Jacob
@iacobuscaesar.bsky.social
I have an MA in archaeology and run a blog called Living in the Longue Durée about ancient history and whatever else. This profile is mostly funny observations about history and science.
Blog: https://livinginthelongueduree.com
Ask if you want Discord.
Blog: https://livinginthelongueduree.com
Ask if you want Discord.
Pinned
Jacob
@iacobuscaesar.bsky.social
· Jun 16
De-Extinction: A History
John Hammond: “None of these attractions are ready yet, of course, but the park will open with the basic tour that you’re about to take, and then other rides will come online six to twe…
livinginthelongueduree.com
So I’ve completed my latest project: a run-through of the history of de-extinction, exploring the many methods that have been tried and treating it as a social phenomenon around science rather than just a snazzily marketed science topic. From Nazi cattle to modern questionable corporate claims.
In grocery shopping today, my soda choice for the weekend was Mirinda and so I have given my critical support to the Esperanto community. La fina venko is secured.
Vi ĉiuj parolos Esperanton post unu semajno.
Vi ĉiuj parolos Esperanton post unu semajno.
February 13, 2026 at 4:53 PM
In grocery shopping today, my soda choice for the weekend was Mirinda and so I have given my critical support to the Esperanto community. La fina venko is secured.
Vi ĉiuj parolos Esperanton post unu semajno.
Vi ĉiuj parolos Esperanton post unu semajno.
Exquisite.
This is even weirder in Hong Kong.
I’ll never forget the day my then four-year-old daughter asked: “Daddy can you tell me what it was like when British people were still alive?”
Her preschool had missed a few steps in explaining the 1997 handover, and she thought Brits went extinct like dinosaurs.
I’ll never forget the day my then four-year-old daughter asked: “Daddy can you tell me what it was like when British people were still alive?”
Her preschool had missed a few steps in explaining the 1997 handover, and she thought Brits went extinct like dinosaurs.
February 13, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Exquisite.
Worrying ahead of time about having to have meetings in French and then realizing when it comes down to it that I have been here for multiple years now and do in fact speak and understand French because I use it every day.
February 13, 2026 at 10:27 AM
Worrying ahead of time about having to have meetings in French and then realizing when it comes down to it that I have been here for multiple years now and do in fact speak and understand French because I use it every day.
It’s insane how much traction conspiracy theories get on here. The state of political discourse on here is really bad on epistemological grounds.
The discourse has somehow absorbed stories of elite baby-eating, of everything being false flags and distractions, and more. Finally, liberal QAnon.
The discourse has somehow absorbed stories of elite baby-eating, of everything being false flags and distractions, and more. Finally, liberal QAnon.
February 13, 2026 at 9:15 AM
It’s insane how much traction conspiracy theories get on here. The state of political discourse on here is really bad on epistemological grounds.
The discourse has somehow absorbed stories of elite baby-eating, of everything being false flags and distractions, and more. Finally, liberal QAnon.
The discourse has somehow absorbed stories of elite baby-eating, of everything being false flags and distractions, and more. Finally, liberal QAnon.
Homie’s got them stick legs for scampering.
a warm welcome to galahadosuchus, a small crocodylomorph from late triassic england 🐊 the holotype was previously referred to terrestrisuchus, but bodenham et al. redescribe it as a separate taxon in their #openacess paper
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
February 13, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Homie’s got them stick legs for scampering.
www.kptv.com/2026/02/11/1...
Once again the Paisley Caves serving that good shit (except not the literal shit this time) from the human inhabitants of the lacustrine environment of Pleistocene Central Oregon.
Once again the Paisley Caves serving that good shit (except not the literal shit this time) from the human inhabitants of the lacustrine environment of Pleistocene Central Oregon.
12,000-year-old woven items found in Oregon cave may be among oldest clothing ever found
An archaeologist says a woven item discovered in an Oregon cave and dated to about 12,000 years ago may be one of the oldest known examples of clothing or footwear in the world.
www.kptv.com
February 13, 2026 at 7:48 AM
www.kptv.com/2026/02/11/1...
Once again the Paisley Caves serving that good shit (except not the literal shit this time) from the human inhabitants of the lacustrine environment of Pleistocene Central Oregon.
Once again the Paisley Caves serving that good shit (except not the literal shit this time) from the human inhabitants of the lacustrine environment of Pleistocene Central Oregon.
What a legend.
Found an additional graphic that gets even more of these quotes together.
I've kept "I hate myself, I hate clover, and I hate bees" pinned above my desk since I first started studying evolutionary biology as an undergraduate. So relatable to get extremely frustrated with your study system.
I've kept "I hate myself, I hate clover, and I hate bees" pinned above my desk since I first started studying evolutionary biology as an undergraduate. So relatable to get extremely frustrated with your study system.
February 12, 2026 at 9:34 PM
What a legend.
Kid I tutor was like, “our social studies homework is about the Pu… uh… Punic Wars or something and the rise of Rome. Do you know about that?”
The spirit of Mars came upon me and I promptly embodied the most important male stereotype as I gave him the whole review run-down right there.
The spirit of Mars came upon me and I promptly embodied the most important male stereotype as I gave him the whole review run-down right there.
February 12, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Kid I tutor was like, “our social studies homework is about the Pu… uh… Punic Wars or something and the rise of Rome. Do you know about that?”
The spirit of Mars came upon me and I promptly embodied the most important male stereotype as I gave him the whole review run-down right there.
The spirit of Mars came upon me and I promptly embodied the most important male stereotype as I gave him the whole review run-down right there.
OK, they emailed me and now it’s in five minutes. 🫡
In Jacob job quest news, I had an online interview scheduled today in which I went to the link they sent and nobody showed up to interview the entire time I sat there.
I emailed to ask if I could do it another time. I stayed home for this.
I hope y’all are having less frustrating days.
I emailed to ask if I could do it another time. I stayed home for this.
I hope y’all are having less frustrating days.
February 12, 2026 at 3:26 PM
OK, they emailed me and now it’s in five minutes. 🫡
Thanks for the draft feature, Bluesky, but I can’t use it because it conflicts with my use of this website for dropping poorly conceived stream-of-consciousness posts that marry whatever my current academic hyperfixation is with necrosis-inducing zoomer brainrot energy immediately when I have ideas.
February 12, 2026 at 10:42 AM
Thanks for the draft feature, Bluesky, but I can’t use it because it conflicts with my use of this website for dropping poorly conceived stream-of-consciousness posts that marry whatever my current academic hyperfixation is with necrosis-inducing zoomer brainrot energy immediately when I have ideas.
In Jacob job quest news, I had an online interview scheduled today in which I went to the link they sent and nobody showed up to interview the entire time I sat there.
I emailed to ask if I could do it another time. I stayed home for this.
I hope y’all are having less frustrating days.
I emailed to ask if I could do it another time. I stayed home for this.
I hope y’all are having less frustrating days.
February 12, 2026 at 9:54 AM
In Jacob job quest news, I had an online interview scheduled today in which I went to the link they sent and nobody showed up to interview the entire time I sat there.
I emailed to ask if I could do it another time. I stayed home for this.
I hope y’all are having less frustrating days.
I emailed to ask if I could do it another time. I stayed home for this.
I hope y’all are having less frustrating days.
Happy Darwin Day, y’all.
May the Darwin Day Finch come down your chimney with many a gift of adaptive feeding strategies, differential reproductive success, intraspecific sexual selection, and more.
If you haven’t been very fit this year, you’ll get barnacles.
May the Darwin Day Finch come down your chimney with many a gift of adaptive feeding strategies, differential reproductive success, intraspecific sexual selection, and more.
If you haven’t been very fit this year, you’ll get barnacles.
February 12, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Happy Darwin Day, y’all.
May the Darwin Day Finch come down your chimney with many a gift of adaptive feeding strategies, differential reproductive success, intraspecific sexual selection, and more.
If you haven’t been very fit this year, you’ll get barnacles.
May the Darwin Day Finch come down your chimney with many a gift of adaptive feeding strategies, differential reproductive success, intraspecific sexual selection, and more.
If you haven’t been very fit this year, you’ll get barnacles.
Take me back. 🥺
Me in the Permian enjoying the sound of buzzing insects and smelling the ginkgoes because birds and flowers haven’t evolved yet
(Art by Karen Carr)
(Art by Karen Carr)
February 12, 2026 at 8:36 AM
Take me back. 🥺
Still excited about Stoat as a rising Discord competitor but I think these fatal flaws will keep our communities from moving there right now:
1. No pinging roles or everyone.
2. Mobile app is reliant on very modern systems with no plans to make it work for older iOS.
1. No pinging roles or everyone.
2. Mobile app is reliant on very modern systems with no plans to make it work for older iOS.
February 12, 2026 at 6:28 AM
Still excited about Stoat as a rising Discord competitor but I think these fatal flaws will keep our communities from moving there right now:
1. No pinging roles or everyone.
2. Mobile app is reliant on very modern systems with no plans to make it work for older iOS.
1. No pinging roles or everyone.
2. Mobile app is reliant on very modern systems with no plans to make it work for older iOS.
What a man-child.
For people outside of paleontology:
This senior paleontologist, who married a 19-year-old, visited a convicted pedophile in 2012 & 2016. Is beefing over a conference argument from 13 years ago, angry because he was banned from a family-friendly event across the Atlantic. The level of petty.
This senior paleontologist, who married a 19-year-old, visited a convicted pedophile in 2012 & 2016. Is beefing over a conference argument from 13 years ago, angry because he was banned from a family-friendly event across the Atlantic. The level of petty.
February 12, 2026 at 5:26 AM
What a man-child.
In researching The Course of Empire series, the political dimensions and impacts of the paintings are really interesting, especially as they criticized Jacksonian expansionism.
Here’s (soon-to-be) Supreme Court Justice Levi Woodbury suggesting the US was immune to decline in response.
Here’s (soon-to-be) Supreme Court Justice Levi Woodbury suggesting the US was immune to decline in response.
February 11, 2026 at 8:03 PM
In researching The Course of Empire series, the political dimensions and impacts of the paintings are really interesting, especially as they criticized Jacksonian expansionism.
Here’s (soon-to-be) Supreme Court Justice Levi Woodbury suggesting the US was immune to decline in response.
Here’s (soon-to-be) Supreme Court Justice Levi Woodbury suggesting the US was immune to decline in response.
Do you ever just think you were born in the wrong generation?
Born to be a member of the North African Neolithic Kiffian culture (7700-6200 BC) in the African Humid Period, forced to exist in the age of credit card debt.
Who wants to fashion fishing spears by the shores of Lake Mega-Chad again?
Born to be a member of the North African Neolithic Kiffian culture (7700-6200 BC) in the African Humid Period, forced to exist in the age of credit card debt.
Who wants to fashion fishing spears by the shores of Lake Mega-Chad again?
February 11, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Do you ever just think you were born in the wrong generation?
Born to be a member of the North African Neolithic Kiffian culture (7700-6200 BC) in the African Humid Period, forced to exist in the age of credit card debt.
Who wants to fashion fishing spears by the shores of Lake Mega-Chad again?
Born to be a member of the North African Neolithic Kiffian culture (7700-6200 BC) in the African Humid Period, forced to exist in the age of credit card debt.
Who wants to fashion fishing spears by the shores of Lake Mega-Chad again?
rvlt.gg/qpDvx4jM
Since I posted this I made a Stoat server.
Mostly learning how to use it right now but I set up a little server with channels for history and science discussion, language-learning, news following, and the like. Come pop by if you want.
Since I posted this I made a Stoat server.
Mostly learning how to use it right now but I set up a little server with channels for history and science discussion, language-learning, news following, and the like. Come pop by if you want.
February 11, 2026 at 1:51 PM
rvlt.gg/qpDvx4jM
Since I posted this I made a Stoat server.
Mostly learning how to use it right now but I set up a little server with channels for history and science discussion, language-learning, news following, and the like. Come pop by if you want.
Since I posted this I made a Stoat server.
Mostly learning how to use it right now but I set up a little server with channels for history and science discussion, language-learning, news following, and the like. Come pop by if you want.
I’m not personally gonna leave Discord. The communities I’ve built there are too established.
But fellow moderators and I are looking at Stoat to add an alternative platform for accessibility.
Unfortunately seems like their small team is swamped by the sudden amount of traffic.
But fellow moderators and I are looking at Stoat to add an alternative platform for accessibility.
Unfortunately seems like their small team is swamped by the sudden amount of traffic.
February 11, 2026 at 9:59 AM
I’m not personally gonna leave Discord. The communities I’ve built there are too established.
But fellow moderators and I are looking at Stoat to add an alternative platform for accessibility.
Unfortunately seems like their small team is swamped by the sudden amount of traffic.
But fellow moderators and I are looking at Stoat to add an alternative platform for accessibility.
Unfortunately seems like their small team is swamped by the sudden amount of traffic.
One thing I’m thinking about with the Artemis missions is how lunar archaeology will be insane.
Aside from UV radiation, preservation conditions are so much better on the Moon in pretty much every way. Anything we leave up there is an incredible informational gift to some very far future.
Aside from UV radiation, preservation conditions are so much better on the Moon in pretty much every way. Anything we leave up there is an incredible informational gift to some very far future.
February 10, 2026 at 8:04 PM
One thing I’m thinking about with the Artemis missions is how lunar archaeology will be insane.
Aside from UV radiation, preservation conditions are so much better on the Moon in pretty much every way. Anything we leave up there is an incredible informational gift to some very far future.
Aside from UV radiation, preservation conditions are so much better on the Moon in pretty much every way. Anything we leave up there is an incredible informational gift to some very far future.
Oo, yeah, I might also mention now that it’s over and you guys can’t spoil it, but I have a subtle goal each year of not learning who is playing in the Super Bowl until it happens.
This year I managed 50% of that. Unfortunately, Patriots hate was plentiful enough that I knew they would be in it.
This year I managed 50% of that. Unfortunately, Patriots hate was plentiful enough that I knew they would be in it.
February 10, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Oo, yeah, I might also mention now that it’s over and you guys can’t spoil it, but I have a subtle goal each year of not learning who is playing in the Super Bowl until it happens.
This year I managed 50% of that. Unfortunately, Patriots hate was plentiful enough that I knew they would be in it.
This year I managed 50% of that. Unfortunately, Patriots hate was plentiful enough that I knew they would be in it.
Cute lady who works at the local grocery store who recognizes and notices me at this point called me into her checkout line today.
You never quite know what’s going on in someone else’s head.
She has no idea “John Brown’s Body” was blasting in my ears the whole time and I couldn’t hear shit.
You never quite know what’s going on in someone else’s head.
She has no idea “John Brown’s Body” was blasting in my ears the whole time and I couldn’t hear shit.
February 10, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Cute lady who works at the local grocery store who recognizes and notices me at this point called me into her checkout line today.
You never quite know what’s going on in someone else’s head.
She has no idea “John Brown’s Body” was blasting in my ears the whole time and I couldn’t hear shit.
You never quite know what’s going on in someone else’s head.
She has no idea “John Brown’s Body” was blasting in my ears the whole time and I couldn’t hear shit.
Other than Prehistoric Park barely showing the concept, a Carboniferous walk-in aviary-like structure is pretty unexplored in prehistoric-zoo media. I dunno who needs to hear this but if you’re making any media in this niche genre, think about this please.
I have Arthropleura zoo fantasies.
I have Arthropleura zoo fantasies.
February 10, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Other than Prehistoric Park barely showing the concept, a Carboniferous walk-in aviary-like structure is pretty unexplored in prehistoric-zoo media. I dunno who needs to hear this but if you’re making any media in this niche genre, think about this please.
I have Arthropleura zoo fantasies.
I have Arthropleura zoo fantasies.
Excellent little read.
When "Enough, already" is the entire text of a scientific paper. As you'd expect, there's a backstory...
On a two-word scientific paper, and a fascinating (heated) exchange
I’ve blogged before about the shortest scientific papers. Very short papers (a handful to a few dozen words) are usually amusing, but they’re often not very effective at communication. But I’ve jus…
scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Excellent little read.
Job application: “How many years of relevant work experience do you have?”
Me: “0 formally but I’ve done similar things for personal and educational projects.”
Job application: “This field can only have numerical characters, no letters or special characters.”
Me: “0 formally but I’ve done similar things for personal and educational projects.”
Job application: “This field can only have numerical characters, no letters or special characters.”
February 10, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Job application: “How many years of relevant work experience do you have?”
Me: “0 formally but I’ve done similar things for personal and educational projects.”
Job application: “This field can only have numerical characters, no letters or special characters.”
Me: “0 formally but I’ve done similar things for personal and educational projects.”
Job application: “This field can only have numerical characters, no letters or special characters.”