Empowering Dalhousie PhD students to influence public discourse and policy.https://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mupbhxpwbs22Some concepts are not as straightforward as they first seem and are difficult to define. Well-being is one of those concepts. OpenThinker Firoozeh Bairami Hekmati covers this seemingly simple, yet surprisingly complex, concept: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/how-do-you-measure-a-good-life/04 Sep 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupbhxpwbs22https://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mumqyy4ju422“Care, not cops” has become an increasingly common call for rethinking mental health crisis response. But what does that look like in practice? In her latest blog, OpenThinker Megan Rowe explores the growing field of alternative crisis response: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/care-not-cops-but-what-does-that-look-like-introducing-the-field-of-alternative-crisis-response/03 Sep 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumqyy4ju422https://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mukak4xziy2vWhat if the biggest risk to e-mobility isn’t the battery, but the rules around it? OpenThinker Martins Obialor explores the gaps in Canada’s approach to lithium-ion battery safety: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/regulating-e-mobility-safety-policy-gaps-surrounding-lithium-ion-batteries/02 Sep 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukak4xziy2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3muhq36smrn2pOur DNA is written in four letters. Bacterial DNA is too. When a resistance gene hides in millions of those letters, how do scientists find it? @thepreciouso.bsky.social’s newest blog post reads between the lines – and the letters: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/reading-between-the-letters-how-scientists-decode-a-bacteriums-genetic-instruction-set-to-identify-resistance-genes/01 Sep 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhq36smrn2phttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3muf7m7x7cj2fA clear scan doesn’t always mean every cancer cell is gone. Join OpenThinker Maya MacLean as she explores the fascinating world of cancer stem cells and why researchers are trying to target them: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/cancer-stem-cells-the-hidden-roots-of-recurrence/31 Aug 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3muf7m7x7cj2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3msj6ujao3k2wWhen a crisis crosses borders, money often follows. Remittances can help families pay for healthcare and plan beyond an emergency, but they also carry sacrifice for those sending them. Read how money, care and responsibility travel together with OpenThinker Ron Biswas: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/more-than-money-when-crisis-travels-across-borders/07 Aug 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3msj6ujao3k2whttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3msiug6fixc2jOpenThinker Zuby Ain Sohail explores what genuine accountability looks like in Canada's public sector — and why the difference matters: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/beyond-the-checkbox-what-genuine-dei-accountability-looks-like-in-canadas-public-sector/07 Aug 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3msiug6fixc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3msgdx72mwh2eEver wondered why cancer treatment doesn’t work the same for everyone? Learn more about the science of heterogeneity with OpenThinker Maya MacLean: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/why-didnt-it-work-the-story-of-cancer-heterogeneity/06 Aug 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3msgdx72mwh2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3msdtibl3er2fInspired by Muhammad Yunus and countless local changemakers, OpenThinker Mohamed Kadry Ibrahim explores what drives social entrepreneurs to turn ideas into impact. Discover how purpose, innovation and action can create lasting change: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/meet-the-changemakers-who-are-social-entrepreneurs/05 Aug 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3msdtibl3er2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3msbczfdwtl2fCanada’s retirement income system is more than mandatory earning-based pensions. Firoozeh Bairami Hekmati shows it has three interconnected layers, with Canada’s Old Age Security & Guaranteed Income Supplement helping to improve financial security for older adults: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/canadas-retirement-income-system-its-more-than-just-a-pension/04 Aug 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3msbczfdwtl2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mrxb5pf4ba2zNot always gender-neutral! In this month’s blog post, OpenThinker Noah Doucette explores the historical evolution of Canadian HPV vaccination programs and shares resources that can help you make an informed decision about the vaccine: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/vaccination-the-key-to-eliminating-hpv-related-health-conditions/31 Jul 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrxb5pf4ba2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mruqorekwc2qLife contains many rites of passage. Is death the final rite? How does applying this anthropological theory to death and dying help us think about social relationships? Explore these questions with @karpovvskasparov.bsky.social: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/death-becomes-us-how-thinking-about-death-as-a-rite-of-passage-reveals-the-social-nature-of-life/30 Jul 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mruqorekwc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mrsko7fagb2qIn this month’s blog post, OpenThinker Megan Rowe explores how police became default responders to mental health crises, and how this role reflects gaps in care, underfunded community supports and assumptions about crises: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/911-whats-your-emergency-how-mental-health-crises-became-a-police-response/29 Jul 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrsko7fagb2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mrppqxc4pl27Cold weather doesn’t just drain batteries faster — it can change how they charge, age and fail. OpenThinker Martins Obialor explores the science behind winter battery safety: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/what-happens-when-batteries-get-too-cold/28 Jul 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrppqxc4pl27https://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mrn7bybsvu2hHow do researchers measure childhood trauma, and what might they be missing? OpenThinker Sarah Haggett explores why better questions can lead to better research, healthcare and policy by capturing the full story behind childhood experiences: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/a-study-is-only-as-good-as-its-measure/27 Jul 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrn7bybsvu2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mrfydnimzv2kIn 2016, a woman's lab results came back resistant to 26 antibiotics. Every single one tested. There was no next option. @thepreciouso.bsky.social unpacks why this isn't just her problem – it’s all of ours: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/have-you-ever-been-told-you-have-mrsa-or-vre/24 Jul 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfydnimzv2khttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mr46uf7vzd2nAdoption is only the beginning. Across Canadian farms, some climate-smart practices don’t last — and that changes how we measure success. Learn more with OpenThinker Ifunanya Orisekeh: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/adoption-is-only-the-beginning-why-climate-smart-practices-dont-always-last/20 Jul 2026 21:01 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr46uf7vzd2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mqu2mrzrfz27Zuby Ain Sohail asks: does representation equal inclusion? In her first #DalOpenThink post, she uncovers the compliance trap keeping Canadian public institutions from achieving genuine DEI: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/when-diversity-on-paper-isnt-diversity-in-practice-what-canadian-public-institutions-are-getting-wrong/17 Jul 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqu2mrzrfz27https://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mqrk5vbihp2uOpenThinker Firoozeh Bairami investigates low-income older adults’ lived experiences, along with survey data, to better understand how Canada’s non-contributory pensions affect their well-being: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/financial-security-and-well-being-in-older-age/ Photo: Tony Luciani16 Jul 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqrk5vbihp2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mqpe5eviff2sYou, me and HPV. OpenThinker Noah Doucette covers HPV-related health conditions and what we can do to prevent them: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/you-me-and-hpv-reintroducing-the-most-common-sexually-transmitted-infection/15 Jul 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqpe5eviff2shttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mqmtog2soq2gWhat is a rite of passage, really? OpenThinker Emma Nelson explores this topic, focusing on the medical professionals who guide us through two tangible instances of a rite of passage — birth and becoming a parent, and death and dying: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/what-is-a-rite-of-passage-really/14 Jul 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqmtog2soq2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mqklmwp7q22gWhen migrants send money home, a dollar is not just a dollar. It can become medicine, school fees, rent, food, emergency support or a way of saying: I am still with you. @aranyabiswas1.bsky.social explores remittances as more than income: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/more-than-moneythe-cost-of-distance/13 Jul 2026 21:01 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqklmwp7q22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mqcheebas32eMegan Rowe opens her OpenThink blog series by asking who responds when someone experiences a mental health crisis, why police remain so central and what alternative models of crisis care are possible: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/mental-health-crises-should-police-be-the-first-responders/10 Jul 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqcheebas32ehttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mq7wvj2u2w2rHow can light and gold outsmart super bacteria? @rboudries.bsky.social is developing an ultra-fast diagnostic method to catch bacterial metabolic responses hours before traditional tests, closing a critical gap in the fight against antibiotic resistance: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/light-gold-and-bacteria-the-race-to-outsmart-antibiotic-resistance/09 Jul 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq7wvj2u2w2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mq5quvpst72eTwo patients. Same hospital. Same week. Identical resistance gene. Looks like an outbreak — until you look closer. @thepreciouso.bsky.social breaks down the interpretive steps that unravel this, and why automation matters at scale: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/same-hospital-same-week-same-resistance-gene-what-happens-next/08 Jul 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq5quvpst72ehttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mq2vxl2f5u2kBatteries lasting a lifetime is not a myth. Advances in battery science suggest that such a future could be nearer than we think. OpenThinker Martins Obialor explores how this is happening: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/can-batteries-last-a-lifetime-the-science-behind-battery-longevity/07 Jul 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq2vxl2f5u2khttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mpyydrjjnj2lOpenThinker Sarah Haggett takes readers inside the EEG lab, busting mind-reading myths, breaking down brainwaves and showing how tiny electrical signals can be used to understand the human mind — all while participants are turned into bionic mermaids! https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-eeg-researcher-brainwaves-and-bionic-mermaids/06 Jul 2026 21:01 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpyydrjjnj2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mpr6kbk4do25In her first OpenThink post, @tiaramuld.bsky.social introduces Drosophila melanogaster, the tiny fruit fly with a huge role in science, and asks why scientists still use it: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/the-fly-that-rewrote-biology-how-drosophila-melanogaster-became-the-tiny-giant-of-science/03 Jul 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpr6kbk4do25https://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mpoo3exxdl2vOpenThinker Mohamed Kadry Ibrahim shares how social enterprises blend profit & purpose, reshaping enterprises as a force for impact. From pioneers to today’s changemakers, he shows how social enterprises can tackle social challenges while staying financially sustainable: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/what-is-a-social-enterprise-understanding-the-growing-movement-that-combines-profit-and-purpose/02 Jul 2026 18:31 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpoo3exxdl2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/dalopenthink.bsky.social/post/3mpjcp6dtto2hMany changes to aquatic ecosystems are caused by human behaviour. This is what inspired OpenThinker Nicole Cameron to pursue an interdisciplinary PhD that crosses the boundaries between the natural and social sciences. Read more in her intro blog post: https://blogs.dal.ca/openthink/a-fish-out-of-water/30 Jun 2026 15:24 +0000at://did:plc:adygfuba7tugp245vzcom2fk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpjcp6dtto2h