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Karen Poole

@renpoole.bsky.social
657 followers 441 following 553 posts

Dinosaur paleontologist teaching human anatomy to medical students. Interests: ornithischians, systematics, diversity in science and medicine. Avi by @blackmudpuppy

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Karen Poole @renpoole.bsky.social · 13h
“…one of the most serious interstate aggressions in our Nation’s history”. Yup, mailing abortion pills is AS BAD AS THE CIVIL WAR.
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Prof. Eliot Jacobson @climatecasino.net · 23h
Breaking News! The preliminary Nino 3.4 sea-surface temperature anomaly for Sept. 29th came in at 3.18°C above the 1991-2020 baseline. This marks yet another record all-time high and the 123rd consecutive record daily high at 1.1°C above the previous daily record set in 1997.
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Anne Helen Petersen @annehelen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This is *the* piece. Kate Manne, professor of philosophy at Cornell, speaks truth to the totality of failures at the university — and why students protesting the war in Gaza have faced far harsher consequences than any of the Cornell 7: www.thecut.com/article/what...
thecut.com
What It Feels Like at Cornell Right Now
As a professor at the Ivy League school, Kate Manne has known many, many victims. There’s a palpable feeling on campus, she writes, that this is big.
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
We took the protest to an event where we knew the Drexel board would be tonight and I blasted a bullhorn directly into the door crack of the gathering, disrupting the event 💅 Drexel President Anthony Merlo was supposed to be there but a person slipped to us that he canceled 👀 gosh I wonder why.
Sarah is smug as fuck on public transportation
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Karen Poole @renpoole.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This! The federal government holds a lot of sway over universities. They could create a better academic culture by requiring shared governance (e.g. faculty senates with actual power), capping ratios of higher admin vs teaching faculty, limiting adjuncts, etc. in order to receive federal funding.
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Ben Alpers @benalpers.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Democrats do not only need to "go all in" on higher education. The party needs a genuine reset on its understanding of it. The last three Democratic administrations contributed to creating the crisis that higher ed is facing today.
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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Having real #MeToo flashbacks today, what with various news stories going around, and thinking a lot about how women were encouraged to rip themselves open and show off our trauma, in all its Technicolor glory, so that men might begin to believe us
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
When they get back in power, Democrats need to go all-in on higher education. We need a campaign of reinvestment in public universities across the country that makes the Morrill Land-Grant Act look like nothing by comparison *and* a GI Bill of Rights-style program of tuition grants.
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Ben Miller @extinctmonsters.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Well this is bleak. And why did they wait a week after the news leaked just to say "we have no plan?"
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Karen Poole @renpoole.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Wonderful thread showing off the historic fossil mammal collections at the (currently closed) Academy of Natural Sciences. #SaveTheAcademy @savetheacademy.bsky.social
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Chris Widga @widga.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Although I can't be with those of you who are out in the rain advocating for your museum today...I thought I might be a good idea to post some Academy of Natural Sciences fossils to keep you warm and dry on the inside. @savetheacademy.bsky.social
An ammonite scultpure outside the side entrance of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia.
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Karen Poole @renpoole.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The Academy of Natural Sciences is the oldest Natural History Museum in the America’s, and it houses incredibly important research collections as well as public displays. Drexel decided to close it. This thread has links to more info and petitions to keep it open.
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aberrantologist @aberrantologist.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The holotype and countless other specimens are currently held in collections at The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the oldest natural history museum in the Americas. Drexel has recently publicized their intention to close the academy after over 200 years.
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aberrantologist @aberrantologist.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Of great historical and scientific importance, the closure of the academy would not only be a disservice to the public and staff but also put at risk the vast collections reposited there. Drexel has yet to provide sufficient justification for the decision. youtu.be/nxyfBfCrbDw?...
youtu.be
The Plan To Destroy America's Oldest Natural History Museum
YouTube video by Miniminuteman
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Karen Poole @renpoole.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
If you did not get a broad base of classes in different topics during college, then what you got is a tech degree. There’s nothing wrong with a tech degree, but you should recognize the goal of that is job training rather than educating a well-rounded citizen.
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Anne Kort | The Virtual Paleontologist @virtpaleo.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I, like many in the paleontology community, have been devastated to hear about the planned closures for two major museums in the past two weeks. I have seen more coverage of ANSP, so I want to highlight the Sternberg Museum of Fort Hays State University in Kansas. sternberg.fhsu.edu
sternberg.fhsu.edu
Sternberg Museum of Natural History - Sternberg Museum of Natural History
Explore Great Plains natural history at the Sternberg Museum (Hays, KS): fossils, rotating exhibits, educational programs, tours, and camps.
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Scott Williams @museumguyscott.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Feel like the PA Governor ought to be stepping in & doing something!
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
As the executive director of a small nonprofit working my absolute ass off to bring science to this city, hearing that the people negotiating with Drexel and the academy might brush off funding that would provide the kids of our city with access to a science museum *for a year* is boiling my blood.
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Kate Dailey @katedailey.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Big news from Peter Dobrin and Sue Snyder and the @inquirer.com : William Penn Foundation offers to fund Academy of Natural Science for a year. Drexel did not say whether the had declined the offer. www.inquirer.com/arts/drexel-...
inquirer.com
William Penn Foundation offers funding to keep Academy of Natural Sciences museum open
A Drexel spokesperson did not say whether the school had declined the offer, but said, “No proposal has been presented that would provide a permanent, sustainable path forward" for the museum.
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Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 24/09/2026
over the past few weeks several AI evaluation/cybersecurity experts have explained how what's happening is a result of human incompetence rather than "AI going rogue". I'm begging the media to show a shred of journalistic integrity and stop parroting what altman or amodei say
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Robert Boessenecker, Dr. of Whaleontology ™️ @coastalpaleo.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
#fossilfriday An example of why the ANSP and its collections must be saved. Atlantochelys mortoni, a giant protostegid sea turtle - named in 1849 by Agassiz based on the proximal humerus fragment. In 2012, someone found a large distal humerus that FIT ONTO THE SAME BONE in ANSP collections. 1/ 🦖🧪
The reunited humerus of the gigantic sea turtle Atlantochelys, on display in a museum: you can clearly see the break that happened sometime prior to the 19th century.
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Jeff Lockhart @jwlockhart.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
At least where I got my PhD, if I wasn't sure what I found, how it worked, if it was useful or significant, nobody pretended I accomplished anything.
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Mike Sowden @mikeachim.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Some interesting dissent here from a scientist friend!
Reply from systems neuroscientist Eleni A K Jacobs, saying: "This is pure click-bait headline generation.

Is this a seriously cool research result that’s being reported, that’s likely to have an important impact? Yes. Finding the developmental & genetic signature of hindbrain progenitors is pretty neat.

But in terms of neural development, calling this two different organs that develop in parallel? Please. There are multiple phases of parallel development. Neural crest cells. Inhibitory vs excitatory neurons. Neurons vs glial cells. This isn’t news in itself, it’s just another stage where this form of development applies that we’ve discovered. Cool, and important, for sure. But… this kind of headline to me goes to show how desperate science communicators have become to draw attention to research.

I’ve done some work in developmental neurobiology but it’s not my expertise - for anyone who’s more uptodate on this than me, please enlighten me if I’m missing something?"
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Good morning, team. We have 3.5 days until Drexel closes the Academy of Natural Sciences. It’s time for you- yeah YOU- to make some calls. Step 1: Tell the following people we need help pressuring Drexel to keep the museum open: Josh Shaprio 717-787-2500 Mayor Parker's 215-686-2181
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Can't make it this weekend? Contact Josh Shaprio's Office Phone:717-787-2500 And Mayor Parker's Office Phone Phone: (215) 686-2181 City council is with us. Drexel thinks we're going to give up. Leadership thinks this will just blow over and they can cash out. Do not let that happen.
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
We have *six days* left until the Academy of Natural Sciences, North America's oldest Natural History museum, is scheduled to close it's doors. Here are *six reasons* why we cannot - and will not- let that happen.
a slide that says 6 days until the doors close -- 6 reasons we can keep them open, save-the-academy.org @savetheacademy
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Dr. Stephanie @punkrockscience.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
To be honest, I’m only surprised it’s that low.
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Jonathan Parkes Allen @jparkesallen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
There is a foraminifera sculpture park in Zhongshan, Guangdong, the outcome of the vision of Pakistani-American marine geologist Bilal Haq and Chinese marine biologist Zheng Shouyi, honestly there should be more in more cities
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Karen Poole @renpoole.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Off to update my embryology of the nervous system lecture!
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Andy Farke @andyfarke.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Some Monday morning thoughts on museum closures, spurred in part by the recent Academy of Natural Sciences, but not necessarily specific to that. <thread>
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Jen Cross @jencross.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
One of the things you aim for in photography is leading lines that guide the eye. This petunia seems custom colored for Dramatic Bee Framing. Sweat Bee (Augochlora sp.)
A small metallic bee in the middle of a flower. The flower is yellow with deep pink coloring seeming to explode out from the middle.
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Emily Thomas 🦤🏳️‍🌈 @zhejiang0pterus.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Every single time, the amount of time spent correcting AI output so that it’s actually usable far exceeds the time you’d spend doing the thing yourself. I cannot wait for this bubble to pop
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Jeremy Yoder says no war @jbyoder.org · 20/09/2026
ALMOST EVERY PEER REVIEWED PAPER HAS A SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS RIGHT BELOW ITS TITLE
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Jeremy Yoder says no war @jbyoder.org · 20/09/2026
Okay this jogged loose something I've had half-written for a while now: Despite decades of effort, scientists have still not found a substitute for reading the paper denimandtweed.jbyoder.org/2026/09/desp...
denimandtweed.jbyoder.org
Despite decades of effort, scientists have still not found a substitute for reading the paper
Science is difficult, but not for the reason you think. It’s not that conceiving a research program is difficult. It’s not that planning and performing an experiment or observational st…
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Kevin Sievers @diplotomodon.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
FUNDRAISING IS LIVE Donate at the link below to support the organizing efforts of the Save the Academy coalition Any and all extra money raised goes directly to the care of the Academy collections and exhibits opencollective.com/save-the-aca...
opencollective.com
Save the Academy Coalition - Open Collective
Help us amp up our efforts. We are raising funds to use toward saving the Academy of Natural Sciences.
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CZEdwards @czedwards.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Re This case: Most media are focusing on their own states, but this was a multi-state trip. The person took the whole route of the Southwest Chief, so Illinois through the midwest, then across S. Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona before LA. Then up the coast, and back across on California Zephyr.
yahoo.com
Person with measles rode Amtrak trains and buses across CA, health officials say
The California Department of Public Health said the unvaccinated passenger stopped at six California stations, including downtown Sacramento.
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Ian Coldwater 🧊🚫 @lookitup.baby · 20/09/2026
Amtrak didn’t tell us about this exposure, so heads up: if you took an Amtrak train last week through Chicago or anywhere on the Southwest Chief, Coast Starlight, or California Zephyr routes like we did, you may have been exposed to measles! Please let the train people in your life know about this
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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 20/09/2026
I hate doing the "a rollback of trans rights is the gateway for a rollback of women's rights" thing because trans rights are human rights in and of themselves, whatever the impact on cis women. But goddamn I wish more cis women had a sense of history and self preservation.
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Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. @arctomet.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
What with all these posts flaring up about the lab label on a specimen at a U Chicago lab, I want to remind people in advance that the @societyofvertpaleo.bsky.social abstracts for this year's conference are coming out soon and that you are OBLIGED NOT TO POST ABOUT THEM before the meeting.
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Karen Poole @renpoole.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
People reeeeeally need to brush up on their history and learn what was destroyed in the first Nazi book burning. We hold the line at trans rights. If we don’t, we have failed to uphold human rights and dignity for everyone.
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Joseph D. Ortiz @earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I've posted about how total cost of ownerships is lower for BEVs than fossil fuel cars. It's true for trucks, vans and school buses too. School districts are saving money by switching from diesel to electric school buses. Let's look at some examples... 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋 www.the74million.org/article/as-d...
the74million.org
As Diesel Prices Soared, Arkansas District Saved With Electric School Buses
Young: Federal funding paid for Little Rock to buy buses that cost 31 cents per mile to operate, versus 59 cents for diesel-powered vehicles.
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Karen Poole @renpoole.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Why even choose this particular lie? It’s so fucking WEIRD.
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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 19/09/2026
The AI industry wants you to say "the AI just did that thing on its own!" Like, United Health's AI that's denying a shitload of claims with a 90% error rate? They wanted you to think it's just the AI.
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Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @theradr.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
O hey Reminder that in (homophobic) '94 as Dookie was blowing up, Green Day picked queercore Pansy Division to open for them + a lot of venues pressured them to drop them as openers -- Green Day told the venues they wouldn't play if PD didn't - and the venues (mostly? all?) backed down. huh.
green day x pansy division flyer
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Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D. @sarahmackattack.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Hey Philly save the date, 5pm Sept 27th, we’re gonna pull something together for the academy, details coming soon, but mark your calendars.
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Colette Delawalla, PhD @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I will not soften this take. I will not walk it back. I will not say “well it’s nuanced…” because it’s not. The president banning journalists from the White House on the basis that he doesn’t like what they say about him is FASCISM 101. FULL STOP.
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Colette Delawalla, PhD @cdelawalla.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Every single journalist needs to walk out of the White House, right now in solidarity of THE CONSTITUTION. This is a test. Any outlet that doesn’t stand with these folks is a collaborator of a fascist administration. PERIOD.
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Julien Kimmig @jkimmig.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
10 DAYS TO THE APPLICATION DEADLINE 2 year postdoc in paleontology www.museumsbund.de/stellenangeb... Please send your application with CV, list of publications, certificates and references to bewerbung@smnk.de by 27.09.2026, quoting reference number 16_2026.
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Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
if you are reviewing an unpublished manuscript and you have the sheer unmitigated audacity, cheek, gall and laziness to upload it into an LLM to generate a review, let me tell you, you should be shunned and tarred and feathered
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Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 17/09/2026
“A senior executive at Microsoft said A.I. systems built on the work of others will be seen as ‘an astonishing theft of unprecedented proportions’ and possibly the greatest robbery of labor in human history, according to court documents unredacted Thursday in an ongoing Manhattan lawsuit.”
orlandosentinel.com
Docs in A.I. copyright suit reveal startling admission by Microsoft exec over ‘astonishing theft’
The admission appeared in a newly unredacted filing in the landmark copyright infringement legal battle playing out between newspapers like the Orlando Sentinel and tech companies Microsoft and OpenAI...
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