Dave Fernig @DaveFernig@qoto.org

Morning folks, time for my first Mastodon thread (!)

Ahead of the #midterms tomorrow, I want to talk about the tragic politicisation of science in the US.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the Republicans became the anti-science party, but the process probably began in the 1980s, when the Christian right first emerged as a major force in conservative American politics.

Since then, the journey has been smooth and swift, and there is now a stunning partisan divide on confidence in science 😥

Okay let’s give this thing a go.

In my column on Friday, I highlighted the shocking fact that Britons now have the worst access to healthcare in Europe, and this is causing worsening health

*1 in 6* UK adults needed medical examination or treatment in the last year but were unable to access it (due mainly to waiting lists), higher than in all 35 other European countries

This link is free for the first 300 readers -> https://enterprise-sharing.ft.com/redeem/da24c14e-795e-4ef7-9e5f-66e9c6178d97

Someone hasn't caught up with minimum #Eurostar check-in now being 45 minutes, not 30! On #seat61 I'm now allowing minimum 2h between trains in Paris northbound towards London, yet online systems are still allowing 1h30, as if nothing had changed.

Some thoughts on the "Lexodus" from Twitter to Mastodon

And why Mastodon is inherently more attractive to any liberal and how it is geared for constructive exchanges

https://davidallengreen.com/2022/11/from-twitter-to-mastodon/

Twitter was really useful for finding people to write about. I’d often stumble across incredible stories of discovery, innovation and leadership. I hope #ScienceMastodon can be the same. If you come across extraordinary, inspirational #WomenInSTEM / researchers from other historically excluded groups, please let me know! #TwitterMigration

Via @fietsprofessor@twitter.com

It's really quite exciting starting up on Mastodon.
Rather like opening a door in a wall and suddenly finding you are in a party with some old friends and lots of new interesting people.
As one who was an early adopter of Twitter, it also is very reminiscent of the old days when I first realised how useful social media could be for meeting new people and learning new stuff.

So here's what I've learned.
Mastodon isn't Twitter.
And that's by design.
You've grown used to things designed to give you that anger rush.
Mastodon is very deliberately built to avoid that.
The temptation is to replicate your Twitter experience.
Picking arguments, amplifying trolls.
Please don't.
This isn't your house, people here put time into building it.
Content warnings, ALT tags.
Don't turn it into a replica of the mess you just left.
If you miss the fights, the birdsite is still there.

Next week, if I'm not too overcome by pain, I'm going to write about why we need to be careful about the Blue Checks—how Blue Check prestige, if imported from Twitter, will wreak havoc on culture here.

I will discuss this in relation to an old book called Revolt of the Masses by José Ortega y Gasset—as well as Mel Conway's "Law of Unfairness".

And hence, why a reconfiguring of Blue Check status will result in centralization of the Fediverse.

But you'll have to wait for that.

Westminster Voting Intention:

LAB: 46% (+2)
CON: 28% (=)
LDM: 8% (-2)
GRN: 6% (+1)
SNP: 4% (=)

Via @OpiniumResearch 2-4 Nov.
Changes w/ 26-28 Oct.

Are any #ProteinDesign folks here yet?