This is the bi-weekly visible open thread (there are also hidden open threads twice a week you can reach through the Open Thread tab on the top of the page). Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. You can also talk at the SSC subreddit or the SSC Discord server. Also:

1. Jeremiah is running a free SSC podcast. It’s already got all the latest articles, and is gradually catching up on some of the older ones. Get it from Stitcher, LibSyn, or iTunes.

2. People who answered the Patreon-related questions on the survey overwhelmingly preferred that it be switched to per-month rather than per-post (I can present this in more depth later). I’ve changed it, but this has decreased my blog-related income by ~80% (everyone’s old per-post donation is now applied only once per month, instead of once for each of the five to ten posts per month). If you’re a Patreon supporter, I would really appreciate it if you went to the Patreon site and adjusted your donation accordingly.

I’ve previously downplayed this, saying that Patreon donations wouldn’t change my output, but this is no longer entirely true – I’m more able to choose how many hours I work now, and support levels might make me shift some marginal hours from work to blogging. Note that I have enough money and you definitely should not donate if you are at all financially strapped or funging against useful charities.

3. Comment of the week is Actinide Meta giving an update on the Paul Marik sepsis study – basically, the US version has gotten hopelessly bogged down in cost overruns, so Actinide wants to help run a cheaper faster version in South Africa. They’re seeking “one or more people with either clinical trials or critical care experience who are willing to take some time to read a proposal and ask questions”.

4. David Friedman is holding another South Bay SSC meetup on Saturday, January 27th, starting at 3 P.M. Location is the usual: 3806 Williams Rd, San Jose, CA.