US GEO folx: we’ve got one more webinar on the books (for now)! Come say hi, ask your burning questions, hear the latest about NSF/Earth Sciences. Thursday, Sept 18, 2p Eastern: www.nsf.gov/events/nsf-d...

If you are interested, or know of anyone, interested in doing a M.Sc. or Ph.D on bio mineralization and geochemistry starting Fall 2026, please contact or let me know. There is the possibility to work with fossils and/or Recent organisms, and the position will be funded.

The brachiopod Nucleospira calypta lived on the sea floor around 436 million years ago in a checkerboard pattern determined by the length of its setae--bristle-like appendages likely used for feeding or defense. In PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Job Alert‼️ Postdoctoral Fellow opportunity in paleontology/biology at the University of Alabama Museums: careers.ua.edu/jobs/688232b... Aim: assess biotic interactions using mollusks from both sides of the Isthmus of Panama. Please share widely! @paleosoc.bsky.social @almnh.bsky.social

The Dept of Museum Research & Collections at University of Alabama seeks a Postdoc for NSF-funded project “Energetic Controls on Marine Benthic Community Structure in Space and Time”. This position will conduct research under the supervision of Dr. Adiel Klompmaker. www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=c...

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is shutting down operations after loss of federal funding:

You don’t see one of these every day… or ever. 🦕 Meet The Titanosaur (Patagotitan mayorum). At 122 ft (37.2 m) long & ~70 tons, this sauropod was heavier than 10 African elephants—it was one of the largest animals to ever walk the Earth! This gigantic herbivore lived ~95 million years ago.

Brachiopods are shelled marine creatures that superficially resemble clams and oysters. Although still living, they were most abundant in the Paleozoic Era (540-252 mya). Since they're common fossils they're useful for dating rocks. The Knobstone Escarpment near Leota, Indiana, 19 Jan 2013.

US Earth Science people: Our June webinar felt so good, we’re making it a series. Join us next Tuesday 7/15 (and again in Aug & Sept) to hear from NSF staff and to get (most of?) your questions answered. www.nsf.gov/events/nsf-d...

Check out our new paper in Science Advances! 🧪🔭🪐 We show that Vesta’s giant equatorial troughs—Divalia Fossae—likely formed from spin axis reorientation and despinning as a long-term consequence of the two massive impacts near the south poles. 🪨⚒️ www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

This may be part of the problem...do our representatives in Congress know the difference between NSF and NIH?

As others are probably doing, I contacted my Senator Hon. Katie Britt to explain the negative consequences, especially for Alabama and UA, to approve, by Congress, the requested NSF budget cut for 2026 by the current administration. I got a reply from her office talking about NIH rather than NSF...

This proposed budget is a policy statement, not an appropriation. There are still a lot of steps and potential changes ahead before it becomes one. This is not a time to sit quietly, team. Let's go.

Is Congress, in particular Senators (independently of political ideology), going to defend US core values rooted in knowledge and education?

The worth of a country is measured by the level of education of its citizens, rather than by economic power or political influence. As the current administration, and some states, in this country are trying to dismantle the education and research system, we have to stand for the US values I love.

Part of my education and career is due to the US academic system. I am a proud US citizen, but I am also an immigrant to this country. When I came to USA, I really liked the value that society was given to education, seeking knowledge, and promoting curiosity.

Proudly, I have been a member of the Palaeontological Association @thepalass.bsky.social for 25 years!!

A bunch of beautiful flowers to improve the mood

Left randomly on a campus corner, it may be considered as an artistic expression about thinking...given the current circumstances, we should think about placing empty chairs across US campus to value the "act of pausing and thinking" about what society we want

I like this approach...you have freedom to smoke, but you would have to be caged to avoid second hand smoking!

Insoluble organic fraction from Cretaceous fossil mollusk nacre...full of protein!

Another example of beautiful flower!

Beautiful flowers blooming in April in Israel

Modern and fossil nacre of related taxa...amazing preservation of Cretaceous bivalves!

Seminar talk on atom probe tomography went quite well today

Today visiting a beach filled with seashells

Marine gastropods have beautiful shells...a different matter is to extract samples for precise locations #biomineralizarion

Waking up with fresh orchids...not bad at all!

The J. David Lowell Field Camp Scholarship is GSA's annual award for undergraduate students to attend summer field camp. Students are awarded $2,000 each to attend the #FieldCamp of their choice based on diversity, financial need & merit. Learn more & apply by 9 April here: geosociety.co/JDL

A bite from a blue-lined octopus can kill a person. But for a female octopus, it's a temporary sedative that allows her mate to escape becoming her final meal. That story and more of the best from @science.org and science in this edition of #ScienceAdviser: www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪

What is #geoscience? With only two states requiring an earth or environmental science course to graduate high school, most people either don’t know or think it’s just about rocks. Learn more on GSA’s Speaking of Geoscience™ guest blog: geosociety.co/EOR #SpeakingOfGeoscience #Geology #EarthScience

"The H5N1 virus has crossed species and adapted to mammalian hosts, including dairy cattle, causing widespread exposure and sporadic human illness. ... Given H5N1’s potential to spread, urgent action is needed to address pandemic preparedness gaps," argues a new #LetterToScience. scim.ag/4hqhoZr

FIB-SEM microscopy session with diatoms

Going to work with diatoms this morning...amazing glass houses for algae. Image credit: www.usgs.gov/media/images...

Amazing things you can do with a cryo-TEM...microscopy of the future!

Working with extremely well-preserved fossil nacre

In Kosher restaurants, it is mainly vegetarian and vegan food and there are delicious treats!

Beautiful day at the Weizmann Institute...the new building for Materials Science in construction

Right now, on sabbatical as the Morris Belkin Visiting Professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel...exciting to do science here!