Jacob
@iacobuscaesar.bsky.social
I have an MA in archaeology and run a blog called Living in the Longue Durée about ancient history and whatever else. This profile is mostly funny observations about history and science.
Blog: https://livinginthelongueduree.com
Ask if you want Discord.
Blog: https://livinginthelongueduree.com
Ask if you want Discord.
Pinned
Jacob
@iacobuscaesar.bsky.social
· Jun 16
De-Extinction: A History
John Hammond: “None of these attractions are ready yet, of course, but the park will open with the basic tour that you’re about to take, and then other rides will come online six to twe…
livinginthelongueduree.com
So I’ve completed my latest project: a run-through of the history of de-extinction, exploring the many methods that have been tried and treating it as a social phenomenon around science rather than just a snazzily marketed science topic. From Nazi cattle to modern questionable corporate claims.
Been writing about and describing the different paintings in Thomas Cole’s 1833-1836 series The Course of Empire.
After looking at them enough, you really get a feeling of the internal geography of their scenes and I can’t help but want to wander them further.
After looking at them enough, you really get a feeling of the internal geography of their scenes and I can’t help but want to wander them further.
February 8, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Been writing about and describing the different paintings in Thomas Cole’s 1833-1836 series The Course of Empire.
After looking at them enough, you really get a feeling of the internal geography of their scenes and I can’t help but want to wander them further.
After looking at them enough, you really get a feeling of the internal geography of their scenes and I can’t help but want to wander them further.
This Super Bowl Sunday, I’d like to introduce you all to the magical curse bowls used in Upper Mesopotamia and Syria in late antiquity. Written in Mandaic (as here) or Syriac Aramaic, they trap demons who trespass on a household by sucking them in with spiraling spells to the center of the bowl.
February 8, 2026 at 2:28 PM
This Super Bowl Sunday, I’d like to introduce you all to the magical curse bowls used in Upper Mesopotamia and Syria in late antiquity. Written in Mandaic (as here) or Syriac Aramaic, they trap demons who trespass on a household by sucking them in with spiraling spells to the center of the bowl.
I know I’ve been a grump about the tech industry with AI and the attention economy and all, but becoming interested in that topic has actually gotten me to do a decent amount of reading about the history of computer and internet development, something I appreciate a lot more now.
February 8, 2026 at 10:30 AM
I know I’ve been a grump about the tech industry with AI and the attention economy and all, but becoming interested in that topic has actually gotten me to do a decent amount of reading about the history of computer and internet development, something I appreciate a lot more now.
Heh.
All this talk about crazy soft tissue preservation in a Chinese iguanodontid, but almost nobody talking about its size.
Can somebody tell me Haolong it is?
Can somebody tell me Haolong it is?
February 8, 2026 at 10:14 AM
Heh.
Tonight the animated movie to watch is Rio 2. I think I only ever saw this once so I don’t remember the plot as well as the other one.
But genuinely the vibes on these movies are so good.
When I get more income, still thinking about a Brazil trip.
But genuinely the vibes on these movies are so good.
When I get more income, still thinking about a Brazil trip.
February 7, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Tonight the animated movie to watch is Rio 2. I think I only ever saw this once so I don’t remember the plot as well as the other one.
But genuinely the vibes on these movies are so good.
When I get more income, still thinking about a Brazil trip.
But genuinely the vibes on these movies are so good.
When I get more income, still thinking about a Brazil trip.
Among the Sierra Nevada, California, 1868, by German-American painter Albert Bierstadt is one of the most incredible paintings in existence every time I look at it.
Bierstadt was part of an 1859 survey expedition to the Sierra Nevada but he actually painted this in Rome years later.
Bierstadt was part of an 1859 survey expedition to the Sierra Nevada but he actually painted this in Rome years later.
February 7, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Among the Sierra Nevada, California, 1868, by German-American painter Albert Bierstadt is one of the most incredible paintings in existence every time I look at it.
Bierstadt was part of an 1859 survey expedition to the Sierra Nevada but he actually painted this in Rome years later.
Bierstadt was part of an 1859 survey expedition to the Sierra Nevada but he actually painted this in Rome years later.
This is so wonderful!
Egg-cellent news! The first California condor eggs of the season have been laid at our wildlife conservation center, and more could be on the way.
February 7, 2026 at 2:32 PM
This is so wonderful!
The pursuit ball is my favorite animal enrichment item in Zoo Tycoon 2 because the game lets me kick it in zoo guest mode and it’s fun. Also many large animals benefit from it.
ok gamers
what's an example of a "good item" (subjective to you)? Bonus points: from a game that's not commonly thought of as having "good items"
what's an example of a "good item" (subjective to you)? Bonus points: from a game that's not commonly thought of as having "good items"
February 7, 2026 at 11:14 AM
The pursuit ball is my favorite animal enrichment item in Zoo Tycoon 2 because the game lets me kick it in zoo guest mode and it’s fun. Also many large animals benefit from it.
Gonna watch Rio tonight because I feel like it, wanna go to Brazil, and the soundtrack has been stuck in my head for the last 15 years.
Damn, y’all, did you realize Rio came out 15 years ago?
Prolly not gonna review this movie much because we all know it rocks.
Damn, y’all, did you realize Rio came out 15 years ago?
Prolly not gonna review this movie much because we all know it rocks.
February 6, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Gonna watch Rio tonight because I feel like it, wanna go to Brazil, and the soundtrack has been stuck in my head for the last 15 years.
Damn, y’all, did you realize Rio came out 15 years ago?
Prolly not gonna review this movie much because we all know it rocks.
Damn, y’all, did you realize Rio came out 15 years ago?
Prolly not gonna review this movie much because we all know it rocks.
To post about Haolong again, it’s fun to see the proliferation of feathers and similar integuments in different dinosaurs (and of course the pterosaurs with their pycnofibers) lately.
All fun and games until the feathered pseudosuchian gets discovered and we have to rethink everything. (I jest.)
All fun and games until the feathered pseudosuchian gets discovered and we have to rethink everything. (I jest.)
a very warm welcome to haolong dongi, a fascinating hadrosauroid from the early cretaceous yixian formation described by huang et al. 🎉 the near-complete holotype preserves highly unique integumentary structures unknown in other dinosaurs
www.nature.com/articles/s41
(art by fabio manucci)
www.nature.com/articles/s41
(art by fabio manucci)
February 6, 2026 at 8:48 PM
To post about Haolong again, it’s fun to see the proliferation of feathers and similar integuments in different dinosaurs (and of course the pterosaurs with their pycnofibers) lately.
All fun and games until the feathered pseudosuchian gets discovered and we have to rethink everything. (I jest.)
All fun and games until the feathered pseudosuchian gets discovered and we have to rethink everything. (I jest.)
Whenever looking at US states by date of admission to the Union, New Mexico and Arizona are always like a jumpscare there in 1912. Wild that there were still states in the West being admitted 2 years before the start of World War I.
February 6, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Whenever looking at US states by date of admission to the Union, New Mexico and Arizona are always like a jumpscare there in 1912. Wild that there were still states in the West being admitted 2 years before the start of World War I.
youtu.be/wvEPJtNfbYc?...
The various ERB knockoff channels that slither into my YouTube recommendations are usually pretty rough but this one was actually pretty good, I’ll be real with y’all.
The lyrics and references are wonderful.
The various ERB knockoff channels that slither into my YouTube recommendations are usually pretty rough but this one was actually pretty good, I’ll be real with y’all.
The lyrics and references are wonderful.
Hannibal Barca vs Roman Emperors | Epic Rap Battles of My Ass
YouTube video by Tommy Salommy
youtu.be
February 6, 2026 at 6:17 PM
youtu.be/wvEPJtNfbYc?...
The various ERB knockoff channels that slither into my YouTube recommendations are usually pretty rough but this one was actually pretty good, I’ll be real with y’all.
The lyrics and references are wonderful.
The various ERB knockoff channels that slither into my YouTube recommendations are usually pretty rough but this one was actually pretty good, I’ll be real with y’all.
The lyrics and references are wonderful.
Homie is POINTY.
a very warm welcome to haolong dongi, a fascinating hadrosauroid from the early cretaceous yixian formation described by huang et al. 🎉 the near-complete holotype preserves highly unique integumentary structures unknown in other dinosaurs
www.nature.com/articles/s41
(art by fabio manucci)
www.nature.com/articles/s41
(art by fabio manucci)
February 6, 2026 at 10:14 AM
Homie is POINTY.
The folks on the Roman Discord server want to hear my thoughts if I watch HBO’s Rome, which I’ve surprisingly never done.
I currently have HBO Max so sometime soon I might do that and you guys can get my threads following it too.
I currently have HBO Max so sometime soon I might do that and you guys can get my threads following it too.
February 5, 2026 at 6:44 PM
The folks on the Roman Discord server want to hear my thoughts if I watch HBO’s Rome, which I’ve surprisingly never done.
I currently have HBO Max so sometime soon I might do that and you guys can get my threads following it too.
I currently have HBO Max so sometime soon I might do that and you guys can get my threads following it too.
I will say regarding the gossip that gets passed to me from people in the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology sounds pretty bad right now.
Not kicking out an Epstein associate is an example of the Nazi bar problem. If you allow them to be there, it’ll be the place people like that feel comfortable.
Not kicking out an Epstein associate is an example of the Nazi bar problem. If you allow them to be there, it’ll be the place people like that feel comfortable.
February 5, 2026 at 6:04 PM
I will say regarding the gossip that gets passed to me from people in the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology sounds pretty bad right now.
Not kicking out an Epstein associate is an example of the Nazi bar problem. If you allow them to be there, it’ll be the place people like that feel comfortable.
Not kicking out an Epstein associate is an example of the Nazi bar problem. If you allow them to be there, it’ll be the place people like that feel comfortable.
High art.
February 5, 2026 at 4:03 PM
High art.
The various tiny machineries that exist in every cell on this planet are so wonderful and beautiful.
An intracellular meteor shower. EB3 comets tracking growing microtubule plus-ends in a cultured cell.
February 5, 2026 at 3:33 PM
The various tiny machineries that exist in every cell on this planet are so wonderful and beautiful.
youtu.be/y4ZBSzYUTL0?...
Netflix is dropping more dinosaur content on us. Looks pretty fun and a wide coverage of the Mesozoic included. Say what you will about Life On Our Planet but I am here for more Morgan Freeman narration.
Netflix is dropping more dinosaur content on us. Looks pretty fun and a wide coverage of the Mesozoic included. Say what you will about Life On Our Planet but I am here for more Morgan Freeman narration.
The Dinosaurs | Official Trailer | Netflix
YouTube video by Netflix
youtu.be
February 5, 2026 at 2:26 PM
youtu.be/y4ZBSzYUTL0?...
Netflix is dropping more dinosaur content on us. Looks pretty fun and a wide coverage of the Mesozoic included. Say what you will about Life On Our Planet but I am here for more Morgan Freeman narration.
Netflix is dropping more dinosaur content on us. Looks pretty fun and a wide coverage of the Mesozoic included. Say what you will about Life On Our Planet but I am here for more Morgan Freeman narration.
What a world.
Oh my GOD, the White House copied our ad but made it completely deranged.
The Nazi slop factory is all out of ideas! SAD!
The Nazi slop factory is all out of ideas! SAD!
February 5, 2026 at 6:38 AM
What a world.
It’s geomagnetic storm day, guys! As of right now, here’s the 24-hour observed maximums from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.
www.swpc.noaa.gov
We’ll see how it progresses over the coming two days.
www.swpc.noaa.gov
We’ll see how it progresses over the coming two days.
February 5, 2026 at 6:37 AM
It’s geomagnetic storm day, guys! As of right now, here’s the 24-hour observed maximums from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.
www.swpc.noaa.gov
We’ll see how it progresses over the coming two days.
www.swpc.noaa.gov
We’ll see how it progresses over the coming two days.
www.nasa.gov/blogs/missio...
Looks like Artemis II is delayed for next month. That’s OK and good though. Hoping all these tests and critiques ahead of time lead to a wonderful and safe mission for those on board.
Looks like Artemis II is delayed for next month. That’s OK and good though. Hoping all these tests and critiques ahead of time lead to a wonderful and safe mission for those on board.
NASA Conducts Artemis II Fuel Test, Eyes March for Launch Opportunity - NASA
NASA concluded a wet dress rehearsal for the agency’s Artemis II test flight early Tuesday morning, successfully loading cryogenic propellant into the SLS
www.nasa.gov
February 4, 2026 at 7:14 AM
www.nasa.gov/blogs/missio...
Looks like Artemis II is delayed for next month. That’s OK and good though. Hoping all these tests and critiques ahead of time lead to a wonderful and safe mission for those on board.
Looks like Artemis II is delayed for next month. That’s OK and good though. Hoping all these tests and critiques ahead of time lead to a wonderful and safe mission for those on board.
During the very large geomagnetic storm on September 1 and 2 of 1859 known as the Carrington Event, two telegraph stations in New England with their power turned off could still communicate just through the current the storm induced in the wires.
![Telegraphs
Because of the geomagnetically induced current from the electromagnetic field, telegraph systems all over Europe and North America failed, in some cases giving their operators electric shocks. Telegraph pylons threw sparks. Some operators were able to continue to send and receive messages despite having disconnected their power supplies. The following conversation occurred between two operators of the American telegraph line between Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine, on the night of 2 September 1859 (as reported in the Boston Evening Traveler):
Boston operator (to Portland operator): “Please cut off your battery [power source] entirely for fifteen minutes.”
Portland operator: “Will do so. It is now disconnected.”
Boston: “Mine is disconnected, and we are working with the auroral current. How do you receive my writing?”
Portland: “Better than with our batteries on. — Current comes and goes gradually.”
Boston: “My current is very strong at times, and we can work better without the batteries, as the aurora seems to neutralize and augment our batteries alternately, making current too strong at times for our relay magnets. Suppose we work without batteries while we are affected by this trouble.”
Portland: “Very well. Shall I go ahead with business?”
Boston: “Yes. Go ahead.”
The conversation was carried on for around two hours using no battery power and working solely with the current induced by the aurora, the first time on record that more than a word or two was transmitted in such manner.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7nmvmrqm7o2p4ookku6dyrsn/bafkreigwjiqcby5mvn7k5xo27yvnjfu6xd2ptwksfgkdrphba4lhrsze2m@jpeg)
February 3, 2026 at 8:46 PM
During the very large geomagnetic storm on September 1 and 2 of 1859 known as the Carrington Event, two telegraph stations in New England with their power turned off could still communicate just through the current the storm induced in the wires.
www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/another...
I am so fascinated and darkly excited by the incoming coronal mass ejection. Y’all should be talking about this more. I wonder how noticeable effects on the power grids are gonna be.
I am so fascinated and darkly excited by the incoming coronal mass ejection. Y’all should be talking about this more. I wonder how noticeable effects on the power grids are gonna be.
Another STRONG X1.5 Flare from Solar Region 4366 | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center
www.swpc.noaa.gov
February 3, 2026 at 8:18 PM
www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/another...
I am so fascinated and darkly excited by the incoming coronal mass ejection. Y’all should be talking about this more. I wonder how noticeable effects on the power grids are gonna be.
I am so fascinated and darkly excited by the incoming coronal mass ejection. Y’all should be talking about this more. I wonder how noticeable effects on the power grids are gonna be.
Had a small class today and they got through their book activities really fast so with some extra time I just whipped out my iPad and had the kids take turns writing English words they know into the homepage of Scribblenauts Unlimited and getting excited about what appeared.
February 3, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Had a small class today and they got through their book activities really fast so with some extra time I just whipped out my iPad and had the kids take turns writing English words they know into the homepage of Scribblenauts Unlimited and getting excited about what appeared.
Lovely.
“A few days ago, sunspot 4366 didn't exist. Now it is a behemoth almost half the size of the great Carrington sunspot. Rapid growth is making the sunspot unstable. It has unleashed dozens of solar flares in past 24 hours, including a powerful X8-class flare” www.spaceweather.com
SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
www.spaceweather.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:28 PM
Lovely.