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Andrew D Thaler

@drandrewthaler.bsky.social

38K followers 2.8K following 8.5K posts

Deep-sea ecologist investigating how humans shape and reshape the sea floor. Conservation technologist developing open-source tools to understand our changing oceans. Ocean educator creating novel programs to help students interact with marine ecosystems.

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 28d

For teachers, environmental educators, and D&D dorks!

In December, I published The Last Hunt for the Jabberwock, a D&D 5e adventure in environmental science and ecologic succession.

www.dmsguild.com/product/5056...

The Last Hunt for the Jabberwock: A Feywild Adventure in Ecologic Succession - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Hunt the Jabberwock, Defend the Warren, Save the Forest Welcome to the Warren. Within this tiny Domain of Delight, Rabb

www.dmsguild.com

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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 1h

Six of the nine Nobel Prize winners this year work in the U.S.
Three of the six were born outside the U.S., which is the pattern most years. No country has benefited more from welcoming immigrants from around the world.
www.nobelprize.org

The official website of the Nobel Prize - NobelPrize.org

The Nobel Prize rewards science, humanism and peace efforts. This is one of the central concepts in the will of Alfred Nobel, and it also permeates the outreach activities that have been developed for...

www.nobelprize.org

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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 41m

O’Neal leads 54% to 46% with 60% reporting, but local media called it for her and Pruhs conceded.

This is the first election on my guide for this fall to be resolved: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 17m

This is a small piece of very good news that I can only hope is a sign of big swings to come.

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 46m

JUST IN: The Republican Mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska’s second biggest city, lost re-election last night to a Democrat.

Mayor David Pruhs is a conservative who fought protections for LGBTQ+ residents; he made comments this year drew condemnation this year from Alaska Natives. He lost to Mindy O'Neall.

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 18h

Back to the Future II was all flying car traffic jams, too.

Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 1d

This would explicitly be a disaster response program to supplement lost National Guard capacity, similar to how Maryland Defense Force now operates.

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 1d

I guess it's time to convene a group to build out an independent ScienceSky. 🌊🧪🦑🦀

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 1d

I've been out of the loop for the last week. What the heck happened that resulted in banning Link?

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 1d

There was a Draft.

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 2d

When we finally dig out of all this, we really are going to have to create an explicitly non-military National Climate Corps to deal with weather-related disasters, because no one will be enlisting in the National Guard.

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 3d

Seriously. 2 years after the fact, he was still bringing it up as some great injustice against him. Just the sweatiest sack of moldy socks.

www.dukechronicle.com/article/fc37...

Welcome to the Durham Petting Zoo

Duke is, in fact, the only thing that keeps this city alive. As the number-one employer in Durham and the city's only major draw, if we were to pull out, instead of worrying about town-gown...

www.dukechronicle.com

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Jeffrey Marlow @jjmarlow.bsky.social · 3d

A huge field of hydrothermal vents - driven by serpentinization and formed by a massive hydrogen explosion - recently discovered in the western Pacific!

www.science.org/doi/full/10....

A large intraplate hydrogen-rich hydrothermal system driven by serpentinization in the western Pacific: Kunlun

A hydrogen-rich hydrothermal system in the western Pacific reveals potential for hydrogen resources and early life.

www.science.org

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 3d

Stephen Miller was in my college cohort and I regret not bullying him to my full potential.

This dude threw a 2 year tantrum over being asked to sign a thank you card for the dorm housekeeping staff.

Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 3d

stephen miller was not bullied nearly enough in high school

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 4d

These absolutely bozos don't even have the OpSec of a UPS driver with a privacy screen on their phone.

Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 4d

The messages show high-level officials in the Trump administration discussing the possible deployment of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, an infantry force that has dropped into combat zones in both World Wars, Vietnam and Afghanistan.

Trump officials discussed sending elite Army division to Portland, text messages show

A high-ranking White House official was indiscreetly texting about the Portland, Ore., planning last weekend, according to messages shared with the Minnesota Star Tribune.

bit.ly

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 4d

The chance of a shark attack is always low but never zero.

Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 4d

How many replies have been weird about how close you are to the cliff without knowing anything about the layout of Camp Matoaka?

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 4d

One of the weird things that happens when you are an expert in a very, very niche field and have also written publically about that field online for almost 20 years on a readily accessible blog, is that holy hell it becomes obvious when AI is just copying your own style.

Dr. Katharine Dickson @metaomicsnerd.bsky.social · 4d

There's so much weirdness about AI that could be solved by telling people "It was trained on data from humans! Of course it acts like one!" and reminding people that anthropomorphism and agent detection are universal cognitive biases that go away when you know how an ostensibly sapient thing works!

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 4d

Planning a bachelor party with a crew that is half marine scientists and half normal dudes is hilarious. We've been talking about where to find the best stripers for a month and some of them only just now realized we were talking about fishing for Striped Bass.

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Anthony (Tony) J. Martin @ichnologist.bsky.social · 4d

New book OCEAN with @thamesandhudson.bsky.social release date is January 2026! Edited by @ashadevos.bsky.social with chapter authors @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social, @helenscales.bsky.social, @drandrewthaler.bsky.social,
@petergs.bsky.social, & me. Preorder: www.thamesandhudson.com/products/oce... 🧪🌊🪸🐟

Ocean

Three quarters of the ocean has never been seen by humans. Drawing on the recent success of Trees, this companion book explores our oceans, taking readers on a deep dive through the different depth zo...

www.thamesandhudson.com

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 5d

I feel like that was from an 90s era ad for stuffed crust pizza, where "eat it crust first" was the hook.

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 5d

It's always hilarious to me that when it comes to deciding where to settle their families, so many right wing grifters end up choosing the bluest states possible.

Jacqueline Sweet @jsweetli.bsky.social · 5d

SCOOP: PA prosecutors were alerted to possible voting irregularities by one of MAGA's leading voices. A long paper trail shows Jack Posobiec has been living in Maryland but voting using his parent's address in Pennsylvania for years. Me with @marisakabas.bsky.social

slate.com/news-and-pol...

MAGA’s “Voter Fraud” Watchdog Votes in a Swing State. He Doesn’t Live There.

A long paper trail shows that Jack Posobiec casts a ballot in one state and lives in another.

slate.com

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Reposted by Andrew D Thaler

Andy Whitmore @more-whit.bsky.social · 5d

Any article with a headline about barbie crabs and sea pigs is just reeling me in ...

Barbie crabs, sea pigs, and 40 new species discovered in a giant underwater canyon

Argentina explores Mar del Plata Canyon for the first time: 40 new species are discovered and the country is captivated by the live broadcast

www.earth.com

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 5d

Way back in 2015 I was a Wittman constituent. His fall from fairly reasonable, normie conservative who cared about the ocean to full-bore MAGA crony is one of the most disappointing slides into mediocrity.

The Lincoln Project @lincolnproject.us · 5d

Rob Wittman spent the night of the shutdown eating steak with his rich donors. Meanwhile, the shutdown he and the GOP caused means soldiers and federal workers in his district will struggle to feed their families. Call his office at (202) 225-4261 and ask why.

The Lincoln Project @lincolnproject.us · 14d

According to the numbers, these are the 26 most vulnerable MAGA House representatives. They've spent more time defending “Dear Leader” than the Constitution, and they can be beat. We're pledging to target them all in the 2026 midterms.

See anybody missing? Let us know here: https://t.co/geQUe7ptY6

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 6d

Are you a Civil Servant staring down a furlough with no end in sight? Why not spin up a new environmental-themed D&D campaign?

Last Hunt for the Jabberwock, now only $2.99 for government workers dealing with a shutdown (and anyone else):

tools.dmsguild.com/browse.php?d...

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 6d

It sure seems like the reason Trump is not taking meetings with Democratic leaders is that the White House is desperate to hide his decline.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 6d

MADELEINE DEAN: The president is unhinged. He's unwell

JOHNSON: A lot of folks on your side are too

D: Oh my god, please. That performance in front of the generals?

J: I didn't see it

D: It's so dangerous! Our allies are looking elsewhere. Our enemies are laughing. You have a POTUS who's unwell.

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Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 6d

Had a great time talking about environmental, technological, and policy developments in deep-sea mining at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science this afternoon.

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