Benjamin Smart
@bthsmart.bsky.social
Director of the Centre for Philosophy of Epidemiology, Medicine and Public Health, University of Johannesburg.
Loves being a dad.
Bad golfer.
Not my equations in the profile pic.
Loves being a dad.
Bad golfer.
Not my equations in the profile pic.
Working at the University of the Free State this week. Working on a couple of things, including a casual theory for change for the effect on vaccine #misinformation prevalence by using DMs to redirect early-stage "misfluencers" into echochambers, so they waste their time there. Very fun.
August 20, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Working at the University of the Free State this week. Working on a couple of things, including a casual theory for change for the effect on vaccine #misinformation prevalence by using DMs to redirect early-stage "misfluencers" into echochambers, so they waste their time there. Very fun.
Genuine question: in cases where people can lose weight simply by eating healthier diets, and assuming there are no restrictions on them doing that (they just prefer not to eat healthily), are weight loss drugs an ethical use of public funds, assuming they do improve health.
May 25, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Genuine question: in cases where people can lose weight simply by eating healthier diets, and assuming there are no restrictions on them doing that (they just prefer not to eat healthily), are weight loss drugs an ethical use of public funds, assuming they do improve health.
Chilling. Grok spreads White genocide misinformation about South Africa. Whilst many white farmers have been murdered, the truth is, your risk of death by violent crime as a poor black person in places like the Cape Flats is much higher: archive.ph/2025.05.17-1...
archive.ph
May 17, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Chilling. Grok spreads White genocide misinformation about South Africa. Whilst many white farmers have been murdered, the truth is, your risk of death by violent crime as a poor black person in places like the Cape Flats is much higher: archive.ph/2025.05.17-1...
Reposted by Benjamin Smart
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will direct federal health agencies to explore potential new treatments for measles as the U.S. faces its largest outbreak in 25 years. Experts fear the decision could have grave consequences, as studies show the existing vaccine is 97% effective in preventing infection.
RFK Jr. Orders Search for New Measles Treatments Instead of Urging Vaccination
Decades of research have turned up no miracle treatment for measles, but studies show the M.M.R. shot is 97 percent effective in preventing the disease.
www.nytimes.com
May 2, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will direct federal health agencies to explore potential new treatments for measles as the U.S. faces its largest outbreak in 25 years. Experts fear the decision could have grave consequences, as studies show the existing vaccine is 97% effective in preventing infection.
In the UK and Europe, we call it "Austerity". In America they call it #DOGE, and celebrate it prancing around with a chainsaw as the world's richest man takes away 10s of thousands of middle class jobs, and destroys hundreds of health social development projects. Evil genius.
April 28, 2025 at 8:25 PM
In the UK and Europe, we call it "Austerity". In America they call it #DOGE, and celebrate it prancing around with a chainsaw as the world's richest man takes away 10s of thousands of middle class jobs, and destroys hundreds of health social development projects. Evil genius.
Goodness me. Is Trump planning a war in 2027/28 already? Isn't that the only circumstance under which a 3rd term is permissible?
#Trump is now officially selling a “Trump 2028” hat, in the first sign of Trump wanting to run for a 3rd term.
www.trumpstore.com/product/trum...
www.trumpstore.com/product/trum...
Trump 2028 Hat
Make a statement with this Made in America Trump 2028 hat. Fully embroidered with a snap closure in the back, this will become your new go-to hat. Made in America Snap closure Embroidered front F...
www.trumpstore.com
April 24, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Goodness me. Is Trump planning a war in 2027/28 already? Isn't that the only circumstance under which a 3rd term is permissible?
Reposted by Benjamin Smart
#Trump is now officially selling a “Trump 2028” hat, in the first sign of Trump wanting to run for a 3rd term.
www.trumpstore.com/product/trum...
www.trumpstore.com/product/trum...
Trump 2028 Hat
Make a statement with this Made in America Trump 2028 hat. Fully embroidered with a snap closure in the back, this will become your new go-to hat. Made in America Snap closure Embroidered front F...
www.trumpstore.com
April 24, 2025 at 5:14 PM
#Trump is now officially selling a “Trump 2028” hat, in the first sign of Trump wanting to run for a 3rd term.
www.trumpstore.com/product/trum...
www.trumpstore.com/product/trum...
Why are people surprised that universities are left wing spaces? When your job is not the accumulation of wealth, but to think about health, justice, humanity, and science - you care more about humanity and the just distribution of wealth than the billionaires. Being left wing is NOT an insult.
April 18, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Why are people surprised that universities are left wing spaces? When your job is not the accumulation of wealth, but to think about health, justice, humanity, and science - you care more about humanity and the just distribution of wealth than the billionaires. Being left wing is NOT an insult.
#Tesla cars are ugly (some more than others), overpriced, and the majority shareholder has tried to buy (quite successfully) control of the free world, and decimate it. There are plenty of other electric cars. Buy those. We can't bankrupt #Musk, but collectively we can hurt him a little.
April 17, 2025 at 8:23 AM
My friend just paid his taxes in the US in the most sobering, but equally hilarious way. #Trump #IsraelPalestine #Genocide
April 16, 2025 at 12:35 PM
My friend just paid his taxes in the US in the most sobering, but equally hilarious way. #Trump #IsraelPalestine #Genocide
I will not attend a single academic conference, workshop, or accept any invitation to any institution (except at Harvard or places that take a similar stance) in the USA whilst Donald #Trump is president. We will not holiday there, we will boycott American products and foods.
April 15, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I will not attend a single academic conference, workshop, or accept any invitation to any institution (except at Harvard or places that take a similar stance) in the USA whilst Donald #Trump is president. We will not holiday there, we will boycott American products and foods.
Many congratulations to #HarvardUniversity for effectively paying USD2.2bn to retain credibility as a centre of academic and social excellence. It shouldn't have been necessary, but let's hope other higher education institutions can follow their example.
April 15, 2025 at 7:03 AM
Many congratulations to #HarvardUniversity for effectively paying USD2.2bn to retain credibility as a centre of academic and social excellence. It shouldn't have been necessary, but let's hope other higher education institutions can follow their example.
So... a South African/British acquaintance of mine, with permanent residency in the US, was detained, flown to Texas, and has been shackled in a warehouse for 3 weeks. He's no idea why. He was expecting his citizenship within 3 months. #Trump is a Nazi. The stories of those around him are horrific.
April 14, 2025 at 11:29 AM
So... a South African/British acquaintance of mine, with permanent residency in the US, was detained, flown to Texas, and has been shackled in a warehouse for 3 weeks. He's no idea why. He was expecting his citizenship within 3 months. #Trump is a Nazi. The stories of those around him are horrific.
If you have an exposure that improves the wellbeing of millions of people, but is highly socially destructive and devastating to the health of a relative minority, should governments strive to eliminate that exposure? Does it depend on the ratios and the degree of wellbeing improvement?
April 12, 2025 at 9:22 AM
If you have an exposure that improves the wellbeing of millions of people, but is highly socially destructive and devastating to the health of a relative minority, should governments strive to eliminate that exposure? Does it depend on the ratios and the degree of wellbeing improvement?
#RFK is about to "start" a bunch of autism research (that's actually been going on for decades). Only, he's going to fudge the data, p-hack, and so on, until he reaches his predetermined and false conclusion that vaccines cause #autism. Which they definitely don't. It's utter madness.
April 12, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Reposted by Benjamin Smart
A famous MIT professor at a South African policy conference yesterday: "it will take me 6 years to earn back what Trump singlehandedly wiped off my 401k in 48 Hours". I wonder for how many Americans this is the reality.
April 5, 2025 at 6:50 AM
A famous MIT professor at a South African policy conference yesterday: "it will take me 6 years to earn back what Trump singlehandedly wiped off my 401k in 48 Hours". I wonder for how many Americans this is the reality.
Reposted by Benjamin Smart
I’ve taken the Senate floor and will speak for as long as I’m physically able to lift the voices of Americans who are being harmed and not being heard in this moment of crisis. Watch here:
Live: Speaking on Trump, Musk, and America’s Moral Moment on the Senate Floor | Senator Cory Booker
YouTube video by Senator Cory Booker
youtube.com
March 31, 2025 at 11:00 PM
I’ve taken the Senate floor and will speak for as long as I’m physically able to lift the voices of Americans who are being harmed and not being heard in this moment of crisis. Watch here:
@booker.senate.gov for president. He knew it was time to stand up for democracy, for ordinary Americans, for the marginalised, for aid workers and healthcare. To stand against tyranny, authoritarianism, and the technobros. And not to sit down. For more than 24 consecutive hours. I tip my hat, sir.
April 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM
@booker.senate.gov for president. He knew it was time to stand up for democracy, for ordinary Americans, for the marginalised, for aid workers and healthcare. To stand against tyranny, authoritarianism, and the technobros. And not to sit down. For more than 24 consecutive hours. I tip my hat, sir.
Reposted by Benjamin Smart
yeah well we’re fed up with funding red states like yours but that’s how federal systems work, you absolute casserole
Jim Jordan: "The American people are fed up with a judge in Timbuktu, California, saying something that then applies to the entire country."
March 16, 2025 at 3:56 PM
yeah well we’re fed up with funding red states like yours but that’s how federal systems work, you absolute casserole
I find the #Trump as KGB #Krasnov story ridiculous. If he were a Russian asset, the first thing he'd do would be to rationalize pulling funding from NATO, and ultimately pull USA out allowing Russia to invade. He'd threaten his NATO allies and attack their democracies. None of this happening. Right?
February 25, 2025 at 6:20 AM
I find the #Trump as KGB #Krasnov story ridiculous. If he were a Russian asset, the first thing he'd do would be to rationalize pulling funding from NATO, and ultimately pull USA out allowing Russia to invade. He'd threaten his NATO allies and attack their democracies. None of this happening. Right?
Dear Mssrs #Trump & #Musk. I know you struggle with this. Let me put it simply. Being the biggest kid in the class gives you the ability, but not the right, to beat up the smaller kids and steal all their sweeties. Same applies to global powers with foreign policy. #Gaza #Greenland #Panama #Ukraine
February 19, 2025 at 5:46 AM