Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 20

I'd rather not leave David Seymour at the top of my feed, so here are some far more delightful creatures that I've seen in our lovely little city of Ōtautahi this year.

Common garden katydid, Caedicia simplex, with spermatophore attached

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Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 20

I'm taking a few week's break from social media. Happy holidays to those of you who take them at this time of year. See you in January!

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Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 19

😟

www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Government to change free speech rules for universities

A union says the move seems aimed at ensuring people can spread disinformation on university campuses.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

caeculus.bsky.social @caeculus.bsky.social · Nov 29

A slide mounted cunaxid mite, Cunaxa capreolus, collected from leaf litter in northern California recently. Only 0.5 mm long, but sure to strike fear into the hearts of the litter springtails it might have encountered.

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Giorgio Murderer 🇵🇸🏳️‍🌈 @lonestartallboi.bsky.social · Jan 8

20 years ago we were suing teenagers for millions of dollars because they were torrenting a single Metallica album and now billionaires are demanding the free right to every work in history, so that they can re-sell it.

The law only ever serves capital.

Please Follow the Official Guardian Account @guardian-world-rss.bsky.social · Jan 8

‘Impossible’ to create AI tools like ChatGPT without copyrighted material, OpenAI says

Pressure grows on artificial intelligence firms over the content used to train their productsBusiness live – latest updatesThe developer OpenAI has said it would be impossible to create tools like its groundbreaking chatbot ChatGPT without access to copyrighted material, as pressure grows on artificial intelligence firms over the content used to train their products.Chatbots such as ChatGPT and image generators like Stable Diffusion are “trained” on a vast trove of data taken from the internet, with much of it covered by copyright – a legal protection against someone’s work being used without permission. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Art History Animalia @arthistoryanimalia.bsky.social · Dec 18

For #Crustmas on #Woodensday:
gamisida długwe' ( #Crab Puppet)
Kwakwaka'wakw, BC, Canada, before 1952
Painted wood 11.4x22.9x67.9cm
UBC MOA
collection-online.moa.ubc.ca/search/item?...
#FirstNationsArt #NativeAmericanArt
The Kwakwaka’wakw have a history of puppetry related to ceremonial feasts.

“Wooden carving of a crab with protruding eyes and eight bent legs. Each leg is composed of two pieces of wood, nailed together, and the legs are immovable. The body and legs are painted red, and the face is painted in red, black, and white.”

“These articulated characters are known as dług̱we’ treasures (as are the theatrical dances in which they appear). The Kwakwaka’wakw have a history of puppetry related to their ceremonial feasts. The winter potlatches are known for their spectacular performances, suffused with cultural teachings and supernatural content, such as the coming of Winalagalis, the supernatural warrior. Dances and songs associated with Winalagalis include the tuxw’id, which is performed by women, who have the power and rights to make the dług̱we’ treasures (puppets) come to life. For instance, a tuxw’id dancer could summon a crustacean to life, on invisible cords, in the flickering firelight.”

front-facing view of the crab puppet showing face

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Richard Jones @bugmanjones.bsky.social · Dec 17

Even the street lamps in Lyme Regis are ammonite themed.

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Richard Jones @bugmanjones.bsky.social · Dec 15

This sign, marking the side entrance to the 58th Street jazz bar speakeasy in Peckham, raises more questions than it answers.

Pink on black sign showing a naked woman riding on the back of a beetle.

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Frank Ashwood @frankashwood.bsky.social · Dec 18

Today I found this impressive mite in some leaf litter.

Oribatids are masters of self-protection: they've evolved protective armour flaps, some wear their old moults on their back like shields, and this Neotrichozetes spinulosa has instead opted to become a sentient pincushion!

🧪 #Invertebrates

A photograph of a round, hard-bodied mite covered in very long, barbed spines.

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Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 18

Question for British people: Have you ever heard or used the word 'pottle', and if so what do you think it means?

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Jess McLaughlin, PhD (they/them) @jfmclaughlin92.bsky.social · Dec 4

okay since apparently this is turning into my Stuff I've Written (or helped write) about Trans Inclusion in STEM, a few more things. here's a recap of a presentation I did for @wilsonornithsoc.bsky.social back at the 2022 conference.

yes, conference organizers, you too can organize a similar one!

Supporting trans and nonbinary ornithologists: WOS2022 DEIJ recap — The McLaughlin Lab

This blog post is a little different than my previous ones. I recently was invited to facilitate a discussion for the 2022 Wilson Ornithological Society meeting on trans and nonbinary inclusion in o...

www.jfmclaughlin.org

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Jess McLaughlin, PhD (they/them) @jfmclaughlin92.bsky.social · Dec 4

looking over the arguments also is a good (by which i mean viscerally horrifying) example of why there's a *specific* need for those of us who teach biology to be explicit in how we talk about sex and gender. so much transphobic rhetoric gains a foothold bc of misconceptions of biology + genetics

Trans inclusion in the biology classroom — The McLaughlin Lab

One of my favorite parts of working at a university is getting to teach. I find biology utterly fascinating and magical, and getting to impart that to students is an incredible joy. Although I don’t c...

www.jfmclaughlin.org

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Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 12

Thanks Chris!

Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 12

Thanks Jitte!

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Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 12

Thanks John. That looks very useful. Much appreciated!

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

John Brophy @brophyecology.bsky.social · Dec 11

The Irish National Biodiversity Data Centre runs a citizen scientist project monitoring butterfly populations, so you should find some useful information here: biodiversityireland.ie/surveys/butt...

Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme – National Biodiversity Data Centre

biodiversityireland.ie

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Colin Purrington @colinpurrington.bsky.social · Dec 11

"Sugaring" would be an excellent iNaturalist project but I just checked for such and couldn't find anything.

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Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 11

Thanks Steve!

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Steve @stevetypesstuff.bsky.social · Dec 11

I generally get ground cover, soil type, digital location coords etc. when looking for ants 🧪

I’m going improve my metadata for next year to include:

Temperature
Humidity
Wind speed (tiny anemometer from eBay)
Cloud cover
Soil moisture

Going to revisit Darwin Core & look for relevant fields

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

The Ecological Citizen @ecologicalcitizen.bsky.social · Dec 11

🦋 Is it time for entomology to embrace compassion? This compelling read challenges traditional practices, urging us to study arthropods with care for their welfare and intrinsic value. 🪲

#entomology #compassion #ecocentrism #conservation

blog.ecologicalcitizen.net/2024/12/10/m...

Making a case for compassionate entomology

Here, I make a case for something that I call compassionate entomology, which is a way of studying insects and other arthropods that upholds the intrinsic value and welfare interests of the individ…

blog.ecologicalcitizen.net

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Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 11

Sorry, I should have been clearer that I was referring to *terrestrial* invertebrate monitoring, but I'd happy to hear about wetter places too.

Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 11

I'd be interested to hear from anyone doing regular repeated invertebrate #monitoring about what other #metadata you record when you visit your sites.

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Frank Ashwood @frankashwood.bsky.social · Dec 11

Slime molds may resemble fungi, but are in fact a distinct group of unrelated organisms.

Although they're single-celled organisms, they'll also perform an astonishing feat of cooperation - gathering together as a collective ‘organism’ to form amazing fruiting bodies.

Which is your favourite? 🧪🍄

A photograph of a collection of elongated lollipop-shaped brown fruiting bodies of slime mold on a dead log surface.

A photograph of a pair of balloon/lollipop-shaped white fruiting bodies of slime mold on a dead log surface.

A photograph of a collection of balloon/lollipop-shaped black fruiting bodies of slime mold on a dead log surface.

A photograph of a single balloon/lollipop-shaped orange fruiting body of slime mold on a dead log surface.

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Reposted by Rob Cruickshank

Robb Edwards 🌱 @robedwards1.bsky.social · Dec 10

Around 9,000 species have already gone extinct in Australia and we’ll likely lose another this week – new study

⬇️https://theconversation.com/

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Rob Cruickshank @bugblokenz.bsky.social · Dec 11

Can anyone point me in the direction of a standardised repeatable method for surveying #butterflies? If it makes a difference, it should be easy for non-experts to follow and be suitable for urban / suburban conditions. Thank you so much!

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