Fact of the day: the Irish Gaelic word for jellyfish—smugairle róin—translates literally as 'seal snot'.
12.03.2026 08:38
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Fact of the day: the Irish Gaelic word for jellyfish—smugairle róin—translates literally as 'seal snot'.
I hope the strait of Hormuz is closed for as long as Israel closed the Rafah border. Yes. This affects all of us, so does genocide, but that didnt seem to move enough people, so maybe inflation will
We don't notice shit in the West until it hits us in the wallet
GM orange petunias were made in the late 80s, but were banned in USA and EU cos GM. They circulated illicitly among petunia-fanciers until they were found outside a Finnish railway station in 2017. Cue THE GREAT PETUNIA MASSACRE. They were all destroyed. You can now buy them legally. More:
The internet, on scientists: They're secretive gatekeepers, they hoard esoterica/the truth, they don't want anyone in their ivory tower little clubs
Actual scientists: LOOK, WE FOUND A 300 MILLION YEAR OLD FOSSILIZED CLOACCAL IMPRESSION AND THE VENT IS HORIZONTAL! PLZ READ MY 67-PAGE PAPER ABOUT IT
Early Neanderthals walked into this cave, went three football fields into the earth, created 15-foot-wide bubbles of rock, lit and tended small fires upon them. Then they left.
This unique find has implications for how we underestimate many past peoples.
www.johnhawks.net/p/a-look-at-...
A multi-millenial analysis of floral diversity reveals the impact of the Black Death on floral diversity and, by extension, the surprisingly positive effect of humans on European biodiversity. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Took this week's seminar speaker for a walk around campus and was able to point out a firecrest 😊
I just stood beneath a singing firecrest and I think I’ve gotten everything I needed from life. A bullfinch nest, a pine marten and a firecrest.
2026 is an exciting time for evolutionary ecology: a dedicated conference AND a dedicated Special Interest Group, with plans to make the ExE meeting an annual event, regular workshops and more to support our community! bsky.app/profile/bes-...
The kestrels are back, noisily proclaiming their nesting site behind our house 😊
The tiny Ramshorn Bagworm moth Luffia lapidella caterpillar in its case on a lichen covered gravestone, Alphington Church Exeter, Devon today.
Two scientists look at a monitor attached to a large apparatus consisting of pipes, tanks, vessels and hoses. The first scientist says "I don't get it. The reaction is running perfectly, but we can't account for 7% of the heat." The other says "Have you Asked the Professor?" The first replies "We're not supposed To disturb him when He's in his office." On the other side of the apparatus, one of the pipes goes through a wall into another room where it warms the water for a hot tub in which the professor relaxes.
My cartoon for this week’s @newscientist.com
My GP thinks it’s orange fever, and has prescribed some mermaid scales, a lion's sneeze, a unicorn horn and half a pound of cheese.
Saw one yesterday but it was too far away to be able to say that I recognised it visually. But today I did get close.
The quest is over.
New teaching neurosis drops.
Student: It's funny. When I listen to the lecture recording the microphone picks up you heart beating, and so I can hear when you get nervous.
<sees look on my face>
Oh don't worry, it's not very noticeable.
2nd Student: Oh yeah, I've totally noticed that too!
I found a tick on my leg a few hours ago 🤦♂️ And now this. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
I saw it! But not well enough to feel I can claim it 😮💨
Blue tit inspecting the entrance to the nestbox next to my office window. A little smaller and bluer than ideal, but pleasing nonetheless.
A rocky outcrop in the centre of the scene, with boulders and pebbles scattered around. In the distance, some gently rolling hills, and endless sand. All under a butterscotch sky.
You live in a time when you can see on your phone high-res photos taken over the weekend by a nuclear-powered rover on Mars.
I have never been good at art. Does these look like little faces? Or the organelles that transformed out planet?
“Make sure you’re pointing your willy down into the toilet when you do your poo, Mummy”
Rewarded for staying late at work with some on-campus wildlife
For folks in #Ecology and #Evolution, we are hosting a conference here in Cornwall UK! Great chance for a summer staycation June 29-July 3.
Plus, we've managed to make it affordable: £250 + £49/night for accommodation.
#EvolBiol #EcoEvo
sites.exeter.ac.uk/exe/
“There is compelling evidence demonstrating that in-round riding of golf carts reduces the physical demands of golf, with users expending less energy and covering shorter distances”.
I want to take Sports Medicine seriously, as a journal and a research field. But then it does something like this: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
It strikes me as a Ben-origin title.
Noooooo way!
A stag in the field outside my shed-office has got a long rope tangled round its antlers. It’s trying to rub it off on a tree. Poor thing.
Don't think there's much I can do unless it gets tangled but would be glad to be told otherwise.
Register now for the ExE 2026 Conference in Cornwall, UK, focusing on evolutionary ecology. Join exciting sessions and workshops! Spots are limited. More info: https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/exe/ #conference
“Erbivores”. Is that a continent-wide pronunciation?
