Carl A. B. Pearson
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cap1024.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Carl A. B. Pearson
@cap1024.fosstodon.org.ap.brid.gy
Scientist, Technologist, Engineer, Mathematician;
LSHTM, CMMID, SACEMA, ICI3D; working on inf. disease modelling of Ebola, COVID19, Dengue, MPX, polio, &c

[bridged from https://fosstodon.org/@cap1024 on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Normally these announcements are... predictable. Underwater basket weaving level nonsense. But...polisci? Math? No longer on the margins: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/graduate-students-and-postdocs/2026/01/26/george-washington-u-pauses-admissions-5-phd
George Washington U Pauses Admissions to 5 Ph.D. Programs
GWU is the latest institution to suspend admissions to Ph.D. programs, citing financial constraints. The university is seeing a significant decline in international applicants this year.
www.insidehighered.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:29 PM
If I still lived in the DC area, I would be checking out this stand: https://www.npr.org/2025/10/29/nx-s1-5589165/furloughed-federal-employee-hot-dog-stand
October 29, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Well, SECDEF and I agree that all servicemembers should be aware of the positions of leadership: https://www.npr.org/2025/10/15/nx-s1-5575528/hegseth-order-troops-quantico-speech

I suspect we disagree about the next step, which I'd say is to carefully reflect on the oath we swore.
October 16, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Seems like there are several blantant Hatch Act violations going on at a few USG websites today. I look forward to reading about the prosections of the deep-state cabal that is no doubt behind this.
September 30, 2025 at 11:09 PM
11 September comes round again, but I imagine the news today will have little somber reflection on that attack and our actions over the subsequent years.

Instead, our various feeds will be wall to wall with the latest affronts to our society and reputation by our elected officials.
September 11, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Long simmering professional work finally out: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013420 - early in the pandemic, I noticed that there was a small tweak needed to how we calculated certain parameters for compartmental models. But that this small correction […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
fosstodon.org
September 10, 2025 at 10:40 AM
SCOTUS has now made a worse-than-Korematsu level decision: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/us/politics/supreme-court-los-angeles-immigration.html - even if they later undo their decision upon full consideration, they will made all of us party to these shameful acts in the interim.
September 8, 2025 at 5:50 PM
... I will retire in shame if ordered work on this https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-army-navy-parade-anniversary-b2816130.html

Such an embarassing abandonment of what should be a moment of pride.
US Navy is planning its own boat parade for Trump after his Army parade fell flat
Army anniversary parade in Washington suffered from low attendance and soldiers marching out of step
www.independent.co.uk
August 29, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Ovf, Bret Stephens calls out MAGA movement as neosocialist: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/opinion/trump-intel-economy-competition-control.html - checks out, imo.
August 27, 2025 at 1:55 AM
August 26, 2025 at 1:17 AM
If not sufficiently clear, this is a cash handout to these states: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/17/nx-s1-5505271/three-republican-led-states-to-send-hundreds-of-national-guard-troops-to-washington - "at the request of" the federal government means that a bunch of federal money is flowing to these […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
fosstodon.org
August 17, 2025 at 1:33 PM
August 15, 2025 at 1:06 PM
"After his speech, Trump was presented with a traditionally folded American flag — a gift usually reserved for the family members of fallen soldiers." (https://www.npr.org/2025/06/15/nx-s1-5433765/3-takeaways-from-the-military-parade-and-no-kings-protests-on-trumps-birthday)

I've done funeral […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
fosstodon.org
June 15, 2025 at 2:04 PM
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/06/09/nx-s1-5428533/rfk-jr-vaccine-advisory-committee-acip

Paraphasing: Unsatisfied with killing Samoan kids, RFK goes after bigger game.
June 10, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Lived in DJI and the surrounding area for just over a year myself when recalled to actvie duty https://www.npr.org/2025/06/06/g-s1-71039/migrants-djibouti-ice-shipping-container

It sucks, and its an inappropriate place to hold prisoners. But as for the ICE folks complaining about long hours and […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
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June 7, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Right as a bunch of tech bros want to spin up their own reactors? Just a coincidence, im sure https://www.npr.org/2025/05/09/nx-s1-5392382/trump-nuclear-regulatory-commission-watchdog-safety-radiation

Look - do we over regulate generally? Yup. Nuclear specifically? Almost certainly (disclosure […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
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May 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Reposted by Carl A. B. Pearson
For anyone interested in economic evaluation methods please follow Prof Andy Briggs’s new substack “Of QALYS and Quandries.”
@lshtm-gheco.bsky.social @lshtm.bsky.social

Sign up here: occamresearch.substack.com?r=35dho6&utm...
of QALYs and Quandaries | Andy Briggs | Substack
Musings on the uses and abuses of economic evaluation in the health arena. Click to read of QALYs and Quandaries, by Andy Briggs, a Substack publication. Launched a day ago.
occamresearch.substack.com
May 6, 2025 at 11:54 AM
So an event where the US forges relationships with the senior naval leaders around the globe, for about $2M, is out (https://news.usni.org/2025/04/24/navy-cancels-56-year-old-international-seapower-symposium-due-to-unavailable-funding), but a parade that will serve no strategic objectives aside […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
fosstodon.org
May 4, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Whatever your policy preference re size and responsibilities of gov, the sledgehammer demolition version was always going to damage all the functions: https://www.axios.com/2025/03/21/social-security-lutnick-doge-checks

Maybe that's acceptable collateral for some voters, but my preference is […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
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March 22, 2025 at 4:43 PM
RFK: https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/-it-s-not-unusual-rfk-jr-comments-on-growing-texas-measles-outbreak-232983109592

Narrator: it should in fact be unusual.

Before this one, last measles death in US? 2015

US measles cases all of 2024: 285, about 2x what we've seen in just two months […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
fosstodon.org
February 27, 2025 at 2:09 AM
As someone that owns a few chainsaws*, this is some real soft-hands performance-art-level BS: https://apnews.com/video/elon-musk-waves-chainsaw-on-stage-at-cpac-97d5394d574d41669e1fadfd25fa3205

What a fucking poser. I mean, I guess he's got eye pro on? But only an idiot wears that's kind of […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
fosstodon.org
February 26, 2025 at 2:28 AM
I'm looking for a good maps app for phone, which also doesn't indulge capricious renaming of bodies of water.

Recommendations?
February 12, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Interested to see WH pivot into these sort of announcements: https://www.npr.org/2025/02/01/g-s1-45994/trump-hegseth-isis-somalia-airstrikes

Historically, USAFRICOM has routinely announced such strikes (n.b. almost always no civilian casualties). One could check their bird site profile and […]
Original post on fosstodon.org
fosstodon.org
February 1, 2025 at 9:17 PM