Andrea Thompson

ICYMI on Friday...

Happy Friday, you probably want to admire the first kākāpō chick of the year, lil baby squeeeeeee 🧪 🪶

Thank you!

The reason the Middle East has so much oil is the same reason it’s all stuck there now A continental collision trapped oil within what is today Iran. The same collision explains why that oil is trapped behind the Strait of Hormuz now

Fascinating new piece by @sipappas.bsky.social looking at the geology behind the geopolitics:

🧪

Patients say measles 'worse than expected' as Utah hits 350+ infections, doctors say Health officials plead with residents to vaccinate against measles as Utah hits 358 infections.

Over 120 people have been hospitalized due to measles in Utah alone. "It is, at this time a real threat in our state and something we can do to stop it," said Dr. Leisha Nolen, state epidemiologist… pleading for people to get themselves and their children vaccinated.” @jackiantonovich.bsky.social

Scientists created a digital library full of ants Using a synchrotron powered CT scanner, the Antscan project created an open-source digital library cataloguing thousands of 3D ant specimens

Can I interest you in a library cataloging the internal body structures of ants that was created with a particle accelerator? 🧪

(by our stellar intern, @krcallaway.bsky.social for @sciam.bsky.social)

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This may be the oldest ‘butthole’ imprint on Earth Fossils show exceptionally rare evidence of a cloacal vent—the slit that most vertebrates use to excrete, have sex and lay egg—which could shed light on the evolution of the orifice

“The animal literally cemented itself—and its nether regions—into eternal history like the movie stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”

Omg. I want a giant inflatable perch in my city!

Ding-dong! The Dutch Fish Doorbell needs you to help migrating fish A Dutch lock is closed for the spring, and its employees want you to tell them when migrating fish come knocking by ringing a digital doorbell

Well, in more pleasant news, the Fish Doorbell is back... 🧪

U.S.’s and Israel’s war with Iran leaves uranium stockpiles uncertain The Trump administration’s war with Iran over its nuclear ambitions raises new questions about the country’s uranium stockpile

U.S. and Israel war with Iran leaves uranium stockpiles uncertain

The Trump administration’s war with Iran over its nuclear ambitions raises new questions over the country’s uranium stockpile

www.scientificamerican.com/article/u-s-...

This winter is such a great example of shifting baselines. As someone in the east, it was cold this winter. Full stop. But it "felt" even more frigid because we haven't had such cold recently.

It was cold but not historically so. But good heavens look at that record-breaking heat out West. 🔥

The Trouble Covering Tehran As U.S. and Israeli forces launch deadly strikes on Iran, the inherent challenges of covering the country are exacerbated by recent newsroom cuts, social media distortion, and a White House prone to t...

“In January, WashPost reporter Yeganeh Torbati, who had been covering Iran, appealed to Jeff Bezos on social media, noting she had spent months covering developments inside the country and wanted to continue the work.

“The appeals to Bezos went unheeded.”

elink.mail.status.news/ss/c/u001.zg...

Her License Was Invalidated For Being Trans — Assigned “I wish I could convey to them that the people they’re hurting are real human beings,” says Juniper, 24, of Witchita Kansas.

Many news outlets are reporting that some trans Kansans received letters warning that their licenses were being invalidated overnight.

This morning, Evan Urquhart spoke with a trans woman who found out on Bluesky that it would be illegal to drive her car.

www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-new...

Thanks!!

OMG I need this.

I have a pittie mix that is an unrepentant sidewalk snacker and Brooklyn offers a real smorgasbord of gross treats.

The NHC post-analysis report for #HurricaneMelissa is out now.

Estimated maximum sustained winds were nudged upwards to 190 mph at #Melissa's peak, tying Hurricane Allen (1980) for the highest ever recorded in the Atlantic, Caribbean, or Gulf of Mexico.

The squeaks happen when the soft ridges of the sneakers slide against really any kind of rigid, smooth surface.

The surprising new physics of squeaky basketball shoes A new study explains why basketball shoes make a high-pitched squeaking noise when they rub against the hardwood. The ridges on the sole hold the key

Come for the new explanation of why basketball sneakers squeak on the court. Stay for the rendition of Darth Vader's theme song in sneaker squeaks. 🧪

Literally ooohed when I saw the images. 🧪

Also, have I had The Pixies' "Caribou" stuck in my head since editing this? Yes, yes, I have.

Why do female reindeer have antlers? They eat them as a postbirthing snack A recent study found an unexpected benefit of female caribou antlers: they can function like a vitamin for deer that have just given birth

Caribou are the only deer species where the females grow antlers. There are few theories as to why, but now evidence shows they eat them as a postbirthing supplement 🧪

Fascinating piece by @emmalgometz.bsky.social for @sciam.bsky.social

Happening Now: A snowball fight is taking place at Washington Square Park in New York City

Updated.

For perspective

It is really just a cartoonish amount of snow out there.

Location looks right!

Just had some thundersnow!

Forecast Challenges: • Low predictability on exact location and duration of heavy snow banding until the event gets underway. Snowfall rates as high as 3”+/hr possible under the most intense bands and 2 ft+ tot

Something I wanted to highlight from the NWS forecast re: where the heaviest snow will be. Snow is notoriously tricky to predict b/c it's so temperature dependent and the bands of heavy snow are related to the smaller-scale internal dynamics of a storm, which are just harder for models to get. 🧪