Matilda's Lab
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matildaslab.bsky.social
Matilda's Lab
@matildaslab.bsky.social
66 followers 55 following 840 posts
Science nerd Dad who engages his kids with science through music, drawing and writing by making it fun.
Sharing my content too help others share their own journeys of discovery.
https://linktr.ee/chrismacalister
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matildaslab.bsky.social
Things are heating up on the Advent Calendar today. The 8th most viewed post of the year is "on fire!"
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/w...
#scicomm #adventcalendar
December 17, 2025 at 12:40 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
It's a late update to the advent calendar today, as I've out at work since 5am. I deserve a cookie. I think I have a shark that can help with that...
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2021/02/26/c...
#scicomm #sciart #sharks #adventcalendar
December 16, 2025 at 9:22 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
We've hit the top 10 on day 15 of the advent calendar.
It may not be as controversial as the God question, but some people do get rather passionate about the status of Pluto.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2016/01/21/w...
#scicomm #adventcalendar #pluto
December 15, 2025 at 9:24 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 14 of the advent calendar brings us to the verge of the top 10 posts. Just missing out on the final countdown is an ancient and rare off-shoot on the shark family tree.
#scicomm #sharks #adventcalendar
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2020/11/13/f...
December 14, 2025 at 9:13 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 11 of the Matilda's Lab advent calendar has a tale for you today. Or should that be, no tail?
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/w...
#scicomm #adventcalendar
December 13, 2025 at 1:32 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 12 of the advent calendar brings the 13th most viewed post of the year. Unlucky for some. Definitely for featured fish. I used to have some in my aquarium when I made this. RIP 😞
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/02/06/n...
#scicomm #adventcalendar
December 12, 2025 at 1:42 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 11 of the Matilda's Lab advent calendar has a tale for you today. Or should that be, no tail?
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/w...
#scicomm #adventcalendar
December 11, 2025 at 10:33 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Welcome to day 10 of the Matilda's Lab advent calendar. If sharks make you feel unconformable, then you may be following the wrong account. Also, here's one that can walk on land!
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2020/08/28/e...
#sharks #adventcalendar
December 10, 2025 at 4:41 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
It's day 9 of the Matilda's Lab advent calendar, and today we have the closest thing that nature has produced to a shark crossed with a unicorn.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2021/04/09/s...
#scicomm #extinctanimals #adventcalendar
December 9, 2025 at 8:53 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 8 of the Matilda's Lab advent calendar, and we've come across the most controversial of subjects.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/d...
#scicomm #adventcalendar
December 8, 2025 at 12:50 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 7 of the Matilda's Lab advent calendar, and they don't come much bigger than this.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2020/05/17/w...
#scicomm #infographic #whaleshark #adventcalendar
December 7, 2025 at 9:51 AM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 6 of the Matilda's Lab advent calendar is very "hands-on".
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2020/09/10/w...
#scicomm #adventcalendar
December 6, 2025 at 2:17 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 5 of the advent calendar reveals a post that would be more at home, and indeed was written for, Halloween.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/10/31/w...
#scicomm #werewolves #adventcalendar
December 5, 2025 at 1:02 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 4! It's time for another lesson in the countdown.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/10/10/h...
#scicomm #adventcalendar #dogs #evolution
December 4, 2025 at 9:22 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 3 of the Matilda's Lab Advent Calendar contains the first cartoon on the list:
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2018/07/27/p...
#scicomm #sciart #adventcalendar
December 3, 2025 at 1:36 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Day 2 of the Matilda's Lab advent calendar, and we have our first lesson up:
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2016/11/07/a...
#scicomm #viruses #adventcalendar
December 2, 2025 at 1:12 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
It's that time of the year again, to open the first door on the Matilda's Lab advent calendar, where we count down the most view blog posts of the year.
matildaslab.wordpress.com/2020/04/25/p...
#scicomm #adventcalendar
December 1, 2025 at 12:30 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Map of life update: Last week, I thought that I was done with my Mylobatiformes. I was mistaken. I found 2 more, included this week.
Remember, the full maps can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
November 19, 2025 at 12:32 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
The map of life has been a little neglected recently as I've been swamped with other things recently. I've dropped 2 new rays into the mix now.
The full map is still here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#scicomm #sciart #evolution #sharks #rays
November 14, 2025 at 3:06 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Now that we've finished with the mammals for now, let's start building the area where is all started, the cartilaginous fish, the chondrichthyes.
The full map and the mammals excerpt can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
October 29, 2025 at 9:31 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Matilda's Lab turned 10 years old today.
To mark the occasion, I have updated the website's "About Matilda's Lab" page.
Also, the logo now sports an "Est. 2015", mainly because doing this any earlier would have looked a bit pathetic.
October 26, 2025 at 11:42 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
It's here! The updated map of life. 124 organisms all together. The full map, plus the stand-alone mammals, can be found here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#scicomm #evolution #sciart
October 15, 2025 at 3:55 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
There's a new Matilda's Lab single on the loose!
The Waves is a tour through the electromagnetic spectrum but steering clear of the dangers of the high energy end of things.
It's available on the major streaming platforms. The link to my artist pages is here: linktr.ee/chrismacalis...
#sciencesong
October 13, 2025 at 12:11 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
I completed this wave of updates to the mammals. I've actually gone slightly outside the scope of mammals. Adding Dimetrodon now makes this a map of the synapsids.
The full map, which I'm now in the process of incorporating this into, is here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
October 6, 2025 at 12:20 PM
matildaslab.bsky.social
Here's a map of mammals update. I'm close to finishing this batch of mammals before moving to a different area of the map of life. I've added Deltatherium, who lived alongside the dinosaurs.
See the full map (minus additional mammals) here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/
#sciart #mammals
October 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM