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Iain McKechnie

@iainmckechnie.bsky.social
857 followers 345 following 447 posts

🐳 archaeologist 🏺- anthropology - fish bones - coastlines - zooarchaeology 🦑 - historical ecology 🌏 - ocean histories 🐳 - uvic faculty member hecalab.blog

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Reposted by Iain McKechnie
Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 05/09/2026
The current NIH director is a grievance-driven weasel, a sycophant so desperately out of his league that he lacks even the most basic of bureaucratic reflex arcs: the impulse to protect if not expand his own domain.
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Reposted by Iain McKechnie
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 05/09/2026
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com It's not just you. In many parts of the country, extreme heat affects much more of the year than it once did. See how your county stacks up.
nyti.ms
Opinion | Summer Has Gotten Much Hotter. See How Bad It Is Where You Live.
The notion of enduring the summer rather than embracing it has spread far beyond the Sun Belt.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Thomas Rose, a 37-year-old assistant professor at MIT and an expert in the archaeometallurgy of copper, has died after being hit by a driver while riding his bike at the intersection of Memorial Drive and Massachusetts Ave.
bostonglobe.com
MIT professor hit while riding his bicycle in Cambridge last month has died, university officials say - The Boston Globe
Thomas Rose, 37, joined MIT in January and was set to begin teaching courses this fall.
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The Onion @theonion.com · 04/09/2026
Historians Politely Remind Nation To Check What's Happened In Past Before Making Any Big Decisions theonion.com/historians-politely-re…
Historians Politely Remind Nation To Check What's Happened In Past Before Making Any Big Decisions
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Anjali Dayal @anjalikdayal.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
“The dismantling of USAID, according to models from Boston University epidemiologist Brooke Nichols, “has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children,” Gawande wrote.” hsph.harvard.edu/news/usaid-s...
hsph.harvard.edu
USAID shutdown has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The Trump administration’s decision to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths from infectious diseases and malnutrition, accord...
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Henceforth the ‘Super Bowl’ will be called the ‘Grey Cup Consolation Match’ Wall Street will be referred to as ‘Bay Street South’ Cape Canaveral is now Cape Canadarm The Pentagon is now The Decagon (properly Metric)
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Reposted by Iain McKechnie
Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸 @chris.mstdn.chrisalemany.ca.ap.brid.gy · 24/08/2026
Literally have not heard the names “Fannie Mae” and “Freddie Mac” since 2008. I’m sure it’s fine. Original link: www.wsj.com/finance/regulation/fann… Apple News link […]
mstdn.chrisalemany.ca
Original post on mstdn.chrisalemany.ca
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Kevin Gannon (now a Moo Deng fan account) @thetattooedprof.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Thread.
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Reposted by Iain McKechnie
Glendon Mellow @flyingtrilobite.com · 03/08/2026
Don’t know how I missed this story last month. US oil company shows up in Greenland to start drilling. Invasion by dubious permits. Important story for Canadians. #ElbowsUp
theguardian.com
Licensed to drill? How a Trump-linked Texas oil company is elbowing its way into Greenland
Greenland Energy says billions of barrels of crude could lie beneath territory and claims it has permission to bring drilling kit ashore – a claim denied by Nuuk
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Daniel Rück @danrueck.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
"with the stranded ships remaining motionless, their hulls were becoming encrusted with marine life – from microbes and algae to barnacles and other invertebrates – that could hitchhike to ports around the world when trade resumed." www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Ships stuck in strait of Hormuz pose ‘super-spreader’ biodiversity threat, scientists warn
Biologists say cargo ships stranded in Gulf may carry highly potent invasive species around the world as trade resumes
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Reposted by Iain McKechnie
ICAZ @icaz-news.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Issue 26:2 of the ICAZ Newsletter is now available to download: alexandriaarchive.org/icaz/publica... Let us know about your events, activities, publications and achievements for the next issue in Jan 2027 by emailing icaznewsletter@gmail.com and icaznewsletterassistant@gmail.com. #ICAZ #Zooarch
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ICAZ @icaz-news.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
The call for abstracts for the 15th ICAZ Conference in Vancouver 2027 are now open until the 25th of August! There are 32 great sessions to choose from. Head to the website for more details - sway.cloud.microsoft/BFTVh4FAbfX6... #ICAZ #Zooarch #Vancouver2027
sway.cloud.microsoft
ICAZ 2027 Vancouver
Français
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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
You know who's homegrown South Carolina and recently looking for a job????
static.klipy.com
Stephen Colbert Waves Enthusiastically
Alt: Stephen Colbert Waves Enthusiastically
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
restoring herring spawning habitat in the middle of Vancouver is good news.mongabay.com/2026/07/coul...
news.mongabay.com
Could a blighted urban inlet become a global beacon of waterway renewal?
VANCOUVER — Two hundred years ago, Talaysay Campo’s ancestors harvested clams and cockles along the shore of Vancouver’s False Creek. “It was a huge aquaculture site,” Campo, a member of the Squamish ...
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
they also have weird auditory bullae
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Reposted by Iain McKechnie
Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
dead internet theory.
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Jo VanEvery @jovanevery.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
I was saddened to learn of the death of Raul Pacheco-Vega earlier this week. I’ve known Raul for a very long time. I’ve written something for my website. Read here: jovanevery.co.uk/in-memoriam-...
jovanevery.co.uk
In memoriam: Raul Pacheco-Vega
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Coast Funds @coastfunds.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
A historic milestone for First Nations’ stewardship, conservation & the future of Canada’s oceans! 🐋 The new Mia-yaltwa Ha’lidzogm hoon National Marine Conservation Area Reserve will protect 6,700 square km of marine habitat – an area larger than Prince Edward Island. ow.ly/HFXO50Z4mf2
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Perhaps this scheme has been a thing imported from Canada ?
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Huh it’s like an object lesson
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Reposted by Iain McKechnie
ICAZ @icaz-news.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
The 15th ICAZ International Conference will be held next year in Vancouver. Call for Sessions closes 31st of May 2026. For more details check out our website sway.cloud.microsoft/BFTVh4FAbfX6... or email icaz2027vancouver@gmail.com. #ICAZ #zooarch #Vancouver2027
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
gosh its like some companies are well placed to be cashing in on future profits
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qmackie @qmackie.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Cool shot of an eagle snatching up fistfuls of herring in Haida Gwaii. From @jagsbean on instagram. #herring #eagles #haidagwaii www.instagram.com/p/DWFVvDeARPm/ @iainmckechnie.bsky.social
Side view of an eagle very close to the water with talons loaded with many herring. In the water behind the eagle, herring are flopping in the air after the eagle had punched into the herring ball.
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
"researchers found that nearly a dozen leading models were highly sycophantic, taking the users’ side in interpersonal conflicts 49% more often ..... Even a single interaction with a sycophantic chatbot made participants less willing to take responsibility" www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/w...
nytimes.com
Seeking a Sounding Board? Beware the Eager-to-Please Chatbot.
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
randomly remembered when pelicans aggressively interrupted the Pepperdine graduation www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGBj... 🪶
youtube.com
Pelicans crash Pepperdine University graduation
YouTube video by Grant Dillion
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
hey @watershedlab.bsky.social - perhaps you might inquire if this guy needs additional geomorphology advice www.nytimes.com/2026/03/15/w...
nytimes.com
Iceland’s Chief ‘Lava Cooler’ Is Bracing for the Next Eruption
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
lovely timing happy new year investing www.nytimes.com/2026/03/15/u...
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Theresa Lalonde @theresalalonde.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Assholes among us. Public shame needed. Hate is a crime. #supportRachel
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
frat boy being epically furious starts to realize he is an idiot
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Great to see international attention on Fort Chipewyan & the Athabasca www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/h...
nytimes.com
Cancer Haunts Neighbors of Canada’s Oil Sands Wastelands
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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Happy #2026MMM Wild Card Eve to all who celebrate!
A screen grab of the calendar showing that the WILD CARD is March 9th and March 8th is Wild Card Eve, spent rethinking your whole bracket in agonies of second guesses.
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ICAZ @icaz-news.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
On behalf of the ICAZ Worked Bone Research Group we would like to share the March Bone Tool of the Month - a cassowary bone dagger from New Guinea. See the link to find out more! #ICAZ #zooarch #workedbone www.wbrg.net/bonetool-of-...
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@bcferrys @bcferrys.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
The perfect Valentine’s gift: assorted chocolate-dipped clams!
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Kevin Gannon (now a Moo Deng fan account) @thetattooedprof.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Racism Racism Racism Racism Racism Racism Racism Racism Racism The new kickoff rule sucks Racism
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
“The toolbox isn’t particularly varied…the paramilitary thugs; random violence; postmortem vilification of victims. It’s only natural that our brains struggle to find logic in what we are seeing. There is a logic, & this logic has a name. It’s called state terror.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | State Terror Has Arrived
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
great new paleoanthropology 🧪 paper by @robingnelson.blacksky.app onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Adjusting the Aperture: Decolonizing Time in Studies of Human Behavior and Evolution
Biological anthropology has long positioned foraging and often pastoralist populations as the most appropriate referent communities for the rigorous study of human behavior and evolution. With this, ...
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
top 10 worm species 🧪🌊 www.marinespecies.org/worms-top-te...
marinespecies.org
WoRMS - Ten remarkable new marine species from 2024
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NPR @npr.org · 19/11/2025
Scientists are increasingly concerned that the planet is headed for massive, irreversible changes due to global warming. In some cases, those changes have already begun. n.pr/48nQMqI
n.pr
3 massive changes you'll see as the climate careens toward tipping points
Scientists are increasingly concerned that the planet is headed for massive, irreversible changes due to global warming. In some cases, those changes have already begun.
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UVicAnthro @uvicanthro.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Congratulations to all the students convocating this week. Thank you to those who chose #anthropology as their degree. Interview with Jennifer Preece, Anthropology major/Indigenous Studies minor grad who walked across the stage today. tinyurl.com/5xzxjb77 @uvic.ca @uvicsocialsciences.bsky.social
tinyurl.com
UVic grad finds passion for archaeology - UVic News
Anthropology major and Indigenous Studies minor grad, Jennifer Preece, never imagined her interest in fish trap research would ignite her passion for
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
these social media places are often overflowing w flooded s#$! & yet are also places where its possible to strengthen channels, dikes, & riparian zones to eventually filter into cleaner, clearer, faster flowing water [aka. news?] 🗞️🧪 www.nytimes.com/2025/10/14/o...
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Lora Kolodny @lorak.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
i had forgotten this moment
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Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf @rahmstorf.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
High resolution images from satellite and from eddy-resolving ocean circulation models point to an ongoing decline of the Atlantic overturning circulation, a key ocean current for our climate. Read more about it in my new blog article. 🌊 www.realclimate.org/index.php/ar...
realclimate.org
RealClimate: High-resolution ‘fingerprint’ images reveal a weakening Atlantic Ocean circulation (AMOC)
The #AMOC is the reason for Europe’s mild climate. Evidence that it is slowing has been piling up over the years – it now is likely at its weakest in at least a millennium, and it may even be approach...
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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Thanks, New Yorker
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
How does one make tea - is it boiled ?
media.tenor.com
a glass mug with a wooden handle and a wooden lid
ALT: a glass mug with a wooden handle and a wooden lid
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John Schwartz @jswatz.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
“No self-respecting university could ever accept something like this,” said Lee Bollinger, a First Amendment scholar and former Columbia University president. “Trying to protect conservative ideas against being ‘belittled’ — that’s about as violative of the First Amendment interests as you can get.”
washingtonpost.com
Colleges weigh whether to sign onto Trump plan or forgo federal benefits
A new proposal from the Trump administration would give colleges funding advantages if they adopt conservative priorities.
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
historical ecology of tuna (incl. giant bluefin) fisheries in Canada🧪🐟
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Kras Mazov @pepperonidave.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
This is so pathetic. we need to stop being afraid of this clown.
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
"More professors in the United States have been fired for controversial views in the past week than any other week in all of American history." www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
insidehighered.com
Censorship Is the Authoritarian’s Dream
The right to free expression must include the right to say horrible and evil things.
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Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
Biggest story in the world, told in the mainstream press perfectly well: AP/PBS headline: TRUMP'S MOVES AGAINST MEDIA OUTLETS MIRROR AUTHORITARIAN APPROACHES TO SILENCING DISSENT www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
pbs.org
Trump's moves against media outlets mirror authoritarian approaches to silencing dissent
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has waged an aggressive campaign against the media unlike any in modern U.S. history, making moves similar to those of authoritarian leaders that...
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Iain McKechnie @iainmckechnie.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
A thoughtful mini history of fascism
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