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metasilk

@metasilk.bsky.social
214 followers 331 following 1.1K posts

Compassion, cuss words, color, coffee. I wear many hats in a small museum, do web sites, & teach a bit of environmental science. I draw some, don't paint enough, and talk back to birds.

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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Has your school connected with a scientist yet this year? Skype a Scientist offers free connections with scientists for virtual Q&As with classrooms, libraries, clubs, and more! Sign up for a match at www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html 🖼️ by @hanfranstudio.bsky.social
A goofy school of fish in a science class swim while dropping green liquid that says let’s talk science in school
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Kate Schapira: "Well Put & Generalizable" @kateschapira.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
It's Don't Argue Inside Your Head With Other People Friday. Today, if you find yourself arguing inside your head with someone who's not present, or who it's not safe or not fair for you to argue with, gently move your mind away. Do this as many times as you need.
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Brandy Schillace @bschillace.brandyschillace.com · 22/06/2026
Make stuff. Do your hobbies. Geek out with your weird friends. Practice arts and crafts. Every society that ever burned to the ground left behind only the handicrafts, and every society saved from the brink was saved only by arts. Do not give up the joy of creating.
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
SAME
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Laura Siadak @fallenlights.net · 28/09/2026
Start of the school year means my kid's Girlscout troop starts their fundraisers! They've got a trip to Chicago to save up for (To sleep at the field museum!). *this isn't cookies, that is January* tinyurl.com/5de62ba6
Girl scout banner for daughter's fundraiser. Green banner, kid in a hoodie grinning next to the words Visit my site to help me reach my goal. Link is in the post. Magazines, chocolates, and other things.
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Hannah Vardit @hannahvardit.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
i worry that men think being A Good Guy is dramatically and heroically intervening on behalf of an endangered woman and then being publicly rewarded on a grand scale when actually being A Good Guy is just usually saying, “hey man that’s not funny” or “wow that’s fucked up” and there is no reward
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c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
'Nature of Wildworks', a rescue in Coarsegold, CA, shared this video of Cliff the Cougar purring in contentment. Cats that roar (lions, tigers) generally can't meow or purr for anatomical reasons. But let's explore WHY cats purr. We can start by asking: WHEN do they purr? (📷: Nature of Wildworks)
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Can you all see/respond in this poll? Should I make a poll here? Maybe I should add sticky notes as an option too....
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Ed Maibach @maibached.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Happy Stanislav Petrov Day He passed in 2017. As Encyclopedia Britannica puts it, “He is survived by his two children, two grandchildren, and the entire human race.” If you don't know his story, please take 3 minutes now to learn it. @gchalliance.bsky.social @docsforclimate.bsky.social
sammatey.substack.com
Happy Stanislav Petrov Day
Take five minutes to not destroy civilization
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
What might make you pause at my table at a craft show? Poll here: www.patreon.com/Metasilk/pos... And if that site gives you trouble, i can recreate poll here i think. Thanks!!
patreon.com
Advise ... ? | Kir Talmage
I'm signed up for one, maybe two craft shows this fall. I have time to add some products, gear, thingamabobs. With that in mind, what would
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Bart⚓️ @bartgonnissen.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The Facial Expressions of Tethys by artist Julius von Bismarck. A suspended high-sea buoy that moves in real time. Sensors on a twin buoy out in the Atlantic Ocean send live satellite data to motors inside the museum. This makes the indoor buoy copy the exact, real-time movements of the ocean waves.
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Aimee Cozza Illustration @aimeecozza.com · 22/09/2026
Got notified an artist was located, hired, and paid for work through HireHumanArtists.com and I couldn't be more thrilled Pls hire more artists through here!!! Support human made! #hha
hirehumanartists.com
Find an Artist Who Doesn't Use Generative AI | Hire Human Artists
Looking for an artist for your next project? Our human artist directory is full of over 400 artists who have pledged not to use gen AI.
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Emily Hare @emilyhare.com · 23/09/2026
What if each month you received a letter from an adventurous friend? What if they told you of their extraordinary journey in a wild and otherworldly land? What if you got long letters about their experiences of raucous taverns, Vodarr Witches, travelling caravans and outlaws? 1/3 #snailmailclub
collage image of a photo of a close up of writing in the background, on top is a torn piece of paper, with a fragment of a letter reading: My Dear Friend, What an adventure I have had since I saw you last at Port Hope. The journey to this wild place was not without incident, and you can be sure that I will furnish you with as much... exerpt from letter: 

The Tipsy Wizard 
Agaloon Coast
2nd Moon In The Year Of Olum  

My Dear Friend,
  What an adventure I have had since I saw you last at Port Hope. The journey to this wild place was not without incident, and you can be sure that I will furnish you with as much detail as I am able.
A couple of weeks into my journey on the whale-road, aboard The Intrepid, something happened which was to change my once relaxed attitude to sea travel. I was woken very early one morning to the sound of the crew shouting and rushing about ship. Their voices were laden with panic, and the word being repeated was Leviathan! Leviathan! I can tell you this made my blood run cold. As you know, I'm not one to shy from a little peril, so I grabbed my coat and rushed up to the deck to see if I could be of use. Men were standing on the port side, holding long spears, pointed at the wild foaming ocean below. I could see something in the early morning light, an immense creature with glistening scales the size of shields, effortlessly gliding alongside us, it must have been...
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A word choice I noticed this morning: "fact-based" instead of "factual" *grumbles* #meaning #implications
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Birds of Vermont Museum @birdsofvermont.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Todd Cummings, today's #FeaturedArtist, uses graphic design and digital illustration to share a early morning autumn moment with loons. The birds' quiet grace contrasts eloquently with the change of seasons. You can find more of Todd's work at ForestCityDesigns.com #WingsWatersWays
Two loons swim to the right on misty grayish waters beneath a autumn-colored tree-hemmed shoreline in a piece called "Morning Mist". Digital illustration copyright © Todd Cummings and shown with permission.
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iNaturalist @inaturalist.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Time to get outside & touch some grass! #iNatTogether has officially started. 😎 👀 If you want to meet new people to explore nature with, find an iNat Together event near you, hosted by some of our incredible iNaturalist Ambassadors: www.inaturalist.org/pages/inatto...
A moth sits on top of a frog with the caption iNat Together: September 18-28, 2026. Find your nature friends and get outside! A small speech bubble next to the frog says "you don't have to go far, just together!"
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Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 20/09/2026
Elite athletes, musicians, actors & more often use cultural importance as an excuse for why they're exempt from cutting their emissions. In this new analysis led by @manuelsuter.bsky.social, we argue the opposite: visibility and influence should raise the bar, not lower it! Read more:
nature.com
The climate responsibility of cultural influencers - npj Climate Action
In socially influential fields such as elite sport, music, and film, cultural relevance is often invoked as a special moral status that exempts them from genuine emissions reduction. We argue that vis...
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Ambassador Ken Fairfax (ret) @portlandken.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The accounting is in: In Oregon there are 111 data centers. The TOTAL number of people employed at data centers is just 2,630, or 0.1% of the labor force. Those 100 data centers consumer 23% of all electricity used in Oregon. Meanwhile, electricity rates skyrocket as more centers are built.
opb.org
Oregon data centers by the numbers: 111 facilities consume nearly one-quarter of state’s power, according to new report
A first-of-its-kind report details the footprint of the controversial facilities.
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J. Offir, PhD @joffirphd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Folks, please get vaxxed or check your measles titers, if you aren't sure you got 2 doses or were born b/t 1963-1967 (when a less effective, killed vax was used for a bit). An unvaxxed passenger "rode across the country" on trains & Amtrak buses & is now hospitalized. www.ktvu.com/news/califor...
ktvu.com
California health department notifies of measles exposure from unvaccinated Amtrak passenger
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is urging residents to get their measles vaccination after notifying the public of an exposure from an Amtrak passenger who traveled on the rail syste...
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Ian @laughingcricket.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I had a friend in highschool who used to do this. I hammered him about it one day and all he would say was he loved it when I was angry. Yeah, fuck that game.
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This is the first #mermaid I carved onto a rubber stamp. The stamp just did the black part; the rest was digitally colored when I decide to make note cards. studiometasilk.etsy.com/listing/9986... #etsy #notecard
A white paper note card with a block print of a mermaid on it. She has pale skin, green tints in her hair and a green tail. She swims in blue water, Art by K Talmage.
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Dr Andrew Mahon @andyantarctica.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
"NSF’s budget, adjusted for inflation, is essentially the same as it was 20 years ago, and Tr*** wants to cut it by half next year." not ONE BIT of this is realistically feasible and it is terrifying for the future of science in the U.S. 🧪🌎🌊
science.org
NSF memo implementing Trump’s ‘golden age’ of science unsettles researchers
New document emphasizes support for White House priorities over curiosity-driven ideas
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Clarkesworld @clarkesworldmagazine.com · 23/08/2026
Slowly closing in on our goal of giving the team a raise for our 20th anniversary. Subscribe at: clarkesworldmagazine.com/subscribe/
We're running a subscription drive!
Clarkesworld will publish its 20th anniversary issue in October and we'd like to recognize this milestone by giving our staff and contributors a raise. Each new subscriber brings us one step closer to reaching our goal. We're within 170 subscribers of our target.
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Melissa Sue Stanley : Dragon Con Art Show 🌿✨🍄 @melissasuestanley.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
These little dummies want you to know that they're in my new art book, "Bramble & Thorn", which you can get now at Melissasuestanley.com/shop-prints-and-more Please help them, they are so dum.
Sketches of some weird goblin guys on a white background. The one in the foreground is a stout looking hairy dude with big ears and a big chompy mouth. He's pointing off to the right, where there are more derpy looking beasts. They are Woolbeasts, and they love you.
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Davis Bickford @davis.social · 16/09/2026
I’ve always loved the phrase, “living well is the best revenge.” Despite how it sounds, it isn't about spite; it’s about breaking free from a toxic cycle. It means taking all the energy you would have spent fighting back, and using it to build a life of peace and joy instead.
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Today I am trying this adorable tiny apple: Lamb Abbey Pearmain, from www.scottfarmvermont.com/lamb-abbey-p... Just my size! #apple #heirloom #variety
A very small apple sits on the lid of a traveling coffee mug. It is about 2/3 the diameter of the lid (which is in turn smaller in diameter than the mug itself). The apple has a greeny gold color near the stem which changes to a lightly-sreaked red/ pale red with little tiny gold dots. 
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Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Apparently the commander of the International Space Station brought her dancing pants to space with her
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Foxfeather Zenkova @foxfeather.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
What's the surprise with the macaw? 🦜 Movement! This large pendant will feature the tail as a separate, attached piece that can swing side-to-side for even greater effect. Help us make the macaw come to life: tinyurl.com/v5sry3m8
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Another #mermaid #blockprint #notecard today! This one is a #musician, playing the harp. studiometasilk.etsy.com/listing/1012... #etsy
A note card of a block print of a mermaid plane harp. She has brown skin, maroon-highlighted black hair, a green tail, and a yellow harp. The waters and hint of sky are blues. Art by K. Talmage.
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Representative Becca Balint @balint.house.gov · 12/09/2026
propublica.org
Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans.
With prompt and appropriate medical care, experts say, people shouldn’t die from an ectopic pregnancy. Women in Texas and Oklahoma have sued over delays in care, which, coupled with our new analysis, ...
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Phil Plait @philplait.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Oh this is interesting! Climate scientist @leahstokes.bsky.social shows that candidates who talk about climate change *get a bump in preference from voters*. "Common knowledge" is that climate is a losing issue, but this survey shows the opposite is true: voters care. mailchi.mp/9af4ccd3280e...
mailchi.mp
Climate action comes in waves
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Before each teaching with Four Winds: anxious will I remember will I organize well will my colleague think I'm OK will they learn anything will I be too bouncy will the teacher think I'm bananas what will i forget is the plan ok After: I sure do like exploring nature with kindergartners. fwni.org
fwni.org
(no title)
Community-based natural science education and research
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Remember all those #mermaids from a couple weeks back on my mini cards? I also made digitally colored versions for #notecards too. studiometasilk.etsy.com/listing/1012... #Blockprint #etsy
A note card of a block print of a mermaid diving. her skin is brown; her tail is greens; the water and sky are blues. The block print is black and the paper white. 

Art by K. Talmage.
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Roland Pierik @roleo.eurosky.social · 08/09/2026
The number of cases of cervical cancer reported in Scotland among women given the HPV vaccine at 12-13 years of age is now zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. Zero. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
No cervical cancer cases in fully HPV-vaccinated women in Scotland
A study published by Public Health Scotland finds that the HPV vaccine is "highly effective".
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Foxfeather Zenkova @foxfeather.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I’m not great at “promoting things.” I’d rather be out with the birds, covered in feathers, taking care of rehab cases, and sketching designs with a mug of tea. But we made something I’m really proud of, and I wanted to share it with you. We just added 19 new designs: tinyurl.com/v5sry3m8 🪶
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I like to imagine #leaves' changing colors being the fault of #dryads. I also love knowing about the different types of chlorophyll and the changes in the sugars and what the leaf is actually doing. But that's not quite as whimsical to paint! studiometasilk.etsy.com/listing/8917... #autumn #etsy
Two note cards showing a brown skinned, black haired dryad. She has leaves growing out of her fingertips, which she is changing the color of. Art by K. Talmage.
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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 07/09/2026
One of my suggestions that I have made in my workshops is that every author should have a document repository. A folder on Dropbox is fine. A physical file folder in your desk is also fine. It doesn't matter what format; just make it a habit to file important papers every time they show up.
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Micah @rincewind.run · 07/09/2026
there’s a lot more nuance to it but as a basic principle you could do a lot worse than unions good, billionaires bad happy Labor Day, everyone
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Phil Plait @philplait.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Due to a profound and well-earned mistrust of the GOP, I check my voter registration relatively often. I just did and I'm OK. You can check yours; just search on "check voter registration status [your state]".
Screenshot of my voter status, listed as "Active"
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 07/09/2026
This is one of the objections I have when people talk about how useful LLMs can be for literature searches or for any kind of search, really. Even beyond the biases that inevitably (and, in some cases, intentionally) show up, part of a good literature search is seeing information *in context.*
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Mike Boylan-Kolchin @mbkplus.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Part of research is wandering in the literature and making unexpected connections, finding the questions you didn’t know to ask. I don’t see a good way to do that while relying mainly on LLMs to do literature searches.
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Jack Stack @jackstack.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Couldn’t agree more. The skill that will last any student the longest is being able to solve problems and adapt to new information. We must also remember that billion dollar industries exist to prey on people without critical thinking skills.
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Ty ᓚᘏᗢ 🏳️‍🌈 @tytonidart.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
A bit late for yesterday’s #internationalvultureawarenessday but so it goes! A greater yellow-headed vulture 💛🪶 Bonus shout out to @foxfeather.bsky.social ‘s visionary vultures if you love birds and want to support conservation! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/f... #illustration #watercolor
A watercolor portrait of a vulture, their face is all wrinkles in shades of yellow, pink, green and black.
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
This #notecard shows a #pangolin with a #parasol in a park looking at a pagoda. Possibly inspired by a friends' trip to a botanical garden. Definitely a watercolor & ink #ACEO (art trading card), now framed on my youngerKid's wall. Buy cards at studiometasilk.etsy.com/listing/6475...
Card showing watercolor and ink illustration of a pangolin seen from behind, standing on its hind legs, holding a multicolored parasol. It is in a park. A pagoda can be seen in the background. Art copyright K. Talmage.
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e.w. niedermeyer @niedermeyer.online · 05/09/2026
if it can't tell a person is obstructing the automatic door, I sure as hell wouldn't trust my life to its driving
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
"Putting Up the Stars" was an experiment in pastels, inspired by Cooper Edens' work, especially his "If You're Afraid of the Dark, Remember the Night Rainbow" and "If You're Still Afraid of the Dark, Add One More Star to the Night" 🩷⭐️ Now on #notecards studiometasilk.etsy.com/listing/6609...
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
This delights me in many ways. #trains #art #community #unintendedconsequences
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metasilk @metasilk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
"Song of the Twisted Tooth" — a drawing I did many years ago and for some reason, made into a card. Available in my #Etsy shop. Honestly, if you find something you'd like as a card in my meandering instagram feed, let me know. studiometasilk.etsy.com/listing/9976... #fae #walrus #musician
A notecard of white paper with a print of a pencil drawing of a small fae playing some sort of curved woodwind instrument while seated on the head of a walrus.
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Attention Philadelphia! We're hosting a rally to demand that Drexel University maintain The Academy of Natural Sciences Museum open to the public. Join us on Tuesday morning at 10am in front of the academy. Please spread the word, we need all hands on deck! RSVP here: luma.com/1qwnrqz2
A dinosaur on a white background with the text SAve the academy of Natural sciences museum rally Tuesday Sept 8 10am in front of the academy 1900 ben Franklin Parkway. "Tell Drexel University "Keep the museum open!" with the logos for Philly Science Action, Skype a Scientist, and Green Philly
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Angry @angrystaffer.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
That is an incidence rate of… 0.00547% The voter fraud allegations you’ve been sold are blatantly and provably false.
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