The next time someone groans at one of my puns I am going to haughtily note that puns are WORD MAGIC. SO THERE.

David M. Perry@lollardfish.bsky.social · 3h ago

" puns in Greek literature serve a somewhat different purpose from puns in the present day. Today, people often see puns as the lowest form of humor, but, in early Greek literature, puns are more like word magic" neat. I did not know this.

Minor things: Apples! I remember when there were just like, red (cardboard), green (so sour), and yellow (sickeningly sweet) apples. Now?! GLORIOUS. No smoking indoors in most places? Hell yes. Major things: MEDICINE. How many people do you know on their third knee? With controlled blood sugar?

Constantine@ajaxsinger.bsky.social · 16h ago

Food, man. Food is so much better than it was in 1986. All of it. Poor-people food, restaurant food, fresh food, frozen food. Food is just a hell of a lot better.

Wait, you're saying it would make Google usable again? It would mean my literal book wasn't stolen to feed a machine that people use just because they "don't wanna"? Where do I sign?

Alexander Glass@alexanderglass.bsky.social · 11h ago

I have one answer.

Because it apparently needs to be said: I have never fucking used the AI/LLM/chatbot/plagiarism machine and I never fucking will. If you use it, I think you're a bad person.

It is my headcanon that snakes are just 100+ packs of abs and I will not be dissuaded.

Sabrina Imbler@sabs.bsky.social · 21h ago

this diagram of snake anatomy is making me lol. you may say those are different body regions, but to me that's all Tube. phys.org/news/2026-08...

I'm just here to say I've been hating on the protein-maxxing phenomenon since before it was cool (you're not even getting to the gym twice a week what muscle are you building my guy you're just trying to make your smoothie manly) and HAH I WAS RIGHT. www.scientificamerican.com/article/eati...

Eating less protein could help you live longer

While “protein maxxing” is all the rage, reducing your protein intake could add years to your life

scientificamerican.com

It. WORKED!!! The calling and comments and yelling! It works. It's a temporary stall but it can be made permanent. www.scientificamerican.com/article/sena...

U.S. senators push against giving political appointees control over science funding

These proposed changes have seen significant bipartisan pushback and have been criticized by scientists across disciplines

scientificamerican.com

Genius.

Tara Haelle@tarahaelle.bsky.social · 2d ago

This is pretty awesome. From Threads, I believe.

As a former neuroscientist (who studied dopamine), I cannot endorse this enough.

Elizabeth Lopatto@lopatto.bsky.social · 2d ago

I see a lot of you talking about "dopamine" and I wish you'd go back to talking about your astrological signs because at least then you wouldn't be confusing yourself about a real thing

This is where the individualization of health leads. But "individual choice" obscures the network underpinning our abilities to make those choices. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

I think this thread is basically what I believed when I began covering the consumer system and while a lot of what Nathan is describing is factually correct as to the mechanisms by which the system itself works, I’ve eventually had to admit that a lot of people also do just love cheap bullshit

Nathan Tankus@nathantankus.bsky.social · 3d ago

I think this is fundamentally wrong but in an interesting way I will need to write about sometime. The key is a) consumers do not choose what is produced, or how, they choose between what is produced. This is a crucial difference

This is both useful guidance (how to turn off AI summaries in Google), and also an important way to think. "it’s worth pushing past what you think you can accomplish. If something’s not working, don’t give up—try to figure out why. You might just fix it." buttondown.com/justinpot/ar...

How to turn off those AI summaries (and other thoughts)

Hi! This week I’m going to show you how to turn off Google’s AI feature, then talk a bit about why it’s fun to make things working How to get the old Google...

buttondown.com

We are at the time of year when I will go through two (yes, two) watermelons per week if correctly enabled (by the purchase of two watermelons). I never have any regrets.

c0nc0rdance@c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 2d ago

Global production of watermelon is between 100-200 million tons/year. This red sweet treat has very deep roots, but it's unclear when it was domesticated to the form we know. A new clue comes from an unlikely place: a 3500 year old Egyptian mummy, combined with some very lucky DNA sequencing.🍉🧪

Pigeons are the sexiest bird it's true I don't make the rules. @rosemarymosco.com does. And she is correct. Nothing beats the swagger of a male pigeon, shining in the sun, following ladies around like "can HE offer you the iridescence I can???"

Greg Jenner (Historian)@gregjenner.bsky.social · 5d ago

NEW EPISODE! This week on You’re Dead To Me, we explore the history of underwear 🩲 I’m joined by the hilarious @vicmmic.bsky.social and fashion historian @serenadyer.bsky.social Exclusively on BBC iPlayer & Sounds for the first month, then YouTube & all Podcast apps in late August

I just realized that anatomically speaking, when hockey players do that very awkward and somewhat suggestive hip stretch, they are doing the human version of a sploot.

Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin

Alt: Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin. I don't know who this guy is. But he's splooting.

static.klipy.com

DEEP nerd moment: I want a 3 hour biopic of Hildegaard of Bingen with custom soundtrack (absolutely necessary). The Testament of Ann Lee would be NOTHING in comparison. It walked so Hildegaard could run.

Matt Gabriele@profgabriele.com · 5d ago

ok let's do a discourse: what historical text absolutely needs the big budget film treatment, AND will create the need for a review by a scholar in a prestige publication? for medieval Europe, either: -- Song of Roland -- Book of Margery Kempe

This is super comforting to me. Why yes, I can and will hold forth at great length on the efforts to get rid of the brown tree snake in Guam and how they stuffed dead baby mice full of Tylenol and shot them out of helicopters. I did the work. The work was weird. But I did it.

Ann Leckie@annleckie.com · 5d ago

For writers worried that they won't be able to "prove" their work isn't Spicy Autocomplete--worry not. You thought about every choice and will be able to talk about those choices easily and clearly. Folks who used the slop machine didn't make choices and won't have anything to say about why

this is key to the findings: "the team [added] Spanish-language papers, papers from smaller journals[,] and samples from a museum in central Mexico" to English sources, doubling their dataset. So much info out there if people are willing to investigate non-English records!

Bethany Brookshire@beebrookshire.bsky.social · 5d ago

Did you know North and South America used to have a sea between them? South America was the Australia of the early Miocene, marsupials and all. Then, they joined at the Isthmus of Panama. And mammals from the north flooded south. Uh oh... www.sciencenews.org/article/mamm...

If writers won't listen to arguments from creativity or morality...how about the potential to get caught and have your deals pulled? Great points from Scalzi here.

John Scalzi@scalzi.com · 5d ago

I've written a longer piece on the book that's been pulled due to "AI" use allegations, what that means particularly for newer authors, and what, if anything writers can do in the "AI" era to prove their work is their own: whatever.scalzi.com/2026/07/31/a...

Did you know North and South America used to have a sea between them? South America was the Australia of the early Miocene, marsupials and all. Then, they joined at the Isthmus of Panama. And mammals from the north flooded south. Uh oh... www.sciencenews.org/article/mamm...

Mammals moving between the Americas stopped over in Mexico

Ancient mammals may have had an easier time moving across the Isthmus of Panama from north to south thanks to Mexico’s climate.

sciencenews.org

Did you know that of the 217 modern mammal genera in South America, more than HALF are from North America. Hey you say, that makes sense...but what if I told you that of all the mammal genera in North America, only FOUR are from the South?! What gives? www.sciencenews.org/article/mamm...

Mammals moving between the Americas stopped over in Mexico

Ancient mammals may have had an easier time moving across the Isthmus of Panama from north to south thanks to Mexico’s climate.

sciencenews.org

Ow. I've been attacked. Also such happy memories.

S. Kramer@libraryephemera.bsky.social · 6d ago

Were you a child who read The World Book Encyclopedia for fun?

The lab theory is v hard to reconcile w/evidence: So, two (2 lineages initially) infected WIV researchers didn't infect anyone in their community or around WIV (invisible masks?). They went to the market to pet (?) mammals, left traces of SARS2, coughed on people. Then put invisible? masks back on.

Stephen Nuñez@socio-steve.bsky.social · 6d ago

I still don't understand the purpose of this conspiracy theory exactly. Why would everyone be trying to cover up that the virus (which was clearly not bioengineered) was loosed through a lab leak as opposed to spread in wet markets?

OK set the scene. Society for Neuroscience meeting. 2009 (I think). My grad lab was in hot scientific argument with another lab in Russia over a very, VERY niche aspect of pharmacology. The postdoc was presenting his poster on it. We were all waiting for the other lab at the poster. 🧵

Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · last wk.

Hey 🧪! I was just reminiscing with a friend about the time a very senior academic called a mid-career guy's work "completely meaningless" at a meeting and now I want to hear your best (public, academic) disses

I always knew I was a trash panda at heart but this animal's appreciation for butter tarts and plums makes the comparison exceptionally clear. Well done sir I could not have eaten better myself.

Katharine Hayhoe@katharinehayhoe.com · last wk.

Overnight, a masked bandit broke into our kitchen. Armed with opposable thumbs, he proceeded to sample everything on offer. I’d just visited the farmers market, so the menu was extensive. I can now share a highly specific peer-reviewed list of what this particular raider did & did not enjoy. 🧵

I gave up on NYT's The Daily years ago mostly due to being unable to stand Michael Barbaro. Reporting? Dangerously naive at best. Vibe? "Wow..." Yesterday I learned he's been besties with Ross Douthat (aka 3 conservative lobbyists in a trenchcoat) since high school. So my loathing? Justified.

The Publishers Weekly review of Tyrant Lizard Queen is out! “Combining evocative storytelling with meticulous science, Black offers a captivating and intimate portrait of Earth’s most famous carnivore. Dinosaur enthusiasts and general readers alike will find much to savor.” 🦖

Tyrant Lizard Queen: The Love, Life, and Terror of Earth’s Greatest Carnivore by Riley Black

In this creative blend of natural history and informed speculation, science writer Black (The Shortest History of the Dinosaurs)...

publishersweekly.com

This is so neat to watch! It's WILD how much the colors change as they dry.

Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · last wk.

The stages of a brain painting 1) light pencil

In desperation, scientists turn to OnlyFans for funding. But it's not Hot Scientist Feet. No. It's HOT MARMOT SUMMER. OnlyMarms. It makes me both sad for the state of funding, and also...I mean good on ya, that is creative thinking! www.sfgate.com/national-par...

Calif. researchers turn to OnlyFans as their funding dries up

But it's not what you think.

sfgate.com

Also yes, your body is incredibly weird! It's weirder than weird! No one has your EXACT morphology and physiology and truly you are a wonder of medical science! I love that people are fascinated by their bodies. But also, it's, um, it's ok to have things that are really normal. Preferable even!

Bethany Brookshire@beebrookshire.bsky.social · last wk.

I love posting about anatomy on the internet but some of the comments like: I get it, you just want to be righter than right. You want to show everyone you knew the thing first. You are indeed the bestest and the smartest and we are all very impressed. Happy now? 😂