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squiresjl8.bsky.social
He/Him. Art. Science. Geology. History. Always learning.
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Megalodon seems like a stretch, but I like the “from cute to brute” tag line. people.com/officials-is...

One of the many ways I know I’m getting old is I read developments like this and can’t, for the life of me, understand why anyone would want this. And yet in 10 years everyone will have them. www.theverge.com/news/622963/...

Amidst everything, I still can't believe they didn't exempt Canadian oil. They literally built a "higher gas prices" button and pushed it. They acknowledged it was a bad idea to put tariffs on it but decided to do 10% instead of 0. They literally built a "higher gas prices" button and pushed it!

James Harrison, a blood donor famed for having saved the lives of more than 2 MILLION babies, has died. Harrison’s plasma contained a rare antibody known as Anti-D which was used to manufacture a medication given to expectant mothers. Harrison donated plasma every two weeks from age 18-81

Was it a kindergarten class trip?

I love the braided snakes on this piece - and the investigative thread on the anonymous looter is worth a read too. Shows the layers of obfuscation used in museums around questionable pieces.

Masao Ido (1945-2016) Obai in Temple, 1990 #japanese #woodblock

The Forbes Quarry Neanderthal was presented to the Gibraltar Scientific Society #OnThisDay in 1848. Not yet considered a "Neanderthal," it was discovered eight years before the 'man from the Neander valley' that gave the species its name. 📸 RCS London

Local library has a cool display made up of books banned across North America. It is part of their Freedom to Read Week. Don’t ban books.

This is wild. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

“the eruption had been catastrophic…caused global changes, such as cooling and loss of sunlight. But they also found that the ash cleared, allowing the planet to return to its former condition in just a couple of decades, which was not long enough to kick off an ice age.” phys.org/news/2025-02...

If you would like to learn more, I highly recommend my newest book - The Cicadas of North America - which contains over 400 full-color illustrations of every cicada species on the continent*! *(except for the two new ones from Martinique and Guadeloupe that were just described in September)

Important article for Canadians to be aware of, esp. targeted groups. “the largest electronic medical records providers are headquartered in the U.S. and may be unable to avoid American legislation mandating disclosure of data in their possession.” Gift link www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/a83b4da...

I don’t even know how this could be presented as being in service of anything other than hindering scientific progress.

What the what? It took all the legs.

General photo of the Summit participants:

No one wants a paper trail because spending funds Congress has not appropriated is colloquially known as “stealing from the US Treasury.”

A single line poem

My latest piece for @teenvogue.com delves into the horrific story of popular skincare ingredient Retin-A. Before Retin-A was approved by the FDA in 1971, it had been tested on hundreds of incarcerated Black people in Philadelphia, without their informed consent. The survivors still bear the scars.

This is wild. Tasting things virtually www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Front page @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/s...

Apparently it is World Seagrass Day A good excuse to remind about this paper from 2024 about how their global distribution and diversity may shift due to climate change Open access link: www.nature.com/articles/s41... #WorldSeagrassDay2025 #WorldSeagassDay #SeagrassDay

I will never forget the photo of Zelenskyy’s face after he saw Russia’s war crimes in Bucha in 2022. He seemed to age years in an afternoon. Watching him constantly cross the world asking for aid that should have been thrown at him is one of the deepest shames of our age.

Ukraine is Europe! We stand by Ukraine. We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the agressor. Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.

Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President Zelenskyy. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.

One of my favourite pieces of all time.

Raise your hand 🖐️ if you support President Zelenskyy and Ukraine! 🇺🇦 I want my followers to follow YOU! 💙 Like ❤️ and Repost 🔄 for MORE followers! 🚀 Who is with us? 🖐️

Mark Rothko, Untitled (Yellow and Blue), 1954, private collection

In 1916, after falling out with his business partner, the creator of the font ‘Doves Type’ threw all existing Doves type blocks into the Thames. In 2014, the font was resurrected after mudlarkers retrieved the blocks.

Of course, this was more meaningful back when people were held accountable.

This article on Gobekli Tepe notes the discovery of living quarters on the site, without a reference. I haven’t seen that elsewhere - is this is new discovery? Does anyone have a proper reference for this finding? www.jpost.com/archaeology/...

Did you know we have a new series of blog posts on issues of cultural heritage and the legacies of colonialism? If not, fear not! Here's a handy recap, starting with the amazing work of EAMENA.... 👇 bsky.app/profile/peop... /1

Great thread on the strange giant arthropods of the Silurian.

“Perhaps the universal language to which the title refers is neither Farsi nor French, but the acts of attentiveness and care we are clearly capable of showing one another, yet rarely afford to those we consider strangers.”

In case you missed the symposium last weekend, the papers are now up on the Canvas website: www.canvasjournal.ca/symposium-1

Good news.

Oh man, I am loving “Project Hail Mary” by @andyweirauthor1.bsky.social It’s just the distraction I need right now. I have to keep a little pen and paper beside me to do all the calculations as the story plays out. Such a fun read.

New plant just dropped 🚨 And of course, the little guy is growing on America's public lands.

Unpopular opinion but I think it’s a fair thing to do. Just because I don’t like the victim(s) doesn’t mean that it’s right. A policy like this should be objective.

RNA xkcd.com/3056

This should be a war crime. www.cnn.com/2025/02/26/w...

“It’s terrifying to witness the death of men from these communities because you realize that in one or two generations, entire cultures could easily disappear.” www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/25/e...

Maya Angelou interview in the Paris Review, 1990.

I really really want this to work; a pancreatic cancer vaccine would be so world-changing. Coverage from @scifri.bsky.social www.sciencefriday.com/segments/pan...

I was quite confident on my knowledge of marine biodiversity in my area (I have a PhD in marine biology after all). But today I learn about Paromola cuvieri, one of the largest crab species of the Northeast Atlantic, that uses its last pair of legs to carry live specimens of sponges and corals 🦑 🌊

4.2 billion years ago is so early. Amazing. www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...

“In 1967 Salvador Dali designed some quirky ash trays for Air India’s first class passengers. At the artist’s request, the national airline paid him not with money, but with a baby elephant.“ (source: International Intrigue)

Amazing summary