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Dakota McCoy, PhD

@reallymccoy.bsky.social
324 followers 50 following 53 posts

Biology, physics, data science, and coral reefs! On May 4, Star Wars Facts.

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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Looking for a postdoc? At UChicago, the Climate Systems Engineering Initiative is soliciting apps: $95K salary , $10k research funds. I am happy to mentor folks in bio/eco/evo aspects, e.g. on (i) rewilding or (ii) ocean alkallinity enhancement. climateengineering.uchicago.edu/opportunitie...
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Rachel Moran @rachelmoran.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Our lab's first journal cover! Art by @taylorblack.bsky.social and project led by @brynnjohnson13.bsky.social
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Arvid Ågren @arvidagren.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
New paper with Nick Davies and Kevin Foster in @natcomms.nature.com. We show that often neither selection against transposons’ deleterious effects nor exploitation by parasitic elements is sufficient to keep them in control. Only active host suppression does. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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Jake Berv @jakeberv.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Here is Supplementary Figure 18, which better showcases the beautiful illustrations we commissioned from @umich.edu undergrad Olivia Stein. These illustrated species represent clades where our method identifies significant increases in the rate of body-shape evolution. Also see Supp Table 7.
Supplementary Figure 18. from Berv et al 2026. Figure 1 is reproduced, with enlarged illustrations that are approximately to scale relative to one another and suitable for printing. Illustrated species
names are noted in Supplementary Table 7.
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Requesting book recs!! What should I give my PhD students to mark the occasion when they pass their qualifying exams (year 1) and candidacy presentations (year 2)? letters to a young scientist? Books tailored to their research? Hmm…
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Claudia Geib @cgeib.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
My latest for @biographic.bsky.social! Despite ship traffic, trash, runoff, sediment, & roasting water temps, corals are thriving in the port of Miami. How do they do it? Researchers are trying to find out, and see if these resilient traits can be passed on: www.biographic.com/the-corals-t...
biographic.com
The Corals That Shouldn’t Exist - bioGraphic
Beneath Miami’s skyscrapers, a colony of corals defies expectations—and offers insight into other undersea urban ecosystems.
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Dr. Carly Kenkel @drcarl.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
The list of Ecology/Evolution/Marine Bio Labs recruiting grad students for Fall 2027 is live! PIs enter your position info here: forms.gle/MAGd4ohyPeoY... students (and PIs not recruiting) share the composite list: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... Please share widely! 🧪
forms.gle
Ecology/Evolution/Marine Biology labs recruiting for Fall 2027
Please complete this form if you are a PI recruiting graduate students for a Fall 2027 start. If you are NOT recruiting, feel free to share the response sheet with prospective students looking for lab...
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Dr. Carly Kenkel @drcarl.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Aspiring Eco-Evo PhD students - check out the Simons Graduate Fellowships! it's a full ride!! 🧪https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons-graduate-fellowships-in-ecology-and-evolution/
simonsfoundation.org
Simons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and Evolution
The purpose of these awards is to provide support for students entering U.S.-based Ph.D. programs with a plan to perform research in ecology and evolution. While we will consider all projects in ecolo...
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NSF-Simons NITMB @nitmb.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
🧬 Exploring the implications of within-organism conflicts for organismal biology with biology We’re welcoming the Internal Conflicts and Organismal Adaptation: Mathematical Foundations workshop to NITMB! A huge thank you to the organizers and speakers. We look forward to the week’s discussions!
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Powerhouse lineup!!!!!
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Huge congratulations on fantastic work @princetonvaughn.bsky.social !
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Emilia Favuzzi @emiliafavuzzi.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
So honored to be named a 2026 #BYI. This recognition is especially meaningful as it supports a recent new direction in my lab @yaleneuro.bsky.social on how the cortex controls immune responses. Grateful to @beckman-foundation.bsky.social for their support, and congrats to all fellow awardees!
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Beckman Foundation @beckman-foundation.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Congratulations to our 2026 Beckman Young Investigator Awardees! Twelve Researchers Selected to Receive $7.2M in Total Science Funding for Cutting-edge Research www.beckman-foundation.org/latest-news/... #BYI #beckmanresearch #newlyawarded
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
I am so excited about this!!! Arnold and Mabel Beckman have left an awesome legacy. Very excited to tackle our projects on chemisty, nanoscience, and coral reef resilience with my fantastic lab group at UChicago and the @mblscience.bsky.social !!
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Emma Chory, Ph.D. @chorye.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Deeply honored to be named a 2026 Beckman Young Investigator #BYI!🧬 This recognition reflects the creativity and hard work of my incredible lab, and we are so grateful and excited for the Foundation's support as we tackle the next generation of continuous evolution.
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Elle Barnes @ecoevoelle.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Beyond honored to be named a 2026 Beckman Young Investigator #BYI! I can’t wait to get started on this work with my wonderful lab of students and to contribute much-needed genomic resources to the field of #amphibiangenomics! 🐸🧬
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
and for the first time in a hundred years, the sky came alive with the music of condors
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John Tuthill @tuthill.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Spontaneous problem-solving in bumble bees. Amazing work by the bees who were put in these puzzling situations by @akshayebhambore.bsky.social in the lab of @olliloukola.bsky.social www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
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Dr. K. Lotterhos @drk-lo.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
For those of you registered for Evolution, I highly recommend watching the video for @maurineneiman.bsky.social IDEA award seminar. It's an amazing story of overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for others.
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Maurine Neiman @maurineneiman.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I'm very grateful to @sse-evolution.bsky.social @asn-amnat.bsky.social & @systbiol.bsky.social for this award and opportunity to share. 🙏
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Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune.com · 14/05/2026
The University of Chicago expanded the range of undergraduate students eligible for free tuition on Wednesday, widening assistance for those from families with incomes below $250,000.
chicagotribune.com
University of Chicago offers free tuition for families earning under $250,000
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Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Robo-loon. Sound on. Cool toy or research tool or both?
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Katie Hinde @mammalssuck.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
"For too long, the university has ignored the wisdom of the donor class and hired based on academic excellence. Regrettably, this has led to the underrepresentation of discredited viewpoints in elite higher education." www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/wer...
mcsweeneys.net
We’re Diversifying the University by Hiring More Crackpots
“For too long, the university has ignored the wisdom of the donor class and hired based on academic excellence. Regrettably, this has led to the underreprese...
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Society for the Study of Evolution @sse-evolution.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
One week left to submit your proposal for the Graduate Research Excellence Grants! Please contact communications@evolutionsociety.org with any questions about eligibility, formatting, or how to apply. Submit early to avoid the last-minute rush! www.evolutionsociety.org/content/soci...
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SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Meet IOB co author Allison Shultz. The Shultz lab seeks to understand the #evolution of #bird diversity. Along with being a #scientist, Allison is an incredible #artist: & www.allisonshultz.com/projects-8 & read Shutlz's co authored work doi.org/10.1093/iob/...
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Tera Levin @teralevin.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Bacterial immune proteins have repeatedly evolved to become parts of eukaryotic immunity. But how? Our new preprint uncovers a recent horizontal transfer event & shows how eukaryotes co-opted a toxic bacterial immune protein 🦠🧪🧵 1/
Microscopy image showing yeast cells expressing a fluorescently tagged version of the amoeba TirC protein. TirC forms filaments that span the yeast cells.
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Did you know that in Star Wars, blasters fire *plasma*— not lasers? #MayTheFourth
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Robert Francis @birdhistory.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
There are more than 11,000 kinds of birds. I evaluated them all and made a definitive list of the 100 greatest names. I consider myself a bird name connoisseur but these blew me away. Over the next 10 days I'll add them to this thread. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Did you know that a robot bounty hunter uploaded his sentient mind to the second Death Star? IG-88’s persona would have made the Death Star II determined to wipe out all living beings, a genocide leaving only droids in the galaxy…!! From “Tales of the Bounty Hunters”. #MayTheFourth
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Did you know that the forest moon of Endor originally was conceived as a moon orbiting the massively industrialized planet that became Coruscant? Perhaps the rich denizens of the city-world financed a lunar wilderness retreat! starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Endor_(... #MayTheFourth
starwars.fandom.com
Endor (planet)
Endor, also called Tana by the Ewoks native to one of its moons, was a gas giant located in the Endor system,[1] a binary[4] star system positioned in the Moddell sector of the galaxy's Outer Rim Terr...
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Do you know why the rebel pilots in A New Hope have yellow visors? A Reddit user shares this explanation: “The day that most of the actors playing rebel pilots in A New Hope shot their scenes in 1976 was unseasonably hot. That's why their visors were changed from clear to yellow: to better hide the
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Do you know how R2-D2 got his name? Wikipedia relays the tale: “Sound editor Walter Murch claims to be responsible for the utterance which sparked the name for the droid. Murch asked for Reel 2, Dialog Track 2, in the abbreviated form "R-2-D-2". Lucas, who was in the room
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
May the Fourth be with you! Did you know that the trailer for the new Mandalorian and Grogu movie pays tribute to the late great Carl Weathers? In the language Aurebesh, you can see the message “Weathers Apollo” above a door - referencing his role as Apollo Creed in the Rocky films. #MayTheFourth
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Giant octopuses discovered!!! As big as a mosasaur! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... Does this finally validate my favorite scientific hypothesis ever-- that an ancient kraken preyed on ichtyosaurs and arranged their bones in a "self-portrait"? See gizmodo.com/giant-prehis...
science.org
Earliest octopuses were giant top predators in Cretaceous oceans
Top predators drive changes in ecosystem structure. For the last ~370 million years, large-sized vertebrates have dominated the apex of the marine food chain, while invertebrates have served as smalle...
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Athena Aktipis @athenaaktipis.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Join me Tuesday with authors J. Arvid Agren and Manus M. Patten for the launch of their book The Paradox of the Organism: Adaptation and Internal Conflict.
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George Jarvis @gc-jarvis.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Excited to share our study testing competing theories on the energy dynamics of hermaphroditism! Grateful to @djmmeeg.bsky.social for guidance, to Thomas Brey for metabolic rate data, and to Deborah Charlesworth for feedback. Thanks also to the editors and reviewers at Proc B. @royalsociety.org
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
I'm looking for a few anecdotes where your EYES suggested a cool color science study in birds. E.g., you saw how a certain feather gleamed strangely at twilight; a "red" plumage struck you as a very different red from usual patterns; etc. Any tips? @s-m-aguillon.bsky.social , unsure who else to tag
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Duck slip ‘n slide at Botany Pond @uchicagocollege.bsky.social
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Society for the Study of Evolution @sse-evolution.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
Join us in the evolution tri-societies Week of Action for NSF! Call/write congress, engage with colleagues, friends and family about the importance of NSF funding! Scan the QR code on the attached image for instructions and scripts. We must make noise! Pls RT!!!! #WithoutNSF #SaveNSF #SupportNSF
SSE, SSB, and ASN logos. Text: Tri-societies Week of Action for NSF. Science under siege: Over 1000 NSF grants have been terminated by political appointees- threatening the foundation of American innovation and education, and more cuts loom; entire research programs are being erased without explanation. What’s at stake? STEM education for K-12 students, jobs and infrastructure in rural communities, support for veterans in research and education, cybersecurity and national defense innovation, global leadership in science and technology. Join the week of action: Contact Congress: Switchboard: (202) 224-3121, tell them to protect NSF. Share your story: Post on social media #WithoutNSF #SupportNSF #SaveNSF, engage local media; use our media tool to reach out to local reporters and newspapers; engage others: communicate the importance of NSF to colleagues, friends, and family.
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that Han Solo’s famous “parsecs” comment may have been a calculated attempt to impress, or scam, Obi-Wan and Luke? Solo brags that the Millennium Falcon is “the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs!” This doesn’t make too much sense, 1/3
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that for the scene in the Wampa's cave - where Luke uses the Force to retrieve his Lightsaber - the producers achieved the effect by asking Mark Hamill to toss the Lightsaber away and then running the film in reverse? Just kidding, the Force is real. #MayTheFourth
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that Star Wars fans surpass all other fanbases for their attention to detail? Here are the two "peak star wars fan" moments on the internet. 1) “my memory is a bit fuzzy…” on @reddit and 2) “NOT a rendition of spacecraft” on @NYTimes. #MayTheFourth
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that Luke's line "I can't see a thing in this helmet!" was not scripted? Mark Hamill thought that the cameras had stopped running and was just making a side comment to Harrison Ford. The filmmakers liked it, and so they kept it in. #MayTheFourth
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that we can thank Werner Herzog for pressuring the show directors to make Baby Yoda a puppet, rather than CGI? When the puppet was removed during a scene so they could get a "clean plate" in case CGI was needed, Werner said, “You are cowards. Leave it. Leave it." #MayTheFourth
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that in Return of the Jedi, the evil emperor's chair was supposed to have a mechanical rotation device? However, it never worked properly-so he had to shuffle his feet to rotate. #MayTheFourth
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
In the Empire Strikes Back, when Boba Fett transports frozen Han Solo to his ship, did you catch that Fett notices Luke hiding? Boba Fett briefly turns his head when Luke unholsters his blaster but keeps cool, keeps walking, and ambushes Luke a minute later. #MayTheFourth youtu.be/N3fdWyepMWk
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that many animals are named after Star Wars? #MayTheFourth Here are three of my favorites: 1/4
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that the Skywalker Twins are substantially different ages in the Empire Strikes Back? Time dilation!!! Luke and Leia both travel to Cloud City at lightspeed, but Leia travels from nearby Anoat system, while Luke travels much farther from distant Dagobah. 1/2
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that in Revenge of the Sith, a battle droid tells his buddy to check out General Grievous activating his four lightsabers? You can almost hear his robotic voice, tinged with admiration: “You’re gonna wanna see this.” Clip here: youtu.be/Xj49nsG4ruo #MayTheFourth
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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Did you know that the bounty hunter droid IG-88 got his head from the drinks dispenser in the original Cantina? I guess they DO serve droids- SORT OF! #MayTheFourth
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