Meg Daly
@megdaly.bsky.social
Biodiversity, evolution, oceans, people. Opinions and enthusiasm my own.
A thread (with audio) that reminds us that curiosity and creativity are fundamental to science and The human experience.
Fabulous, fabulous story here. Watch the video embedded to hear some of the the songs.
www.wbur.org/news/2026/02...
www.wbur.org/news/2026/02...
Oldest known whale song recordings discovered in Cape Cod archives
The files, found on a bygone piece of audio recording equipment, may give scientists new evidence about how humans have changed the ocean.
www.wbur.org
February 12, 2026 at 5:46 PM
A thread (with audio) that reminds us that curiosity and creativity are fundamental to science and The human experience.
Reposted by Meg Daly
So proud of @lsu.bsky.social 's CURE program - allows our undergrads to get a real taste of research. Plus our grad students get practice leading a research team. @lsuscience.bsky.social
Learn more about the CURE lab
www.lsu.edu/science/news...
& read IOB's
Introducing a Novel Course-Based #Undergraduate #Research Experience Using #Duckweed as a Model System
@jadatdaniels.bsky.social et al
doi.org/10.1093/iob/...
#science #biology #botany #education
www.lsu.edu/science/news...
& read IOB's
Introducing a Novel Course-Based #Undergraduate #Research Experience Using #Duckweed as a Model System
@jadatdaniels.bsky.social et al
doi.org/10.1093/iob/...
#science #biology #botany #education
February 12, 2026 at 1:33 PM
So proud of @lsu.bsky.social 's CURE program - allows our undergrads to get a real taste of research. Plus our grad students get practice leading a research team. @lsuscience.bsky.social
This is the AI engine in Meta platforms like Insta and FB. This word is Latin for hand, and also the portmanteau that @pcart.bsky.social and I made up for the one-stop orefice of cnidarians. So if what comes out of it is more partly digested goo, rather than handy, the name remains apt.
February 8, 2026 at 10:04 PM
This is the AI engine in Meta platforms like Insta and FB. This word is Latin for hand, and also the portmanteau that @pcart.bsky.social and I made up for the one-stop orefice of cnidarians. So if what comes out of it is more partly digested goo, rather than handy, the name remains apt.
Reposted by Meg Daly
“Leave them alone for a few days. Let the sun shine on them, let the rain fall on them. Then your seeds will start to grow.”
February 7, 2026 at 11:37 AM
“Leave them alone for a few days. Let the sun shine on them, let the rain fall on them. Then your seeds will start to grow.”
Not emphasized in this story: OSU has seen more (and more competitive) undergraduate & graduate applicants, better retention and graduation rates, increased research output and federal funding, and higher ranking concomitant with this more diverse faculty.
One professor described being on a committee that had decided to hire a white male finalist over a white female finalist. “Oh, the department is gonna be angry about this. How are we going to justify the fact that we’re picking the white man, as opposed to the white woman?” https://chroni.cl/4r5utNu
How Colleges’ Pursuit of a Diverse Professoriate Came Back to Bite Them
What was once an urgent imperative has become a legal and political liability. One university’s experience shows how.
www.chronicle.com
February 5, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Not emphasized in this story: OSU has seen more (and more competitive) undergraduate & graduate applicants, better retention and graduation rates, increased research output and federal funding, and higher ranking concomitant with this more diverse faculty.
Really great new paper & 🧵diving into taxonomic disparity of scientific attention.
"Focusing intensely on only a few species to act as exemplars may have significant impacts on our conservation efforts, as well as our general understanding of the anatomy and physiology of taxa"
"Focusing intensely on only a few species to act as exemplars may have significant impacts on our conservation efforts, as well as our general understanding of the anatomy and physiology of taxa"
New paper out:
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
with @fossildetective.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Curtis Congreve & @jonhendricks.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44... 🦑⚒️
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
with @fossildetective.bsky.social, @bigfacecats.bsky.social, Curtis Congreve & @jonhendricks.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s44... 🦑⚒️
The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation - npj Biodiversity
npj Biodiversity - The flounder effect: disparities in taxonomic and ecological study intensity across extant and fossil marine organisms hamper conservation
www.nature.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Really great new paper & 🧵diving into taxonomic disparity of scientific attention.
"Focusing intensely on only a few species to act as exemplars may have significant impacts on our conservation efforts, as well as our general understanding of the anatomy and physiology of taxa"
"Focusing intensely on only a few species to act as exemplars may have significant impacts on our conservation efforts, as well as our general understanding of the anatomy and physiology of taxa"
Reposted by Meg Daly
As these teens describe, AI can diminish human relationships; devalue art; threaten the environment; lead to laziness; give unreliable results; pose privacy concerns; and be misused.
So, please, stop with the narratives of inevitability and let's embrace a pedagogy and politics of refusal.
So, please, stop with the narratives of inevitability and let's embrace a pedagogy and politics of refusal.
7 Reasons Teens Say No to AI
Some young people only turn to artificial-intelligence chatbots as a last resort, citing concerns about relationships, creativity, the environment and more.
www.wsj.com
February 1, 2026 at 10:24 PM
As these teens describe, AI can diminish human relationships; devalue art; threaten the environment; lead to laziness; give unreliable results; pose privacy concerns; and be misused.
So, please, stop with the narratives of inevitability and let's embrace a pedagogy and politics of refusal.
So, please, stop with the narratives of inevitability and let's embrace a pedagogy and politics of refusal.
Reposted by Meg Daly
That exodus…represents 14% of the total number of Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or health fields employed at the end of 2024 as then-President Joe Biden prepared to leave office.
U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office
A Science analysis reveals how many were fired, retired, or quit across 14 agencies
www.science.org
January 27, 2026 at 1:34 PM
That exodus…represents 14% of the total number of Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or health fields employed at the end of 2024 as then-President Joe Biden prepared to leave office.
Reposted by Meg Daly
A reminder to the news media: “conflicting accounts” is what you say BEFORE the incontrovertible video evidence appears. After that, your job is to ask why one side is lying, not to repeat the lie and pretend no one knows the truth.
January 25, 2026 at 12:28 PM
A reminder to the news media: “conflicting accounts” is what you say BEFORE the incontrovertible video evidence appears. After that, your job is to ask why one side is lying, not to repeat the lie and pretend no one knows the truth.
Reposted by Meg Daly
Are you a PhD-level #wildlife ecologist committed to research and education for #biodiversity and nature restoration?
Our group at @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social has a #vacancy for an assistant professor!
Deadline for applications is February 19.
Please spread the word.
www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
Our group at @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social has a #vacancy for an assistant professor!
Deadline for applications is February 19.
Please spread the word.
www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
January 7, 2026 at 6:54 AM
Are you a PhD-level #wildlife ecologist committed to research and education for #biodiversity and nature restoration?
Our group at @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social has a #vacancy for an assistant professor!
Deadline for applications is February 19.
Please spread the word.
www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
Our group at @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social has a #vacancy for an assistant professor!
Deadline for applications is February 19.
Please spread the word.
www.uu.nl/en/organisat...
Reposted by Meg Daly
Everybody thinks 'https://' stands for 'hypertext transfer protocol secure' but it actually stands for 'head to this place, sucka' followed by a colon and two laser sounds
January 13, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Everybody thinks 'https://' stands for 'hypertext transfer protocol secure' but it actually stands for 'head to this place, sucka' followed by a colon and two laser sounds
We work down the hall but don't usually get so much time to hang out and talk science! So a real treat to eat etouffee and hang with @lizmillermacroevo.bsky.social @bryanccarstens.bsky.social and their labbies at #SSB2026
January 11, 2026 at 12:48 PM
We work down the hall but don't usually get so much time to hang out and talk science! So a real treat to eat etouffee and hang with @lizmillermacroevo.bsky.social @bryanccarstens.bsky.social and their labbies at #SSB2026
Reposted by Meg Daly
Big exciting news! The next Cnidarian Model Systems Meeting, better known as Cnidofest, will be held at the Marine Biological Laboratory from September 23-27, 2026. Mark your calendars!!! After two land-locked meetings, we are returning to an ocean view!!! 🌊🪸 @mblscience.bsky.social
January 7, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Big exciting news! The next Cnidarian Model Systems Meeting, better known as Cnidofest, will be held at the Marine Biological Laboratory from September 23-27, 2026. Mark your calendars!!! After two land-locked meetings, we are returning to an ocean view!!! 🌊🪸 @mblscience.bsky.social
Make good on a new year's goal of supporting colleagues doing the hard & fascinating work of taxonomy!
🌊🪸🐬🦐🐌🦑🦈⭐🦞🦀🐙🧜🌊
Go to the fom below to nominate the most compelling marine species described in 2025 . form.vliz.be/en/form/worm...
@marinespecies.bsky.social
@oceancensus.bsky.social
🌊🪸🐬🦐🐌🦑🦈⭐🦞🦀🐙🧜🌊
Go to the fom below to nominate the most compelling marine species described in 2025 . form.vliz.be/en/form/worm...
@marinespecies.bsky.social
@oceancensus.bsky.social
form.vliz.be
January 7, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Make good on a new year's goal of supporting colleagues doing the hard & fascinating work of taxonomy!
🌊🪸🐬🦐🐌🦑🦈⭐🦞🦀🐙🧜🌊
Go to the fom below to nominate the most compelling marine species described in 2025 . form.vliz.be/en/form/worm...
@marinespecies.bsky.social
@oceancensus.bsky.social
🌊🪸🐬🦐🐌🦑🦈⭐🦞🦀🐙🧜🌊
Go to the fom below to nominate the most compelling marine species described in 2025 . form.vliz.be/en/form/worm...
@marinespecies.bsky.social
@oceancensus.bsky.social
This is a wonderful program! Pass it along to evolution- and biodiversity- curious undergrads!!
January 7, 2026 at 12:32 AM
This is a wonderful program! Pass it along to evolution- and biodiversity- curious undergrads!!
Reposted by Meg Daly
A message for you all to carry through the year
January 1, 2026 at 6:32 AM
A message for you all to carry through the year
Some particularly excellent meringue mushrooms for an in-progress yule log 🪵
December 24, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Some particularly excellent meringue mushrooms for an in-progress yule log 🪵
Reposted by Meg Daly
This is news that makes me happy. It really feels most of the time that taxonomy is in a bad place. But in reality, it seems that in the last decades, the rate of species description has been the highest it ever was! 🧪
Link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
December 24, 2025 at 6:36 AM
This is news that makes me happy. It really feels most of the time that taxonomy is in a bad place. But in reality, it seems that in the last decades, the rate of species description has been the highest it ever was! 🧪
Link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Being in a campus building during winter recess feels little like the professional version of Home Alone.
(I can't decide if I'm Macaulay Culkin or Joe Pesci in this scenario)
(I can't decide if I'm Macaulay Culkin or Joe Pesci in this scenario)
a hallway with a red carpet and a potted plant with the word trendiziss on the bottom right
Alt: Macaulay Culkin runs down a hallway with a red carpet and makes a surprised face.
media.tenor.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Being in a campus building during winter recess feels little like the professional version of Home Alone.
(I can't decide if I'm Macaulay Culkin or Joe Pesci in this scenario)
(I can't decide if I'm Macaulay Culkin or Joe Pesci in this scenario)
Reposted by Meg Daly
“All evolutionary biologists know that variation itself is life’s only irreducible essence”—Gould
Evolutionary biology is the study of how complicated and diverse life can be; the field has its jerks, but a good evolutionary biologist learns pretty fast that life doesn’t like boundaries or binaries
Evolutionary biology is the study of how complicated and diverse life can be; the field has its jerks, but a good evolutionary biologist learns pretty fast that life doesn’t like boundaries or binaries
Hey, fellow evolutionary biologists:
If you support trans rights, like, comment, or repost this. I want to show that transphobes like Richard Dawkins are a loud minority that does not represent our community
If you support trans rights, like, comment, or repost this. I want to show that transphobes like Richard Dawkins are a loud minority that does not represent our community
And that’s a follow.
Actually I do have a question if you have a sec.
Without exception the most transphobic group of scientists I’ve run into online are evolutionary biologists. Every single one of them has expressed the same opinion: transness cannot be anything other than social contagion. Why?
Actually I do have a question if you have a sec.
Without exception the most transphobic group of scientists I’ve run into online are evolutionary biologists. Every single one of them has expressed the same opinion: transness cannot be anything other than social contagion. Why?
December 22, 2025 at 5:32 PM
“All evolutionary biologists know that variation itself is life’s only irreducible essence”—Gould
Evolutionary biology is the study of how complicated and diverse life can be; the field has its jerks, but a good evolutionary biologist learns pretty fast that life doesn’t like boundaries or binaries
Evolutionary biology is the study of how complicated and diverse life can be; the field has its jerks, but a good evolutionary biologist learns pretty fast that life doesn’t like boundaries or binaries
Reposted by Meg Daly
From the depths, hope rises.
As 2025 comes to a close, momentum to protect the deep sea is growing - powered by science, solidarity, and global action. We’re carrying that energy into 2026. 🌊
#DefendTheDeep
As 2025 comes to a close, momentum to protect the deep sea is growing - powered by science, solidarity, and global action. We’re carrying that energy into 2026. 🌊
#DefendTheDeep
December 22, 2025 at 10:45 AM
From the depths, hope rises.
As 2025 comes to a close, momentum to protect the deep sea is growing - powered by science, solidarity, and global action. We’re carrying that energy into 2026. 🌊
#DefendTheDeep
As 2025 comes to a close, momentum to protect the deep sea is growing - powered by science, solidarity, and global action. We’re carrying that energy into 2026. 🌊
#DefendTheDeep