Hilda Bastian
@hildabast.bsky.social
Scientist (PhD she/her), writer, cartoonist. 🦘 Blogging & Newsletter: Living With Evidence https://hildabastian.wordpress.com/ Mastodon enthusiast: @hildabast@mastodon.online
...Not critical thinking, but the search turned up another example of when I found philosophers super useful this year: hildabastian.wordpress.com/2025/05/14/f...
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Finding Militant Optimism
A lot of posts about hope sprouted in the northern hemisphere spring this year. Ordinarily, I would soak all this up, and feel energized. But it felt more alienating than inspiring in this moment. …
hildabastian.wordpress.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:22 PM
...Not critical thinking, but the search turned up another example of when I found philosophers super useful this year: hildabastian.wordpress.com/2025/05/14/f...
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It's been years since I kept up with all that. If I remember a great example, I'll come back & post.
Searched my newsletter & here's a look at critical thinking for kids by philosophers: absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2023/03/08/p...
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Searched my newsletter & here's a look at critical thinking for kids by philosophers: absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2023/03/08/p...
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Philosophy, Scientific Literacy... and Flattery - Absolutely Maybe
These days I find the literature on improving critical thinking and scientific literacy kind of depressing. The many overlapping and diverging concepts…
absolutelymaybe.plos.org
November 10, 2025 at 10:19 PM
It's been years since I kept up with all that. If I remember a great example, I'll come back & post.
Searched my newsletter & here's a look at critical thinking for kids by philosophers: absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2023/03/08/p...
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Searched my newsletter & here's a look at critical thinking for kids by philosophers: absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2023/03/08/p...
....1/2
Nah, don't agree. And I reckon we lost a lot when science split off so totally from philosophy. So much of what I see scientists write underscores how much more education in basic logic so many need. The best critical literacy resources I've seen come from philosophy departments.
November 9, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Nah, don't agree. And I reckon we lost a lot when science split off so totally from philosophy. So much of what I see scientists write underscores how much more education in basic logic so many need. The best critical literacy resources I've seen come from philosophy departments.
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- Phase 2 trial for intranasal vax in the US
- In Australia, a trial for a pancoronavirus version of one of the internationally-approved Covid vaxes
- More preclinical reports show prevention of transmission &/or durability
- a shelf-stable mucosal vax.
absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/11/06/a...
- Phase 2 trial for intranasal vax in the US
- In Australia, a trial for a pancoronavirus version of one of the internationally-approved Covid vaxes
- More preclinical reports show prevention of transmission &/or durability
- a shelf-stable mucosal vax.
absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/11/06/a...
A Bumper Update on Next Generation Covid Vaccines (No 34) - Absolutely Maybe
This was always going to be a big month, with results from clinical trials of 2 vaccines, as well as 3 new…
absolutelymaybe.plos.org
November 6, 2025 at 10:55 PM
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- Phase 2 trial for intranasal vax in the US
- In Australia, a trial for a pancoronavirus version of one of the internationally-approved Covid vaxes
- More preclinical reports show prevention of transmission &/or durability
- a shelf-stable mucosal vax.
absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/11/06/a...
- Phase 2 trial for intranasal vax in the US
- In Australia, a trial for a pancoronavirus version of one of the internationally-approved Covid vaxes
- More preclinical reports show prevention of transmission &/or durability
- a shelf-stable mucosal vax.
absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/11/06/a...
Since it isn't in action yet, hard to know what the priorities will be. Covid is listed: www.cdc.gov.au/diseases
www.cdc.gov.au
November 5, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Since it isn't in action yet, hard to know what the priorities will be. Covid is listed: www.cdc.gov.au/diseases
Yes - it's in the linked article & I've written a few posts about it.
October 31, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Yes - it's in the linked article & I've written a few posts about it.
Yes and no: It's more extensive because it has additional data sources. But it doesn't have an alternative way to source the data from PubMed if PubMed doesn't have it - unless something has changed in the last few weeks. (Whereas OpenAlex also sources DOI data.)
October 31, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Yes and no: It's more extensive because it has additional data sources. But it doesn't have an alternative way to source the data from PubMed if PubMed doesn't have it - unless something has changed in the last few weeks. (Whereas OpenAlex also sources DOI data.)
...My monthly Covid vax search turned up fewer results than expected, so I started on my Plan B – and I'm finding records that aren't in PubMed. 😔 (Time-consuming, so my post might be late.)
My Plan B = Open Alex + extra Google searches.
Background: hildabastian.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/t...
My Plan B = Open Alex + extra Google searches.
Background: hildabastian.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/t...
hildabastian.wordpress.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:27 AM
...My monthly Covid vax search turned up fewer results than expected, so I started on my Plan B – and I'm finding records that aren't in PubMed. 😔 (Time-consuming, so my post might be late.)
My Plan B = Open Alex + extra Google searches.
Background: hildabastian.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/t...
My Plan B = Open Alex + extra Google searches.
Background: hildabastian.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/t...
This used to be me. I got into research via what's called citizen science these days – through a community group that needed epidemiological research. I went on to work for community groups, then an international society, and then govt or quasi-govt agencies. (Now I have a PhD & freelance.)
October 30, 2025 at 5:39 AM
This used to be me. I got into research via what's called citizen science these days – through a community group that needed epidemiological research. I went on to work for community groups, then an international society, and then govt or quasi-govt agencies. (Now I have a PhD & freelance.)
Sounds like the kind of idea he'd have himself.
October 19, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Sounds like the kind of idea he'd have himself.
Cool! Don't know if you edit, too, but if not – even micro-edits matter & my recent post could get you started within a few minutes: absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/09/21/w...
Wikipedia Is Vital: Channeling Energy Into Micro-Edits Is a Win-Win-Win - Absolutely Maybe
Wikipedia is, “without exaggeration, the digital world’s factual foundation,” wrote Josh Dzieza recently. It’s a target because of that, squarely in the…
absolutelymaybe.plos.org
October 17, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Cool! Don't know if you edit, too, but if not – even micro-edits matter & my recent post could get you started within a few minutes: absolutelymaybe.plos.org/2025/09/21/w...
Dedicated, skilled team FTW.
October 17, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Dedicated, skilled team FTW.