Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lia Pas

@liapas.bsky.social

11K followers 8.3K following 5.4K posts

#SciArt symptomatology and #anatomy #embroidery, writing, and #MECFS. A bit of music too. Canadian settler. she/her. https://linktr.ee/lia_pas

linktr.ee

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · Jun 17

Late in 2024, Kathryn Vercillo of Threadstack and Create Me Free sent me some intriguing interview questions which I used as journaling prompts between liver infections. The interview is now online for all to read.

#SciArt #embroidery #MECFS

substack.com/home/post/p-...

THREADSTACK Interview with Lia Pas of The Slowest Thread

"When I'm symptomatic it helps to visualize what I am feeling and "dissect" those sensations to make them less overwhelming. Freehand stitching those sensations feels like a meditation practice."

substack.com

3 9 47

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 3h

Thank you!

Reposted by Lia Pas

Schmidt Ocean Institute @schmidtocean.bsky.social · 6h

In celebration of World Octopus Day, we wanted to revisit one of our favorite cephalopod sightings, the glass octopus — Vitreledonella richardi filmed during a month-long #PhoenixIslandsCoral expedition in 2021.

6 140 350

Reposted by Lia Pas

Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 5h

Today my @nytimes.com colleagues and I are launching a new series called Lost Science. We interview US scientists who can no longer discover something new about our world, thanks to this year‘s cuts. Here is my first interview with a scientist who studied bees and fires. Gift link: nyti.ms/3IWXbiE

nyti.ms

44 760 1.8K

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 4h

I was teased mercilessly about my pronunciation of Toronto and water when I went to YorkU! But very few people there could say “Saskatoon, Saskatchewan” without stumbling over it. 😂

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 5h

Yes! I find a more dense popsicle keeps me cooler for longer. I make them with yogurt and fruit juice that has pulp in it.

1 1

Reposted by Lia Pas

Sarah Pinsker @sarahpinsker.bsky.social · 6h

This skeleton has been up all year, but I'm really hoping that my neighbor plans to add new bones in random places every day.

A headless giant skeleton Halloween decoration with two bony legs sticking out of its ribcage.

2 4 49

Reposted by Lia Pas

Christi Nogle @christinogle.bsky.social · 10h

Mosaic-like painting in dark colors with skeleton and snakes

6 15 62

Reposted by Lia Pas

naberu 🇨🇦 @naberu.bsky.social · 8h

Five and half years since we’ve known covid is transmitted by aerosols and a provicial health authority has released an AI chat bot that disseminates droplet disinformation.

NB COVID info @nbcovidinfo.bsky.social · 15h

Asking NS’s official health AI about airborne transmission, aerosols, etc #NSPoli

Screenshot of asking NS health AI if Covid is airborne. Is Covid airborne?
Wednesday, 10:02 a.m.
0 COPY
• Nova
Wednesday, 10:02 a.m.
The primary method of COVID-19 transmission is through droplets, which quickly settle on surfaces within two meters. However, airborne precautions are used during aerosol-generating medical procedures (AGMPs) to minimize the risk of transmission. More information on AGMPs can be found here.

Screenshot of asking NS health AI about aerosol transmission. Tell me about aerosol transmission
Nova
Wednesday, 10:02 a.m.
Airborne transmission occurs when airborne particles remain suspended in the air, travel on air currents, and are inhaled by others nearby or some distance away from the source. Control of airborne transmission requires control of airflow through special ventilation systems and the use of respiratory protection.
An aerosol-generating medical procedure (AGMP)
is any procedy
production of
+ Go to bottom
aerosols of va
roplet nuclei.
Examples of AGMPs include bronchoscopy

Screenshot of asking NS health AI if breathing generates aerosols You
Wednesday, 10:03 a.m.
Does breathing generate aerosols?
•Nova
Wednesday, 10:03 a.m.
While normal breathing does produce some droplets, activities like talking, screaming, coughing, or sneezing produce larger droplets.
Labour and delivery are also not considered aerosolized events. Aerosol Generating Medical Procedures (AGMPs) are specific medical procedures that generate aerosols.

The AI claimed that breathing generates fewer aerosols than AGMPs so I tried asking for more info. How many aerosols are generated by breathing compared to an AGMP?
0 coPY
Nova
Wednesday, 10:04 a.m.
To best answer your question, could you clarify what context you're interested in? For example, are you concerned about a specific medical setting or a particular activity? #NSPoli

13 31

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 5h

Thank you!

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 5h

#WIPWednesday • I worked mostly on texture this week which might not be obvious in the photo but is obvious to me! #embroidery

Lia’s fingers show a wooden embroidery hoop with a trapezoid of black on black whipped backstitch that looks a bit like flames, but if you’ve been following this piece you’ll know it’s pubic hair. It’s definitely pubic hair. The trapezoid is 14cm wide along the top, 7cm wide along the bottom, and 8cm tall. There’s white chalk markings within the hairs. An hourglass-shaped needle minder that reads “this is taking forever” is attached to the cloth.

2 3 39

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 7h

Thank you, June Lia, for making clear enough notes on our poetry manuscript that we could easily pick up where we left off.

Reposted by Lia Pas

The Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 1d

Alberta government to ban the number 58,008 in schools

CALGARY — With the province's teachers on strike, Danielle Smith’s UCP government has tabled new legislation banning the use of the number 58,008, in order to “protect Alberta’s most precious resource...

www.thebeaverton.com

21 110 420

Reposted by Lia Pas

Science X / Phys.org @sciencex.bsky.social · 1d

A new blood test demonstrates 96% accuracy in diagnosing myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, offering a potential advance in reliable identification and management of the condition.

Novel blood test for chronic fatigue achieves 96% accuracy

Scientists at the University of East Anglia and Oxford Biodynamics have developed a high accuracy blood test to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS).

medicalxpress.com

1 15 41

Reposted by Lia Pas

Bill Amend @billamend.bsky.social · 1d

My friend Matt Inman made a great comic about AI…

A cartoonist's review of AI art - The Oatmeal

This is a comic about AI art.

theoatmeal.com

13 220 570

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 1d

Bamboo sheets and modal nightgowns for hot flashes overnight. Linen works well too but is much more expensive. Having popsicles on hand for the bigger hot flashes, arnica cream for aches and pains.

1 3

Reposted by Lia Pas

Val 🏳️‍⚧️ @valondar.bsky.social · 1d

Dmitri Shostakovich saw Jesus Christ Superstar! He also liked it so much he considered writing a rock music themed suite (like his earlier Jazz suites) but died soon after.

rax ‘levon honkers’ king @raxkingisdead.bsky.social · 1d

you ever think about those real weird overlaps. like tennessee williams might have listened to the ramones

7 63 280

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 1d

Yes! Exactly. Headings are a really helpful part of the drafting process

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 2d

I outline things before I start writing. And once I’m done a writing session I make a few short notes so I can pick up where I left off, even if it’s days or weeks later.

#SpoonieAuthChat

Spoonie Authors Network @spoonieauthnet.bsky.social · 2d

Spoonie Author Chat (for creatives who manage spoons), October 6, 2025:

How do you manage feelings of overwhelm, so you can settle down to writing?

(Please quote-post and add
#SpoonieAuthChat to your replies!)

Banner image has the same text as the post. There’s also a smaller image of three spoons that are connected at the base.

1 10

Reposted by Lia Pas

Mike Sowden @mikeachim.bsky.social · 2d

Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...

Post from Threads user rodneyowl: "Ireland has declared the Basic Income for Artists scheme permanent. This will be officially announced in tomorrow’s budget. Details to follow. Congratulations to all who fought for it and the present and future artists of all sorts in Ireland. That includes me 👌We’re just comin to the end of a 3 year pilot scheme. It’s been a roaring success. For every €1 paid out to the 2000 participants, the government got €1.46 back. Can’t argue with that. Other countries are already taking note."

130 5.2K 15K

Reposted by Lia Pas

Crim Reaper @crimreaper.bsky.social · 2d

Angeltober 2022 Illustrations
Day 4: Eyespot "Umbra"

Deriel, Seraphim of Dimensions

A pitch black, six winged creature with an eye on each wing. I has a mechanical looking arm and a gear coming from its body

1 82 260

Reposted by Lia Pas

Joseph O @josepho.bsky.social · 2d

We should value textile artists more. As a society. Through expressions of monetary value. As far as products of human design and skill and labor go, textiles provide the most comfort per dollar per square centimeter.

4 23

Reposted by Lia Pas

Ele Willoughby @minouette.bsky.social · 2d

For the #spacetober_challenge day 6 prompt constellation, I am sharing my portrait of #astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921) who set the scale of our Universe. 🧪🐡👩🏼‍🔬🔭 Behind her is a line showing stellar luminosity (capital L with subscript sun-symbol, a circle with a dot) as a function of 🧵

My linocut portrait of Henrietta Swan Leavitt is printed in silvery lavender ink on Japanese kozo (or mulberry paper). Behind her is a line showing stellar luminosity (capital L with subscript sun-symbol, a circle with a dot) as a function of time (t). She is printed over constellations in gold (Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Draco, Ursa Minor and Andromeda). ⁠ ⁠

1 12 35

Lia Pas @liapas.bsky.social · 2d

Buy good quality things when you can: food, clothing, tools, etc. They’ll bring you daily joy and last for a long time.

essencesimmone.blacksky.app @essencesimmone.blacksky.app · 5d

Those who are 35+, what advice do you have for people just entering their 30s?

1 19

Reposted by Lia Pas

Ligus @greyauk.bsky.social · 2d

This was supposed to be the #SundayFishSketch ...
The bumby snailfish is refusing to get painted at the moment :/ ... I may return to it later or try again.

tiny watercolour of a bumpy snailfish looking ahead
pencil stump for size reference
It looks like a pjnk bumpy blob withe spiky fins

8 46 220

Reposted by Lia Pas

Yume Kitasei @yumewrites.bsky.social · 2d

I wrote an essay for @lithub.com.web.brid.gy about how I think there are two subgenres of dystopian fiction - the allegorical / thought experiment and the potential horrible future - and how they seem to be blending more and more…and converging with reality.

lithub.com/its-okay-but...

“It’s Okay But It’s Also Really Not.” When Dystopian Fiction is No Longer a Thought Experiment

Dystopian fiction is getting real, and I’m here for it. I don’t think I’m the only one. There’s something cathartic about reading about the end of the world. As a science fiction reader and avid fa…

lithub.com

1 7 23