Now on @sciam.bsky.social: See the Artemis II mission in 12 unforgettable photos. Can't say I disagree with any of these selections! www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-...

when i see queens, i have a habit of singing Queen to them, specifically "mama, oooo-OOO-ooooohh" from Bohemian Rhapsody i was caught by random hikers today. oops

🌑 🌍 ☀️ - lunar eclipse 🌍 🌑 ☀️- solar eclipse 🌑 ☀️ 🌎 - apocalypse 🌑 🚀 🌏 ☀️- Artemis

The world is stupid, but I just watched a squirrel break into a car in the parking lot below me, steal a package of crackers, and escape to a nearby tree. So at least somebody is winning.

the whole AI thing is a good reminder to beware of geeks bearing grifts

“Great Man” theories of history may have been wrong but “That F*ing Guy” theory looks increasingly plausible.

Is my mental health is worryingly dependent on @darthbluesky.bsky.social's spring return? Who's to say?

It's almost time for Ramadan, as Muslims tonight peered to the crescent moon to see if the month of Ramadan starts tonight or the day after. As with every year, I'm starting this thread so that people can ask questions, and learn about Ramadan from one person's perspective of it.

It just happens that back in 2014 I made a bunch of Winter Olympic Lolcats. Let's have a look!

#librarytalk My goal in 2026 is for everyone to reset the algorithm for books that are rich in literary value so they aren't on the weed list. Go to the library and check out your favorite child book The Borrowers, Little House on the Prairie, The Diary of Anne Frank, Narnia.. our algorithms matter.

Reminder: You only need to see a new account once!

Visual representation of the smart, extremely-capable girl helping the Chosen One boy achieve his destiny.

Sure. AI companies have ALWAYS been training their models on Wikipedia content, which under the free and open access model is available to anyone — including AI companies. Agreements like these require AI companies to limit and offset the strain they place on Wikimedia infrastructure.

Nature valentines. This comic is now available as a set of 6 Valentines cards: topatoco.com/collections/...

30 minutes of not boring content on dishwasher optimization? Yes!

So, we weren’t going to have a calendar this year. But I got to thinking about Pepé and I was like “How can I honor TWELVE YEARS of this majestic dog???” and then I decided she deserves HER VERY OWN 12 month calendar. I hope it’s not too late. #uglydogs www.createphotocalendars.com/Store/A+Doze...

At the outset of the year, I am restarting a project I started and then stopped last year. Among my notes from last year, a list of reasons not to start counterbalanced by reasons to do it. It's January again, and again the ayes have it. Sharing in case the list is helpful to you. Happy 2026!

Happy Public Domain Day! (with a simultaneous boo to the AI that is making so many things, including this celebration, worse) web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicd...

Hi #uglydogs here for our following pleasure is the intrepid reporter Alyssa Choiniere. I hear she’s working on a fantastic and important book, too.

I also want to say thank you to the person who introduced me to the French word 'beaucoup' this year. It means a lot.

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE, it's New Bird Day!!

how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...

If I was a responsible academic, I'd hide this until I publish on this, but WHO CARES Spring bee visits to flowers Mar/Apr/May in MN IA WI IL IN MI What flowers are early season bees, including bumblebee queens, actually visiting? docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA 10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)

It didn't occur to me that one of the problems with getting older is witnessing the culture debate and process the same things over and over. Like, as a historian it's fascinating and useful to analyze these continuities. As a human it's exhausting.

Went into this story thinking it was a profile of two brilliant pranksters—Connor Gaydos and Peter McIndoe of Birds Aren’t Real fame. They started Enron as a satire of greed and corporate buffoonery. But those things aren’t as easy to defeat as you might imagine. 🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

i wrote this post in july two years ago when blue sky had around 200,000 total users and i thought i would ask again tell me what u are doing be proud of what u do and share it here

Doggust 30: Coton de Tulear. New painting. 🪵 #doggust #doggust2025

Shocked and sad and amazed to see my first live spotted lanternfly in our own backyard (Chicago). Gorgeous animal—I wasn’t prepared for how beautiful it was. 🥲 Squashed and reported on @inaturalist.bsky.social

Light bulb moment that I can try talking about vaccines as practicing before game day. Going straight into a game without reviewing tape, scrimmaging, drilling plays is just bad prep and a fast way to lose. We play how we practice.

Right #UglyDogs, this is a call to arms for your joy. I know I usually post the weird animal joy, but today I need what you've got. Dogs, pets, zoos, trail cams, flowers - please can I have some joy and distraction. Thank you 💚

Pro-tip. If you print your book all the way to the edges of the page, you will never make money. There's no margin.

One bison, corner of Lowden and Stone #Nachusa

Not only is this an almost impossible time to be an historian, structurally, it’s also a hugely morally distressing one. Our work is manipulated, defunded, and then ignored, and we sit here watching humanity do the same dumb shit over and over again. Thanks, I hate it.

I don't know if my ~1000 square foot pollinator garden actually helps native pollinators or if it just makes me feel good, but my neighbor told me that he's seen more bees in his yard this year & he attributes it to my garden attracting them to the area. And that makes me feel good. #bloomscrolling

Happy early Festivus to those who celebrate

Denali puppy cam is LIVE!!! #uglydogs www.nps.gov/dena/learn/p... Webcam: Sled Dog Puppies - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)

And now, to soothe your timeline, a patch of Illinois tallgrass prairie.

Being my kid is probably a lot like you imagine it is...

Two part-shade #NativePlants flowering up in NE Illinois. Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) and Golden alexander (Zizia aurea). 🌱

As it says, this is the true calling of the Internet.

Adventures in watching TV with a husky: - bears, kind of cool - frogs, not cool - sharks, sometimes - antelope, great, v exciting - Pallas cat, sort of interesting - Pallas kittens, literally the best thing that has ever happened to the dog. Had to catch her before she tackled the screen

The dissertation! 150 pages of prairie, history, & more pawpaws than you'd expect. I've sold over 850 copies of this baby, and the world being what it is, it's far too expensive to print another edition right now. Check it out in pdf form: drive.google.com/file/d/104cf...

Just a flower. A flower with an ant. And definitely no moths or anything.

Podcast content crossover: I listen to Strong Songs. I listen to @muppeturgy.com. Both were great for getting the garage cleaning done.

Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) starting to send flowers. #NativePlants 🌱

We started Globalization class today talking about the impact of the tariffs (and when tariffs are justified), and it turns out that the prospect of tariffs on the Switch 2 is radicalizing the youth.

ENGLAND: Could any country engage in an act of self-sabotage worse than Brexit? USA: Pay more to hold my beer.