Laura McKnight
@lauramcknight.bsky.social
former scientist of all kinds, now Senior Director of the Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program at University of Oregon
I mostly talk about parenting, pets, and food, but I amplify science and scientists I think are neat
[opinions are my own]
I mostly talk about parenting, pets, and food, but I amplify science and scientists I think are neat
[opinions are my own]
I went to a comedy club tonight and the headliner (Joe Dombrowski) was filming a special. You know when that comes out I'm going to be watching at full volume so I can be like, "do you hear that weird cackle when he made the Lois joke? That was me!!1!"
November 9, 2025 at 5:15 AM
I went to a comedy club tonight and the headliner (Joe Dombrowski) was filming a special. You know when that comes out I'm going to be watching at full volume so I can be like, "do you hear that weird cackle when he made the Lois joke? That was me!!1!"
Last night I dreamed that I was arguing with a friend about whether it was legal for Costco to sell Tupperware in Washington state (I was a yes, she was a no).
So we drove from Eugene to Kirkland, I proved her wrong, and also the Rivendell Lego set was on sale for $200 there which was AWESOME
So we drove from Eugene to Kirkland, I proved her wrong, and also the Rivendell Lego set was on sale for $200 there which was AWESOME
November 8, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Last night I dreamed that I was arguing with a friend about whether it was legal for Costco to sell Tupperware in Washington state (I was a yes, she was a no).
So we drove from Eugene to Kirkland, I proved her wrong, and also the Rivendell Lego set was on sale for $200 there which was AWESOME
So we drove from Eugene to Kirkland, I proved her wrong, and also the Rivendell Lego set was on sale for $200 there which was AWESOME
I love when she climbs on the stool to watch me cook
October 23, 2025 at 7:23 PM
I love when she climbs on the stool to watch me cook
My Microsoft products have been seriously on the fritz - Teams documents and Microsoft forms not synching/updating, emails not sending OR being sent but not showing up in my sent folder or showing in the email thread, outlook calendar events disappearing
It's making my job impossible 😭
It's making my job impossible 😭
October 22, 2025 at 7:46 PM
My Microsoft products have been seriously on the fritz - Teams documents and Microsoft forms not synching/updating, emails not sending OR being sent but not showing up in my sent folder or showing in the email thread, outlook calendar events disappearing
It's making my job impossible 😭
It's making my job impossible 😭
I'm going to a humane society fundraiser tomorrow with an auction, and one of the prizes is a guy giving you a tour of the art in his house and telling you stories about how he got the pieces
I would pay not to have to do this
I would pay not to have to do this
October 18, 2025 at 5:01 AM
I'm going to a humane society fundraiser tomorrow with an auction, and one of the prizes is a guy giving you a tour of the art in his house and telling you stories about how he got the pieces
I would pay not to have to do this
I would pay not to have to do this
Today I'm on hold with someone else, 70 minutes and counting!
At first I thought I liked this one better because they give you an estimated wait time, but it has been fluctuating wildly. I have been below 5 minutes on 3 separate occasions - once down to 1 minute! That was half an hour ago.
At first I thought I liked this one better because they give you an estimated wait time, but it has been fluctuating wildly. I have been below 5 minutes on 3 separate occasions - once down to 1 minute! That was half an hour ago.
October 16, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Today I'm on hold with someone else, 70 minutes and counting!
At first I thought I liked this one better because they give you an estimated wait time, but it has been fluctuating wildly. I have been below 5 minutes on 3 separate occasions - once down to 1 minute! That was half an hour ago.
At first I thought I liked this one better because they give you an estimated wait time, but it has been fluctuating wildly. I have been below 5 minutes on 3 separate occasions - once down to 1 minute! That was half an hour ago.
I don't know why companies give you the option to turn off hold music but not the option to say "please don't interrupt the hold music every twenty seconds to play a 10-second message saying you're sorry, all of our staff are assisting other customers"
That's not even an exaggeration I timed it
That's not even an exaggeration I timed it
October 15, 2025 at 4:36 PM
I don't know why companies give you the option to turn off hold music but not the option to say "please don't interrupt the hold music every twenty seconds to play a 10-second message saying you're sorry, all of our staff are assisting other customers"
That's not even an exaggeration I timed it
That's not even an exaggeration I timed it
She has been staring at the fire ever since I turned it on over 3 hours ago
I think it's cute but it's also funny to imagine she thinks she's watching a very boring TV show
I think it's cute but it's also funny to imagine she thinks she's watching a very boring TV show
October 14, 2025 at 3:47 AM
She has been staring at the fire ever since I turned it on over 3 hours ago
I think it's cute but it's also funny to imagine she thinks she's watching a very boring TV show
I think it's cute but it's also funny to imagine she thinks she's watching a very boring TV show
Kiddo is at an age where people just sent gift cards as gifts and it is SO AWESOME that she chose to go nuts in a bookstore with that money
Not that I have more room in my house for books but we will make that work 🤣
Not that I have more room in my house for books but we will make that work 🤣
October 11, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Kiddo is at an age where people just sent gift cards as gifts and it is SO AWESOME that she chose to go nuts in a bookstore with that money
Not that I have more room in my house for books but we will make that work 🤣
Not that I have more room in my house for books but we will make that work 🤣
Everyone is really struggling right now, which is unsurprising. Our staff had heard from a few places that students were feeling isolated in their concerns and that they found it really challenging to just keep functioning normally when everything is on fire around them.
October 10, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Everyone is really struggling right now, which is unsurprising. Our staff had heard from a few places that students were feeling isolated in their concerns and that they found it really challenging to just keep functioning normally when everything is on fire around them.
This may be petty but people not doing A Little Wave to say thank you after I go out of my way to let them into traffic is gonna be my villain origin story.
October 10, 2025 at 1:31 AM
This may be petty but people not doing A Little Wave to say thank you after I go out of my way to let them into traffic is gonna be my villain origin story.
Oh I'm sorry is this YOUR bed? Pretty sure it's mine now
October 7, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Oh I'm sorry is this YOUR bed? Pretty sure it's mine now
Every time I hear "Your Idol" from Kpop Demon Hunters I think how WILD the production value of this performance (including the song after) must have seemed to the fans.
Like this was a FREE concert?!
Like this was a FREE concert?!
October 5, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Every time I hear "Your Idol" from Kpop Demon Hunters I think how WILD the production value of this performance (including the song after) must have seemed to the fans.
Like this was a FREE concert?!
Like this was a FREE concert?!
Omg honestly cannot recommend this show enough at the Oregon Contemporary Theater
October 5, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Omg honestly cannot recommend this show enough at the Oregon Contemporary Theater
Scene: putting together a jigsaw puzzle with kiddo, also playing defense with the cat who is a puzzle monster
Cat starts tearing around the house at cheetah speed
K: does she have a puzzle piece in her butt?
Turn around, something is definitely dangling from her butt but it's uhh organic. Oh no.
Cat starts tearing around the house at cheetah speed
K: does she have a puzzle piece in her butt?
Turn around, something is definitely dangling from her butt but it's uhh organic. Oh no.
October 4, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Scene: putting together a jigsaw puzzle with kiddo, also playing defense with the cat who is a puzzle monster
Cat starts tearing around the house at cheetah speed
K: does she have a puzzle piece in her butt?
Turn around, something is definitely dangling from her butt but it's uhh organic. Oh no.
Cat starts tearing around the house at cheetah speed
K: does she have a puzzle piece in her butt?
Turn around, something is definitely dangling from her butt but it's uhh organic. Oh no.
No YOU drank too much wine and bought tickets to a bunch of horror movies at your local theater
October 4, 2025 at 1:19 AM
No YOU drank too much wine and bought tickets to a bunch of horror movies at your local theater
People hitting reply-all to ask to be removed from an email list is annoying; people hitting reply-all to yell at folks for reply-all is infinitely more annoying.
October 1, 2025 at 5:43 PM
People hitting reply-all to ask to be removed from an email list is annoying; people hitting reply-all to yell at folks for reply-all is infinitely more annoying.
Reposted by Laura McKnight
An important reminder the USDA plans to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, home of the U.S. National Fungus Collection.
The public comment period is open until 9/30. I encourage you to submit comments to: [email protected]
Why does it matter? www.plantopiapodcast.org/55
The public comment period is open until 9/30. I encourage you to submit comments to: [email protected]
Why does it matter? www.plantopiapodcast.org/55
Why a Collection of Dead Fungi Matters
www.plantopiapodcast.org
September 29, 2025 at 2:12 PM
An important reminder the USDA plans to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, home of the U.S. National Fungus Collection.
The public comment period is open until 9/30. I encourage you to submit comments to: [email protected]
Why does it matter? www.plantopiapodcast.org/55
The public comment period is open until 9/30. I encourage you to submit comments to: [email protected]
Why does it matter? www.plantopiapodcast.org/55
Reposted by Laura McKnight
Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.
The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io
September 25, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.
The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
I don't think there is anyone more excited than a dog who thinks you left for the day and just realized you are working from home
September 25, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I don't think there is anyone more excited than a dog who thinks you left for the day and just realized you are working from home
I went to a Dungeon Crawler Carl book release party/costume contest/trivia night at a bookstore/bar and they were handing out these drinks. If you can't tell, they are CHOCK FULL of glitter and I'm a little concerned about what it will look like after it's gone through my digestive tract 🤔
September 24, 2025 at 5:16 AM
I went to a Dungeon Crawler Carl book release party/costume contest/trivia night at a bookstore/bar and they were handing out these drinks. If you can't tell, they are CHOCK FULL of glitter and I'm a little concerned about what it will look like after it's gone through my digestive tract 🤔
Reposted by Laura McKnight
My department at UC Davis is hiring a mycologist, broadly interpreted. Please repost, share, and consider applying. recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07339
Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology
University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!
recruit.ucdavis.edu
September 22, 2025 at 5:36 PM
My department at UC Davis is hiring a mycologist, broadly interpreted. Please repost, share, and consider applying. recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07339
This is my busiest time of year at work, really the only time I work a lot in the evening/ at night, but it's because I prioritize getting time-sensitive information to students and companies quickly during the interview phase
September 18, 2025 at 6:31 AM
This is my busiest time of year at work, really the only time I work a lot in the evening/ at night, but it's because I prioritize getting time-sensitive information to students and companies quickly during the interview phase
My kid got one of these for good behavior at school (7th grade) and I would like to advocate for this at my workplace too please
September 18, 2025 at 2:03 AM
My kid got one of these for good behavior at school (7th grade) and I would like to advocate for this at my workplace too please
"Mom I'm going to keep bringing you toys until you throw one"
September 16, 2025 at 4:00 AM
"Mom I'm going to keep bringing you toys until you throw one"