Natasha Mhatre
@natashamhatre.bsky.social
I introduce Biology to Physics, Science to Art. Good things happen. I like thinking about thinking.
Canada Research Chair in Invert Neurobio @ Western U.
Views always my own.
Canada Research Chair in Invert Neurobio @ Western U.
Views always my own.
Pinned
Natasha Mhatre
@natashamhatre.bsky.social
· Dec 16
Just briefly, my tenure was approved, I'll be tenured and an associate professor as of July 25.
None of this seems to matter, almost at all to me right now, in this historical moment.
But I've had a lot of support here, and I owe you thanks for your part in it, thank you.
None of this seems to matter, almost at all to me right now, in this historical moment.
But I've had a lot of support here, and I owe you thanks for your part in it, thank you.
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
“Our kids are drawing uncomfortable conclusions about our values, let’s limit their access to information” smacks of the pulpit.
November 22, 2025 at 3:43 PM
“Our kids are drawing uncomfortable conclusions about our values, let’s limit their access to information” smacks of the pulpit.
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
Apply now to become a speaker at our Institute! We invite excellent postdocs in neuroscience, ecology and other fields related to our research to apply for our Emerging Scientist Talk Series. Apply by October 24: www.bi.mpg.de/ess
@chr-mayer.bsky.social @fleyes.bsky.social @michaelahau.bsky.social
@chr-mayer.bsky.social @fleyes.bsky.social @michaelahau.bsky.social
September 19, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Apply now to become a speaker at our Institute! We invite excellent postdocs in neuroscience, ecology and other fields related to our research to apply for our Emerging Scientist Talk Series. Apply by October 24: www.bi.mpg.de/ess
@chr-mayer.bsky.social @fleyes.bsky.social @michaelahau.bsky.social
@chr-mayer.bsky.social @fleyes.bsky.social @michaelahau.bsky.social
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
🚨Good news, everyone!
1) I'm thrilled to be joining the behavior powerhouse that is Indiana University!! So stoked, starting Jan 2026.
2) I'm recruiting grad students! Are you (or your trainee) interested in sensory ecology? behavior? evolution? fieldwork? spiders? Drop me a line Jstafstr(at)iu.edu
1) I'm thrilled to be joining the behavior powerhouse that is Indiana University!! So stoked, starting Jan 2026.
2) I'm recruiting grad students! Are you (or your trainee) interested in sensory ecology? behavior? evolution? fieldwork? spiders? Drop me a line Jstafstr(at)iu.edu
November 22, 2025 at 4:53 PM
🚨Good news, everyone!
1) I'm thrilled to be joining the behavior powerhouse that is Indiana University!! So stoked, starting Jan 2026.
2) I'm recruiting grad students! Are you (or your trainee) interested in sensory ecology? behavior? evolution? fieldwork? spiders? Drop me a line Jstafstr(at)iu.edu
1) I'm thrilled to be joining the behavior powerhouse that is Indiana University!! So stoked, starting Jan 2026.
2) I'm recruiting grad students! Are you (or your trainee) interested in sensory ecology? behavior? evolution? fieldwork? spiders? Drop me a line Jstafstr(at)iu.edu
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
Remember when Aaron Swartz downloaded JSTOR archives that he had full legal rights to download and the FBI hounded him literally to death for it? Anyway,
NEW: Common Crawl, the massive archiver of the web, has gotten cozy with AI companies and is providing paywalled articles for training data. They’re also lying to publishers who have asked for material to be removed. “The robots are people too,” CC’s exec director told us when we asked about this.
The Nonprofit Feeding the Entire Internet to AI Companies
Common Crawl claims to provide a public benefit, but it lies to publishers about its activities.
www.theatlantic.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Remember when Aaron Swartz downloaded JSTOR archives that he had full legal rights to download and the FBI hounded him literally to death for it? Anyway,
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
These same folks extremely committed to fighting antisemitism in universities
Exclusive: The U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, nooses and the Confederate flag as hate symbols.
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
The military service drafted a new policy that classifies them as “potentially divisive.”
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:34 PM
These same folks extremely committed to fighting antisemitism in universities
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
My alma mater, Leicester University, is dissolving its Geology Department leading to the loss of 14 staff. Palaeo is being completely axed, despite Leicester's long and storied history in this area (and its current strengths). Please sign this petition!!: www.change.org/p/save-geolo...
Sign the Petition
Save Geology at the University of Leicester
www.change.org
November 19, 2025 at 9:10 AM
My alma mater, Leicester University, is dissolving its Geology Department leading to the loss of 14 staff. Palaeo is being completely axed, despite Leicester's long and storied history in this area (and its current strengths). Please sign this petition!!: www.change.org/p/save-geolo...
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
Hey Toronto: Mask up! Get your vaccines (Covid, Flu, RSV). Big jump in waste water values and that data is 2 weeks old.
Source: @young.me (thanks!)
wwater.ca/Ontario/Toro...
Source: @young.me (thanks!)
wwater.ca/Ontario/Toro...
November 15, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Hey Toronto: Mask up! Get your vaccines (Covid, Flu, RSV). Big jump in waste water values and that data is 2 weeks old.
Source: @young.me (thanks!)
wwater.ca/Ontario/Toro...
Source: @young.me (thanks!)
wwater.ca/Ontario/Toro...
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Submit a Claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
You can't convince me that that this isn't a war on women.
Not when miscarrying can potentially cause a longer sentence than forcibly impregnating someone against their will does.
Not when miscarrying can potentially cause a longer sentence than forcibly impregnating someone against their will does.
Women who get an abortion and anyone who helps them could face up to 30 years in prison under the bill.
It appears to ban any contraception that prevents a fertilized egg from implanting. That would ban IUDs and could strictly limit in-vitro fertilization.
It appears to ban any contraception that prevents a fertilized egg from implanting. That would ban IUDs and could strictly limit in-vitro fertilization.
Women Who Have Abortions Would Face Decades in Prison Under South Carolina Plan
Women who get abortions could spend decades in prison and IUDs would be outlawed under proposed legislation in South Carolina.
buff.ly
November 18, 2025 at 10:57 AM
You can't convince me that that this isn't a war on women.
Not when miscarrying can potentially cause a longer sentence than forcibly impregnating someone against their will does.
Not when miscarrying can potentially cause a longer sentence than forcibly impregnating someone against their will does.
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
Capitalism is incredible. Sorry, former teacher, your retirement fund is gone because 5 guys who've collectively never worked a full hour told the banks to put all the money in the country into virtual girlfriend futures
WSJ: “.. If the AI market blows up, the blast radius would be wide, hitting not only Wall Street firms, but also pensions, mutual and exchange-traded funds and individual investors, because of how debt is often sliced and resold across the financial landscape.”
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/finance/inve...
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/finance/inve...
November 18, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Capitalism is incredible. Sorry, former teacher, your retirement fund is gone because 5 guys who've collectively never worked a full hour told the banks to put all the money in the country into virtual girlfriend futures
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
I mean jesus christ, it was not that long ago that "papers please" was damn near universally accepted as a 2-word shorthand for the kind of oppressive society that we beat our chests over being better than
Email just went out on my campus that the Immigration Goons ("federal immigration agents") will be in town (Raleigh).
Inter alia, it says,"International students, faculty and staff should carry evidence of their immigration status with them at all times."
The fuck kind of country are we living in?
Inter alia, it says,"International students, faculty and staff should carry evidence of their immigration status with them at all times."
The fuck kind of country are we living in?
November 18, 2025 at 3:53 PM
I mean jesus christ, it was not that long ago that "papers please" was damn near universally accepted as a 2-word shorthand for the kind of oppressive society that we beat our chests over being better than
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
To study how animals understand the physical world (and the rules that govern its dynamics), @jinyao-y.bsky.social trains rats to play fetch with robots 🐀🤖🎾
To learn more, come to our poster Tuesday morning!
[Board W11] Rats learn and use intuitive physics knowledge to solve fetch tasks.
#SfN2025
To learn more, come to our poster Tuesday morning!
[Board W11] Rats learn and use intuitive physics knowledge to solve fetch tasks.
#SfN2025
November 18, 2025 at 1:16 AM
To study how animals understand the physical world (and the rules that govern its dynamics), @jinyao-y.bsky.social trains rats to play fetch with robots 🐀🤖🎾
To learn more, come to our poster Tuesday morning!
[Board W11] Rats learn and use intuitive physics knowledge to solve fetch tasks.
#SfN2025
To learn more, come to our poster Tuesday morning!
[Board W11] Rats learn and use intuitive physics knowledge to solve fetch tasks.
#SfN2025
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
Incredibly honored and utterly excited to have been asked to give a plenary at @isbe2026.bsky.social hope to see you in Turin! #ISBE2026 #sleep #behavior
Meet our Plenary Speaker Daniela Rößler
Fueled by curiosity and a deep love of natural history Daniela discovered a REM-like sleep state in spiders and uses integrative field, lab and comparative approaches to investigate the function, ecology, and evolution of sleep across the spider tree of life.
Fueled by curiosity and a deep love of natural history Daniela discovered a REM-like sleep state in spiders and uses integrative field, lab and comparative approaches to investigate the function, ecology, and evolution of sleep across the spider tree of life.
November 17, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Incredibly honored and utterly excited to have been asked to give a plenary at @isbe2026.bsky.social hope to see you in Turin! #ISBE2026 #sleep #behavior
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
"Postdoc in the job market"
November 16, 2025 at 7:52 PM
"Postdoc in the job market"
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected.
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
Millionaire Tax That Inspired Mamdani Fuels $5.7 Billion Haul in Massachusetts
A millionaire levy in Massachusetts that New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani holds up as a model for taxing the rich has generated $3 billion more in revenue than expected without forcing...
www.bloomberg.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:01 PM
NEW: The first two years of Massachusetts' millionaire tax has raised $3 billion more than expected.
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
And rather than driving the rich away, IPS researchers found that the number of millionaires has *increased.*
Tax the rich. Greg Ryan in @bloomberg.com:
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
Some news: tomorrow at 9am, Ted Koppel + CBS Sunday Morning will air a two-part story on the devastating surge of full-time workers being pushed into homelessness.
I'll be interviewed along with two families from There Is No Place for Us. It would mean a lot if you'd watch and help spread the word.
I'll be interviewed along with two families from There Is No Place for Us. It would mean a lot if you'd watch and help spread the word.
November 15, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Some news: tomorrow at 9am, Ted Koppel + CBS Sunday Morning will air a two-part story on the devastating surge of full-time workers being pushed into homelessness.
I'll be interviewed along with two families from There Is No Place for Us. It would mean a lot if you'd watch and help spread the word.
I'll be interviewed along with two families from There Is No Place for Us. It would mean a lot if you'd watch and help spread the word.
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
How did I miss this? It's insane!
“The prohibited activities would include joint research, co-authorship on papers, and advising a foreign graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. The language is retroactive, meaning any interactions during the previous 5 years could make a scientist ineligible for future federal funding.”
U.S. Congress considers sweeping ban on Chinese collaborations
Researchers speak out against proposal that would bar funding for U.S. scientists working with Chinese partners or training Chinese students
www.science.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:06 AM
How did I miss this? It's insane!
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
Many have heard of the “Trimates:” Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas.
But before any of them was Rosalie Osborn. But sadly, she, and her colleague Jill Donisthorpe, have been written out of the narrative. (1/16)
🧪#Primates
But before any of them was Rosalie Osborn. But sadly, she, and her colleague Jill Donisthorpe, have been written out of the narrative. (1/16)
🧪#Primates
November 14, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Many have heard of the “Trimates:” Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas.
But before any of them was Rosalie Osborn. But sadly, she, and her colleague Jill Donisthorpe, have been written out of the narrative. (1/16)
🧪#Primates
But before any of them was Rosalie Osborn. But sadly, she, and her colleague Jill Donisthorpe, have been written out of the narrative. (1/16)
🧪#Primates
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
Tri-Councils had our backs: "...at no time did CIHR consider disclosing individual EDI and/or self-identification data, information about individual unsuccessful applications or peer reviewers’ review notes and scores" in response to demands of the Parliamentary Committee on Science and Research.
November 13, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Tri-Councils had our backs: "...at no time did CIHR consider disclosing individual EDI and/or self-identification data, information about individual unsuccessful applications or peer reviewers’ review notes and scores" in response to demands of the Parliamentary Committee on Science and Research.
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
NEW: @propublica.org investigated the Chicago apartment raid where kids were zip-tied and citizens detained for hours. They find:
- NONE of the arrested were criminally charged
- NO evidence the building was "filled with TdA terrorists."
- ZERO legitimate reason for DHS to rappel from a Blackhawk.
- NONE of the arrested were criminally charged
- NO evidence the building was "filled with TdA terrorists."
- ZERO legitimate reason for DHS to rappel from a Blackhawk.
November 13, 2025 at 2:08 PM
NEW: @propublica.org investigated the Chicago apartment raid where kids were zip-tied and citizens detained for hours. They find:
- NONE of the arrested were criminally charged
- NO evidence the building was "filled with TdA terrorists."
- ZERO legitimate reason for DHS to rappel from a Blackhawk.
- NONE of the arrested were criminally charged
- NO evidence the building was "filled with TdA terrorists."
- ZERO legitimate reason for DHS to rappel from a Blackhawk.
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
A group of researchers dug into more than 30 studies on the autism-microbiome connection—including observational studies, preclinical experiments and human clinical trials—and found no evidence for a true link.
By Lauren Schenkman
www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/goi...
By Lauren Schenkman
www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/goi...
Going against the gut: Q&A with Kevin Mitchell
A new review of 15 years of studies on the connection between the microbiome and autism reveals widespread statistical and conceptual errors.
www.thetransmitter.org
November 13, 2025 at 5:22 PM
A group of researchers dug into more than 30 studies on the autism-microbiome connection—including observational studies, preclinical experiments and human clinical trials—and found no evidence for a true link.
By Lauren Schenkman
www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/goi...
By Lauren Schenkman
www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/goi...
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
I had no idea that reading was taught this way now in the US. Appalling.
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 12, 2025 at 5:06 PM
I had no idea that reading was taught this way now in the US. Appalling.
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
Reposted by Natasha Mhatre
I AM WATCHING YHE NORTHERN LIGHTS WITH THE NAKED EYE THIS IS THR BEST DAYNOF MY LIFE
November 12, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I AM WATCHING YHE NORTHERN LIGHTS WITH THE NAKED EYE THIS IS THR BEST DAYNOF MY LIFE