Miriam Richards
@richardsmiriam1.bsky.social
Scientist, professor, gardener, grandmother.
A PhD student with a female supervisor that they refer to as "Dr", just sent me an email with "Dear Mrs. Richards". Trying not to be irritated because maybe it's an overdue email to my long-dead grandmother.
November 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM
A PhD student with a female supervisor that they refer to as "Dr", just sent me an email with "Dear Mrs. Richards". Trying not to be irritated because maybe it's an overdue email to my long-dead grandmother.
Reposted by Miriam Richards
We are out here fighting over whether we should keep burning the atmosphere or if people should have enough food to eat, and meanwhile the spiders are learning to cooperate. You do not want the spiders to cooperate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/s...
Stinking, Spongy, Dark, Huge: A Spider Web Unlike Any Seen Before
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:08 PM
We are out here fighting over whether we should keep burning the atmosphere or if people should have enough food to eat, and meanwhile the spiders are learning to cooperate. You do not want the spiders to cooperate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/s...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/s...
Reposted by Miriam Richards
An Oxytrigona cagafogo fire bee launches from her nest in subtropical Brazil.
When I took this photo in 2012, the resources available for species IDs were sparser than now, and I often left images unprocessed if I couldn’t figure it out.
Turns out I’ve got buried treasures!
When I took this photo in 2012, the resources available for species IDs were sparser than now, and I often left images unprocessed if I couldn’t figure it out.
Turns out I’ve got buried treasures!
November 11, 2025 at 3:43 PM
An Oxytrigona cagafogo fire bee launches from her nest in subtropical Brazil.
When I took this photo in 2012, the resources available for species IDs were sparser than now, and I often left images unprocessed if I couldn’t figure it out.
Turns out I’ve got buried treasures!
When I took this photo in 2012, the resources available for species IDs were sparser than now, and I often left images unprocessed if I couldn’t figure it out.
Turns out I’ve got buried treasures!
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
How Inventors Find Inspiration in Evolution (Gift Article)
Soft batteries and water-walking robots are among the many creations made possible by studying animals and plants.
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
PSA from the Tired Prof: Google Gemini creates way better multiple choice questions than GPT-5 does. In general, Gemini seems to 'know' way more science. Also, GPT-5 thinks the answer to 80% of multiple choice questions is B.
AI Teaching Assistant Pro | Contact North | Contact Nord
www.aiteachingassistantpro.ca
November 10, 2025 at 5:20 PM
PSA from the Tired Prof: Google Gemini creates way better multiple choice questions than GPT-5 does. In general, Gemini seems to 'know' way more science. Also, GPT-5 thinks the answer to 80% of multiple choice questions is B.
Reposted by Miriam Richards
Scientist helped break new ground in study of genetics, but later caused outcry with promotion of racist ideas.
James Watson, who co-discovered DNA double helix, dies at 97
Scientist helped break new ground in study of genetics, but later caused outcry with promotion of racist ideas.
bit.ly
November 7, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Scientist helped break new ground in study of genetics, but later caused outcry with promotion of racist ideas.
Reposted by Miriam Richards
Canadian reality TV star threatens to go full Karen on most powerful elected official in NYC
Canadian multimillionaire and Shark Tank guy Kevin O'Leary went on TV to say he's upset Zohran won't talk to him: "I and others who invest in real estate have tried to get a meeting to figure out what's rhetoric and what's policy. So far for me it's been crickets."
November 7, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Canadian reality TV star threatens to go full Karen on most powerful elected official in NYC
Reposted by Miriam Richards
Poilievre prevents more MPs from leaving party by locking doors, swallowing key
Poilievre prevents more MPs from leaving party by locking doors, swallowing key
OTTAWA – In an effort to prevent any more defections from caucus, party leader Pierre Poilievre has reportedly locked all Conservative MPs in an undisclosed room in Parliament Hill before swallowing the key.
www.thebeaverton.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Poilievre prevents more MPs from leaving party by locking doors, swallowing key
Reposted by Miriam Richards
Happy Halloween
October 31, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Happy Halloween
Reposted by Miriam Richards
This week, our “Babbage” podcast meets Madagascar’s seed hunters. We find out how, seed-by-seed, they hope to repair the country’s ancient, dwindling forests
Protecting the jungle: on the road with Madagascar’s seed hunters
Our podcast on science and technology. Botanists in Madagascar are stocking the world’s largest seed bank, hoping to restore the country’s dwindling forests
econ.st
October 30, 2025 at 10:01 PM
This week, our “Babbage” podcast meets Madagascar’s seed hunters. We find out how, seed-by-seed, they hope to repair the country’s ancient, dwindling forests
Reposted by Miriam Richards
Arthropod Photo of the Week: October 15, 2025
Tangerine furry-legs moth
Acraga moorei
Lepidoptera: Dalceridae
By Tom Myers, Kentucky, USA
#arthropodPOTW
Tangerine furry-legs moth
Acraga moorei
Lepidoptera: Dalceridae
By Tom Myers, Kentucky, USA
#arthropodPOTW
October 15, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Arthropod Photo of the Week: October 15, 2025
Tangerine furry-legs moth
Acraga moorei
Lepidoptera: Dalceridae
By Tom Myers, Kentucky, USA
#arthropodPOTW
Tangerine furry-legs moth
Acraga moorei
Lepidoptera: Dalceridae
By Tom Myers, Kentucky, USA
#arthropodPOTW
Llama lessons: Find all the plants with velcro attachments before the llama does.
October 22, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Llama lessons: Find all the plants with velcro attachments before the llama does.
Reposted by Miriam Richards
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
nyti.ms
October 8, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE
Grass-powered lawnmower
October 7, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Grass-powered lawnmower
Reposted by Miriam Richards
"Why would it bow to antidemocratic pressures by placing a professor on leave without their request, consent, or involvement? That any university would do this is beyond comprehension and is cause for alarm about the future of academic freedom in Canada."
What Happened to the University’s Commitment to Free Expression? Charley Kirk, uAlberta, and Me | Centre for Free Expression
I was shocked when the University of Alberta administration informed me, one of its law professors, that I was being placed on non-disciplinary leave for my social media comments in the wake of Charli...
cfe.torontomu.ca
September 29, 2025 at 2:54 PM
"Why would it bow to antidemocratic pressures by placing a professor on leave without their request, consent, or involvement? That any university would do this is beyond comprehension and is cause for alarm about the future of academic freedom in Canada."
Reposted by Miriam Richards
Going to share this with my mom and sister, both U of A graduates, and any other alumni I know, encouraging them to send a message to the university that their future financial support will be dependent on the school's commitment to academic freedom and freedom of speech.
"Why would it bow to antidemocratic pressures by placing a professor on leave without their request, consent, or involvement? That any university would do this is beyond comprehension and is cause for alarm about the future of academic freedom in Canada."
What Happened to the University’s Commitment to Free Expression? Charley Kirk, uAlberta, and Me | Centre for Free Expression
I was shocked when the University of Alberta administration informed me, one of its law professors, that I was being placed on non-disciplinary leave for my social media comments in the wake of Charli...
cfe.torontomu.ca
September 29, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Going to share this with my mom and sister, both U of A graduates, and any other alumni I know, encouraging them to send a message to the university that their future financial support will be dependent on the school's commitment to academic freedom and freedom of speech.
Reposted by Miriam Richards
Canada Post “lost” 1 billion dollars last year?
How about, “it cost Canadians 1 billion dollars to have a national postal service” which works out to costing about $25 a year per person (population of Canada in 2024 = 40 million). Seems like a pretty reasonable cost to me.
How about, “it cost Canadians 1 billion dollars to have a national postal service” which works out to costing about $25 a year per person (population of Canada in 2024 = 40 million). Seems like a pretty reasonable cost to me.
"Canada Post is on track to lose money" Hum. Duh. It cost less than a toonie to send a letter across Canada.
"Canada Post is a service and not a business" was common knowledge until late stage capitalism brain rotted most people into think if it ain't making money for shareholders, it's failing.
"Canada Post is a service and not a business" was common knowledge until late stage capitalism brain rotted most people into think if it ain't making money for shareholders, it's failing.
September 25, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Canada Post “lost” 1 billion dollars last year?
How about, “it cost Canadians 1 billion dollars to have a national postal service” which works out to costing about $25 a year per person (population of Canada in 2024 = 40 million). Seems like a pretty reasonable cost to me.
How about, “it cost Canadians 1 billion dollars to have a national postal service” which works out to costing about $25 a year per person (population of Canada in 2024 = 40 million). Seems like a pretty reasonable cost to me.
Reposted by Miriam Richards
I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA
10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
September 24, 2025 at 8:30 PM
I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA
10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)
Dinner music
September 25, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Dinner music
Remarkable!
I thought this was a bunch of ginger root
The buff-tip moth (Phalera bucephala) has mastered a very particular kind of camouflage.
When they close their wings up, they resemble a broken twig.
Native to large parts of Europe, there's regional pattern variation that reflects the local tree species. This one best resembles birch twigs?
When they close their wings up, they resemble a broken twig.
Native to large parts of Europe, there's regional pattern variation that reflects the local tree species. This one best resembles birch twigs?
September 18, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Remarkable!
Reposted by Miriam Richards
If I ran for the Ontario Liberal leadership and won and then we won the next provincial election my first act as Premier would be to pass legislation forbidding Ontario MPPs from using the power and resources of their office to sell Tim Hortons products.
September 16, 2025 at 12:56 AM
If I ran for the Ontario Liberal leadership and won and then we won the next provincial election my first act as Premier would be to pass legislation forbidding Ontario MPPs from using the power and resources of their office to sell Tim Hortons products.
Reposted by Miriam Richards
Florida Decided There Were Too Many Children
Florida Decided There Were Too Many Children
The state’s elimination of vaccine mandates is a courageous first step toward decluttering itself of any excess kids.
www.theatlantic.com
September 4, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Florida Decided There Were Too Many Children