Blake Richards
@tyrellturing.bsky.social
Researcher at Google and CIFAR Fellow, working on the intersection of machine learning and neuroscience in Montréal (academic affiliations: @mcgill.ca and @mila-quebec.bsky.social).
I agree with the point of this message, but, uh, Muslims very much do this in some Muslim majority countries.
This impulse to impose one's beliefs on others seems to be all too human, sadly...
This impulse to impose one's beliefs on others seems to be all too human, sadly...
November 10, 2025 at 11:41 PM
I agree with the point of this message, but, uh, Muslims very much do this in some Muslim majority countries.
This impulse to impose one's beliefs on others seems to be all too human, sadly...
This impulse to impose one's beliefs on others seems to be all too human, sadly...
Ooof... that's no good. I can only hope they will choose to cut things like NFRF...
November 6, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Ooof... that's no good. I can only hope they will choose to cut things like NFRF...
Oh, I didn't catch that, they're cutting tri-council funding?
November 6, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Oh, I didn't catch that, they're cutting tri-council funding?
I mean, maybe, but typically "superstar" means someone with a track record of big results, and that rarely means someone fresh out of their postdoc...
But, I think the more important point is: we want to both keep our brightest *and* recruit more of the brightest from elsewhere.
But, I think the more important point is: we want to both keep our brightest *and* recruit more of the brightest from elsewhere.
November 6, 2025 at 6:20 PM
I mean, maybe, but typically "superstar" means someone with a track record of big results, and that rarely means someone fresh out of their postdoc...
But, I think the more important point is: we want to both keep our brightest *and* recruit more of the brightest from elsewhere.
But, I think the more important point is: we want to both keep our brightest *and* recruit more of the brightest from elsewhere.
That's a good question... I suppose, naively, I had hoped it might be doles out directly to the unis.
November 5, 2025 at 7:44 PM
That's a good question... I suppose, naively, I had hoped it might be doles out directly to the unis.
I don't think that's true - the people we're talking about here are late stage researchers.
November 5, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I don't think that's true - the people we're talking about here are late stage researchers.
Right, but I think the failure of CERCs, ironically, is that they don't give enough freedom to the new recruits to actually use the money to do something big. Instead they use it as a roundabout way to fund a department/unit more broadly.
November 5, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Right, but I think the failure of CERCs, ironically, is that they don't give enough freedom to the new recruits to actually use the money to do something big. Instead they use it as a roundabout way to fund a department/unit more broadly.
It can fail, but it can also succeed, and can have a larger impact when it does!
November 5, 2025 at 5:20 PM
It can fail, but it can also succeed, and can have a larger impact when it does!
Hmmm.... I don't agree. I actually think it can be very effective if done correctly.
The problem we have in Canada is that the programs that are supposedly designed to do this don't (CERC, CFREF, etc.). All they do is take a big pot of money and split it up in a less efficient way.
The problem we have in Canada is that the programs that are supposedly designed to do this don't (CERC, CFREF, etc.). All they do is take a big pot of money and split it up in a less efficient way.
November 5, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Hmmm.... I don't agree. I actually think it can be very effective if done correctly.
The problem we have in Canada is that the programs that are supposedly designed to do this don't (CERC, CFREF, etc.). All they do is take a big pot of money and split it up in a less efficient way.
The problem we have in Canada is that the programs that are supposedly designed to do this don't (CERC, CFREF, etc.). All they do is take a big pot of money and split it up in a less efficient way.
Moreover, I think the real fix to Canada's funding landscape is to ditch silly things like the CFREFs and NFRFs, and redirect all that money to NSERC and CIHR's standard operating grants.
November 5, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Moreover, I think the real fix to Canada's funding landscape is to ditch silly things like the CFREFs and NFRFs, and redirect all that money to NSERC and CIHR's standard operating grants.
I think if you're talking about really high performers then you always have to cast a wide net outside your country. No small country can supply all of the people in the upper 99.99th percentile they may want.
November 5, 2025 at 5:06 PM
I think if you're talking about really high performers then you always have to cast a wide net outside your country. No small country can supply all of the people in the upper 99.99th percentile they may want.
I'm gonna play devil's advocate here:
We have an unprecedented opportunity at this moment to get some really top talent to come into Canada. We should take advantage of that. It would be foolish not to.
We have an unprecedented opportunity at this moment to get some really top talent to come into Canada. We should take advantage of that. It would be foolish not to.
November 5, 2025 at 4:34 PM
I'm gonna play devil's advocate here:
We have an unprecedented opportunity at this moment to get some really top talent to come into Canada. We should take advantage of that. It would be foolish not to.
We have an unprecedented opportunity at this moment to get some really top talent to come into Canada. We should take advantage of that. It would be foolish not to.
I can guarantee you that these folks are very good at math.
They may simply not agree with your critique of their extrapolation.
Sometimes one has to extrapolate with the data available...
They may simply not agree with your critique of their extrapolation.
Sometimes one has to extrapolate with the data available...
November 4, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I can guarantee you that these folks are very good at math.
They may simply not agree with your critique of their extrapolation.
Sometimes one has to extrapolate with the data available...
They may simply not agree with your critique of their extrapolation.
Sometimes one has to extrapolate with the data available...