How to end the war in Ukraine according to a Canadian Conservative “diplomat”

In my opinion, the war in Ukraine is much more complicated than most people realize. We are constantly bombarded with propaganda from all sides and it inhibits rational thinking. One of the few reliable facts is that Vladimir Putin is a very smart bad person.

Lots of people think they have the answer to ending the war in Ukraine. One of the latest pundits is Chris Alexander who has published his thoughts in the Feb. 16, 2024 edition of Canada's Globe and Mail: Ukraine is paying the price for our nonchalance toward Russia’s leadership. Alexander spent years in Canada's Foreign Service, including many years in Moscow and a stint as Canada's ambassador to Afghanistan. In 2011 he was elected to Parliament as a Conservative MP and served as Minister of Citizenship and Immigration in Stephen Harper's cabinet. His reputation as a politician was very different than his previous, mostly admirable, reputation as a diplomat. Here's a excerpt from his Wikipedia article.

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Realistic rendering of Canada’s wildfires

Peter Atwood used NASA data to depict the wildfires in Canada this year. The realistic rendering of the fires as burning embers and smoke activity is something.

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Smoke from Canada wildfires over the U.S.

Wildfires in one area means smoke and pollution travels to surrounding areas, even thousands of miles away. For NYT’s The Upshot, Aatish Bhatia, Josh Katz, and Margot Sanger-Katz have the maps and charts that show how smoke traveled from the wildfires in Quebec, Canada.

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Should residents and fellows be encouraged to publish systematic reviews and meta-analyses?

The ‘publish or perish’ culture is no longer reserved for academic faculty and post-doctoral fellows. The paradigm has spilled over (or bled into) medical training,  aided by the digital revolution. The widespread availability of online library catalogs and referencing software has enabled the mass production of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.  In short, medical research no … Continue reading Should residents and fellows be encouraged to publish systematic reviews and meta-analyses?

Medical journal retracts letter calling hijab ‘an instrument of oppression’

A major Canadian medical journal has retracted a letter to the editor by a prominent surgeon in Quebec who expressed reservations about a photo the journal had published of two young girls, one of whom was wearing a hijab. The photo in question (above) ran on the cover of the November 8, 2021 issue of … Continue reading Medical journal retracts letter calling hijab ‘an instrument of oppression’

Behavioral ecologist Jonathan Pruitt’s PhD dissertation withdrawn

Jonathan Pruitt, a behavioral ecologist and Canada 150 Research Chair who has had a dozen papers retracted following allegations of data fraud, now appears to have had his doctoral dissertation withdrawn.  The news, which was first noted by Nick DiRienzo, who co-authored papers with Pruitt but has been one of the scientists trying to cleanse … Continue reading Behavioral ecologist Jonathan Pruitt’s PhD dissertation withdrawn

Researcher charged with abusing his wife has third paper retracted

A researcher in Canada whose once-brilliant career in kinesiology went from plaudits from his peers to criminal charges of horrific abuse of his wife has notched his third retraction.  As we reported in 2018, Abdeel Safdar, formerly of McMaster University and Harvard, where he was a postdoc, was the subject of an institutional investigation over … Continue reading Researcher charged with abusing his wife has third paper retracted

Western University materials scientist committed misconduct, according to investigation

An investigation into the work of a researcher at Western University “resulted in a clear determination of research misconduct,” according to a retraction notice, but details are scant. Here’s the notice for “Synthetic peptides derived from salivary proteins and the control of surface charge densities of dental surfaces improve the inhibition of dental calculus formation,” … Continue reading Western University materials scientist committed misconduct, according to investigation

Western University materials scientist committed misconduct, according to investigation

An investigation into the work of a researcher at Western University “resulted in a clear determination of research misconduct,” according to a retraction notice, but details are scant. Here’s the notice for “Synthetic peptides derived from salivary proteins and the control of surface charge densities of dental surfaces improve the inhibition of dental calculus formation,” … Continue reading Western University materials scientist committed misconduct, according to investigation

‘Those unfortunate events:’ Second retraction for stem cell scientist in Canada accused of misconduct

Citing a misconduct investigation, the journal Stem Cells has retracted a 2009 article coauthored by a researcher whose work has been under suspicion for roughly five years.  The paper was titled “Cell adhesion and spreading affect adipogenesis from embryonic stem cells: the role of calreticulin.” The retraction notice, which is behind a paywall, states:  The … Continue reading ‘Those unfortunate events:’ Second retraction for stem cell scientist in Canada accused of misconduct