Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 6d

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

nyti.ms

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · 8d

Grass-powered lawnmower

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Florence Ashley @floralashes.bsky.social · 16d

"Why would it bow to antidemocratic pressures by placing a professor on leave without their request, consent, or involvement? That any university would do this is beyond comprehension and is cause for alarm about the future of academic freedom in Canada."

What Happened to the University’s Commitment to Free Expression? Charley Kirk, uAlberta, and Me | Centre for Free Expression

I was shocked when the University of Alberta administration informed me, one of its law professors, that I was being placed on non-disciplinary leave for my social media comments in the wake of Charli...

cfe.torontomu.ca

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Mark Heyck 🇨🇦 🇺🇦 @markheyck.bsky.social · 16d

Going to share this with my mom and sister, both U of A graduates, and any other alumni I know, encouraging them to send a message to the university that their future financial support will be dependent on the school's commitment to academic freedom and freedom of speech.

Florence Ashley @floralashes.bsky.social · 16d

"Why would it bow to antidemocratic pressures by placing a professor on leave without their request, consent, or involvement? That any university would do this is beyond comprehension and is cause for alarm about the future of academic freedom in Canada."

What Happened to the University’s Commitment to Free Expression? Charley Kirk, uAlberta, and Me | Centre for Free Expression

I was shocked when the University of Alberta administration informed me, one of its law professors, that I was being placed on non-disciplinary leave for my social media comments in the wake of Charli...

cfe.torontomu.ca

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · 19d

It would be fun to have them explain why services such as the Post Office and Via Rail etc need to make money but highways are a service that we all should gladly pay taxes for

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · 19d

I dunno. I'd kind of like to see this logic extended to the costs of highway maintenance in southern Ontario....

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Dr. Catherine Scott @cataranea.bsky.social · 20d

Canada Post “lost” 1 billion dollars last year?

How about, “it cost Canadians 1 billion dollars to have a national postal service” which works out to costing about $25 a year per person (population of Canada in 2024 = 40 million). Seems like a pretty reasonable cost to me.

Julie S. Lalonde @julieslalonde.bsky.social · 20d

"Canada Post is on track to lose money" Hum. Duh. It cost less than a toonie to send a letter across Canada.

"Canada Post is a service and not a business" was common knowledge until late stage capitalism brain rotted most people into think if it ain't making money for shareholders, it's failing.

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · 20d

Out back

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · 20d

My dad took us to work and let us punch cards to see how it worked. And my first year computer science course still had a card punch for first year students because there weren't enough terminals.

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Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 21d

I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA

10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · 20d

Dinner music

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · 27d

Remarkable!

Richard Waite @waiterich.bsky.social · 27d

I thought this was a bunch of ginger root

c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 28d

The buff-tip moth (Phalera bucephala) has mastered a very particular kind of camouflage.

When they close their wings up, they resemble a broken twig.

Native to large parts of Europe, there's regional pattern variation that reflects the local tree species. This one best resembles birch twigs?

Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · 27d

In the age of AI, it's a bit ridiculous to submit papers without proofreading.

Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · Sep 10

youtu.be/FDiXrd-R68U?...

"Measles and Polio Down in the Schoolyard" - Marsh Family parody of Paul Simon "Me and Julio" on RFK

YouTube video by Marsh Family

youtu.be

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Alexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · Sep 4

Florida Decided There Were Too Many Children

The state’s elimination of vaccine mandates is a courageous first step toward decluttering itself of any excess kids.

www.theatlantic.com

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · Sep 5

Cooking dinner music

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The Onion @theonion.com · Sep 5

U.S. Responds To Rising Sea Levels By Patting East Coast With Towels https://theonion.com/u-s-responds-to-rising-sea-levels-by-patting-east-coas-1847614367/

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Ele Willoughby @minouette.bsky.social · Sep 5

For day 5 of #SciArtSeptember prompt corridor I am sharing the pollinator garden work which I made for my show about the future of pollination for Manufactured Ecosystems. 🧪🐡 Using collaged linocut prints I built up this little garden with multiple native wildflowers, bees, moths, butterflies, 🧵

As described this is a my collaged linocut pollinator garden artwork featuring a log, wildflowers and pollinators including: Canada goldenrod, purple coneflower, wild geraniums, wild columbine, common milkweed, black eyed susans, monarch butterflies, red-spotted purple butterfly, white underwing moth, Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, bumblebee, sweat bee, resin bee, large milkweed bug and milkweed leaf beetle.

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · Sep 5

PSA from the Ass Dean: This is your annual reminder that university forms still mostly need to be downloaded, printed, signed, and reuploaded, or you can paste a signature onto a form, with no guarantee whatsoever that the signature bearer did the pasting.

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Charlie Angus @charlieangus104.bsky.social · Sep 3

Maybe Steve Bannon was booked that day.
Fuck...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Project 2025 mastermind invited to speak at Carney's cabinet meeting | CBC News

A prominent conservative figure in American politics and the mastermind behind Project 2025 — the infamous policy blueprint that proposed a drastic overhaul of the U.S. government — will speak to Prim...

www.cbc.ca

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · Aug 20

Yay! Great topic and great presenter!

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Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · Aug 19

#ABL2025 Plenary Spotlight: Dr Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy ⭐

Join us on Nov 13-14 to learn how @avispatica.bsky.social Dr Mora-Kepfer Uy’s team uncovered captivating ways in which parasites reprogram the behaviour and lifespan of insects. 🐝🪱

Learn more about the conference: ablaoc25.sciencesconf.org

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Miriam Richards @richardsmiriam1.bsky.social · Aug 20

What a rag the Globe is now.

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The Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · Aug 7

Pros and Cons of building a tunnel under the 401 thebeaverton.com/2025/08/pros...

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