iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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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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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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

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 · 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

Aptostichus sarlacc is a trapdoor spider; trapdoor spiders build burrows, pop out to surprise prey, and are exceptionally long-lived. Remind you of anyone?

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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

A trilobite named Han solo is named Han “for the Han Chinese” and solo because it is the only member of its genus. Sure, kid…

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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

- A catfish named Peckoltia greedoi is distinguished by having “well developed color and eyes”. Oonta goonta!

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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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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Did you know that George Lucas was famous for his extreme lack of communication as director of Star Wars? When he lost his voice on set, the crew made him a board with two phrases written on it to represent his most common contributions: "FASTER" and “MORE INTENSE." #MayTheFourth

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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Did you know that the Krayt Dragon Skeleton used in the filming of A New Hope still lies in the desert in Tunisia? #MayTheFourth

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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Did you know that that Jabba the Hutt was a puppet in the original trilogy, so finely made that he had radio controlled eyes & dilating pupils? This slimy gangster controlled Tatooine for years, valuing his own political career over the welfare of the planet's residents. Familiar… #MayTheFourth

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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

Dire wolf genomics preprint out from Colossal! (They do not discuss the de-extinction or identify the genetic edits they did). George R. R. Martin is a coauthor who contributed to "writing: review and editing" 👀 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Dakota McCoy, PhD @reallymccoy.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

"Catch him if you can- these possums never bite!" *CHOMP*😆 If this passage doesn't sum up field biologists, I don't know what does! Excerpt from "Relics: Travels in Nature's Time Machine" attached. Still figuring out this new bluesky app- loving it!

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