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Hannah Thomasy

@hannahthomasy.bsky.social
2.7K followers 5.2K following 506 posts

Science journalist & biology nerd. ❤️🧪 Be the best weirdo you can be.

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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The best image caption I have seen so far on Wikipedia. (To be fair, it's in the section about sending the newts to space but I still love the clarification.) 🧪
Two newts floating in water. The image caption reads "Iberian ribbed newts in an aquarium (on Earth)."
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Hello visual ecologists! Are you studying how human activities (urbanization, deforestation, climate change, pollution, etc) affect animal coloration? I want to talk to you! 🧪 I've found some interesting reviews & older papers, but I want to find out more about research currently in progress!
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Jeff Stein @jeffstein.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞 Big news: The Washington Sun launches w/: — Huge investment in DC & local reporters — Legend Tom Sietsema — Capital Weather — Newsroom of +100, w/ great reporters (& me) Comes after Bezos's enormous cuts to WaPo To support, sign up for (free!) newsletter: washingtonsun.com/newsletters
washingtonsun.com
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
TheWashingtonPost is hiring a Press Freedom Content Editor "This temporary, hourly position averages ~5 hours per week & offers the opportunity to contribute to one of The Post’s most meaningful efforts—illuminating threats to press freedom & examining the state of independent journalism worldwide"
Meme of the guy dressed as a hotdog saying "We're all trying to find the guy who did this"
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
👀👀👀 🧪
defector.com
Let's Remember Some Publications That Said We Would Get To Mars By 2026 | Defector
Good science journalism is by its nature suspicious of grand or outlandish claims. Good science journalism does not take press releases at face value, but rather investigates the evidence behind those...
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Michigan State University Department of Entomology @msu-entomology.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
A century after pioneering MSU entomologist Charles Fuller Baker first documented Eidophelus ater in the Philippines, MSU researchers rediscovered the species during a biodiversity expedition. Read more: www.canr.msu.edu/news/msu-ent... #Entomology 🧪🌍🍁
canr.msu.edu
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I have to be honest I was initially very confused about why they had named a space telescope after Nancy grace
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
what's your lowest-stakes conspiracy theory? mine is that left and right socks are exactly the same
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Carolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 27/08/2026
🙏 #Dolly www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Dolly Parton dies aged 80 — researchers celebrate her contributions to science
The country singer was an advocate for vaccines, public health, literacy and marginalized communities.
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Each spring, bogong moths migrate 100s of km to the Australian Alps, where their tiny, fat-rich bodies provide an enormous influx of energy to the ecosystem, 2nd only to the sun. Researchers are tracking these migrations to ID the moths' flyways&breeding grounds - and figure out how to protect them🧪
news.mongabay.com
Bogong moths support Australia’s alpine ecosystems, but face uncertain future
At first glance, Australia’s bogong moth is a decidedly unspectacular-looking creature. The moths are typically a dark, mottled brown and each weighs less than a Tic Tac mint or half a gram. But looks...
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
So many cute lil guys in the gumweed today - 3 bees and one faker 🧪
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
There are definitely parts of Kate Folk’s Out There that are really interesting but man it would suck to be living in a weird quasi dystopia with a bone melting disease or with the world being swallowed by a void, etc and still have your main concern be dating aggressively mediocre men
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Okay 1) this absolutely sucks but 2) even the framing that "if someone is recording you in a public space you can just leave" seems pretty dark. Like just leave... the outside??
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Dean of Science "writes" an opinion piece using AI. Gets caught. Instead of facing any actual consequences, gets to write a think piece about it🧪 Begins with the phrase "I am a fraud" Concludes "I remain the expert and the thought leader behind the piece" Nope, you were right the first time bud.
nature.com
When AI writes the words, who is the author?
After an AI detector classified one of my opinion pieces as entirely AI-generated, I found myself questioning where authorship ends, where expertise begins and what readers deserve to know.
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I HAVE A PHD WHY IS MY BRAIN UNABLE TO DO TIME ZONES
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Jessica Ellis @baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Part of the reason a lot of super rich people are so awful is that when normal people get an absurd amount of money, they immediately start looking around for who they can help.
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Went backpacking this weekend & noticed my pack seemed heavier on the way down. Possibly because many many spiders decided to hitchhike home with me & now my basement is spider city. Fortunately some of them (like this mouse spider) eat other spiders so perhaps this is a self-solving issue? 🧪
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
So cool 🧪
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Easy, breezy, beautiful 🧪 (If you can think of something that rhythms with covergirl and is relevant for mole-rats please please let me know as I have already spent far too much time on Rhyme Zone)
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Who is she?? INat seems to think cross orbweaver but she is HUGE compared to other examples of this species I’ve seen around here (BC) definitely larger than an inch including legs. Maybe she is just thriving on flies from the compost bin? Sorry for potato quality images she only comes out at night🧪
Underside of large ish black and tan spider Side view of same spider
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
This is what the internet should be for #LeafSheep2026 Steals chloroplasts to harness the power of the sun. Cute AF 🧪
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
You’re not alone. There are always bugs ❤️ 🧪
A black stag beetle on a log
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Hello science friends! Could anyone send me a copy of this paper? I always have such a hard time accessing CABI publications. 🧪 www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1...
cabidigitallibrary.org
The Bogong Moth: Agrotis infusa | Australian Moths
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 26/07/2026
A team of scientists uploaded videos of marmots burrowing nests or scurrying across rocks on the adult-content site OnlyFans to raise money amid government budget cuts.
nyti.ms
‘OnlyMarms’: Marmots Are on OnlyFans to Raise Money for Research
A team of scientists uploaded videos of the squirrel-like rodents in the wild on the adult-content site OnlyFans to raise money amid government budget cuts.
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franz @franzanth.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
"Current undergraduate or graduate student in the Fall 2026 semester, pursuing a degree or certificate in scientific illustration, fine arts, graphic design, or similar related field of study." remote opportunity for US students here
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Mothmothmoth
Small green moth against a background of grass
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Today I learned about the totally ineffective but still delightful SNAIL TELEGRAM. In the 1850s, a French occultist decided that after mating, snails became telepathically connected - placing a letter next to one snail would thus transmit this letter to its mate, even hundreds of miles away.
atlasobscura.com
Psychic Snail Sex Couldn't Replace the Telegraph, But One Frenchman Sure Tried
How an escargot obsession found its way from the Paris Commune to Japanese manga.
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
So… a bunch of North America is literally on fire but how cute is this orange legged furrow bee I found snacking on my cilantro flowers 🧪
Small black bee with orange legs on a white flower
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Roberta Kwok @robertakwok.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
It's pub day for Lost in Curiosity -- please re-post widely! "Lively and revelatory" (Elizabeth Kolbert), "beautifully written" (Alan Lightman), "an utter delight" (Sabrina Imbler), "the kind of trip you won't want to miss" (Deborah Blum) www.robertakwok.com/book
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Wake up babe, a new tree mouse just dropped 🧪 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
I'm sorry a what kind of brain to brain interface?? 🧪
nature.com
Listening to speech with a guinea pig-to-human brain-to-brain interface - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Listening to speech with a guinea pig-to-human brain-to-brain interface
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
I think these are both goldenrod crab spiders with different colors. The white&pink guy is clearly hanging out near white&pink flowers. So can spiders change color to camouflage?Are there different morphs that find flowers to match their coloring?Does that imply each spider knows what color it is??🧪
Close up of a yellow spider with two pinkish stripesClose up of a white spider with pink stripes, near a pink and white flower
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Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Good morning. Today is the LAST DAY to comment on the proposed OMB rule that will, honestly, destroy science in the US. And it will do FAR MORE THAN THAT. www.theverge.com/science/9576...
theverge.com
The war against ‘woke’ could end US science as we know it
‘Everyone will be affected, not just scientists. Every community in the country.’
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Tomorrow is the last day to submit comments on proposed old growth logging on Vancouver island by western forest products. Please send a quick email to help protect these virtually irreplaceable ecosystems. Details here: www.reddit.com/r/VancouverI... 🧪
reddit.com
From the VancouverIsland community on Reddit: Open for comment: Proposed cutblock 30027 would log a rare high-elevation old-growth stand on a steep, erosion-prone slope
Explore this post and more from the VancouverIsland community
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
"Science AI product is really good, actually" find employees and stockholders of company that makes AI product. 🧪 Peer reviewed by scientists who are founders/ equity holders in other companies selling AI for science. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
At this point the bar is so low that even James Cameron couldn’t find it
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Intrepid Australian scientists dare to ask: How much farting is normal? 🧪 Researchers created an app (Chart Your Fart*) for participants to report their farts in real time, allowing them to collect data from nearly 6500 people (over 350,000 farts!) So what did they find??
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
How can plumage colors function as social signals in American herring gulls? 🧪 Thanks so much to Molly Hill & @liamtaylor.bsky.social for sharing this awesome behavioral research with me
sciencenews.org
Young gulls’ drab plumage may help them avoid adult attacks
Fake, painted decoys suggest immature coloring acts as a social signal, reducing aggression from territorial nesting gulls.
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
this sucks
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
I throw my ants up in the air sometimes saying aaaayo gotta let go 🧪
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Honestly this is perhaps the piece of media that most succinctly encapsulates my feelings about AI
theonion.com
Guy Who Sucks At Being A Person Sees Huge Potential In AI
SAN MATEO, CA—After spending the past three decades of his life being totally unable and unwilling to engage in any meaningful way with the world around him, James Parker, a local guy who sucks at bei...
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Looooook at these lil mongooses they are doing science! 🧪
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Look at this fantastic goldenrod crab spider that decided to hitch a ride on my backpack
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Hey so quick question NASA - Does "non-reimbursable" mean you are asking people to work for free or ...? 🧪 "NASA is seeking up to 10 partners for non-reimbursable Space Act Agreements to share the stories behind, and insights into, multiple NASA missions"
nasa.gov
Call for Creatives: NASA Seeks Help Illuminating Mission Storytelling - NASA
As NASA pushes the boundaries of exploration and innovation for the benefit of humanity, the agency is looking for partners to share mission stories covering
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Plant and/or fungi experts - what on earth is this?? Spotted on Vancouver island in second growth forest. Had similar vibes as ghost pipe but obviously that’s not what it is 🧪
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Om nom nom
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
A weird pet peeve about the deadliest animals: Mosquitoes themselves kill 0 people; the 760k deaths are from mosquito-borne disease. But the 600k attributed to humans is only violent deaths. Human-borne germs (HIV,TB,flu,Covid) kill millions per year, so humans are far & away the deadliest animal🧪🦠
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Alt CDC (they/them) @altcdc.altgov.info · 10/06/2026
An update on the American Diabetes Association drama 🍿 The editorial being handed out that got some scientists kicked out? Went from a few hundred views and downloads in May to >90K 💥💥💥 Can we make that number go up more? diabetesjournals.org/care/article...
diabetesjournals.org
Misguided Brushes of a Pen Continue to Dismantle and Destroy Biomedical Research in the United States: We Can No Longer Afford Complacency and Fear. We Must All Act Now!
The opinions expressed in this editorial are the personal views of the authors (S.E. Kahn, C.A.M. Anderson, J.B. Buse, and E. Selvin) and do not represent
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Hannah Thomasy @hannahthomasy.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
I have to say it does seem like it used to be a bit easier to get published in Nature 🧪 This study has an N of 1, that 1 subject is also the author, AND he remains anonymous - "for reasons which may be self-evident." Amazing.
Abstract for "Effects of Sexual Activity on Beard Growth in Man" published in Nature in 1970
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