Bronwyn Thompson
bronagain.bsky.social
Bronwyn Thompson
@bronagain.bsky.social
New Atlas science journalist and editor, music writer, zoologist (evolutionary biology, neurobiology and conservation genetics), Melbourne aquarium part-timer, bunny lady, enemy of the patriarchy.

"Imagine if a lab coat joined a band; that's the vibe."
Equality ✊
I mean, sure, during breeding when the female is in the hollow, the male will often be nearby displaying prey. But outside being in the hollow, female Powerful Owls will display. Maybe people see a big chunky tough looking POwl, like this female, and assume it must be a male. IDK.
#wildoz #birds
November 24, 2024 at 7:25 AM
this is one of my fave pics of my late Harvey, who I lost two months ago. I rescued him and then found out most of this 'breed' are deaf and have so many health issues. I see a lot of studies on cats and dogs but few on domesticated rabbits, which makes them seem lesser - he was my absolute world.
November 17, 2024 at 9:27 AM
Also obligatory #bluesky photo, taken a few days ago in Melbourne
November 16, 2024 at 5:14 PM
Fed some much smaller Cyanea capillata today, but this impressive one was putting on quite a show just doing its thing. #cnidarian love
November 16, 2024 at 5:10 PM
Reposted by Bronwyn Thompson
Nice article on #synapsid #evolution - always glad to see non-mammalian synapsids (especially therapsids) get some popular attention!

#Paleontology #SciComm

www.smithsonianmag.com/science-natu...
How to Make a Mammal in Nine Evolutionary Steps
From the formation of inner ear bones to the rise of hair to cover our bodies, these developments made us distinct from other animals
www.smithsonianmag.com
November 16, 2024 at 4:56 PM
Could honestly watch this all day. Also high fives to everyone who has the passion and constitution for lab work - heroes don’t wear capes but lab coats 🥼
Just joined bluesky - I'll be posting microscopy images like this light sheet render of the embryonic chicken wing. Please give me a follow!
November 16, 2024 at 5:05 PM
First degree (journalism), postmodernism and media theory, as I had no idea why, at age 19, I was being shown Twin Peaks scenes and paying for the privilege.

In the second degree (zoology and animal science), physics. Not even the dinosaur puke explainer helped and I got a pass by a single mark.
November 16, 2024 at 12:10 PM
Reposted by Bronwyn Thompson
Announcing a new open access textbook for entry level behavioral neuro. Funded by NSF. Written by a collection of 26 neuro experts. Method demonstration videos and author interviews too. Consider using it in your courses to reduce financial barriers to education.

openstax.org/details/book...
November 15, 2024 at 10:56 AM
I'm bad at posting my work, and our readers don't love this topic so it's a fight to cover. But I found this fascinating. Neurobio, signalling, genetics and animal behaviour, and evolutionary biology are my jams. Love to be sent more studies and if anyone needs a RA...

newatlas.com/biology/brai...
'Brain stars' store our memories like a microscopic filing cabinet
Fascinating new findings into how clusters of 'brain stars' retain memories has changed what we know about how they're held in our minds.
newatlas.com
November 16, 2024 at 11:34 AM
Snerdling sounds like the juvenile life stage of a nudibranch, and I’m here for it.
My word of the day (and personal recommendation) is ‘snerdling’ (18th century): nestling cosily beneath the covers and holding off the day a little longer.

Morning.
November 16, 2024 at 9:11 AM
Super cool to see Canada’s government invest in preventing the next pandemic. Any epidemiology peeps and HPAI researchers or “enthusiasts” please be my friend 😅
November 16, 2024 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Bronwyn Thompson
a major problem with bluesky is that i can offhandedly remark "i hate drawing, its too hard" and then a sweet old lady will gently encourage me and kindly point me to some useful resources to get started drawing and i dont know what to do with myself
November 15, 2024 at 8:45 AM
Reposted by Bronwyn Thompson
Starter pack of ecological and evolutionary physiologists. Definitely missing people so let me know

go.bsky.app/N5Xvr8v
November 13, 2024 at 10:50 PM
Sad less people are as enthused about this as I am – I love any gateway into #citizenscience – especially when it's valuable data gathering that might rope in people who wouldn't usually care about science. Two days left to go if any Aussies feel like putting their butts out there to help the #CSIRO
"Chart Your Fart" is asking one nation to track its gas – in the name of science
In one of the most amusing citizen science projects we've ever come across, Australia's leading research agency the CSIRO is asking people across the nation to track their flatulence over three days t...
newatlas.com
November 15, 2024 at 1:40 PM
I am so here for cephalopod content
Amazing video of a Gonatus onyx squid with her egg sack from the Schmidt Ocean Institute schmidtocean.org filmed during their ChileMargin2024 expedition! It made my day: see more details here www.linkedin.com/posts/schmid.... Parental care #Evolution 🦑🐙
November 15, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Bronwyn Thompson
I genuinely snort laughed out loud at this
November 14, 2024 at 11:58 PM
As a Facebook moderator for six years (how did I last), it’s wild. I think this subconsciously made me run off to uni to become a scientist
Watching a video on facebook of a guy hunting for ammonite fossils and all the comments are people arguing that the earth is 6000 years old and rocks are fake or whatever and Jesus Christ I’ve just never seen this many people empowered to be this ignorant this publicly before.
November 15, 2024 at 1:21 AM
Reposted by Bronwyn Thompson
BREAKING NEW: Food and Drug Administration to be headed by the Late, Great, Hannibal Lecter.
November 14, 2024 at 11:24 AM
I feel it would be remiss of me to not get #pesto my workmate on this social platform too. He’s slimmed down since he’s lost his floof but he still knows he’s a star
November 14, 2024 at 12:14 PM
#science journalist over here, it’s honestly nice to see a space for academics, scientists, journos, and everyone else trying to get facts in the way of misinformation (also shout out to all the birders and their amazing photos 🙌🏻)
It's great to see so many academics and some journalists moving to Bluesky. I think another key to cementing Twitter/X's irrelevance is to get politicians out of there and over here too.

Anyone doing a #cdnpoli Starter Pack for politicians?
November 14, 2024 at 12:09 PM
Reposted by Bronwyn Thompson
So today’s species for #Nudivember is meant to be Cadlinella subornatissima which I have not been fortunate to find as yet. So instead I give you its closely related cousin - an undescribed Cadlinella from the United Arab Emirates. #Nudibranch #MarineLife
November 14, 2024 at 6:21 AM
What is this magical land, an account from bioRxiv of #zoology and #biology preprint papers?!
November 14, 2024 at 9:18 AM
Reposted by Bronwyn Thompson
This weekend I'll be leading a search for giant springtails up in Motueka with the lovely folks at Friends of Flora.

They've promised to throw their weight behind the giant springtail in the NZ Bug of the Year 2025 contest if we're successful, so fingers crossed we find loads! 🧪
November 14, 2024 at 6:55 AM
dw the DOGE (vomit) will dismantle libraries and the DOE so there won't be any books to ban. oh wait...
You don’t believe in freedom if you ban books.
November 14, 2024 at 8:36 AM