Matilda's Lab
matildaslab.bsky.social
Matilda's Lab
@matildaslab.bsky.social
Science nerd Dad who engages his kids with science through music, drawing and writing by making it fun.
Sharing my content too help others share their own journeys of discovery.
https://linktr.ee/chrismacalister
Now that we've finished with the mammals for now, let's start building the area where is all started, the cartilaginous fish, the chondrichthyes.
The full map and the mammals excerpt can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
October 29, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Matilda's Lab turned 10 years old today.
To mark the occasion, I have updated the website's "About Matilda's Lab" page.
Also, the logo now sports an "Est. 2015", mainly because doing this any earlier would have looked a bit pathetic.
October 26, 2025 at 11:42 PM
It's here! The updated map of life. 124 organisms all together. The full map, plus the stand-alone mammals, can be found here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#scicomm #evolution #sciart
October 15, 2025 at 3:55 PM
There's a new Matilda's Lab single on the loose!
The Waves is a tour through the electromagnetic spectrum but steering clear of the dangers of the high energy end of things.
It's available on the major streaming platforms. The link to my artist pages is here: linktr.ee/chrismacalis...
#sciencesong
October 13, 2025 at 12:11 PM
I completed this wave of updates to the mammals. I've actually gone slightly outside the scope of mammals. Adding Dimetrodon now makes this a map of the synapsids.
The full map, which I'm now in the process of incorporating this into, is here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
October 6, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Here's a map of mammals update. I'm close to finishing this batch of mammals before moving to a different area of the map of life. I've added Deltatherium, who lived alongside the dinosaurs.
See the full map (minus additional mammals) here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
October 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM
It's time for a map of life update. I've rounded off my illustrated placental mammals today, with that addition of 3 species within the Xenarthra: an armadillo, a sloth and an anteater.
The full map can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #biology #mammals
September 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
The new Matilda's Lab track is in the process of dropping onto the streaming platforms.
Why not get some love in your eardrums?
Find a link here:
linktr.ee/chrismacalis...
September 11, 2025 at 11:26 AM
There's just one update to the map of mammals this week. The aardvark, but it does allow me to group everything together within the magnaorder, Epitheria.
The full map can be seen here:
matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
September 8, 2025 at 12:29 PM
It's time for another Map of Mammals update as I add the 50th species. The new additional are an elephant and a manatee.
You can see this and the full map of life here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
September 1, 2025 at 12:29 PM
It's a smaller update to the map of mammals this week, with only 3 new species, in the Eulipotyphla. But it has allowed me to unite everything in one group now, the Boreoutheria.
The full map can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
August 27, 2025 at 8:03 PM
It's a smaller map of mammals update this week. Mainly because of where the bats sit and that I've only drawn 2 of them so far.
The current map of life and this one can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
August 18, 2025 at 11:40 AM
The new Matilda's Lab single is out!
Only a Theory is the first chapter of Richard Dawkins' Greatest Show on Earth book, in song form.
linktr.ee/chrismacalis...
August 12, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Here is the next bulk addition to the map of mammals, with another 13 species added, from the Euugulata.
There's still a bit to go before I can add this to the full map, which is here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
July 29, 2025 at 11:32 AM
It's been a while since the last update, but the mammal map is continuing to grow. It's now over doubled in size since the last instalment.
Remember, you can see the full map here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
July 21, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Updates have been few this week as I'm tied up with work all week long. But I do have a map of life update for you. My development of the mammals has progressed a bit more.
Full progress can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #evolution #mammals
June 25, 2025 at 5:25 PM
The map of life's getting too big & complicated to keep updating the way that I have been, so I'm now working on the mammals section. I can then add it as a large element once I've included all of the mammals that I've drawn. So far, I've included the primates; 6 of them.
#sciart #mammals #primates
June 16, 2025 at 2:11 PM
I've got a triple header on the Map of Life! 3 bacteria from the Kingdom Bacillati, including one from your gut that is generally good, and one from your skin which can sometime be a problem.
You can see the full map in better detail here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #evolution
June 9, 2025 at 11:34 AM
Keep your eyes peeled, people. The new Matilda's Lab track "JWST" has just been sent out to the world. It should start appearing on the streaming platforms later this week.
June 2, 2025 at 8:53 PM
I've been on holiday; hence the lack of content. Now I'm back, let's back to the map of life. Today, I'm acknowledging the halfway house between bacteria and complex cells: the Archaea.
You can see the full map in more detail here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #evolution #biology
June 2, 2025 at 11:19 AM
The map of life needs more fungus, so here's the most stereotypical one that I could think of, the toadstool (or Fly Agaric).
Remember that you can see the full map in more detail here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #biology #evolution
May 19, 2025 at 11:51 AM
In extending the map into entirely new areas, I've not updated the mammals recently, so let's add a new type of mammal, the egg laying type. It's the short beaked echidna.
You can see the full map in better detail here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #biology #evolution
May 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM
It's time to extend the map of life into another neglected area with our first algae. It's Japanese kelp, also known as Kombu.
You can see the full map, in more detail, here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #biology #evolution
May 8, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Let's bring in the week by addressing another oversight. How have I got so far into the Map of Life with no fungus?
As a bread & beer lover, I start the kingdom off with brewer's yeast.
You can see the full map in more detail here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #evolution #biology
April 28, 2025 at 11:42 AM
I'm mixing up diversifying the map with getting through my backlog of drawings. Today, I'm adding another fish. A close relative of the world's largest bony fish, this is the hoodwinker sunfish
The full map can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #biology #evolution #sunfish
April 22, 2025 at 1:43 PM