@magratnj
Sabertooth cat & carnivore expert, paleontology, Carnivora, paleoanthropology, Past President Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Prof of Biology Stockton University, JSC BSA STEM Chair, mom, musician, knitter, former BSA Scoutmaster, she/her, #TransRights
NHMLA has a student collections study award (deadline April 1) - nhm.org/student-coll.... NHM has great paleontology collections, AND it's near many other museums (Alf, San Bernardino Co. Museum, Western Center, Cooper Center, San Diego NHM), so a SoCal paleo trip can cover a lot of institutions!
Bronze plaque saying "A Letter to the Future. Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it. August 2019. 415ppm CO2"
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
This made my day. “Any perceived connection….” And the table….😂😂😂😂
A tweet from My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) says: “Billionaire MacKenzie Scott has gifted another $38 million to Atlanta’s Spelman College, bringing her total donations to 8 HBCUs to $387 million in the past 30 days. She has been donating billions of her wealth every year since her divorce from ex-husband Jeff Bezos in 2019.” The image shows MacKenzie Scott smiling at an event, and in the corner, a smaller inset photo shows two joyful Spelman College graduates in caps and gowns.
In a world of Jeffs, be like MacKenzie.
It's okay to love your work, but it is not okay to take the products of someone else's work without permission and benefit from them nor to be an avowed racist nor any of the other things he did or said that hurt and disenfranchised others. 5/5
Almost forty years later, I look back at my innocence and am glad I had a positive take away from my experience listening to a man who could never understand that he was in the wrong....but then I never had to work with him. 4/5
He apparently thought very little of my line of research (or any that didn't involve genetics), but I didn't know that when I saw him speak; his enthusiasm for research helped me see that your career can be your passion and not just something you do 9-5. 3/5
He said exactly what he wanted to say, no holds barred. I was not surprised when I learned about him using Dr. Rosalind Franklin's x-rays without her permission in pursuit of the double helix nor his later racist comments. 2/5
I saw James Watson speak at #riceuniversity and Baylor Med School when I was an undergrad at Rice in 1986. He came to an upper level class in biology that all of us bio majors were allowed to attend. His lectures were entertaining and wild. 🧪🧵1/5
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/s...
new @teenvogue.com: students at the 9 colleges invited to Trump's "college compact" have been pushing their universities to reject it.
+ a bit of a scoop: @sunrisemvmt.bsky.social tells us that they're launching a national coalition to support students pushing their schools to fight the Trump admin
A gathering of people in the early evening alongside Dr. Michael E Mann and Dr. Peter J Hotez, they are dressed casually and standing on a sidewalk terrace hung with string lights. Behind, a green awning says "Rosemary Bistro Cafe."
We had an amazing time last night with @michaelemann.bsky.social and @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social as they discussed their new book #ScienceUnderSiege!
One poignant quote: “Anti-science is a lethal force.” Standing up for science saves lives! ✊
I used to think that this was only true because no one knew how to actually debate and how to actually moderate a debate.
Lots of people make that mistake.
It does harm because it communicates to them and the world that their bullshit hatred might have merit.
Every time you want to give the democrats a pass on trans issues, ask yourself if you would be ok if they threw black, Latino, lgbtq or women under the bus the same way. The answer always has to be no. Period.
We Are Watching a Scientific Superpower Destroy Itself www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/o...
I got so tired of “you’re a teacher, so you should understand…”. Most times it was absolutely my kids, but sometimes it was them. Either way, it was exhausting. Hang in there.💜
I am worried that he will be the next Democratic candidate. Even before his sickening comments on trans athletes, he made it clear his earlier support was just an affectation by being one of the first people after the election to blame Kamala’s loss on support for trans people. He can’t be trusted.
Do you want to be a paleontologist? Join the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology's Application Preparation Group! This series of free Zoom workshops will: Tell you how the field of paleontology works, guide you through the graduate school application process, connect you with other applicants, and give you feedback on your application. Anyone is welcome!
Do you want to go to grad school in #paleontology 🦖, #geology ⚒️, or #biology🧪?
Join the @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social Graduate School Application Prep Group! We’ll walk you through the application process in weekly workshops.
Sign up with this form! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
New piece with @stuartsumida.bsky.social, Kristi Curry-Rogers, and Kenshu Shimada, and help from @magratnj.bsky.social : theconversation.com/fossils-are-...
This looks like required reading!!
AI in the DOE report? This ref (p29) is fake:
Lee, S., Byrne, M. P., Loikith, P. C., & O’Dell, C. W. (2024). Zonal contrasts of the tropical Pacific climate predicted by a global constraint. Climate Dynamics, 62(1–2), 229–246. doi:10.1007/s00382-023-06741-7
www.realclimate.org/index.php/ar...
The FTC is seeking public comment about gender affirming care in order to go after providers and restrict access. Share your stories instead of how this care has helped you and how it is life saving.
We need to counteract their false narratives. Please share!
www.regulations.gov/docket/FTC-2...
I wish there had been articles like this when I started my PhD. If this is you, you're not alone! There are way more tools out there today. Don't be afraid to use them.
www.asbmb.org/asbmb-today/...
Definitely. Great to see someone holding the line.
She said: “I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorship, especially when it targets vulnerable communities…when transgender people are being legislated against, silenced, and endangered…silence is not an option.” Free read: Amy Sherald Cancels Show www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/a...
As I was scrolling I saw this and thought “What? An early female paleontologist or geologist that I never heard of?” Nope, but her story is still amazing.
Have an idea for an #AABA2026 symposium? The submission portal is OPEN! Check out the guidelines and submit your proposal by August 15 bioanth.org/95th-annual-...
This is a really important point. Most Medicaid recipients likely have NO idea that they’re about to lose their coverage.
Greetings, fellow friends of prehistoric vertebrates! Which dinosaur without “Tyrannosaurus” in its name is the best? Extra internet points if you name something still alive today!