Bethany Brookshire
@beebrookshire.bsky.social
Sci journo, author of Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains. Highly caffeinated. All bad takes mine. She/her
Pinned
Alright Skeeties! I wanted to put all the anatomy facts in a thread to keep them organized so:
WELCOME to class of 2023 Insomniac Anatomy Academy! In which I study anatomy when I can't sleep and share the best facts with you. 🧪
WELCOME to class of 2023 Insomniac Anatomy Academy! In which I study anatomy when I can't sleep and share the best facts with you. 🧪
Reposted by Bethany Brookshire
Good thread, not just because bonus!teeth, but also how it shows the process of hunting down scientific knowledge from a fairly general starting point.
Ok HOLD THE PHONE.
"He said that his previous research shows that humans have the start of a third set of teeth already embedded in our mouths."
Just drop that right at the end of this article WHAT?! www.popularmechanics.com/science/heal...
"He said that his previous research shows that humans have the start of a third set of teeth already embedded in our mouths."
Just drop that right at the end of this article WHAT?! www.popularmechanics.com/science/heal...
Humans Have a Third Set of Teeth. New Medicine May Help Them Grow.
They could be ready by 2030.
www.popularmechanics.com
February 16, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Good thread, not just because bonus!teeth, but also how it shows the process of hunting down scientific knowledge from a fairly general starting point.
Ok HOLD THE PHONE.
"He said that his previous research shows that humans have the start of a third set of teeth already embedded in our mouths."
Just drop that right at the end of this article WHAT?! www.popularmechanics.com/science/heal...
"He said that his previous research shows that humans have the start of a third set of teeth already embedded in our mouths."
Just drop that right at the end of this article WHAT?! www.popularmechanics.com/science/heal...
Humans Have a Third Set of Teeth. New Medicine May Help Them Grow.
They could be ready by 2030.
www.popularmechanics.com
February 16, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Ok HOLD THE PHONE.
"He said that his previous research shows that humans have the start of a third set of teeth already embedded in our mouths."
Just drop that right at the end of this article WHAT?! www.popularmechanics.com/science/heal...
"He said that his previous research shows that humans have the start of a third set of teeth already embedded in our mouths."
Just drop that right at the end of this article WHAT?! www.popularmechanics.com/science/heal...
Reposted by Bethany Brookshire
alt: “Thinking about how lucky some of us were to have so much education woven into our childhoods. Like I remember watching THE Itzhak Perlman play the violin on Mr. Rogers. I know a non-zero amount of classical music from Looney Tunes. Reading Rainbow, Mr. Wizard, Wishbone, Carmen Sandiego,…”
February 16, 2026 at 4:24 PM
alt: “Thinking about how lucky some of us were to have so much education woven into our childhoods. Like I remember watching THE Itzhak Perlman play the violin on Mr. Rogers. I know a non-zero amount of classical music from Looney Tunes. Reading Rainbow, Mr. Wizard, Wishbone, Carmen Sandiego,…”
Oof.
"Eighty percent of Americans said voters have a responsibility to keep up with the news, but just 8% said they had a responsibility to pay for it." www.semafor.com/newsletter/0...
February 16, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Oof.
Excited for this!
🐻GRIZZLED🐻: Love Letters to 50 of North America's Least Understood Animals
Def the biggest & most personal project of my career. Featuring artwork & foreword by Joel Sartore, as well as insights from a bajillion amazing scientists. 🧪
❤️🔥I HOPE YOU LOVE IT❤️🔥
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804002...
Def the biggest & most personal project of my career. Featuring artwork & foreword by Joel Sartore, as well as insights from a bajillion amazing scientists. 🧪
❤️🔥I HOPE YOU LOVE IT❤️🔥
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/804002...
Grizzled by Jason Bittel: 9781426223358 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
Funny, fascinating, and scientifically grounded, this charming book reveals unknown details about 50 well-known animals. Effortlessly readable, Grizzled reintroduces nature lovers to species they th...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Excited for this!
Reposted by Bethany Brookshire
You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.
Breaking News: The Trump administration repealed the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human life and well being, meaning that the EPA can no longer regulate them. nyti.ms/4rSszQu
February 12, 2026 at 8:38 PM
You can't... repeal... a scientific finding. At that point it's just called lying about it.
I can't believe I have to say this but you can't repeal a scientific finding.
This is just going "Nuh-UH" as loud as you can.
Excited to see the effects of repealing gravity. That'll definitely get us to Mars.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
This is just going "Nuh-UH" as loud as you can.
Excited to see the effects of repealing gravity. That'll definitely get us to Mars.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:41 PM
I can't believe I have to say this but you can't repeal a scientific finding.
This is just going "Nuh-UH" as loud as you can.
Excited to see the effects of repealing gravity. That'll definitely get us to Mars.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
This is just going "Nuh-UH" as loud as you can.
Excited to see the effects of repealing gravity. That'll definitely get us to Mars.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/c...
RFK Jr. has the vibe of someone who doesn't wash his hands after going to the bathroom.
The vibe is STRONG.
The vibe is STRONG.
February 12, 2026 at 7:41 PM
RFK Jr. has the vibe of someone who doesn't wash his hands after going to the bathroom.
The vibe is STRONG.
The vibe is STRONG.
I find each platform develops something of its own "style" in terms of what they feel gets the right kind of attention on that platform.
On X there were specific intros to threads that you just KNEW would blow up because that was the kind of "style" that got clicks. "No one is talking about"...
On X there were specific intros to threads that you just KNEW would blow up because that was the kind of "style" that got clicks. "No one is talking about"...
February 12, 2026 at 7:30 PM
I find each platform develops something of its own "style" in terms of what they feel gets the right kind of attention on that platform.
On X there were specific intros to threads that you just KNEW would blow up because that was the kind of "style" that got clicks. "No one is talking about"...
On X there were specific intros to threads that you just KNEW would blow up because that was the kind of "style" that got clicks. "No one is talking about"...
"I watched most of the event in a fevered haze, punching "how to decide top vs bottom doubles luge" into DuckDuckGo and "doubles luge" into the fanfiction website Archive Of Our Own, or AO3."
Now THIS is what I call "deeply reported."
Now THIS is what I call "deeply reported."
I wrote about the best Olympic sport
defector.com/high-level-a...
defector.com/high-level-a...
High-Level, Actionable Insights From Watching Doubles Luge For The First Time | Defector
To the uninitiated, luge itself might seem a silly sport, given that the average person might guess it mostly consists of holding onto a sled real tight as it goes fast down the ice. Of course, this o...
defector.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:06 PM
"I watched most of the event in a fevered haze, punching "how to decide top vs bottom doubles luge" into DuckDuckGo and "doubles luge" into the fanfiction website Archive Of Our Own, or AO3."
Now THIS is what I call "deeply reported."
Now THIS is what I call "deeply reported."
People talk about working out to get gains.
But to get those gains? The BRAIN must gain first!
When scientists "turned off" a specific set of cells in the ventromedial hypothalamus, mice failed to gain endurance after exercise. www.nationalgeographic.com/health/artic...
But to get those gains? The BRAIN must gain first!
When scientists "turned off" a specific set of cells in the ventromedial hypothalamus, mice failed to gain endurance after exercise. www.nationalgeographic.com/health/artic...
Want to get stronger? Your brain may matter more than muscles, new research shows
Studies on the neurons of mice suggest our own human endurance may have more to do with the brain than our physique.
www.nationalgeographic.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:49 PM
People talk about working out to get gains.
But to get those gains? The BRAIN must gain first!
When scientists "turned off" a specific set of cells in the ventromedial hypothalamus, mice failed to gain endurance after exercise. www.nationalgeographic.com/health/artic...
But to get those gains? The BRAIN must gain first!
When scientists "turned off" a specific set of cells in the ventromedial hypothalamus, mice failed to gain endurance after exercise. www.nationalgeographic.com/health/artic...
A reporter tried to live up to RFK Jr.'s new inverted food pyramid for a week. www.businessinsider.com/rfk-jr-food-...
Not only was there one cheat day (not included in the budget), this is a business reporter, so she focused on the money.
Only later did she focus on the HEALTH.
Not only was there one cheat day (not included in the budget), this is a business reporter, so she focused on the money.
Only later did she focus on the HEALTH.
I followed RFK Jr.'s new food rules for a week on a $ 15-a-day budget. It wasn't as easy as promised.
The White House and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have a new protein-forard food pyramid that they say you can follow cheaply. I tried it out.
www.businessinsider.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:13 PM
A reporter tried to live up to RFK Jr.'s new inverted food pyramid for a week. www.businessinsider.com/rfk-jr-food-...
Not only was there one cheat day (not included in the budget), this is a business reporter, so she focused on the money.
Only later did she focus on the HEALTH.
Not only was there one cheat day (not included in the budget), this is a business reporter, so she focused on the money.
Only later did she focus on the HEALTH.
Y'all there are bats that build TENTS to roost. They chew specific parts of a leaf to make it flop into the shape they want. And they are STUNNINGLY cute lil' guys. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
By @marybates.bsky.social
By @marybates.bsky.social
These bats make intricate tents out of leaves
A team of National Geographic Explorers is studying how these bats developed their architectural expertise—while cataloguing the various styles of tents they make.
www.nationalgeographic.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Y'all there are bats that build TENTS to roost. They chew specific parts of a leaf to make it flop into the shape they want. And they are STUNNINGLY cute lil' guys. www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...
By @marybates.bsky.social
By @marybates.bsky.social
Y'know I had a guy the other day who found out I was a science journalist, and was asking are there really aliens?! What about the Loch Ness Monster! Yetis?
I was, at least, able to give him giant squid (he was thrilled).
But it made me sad. We don't NEED aliens or Nessie.
BUGS CAN DO THIS!!
I was, at least, able to give him giant squid (he was thrilled).
But it made me sad. We don't NEED aliens or Nessie.
BUGS CAN DO THIS!!
Sounds about right. I mean, I’m not even a bug person but somehow get 500 results when I search “bug” in my iPhone photos. Here’s one of my weird bug moments. Look at him working those mouthparts!
February 12, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Y'know I had a guy the other day who found out I was a science journalist, and was asking are there really aliens?! What about the Loch Ness Monster! Yetis?
I was, at least, able to give him giant squid (he was thrilled).
But it made me sad. We don't NEED aliens or Nessie.
BUGS CAN DO THIS!!
I was, at least, able to give him giant squid (he was thrilled).
But it made me sad. We don't NEED aliens or Nessie.
BUGS CAN DO THIS!!
GASP.
MOTHS.
Such lovely gentlemen (gender inclusive, all moths are members of the gentry)
MOTHS.
Such lovely gentlemen (gender inclusive, all moths are members of the gentry)
This seems as good an excuse as any for a short thread introducing people to some single moths I've found in my area, looking for fun.
1. Here, for starters, is a Canary-Shouldered Thorn Moth (I didn't make this up).
1. Here, for starters, is a Canary-Shouldered Thorn Moth (I didn't make this up).
February 12, 2026 at 3:03 PM
GASP.
MOTHS.
Such lovely gentlemen (gender inclusive, all moths are members of the gentry)
MOTHS.
Such lovely gentlemen (gender inclusive, all moths are members of the gentry)
BRING US YOUR TIRED
YOUR THIRSTY
YOUR NERDS YEARNING TO SHOW US WEIRD BUGS
YOUR THIRSTY
YOUR NERDS YEARNING TO SHOW US WEIRD BUGS
This is an accurate endorsement of Bluesky. The core user base are the kids who would whisper "wanna see a weird bug?"
And then proceed to show you the weirdest bug/thing/idea you have ever seen.
Welcome, #NewSkies
And then proceed to show you the weirdest bug/thing/idea you have ever seen.
Welcome, #NewSkies
Someone told me lately "Bluesky is just like Twitter." I argued that was untrue on the basis that last time I had a Twitter account most times I got a new follower their bio said "single & looking for fun" & here when I get a new follower it tends to say something like "professor of rare moths".
February 12, 2026 at 3:01 PM
BRING US YOUR TIRED
YOUR THIRSTY
YOUR NERDS YEARNING TO SHOW US WEIRD BUGS
YOUR THIRSTY
YOUR NERDS YEARNING TO SHOW US WEIRD BUGS
Um hello please follow me if you are a professor of rare moths.
And then please send photos of rare moths. That sounds so awesome.
And then please send photos of rare moths. That sounds so awesome.
Someone told me lately "Bluesky is just like Twitter." I argued that was untrue on the basis that last time I had a Twitter account most times I got a new follower their bio said "single & looking for fun" & here when I get a new follower it tends to say something like "professor of rare moths".
February 12, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Um hello please follow me if you are a professor of rare moths.
And then please send photos of rare moths. That sounds so awesome.
And then please send photos of rare moths. That sounds so awesome.
Reposted by Bethany Brookshire
Hey hi there was some fuckass shit on the TL today about AI hype so let me take a sec to re-up what I wrote about where that hype is actually coming from:
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
February 11, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Hey hi there was some fuckass shit on the TL today about AI hype so let me take a sec to re-up what I wrote about where that hype is actually coming from:
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
buttondown.com/alanhenry/ar...
Tag yourself if you got told by some Old Guy that you were bad at science/math/reading/life...
...and you're here and succeeding out of sheer SPITE.
I passed orgo chem in spite of your best efforts, Homer Smith. I hope you dream you're failing at a "weeder class" for the rest of your life. 😈
...and you're here and succeeding out of sheer SPITE.
I passed orgo chem in spite of your best efforts, Homer Smith. I hope you dream you're failing at a "weeder class" for the rest of your life. 😈
the people who spread the “female brains are bad at math and spatial reasoning” lies should be tried at the Hague
Another fun wrinkle from that period (that might still exist): I was good at math and loved it and then my geometry teacher told me that I'd probably struggle because female brains were bad at spatial thinking. I kept loving math & being good at it but assumed that would end so I ended it first.
February 11, 2026 at 5:38 PM
Tag yourself if you got told by some Old Guy that you were bad at science/math/reading/life...
...and you're here and succeeding out of sheer SPITE.
I passed orgo chem in spite of your best efforts, Homer Smith. I hope you dream you're failing at a "weeder class" for the rest of your life. 😈
...and you're here and succeeding out of sheer SPITE.
I passed orgo chem in spite of your best efforts, Homer Smith. I hope you dream you're failing at a "weeder class" for the rest of your life. 😈
Reposted by Bethany Brookshire
Whenever I see pseudoscientific conspiracy theories about ancient aliens or giant petrified trees or ice age satellites or whatever it drives me crazy because THE EARTH IS COOL ENOUGH JUST AS IT IS! WE DON’T NEED TO REACH FOR REASONS TO MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING! HAVE YOU SEEN A TULLY MONSTER??!!
February 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM
Whenever I see pseudoscientific conspiracy theories about ancient aliens or giant petrified trees or ice age satellites or whatever it drives me crazy because THE EARTH IS COOL ENOUGH JUST AS IT IS! WE DON’T NEED TO REACH FOR REASONS TO MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING! HAVE YOU SEEN A TULLY MONSTER??!!
THE PLANTS HAVE SPOKEN.
February 10, 2026 at 2:22 PM
THE PLANTS HAVE SPOKEN.
This. We win because we write WELL. Not because we pump out AI-dross.
No one will remember this writer "Ms. Hart." no matter how many books she pumps out in a year.
But everyone remembers Emily Brontë. Sylvia Plath.
They each wrote one book. But what books they wrote!
No one will remember this writer "Ms. Hart." no matter how many books she pumps out in a year.
But everyone remembers Emily Brontë. Sylvia Plath.
They each wrote one book. But what books they wrote!
I'm going to win.
February 10, 2026 at 2:56 AM
This. We win because we write WELL. Not because we pump out AI-dross.
No one will remember this writer "Ms. Hart." no matter how many books she pumps out in a year.
But everyone remembers Emily Brontë. Sylvia Plath.
They each wrote one book. But what books they wrote!
No one will remember this writer "Ms. Hart." no matter how many books she pumps out in a year.
But everyone remembers Emily Brontë. Sylvia Plath.
They each wrote one book. But what books they wrote!
If you watched the SuperBowl you saw a LOT OF GLP-1 commercials. A LOT.
Pharma companies are already testing drugs that go higher, further, faster. People lose up to a third of their body weight in less than a year.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
It raises some important questions.
Pharma companies are already testing drugs that go higher, further, faster. People lose up to a third of their body weight in less than a year.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
It raises some important questions.
The next wave of GLP-1 drugs are coming—and they’re stronger than Wegovy and Zepbound
The upcoming drugs CagriSema and retatrutide target multiple gut hormones and could cause twice as much weight loss than current treatments. But experts wonder how much is too much
www.scientificamerican.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:08 PM
If you watched the SuperBowl you saw a LOT OF GLP-1 commercials. A LOT.
Pharma companies are already testing drugs that go higher, further, faster. People lose up to a third of their body weight in less than a year.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
It raises some important questions.
Pharma companies are already testing drugs that go higher, further, faster. People lose up to a third of their body weight in less than a year.
www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-...
It raises some important questions.
Can you imagine you get hired as part of the SuperBowl halftime and they're like "so you're going to be grass number 74..." 😂
"you just walk out and DO. NOT. MOVE" The dancingest music that ever danced is playing and you must NOT MOVE A MUSCLE.
"you just walk out and DO. NOT. MOVE" The dancingest music that ever danced is playing and you must NOT MOVE A MUSCLE.
February 9, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Can you imagine you get hired as part of the SuperBowl halftime and they're like "so you're going to be grass number 74..." 😂
"you just walk out and DO. NOT. MOVE" The dancingest music that ever danced is playing and you must NOT MOVE A MUSCLE.
"you just walk out and DO. NOT. MOVE" The dancingest music that ever danced is playing and you must NOT MOVE A MUSCLE.
The more I cover new pharmaceuticals, the more I want to meet people at WHO who do the international nonproprietary nomenclature.
A new oral GLP-1?
Orforglipron
A newly approved antifungal for resistant yeast infections?
Ibrexafungerp
...I want what THEY'RE having. Which is def a good time.
A new oral GLP-1?
Orforglipron
A newly approved antifungal for resistant yeast infections?
Ibrexafungerp
...I want what THEY'RE having. Which is def a good time.
February 8, 2026 at 4:04 AM
The more I cover new pharmaceuticals, the more I want to meet people at WHO who do the international nonproprietary nomenclature.
A new oral GLP-1?
Orforglipron
A newly approved antifungal for resistant yeast infections?
Ibrexafungerp
...I want what THEY'RE having. Which is def a good time.
A new oral GLP-1?
Orforglipron
A newly approved antifungal for resistant yeast infections?
Ibrexafungerp
...I want what THEY'RE having. Which is def a good time.