Rebecca R Helm
@rebeccarhelm.bsky.social
Just a bunch of crabs in a trench coat, but also a professional marine biologist. My social media is separate from, and does not represent, my employer. Please bring croissants 🥐
https://linktr.ee/rebeccarhelm
https://linktr.ee/rebeccarhelm
Pinned
In these strange and uncertain times, this is our guiding account philosophy ✨🪼✨
🧵 Click on this thread for regularly updating ocean posts 🧵
🧵 Click on this thread for regularly updating ocean posts 🧵
Most dearest friends—
Firing book translators? No thank. Is anyone aware of any actions that consumers can participate in (boycotts/letters) related to this?
lithub.com/harlequin-is...
Firing book translators? No thank. Is anyone aware of any actions that consumers can participate in (boycotts/letters) related to this?
lithub.com/harlequin-is...
Harlequin France is firing its human translators and replacing them with—welp, you guessed it.
Harlequin France, which is owned by HarperCollins, has just confirmed that they’re shifting away from human translators with an eye to robot replacements. As The Bookseller reported this morn…
lithub.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:45 PM
Most dearest friends—
Firing book translators? No thank. Is anyone aware of any actions that consumers can participate in (boycotts/letters) related to this?
lithub.com/harlequin-is...
Firing book translators? No thank. Is anyone aware of any actions that consumers can participate in (boycotts/letters) related to this?
lithub.com/harlequin-is...
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
Alas! Geologists are still working off the paradigm of "Ugg smear mud on self. Ugg look good at rocks. What else need?"
Biologists must display their most marvelous plumage if they are to be accepted by a flock of fellow biologists.
We are now witness to this rare yet beautiful phenomenon at the Society of Integrative of Comparative Biology conference in Portland, OR #SICB2026
We are now witness to this rare yet beautiful phenomenon at the Society of Integrative of Comparative Biology conference in Portland, OR #SICB2026
January 6, 2026 at 2:58 AM
Alas! Geologists are still working off the paradigm of "Ugg smear mud on self. Ugg look good at rocks. What else need?"
Biologists must display their most marvelous plumage if they are to be accepted by a flock of fellow biologists.
We are now witness to this rare yet beautiful phenomenon at the Society of Integrative of Comparative Biology conference in Portland, OR #SICB2026
We are now witness to this rare yet beautiful phenomenon at the Society of Integrative of Comparative Biology conference in Portland, OR #SICB2026
January 6, 2026 at 12:49 AM
Biologists must display their most marvelous plumage if they are to be accepted by a flock of fellow biologists.
We are now witness to this rare yet beautiful phenomenon at the Society of Integrative of Comparative Biology conference in Portland, OR #SICB2026
We are now witness to this rare yet beautiful phenomenon at the Society of Integrative of Comparative Biology conference in Portland, OR #SICB2026
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
is there a name for this
July 10, 2023 at 1:18 AM
is there a name for this
“Bluesky is dying”
“Social media is dying.”
Great! It’s all been sick and bloated with overgrowth. Exponential increase is not healthy. It’s ok for habitats and ecosystems to find a balance. Even online ones.
“Social media is dying.”
Great! It’s all been sick and bloated with overgrowth. Exponential increase is not healthy. It’s ok for habitats and ecosystems to find a balance. Even online ones.
January 5, 2026 at 5:59 PM
“Bluesky is dying”
“Social media is dying.”
Great! It’s all been sick and bloated with overgrowth. Exponential increase is not healthy. It’s ok for habitats and ecosystems to find a balance. Even online ones.
“Social media is dying.”
Great! It’s all been sick and bloated with overgrowth. Exponential increase is not healthy. It’s ok for habitats and ecosystems to find a balance. Even online ones.
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
Oil, conflict, and climate change – there is a direct connection.
The real kicker here is that if US companies do succeed in ramping up Venezuela’s oil, it’s some of the dirtiest and most carbon intensive in the world. And it’s cheap to produce (PdVSA says $5/barrel, probably closer to $25).
ociplus.rmi.org/supply-chain
ociplus.rmi.org/supply-chain
January 3, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Oil, conflict, and climate change – there is a direct connection.
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
holy fuck
OMG 😭
Huntington's is an inherited disease that's like Alzheimers + Parkinson's all in one. NOW: "once the gene therapy has been delivered into the brain... [it] injects a piece of DNA to reprogram the neuron to become a factory for its own cure."
LIFE SAVING!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhEx...
Huntington's is an inherited disease that's like Alzheimers + Parkinson's all in one. NOW: "once the gene therapy has been delivered into the brain... [it] injects a piece of DNA to reprogram the neuron to become a factory for its own cure."
LIFE SAVING!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhEx...
Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time | BBC News
YouTube video by BBC News
www.youtube.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:39 AM
holy fuck
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
Only 18 days (Jan. 20, 2026) until publication of OCEAN: FROM THE SHORE TO THE ABYSS, by @ashadevos.bsky.social, with contributor chapters by @helenscales.bsky.social, @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social, @drandrewthaler.bsky.social, & me! Preorder here: www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/ocean-... 🧪🌊🏝️🐚 🪸🐠🐬🐋
Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss
Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth but three quarters of our oceans’ depths have never been explored by humans. This stunning book takes readers on a deep dive through the different depth ...
www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
January 2, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Only 18 days (Jan. 20, 2026) until publication of OCEAN: FROM THE SHORE TO THE ABYSS, by @ashadevos.bsky.social, with contributor chapters by @helenscales.bsky.social, @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social, @drandrewthaler.bsky.social, & me! Preorder here: www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/ocean-... 🧪🌊🏝️🐚 🪸🐠🐬🐋
Reminder that free will exists and New Year’s resolutions don’t have to suck. Resolve to eat every kind of cheese, pet every dog you see, resolve to take pictures of clouds and look up what you see. No one needs to be a “better version of themselves” when they can visit every local brewery.
January 1, 2026 at 11:21 PM
Reminder that free will exists and New Year’s resolutions don’t have to suck. Resolve to eat every kind of cheese, pet every dog you see, resolve to take pictures of clouds and look up what you see. No one needs to be a “better version of themselves” when they can visit every local brewery.
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
Good news! From now until January 1, you can get 25% off your pre-order of my new book!!! 🧪🐻🦑🦉🐜🐍🦀
GRIZZLED: Love Letters to 50 of North America’s Least Understood Animals
Here’s how! open.substack.com/pub/jasonbit...
GRIZZLED: Love Letters to 50 of North America’s Least Understood Animals
Here’s how! open.substack.com/pub/jasonbit...
GRIZZLED Pre-Orders Are 25% Off!
The sale only lasts 3 days! Tell everyone you know!
open.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Good news! From now until January 1, you can get 25% off your pre-order of my new book!!! 🧪🐻🦑🦉🐜🐍🦀
GRIZZLED: Love Letters to 50 of North America’s Least Understood Animals
Here’s how! open.substack.com/pub/jasonbit...
GRIZZLED: Love Letters to 50 of North America’s Least Understood Animals
Here’s how! open.substack.com/pub/jasonbit...
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
@rebeccarhelm.bsky.social Thought of you when I saw this. I would love sheep leaf sea slug cards :)
You ready for our 2026 Valentines??
The art is ready for ya 😍
As with everything on our shop, sales of these valentines support @skypeascientist.bsky.social!
This year's cards were designed by Philly artist @aprilfinfrock.bsky.social! Obsessed with how these turned out.
order at SquidFacts.net
The art is ready for ya 😍
As with everything on our shop, sales of these valentines support @skypeascientist.bsky.social!
This year's cards were designed by Philly artist @aprilfinfrock.bsky.social! Obsessed with how these turned out.
order at SquidFacts.net
December 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM
@rebeccarhelm.bsky.social Thought of you when I saw this. I would love sheep leaf sea slug cards :)
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
"Academics literally cannot make genAI go away" we also can't make underage drinking go away and we're not advocating for installing bar carts in every classroom.
December 27, 2025 at 11:46 PM
"Academics literally cannot make genAI go away" we also can't make underage drinking go away and we're not advocating for installing bar carts in every classroom.
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
"Did you see what Mark Cuban posted? Oh did you see the clapb—"
You shake yourself awake in the cold North Atlantic water. You are not online. It is July of 1858. You are a baleen whale, and you have changed your mind. The future most not come to pass. The telegraph cable must break.
You shake yourself awake in the cold North Atlantic water. You are not online. It is July of 1858. You are a baleen whale, and you have changed your mind. The future most not come to pass. The telegraph cable must break.
December 27, 2025 at 2:06 AM
"Did you see what Mark Cuban posted? Oh did you see the clapb—"
You shake yourself awake in the cold North Atlantic water. You are not online. It is July of 1858. You are a baleen whale, and you have changed your mind. The future most not come to pass. The telegraph cable must break.
You shake yourself awake in the cold North Atlantic water. You are not online. It is July of 1858. You are a baleen whale, and you have changed your mind. The future most not come to pass. The telegraph cable must break.
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
ビンポン！the same goes for marriage restrictions in japan. The point is that the government gets to decide who you can marry or if you can determine your own name.
[11/n] This is about whether or not the government has the right to your data. When someone argues that sex is binary and that biology is simple, the argument isn't ACTUALLY about biology. It's about if the government has a right to look down your pants, or in your blood, or collect your DNA...
December 27, 2025 at 12:23 AM
ビンポン！the same goes for marriage restrictions in japan. The point is that the government gets to decide who you can marry or if you can determine your own name.
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
The “yelling at strangers” phase of the Internet was fun while it lasted. But with the advance of AI, that age is coming to an end. Do not engage in the era of “yelling at robots on the internet.” No good can come of it.
December 26, 2025 at 9:40 PM
The “yelling at strangers” phase of the Internet was fun while it lasted. But with the advance of AI, that age is coming to an end. Do not engage in the era of “yelling at robots on the internet.” No good can come of it.
Several pissed off peeps have rocked up in this thread. In the past, I entertained angry anonymous posters because I’m a glutton for discourse, and I knew they were real.
Now, new policy: I will only actively disagree with people on the internet who are named and known.
Now, new policy: I will only actively disagree with people on the internet who are named and known.
Friendly neighborhood biologist here again. I’ve been seeing lots of post on how simple biological sex is. Since sex in society is such a hot-button issue these days, we should be able to find the basis of biological sex in law, right? Let’s do it! Let’s find the basis of sex, round 2! 🧵
Friendly neighborhood biologist here. I see a lot of people are talking about biological sexes right now. Lots of folks make biological sex seem really simple. Well, since it’s so simple, let’s find the biological roots, shall we? Let’s talk about sex...[a thread]
(Reposted from the other site)
(Reposted from the other site)
December 26, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Several pissed off peeps have rocked up in this thread. In the past, I entertained angry anonymous posters because I’m a glutton for discourse, and I knew they were real.
Now, new policy: I will only actively disagree with people on the internet who are named and known.
Now, new policy: I will only actively disagree with people on the internet who are named and known.
Something that’s been giving me so much peace is the idea that we all have limited tokens of attention, so when we give strangers and trolls our attention, we’re giving them our limited tokens, depriving our actual friends.
Being good to our real friends means cutting out the people pleading.
Being good to our real friends means cutting out the people pleading.
December 26, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Something that’s been giving me so much peace is the idea that we all have limited tokens of attention, so when we give strangers and trolls our attention, we’re giving them our limited tokens, depriving our actual friends.
Being good to our real friends means cutting out the people pleading.
Being good to our real friends means cutting out the people pleading.
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
Over at X, Elon has added a feature that allows you to edit any image anyone has posts using AI
I edited an image of a real scientific paper (left) with the prompt "change the title and images to be more fear-inducing"
I can envision no ways in which this may be abused. None at all. 🧪
I edited an image of a real scientific paper (left) with the prompt "change the title and images to be more fear-inducing"
I can envision no ways in which this may be abused. None at all. 🧪
December 24, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Over at X, Elon has added a feature that allows you to edit any image anyone has posts using AI
I edited an image of a real scientific paper (left) with the prompt "change the title and images to be more fear-inducing"
I can envision no ways in which this may be abused. None at all. 🧪
I edited an image of a real scientific paper (left) with the prompt "change the title and images to be more fear-inducing"
I can envision no ways in which this may be abused. None at all. 🧪
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
“It comes down to the fact that the FDA is not doing its job,” a retired cardiologist said.
“Everything you are swallowing should be tested — there should be no question about it. You don’t want a bad batch coming to the drugstore.”
“Everything you are swallowing should be tested — there should be no question about it. You don’t want a bad batch coming to the drugstore.”
The FDA Often Doesn’t Test Generic Drugs for Quality Concerns, So ProPublica Did
Billions of prescriptions for generic drugs are filled in the U.S. annually. The FDA tests only a few dozen of them every year, its own records show, and it has largely dismissed warnings about contam...
www.propublica.org
December 24, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“It comes down to the fact that the FDA is not doing its job,” a retired cardiologist said.
“Everything you are swallowing should be tested — there should be no question about it. You don’t want a bad batch coming to the drugstore.”
“Everything you are swallowing should be tested — there should be no question about it. You don’t want a bad batch coming to the drugstore.”
Friendly neighborhood biologist here again. I’ve been seeing lots of post on how simple biological sex is. Since sex in society is such a hot-button issue these days, we should be able to find the basis of biological sex in law, right? Let’s do it! Let’s find the basis of sex, round 2! 🧵
Friendly neighborhood biologist here. I see a lot of people are talking about biological sexes right now. Lots of folks make biological sex seem really simple. Well, since it’s so simple, let’s find the biological roots, shall we? Let’s talk about sex...[a thread]
(Reposted from the other site)
(Reposted from the other site)
December 24, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Friendly neighborhood biologist here again. I’ve been seeing lots of post on how simple biological sex is. Since sex in society is such a hot-button issue these days, we should be able to find the basis of biological sex in law, right? Let’s do it! Let’s find the basis of sex, round 2! 🧵
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.
Seems like it's worth posting this one again.
Why Do Historians Still Have To Go To Archives?
Why do historians go to archives? Hasn’t everything already been digitized?
contingentmagazine.org
December 22, 2025 at 1:40 AM
When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.
Reposted by Rebecca R Helm
And/or they can be little!
Reminder: resolutions can be fun! You can resolve to try a new cheese every week, eat all the weird fruits you’ve been curious about at the grocery store, or commit to watching 12 different classic films.
Why make crappy resolutions when you can make happy ones
Why make crappy resolutions when you can make happy ones
December 22, 2025 at 1:26 AM
And/or they can be little!
It’s almost New Years Resolution Time! Here’s mine:
1) Every month, I will purchase at least one piece of original artwork. If I don’t find anything I like/can afford, I’ll donate to an artist on Patreon.
What are yours?
1) Every month, I will purchase at least one piece of original artwork. If I don’t find anything I like/can afford, I’ll donate to an artist on Patreon.
What are yours?
December 21, 2025 at 10:51 PM
It’s almost New Years Resolution Time! Here’s mine:
1) Every month, I will purchase at least one piece of original artwork. If I don’t find anything I like/can afford, I’ll donate to an artist on Patreon.
What are yours?
1) Every month, I will purchase at least one piece of original artwork. If I don’t find anything I like/can afford, I’ll donate to an artist on Patreon.
What are yours?