused to accept #CleanAir recommendations from experts (and non-experts) from outside your insular little community.
It's official: Canada has lost its measles elimination status because of an outbreak that has persisted for more than 12 months. Country can regain status only if on-going spread is of measles interrupted for more than a year. www.cbc.ca/news/health/... via @cbcnews.ca
November 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
Reposted by Tom Radcliffe
'A Zeppelin Raid, 8 October 1915', Camden by John Fraser
(National Maritime Museum)
(National Maritime Museum)
November 10, 2025 at 4:54 PM
'A Zeppelin Raid, 8 October 1915', Camden by John Fraser
(National Maritime Museum)
(National Maritime Museum)