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Last Notes

2026-07-07 06:16:56 UTC

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I always amazes me how sharp flint tools are. With a new handle they would still be functional. Older than all of human history, but still useful.

2026-07-03 10:23:56 UTC

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Was there a lot of leaves on your sweet potato?
For sweet potato, if you want potatoes you need to trim most of the leaves so the carbohydrates go to the roots instead of the leaves. Otherwise the plant will make many vines and leaves and less potatoes. The trimmed leaves can be boiled and made into a vegetable, so there is more harvest too.

2026-06-13 06:31:52 UTC

Insects wouldn't be able to play woodwind instruments since their mouths are not connected to their ventilation systems.
This is true for crustaceans and arachnids as well.

2026-05-26 10:53:21 UTC

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Doesn't the government already have all the information on your ID? They're the ones that issued it.
I'd be worried about leaks of our personal information, but pretty much all Malaysians have compromised personal data by now. Maybe that's why people aren't reacting to this news?

2026-05-13 08:53:02 UTC

I was reviewing a proposal and the first sentence had terrible grammar and was so poorly phrased.
I'm so relieved the student didn't use a LLM.
#AcademicChatter

2026-04-02 07:11:52 UTC

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https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/goose-hydra

2026-03-31 14:22:14 UTC

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The problem with hydro is that it takes up a lot of land. And certain parties use it as an excuse to log the entire area, since it's going to be underwater anayway. To the state government, that's like double dipping the resources of the land.
And it's a good way to reward cronies with logging contracts.

2026-03-31 12:07:13 UTC

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A lot of Sarawaks energy mix is in hydroelectric dams. These have been hugely controversial in terms of the human and environmental costs. A lot displaced communities and logged forests were a result of the dam building. Corruption and land grabbing too. It was quite a big issue 10 years ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakun_Dam

2026-03-31 06:17:31 UTC

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Apparently there were some developments by Google that made models use less RAM.

2026-03-31 06:16:19 UTC

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I've shared entire academic press books before. I think there is enough apathy/resentment against academic publishers that it wouldn't be weird.

2026-03-31 06:11:30 UTC

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It's a family home, so at least we can pool together money for it. But then it's also a group decision so we really have to discuss it.
I am curious about the smaller scale panels. Looks like I could use it to charge my phone and laptop. And it might be a good opportunity to learn how to set up a solar panel and inverter.

2026-03-31 05:38:14 UTC

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I'm also looking at solar panels for my house. It's pretty expensive to get a battery and my break even point will be in 7 years. But if the price of energy shoots up, that might be earlier.

2026-03-30 06:21:38 UTC

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Isn't that the same thing as twitter (and mastodon by extension), but just in a short video format?

2026-03-27 11:00:35 UTC

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Nothing is stopping you from going there for a drink.

2026-03-27 10:58:12 UTC

I was confused for a bit by this genAI video of an insect. It's quite convincing, the legs and venation look like a Membracid to a non-expert. The really sharp focus for a video tipped me off, then I noticed that the proportions constantly change and an additional pair of antenna keeps appearing. It's a bit scary, I have to pay more attention to bug photos now to avoid spreading misinformation.
Also the species name doesn't exist.
https://h4.io/@brettezeleliquide/116300224933352543

2026-03-27 06:48:48 UTC

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Funny that you think he's Mahathir's gang, he tried to overthrow Mahathir in the 80s.
But he is a political dinosaur and shouldn't be given any attention these days.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengku_Razaleigh_Hamzah

2026-03-27 06:40:28 UTC

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Have you considered just moving to the tropics?
(Though where I am the rains haven't arrived and having the windows open is not enough to deal with heat right now)

2026-03-20 14:48:57 UTC

Eid Mubarak!
Selamat Hari Raya!
Salam Lebaran!

2026-03-20 14:34:33 UTC

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It could be a coincidence that it looks like human sclera, I do recall some birds and monkeys having white patches around their eyes too.

2026-03-19 22:05:22 UTC

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How does airtightness affect mold?

2026-03-19 14:30:49 UTC

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Facebook is so evil. Genocide, wildlife trafficking, all this goes unmoderated in Southeast Asia.

2026-03-19 12:10:23 UTC

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No moon. Raya is on Saturday.

2026-03-19 01:09:17 UTC

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thanks. This is helpful.

2026-03-13 09:03:17 UTC

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There are two types of Nasi Goreng USA in Malaysia. One that has shrimp, squid and chicken (which is very rare).
And the other is a Islamicised American Fried Rice that has a fried egg and beef/chicken in a sweet-spicy red sauce. (Which is mentioned in the wikipedia article)
If you order Nasi Gorend USA in Malaysia, you'll usually get the 2nd type.

2026-03-13 08:44:12 UTC

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All the academics I know hate her for tarnishing the profession. She must have some big connections that keep her in UIA.

2026-03-13 08:42:35 UTC

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That article, complete with the "Let's ask chatGPT" as a reference hurts my head. That's not even journalism. It's just stitching together social media comments.
There are real historians that could have been interviewed.

2026-03-12 10:58:41 UTC

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This is like the opposite of #makanApaToday.

2026-03-11 16:30:08 UTC

Man this situation is just depressing. I should just quit the internet and go farm or something.

2026-03-08 10:36:27 UTC

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That's fast. I thought it was coming out in April.

2026-03-07 14:31:36 UTC

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How is this not identity theft and fraud?

2026-03-07 13:05:55 UTC

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I see vegetables, so it passes.

2026-03-07 12:28:08 UTC

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A lot of younger people that learn about Zines from tiktok pronounce it like it rhymes with 'Vine'.
I assume that many Gen Z aren't very familiar with magazines.

2026-03-06 02:08:51 UTC

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I didn't notice that they were also supposed to have areas for text. They look good without looking empty. I think the negative space adds to the charm of it.

2026-03-06 02:02:48 UTC

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These are really delightful and inspiring. I like the details and compositions.

2026-03-05 11:22:51 UTC

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5 mins early, then I mute and don't interact.

2026-03-02 08:00:44 UTC

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Chinese really know how to use mushrooms in vegetarian cooking. I've tasted so many variations.

2026-03-01 07:35:17 UTC

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The alt text was very helpful to figure out what the heck I was looking at.

2026-02-28 20:49:43 UTC

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Also, disaster response and rescue is not limited to government agencies. In floods there are a lot of makeshift rescue efforts and jury rigged rafts. People get use what they have and get creative when they don't.

2026-02-28 20:45:53 UTC

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Disaster response is not without levity, it's completely absent on the Fediverse, but Malay/Indonesian social media has the #banjircore hashtag (lit. FloodCore). During the floods people make short videos and share it Youtube, Tiktok and Instagram. Even during crises people need to let off steam and laugh.

2026-02-28 20:40:37 UTC

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Disaster preparedness in Malaysia is a coordinated effort, schools and public halls on higher ground are designated as evacuation points in high risk areas. Mosques and other religious buildings are also used if necessary. Flood risk areas are mapped out beforehand and planning is done before the flood season hits.
For privacy and dignity, light partitions are set up for each family. Emergency staff and volunteers are at hand to distribute supplies.
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/116/150/171/607/899/560/original/3188135ef6e68bb4.jpg

2026-02-28 20:33:55 UTC

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Modern houses aren't elevated, so to adapt against flash floods people put the stuff they don't want to get wet (like TVs and books) higher than usual flood water line, use plastic furniture that can be washed off and reused even if submerged or store things in plastic containers that can float.
(I don't have photos of these, so you'll have to use your imagination)

2026-02-28 20:29:59 UTC

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This is not depictions of art, but what living in the climate crisis actually looks like and adaptations against it.
Often the first line of disaster response is part of the invisible design of daily life. In Southeast Asia, regular floods means that traditional houses are built on stilts and designed to allow for some flooding. The wooden nailess frame also withstands earthquakes and allows waves of water to pass under the house.
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/116/150/119/184/352/508/original/798c6ead344a1c33.jpg

2026-02-28 15:47:28 UTC

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I wouldn't recommend Nasi Lemak to a vegan. The Sambal sauce is the soul of the Nasi Lemak and it always has some shrimp paste, without it you just have plain coconut rice and cucumber.
There are sometimes vegetarian versions in chinese vegetarian restaurants, but I never order it.

2026-02-28 15:01:27 UTC

I should stop doomscrolling for today.

2026-02-28 14:39:54 UTC

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My experience with having to navigate the Lent/Ramadan combo is that at times like this, Indian Banana Leaf restaurants are the best bet. The Chinese Vegetarian restaurants are good too (and are really unhealthy and greasy), but some dishes may contain egg.
Unfortunately, Malay vegan options are few and far between. Many of the interesting vegetable dishes use shrimp or fish sauces for flavour.
And if all else fails there is always Roti Canai.

2026-02-28 08:09:55 UTC

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See, kuih have so many goddamn names that even the locals are confused.
Buts since you are in Malaysia, the best place to look for a variety of kuih is any Ramadan Bazaar, they usually display all the kuih so you just need to point at the one that you want.

2026-02-28 07:18:27 UTC

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Just describe it and do a guessing game, that's what we do. It's not Onde-onde, it's "The green chewy one, with santan on it and gula melaka inside. No, it's not in a sauce. Yes, it's round and small. "

2026-02-28 07:12:36 UTC

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Even Malaysians cannot agree to the names of kuih. Everyone has their own name for a kuih. I have just resigned myself that they are chaotic entities that resist any form of naming.

2026-02-28 06:11:17 UTC

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0034 was always suspiciously round and short-limbed.

2026-02-27 16:07:02 UTC

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I was discussing with a friend earlier about "Belalang Dewa" (lit. Deity grasshopper), which is the Malaysian equivalent of the "Spanish fly".
It's actually a Cantharid beetle from the genus Epicauta. It produces the compound Cantharin, which has aphrodisiac effects and that is one of it's uses. The beetles are dried and cut into 3-4 parts before being consumed. Apparently some Jamu (tonics) use it as an ingredient as well.
#ethnozoology

2026-02-27 16:01:14 UTC

Grasshopper/Locust in Malay is 'Belalang'. It comes from the Proto-Austronesian root word 'Balalang'. Related to Javanese "Walang", Tagalog "Bálang" Batak/Balinese "Balang" and Malagasy "valala".
But its doesn't strictly correspond to locusts, and can be used as a general term for long winged insects.Variations of it are also used for mantids, beetles and even dragonflies.
#Entomology #Etymology #tootSEA

2026-02-26 21:46:46 UTC

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Too much hassle to clean the slime.
But fun fact: They were brought to Malaya during the Japanese occupation as an alternative source of protein to fight the famine. Then they escaped and became the pests that they are today.

2026-02-25 17:02:22 UTC

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Preliminary results: out of 6 times picking it up on a completely smooth plastic surface, 4 times it reacted and released itself almost immediately without any resistance. 2 times it stuck for a while and I had to tug it off, but released itself from the surface without any apparent harm. There was no change in behaviour to indicate injury after all the pick up attempts.
Currently euthanising it and I'll check the mantle for any signs of injury or bleeding tomorrow.

2026-02-25 16:21:57 UTC

Dammit, here I am sitting alone after midnight, repeatedly picking up a snail to empirically verify my knowledge...
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/116/132/180/224/342/728/original/c09e7a1ff89e98af.jpg

2026-02-25 15:36:01 UTC

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I had no idea that Sub-Saharan Africa referred to an area so large that it's a meaningless category. I had always thought that is was just the directly countries south of the Sahara (which is also a meaningless category).
But I am very fond of Patrick Gathara's "Sub-Scandinavian Europe" which he uses to poke holes in the concept.

2026-02-25 06:19:31 UTC

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I'm skeptical of this as well. I've never seen a "torn mantle" on a snail, and I'm a biologist too.

2026-02-24 18:01:28 UTC

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Rotiboy buns smell so nice, but the bun I imagine from the smell is always nicer than what I bite into. Their advertising is too good, Rotiboy always tastes like disappointment to me.

2026-02-24 06:13:40 UTC

Is anyone aware of anything about the history of the development of the concept of Holotypes and Type specimens?
I'm interested in the history of science and philosophical underpinnings of type specimens.
#biology #taxonomy #Palaeontology #AcademicChatter

2026-02-24 05:13:56 UTC

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That's a misconception of 'Ubi', Potato is properly called an Ubi Kentang.
Ubi is a very old Austronesian word for edible starchy roots. Which is why it can be used for tubers and starchy rhizomes like yams. Yams are a very important source of carbohydrates for forest dwellers and there are many edible species, so a general term is useful.
Ubi Kentang (Potato) and Ubi Kayu (Cassava) are later introductions from South America, so they were adapted into the existing word.

2026-02-21 04:25:33 UTC

I just read Indonesians translating "Brown skin" as "Kulit Coklat" (lit. Chocolate skin, but coklat is usually used for brown, even in Bahasa Malaysia).
In Malaysia that skin tone is usually described as "Kulit Sawo Matang" (lit. Ripe Ciku skin, or reddish brown skin). Lighter/ yellowish tones are called "Kuning langsat" (lit. Langsat yellow). Both are references to fruit colors.
Or if they don't care about being polite, "Kulit gelap" (lit. Dark skin).
#tootSEA

2026-02-20 04:07:30 UTC

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I thought I was reading it wrong, but he does kiss the Laidly Worm.

2026-02-17 06:50:41 UTC

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Goddamn all the New years greetings that I see are all Gen AI rubbish.

2026-02-17 04:14:09 UTC

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I'm a biologist/taxonomist/ecologist from Southeast Asia.

2026-02-16 04:30:43 UTC

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Take It!

2026-02-15 07:16:25 UTC

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Your mouthparts are already covered up behind two flaps of meat.

2026-02-15 06:59:51 UTC

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And they only have ONE palp, that DOESN'T HAVE JOINTS and is INSIDE their oral cavity!

2026-02-13 02:01:34 UTC

I saw a wild chicken (or Red Jungle Fowl if you want to be accurate) and took a photo with my crappy phone camera that makes it look like a cryptid.
#BirdsOfFediverse #chicken
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/116/060/837/850/760/331/original/ed8f1795e5eae0c1.jpg

2026-02-13 01:47:59 UTC

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Oeciphylla are so aggressive. They attack anything in their path.

2026-02-12 16:52:19 UTC

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It's all practice. Enjoying the process is more important than trying to draw something decent. I guess this applies to anything in life, not just drawings.
Sometimes I wish software people venture out from the tech industry. There are so many problems that can be solved, but non-tech people just don't know where to start or aren't even aware that those solutions exist.

2026-02-12 16:42:25 UTC

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I'm less than halfway done. A lot more figures to draw.
Don't compare dung to software. Dung is so much more useful. Life on Earth can continue without software, but it's seriously screwed if dung disappeared. (And honestly I prefer poking around dung to writing code)

2026-02-12 15:23:01 UTC

Scientific progress is sitting at a Mamak late at night drawing dung beetles.
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/116/058/337/280/963/694/original/f7c7ffcb5b011820.jpg

2026-02-12 14:45:47 UTC

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A bit off topic, but I always get confused between Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Criminal Breach of Trust.

2026-02-11 16:32:11 UTC

It was one of those days when a Hornbill unexpectedly pops up and I don't have a camera on me.

2026-02-10 19:39:28 UTC

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What would a flytrap be without flies?

2026-02-10 14:48:53 UTC

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I'm living in Malaysia and occasionally run into these ants in the forest. As far as tropical ants go, they are kind of boring aside from their size.
They were also kind of annoying when they swarmed my carrion baited pitfall traps.

2026-02-10 07:44:58 UTC

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That is a well drawn fly.

2026-02-09 08:04:44 UTC

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I don't even know what the teams are. But those are some nice owls.

2026-02-09 05:54:28 UTC

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The Russian Government censored pedipalps and aedegus under anti-LGBT laws?
#Arthropods #AcademicChatter

2026-02-07 15:54:21 UTC

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At least among the taxonomists that I know, people that name species after politicians or head of states are usually disliked for being extremely patriotic or sycophants (or have their arms being twisted by funders or authorities).

2026-02-06 18:27:39 UTC

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I just had the same conversation about DNA barcoders that just crush up ants and beetles and sample the DNA. It's a very fast and efficient process that gets you a lot of data. You get a lot of sequences and can make a snapshot of the diversity of a site where you roughly know what you are looking at. But you don't even know anything about the animals natural history. At that point, are you even studying animals anymore? The philosophy behind it seems kind of... sad.

2026-02-06 16:43:47 UTC

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Getting 3 teaching hours a week while only having the workload of 1 student actually sounds like a good deal for an academic.

2026-02-06 03:17:18 UTC

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I think Arsenic is a fine name.

2026-02-05 23:18:30 UTC

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I immediately thought about those. I thought it was an insult until I checked it out recently and realised that it was a tribute.

2026-02-05 16:21:17 UTC

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I you're good at catching them, frogs are easy protein.

2026-02-05 16:12:29 UTC

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There are some native tribes of Malaysia that love their roasted frog.

2026-02-05 16:10:39 UTC

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I just learned of another naming controversy from a Chinese colleague. A very patriotic Chinese scientist named a fungus eating beetle after President Xi Jinping, triggering censorship and attacks from other nationalists who thought that it was an insult.
https://everything.explained.today/Rhyzodiastes_xii/
I'll stick to my rule of thumb of "don't name a species after someone unless you can vouch for them personally".

2026-02-05 15:54:38 UTC

I just learned about predatory Stag beetles. Penichrolucanus. I collected some a while back but I didn't know much about their natural history. Very cool.
#beetles

2026-02-04 23:45:27 UTC

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Personally, I think after you describe more than 20 species, you stop putting too much thought into the names.

2026-02-04 17:25:04 UTC

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Not sure if it is available to you, but Muji makes good A5 sized lined paper that's affordable and good with fountain pens.

2026-02-04 14:17:09 UTC

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When I'm in cities and around white collar workers, I sometimes think "They don't smell like animals. They hide their scents by mimicking plants."

2026-02-04 13:50:39 UTC

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The only thing correct about that statement is "No parking".

2026-02-04 05:23:34 UTC

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Its a point buy system. If you spend too much points on CAREER you don't have any left for LOVE or HEALTH.

2026-02-04 05:21:09 UTC

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English should have Furigana above each word. This is a hill that I will die on.

2026-02-04 05:13:53 UTC

Every Chinese New Year, I'm reminded that Chinese people have the following stat block:
WEALTH
CAREER
HEALTH
LOVE
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/116/009/840/064/632/237/original/c15b8e3a02c75d45.jpg

2026-02-03 16:14:12 UTC

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I think we must never forget that science is part of human culture, and it has its own (sometimes irrational) traditions and baggage.

2026-02-03 16:12:13 UTC

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If anybody is interested in further reading, there is an accessible book about taxonomy and how organisms get named, written by @npub16z4…k4lz who is on thr fediverse.
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300238280/charles-darwins-barnacle-and-david-bowies-spider/

2026-02-03 15:40:20 UTC

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But naming a species after a person is still up for debate. I think everyone brings good points to the discussion. And there are a lot of dimensions to think about; practicality, history, tradition, equality, rules, etc.
That's the nature of science. People have to sit down and clearly state their arguments, and somehow we need to reach a consensus on how to move forward.

2026-02-03 15:35:30 UTC

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I quite like this quote regarding the intent of scientific names.
"Modern scientific taxonomy holds that names *designate* but need not meaningfully *describe*. Article 18 of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature's code states that a species can be named "albus", even if it is not, in fact white; it seems to follow that humans can be called sapiens, even though l, on the whole, we are not."
-Hunter Dukes

2026-02-03 15:30:23 UTC

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As for the Bowie spider situation, it does seem flippant. But this is usually a problem very specific to megadiverse taxa. A name can only be used once. At some point you run out of location names, distinctive characteristics, colours and even people to name them after. So you just name it after a song that you've been listening to during those long hours in the lab.
That's how you end up with wasps named after Lady Gaga.

2026-02-03 15:24:38 UTC

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Using species names as a reward for donations is indeed a problem. And I don't agree to this practice, but I can see why some would resort to it. Funding is always a problem in the global south.
As to why we honor scientists with species names, it's because it is a tradition to do so. That's how we honour our teachers and how our teachers honoured theirs. Science, especially taxonomy has its own culture and traditions too.