Matilda's Lab
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matildaslab.bsky.social
Matilda's Lab
@matildaslab.bsky.social
67 followers 55 following 800 posts
Science nerd Dad who engages his kids with science through music, drawing and writing by making it fun.
Sharing my content too help others share their own journeys of discovery.
https://linktr.ee/chrismacalister
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matildaslab.bsky.social
When faced with dangerous cold, many mammals will huddle together to maintain warmth.
Note we know that cockroachs will also use this technique, but not for warmth. For them it preserves hydration in arid conditions.
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When the air gets dry, cockroaches cuddle: Binghamton University study reveals survival strategy
When conditions get too dry, Madagascar hissing cockroaches like to "cuddle". Under certain conditions, the large insects gather in groups, with many participants in physical contact with on...
www.eurekalert.org
December 1, 2025 at 6:27 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
The newsletter's a day late this week, due to travel.
In the 100th issue, I get a little bit older. We have farming bats, the real mortal danger of being a famous singer, how your brain changes 4 times throughout life, a dino-croc and a metal-croc.
open.substack.com/pub/matildas...
Matilda's Lab Newsletter #100
In the 100th issue, I get a little bit older. We have farming bats, the real mortal danger of being a famous singer, how your brain changes 4 times throughout life, a dino-croc and a metal-croc.
open.substack.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:37 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Featured post time. I would be enjoying the night sky here in the Scottish highlights if it weren't so cloudy.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2021/10/14/a...
#scicomm #historyofscience
Astronomy
I appreciate that some of the instalments of this history of science may not sound all that sciency, but I hope that I’ve managed to explain their significance to this story as we’ve me…
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November 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
I can feel your fear, even if you are a robot, and it fuels my own.
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‘Breathing’ robots reveal how fear spreads through touch
Humans can “catch” fear from robots, new research has shown. The findings – by a team of psychologists from the University of Amsterdam and the University of British Columbia –...
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November 27, 2025 at 5:11 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
The Batman effect. An unexpected appearance (not necessarily by Batman) can make us become life to others.

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The batman effect: The mere sight of the 'superhero' makes us more altruistic
A study from the Università Cattolica in Milan campus shows the impact of an unexpected event on our prosocial behavior.
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November 26, 2025 at 10:57 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
For today's featured blog post, we have the Ace of Crocs:
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2021/10/02/l...
#scicomm #lemmy #paleontology
Lemmy & Lemmysuchus obtusidens
Matilda’s Lab ©2021.
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November 26, 2025 at 8:48 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
It's official: Jackson Pollock painted like a child, but not necessarily in the way that you may think.
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Could a child have painted that? Jackson Pollock's famous pour-painting has child-like characteristics, study shows
Different artists create different art, a new study has confirmed. Adults and children were asked to recreate a famous Jackson Pollock painting, and researchers analyzed the characteristics. They foun...
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November 25, 2025 at 9:17 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
I'm on holiday this week, which has given me a chance to finish off the most recent Matilda's Lab lesson. It's all tens.
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#scicomm
Why do we count in tens?
The link between the number ten and numbers of fingers on both hands is too strong to overlook. The ease of working with tens is no coincidence, we’ve engineered our maths to work this way; b…
matildaslab.wordpress.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:02 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
The rhythm is gonna get you... blinking
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Blink to the beat
Yi Du and colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Sciences published an article in the open access journal PLOS Biology on November 18th detailing their findings about a new way our bodies naturally re...
www.eurekalert.org
November 25, 2025 at 9:11 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
A new theory of molecular evolution. Mutations aren't simply random. Beneficial ones are more likely to occur.
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A new theory of molecular evolution
A University of Michigan study proposes a new theory of molecular evolution.
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November 24, 2025 at 7:48 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
You can learn how to spot AI faces, in 5 minutes (for now).
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Five minutes of training could help you spot fake AI faces
The research tested faces created by the most advanced system available 
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November 23, 2025 at 2:28 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Cultural differences in gesture language
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Talking with our hands: Duke study reveals how culture shapes our gestures
A new Duke study reveals how cultural identity shapes nonverbal communication and how understanding these differences can help us connect better across groups.
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November 22, 2025 at 7:56 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Time for featured lesson. This time it is my introduction to eggs.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2021/09/30/a...
#scicomm
A guide to eggs
The egg: Most of us immediately think of a chicken egg when the word comes up, which makes perfect sense. They are the ones that we come into contact with most often, but there is so much more to e…
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November 21, 2025 at 8:38 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Smells like male dominance
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Testosterone in body odour linked to perceptions of social status
As humans, we are constantly navigating social status, using subconscious strategies to assert either our dominance or prestige. We often use voice or body language to communicate this. Imagine a poli...
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November 20, 2025 at 9:37 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Shout at thieving seagulls, science says that it works.
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Shouting at seagulls could stop them stealing your food
Shouting at seagulls makes them more likely to leave your food alone, research shows. 
www.eurekalert.org
November 20, 2025 at 4:10 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Map of life update: Last week, I thought that I was done with my Mylobatiformes. I was mistaken. I found 2 more, included this week.
Remember, the full maps can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
November 19, 2025 at 12:32 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Bees can read simple morse code
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Bees learn to read simple ‘Morse code’
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have shown for the first time that an insect – the bumblebee Bombus terrestris – can decide where to forage for food based on different durat...
www.eurekalert.org
November 19, 2025 at 7:08 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
It's another of those mind control stories that fascinate me so much.
Self guided hypnosis for menopause.
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Self-guided hypnosis significantly reduces menopausal hot flashes
Can a simple daily audio hypnosis session help women find relief from one of menopause’s most disruptive symptoms – hot flashes – without medication? A new clinical trial led by Bayl...
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November 18, 2025 at 8:17 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Today's featured post. The kind of dedication that feels all too relevant at the moment.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2021/09/24/j...
#scicomm #johnoliver #biology
John Oliver & Torrenticola oliveri
Matilda’s Lab ©2021.
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November 18, 2025 at 12:46 PM
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What do you call a bee with horns? Lucifer, it turns out.
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Devilishly distinctive new bee species discovered in WA Goldfields
A striking new bee species, Megachile lucifer, was discovered in Western Australia’s Goldfields while surveying a rare wildflower. Named for the female’s horned face and the Netflix charac...
www.eurekalert.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:44 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
COP maybe trying to address the carbon issue, but they've been pulled up because their website produces a lot more carbon that others.
Personally, I see this less as hypocrisy and yet another symptom of the problem.
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#sciencenews
COP webpages emit seven times more carbon than average sites
Websites produced for COP conferences emit up to 10 times more carbon than average internet pages, new research suggests.
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November 17, 2025 at 8:56 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Here's the flavour of today's featured blog post:
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2021/09/22/f...
#scicomm #sciart #sciencecartoon
Flavours
Matilda’s Lab ©2021.
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November 17, 2025 at 12:37 PM
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They say that insanity is repeating the same process but expecting different results. When it comes to the brain, that's just another day at the office.
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The flexible brain: How circuit excitability and plasticity shift across the day
Did you know your brain might be more receptive to learning new things depending on the time of day? This study examined how a 24-hour cycle alters brain plasticity and neuronal excitability in rats.
www.eurekalert.org
November 17, 2025 at 6:47 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Is there life on Enceladus, in orbit around Saturn? The supporting evidence continues to get stronger.
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Saturn’s icy moon may host a stable ocean fit for life, study finds
New findings from NASA’s Cassini mission show that Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons and a top contender for extra-terrestrial life, is losing heat from both poles – indicating that i...
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November 16, 2025 at 8:55 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Green spaces lower mental health hospital admissions, especially in cities.
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Green space to fewer hospitalizations for mental health
Higher levels of greenness are associated with lower risks of hospital admissions for mental disorders, finds an analysis of data from seven countries over two decades. Local greenness was associated ...
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November 16, 2025 at 9:05 AM