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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

We recently had to purchase a new cushion for our old papasan chair, and subsequently each of our kitties has laid claim to it as their own. (Missing: Buzz and Boris. But give them time.) Meanwhile, I'm hardly able to use the chair myself. 🙄 Ah, well, worth it. #Caturday #CatsOfBluesky

A bright-eyed and alert black kitty named Zorro sitting in a brightly colored papasan chair, watching events unfold. The cover on the chair is actually a bunch of vividly-colored kitties.

Our gorgeous Abyssinian girl Arya - whose coming home day is today! - lounging in our papasan chair, watching me with unwarranted caution. The cover on the chair is actually a bunch of vividly-colored kitties, and there are dark red and black (w/ flamingos) pillows behind her.

A bright-eyed and happy long-haired grey kitty named Sasha sitting in a brightly colored papasan chair, keeping an eye on things. The cover on the chair is actually a bunch of vividly-colored kitties. There's an autumn-themed pillow and a dark red pillow behind Sasha and a black pillow w/ pink flamingos next to her.

A handsome and terribly regal striped tabby cat named Tigger sprawled in a brightly colored papasan chair, deigning to hang out with us & hoping we don't notice that possibly he might lose a pound or two. The cover on the chair is actually a bunch of vividly-colored kitties. There's an autumn-themed pillow and a dark red pillow behind him.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Here's an action that anyone who cares about the closure of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia can take to maybe have an impact. Please consider this. Museums are important and what's happening here in Philly is a tragedy with national repercussions.

Holotype horn core of the Pleistocene species Bison antiquus, on display - for now - at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Think on that - a *holotype* on display where everyone can see it! How cool is *that*?! Plus, the specimen is from the famed Big Bone Lick locality in Kentucky - "Birthplace of American Vertebrate Paleontology" - and was collected by William Clark of Lewis & Clark fame! What an amazing specimen - and how special that it's here *shared with the public" and not stored in off-limits collections!

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

For #FossilFriday: my first-ever visit to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, which is slated to close permanently this weekend unless some sort of miracle occurs. I'm thrilled to finally be here after a lifetime of wanting to visit, but heartbroken at the circumstances for my trip. 🦖🧪

Cast skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex in the main gallery of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Yes, except there's nothing plain about pepperoni.

Sicilian pepperoni slice from Little Italy, New York

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I understand that times are tough and museums are fighting for funding. The thing is, though, that many natural history museums in the US are fighting *successfully* for funding, because museum workers are passionate & recognize the importance of their efforts. Not so Drexel University, apparently.

Skull of Bison "crassicornis" on display at the Carter County Museum in Ekalaka, MT - population <400, yet they somehow managed to generate $300k to expand the Museum despite being located in the middle of nowhere.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Sadly, poor management by Drexel University has led to the ill-conceived decision to close the Academy Museum and sell the property. While Drexel says it's "just" the nearly 200-year old Museum closing, "the Academy remains committed to public engagement and education". Right. 🙄

Mounted skeleton of Bison antiquus, on display at the La Brea Tar Pits & Museum in Los Angeles, California. The LA museum is currently undergoing renovation costing $234 million - showing how some museums take their exhibits & outreach seriously & work to develop funding for their efforts.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

For #FossilFriday: holotype of the extinct Pleistocene bison species Bison antiquus, one of millions of specimens housed in the collections of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University - the oldest natural history museum in the US, now slated for permanent closure on 30 September. 🧪

Bison antiquus holotype (ANSP 12990) braincase with left horn core, shown in posterior view (top) and dorsal view (bottom). From McDonald & Scott (2023), The Pleistocene Fauna of Big Bone Lick, Boone County, Kentucky: A Rich History and Unanswered Questions

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

It's amazing to me that a television show that only originally lasted three seasons managed to capture our imaginations and end up having so much staying power. Here's to you, Star Trek - and here's to another 60 years! Live long and prosper!

Paleontologist in the field with plaster drying on his hand & arm after making a protective plaster "jacket" for a fossil mammoth tibia in the desert, making the Vulcan salute to the photographer. Photo by Lauren Parry-Joseph, NPS.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The same goes for my wife, who's much younger but is also a Star Trek fan - probably part of why we're still together after all these years! But she's a TNG girl, while I'm old school TOS. Here's art she painted that we took to conventions in the 90s and got signed. Geeks to the end! #StarTrek

A watercolor painting of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 D, in a black frame, signed by Tim Russ, Majel Barrett, John de Lancie, Jonathan Frakes, Denise Crosby, and Terry Farrell.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

It's the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, & I'm looking around our home & seeing evidence of how Trek has been with me my whole life - books I still own from after the show ended & we fans *hoped* for another series (or even a movie!), signed photos on our wall from 1970s conventions, etc. #StarTrek

Shot of the covers of two old paperback books - "Spock Must Die!" by James Blish, and "Star Trek: The New Voyages" edited by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath

Framed black and white photos on an off-white wall. The left photo is of actress Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Janice Rand from Star Trek, and is signed, "To Eric, w love, Grace Lee Whitney". The right photo is of actress Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura from Star Trek, and is signed, "Eric, Love, Nichelle Nichols"

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Y'know, I get it, I do ... but sometimes, those boxes are *done*. (Arya was loath to let this one go, but its time had come.)

Gorgeous Abyssinian kitty named Arya in a *very* well chewed cardboard box

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Love these skeletons - and love that they're still on display in these poses today. (Though I'm not from New York, I essentially grew up with these skeletons - they were depicted in the 1960 book "The How and Why Wonder Book of Dinosaurs" that first got 6 year old me to want to be a paleontologist!)

Scan of two pages from the 1960 children's book "The How and Why Wonder Book of Dinosaurs" showing two mounted skeletons of a dinosaur, with text. The dinosaur shown is labeled Trachodon; today, the dinosaur is known as Edmontosaurus annectens.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

This skull, shown here being excavated in 2025, is one of many horse fossils that will be displayed during the public PaleoCon event on Saturday, 8/22. Horses were the most abundant large mammals in the region during this time, & remained so until bison showed up after ~190 ka. 🐎🧪 #FossilFriday

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

For #FossilFriday: a skull of the extinct horse Equus scotti under study in the collections at the Western Science Center in Hemet, California, US. The fossil was recently recovered from Pleistocene sediments (~ 500 ka) in Murrieta, CA, US, & will be showcased at the WSC's annual PaleoCon event. 🐎🧪

Fossil horse skull sitting on a black blanket. The skull is upside down, showing the cheek teeth facing upwards. A scale bar is next to the skull (for scale).

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

One of the greatest live albums ever released (in my opinion) came out 52 years ago today, on 19 August 1974. Recorded in February 1974 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, US, it captured the group at the height of their success. It even reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200! #ELP

Front cover of the 1974 three LP live album from Emerson, Lake & Palmer - "Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends, Ladies and Gentlemen, Emerson Lake & Palmer"

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

One of my favorite mounts ... & one of my favorite Ice Age mammals! Not growing up in New York, I didn't get to see this specimen in person 'til I was an adult ... but I grew up w/ it nevertheless, 'cause I had a model kit of it that I assembled w/ my dad when I was little. (I still have the model!)

Plastic skeleton of an American mastodon on a desktop

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Our ear-tipped girl Sasha, who was clipped in error (she was a stray, but once caught for spaying was never intended to be TNR or to return to life as a community cat) and has never noticed ... and never stopped being gorgeous. She's an utter love & just about purrfect.

Gorgeous grey longhaired ear-tipped kitty named Sasha sitting attentively in her person's jeans-clad lap & preventing him from reaching his laptop - & consequently from getting any actual work done

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

It's Black Cat Appreciation Day! Boris and Zorro want you all to be celebrating. (Apparently black cats have lower adoption rates, due to silly superstitions; we're so, *so* happy not to be so foolish, 'cause it means we have these two loves in our lives.) #BlackCatAppreciationDay #CatsOfBluesky

A handsome if somewhat frazzled black cat named Boris (as proclaimed proudly by his somewhat ostentatious name tag) sitting in a window getting some sun. The window needs cleaning - yeah, I know - but there's a clearly-visible orange tree in the yard on the other side.

An *adorable* black kitty named Zorro sitting in an empty plastic box on a day bed.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

It may be, and I haven't had enough of it (or other continental cuisine) to make that call; so, not gonna argue. Plus, I generally have very pedestrian tastes in food. That said, though, some of the best meals I've ever eaten were in Paris. Like this one. Good lord, this was heaven.

Angled shot down of a white bowl filled with soupe de légumes at L'Eclipse, Paris (near the natural history museum)

Angled shot of a square white plate of tartare de boeuf, frites, and une salade at L'Eclipse, Paris (near the natural history museum)

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Loved his book "Chase the Morning".

Image of the cover of the hardback edition of Michael Scott Rohan's book "Chase the Morning", showing a galleon sailing away from a modern dock towards the sun

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Jackie the bald eagle from Big Bear has died after illness from an unknown cause, and I am in tears.

Photo of Jackie the Bald Eagle in Big Bear, by Owen Pharis

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

It's a very special #Caturday since today is also International Cat Day! In honor of this auspicious occasion, here's the whole clowder (including our outdoor kitties) wishing all who celebrate a terrific day! #InternationalCatDay #CatsOfBluesky

Collage of *eight* cats of various colours and coat lengths

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I'm not sure that's accurate and neither is Tigger.

Tabby kitty named Tigger relaxing on a tile floor under a papasan chair

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Gotta go with the classics ... !

Grace Kelly in a daring white gown & fake diamonds getting her fingers lightly kissed by a tuxedoed Cary Grant in "To Catch A Thief" (1955)

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

This loss hurts. Sam Neill was a tremendous actor and, by all measures, a terrific human being, warm & caring & charming & funny. So many of my colleagues were inspired by his performance in Jurassic Park; I first watched him ten years earlier in the British series Reilly: Ace of Spies. RIP. 😔

Sam Neill as spy Sidney Reilly in "Reilly: Ace of Spies" (1983), dressed in a tuxedo, sitting at a table with piles of cash in front of him and a cigarette in his hand

Sam Neill as paleontologist Alan Grant in the original "Jurassic Park" (1993), standing in the rain on Isla Nublar, standing in the rain with a broad-brimmed hat

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I've got an unopened bottle of fairly decent tequila ready to go. I'm not planning to open it until that day.

A bottle of tequila with its label - "Tequila Ocho, Single Estate" - displayed prominently ... and an orange and white kitty named Buzz sprawled on the floor in the background

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Buzz is not terribly motivated for the weekend. #Caturday #CatsOfBluesky

An orange and white cat named Buzz atop a bureau with a window behind him, yawning mightily

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

For #FossilFriday: posing with fossil bison skull from Orange County, California at the Ralph B. Clark Interpretive Center in Buena Park, CA. Bison were among the most abundant large mammals in late Pleistocene SoCal (& the rest of North America), but their remains from "the OC" need more study. 🧪

A bespectacled man in a black shirt and jeans crouching on a carpeted floor next to a plaster jacket with a big skull of an ice age bison along with other bison bones.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Gerenuk are some of the most gorgeous creatures on the planet. I love 'em.

A gerenuk in repose at the San Diego Zoo

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

A full-on fry-up is one of Britain's greatest gifts to humanity.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Quoted? Heck, it was your exhibit work! How very cool & creative - this sounds fantastic. Smell is such an important sense for capturing the whole beast. This reminds me of Ray Bradbury's wonderful prose in "A Sound of Thunder" - thanks for bringing it to life!

The Tyrant Lizard raised itself. Its armored flesh glittered like a thousand green coins. The coins, crusted with slime, steamed. In the slime, tiny insects wriggled, so that the entire body seemed to twitch and undulate, even while the monster itself did not move. It exhaled. The stink of raw flesh blew down the wilderness.

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Eric Scott @captainfossil.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

One of our yard kitties, Otto (named by my wife for "A Fish Called Wanda"), somehow got a nasty burst abscess on his throat, so I've spent this week catching him, getting him to the vet, & caring for him. He's getting healthy again & is *quite* the affectionate sweetie! 🐈 #Caturday #CatsOfBluesky

Black and white kitty named Otto sitting comfortably on a tile floor in a bathroom, next to the tub and the discreetly just off-screen toilet

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