iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Finally adding stuff to my board in the office. I also added a fern and ivy to my desk 🌿

Corkboard consisting of photos and a drawing with name tags from conferences attended.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I was today years old when I learned house martins have feathered legs.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

You know what blows my mind? The fact that I'm seeing "doctors and engineers" as a derogatory term more and more on several social media platforms. Wtf is wrong with this world and these racist, hateful people 😵‍💫

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

How the hell has it been a year already since I graduated with my masters? 😵‍💫

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Gavin Leighton @gavinleighton.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Research from the lab on the evolution of size and plumage dimorphism in birds! Grad student Catherine Alverson examined how species move between size and plumage dimorphism categories. While those results largely recapitulated previous work, there was an intriguing new finding [1/3]

Phylogeny of bird species in the paper. The rings around the phylogeny represent traits. The silhouettes represent bird species in the paper.

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The Institute for Bird Populations @instbirdpop.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Did you ask for a bird fact? No, but you're getting one whether you like it or not. 🪶

Graphic with two Red-eyed Vireo headshots. The bird on the left (photo by Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren) has a brown eye and the bird on the right (photo by Kelly Colgan Azar) has a bright red eye. Text on the graphic says: Unsolicited Bird Fact: Notice something different between the 2 birds below?
They are both Red-eyed Vireos, but the bird on the left's eye doesn't seem very red does it? It's not just the light. The bird on the left, which was
photographed in late September, likely hatched earlier that same spring or summer. The bird on the right was photographed in mid-June. Red-eyed Vireos' eyes are brown to reddish brown until their first spring when they turn red, and even then they vary from crimson to brick red.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

First basil sprout! 🌱 Fresh pesto here we come!

First small sprout of basil growing in a starter kit

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

I was today years old when I learned the term "orphans and widows" in my writing class.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Ending my Friday teaching my lab american english lingo. My advisor and colleague now know the word "bet" and "I'm on a roll"

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

I literally spent today eating pastries and drinking lattes with friends. I need a salad or something.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

It is that time of my life, coffee time. Welcome kawa the coffee machine ☕

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

You know what's more anxiety inducing than getting a call right after you place an order for food? Getting a call right after you place an order AND you don't speak the language 🥲 (I am learning, Polish is just very difficult)

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

*Green card application in process and work permit, married to US citizen *Lived in US for 20 years, no criminal record *In detention for five months with no charge, despite judge approving release *He disputes ICE claim that he signed forms agreeing to deportation

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Zoognosis with Joy! @zoognosisjoy.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

*Sigh* they don't write scientific articles like they used to. 🧪

THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY
COMMUNISM AMONG INSECTS
By THOMAS E. SNYDER
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
MAN 'S civilization is higher than that of insect communists:
man is developing, while they are standing still. Can we not build
our houses so as to keep out these most undesirable citizens? Tn
the world war of man against insects, although greatly outnum-
bered, man's intelligence will eventually win the battle against in-
sect vandals

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

I cry a little everytime I get a promotion email for insomnia cookies or chipotle 🥲 I miss y'all.

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Mike Feigin 🥯 @mikefeigin.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Do you: 1) Live near/in Buffalo? 2) Like to organize stuff? 3) Hate what the government is doing to science? If you answered yes, help me organize the Stand Up for Science rally on March 7th! I need reps from UB, Buff State, Canisius, D’Youville to spread the word. I need general support. DM me!

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Starting our week off with some homemade apple pie from our friends 🥹🤤

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

One of my favorite months of the year, Febrary!

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Because I am now living at 50⁰ N latitude, the sun rises around 4:30 am in the summer. I will be purchasing blackout curtains prior. I do not want to be that much of an early bird.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

(1/2) We (my partner and I) also have no clue when we will be able to come back to Buffalo safely again, so it's most likely that if we ever want to see my family together, we will have to see them in Canada because we don't want to take any chances.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

It sucks when my advisor and lab partner ask about what I did over the weekend and I can't exactly explain how I did nothing but grieve for my country and what it has become so far. Shout out to those fighting the good fight back home and fuck 🧊

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Cornell William Brooks @cornellwmbrooks.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

ICE killing #AlexPretti should remind you of police killing #PhilandoCastille. Both men had concealed weapon permits, did not draw their guns, & were killed in Minn. These homicides are the price of unaccountable policing. These deaths are variations on the same fatal theme.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Just like back in the US, we got our NINJA!

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

I just learned pine nuts come from pinecones. I never gave it a second thought as to where they came from originally until last night. The more ya learn 🌲

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Went to a board game night for expats and immigrants. Shout out to the guys who are in charge of these events and helping people feel welcome 🌍

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

I'm working from home today so my lungs can thank me later 😷 #IHaveAsthma #SmogOrFog

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Spending my night supporting the Sabres 🏒 let's go Buffalo! ❄️

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Big data! 🐁 Happy Friday y’all!

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

I am disgusted to see where the U.S. is going.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Watching the big snowflakes fall on this snowy day 🌨️

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Time to get Canadian up in Kraków 🍁 (I'm from Buffalo, New York)

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Rav BOO!dram 🎃👻 @rvbdrm.com · 09/01/2026

BIG FIGHT AT POLAND’S WROCLAW ZOO!!!

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

I know I'm getting old when I typed a lot and overextended my thumb when pressing the spacebar. I don't have a thumb splint so this is the best I've got.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

I have no excuse now 🇵🇱 I also got my PESEL today! Thank you to the very nice worker who surprised me with doing my PESEL today when I went for a completely different appointment 🥹

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Merry Christmas / wesołych świąt from us to you 🎄😄

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Terry McGlynn @hormiga.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Y'all, I just got out of the NSF-BIO webinar where they explained changes to peer review. It's not good. 🧪 scienceforeveryone.science/changes-to-n...

scienceforeveryone.science

Changes to NSF peer review

They're not good. At all.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Saw Avatar: Fire and Ash in IMAX 3D yesterday! Personally, I liked it better than the 2nd movie. Ft: my giant popcorn carrier 😄

Hand holding drink and large popcorn carrier with the words "CINEMA CITY"

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Good morning from Sherbet and Toon-Toon 🦜🦜

Toon Toon (green cheek parakeet) on the left and Sherbet (Fischer's lovebird) on the right.

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Sean Rands @seanrands.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

We're open for abstract submission, and look forward to welcoming you all to Bristol in March! asab-spring-conference2026.github.io @asab-meetings.bsky.social #ASABSpring2026

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

My man is back with his dad and they brought the good stuff 🤤 Having the future in-laws over this Christmas in Kraków! 😄🇵🇱

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

The fog is so low and dense that when I blink, water droplets fall from my eyelashes. 😶‍🌫️

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

It's been a busy time and I haven't posted much, but I'm back! My first semester of my PhD is done!

David (my fiance) showing toon toon (our green cheek conure) Christmas lights

The famous unofficial symbol of Kraków on a tram seat. A man with a horse costume.

View from our apartment in Kraków on a snowy day

Bundled up ready to go shopping, photo taken in an elevator

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Leslie Rissler @ljrissler.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

NSF - Forced reorg - POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements) - Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …) I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing. “Details matter” 🙃

Boxing up the NSF at Eisenhower Av for the forced relocation. Boxes have “Details Matter” signage.

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Lauren Smith @laursmith.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

part 1 of 3 complete! Made the 7 hr car ride from Buffalo to NYC with our birds! next part: flying from JFK to Warsaw tomorrow! #migrating

sherbet (fischers lovebird) in her TSA approved carrier

rented van filled with suitcases, bird cages, and bird carriers including toon toon (green cheek conure) and sherbet (fischers lovebird)

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