Author | Lightnews

Benjamin Mohler

@ptpaleo.bsky.social

110 followers 380 following 50 posts

Paleontologist, Laboratory Assistant, Independent science writer. Keep up with my work: https://discord.gg/hZbqC2vVPx patreon.com/PTPALEO

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Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 8

*Total number of players is actually 390! Steam can take a while to update data, so at the moment I only have download region for 376. If you want to join the Under 400 Club, you gotta download and play the game NOW! store.steampowered.com/app/2993500/...

SHADOWBOX: Mausoleum of Natural History on Steam

Experience the story of life on Earth like never before with SHADOWBOX: Mausoleum of Natural History, a virtual, interactive, and free-to-play museum featuring 3D scans of real fossils.

store.steampowered.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 14h

Just out this morning, a special (& free) bonus blog for Halloween: The Ghost of Glossopteris www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-...

This is a spooky tale about extinction, climate change, and our obligation to protect the living world.

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Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 2d

In case you missed it, here's the recording of Monday's stream showing what's new in my FREE virtual museum project! www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD4z... #fossils #UE5

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 4d

Showing off what's new in my virtual museum as of the most recent update!

SHADOWBOX Virtual Museum Update | Beta 1.55 Devstream
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVTP...

SHADOWBOX Virtual Museum Update | Beta 1.55 Devstream

YouTube video by Benjamin Mohler

www.youtube.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 7d

One more... here's an Eocene-aged ant trapped in amber, now on display in the Geological Eras Tour!

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 7d

Also check out this new display in the Naco Formation featuring agatized brachiopod shells!

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 7d

A new update for SHADOWBOX is out now (Windows Beta 1.55)! There are some new fossils on display, such as this dinosaur eggshell... store.steampowered.com/news/app/299...

Screenshot of an interactive display with an enlarged dinosaur eggshell. Text reads dinosaur eggshell fragment, Sauropoda indet., Anacleto Formation, Patagonia, Argentina, Late Cretaceous Period

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Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 8d

I'm not a newcomer to neural networks. I started following developments with deepdream over a decade ago. Image search is a legit useful tool. 2020's image and text generation are not what they're cracked up to be and only iterative improvements on 10 years ago. It's not intelligence!

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 8d

AI is BS

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 11d

It's time for another Microstream, LIVE for the next hour! Today, I'm sifting through some 80 million year old sediment in search of teeth, bones, and shells. www.youtube.com/live/sMSwHbG...

Searching Cretaceous Sand! | Microstream #47

YouTube video by Benjamin Mohler

www.youtube.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · 25d

Doing another mini-microstream for the next 30 minutes! Today, I'm taking continuing tophotos of fossils from the Bangor Limestone of Alabama; this is a marine deposit that dates back 330 million years old! www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW-5...

Photographing a 330,000,000 Year Old Seafloor! | Microstream #46

YouTube video by Benjamin Mohler

www.youtube.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Sep 29

This week, I'm doing a shorter 30 minute stream to take photographs of fossils from the Bangor Limestone. This is a Mississippian (~330 million year old) deposit that preserves the fossils of many delicate sea animals! www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYXN...

Photographing a 330,000,000 Year Old Seafloor! | Microstream #45

YouTube video by Benjamin Mohler

www.youtube.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Sep 15

It's #Microstream Monday! This week, I'm continuing to clean a dinosaur bone under the microscope. This fossil was just recently collected from the Menefee Formation of New Mexico, and is around 80 million years old. www.youtube.com/live/mhbbC1P...

Cleaning a Dinosaur Bone, Week 2 | Microstream #43

YouTube video by Benjamin Mohler

www.youtube.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Sep 8

LIVE for the next hour! Today for #microstream I'm cleaning up a dinosaur bone collected just last month from the Menefee Formation of New Mexico: www.youtube.com/live/mr33Q2k...

Cleaning a Dinosaur Toe Bone | Microstream #43

YouTube video by Benjamin Mohler

www.youtube.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Aug 25

Today marks 3 years since I launched the Parent-Teacher Guide to Paleontology on Patreon! In that time, I've published:

-202,174 words of material utilizing 1,175 scientific sources

-65 Expedition Videos

-42 Microstreams

-1 really awesome virtual museum!

www.patreon.com/posts/ptpale...

PTPALEO's 3 Year Anniversary: Milestones & Moving Forward | Benjamin Mohler

www.patreon.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Aug 18

Microstream is back with a new scope light! For one more week I'm sorting through sediments collected from the Menefee Formation - Cliff House Sandstone contact. www.youtube.com/live/1xxqj5Y...

Testdriving New Scope Light! | Microstream #42

YouTube video by Benjamin Mohler

www.youtube.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Aug 6

In case you missed the stream, here's my devlog video for SHADOWBOX Beta 1.4!

What's new in this update? Four exhibits (Kaibab Limestone, Moenkopi Formation, Thaynes Group, Blue Lias), a free camera mode, and paleogeographic maps!

youtu.be/XfjV_ZX9U1Q?...

Virtual Fossil Museum Update! New Exhibits, Maps, & More! | SHADOWBOX Devlog Windows Beta 1.4

YouTube video by Benjamin Mohler

youtu.be

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 31

Hard at work preparing the next SHADOWBOX update, set to release with FOUR new exhibits! Here is a sneak peek at the Moenkopi Formation, a rock unit that dates back to the Triassic Period...

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 29

Spending some time under the scope for Microstream Monday! www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGiz...

Petri Dish Power Half-Hour | Microstream #41

YouTube video by Benjamin Mohler

www.youtube.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 22

Probably the toughest site I've ever had the pleasure of working... hope all is going well out there! Good luck team 🤞

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 22

Sneak peek at the updated SHADOWBOX lobby! Next update (Windows Beta 1.4) should be pushed in the next week or so...

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 15

You can't spell Deinosuchus without DEI

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 15

An integral part of museum exhibit design is hiding pride flags everywhere

A sign that lists Brachychampsa, cf. Denazinosuchus, and Deinosuchus, color-coded to resemble the bisexual pride flag.

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Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 14

Howdy!

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 8

SHADOWBOX: Mausoleum of Natural History on Steam

Experience the story of life on Earth like never before with SHADOWBOX: Mausoleum of Natural History, a virtual, interactive, and free-to-play museum featuring 3D scans of real fossils.

store.steampowered.com

Benjamin Mohler @ptpaleo.bsky.social · Jul 8

Where in the world are SHADOWBOX players? This is a map of (the majority of*) beta testers to date. It's incredible to me that folks around the world have gotten up close and personal with #fossils primarily from here in the Southwest, including many that I've collected myself! 👀 Alt text for list.

A world map highlighting SHADOWBOX players. The following countries are highlighted in yellow to denote more than 5 players: the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, Canada, Germany, Turkey, Australia, The Netherlands, France, Indonesia, and China. The following countries are highlighted in blue to denote between 1 and 5 players: Greece, Hungary, Poland, India, The Philippines, Spain, Belgium, Czechia, Italy, Ukraine, Colombia, South Africa, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Austria, Argentina, Estonia, Portugal, Namibia, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Mexico, Serbia, Hong Kong, Belarus, Malaysia, Iraq, Chile, New Zealand, Sweden, Malta, Morocco, Bulgaria.

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