SWEET 16 WINNERS: #2026MMM Steller's Sea Cow, Aurochs, Humpback Whale, Hippopotamus, Lions, Nile Crocodile, Honey Badger and Gila Monster! Please join us TOMORROW (3/26) at 8PM EST for the ELITE TRAIT!!

Please take 2 minutes to help me with a challenge for my students. 🙂 How good are we at discerning whether videos are made with AI? I created a collection of 6 short video clips. I plan to ask my students whether they were created with AI. wakelet.com/wake/OB_4iRd... THANKS!

#2026MMM EXTINCTION IS FOREVER ROUND 1 WINNERS: Steller's Sea Cow, Saudi Gazelle, Baiji, Yallara, Thylacine, Aurochs, Sea Mink, and Wild Dromedary Camel! Please join us Wednesday 3/18 at 8PM EST for Round 1 of That's So Metal!

💀 IS FOREVER EMOJI BATTLE #2026MMM Round 1 🐮🆚🐭:🐭🍽️👶🏼/🐮🌊🐭/🏆🐮 🐐🆚🦦:🏜️💨🦦/🦦➡️🪨/🏆🐐 🐬🆚🐀:🌋🐕🐀/🐀🏊‍♂️🪨/🏆🐬 🦭🆚🦘:🏌️‍♂️🦭😴/🦘🏖️😬/🏆🦘 🐯🆚🐹:🪄🐹🙂/🐯🍽️🐹/🏆🐯 🐂🆚🐁:🐁🍽️🌾/🦶🐁😰/🏆🐂 🐺🆚🧥:🐺🧥🐧/🧥😡🐺/🏆🧥 🐪🆚🦇:〽️🦇🐀/🦇🆙👋/🏆🐪

I just enjoyed seeing this Sun Animalcule (aka Heliozoan) in a sample, took a photo of it, and digitally painted it. A neat interaction between #Art and #Science! #microscope #microscopy #pondscum #biology #sciart #nature

A round of applause for Education Engagement Coordinator Jenna Kissel & @loreleipatrick.bsky.social and the whole group of contributors to those sweet, sweet combatant info slides! #2026MMM

Shout out to the incredible #2026MMM coverage from ASU with a focus on librarians & libraries news.asu.edu/20260220-art...

Real Talk: you hear from me A LOT, but March Mammal Madness is made possible by the most incredible teaMMM of the very awesomest people you will ever have the honor of knowing! #2026MMM

#2026MMM WILDCARD WINNER: Assassin Bug! Join us Wednesday, March 11th at 8PM EST for ROUND ONE of MONEY MAMMALS!

While pretty common in samples from puddles & birdbaths, I never tire of the antics of Ostracods - the hyperactive #crustaceans who also bear the nickname "Seed Shrimp" - they have a fossil history going back over 570 million years! They are a great marker in relative dating in #paleontology!

Microverse Minute I collected samples from a local fountain several days after a good rain, and the sediment was loaded with these micro crustaceans called Ostracods!! They date back in the fossil record over 400 million years! #microscopy #naturephotography📷 #science #biology

Always love getting to see a microscopic population explosion in my samples! Here's a Paramecium undergoing binary fission to create two clones! Motic Ba310e / Lbacam Ultra/iPhone 15/ 10X objective #nature #microscope #biology #iteachbiology #edusky #science #naturephotography

It's fun to let students in their free time create "Mix slides" from different pond samples & then see what appears.... this "mix" has at least 4 species. Aeolosoma, Paramecium, Rotifers, and Stentor Can you spot any species I missed? #microscope #naturephotography #biology #iteachbiology #edusky

Just saw this recently deceased copepod with a hefty load of peritrich epibionts (I think Vorticella). Excited to see the egg sac with eggs that already have eyes developing. It's my first time observing this! #microscope #edusky #nature #biology #iteachbiology #science

It's always nice when you see a nauplius that isn't hell-bent on zooming everywhere. LOL *For my non-bio friends, a nauplius is a larval form of a crustacean. I suspect this one belongs to the genus Cyclops - a copepod. #microscopy #nature #biology #edusky #iteachbiology #science

While pretty common in samples from puddles & birdbaths, I never tire of the antics of Ostracods - the hyperactive #crustaceans who also bear the nickname "Seed Shrimp" - they have a fossil history going back over 570 million years! They are a great marker in relative dating in #paleontology!

I encountered this Bursaria truncatella after it "inhaled" a Paramecium. I was hoping to see the Paramecium get sealed into a vacuole, but instead it finally managed to escape! My students have nicknamed Bursaria "Micro Roomba." LOL #microscope #science #microscopy #iteachbiology

Live your life such that Bruce Springsteen does not write a protest song about how terrible you are

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free

Following in the footsteps of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and many others -- @brucespringsteen.net today added his voice with the release of "Streets of Minneapolis" ..... youtu.be/wWKSoxG1K7w?...

I just enjoyed seeing this Sun Animalcule (aka Heliozoan) in a sample, took a photo of it, and digitally painted it. A neat interaction between #Art and #Science! #microscope #microscopy #pondscum #biology #sciart #nature

Never seen the death of a ciliate like this-- usually it's too much pressure from the coverslip or too much osmotic pressure. But this gradual posterior-to-anterior "unzipping" effect amazed me ! Motic BA310e - 40x Objective - sped up 2X #microscopy #Paramecium #Iteachbiology #edusky

Never seen the death of a ciliate like this-- usually it's too much pressure from the coverslip or too much osmotic pressure. But this gradual posterior-to-anterior "unzipping" effect amazed me ! Motic BA310e - 40x Objective - sped up 2X #microscopy #Paramecium #Iteachbiology #edusky

Carl Zimmer: How Did Hands Evolve? The Answer Is Behind You. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/s...

How corals from Honduras could help save Florida’s reefs www.npr.org/2025/10/01/n...

Fossils of Some of the Last Dinosaurs in North America Have a Story to Tell www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/s...

In 1979, a Mining Test Ravaged the Pacific Seafloor— 44 Years Later, New Evidence Reveals It’s Likely Forever dailygalaxy.com/2025/11/in-1...

Had a blast last week at the @nabtbio.bsky.social national conference & got to present to several dozen Bio teachers about the #Microsafaris you have seen here over time. Even did a live demo & captured this elegant Stentor showing off for those awesome teachers! #iteachbiology #microscopy #Edusky

Ep. 6 of Safeguarding Sound Science is out! This week, Mat Kaplan sits down with Todd Disotell (@todddisotell.bsky.social) for an enlightening, and sometimes sobering discussion about how we may fare in the event of another pandemic. #podsky #sciencesky #virus #evobio

@evoexplorer.bsky.social absolutely crushing his presentation on microsafari. @nabtbio.bsky.social A privilege to call this talented man my friend.

Excited to head to St. Louis & the @nabtbio.bsky.social Conference tomorrow & get to see many old friends and make new ones! Also excited to present (for the first time!) my MICROSAFARI project on Saturday at 9:00. I hope to see some of you there! #NABT #NABT2025 #NABTStLouis #iteachbiology #edsky

yall my dad wrote this!! a middle grade book about human evolution ⚡️⚡️⚡️ pre-order a copy for your kiddos! @evoexplorer.bsky.social

AUTISM and TYLENOL A study of 2.5 million children showed a small association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism—but this finding DISAPPEARED when full siblings were compared. “Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism…” Full article:

From a desktop "mini pond" I maintain just for kicks --- Love the internal detail of the Aeolosoma as it wanders around. Also notice some blue microplastic and a stentor. Motic BA310e 10X objective via LabCam Ultra & iPhone 15 #microscope #microscopy #nature #biology #edusky #Iteachbiology

From a desktop "mini pond" I maintain just for kicks --- Love the internal detail of the Aeolosoma as it wanders around. Also notice some blue microplastic and a stentor. Motic BA310e 10X objective via LabCam Ultra & iPhone 15 #microscope #microscopy #nature #biology #edusky #Iteachbiology

I am a true fan of Stentor and was able to capture this cooperative one with my 60X objective. I just love seeing the myonemes, the moniliform nuclei, and the cilia active as it "grazes." Motic BA310e - 60 X objective - Labcam Ultra -iPhone15 #iteachbiology #microscope #edusky #science #nature

Happy #MicroscopeMonday! This video from an aging pond sample showcases Paramecium, some cysts of hypotrich ciliates (likely Oxytricha), and a mat of Zooglea bacteria at the end..... Motic BA310e 20X Objective/ LabcamUltra/iPhone15 #iteachbiology #microscope #edusky #science #nature

Just fiddling with an aging sample from my desktop "mini-pond" I love the worm Aeolosoma in darkfield because you can appreciate its internal structure so clearly. Motic BA310e/ 10X objective/Labcam Ultra/iPhone 15 #microscope #nature #biology #edusky #science 🧪

Yesterday I collected some samples from a local Texas pond and was happy to see a bunch of Nauptili. I thought y'all might appreciate this video of one of them -- apologies for a messy condenser --- that gets cleaned this weekend! #microscope #Iteachbiology #edusky #nature #microscopy #Science

From a local park pond, a nice cluster of Vorticella - I am always puzzled by how they manage to feed when it seems they are constantly retracting in response to stimuli. Motic BA 310e - 4X objective - LabCam Ultra & iPhone 15 pro #edusky #microscopy #Biology #nature #microcosmos

From a Texas pond - I love seeing Urocentrum turbo doing its thing here. Amazed they have enough energy to keep on spinning without obviously feeding like other species of ciliates. ENJOY! Motic BA310e - 4X Objective with Labcam Ultra / iPhone Pro 15 #microscope #iteachbiology #edusky #biology

Happy to share that @barnesandnoble.com is has a preorder sale on my book Reading The Bones today through Friday (9/5)!! Get a 25% discount on ALL preorders when you use code PREORDER25 at checkout. #bnpreorder @fsgbooks.bsky.social @mackidsbooks.bsky.social www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reading-th...

Happy to share that @barnesandnoble.com is has a preorder sale on my book Reading The Bones today through Friday (9/5)!! Get a 25% discount on ALL preorders when you use code PREORDER25 at checkout. #bnpreorder @fsgbooks.bsky.social @mackidsbooks.bsky.social www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reading-th...

Thanks for the great review of #ScienceUnderSiege (due out 9/9 in U.S. and Australia, 10/9 in UK), @brianmchugh.bsky.social! climatewithbrian.com/2025/09/01/r...

From a Texas pond - I love seeing Urocentrum turbo doing its thing here. Amazed they have enough energy to keep on spinning without obviously feeding like other species of ciliates. ENJOY! Motic BA310e - 4X Objective with Labcam Ultra / iPhone Pro 15 #microscope #iteachbiology #edusky #biology

It's always nice when you see a nauplius that isn't hell-bent on zooming everywhere. LOL *For my non-bio friends, a nauplius is a larval form of a crustacean. I suspect this one belongs to the genus Cyclops - a copepod. #microscopy #nature #biology #edusky #iteachbiology #science

From a local park pond, a nice cluster of Vorticella - I am always puzzled by how they manage to feed when it seems they are constantly retracting in response to stimuli. Motic BA 310e - 4X objective - LabCam Ultra & iPhone 15 pro #edusky #microscopy #Biology #nature #microcosmos

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Big week here! We've now got the *FOURTH* full video online from our Scopes "Monkey" Trial Centennial Symposium! Check out @evophd.bsky.social's talk here: https://loom.ly/3xlqSxk #Evolution #Scopes100 @ncse.bsky.social