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Dr. Catherine Scott

@cataranea

No-longer-a-professional Arachnologist/Behavioural Ecologist/Natural Historian; current research-admin type. I also knit, sew, & have strong opinions. Pronouns: she or they

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22.05.2023
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Latest posts by Dr. Catherine Scott @cataranea

yep! made by @loxy.bsky.social

07.03.2026 14:16 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

They are new as of December! Thanks!!

07.03.2026 14:06 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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"Forcibly displaced Lebanese are now gathering along the sea; they have nowhere to go; Israel has announced its intent to make conditions that render civilian life unsustainable. A second genocide. Now in Lebanon."(Philip Proudfoot on X) #Israel #Lebanon

05.03.2026 20:21 πŸ‘ 227 πŸ” 176 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 3

The Trump regime is currently holding more than three times as many detainees as Nazi Germany had six years into the Third Reich, and the stated goal of 15 to 20 million deportations would exceed the entire population that moved through the Soviet Gulag system over more than twenty years.

07.03.2026 12:37 πŸ‘ 263 πŸ” 120 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 3

I know very few people would notice if I didn't point it out but it bothers me mightily that my phone autocorrected "meagre" to "merge" in the alt text of this photo. My meagre existence is of course what I am contemplating, for my fellow pedants & alt-text friends.

07.03.2026 13:35 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks! It definitely marks the beginning of a new and very different era for me, and so far so good!

07.03.2026 13:23 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

But I also think it’s a shitty system, which I can't really recommend in good conscience to younger people who want to do science (if they’re in a position to even consider it, which is not often the case, given the costs). It's gotten better in a lot of ways since I started, but it's still not good

07.03.2026 13:18 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I don’t regret the time I’ve spent in this systemβ€”I feel incredibly privileged to have had so many opportunities to learn from and do science with truly excellent people, travel to amazing places, and learn and share incredible things about arachnids and the natural world.

07.03.2026 13:16 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Just realized that I’ve spent more than half my 40-year life as a β€œtrainee” in academic science. 6 years as an undergraduate, almost 4 doing my MSc, 4 more for the PhD, and almost 6 as a postdoc.

(I'm most likely done now. I recently got a job doing research administration and it's pretty great)

07.03.2026 13:15 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
A person with a salt-and-pepper pixie cut, wearing large red-framed glasses 
and silver dangly earrings that say β€œOH NO” and the β€œBiology is bigger than binaries” shirt designed by Franz Anthony for Skype a Scientist under a collared green wool shirt sits in front of a pride flag at a cafe as they contemplate their merge existence and lament the linear nature of time

A person with a salt-and-pepper pixie cut, wearing large red-framed glasses and silver dangly earrings that say β€œOH NO” and the β€œBiology is bigger than binaries” shirt designed by Franz Anthony for Skype a Scientist under a collared green wool shirt sits in front of a pride flag at a cafe as they contemplate their merge existence and lament the linear nature of time

Today I turned 40.

07.03.2026 13:11 πŸ‘ 75 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 15 πŸ“Œ 1

Nominate somebody, y’all!
πŸ§ͺ #SciComm

06.03.2026 20:58 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Was recently thinking about a sort of hierarchy of needs that speaks to this moment.

1) Survive. Nothing happens without this.

2) Hope. Believe in a better future.

3) Plan. What can I do to help make that future a reality (even a small thing)?

4) Act. Put your plan in motion.

18.02.2025 16:41 πŸ‘ 108 πŸ” 20 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 2

So ChatGPT and Claude have facilitated suicides and a school shooting in Canada and the US bombing a school in Iran, but that’s the price you pay to have tools that mean you don’t need to spend as much time dealing with emails or writing code or first drafts, I guess?

07.03.2026 12:28 πŸ‘ 38 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Tech has long since passed the point of solving problems or even making life more convenient. It's just throwing crap against the wall to see what will stick. And now there's crap all over the floor and the wall.

07.03.2026 12:21 πŸ‘ 43 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Year 2, Week 10 Feb 28-Mar6, 2026 - time (for) change

Each Friday night, I write a briefing on what happened in US science & higher ed. πŸ§ͺ

Mar 6 (Year 2, Week 10)
- NIH revoking certification of early career workers union
- FDA 'chaos' & Prasad out (again)
- even more delay & interference in NIH funding
& so much more

buttondown.com/liminalcreat...

07.03.2026 06:15 πŸ‘ 69 πŸ” 35 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Quick plug for our new resource, the Drosophila Species Stock Exchange. This is a database and mailing list that documents species currently in culture and the labs holding them. If you want to know more or sign up then please get in touch. See attached for more info and please share!

06.03.2026 19:59 πŸ‘ 26 πŸ” 22 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

These are awesome!

06.03.2026 22:40 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Bookmark: How to Learn.

This book was written so that you might learn. In order to learn from it, however, you must know how to use it properly. The book will teach you little unless you put organized effort into reading it, for active, directed work is necessary if you wish to understand and remember what you read. Careful, intelligent reading of this book will mean that you understand better what you learn in class. What is equally important, if you have studied this book properly in the first place, it will serve as a convenient and quick refresher for future reference. Nearly everyone knows that we easily forget what we learn when we do not use it. What many students do not realize, however, is that we can relearn what we have once learned, providing we have learned it well in the first place. Thus, this book provides a convenient auxiliary memory that can serve you all of your life. 

In order to understand and remember the contents of this book it is essential that you do more than read. It means that you must actively recite, question, and review the material you have read. See the reverse of this card for suggestions that will help you to study this book. By following these suggestions, you will find the book will be more valuable to you both the course in which it is assigned and as a part of your permanent library.

Bookmark: How to Learn. This book was written so that you might learn. In order to learn from it, however, you must know how to use it properly. The book will teach you little unless you put organized effort into reading it, for active, directed work is necessary if you wish to understand and remember what you read. Careful, intelligent reading of this book will mean that you understand better what you learn in class. What is equally important, if you have studied this book properly in the first place, it will serve as a convenient and quick refresher for future reference. Nearly everyone knows that we easily forget what we learn when we do not use it. What many students do not realize, however, is that we can relearn what we have once learned, providing we have learned it well in the first place. Thus, this book provides a convenient auxiliary memory that can serve you all of your life. In order to understand and remember the contents of this book it is essential that you do more than read. It means that you must actively recite, question, and review the material you have read. See the reverse of this card for suggestions that will help you to study this book. By following these suggestions, you will find the book will be more valuable to you both the course in which it is assigned and as a part of your permanent library.

BOOKMARK 
How to Get the Most Out of a Book 

1. Skim through the assigned reading so that you will know what it is you are to study. 

2. Read the text carefully. Do not forget that many important ideas are presented in graphs, diagrams or maps. 

3. As you read, stop now and then and recite to yourself, in your own words, the important ideas in what you have just read. 

4. Make brief notes in the margin. These will serve as cues for subsequent self-recitation. 

5. Mark important or key passages for later review. 

6. Review the material at least once between the first time you study the assignment and study for exams. Make use of your marginal notes as cues for self-recitation. 

7. Remember that a little relearning is necessary each time you wish to use what you have learned for an examination, a related course, or for independent study. If you use the author's headings, marked passages, and brief notes for cues it will help you relearn easily. 

8. Coordinate what you read with what you learn in the classroom. Keep well-organized lecture notes. Lecture notes that are legible and accurate will, like your text-book, serve in the years to come as quick and inexpensive keys to the knowledge that you are acquiring. 

JAMES E. DEESE 
Associate Professor of Psychology 
The Johns Hopkins University 
Author of THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING

BOOKMARK How to Get the Most Out of a Book 1. Skim through the assigned reading so that you will know what it is you are to study. 2. Read the text carefully. Do not forget that many important ideas are presented in graphs, diagrams or maps. 3. As you read, stop now and then and recite to yourself, in your own words, the important ideas in what you have just read. 4. Make brief notes in the margin. These will serve as cues for subsequent self-recitation. 5. Mark important or key passages for later review. 6. Review the material at least once between the first time you study the assignment and study for exams. Make use of your marginal notes as cues for self-recitation. 7. Remember that a little relearning is necessary each time you wish to use what you have learned for an examination, a related course, or for independent study. If you use the author's headings, marked passages, and brief notes for cues it will help you relearn easily. 8. Coordinate what you read with what you learn in the classroom. Keep well-organized lecture notes. Lecture notes that are legible and accurate will, like your text-book, serve in the years to come as quick and inexpensive keys to the knowledge that you are acquiring. JAMES E. DEESE Associate Professor of Psychology The Johns Hopkins University Author of THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING

Yesterday, I was reading a used book from 1959 I bought some years ago, and I found this bookmark, which must have been there when I bought the book.

Given the age of the book and Deese at Johns Hopkins, the bookmark would be from the 1960s. Useful advice to students even now.

#TimeCapsule

06.03.2026 09:29 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Sorry Reuters you’ve already been scooped by No Shit Magazine

06.03.2026 08:06 πŸ‘ 1349 πŸ” 149 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

My refusal to hand over an irreducibly human endeavor to technologies that were foisted on society and became ubiquitous in like five years is a categorical one. When the machines learn to simulate a better me than me, they will still not be me. They can't be. So I'll do the writing, thanks.

06.03.2026 01:09 πŸ‘ 18 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Seems to me that whether AI is "good" at writing is not the most important question, at least for scholars and creatives. The real question, I think, is what endeavors are people willing to hand over? Maybe the AI will be a better writer than I am. I don't care. I'm not willing to let go of the pen.

06.03.2026 00:58 πŸ‘ 60 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 12 πŸ“Œ 8
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Enabling Fieldwork for All (EFFA) Framework: Supporting physical, social, financial, and psychological safety in the field Comprehensive review of fieldwork safety literature across disciplines yields synthesized recommendations.

Excited to share a new paper written by a AAAS Policy Fellow I mentor, Dr. Lisa Walsh.

β€œThis review synthesizes literature on fieldwork safety across scientific disciplines, highlighting four facets of safety for leaders and researchers to address: physical, social, financial, and psychological.”

04.03.2026 00:34 πŸ‘ 41 πŸ” 27 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The approximate cause of death for Anne Frank was the Nazis. The specific cause of death was the outbreak of Typhus at Bergen-Belsen camp, which overtook her (and others) from chronic malnutrition and medical abuse. These conditions are not, in character, unlike our system of immigration camps today

03.03.2026 18:39 πŸ‘ 2013 πŸ” 782 πŸ’¬ 10 πŸ“Œ 6

Expansive, insightful and astonishing essay here by @patrlynch1.bsky.social.

Capturing the fine art world’s failure to exalt animal subjects during a mass extinction, as well as the utilitarian role sci illustration has been pushed into.

I will be thinking about this #SciArt essay for some time.

05.03.2026 17:36 πŸ‘ 36 πŸ” 16 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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Amazon's $8 billion Anthropic investment balloons to $61 billion The cloud giant holds convertible notes in Anthropic. As the AI startup raises more money, this debt converts to equity.

If the Washington Post story above sounds like PR for Anthropic, that's because it is! Amazon has invested billions of dollars in Anthropic. Jeff Bezos, of course, owns both the Washington Post and Amazon.

05.03.2026 05:03 πŸ‘ 929 πŸ” 283 πŸ’¬ 12 πŸ“Œ 13

They killed 180 children and their teachers in a double-tap strike on a school. The girls were 7 to 12 years old.

05.03.2026 04:33 πŸ‘ 4378 πŸ” 1807 πŸ’¬ 101 πŸ“Œ 30

Abominable reporting from NYT on this in their β€œlive updates” on Iran.

β€œstill investigating whether it was a U.S. airstrike”

β€œmost of whom were likely children”

Noncommittal, uninformative, and vile. There was already a funeral for the GIRLS MURDERED IN THIS STRIKE, and the NYT is just NYT-ing

05.03.2026 09:44 πŸ‘ 102 πŸ” 28 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
uld you support or oppose abolishing ICE? (%)

Somewhat or strongly supportNot sureSomewhat or strongly oppose
U.S. adult citizens
39
Party ID
Democrats
14
Independents
35
Republicans
68

uld you support or oppose abolishing ICE? (%) Somewhat or strongly supportNot sureSomewhat or strongly oppose U.S. adult citizens 39 Party ID Democrats 14 Independents 35 Republicans 68

Per The Economist/YouGov, half of Americans support ABOLISHING ICE.

Literally, "abolishing."

yougov.com/en-us/articl...

03.03.2026 19:45 πŸ‘ 4297 πŸ” 1194 πŸ’¬ 65 πŸ“Œ 140

Do you live in the UK or Canada? Could you spare an hour to help me with an important science project focused on excessive packaging? (all you need is a ruler and a basic kitchen scale) πŸ€žπŸ™β™»οΈ

03.03.2026 07:53 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

For all the but how can we afford space exploration folks…this means we’ve already spent more on this war that started last week than Cassini cost in the 26 years it took to build, launch, and operate it.

04.03.2026 20:41 πŸ‘ 1483 πŸ” 547 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 7