c0nc0rdance
@c0nc0rdance.bsky.social
Molecular biologist from Texas, here to share my meanderings on nature, science, history, politics, and zombies. Long threads a specialty.
I have fallen in love 😍 with this preposterous birb, the American dipper or 'water ouzel' (Cinclus mexicanus).
It's North America's only AQUATIC SONGBIRD.
The bobbing makes it look like it's trying to psyche itself up to jump into the icy-waters, but watch...
(📷: Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
It's North America's only AQUATIC SONGBIRD.
The bobbing makes it look like it's trying to psyche itself up to jump into the icy-waters, but watch...
(📷: Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
February 18, 2026 at 2:27 PM
I have fallen in love 😍 with this preposterous birb, the American dipper or 'water ouzel' (Cinclus mexicanus).
It's North America's only AQUATIC SONGBIRD.
The bobbing makes it look like it's trying to psyche itself up to jump into the icy-waters, but watch...
(📷: Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
It's North America's only AQUATIC SONGBIRD.
The bobbing makes it look like it's trying to psyche itself up to jump into the icy-waters, but watch...
(📷: Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Take a minute to appreciate this time lapse video of Shaggy Ink Cap mushroom fruiting (Coprinus comatus) taken by Steve Downer over the course of a few days.
The "ink" is actually a spore-filled liquid created by 'deliquescence': liquefaction of their own tissues by autolytic enzymes.
The "ink" is actually a spore-filled liquid created by 'deliquescence': liquefaction of their own tissues by autolytic enzymes.
February 18, 2026 at 1:26 PM
Take a minute to appreciate this time lapse video of Shaggy Ink Cap mushroom fruiting (Coprinus comatus) taken by Steve Downer over the course of a few days.
The "ink" is actually a spore-filled liquid created by 'deliquescence': liquefaction of their own tissues by autolytic enzymes.
The "ink" is actually a spore-filled liquid created by 'deliquescence': liquefaction of their own tissues by autolytic enzymes.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
There are TWO crystals of bismuth here.
One is an oxidized "hopper crystal", so named because it resembles pyramidal "hoppers" with open spaces in the middle. It's probably lab-made by repeated heating & cooling cycles.
The other is a solid unoxidized cube of bismuth metal.
One is an oxidized "hopper crystal", so named because it resembles pyramidal "hoppers" with open spaces in the middle. It's probably lab-made by repeated heating & cooling cycles.
The other is a solid unoxidized cube of bismuth metal.
April 17, 2025 at 10:55 PM
There are TWO crystals of bismuth here.
One is an oxidized "hopper crystal", so named because it resembles pyramidal "hoppers" with open spaces in the middle. It's probably lab-made by repeated heating & cooling cycles.
The other is a solid unoxidized cube of bismuth metal.
One is an oxidized "hopper crystal", so named because it resembles pyramidal "hoppers" with open spaces in the middle. It's probably lab-made by repeated heating & cooling cycles.
The other is a solid unoxidized cube of bismuth metal.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
two years ago we had a mom and 2 black bear cubs hang in our yard for a whole day --here is MOM with the 2 cubs in our tree branch...could not believe it held their weight! they were after apples ..it was unreal 🤣
February 18, 2026 at 2:14 AM
two years ago we had a mom and 2 black bear cubs hang in our yard for a whole day --here is MOM with the 2 cubs in our tree branch...could not believe it held their weight! they were after apples ..it was unreal 🤣
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
Climbing a tree to escape a bear is a plan with only one really fatal flaw:
Bears ascend trees with incredible speed, owing to a number of adaptations to their musculoskeletal system that make them exceptional climbers.
Bears ascend trees with incredible speed, owing to a number of adaptations to their musculoskeletal system that make them exceptional climbers.
a group of bears are standing around a tree trunk in the woods
Alt: a group of bears climbing a tree trunk in the woods
media.tenor.com
December 13, 2024 at 12:18 AM
Climbing a tree to escape a bear is a plan with only one really fatal flaw:
Bears ascend trees with incredible speed, owing to a number of adaptations to their musculoskeletal system that make them exceptional climbers.
Bears ascend trees with incredible speed, owing to a number of adaptations to their musculoskeletal system that make them exceptional climbers.
The early microbiologists called these "sun-animalcules" for the shape, which became 'Heliozoa.'
The long thin projections are 'axopodia.' They're like sticky, retracting arms that pull food items in (Ochromonas algae in this case?)
I just think they're neat. 😀🦠🔆
(🔬: Brandon Seah, Wikimedia)
The long thin projections are 'axopodia.' They're like sticky, retracting arms that pull food items in (Ochromonas algae in this case?)
I just think they're neat. 😀🦠🔆
(🔬: Brandon Seah, Wikimedia)
February 18, 2026 at 1:47 AM
The early microbiologists called these "sun-animalcules" for the shape, which became 'Heliozoa.'
The long thin projections are 'axopodia.' They're like sticky, retracting arms that pull food items in (Ochromonas algae in this case?)
I just think they're neat. 😀🦠🔆
(🔬: Brandon Seah, Wikimedia)
The long thin projections are 'axopodia.' They're like sticky, retracting arms that pull food items in (Ochromonas algae in this case?)
I just think they're neat. 😀🦠🔆
(🔬: Brandon Seah, Wikimedia)
Let's talk about the aircraft carriers of the animal world, the Common Loon (Gavia immer), native to Canada & the northern US.
The chicks are born precocial, meaning they can swim moments after hatching, but hitch a ride on a parent for two reasons...
(📷: Harry Collins, www.harrycollinsphoto.com)
The chicks are born precocial, meaning they can swim moments after hatching, but hitch a ride on a parent for two reasons...
(📷: Harry Collins, www.harrycollinsphoto.com)
February 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Let's talk about the aircraft carriers of the animal world, the Common Loon (Gavia immer), native to Canada & the northern US.
The chicks are born precocial, meaning they can swim moments after hatching, but hitch a ride on a parent for two reasons...
(📷: Harry Collins, www.harrycollinsphoto.com)
The chicks are born precocial, meaning they can swim moments after hatching, but hitch a ride on a parent for two reasons...
(📷: Harry Collins, www.harrycollinsphoto.com)
Franzi Schimmer captured this Grizzly bear in Brooks Falls, Alaska just floating along, tippy-tapping down the river, browsing the salmon.
Prior to hibernation, up to 40% of a bear's body mass is fat, which is less dense than water (~0.9 g/cm^2), so the murder-monster is also a floaty-boaty.
Prior to hibernation, up to 40% of a bear's body mass is fat, which is less dense than water (~0.9 g/cm^2), so the murder-monster is also a floaty-boaty.
February 14, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Franzi Schimmer captured this Grizzly bear in Brooks Falls, Alaska just floating along, tippy-tapping down the river, browsing the salmon.
Prior to hibernation, up to 40% of a bear's body mass is fat, which is less dense than water (~0.9 g/cm^2), so the murder-monster is also a floaty-boaty.
Prior to hibernation, up to 40% of a bear's body mass is fat, which is less dense than water (~0.9 g/cm^2), so the murder-monster is also a floaty-boaty.
What I love about ichthyosaurs: they're marine REPTILES pretending to be fish pretending to be dolphins.
Like, if you unfocus your eyes here, it's a dolphin, right?
But I think we need to talk about Ichthyotitan: a marine reptile pretending to be a fish pretending to be a BLUE WHALE.
Like, if you unfocus your eyes here, it's a dolphin, right?
But I think we need to talk about Ichthyotitan: a marine reptile pretending to be a fish pretending to be a BLUE WHALE.
a dolphin with a long nose is swimming against a blue sky
Alt: An ichthyosaur with a long nose is swimming against a blue sky, from an animation in the gif library.
media.tenor.com
February 14, 2026 at 9:13 PM
What I love about ichthyosaurs: they're marine REPTILES pretending to be fish pretending to be dolphins.
Like, if you unfocus your eyes here, it's a dolphin, right?
But I think we need to talk about Ichthyotitan: a marine reptile pretending to be a fish pretending to be a BLUE WHALE.
Like, if you unfocus your eyes here, it's a dolphin, right?
But I think we need to talk about Ichthyotitan: a marine reptile pretending to be a fish pretending to be a BLUE WHALE.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
You're gazing into the baby blues of a conch, a medium to large sea snail. I THINK this species is a Queen conch (Aliger gigas), common in the Caribbean.
The true conchs (Family Strombidae) have camera-type eyes with hemispherical lenses, some of the most complex eyes in gastropods.
The true conchs (Family Strombidae) have camera-type eyes with hemispherical lenses, some of the most complex eyes in gastropods.
a close up of a person 's foot next to a dog 's head .
Alt: The camera zooms in on a conch shell, revealing two very human-looking eyes on the end of slimy eyestalks on a snail-like conch. The body is a dark brown, the shell is a light toast color with white accents.
media.tenor.com
August 20, 2025 at 11:57 PM
You're gazing into the baby blues of a conch, a medium to large sea snail. I THINK this species is a Queen conch (Aliger gigas), common in the Caribbean.
The true conchs (Family Strombidae) have camera-type eyes with hemispherical lenses, some of the most complex eyes in gastropods.
The true conchs (Family Strombidae) have camera-type eyes with hemispherical lenses, some of the most complex eyes in gastropods.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
As I get ready for another cozy weekend of Olympics watching, I'm seeing lots of chatter about ice quality for different sports. As a Minnesotan and a science journalist, just wanted to reshare this video about why ice temps matter!
It turns out that not all ice is created equal. Ice rinks are calibrated specifically for different sports, and at the Olympics these sport specifics are tightly controlled by the event’s "ice meisters."
🎤✏️: Marta Hill
📸: Getty Images
🎤✏️: Marta Hill
📸: Getty Images
February 13, 2026 at 10:09 PM
As I get ready for another cozy weekend of Olympics watching, I'm seeing lots of chatter about ice quality for different sports. As a Minnesotan and a science journalist, just wanted to reshare this video about why ice temps matter!
I hear you're supposed to send hearts and stuff to your sweetie on V-day, so I'm thinking about sending some of these to my beloved wife, my Valentine since 1993.
(🔬: Stress Cardiac MRI from Mt Baker Imaging)
(🔬: Stress Cardiac MRI from Mt Baker Imaging)
February 13, 2026 at 5:38 PM
I hear you're supposed to send hearts and stuff to your sweetie on V-day, so I'm thinking about sending some of these to my beloved wife, my Valentine since 1993.
(🔬: Stress Cardiac MRI from Mt Baker Imaging)
(🔬: Stress Cardiac MRI from Mt Baker Imaging)
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
1000's of V-day smooches from your Demodex besties.
February 14, 2024 at 1:16 PM
1000's of V-day smooches from your Demodex besties.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
Nobody tell thymine what adenine gets up to in RNA.
Science Valentines from The Amoeba Sisters (www.amoebasisters.com )
Science Valentines from The Amoeba Sisters (www.amoebasisters.com )
February 14, 2024 at 1:28 PM
Nobody tell thymine what adenine gets up to in RNA.
Science Valentines from The Amoeba Sisters (www.amoebasisters.com )
Science Valentines from The Amoeba Sisters (www.amoebasisters.com )
This strange little bird is an 'oystercatcher', one of 12 species in family Haematopodidae, Latin for "blood foot" because of dark red coloration on the legs of some.
A group of them is called a "stew".😀
Let's talk about the utter weirdness of their eyes & beaks.
A group of them is called a "stew".😀
Let's talk about the utter weirdness of their eyes & beaks.
February 13, 2026 at 2:48 PM
This strange little bird is an 'oystercatcher', one of 12 species in family Haematopodidae, Latin for "blood foot" because of dark red coloration on the legs of some.
A group of them is called a "stew".😀
Let's talk about the utter weirdness of their eyes & beaks.
A group of them is called a "stew".😀
Let's talk about the utter weirdness of their eyes & beaks.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
The tech behind 'Pop Rocks' candy was patented in 1961, but the product wasn't launched until 1976.
They're created by putting a super-saturated solution of sugar (sucrose) in a chamber pressurized with CO2 to 50 atmospheres (730 psi).
Gas-filled bubbles form, then are captured in the crystals.
They're created by putting a super-saturated solution of sugar (sucrose) in a chamber pressurized with CO2 to 50 atmospheres (730 psi).
Gas-filled bubbles form, then are captured in the crystals.
June 18, 2025 at 12:21 PM
The tech behind 'Pop Rocks' candy was patented in 1961, but the product wasn't launched until 1976.
They're created by putting a super-saturated solution of sugar (sucrose) in a chamber pressurized with CO2 to 50 atmospheres (730 psi).
Gas-filled bubbles form, then are captured in the crystals.
They're created by putting a super-saturated solution of sugar (sucrose) in a chamber pressurized with CO2 to 50 atmospheres (730 psi).
Gas-filled bubbles form, then are captured in the crystals.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
Hello world. One of my favorite fun facts to share about elephants…their trunks are covered in whiskers, with built-in intelligence! If that got your attention…check out our new paper in @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
February 13, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Hello world. One of my favorite fun facts to share about elephants…their trunks are covered in whiskers, with built-in intelligence! If that got your attention…check out our new paper in @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Modern alligators & crocodiles are basically the Corgi or Dachshund version of their early ancestors, "pseudosuchian archosaurs".
Early crocodylomorphs were much smaller, but had long legs & may have been partially bipedal: running on all fours, but capable of climbing and snatching with forelimbs.
Early crocodylomorphs were much smaller, but had long legs & may have been partially bipedal: running on all fours, but capable of climbing and snatching with forelimbs.
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 1:17 PM
Modern alligators & crocodiles are basically the Corgi or Dachshund version of their early ancestors, "pseudosuchian archosaurs".
Early crocodylomorphs were much smaller, but had long legs & may have been partially bipedal: running on all fours, but capable of climbing and snatching with forelimbs.
Early crocodylomorphs were much smaller, but had long legs & may have been partially bipedal: running on all fours, but capable of climbing and snatching with forelimbs.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
Discworld QOTD, from Wyrd Sisters
February 11, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Discworld QOTD, from Wyrd Sisters
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
TIL:
"Paprika" is a spice made from ground red pepper, first cultivated in Mexico.
The term is the diminutive of 'papar', Hungarian for 'pepper'. It was introduced there from the New World ~1560's.
Heat level is mostly determined by how many seeds are mixed with pericarp.
"Paprika" is a spice made from ground red pepper, first cultivated in Mexico.
The term is the diminutive of 'papar', Hungarian for 'pepper'. It was introduced there from the New World ~1560's.
Heat level is mostly determined by how many seeds are mixed with pericarp.
October 12, 2023 at 12:40 AM
TIL:
"Paprika" is a spice made from ground red pepper, first cultivated in Mexico.
The term is the diminutive of 'papar', Hungarian for 'pepper'. It was introduced there from the New World ~1560's.
Heat level is mostly determined by how many seeds are mixed with pericarp.
"Paprika" is a spice made from ground red pepper, first cultivated in Mexico.
The term is the diminutive of 'papar', Hungarian for 'pepper'. It was introduced there from the New World ~1560's.
Heat level is mostly determined by how many seeds are mixed with pericarp.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
Why don't Texans put beans in chili?
To answer that, I have to tell you some of the *clear history* & *hazy legends* of chili con carne, the 'Chili Queens' & San Antonio.
The story (might) start on the Canary Islands 1731, claimed by Spain, but off the coast of Africa. A group of 16 families...
To answer that, I have to tell you some of the *clear history* & *hazy legends* of chili con carne, the 'Chili Queens' & San Antonio.
The story (might) start on the Canary Islands 1731, claimed by Spain, but off the coast of Africa. A group of 16 families...
October 29, 2024 at 10:55 PM
Why don't Texans put beans in chili?
To answer that, I have to tell you some of the *clear history* & *hazy legends* of chili con carne, the 'Chili Queens' & San Antonio.
The story (might) start on the Canary Islands 1731, claimed by Spain, but off the coast of Africa. A group of 16 families...
To answer that, I have to tell you some of the *clear history* & *hazy legends* of chili con carne, the 'Chili Queens' & San Antonio.
The story (might) start on the Canary Islands 1731, claimed by Spain, but off the coast of Africa. A group of 16 families...
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
1895: Lyman Davis of Corsicana, TX sold chili from the back of his wagon for 5 cents. He made enough to buy a store where he sold "brick chili" to oil boomers.
In 1921, he started canning it and selling it under a brand named for his pet wolf, Kaiser Bill (shown)
Thus, Wolf Brand Chili was born.
In 1921, he started canning it and selling it under a brand named for his pet wolf, Kaiser Bill (shown)
Thus, Wolf Brand Chili was born.
October 29, 2024 at 11:26 PM
1895: Lyman Davis of Corsicana, TX sold chili from the back of his wagon for 5 cents. He made enough to buy a store where he sold "brick chili" to oil boomers.
In 1921, he started canning it and selling it under a brand named for his pet wolf, Kaiser Bill (shown)
Thus, Wolf Brand Chili was born.
In 1921, he started canning it and selling it under a brand named for his pet wolf, Kaiser Bill (shown)
Thus, Wolf Brand Chili was born.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
It's NOT true that Darwin owned an unread copy of Mendel's work Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden ("Experiments on Plant Hybridization").
He owned an uncut copy of Die Pflanzen-Mischlinge ("The Plant Hybrids") by Focke, which SUMMARIZED Mendel's findings.
Mendel, however, DID read Darwin's work.
He owned an uncut copy of Die Pflanzen-Mischlinge ("The Plant Hybrids") by Focke, which SUMMARIZED Mendel's findings.
Mendel, however, DID read Darwin's work.
What I think is fascinating is that Darwin went to his grave not knowing what the mechanism for heredity was and ruing that he was missing a fundamental part of his theory… and someone found a copy of Mendel’s book, unread, in his library.
September 29, 2024 at 3:07 PM
It's NOT true that Darwin owned an unread copy of Mendel's work Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden ("Experiments on Plant Hybridization").
He owned an uncut copy of Die Pflanzen-Mischlinge ("The Plant Hybrids") by Focke, which SUMMARIZED Mendel's findings.
Mendel, however, DID read Darwin's work.
He owned an uncut copy of Die Pflanzen-Mischlinge ("The Plant Hybrids") by Focke, which SUMMARIZED Mendel's findings.
Mendel, however, DID read Darwin's work.
A letter from Charles Darwin to Charles Lyell on Oct. 1, 1861:
"But I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything."
then, later: "One lives only to make blunders."
So relatable.
"But I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything."
then, later: "One lives only to make blunders."
So relatable.
February 12, 2026 at 5:17 PM
A letter from Charles Darwin to Charles Lyell on Oct. 1, 1861:
"But I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything."
then, later: "One lives only to make blunders."
So relatable.
"But I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything."
then, later: "One lives only to make blunders."
So relatable.
Reposted by c0nc0rdance
"There is grandeur in this view of life - that from so simple a beginning, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." Happy birthday to the only and only Charles Darwin. 🧪
February 12, 2026 at 4:41 PM
"There is grandeur in this view of life - that from so simple a beginning, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." Happy birthday to the only and only Charles Darwin. 🧪