Brooks Kaiser

Stinging H1Bees In all things 19th Century that we are living through once again in the recreation of unbridled greed and industrial concentration, the newly announced H1B visa fees fit squarely in the mold. The administration has said that big tech is behind the move, and why shouldn't they be? Here we have Netflix chairman and co-founder saying, "this is great." And for big tech, it is.

Stinging H1Bees

In all things 19th Century that we are living through once again in the recreation of unbridled greed and industrial concentration, the newly announced H1B visa fees fit squarely in the mold. The administration has said that big tech is behind the move, and why shouldn't they be?…

When crabs meet up, science happens In 2024, Snow Crab scientists from the Atlantic and Pacific gathered in St. John's Newfoundland to share insights on how crabs were faring with climate changes and differing fishing pressures. Here is the report of all the great science!! Gordon H. Kruse, Raquel Ruiz-Diaz, Timothy Loher, Benjamin J. Daly (2025). Report of the 2024 Snow Crab Workshop: Clawing Their Way Back; A Comparative Newfoundland–Alaska Snow Crab Workshop Toward Sustainable Management in Uncertain Times.

When crabs meet up, science happens

In 2024, Snow Crab scientists from the Atlantic and Pacific gathered in St. John's Newfoundland to share insights on how crabs were faring with climate changes and differing fishing pressures. Here is the report of all the great science!! Gordon H. Kruse, Raquel…

Carpe the Carp? One part of yesterday's (Monday, Aug 25, 2025) oval office press conference focused on a core of my research: aquatic invasive species. He definitely muddied the waters, confusing Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer with someone named Kristi Whitman (perhaps he was thinking of the former governor of NJ and head of the EPA, Christine Todd Whitman, but who really knows?). But he's right there is an…

Carpe the Carp?

One part of yesterday's (Monday, Aug 25, 2025) oval office press conference focused on a core of my research: aquatic invasive species. He definitely muddied the waters, confusing Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer with someone named Kristi Whitman (perhaps he was thinking of the…

Gone Postal? The US Postal Service has a mission that reflects the importance of correspondence and sharing information, as shown here: The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal services to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities.

Gone Postal?

The US Postal Service has a mission that reflects the importance of correspondence and sharing information, as shown here: The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal services to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational,…

The crabs march on Amidst the chaos, work continues. The crabs march on, in a new paper out with co-authors from the now-completed PICO (Participatory modelling of integrated ecosystem based management regime for invasive crabs) Project. As in most of my discussions of the crab invasions in the Barents Sea, I would argue that these ecosystem disruptors provide insights far beyond their individual nuisances (e.g.

The crabs march on

Amidst the chaos, work continues. The crabs march on, in a new paper out with co-authors from the now-completed PICO (Participatory modelling of integrated ecosystem based management regime for invasive crabs) Project. As in most of my discussions of the crab invasions in the…

Lies, damn lies, and statistics Orwell, with his insight into the essential authoritarian command to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears, continues in the role of prophet in this week's performance of "You can't make this sh*t up," a story of the end of American democracy. He's supported by George Lucas and Tony Gilroy, who respectively created and developed a "galaxy far, far away" that shares universal truths with our own.

Lies, damn lies, and statistics

Orwell, with his insight into the essential authoritarian command to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears, continues in the role of prophet in this week's performance of "You can't make this sh*t up," a story of the end of American democracy. He's supported by…

AI-inspired travel may lead you on wild goose (or crab) chases My feed today included a travel story aimed at inducing me to go to Norway for a King Crab Safari - shown in the photo here. It's not surprising such an ad showed up in my feed. I have researched the Red King Crab invasion in Norway and its growing use in the tourism industry for over a decade (see many previous blog posts), and I travel a lot, also to Norway.

AI-inspired travel may lead you on wild goose (or crab) chases

My feed today included a travel story aimed at inducing me to go to Norway for a King Crab Safari - shown in the photo here. It's not surprising such an ad showed up in my feed. I have researched the Red King Crab invasion in Norway…

Bread OR Circuses

We have watch led the horror that is the Administration’s great big monstrosity bill that will further impoverish millions of Americans progress in fits and starts through Congress, now to land on the president’s desk. At the same time the president is drooling over his new…

The road not built, thus not taken With that title, you might expect Robert Frost's poem The Road not Taken for today, as the topic is the administration's decision to revoke the 2001 Roadless Rule. And that would have been a good one, with a focus on path dependence and road building, and you can refresh your memory on it here. But for connecting the roadless wilderness to our needs, I turn to Yeats:

The road not built, thus not taken

With that title, you might expect Robert Frost's poem The Road not Taken for today, as the topic is the administration's decision to revoke the 2001 Roadless Rule. And that would have been a good one, with a focus on path dependence and road building, and you can…

Everyone has their own rebellion (Effective Case Studies and Model building) Some of you may have noticed I've embraced the TV show Andor quite thoroughly. If you have not watched through Season 2, you should stop here and go do that before coming back. I will be discussing it and other Star Wars movies. ... space to exit before spoilers... and a poem about our current world...

Everyone has their own rebellion

(Effective Case Studies and Model building) Some of you may have noticed I've embraced the TV show Andor quite thoroughly. If you have not watched through Season 2, you should stop here and go do that before coming back. I will be discussing it and other Star Wars…

You and Me and ChatGPT Garbage in, Garbage out: The MAHA Report Today's poem touches on many complex issues relating to both individual and societal health care and well-being today. I find it simultaneously upsetting and insightful. And as such, a good intro to the topic of the day - the disturbing, distorted, Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) report. The poem reminds us of the dangers of Dr.

You and Me and ChatGPT

Garbage in, Garbage out: The MAHA Report Today's poem touches on many complex issues relating to both individual and societal health care and well-being today. I find it simultaneously upsetting and insightful. And as such, a good intro to the topic of the day - the…

Waves to come There's a lot going on right now. It's a bit hard to keep up with posts. I've taken a little time off not because there's nothing to say but because there is too much. Topics to come soon, in no certain order: Product Safety Legislation, Covid-19 Vaccines, Cases studies vs Models: Rebellion and Empire, Economics of Biodiversity "breakthroughs", and undoubtedly new issues daily.

Waves to come

There's a lot going on right now. It's a bit hard to keep up with posts. I've taken a little time off not because there's nothing to say but because there is too much. Topics to come soon, in no certain order: Product Safety Legislation, Covid-19 Vaccines, Cases studies vs Models:…

“Poems are actually ancient citizen science” There is very cool and relevant news for this blog from the Smithsonian today. The title quote is from Jiajia Liu, an ecologist at Fudan University in China and co-author of a new study. The study analyzes a contribution of centuries of Chinese poetry that goes beyond just literary contemplation. That is, these Chinese poems form a corpus - that is, a database - that can be linked to related data like location and time written.

“Poems are actually ancient citizen science”

There is very cool and relevant news for this blog from the Smithsonian today. The title quote is from Jiajia Liu, an ecologist at Fudan University in China and co-author of a new study. The study analyzes a contribution of centuries of Chinese poetry…

Indeed.

#biodiversity #federalregister #takeaction #criticalhabitat #EndangeredSpeciesAct

Critical Action for Critical Habitat I mentioned previously that the Federal Register is an important, often overlooked, avenue for action and understanding. Today, I encourage you to participate. If nothing else, it should feel good to express your opinion in a way that should be preserved in the National Archives and Federal Register. You can also read the comments already there for inspiration and recognition of other's ongoing efforts and concerns.

Critical Action for Critical Habitat

I mentioned previously that the Federal Register is an important, often overlooked, avenue for action and understanding. Today, I encourage you to participate. If nothing else, it should feel good to express your opinion in a way that should be preserved in the…

Twenty seven years of morning coffee (And 100 days of US mourning so far) Grief Calls Us to the Things of This WorldBy Sherman Alexie The morning air is all awash with angels—Richard Wilbur, “Love Calls Us to the Things of This World”The eyes open to a blue telephoneIn the bathroom of this five-star hotel.I wonder whom I should call? A plumber,

Twenty seven years of morning coffee

(And 100 days of US mourning so far) Grief Calls Us to the Things of This WorldBy Sherman Alexie The morning air is all awash with angels—Richard Wilbur, “Love Calls Us to the Things of This World”The eyes open to a blue telephoneIn the bathroom of this…

Bread and Butter (All eyes on Canada) It’s election eve for Canada. Most signals suggest the country will reject their Trumpian conservative candidate, in a turn of events sparked by the administration’s threats to Canadian sovereignty and identity. The poem today is a reminder yet again that sunk costs should not matter - going forward we should consider what is coming, not what cannot be recouped.

Bread and Butter

(All eyes on Canada) It’s election eve for Canada. Most signals suggest the country will reject their Trumpian conservative candidate, in a turn of events sparked by the administration’s threats to Canadian sovereignty and identity. The poem today is a reminder yet again that sunk…

Veritas (Cheap talk, Games of Chicken and winning with Truth) Harvard's motto is Veritas - truth. It's been defended by a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes (father of the Supreme Court Justice) in a long-lost Diversity, Equity and Inclusion battle of the 19th Century, as the original motto "Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae" (which had been shortened to exclude the Veritas and simply use the "for Christ and church") was reversed to focus instead on the more inclusive and secular Veritas.

Veritas

(Cheap talk, Games of Chicken and winning with Truth) Harvard's motto is Veritas - truth. It's been defended by a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes (father of the Supreme Court Justice) in a long-lost Diversity, Equity and Inclusion battle of the 19th Century, as the original motto "Veritas…

The power of poetry (Optimism by design) I Will Put Chaos Into Fourteen Lines-Edna St. Vincent MillayI will put Chaos into fourteen linesAnd keep him there; and let him thence escapeIf he be lucky; let him twist, and apeFlood, fire, and demon —- his adroit designsWill strain to nothing in the strict confinesOf this sweet order, where, in pious rape,

The power of poetry

(Optimism by design) I Will Put Chaos Into Fourteen Lines-Edna St. Vincent MillayI will put Chaos into fourteen linesAnd keep him there; and let him thence escapeIf he be lucky; let him twist, and apeFlood, fire, and demon —- his adroit designsWill strain to nothing in the…

@mkour.bsky.social presenting (in 2 minutes!) the exciting new biodiversa+ BRAVE project on #naturebasedsolutions for #invasivespecies with complex impacts #biodivNbS

Shaka, when the walls fell* (It’s not your fault you don’t understand what’s going on with tariffs) I’ve seen a lot of questions out there expressing a lack of understanding about tariffs. Some are people asking to learn what they are, some are asking for explanations of what the administration claims they are. In both cases, we should acknowledge that international relations in the post WWII global economy have very often and very successfully been focused on reducing tariffs and other (non-tariff) barriers to trade.

Shaka, when the walls fell*

(It’s not your fault you don’t understand what’s going on with tariffs) I’ve seen a lot of questions out there expressing a lack of understanding about tariffs. Some are people asking to learn what they are, some are asking for explanations of what the administration…

Freefall Apparently Warren Buffett recommends Kipling for a financial meltdown, and I can see that: If-Rudyard KiplingIf you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Freefall

Apparently Warren Buffett recommends Kipling for a financial meltdown, and I can see that: If-Rudyard KiplingIf you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;…

No honor among thieves The levying of insanely calculated - and not remotely reciprocal- tariffs on essentially every country - populated or not - will be one for the history books, certainly. The moniker “liberation day” might stick, but only in irony or in reference to liberation from any iota of pretense that truth might matter. There will be much to say and many have started, but for today I single out the choice to place tariffs on the Marshall Islands.

No honor among thieves

The levying of insanely calculated - and not remotely reciprocal- tariffs on essentially every country - populated or not - will be one for the history books, certainly. The moniker “liberation day” might stick, but only in irony or in reference to liberation from any iota…

Florida man While the focus has rightly been at the federal level for much of the dismay about the future those in power are trying to build, several states are contending for runner up in the Miss ‘Murica pageant for most dystopian vision. Never to be outdone in such competitions, Florida is contemplating or already enacted a couple of beggar-thyself changes that need attention.

Florida man

While the focus has rightly been at the federal level for much of the dismay about the future those in power are trying to build, several states are contending for runner up in the Miss ‘Murica pageant for most dystopian vision. Never to be outdone in such competitions, Florida is…

Please stop this train As mentioned earlier this week, technological change is progressing rapidly and government regulation is having trouble keeping pace. But it is now clear that is not the greatest of our problems - the government itself doesn't seem capable of keeping pace in a safe and secure manner. It added a (quite responsible) journalist to its war planning Signal chat, did not notice, did not notice when he left, and did not seem too concerned when it was brought to their attention - by the journalist…

Please stop this train

As mentioned earlier this week, technological change is progressing rapidly and government regulation is having trouble keeping pace. But it is now clear that is not the greatest of our problems - the government itself doesn't seem capable of keeping pace in a safe and…

Broligarchy (Sunk costs don't matter but generational transfer does) One place where we will wittingly or unwittingly shape the after-times of the current traumatic transition is in how we engage with our technological future. The upheaval Trump and his sycophants and broligarchs are causing is in part due to the pace and concentration of industry, particularly the tech sector, moving faster than we can govern its social and economic consequences.

Broligarchy

(Sunk costs don't matter but generational transfer does) One place where we will wittingly or unwittingly shape the after-times of the current traumatic transition is in how we engage with our technological future. The upheaval Trump and his sycophants and broligarchs are causing is in…

Postdoc in Applied Economics (energy focus) We are hiring in conjunction with the University of Stavanger! We looking for an economics postdoc (3.5 years) interested in energy in Scandinavia. The successful candidate will spend the first years in Norway and then come to Denmark, working with two funded projects. Two adventures, only one application process! Deadline May 15, 2025. Jobbnorge ID: 271461Deadline: 15.05.2025Website:

Postdoc in Applied Economics (energy focus)

We are hiring in conjunction with the University of Stavanger! We looking for an economics postdoc (3.5 years) interested in energy in Scandinavia. The successful candidate will spend the first years in Norway and then come to Denmark, working with two…

There and back again (I already told this story once) — In January 2017 I wrote the blog post reprinted below. I've now added a few footnotes to update you on where we stand, but as you can read, we've been in the thick of it for awhile. Today's poem has simple but evocative imagery of what we take when we flee tragedy.

There and back again

(I already told this story once) — In January 2017 I wrote the blog post reprinted below. I've now added a few footnotes to update you on where we stand, but as you can read, we've been in the thick of it for awhile. Today's poem has simple but evocative imagery of what we…