Dr. Or M. Bialik

Geology, climate change researcher, and too many other things | Posting about the writing experience, science, SFF and academia. Opinions are my own or of the characters in my head.

Public Key

npub1hp5fftml23xd45yx6nkqzwzwj9gj7jzfznnpg9u423ljzf58grwskgpetr

NIP-05 Address

ombialik@mastodon-world.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsts6y54al4gnx66zrdfmqp8p8fz5f0fpy3fes5z724glepy6r5phgpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsjzdrv9

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1hp5fftml23xd45yx6nkqzwzwj9gj7jzfznnpg9u423ljzf58grwskgpetr

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Last Notes

2026-05-24 13:01:46 UTC

SciComm people!
I'm trying to help my institute with its outreach and communication efforts now.
We're working on a mailing list to reach reporters and science communicators directly. If you're covering things related to climate change and marine sciences, want to be informed about our work, and would like to be on such a mailing list, you can reach out to me or fill out the form below.
(feel free and even encouraged to tag relevant people)
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=qdeKssC_wkKuFQb6fPc6XMSuKlCiwCZEjqNT5iJtrLhUMTNOMlNJQlRYOFpOUVQxRVAwNjZFUkMwRy4u&route=shorturl
#MarineScience #SciComm

2026-05-11 10:50:56 UTC

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@nprofile…qysn If you look at production volumes, then Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Indonesia.

2026-05-10 16:49:28 UTC

It is sort of absurd that in this day and age, countries that grow cocoa are nonentities for chocolate products, while countries where it's hard to even grow it in a lab are world-famous for theirs.
(The author is actually slightly allergic to cocoa and doesn't consume any, but is still annoyed)
#mercantilism

2026-05-08 05:26:35 UTC

#WeekendReading: Dodd et al. about recurring marine phosphorus spikes during major Paleozoic mass extinctions, and how they might be driving anoxia.
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-70701-y
#MassExtinction #Ocean #Anoxia #Paleozoic

2026-05-07 13:10:15 UTC

I think my talk at @nprofile…kuwy went overall well.
Now, just for the review on the papers to come in.
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/533/448/102/677/884/original/2e3f0b2fd78536b7.png
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/533/448/770/052/459/original/b59c51f6649aa717.png

2026-05-06 05:37:26 UTC

The way teens interact online has long been a source of linguistic novelty. The transition to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp didn't change that - just formed a new branch
Link: https://journal.wiseedu.co.id/index.php/ltsmjournal/article/view/321
#Linguistics #Teens #NetSpeak
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/526/007/527/122/111/original/9c8a0dfffea517b5.png

2026-05-05 06:44:01 UTC

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@nprofile…sypg Depend on what is involved. 10 million might be fast for one thing, but slow for another.
Oxygen came mostly from cyanobacteria, we think.

2026-05-05 05:54:15 UTC

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@nprofile…sypg "Fast" ~ 20 milion years. Why? Sulfides got oxidized by increasing oxygen levels, paired with barium, and precipitated as barite. What? The ocean became less toxic to things we recognize as life.

2026-05-05 05:52:11 UTC

Men's business and formal wear have all these "rules" about them (like where to put the tie clip when wearing a vest or not), which are more than anything just a set of social signals about who you are, your upbringing, and your social circle.
#Fashion #Menswear

2026-05-05 05:13:32 UTC

There were a lot of weird chemical reactions that had to occur through Earth's history to make Earth habitable. Getting rid of barium and sulfides was one of them and might have happened very fast in the late Ediacaran.
Link: https://academic.oup.com/nsr/article/11/8/nwae237/7710134
#Earth #Geology #EarthsHIstory
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/520/250/910/765/656/original/289222d64fb70e57.png

2026-05-04 05:21:09 UTC

Just FYI, SedsOnline has a call for presenters on evaporites (and other chemical deposits). If you're studying the topic and would like to get a good exposure in the international sedimentological community, this is a good venue.
Their form is here: https://forms.gle/LZ2tXGvxf1fQrk1e9
#Geology #Sedimentology #Rocks #Evaporites
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/514/615/363/945/591/original/bb1af6c0e41a0f0b.png

2026-05-04 04:05:43 UTC

The rise and expansion of reef systems in the Indo-Pacific during the warm and CO2 high Miocene (and decline in the aftermath) will never stop being puzzling to me. Now we have evidence that it also had the biodiversity effects expected.
Link: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aec7264
#reefs #Miocene #biodiversity #paleontology
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/514/325/525/581/297/original/13699503d9239b52.png

2026-05-03 11:11:00 UTC

It is so messed up that things feel off because they're normal.

2026-05-03 10:28:00 UTC

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@nprofile…hmf0 Yes... They really like it over there.

2026-05-03 06:15:28 UTC

I think we can all agree that sleep is important. But messed-up sleep, where one stops breathing (sleep apnea), is kind of bad and (atop everything else) can also cause memory impairments.
#Sleep #SleepApnea #Memory
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079225000450
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/509/174/110/746/977/original/37dc24ff2747a26b.png

2026-05-03 06:13:11 UTC

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@nprofile…hmf0 So far, they seem to be migrating mostly to LinkedIn, which is just depressing.

2026-05-03 04:33:23 UTC

It doesn't if someone's writing fiction, journalism, academically, or technically. Anyone who writes wants people to read what they're writing.
#Writing

2026-05-02 17:12:23 UTC

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@nprofile…sdq0 They know we're weak and really want to know how that's going to play out.

2026-05-02 14:11:12 UTC

Wondering through the Reddits, I ran into this delight. It's a bit of a joke, but at the same time, I love lexical tool writers, and designers can use among themselves to communicate ideas.
#Swords #Fantasy #WorldBuilding
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/505/380/189/062/623/original/e6aef125a1291bb9.png

2026-05-02 13:05:23 UTC

My feed is already beginning to get filled up with posts from people going to @nprofile…kuwy let's see who I'll get to see when I'll get there (there are over 21k people at the meeting, there are smaller towns. It's very easy to go through the entire week of the meeting and never run into someone)

2026-05-02 10:00:13 UTC

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@nprofile…qlh2 @nprofile…hmf0 The first major advence on my science career was going to a person in a conference (master's student, scared out of my wits), intreducing my self in a stadered voice and asking questions about their work. It's hard, but it's so crucial!

2026-05-02 09:45:45 UTC

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@nprofile…hmf0 I keep being amazed by how intimidated people are to ask questions. Makes me feel like an asshole sometimes, talking to them as I keep talking while trying to figure out what isn't clear about what I'm saying.

2026-05-02 09:43:34 UTC

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@nprofile…qlh2 I don't think either of us really believes this is the case.

2026-05-02 07:53:41 UTC

Every time I send a copy of a paper of mine on request from someone, be it on ResearchGate or less commonly on email, I tell them in my reply that I'd be happy to answer any question they might have on the text.
To this day, I have yet to receive a single question back.
#AcademicChatter

2026-05-01 19:24:19 UTC

No! Bad characters! No breaking off from the main plot to pair up and start a romantic subplot.
Grr... fine, I'm guessing that's what I'm writing now.
#Writing

2026-05-01 14:49:46 UTC

Fine, vertical stripes have been shown experimentally not to be more slimming then horizantal ones.
I'm still going to go with what I think looks nice on me.
#Fashion #Perception
Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20416695261441454
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/499/869/322/279/575/original/7fd89c7162b8aa6e.png

2026-05-01 12:34:22 UTC

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@nprofile…yxdj No, it's the recurring monster that keeps showing up (killing you, repeatedly) and gets more powerful with each level.

2026-05-01 12:22:27 UTC

It's sometimes easier to herd cats than get five adults in a room to play a session of D&D.
#TTRPG #Adulting

2026-05-01 09:35:56 UTC

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@nprofile…hlzw 🤷 It's just the reality of modern electronics, sometimes, they just die on you in the worst possible moment.

2026-05-01 09:00:43 UTC

Honestly, it's hard enough as it is when a major piece of electronics bricks on you. But if I didn't have a spare, backups, and the technical knowledge on how to retrieve data - I would have absolutely freaked out.

2026-05-01 05:47:24 UTC

When it's time to pull out the USB bootable Linux stick, you know things went terribly wrong.

2026-05-01 05:11:49 UTC

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@nprofile…wjdn Not going to complain about that

2026-05-01 05:08:28 UTC

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@nprofile…w9rc Still work in progress, and all I did in the paint, the sculpt does a lot of heavy lifting.

2026-05-01 05:06:39 UTC

#WeekendReading: Tangunan et al.'s short but insightful piece on the uncertainties behind Earth’s timelines.
Link: https://pastglobalchanges.org/publications/pages-magazines/pages-magazine/138913
#EarthSci #Stratigraphy #Geochronology
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/497/576/424/554/468/original/e00ff0381f12c4b7.png

2026-04-30 19:48:34 UTC

Updated a driver, somehow messed up the whole OS (no idea what happened). Got some ideas how to deal with that, but before I'll even try any of them, going to use a recovery OS to backup all the files from the hard drive overnight in case drastic measures need to be applied. 🤦

2026-04-30 16:27:19 UTC

Unpopular opinion - terrain painting is fun.
The scale allows for error; it's fine if it's a bit messy, the elements are big, and weathering hides any crimes.
There is something stressless about working on them.
#minipainting #terrain #nerdlings
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/494/567/825/953/399/original/fa58c2ef6b92d8b3.jpeg

2026-04-30 16:26:47 UTC

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@nprofile…mspx @nprofile…9trp Not that type of miniatures 😅 but thanks for the reference, they do interesting work.

2026-04-30 15:46:10 UTC

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I am a bit annoyed that they didn't cite our paper on the Eocene carbon transfer by mass flows. I'm fairly sure at least one of the authors was aware of it.
#Eocene
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009254123005016
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/494/429/518/923/472/original/9fc5ab40942ee631.png

2026-04-30 15:44:59 UTC

Carbon is exchanged with the atmosphere at the ocean's surface, but it is stored long-term in its depths. Getting it there involves many paths, one that we are just starting to begin to comprehend is turbidity currents.
#MassTransport #Carbon #Ocean
Link: https://thesedimentaryrecord.scholasticahq.com/article/159298-carbonate-turbidity-currents-play-an-underappreciated-role-in-the-global-carbon-cycle
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/494/405/659/283/649/original/04e72bfe5f35221d.png

2026-04-30 14:16:20 UTC

Closing now on eight months in the new job, still weirded out that I have multiple people working FOR me (and some of them have people working for them).

2026-04-30 13:18:01 UTC

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@nprofile…qkf8 It is one of many... but other than The Chair, I don't think there is much communication of these things to the outside.
(Watching that show with other academics and with non-academics is two diffrent expiriances)

2026-04-30 11:24:48 UTC

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@nprofile…qkf8 No idea, I decided not to read the comments on that and ignored the posts quoting it for the last one to pop in one of my feeds. It never feels like a good-faith discussion, and I'm not big on feeding the trolls.

2026-04-30 08:10:41 UTC

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@nprofile…9s6f Appreciated, although getting a bit overwhelming. Didn't expect to get this much response (or new followers).

2026-04-30 07:41:58 UTC

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@nprofile…cc9w Honesty and directness are appreciated.

2026-04-30 07:03:16 UTC

As I said earlier, people here are amazing and welcoming, and the response was beyond anything I could have expected... which is also to say it's a bit overwhelming. Deosenses of responses and recommendations, which will take me a while to clear, as I do read all of them and check out each and every profile and tag people recommend to see if it's something I'd like to follow.

2026-04-30 05:44:55 UTC

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@nprofile…jxaf I never used the algorithmic feed on any of the platforms I'm on (now I'm mostly here and on BlueSky). I just very slowly locate by topic and curate interesting people to follow.

2026-04-30 05:38:54 UTC

Just for the record, people here are amazing. I asked a question last night (local) and woke up to find a stream of answers (some useful!) from the lot of you! Thank you.

2026-04-29 20:04:33 UTC

I'm still struggling to find my footing here on Mastodon. A bit with the platforms and tags, but mostly finding people to follow. I'm a bit all over the place, posting about my #writing, be it academic or fiction (mostly #SciFi), and about cool #Science I ran into, and the more common than it should be - complain about stuff.
I'm interested in #SFF, #publishing, #MiniaturePainting, science, #queer culture, academia, human sexuality, geekish humor, #comics & #EarthSci.
Recommend people to me!

2026-04-29 18:35:30 UTC

I'll never stop being annoyed by random posts Á la "why would people with (academic) tenure be motivated to keep improving/innovate/etc?" from people who clearly don't understand how the research ecosystem (and its currencies) work, nor are interested in learning.
#AcademicChatter

2026-04-27 15:42:05 UTC

Just a reminder, the monster isn't called Frankenstein, and the cat isn't called Schrödinger.

2026-04-27 03:48:29 UTC

Phytoestrogenic plants are a group that synthesizes chemicals mimicking the biological activity of mammalian estrogen. They may offer an accessible hormone replacement therapy substitute for menopause and (potentially) trans women.
#HRT #herbology
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43450-024-00584-x
I first found out about these over the weekend, when the guide on the forging tour I was on brought it up with respect to Crimson clovers. I went and checked the literature on that, which turns out to be rather robust.
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/474/620/826/991/041/original/ee8eda57382262f6.png

2026-04-26 16:29:53 UTC

As I'm finishing dealing with backend stuff related to reposting my books, I'm talking to close and distant friends about boosting the signal once I'm ready.
The conversations are usually good, and people want to help, but it's still hard and awkward to initiate these conversations.
Also, a remarkably large swath of my friends turns out to be completely absent from web spaces nowadays, or they have very specific use cases.
They have a life, how dare they!
#WritingCommunity #Selfpublishing

2026-04-26 11:39:05 UTC

If you're at the @nprofile…kuwy meeting this year, and would like to hear me talk about ocean ventilation over the last few 100s of millions of years, it'll be at the Biogeodynamics and the co-evolution of Earth, climate, and life session on Thursday (BG5.1).
#Ocean #EarthScience
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/470/807/309/829/853/original/fe5fa6b4a01c0ebf.png

2026-04-26 05:33:02 UTC

Research paper writers, idea, who about you devote the abstract to tell us what you found (and what it might mean) rather than what you did*?
(not like there is an entire section in the paper for the letter)
#AcademicChatter #AcademicWriting
*Does not apply to method papers

2026-04-26 04:30:07 UTC

And again, I remind everyone to check stuff before you rage post about it. Actually, especially if you're about to rage post about it. Anger bypasses cognitive inhibition mechanisms and accelerates misinformation sharing.
#SocialMedia
Link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02699931.2026.2647351
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/469/118/477/164/373/original/c5b605baa399ea0c.png

2026-04-25 11:59:23 UTC

#SaturdayStrolling, low on rocks for a change. The bloom is coming to an end, and I joined a wild plant-picking tour to learn which ones are safe to nibble on.
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/465/220/811/639/426/original/e1ecba9f749ea933.jpeg

2026-04-24 04:45:37 UTC

#WeekendReading: going back to Turchyn and DePaolo's review on seawater chemistry change through Phanerozoic Time. Got some ideas and want to cover my bases.
#Ocean #EarthHistory
Link: https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-earth-082517-010305
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/457/858/805/093/082/original/c0b1c136607341fc.png

2026-04-23 18:25:47 UTC

Going to be taking this off my Pinned Post soon, as I'm going to have to sort out the D2D situation, and that link will be outdated. But the Amazon and itch.io links will remain valid.
<hint> go check them out to get the book </hint>
#Books #SelfPublishing

2026-04-17 14:57:10 UTC

#WeekendReading: Thomas and Garritano's review on symbionts and ammonia oxidation in the ocean. It's the first step in nitrification, so it has a big role in regulating nitrogen availability for biology.
Link: https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-marine-040824-032008
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/420/626/257/147/867/original/ccff2c2761616ee6.png

2026-04-10 08:07:41 UTC

#WeekendReading: Zhou et al., on adsorption of Cadmium to clay-microbe aggregates, and what it might mean for heavy metals cycling in the ocean.
#HeavyMetal #Ocean
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016703720305536
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/379/382/908/782/467/original/3ff295e3da02d75f.png

2026-04-04 17:38:16 UTC

I'm painfully aware that for most people, "the sea" goes only about as far as they can see from the beach.
But there is much more of it.
And with the way things are going, we're going to be able to learn and protect a lot less of it in the coming years.
#Sea #Ocean #Marine #Research

2026-04-03 07:47:07 UTC

#WeekendReading: Zhong et al. on Cadmium isotope systematics in seep carbonates. Looks like it tracks seawater in calcite and aragonite, but the pore fluids in dolomite. Not surprising, but potentially useful!
#Geochemistry #ColdSeeps
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009254126001658
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/336/349/137/956/924/original/4ab6e2232efb2a3b.png

2026-04-01 08:33:20 UTC

Remember that thing about plants becoming less nutritious (mostly less protein and more sugar) with climate change?
<sarcastic>Great news, everyone!</sarcastic>
It also appears to apply to plankton.
Link:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-026-02598-w
#ClimateChange #Plankton #Ocean
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/328/522/170/399/383/original/68f8e48bfd0241b0.png

2026-03-30 21:09:35 UTC

Someone should really do something about this 24-hour limit on a day's length; it's a real hindrance on getting stuff done.

2026-03-27 06:56:54 UTC

#WeekendReading: Williams et al., on the role of orbital forcing versus #CO2 on ice feedbacks in the (geologic) near recent using some modeling work.
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-70750-3
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/299/831/772/936/081/original/b60b4ac74c04a8ad.png

2026-03-20 07:40:57 UTC

#WeekendReading: Platt et al., on automated mineralogical classification of hyperspectral images from #Mars to better map and understand the Red Planet.
Link: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025JE009473
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/260/368/825/195/715/original/6d4d9fea70b5019c.png

2026-03-13 08:31:38 UTC

#WeekendReading: Douglas et al., on how #heatwaves impact the emission of #greenhouse gases from estuaries.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-65519-z
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/220/930/394/616/618/original/376f643b011279ef.png

2026-02-27 07:46:05 UTC

#WeekendReading: Edwing et al. on the impact of marine heatwaves on ocean-athemosphere CO2 fluxes (specifically in the US East Coast, but that part is less interesting for me).
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL105363
#CO2 | #Ocean | #Heatwave
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/141/480/824/289/976/original/b770c3265ceec251.png

2026-02-26 14:33:40 UTC

One of the most amazing projects I got to be part of is finally out! We now have a unified and comprehensive framework for #seafloor #geomorphology, which will, with a bit of luck, get us all to call things the same way. A major step forwards to be able to study the #ocean's floor consistently.
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012825226000504?
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/137/376/726/865/522/original/2301879037eea6b7.png

2026-02-20 08:23:50 UTC

#WeekendReading: Wang et al., on magnesium isotopes and how they work in carbonate minerals (notably the role of flow regime in setting the rate limits).
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016703726001171
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/116/101/993/031/502/178/original/3fa51b12ae436556.png

2026-02-06 13:21:53 UTC

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@nprofile…djfr Al as aluminum, just elemental chemistry here, no heavy models.

2026-01-29 10:23:41 UTC

No #WeekendReading this week, taking an internet break for the weekend.

2025-11-28 14:33:14 UTC

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@nprofile…yucc That I can get behind, same as I don't send pre-prints that are right there on the repository.

2025-10-17 05:36:49 UTC

I have been trying to get into Discord, but it always feels like those WhatsApp groups I mute because there are a thousand messages a day, and then stop keeping up because there are a thousand unread messages that were added while I was asleep.

2025-10-03 06:03:44 UTC

#WeekendReading: Wu et al., looking at degradation indices of organic matter in cold seep sediments to infer on fungal and bacterial activity.
(but couldn't put even one nice photo of the seeps, so I took from another study on the same site)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25012391
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/115/308/717/817/212/856/original/3bfe716c535ff500.png

2025-09-08 13:08:53 UTC

My new job is far (far) from being my dream job, but it has some upsides. A big one (and a big reason I took it) is access to the #sea . It's nice to be on a #boat again, and for good or for ill, it's going to be a common thing.
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/115/168/827/720/160/319/original/c7f7657c19f148af.jpeg
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/115/168/827/722/323/822/original/e57f586cb3a4da1f.jpeg
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/115/168/827/724/617/372/original/82c8a9bf00f67939.jpeg

2025-08-04 16:52:25 UTC

Hey! Amazing SFF reader community!
For a talk I'm helping to research, could you point me to Sci-Fi or Fantasy characters with stated or implied Learning disabilities?
(not ASD, things like dyslexia, dyscalculia, SLI, etc. ADD and ADHD also relevant)
#SFF | #SciFi | #Fantasy | #LearningDisabilities

2025-07-15 19:58:52 UTC

One of the joys of working at a university is that I need to dip into dark corners of the internet to get only ~25% of the research papers I want/need to read and not ~97%.
People, try to publish #OpenAccess, or at least post #preprints.
#AcademicChatter #academia #AcademicPublishing

2025-06-26 05:50:45 UTC

The #Chernobyl exclusion zone is a strange place, and the ways #animals change in it are even stranger. They mutate faster, and those #mutations make them distinct, but at least in the case of the Eastern tree frog, no genetic erosion... but it might be because those with die before hatching.
Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.13282
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/745/199/535/928/467/original/1aa72cfdd1754c9c.png

2025-06-17 07:17:44 UTC

We talk a lot about #sea level rise due to #warming and ice melt. That it's not just based on models. We have a robust #geological record of ice melt events to talk about this with relative confidence*.
* Science speak for "we're fairly sure"
Link: https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.aaa4019
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/694/189/292/327/530/original/42674493dcc98122.png

2025-05-10 11:59:13 UTC

I'm getting really tired of playing whack-a-mole blocking emails from predatory journals and conferences.
#AcademicChatter

2025-04-20 06:22:33 UTC

On average, there is less than a kilometer of sedimentary material between the #seafloor and the magmatic #substrate. Unless you're on a continental margin, then it's several kilometers.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2018GC008115
The maps of related to this study are on the NOAA servers, but for some reason, they are going to be removed soon. If this is relevant for you, back it up now.
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/368/845/003/599/545/original/d607df7b55e6b37a.png

2025-04-18 07:21:09 UTC

#WeekendReading: Faulkner et al. on how the test walls of foraminifera change through the #Phanerozoic and what might have to do with #ocean chemistry.
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2025.0221
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/357/754/873/155/853/original/169f5e3933618de7.png

2025-04-15 16:15:12 UTC

Calling them rhodoliths might be pushing it a bit - maybe rhodoforms. They are (fascinating) detached biogenic encrusted grains that scatter Eastern #Mediterranean shores.
(not starting another project, not going to start another project, no new projects... right now)
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/342/867/475/503/796/original/0044af05077f389b.jpeg

2025-04-10 13:55:53 UTC

Departure from Amazon has begun!
With the exclusivity clause expired THE REGRETS I HAVE ARE NOT THE ONES I SAY is now available on itch.io (more options to come... soonish).
#Books | #Bookstodon | #SciFi | #SpaceOpera
https://obialik.itch.io/the-regrets-i-have-are-not-the-ones-i-say
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/313/294/873/431/151/original/f9dcd7eda3e95ded.png

2025-04-09 06:01:27 UTC

Getting a #reef to solidify and harden is one of those things that seems simple (it's the framework builders, isn't it?). But it's actually (much) more complicated (different orders of strength and crystallinity, resistance to bioerosion, chemical stability). Dissolution, alkalinity generation, and precipitation might be key here. Sulfate reduction does some interesting things there.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-024-02509-5
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/304/349/705/377/269/original/87a9ad62cb721bef.png

2025-04-07 06:43:57 UTC

Seawater is an electrolyte, that is why we can use cathodic protection for metals we submerge in it. But it also means we can make #batteries with seawater... assuming we can overcome the many, many complications related to the complex ionic mix that is #seawater.
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/ee/d0ee01617a
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/295/322/776/286/508/original/374691312dc57998.png

2025-04-06 11:34:11 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…3gjh Very interesting, thanks.

2025-04-06 06:25:24 UTC

Income #inequality is, unfortunately, nothing new. First-second century CE major empires were nowhere near as rich as modern ones and even more unequal ( #Gini index > 0.5) around the seat of power.
(For reference, EU's Gini is ~0.3, USA's ~0.4, South Africa's ~0.6)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58581-0
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/287/090/576/375/923/original/371590bfa5cbf880.png

2025-04-04 07:53:44 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…w778 That's the original work from 1979, it has been expanded on by many subsequent studies. I just fell down the rabbit hole trying to figure out how this entire scheme (which I was first introduced to when a co-author used it in one of our papers) came to be.

2025-04-04 05:18:36 UTC

#WeekendReading: (back to classics) Huang and Meinschein about sterols (type of organic compound) as #ecological indicators.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0016703779902576
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/278/000/529/356/599/original/9a5476bc4a7d223f.png

2025-03-30 14:10:40 UTC

I am becoming more and more convinced of the existence of the Typo Fairy. They sneak in when you sleep, open your files, and add random typos into your documents. They most delight in the files that have already been proofed and edited, especially on the night before submission.
#WritingCommunity | #Writing
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2025-03-30 07:31:34 UTC

Apparently, you don't need to get shrapnel in your #eye for an #explosion to damage your #sight; the pressure waves themselves can cause optic nerve damage.
(Warning: This study describes results of animal experiments)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ceo.12407
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/247/860/346/621/577/original/8f0efc22aea061c5.png

2025-03-29 15:23:01 UTC

Bah... it looks like if one wants to get the most out of push-ups, the narrow-base (or diamond) hand position gives the maximum #muscle engagement.
Why is it #physical exercises that deliver the most returns are always the ones that I dislike the most?
(Don't answer, I know)
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/abstract/2005/08000/comparison_of_muscle_activation_using_divers_hand.24.aspx
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/244/929/046/008/679/original/1b2e472dbecff2df.png

2025-03-28 17:05:54 UTC

The words "permanent hydrological regime changes" are something that I could have lived well without ever reading. #ClimateChange
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq6529
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/241/145/419/053/393/original/42e44dcc90acced0.png

2025-03-26 16:03:52 UTC

One day I'll figure out how multiple people are willing to put their name on a paper, but not one of them bothered reading it and go "You know, maybe we should discuss the results in the discussion".
#AcademicChatter

2025-03-24 15:22:03 UTC

The fact we still struggle with mapping the deep #sea is not news (it's really expensive and hard to do). What was actually rather surprising to me about this figure was that only half of the #ocean volume is below 2000m.
(probably shouldn't have; the mean depth is ~3700m)
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo2850
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/218/085/619/548/091/original/d38137bb47fde0f5.png

2025-03-23 07:08:34 UTC

So you know how everyone complins that they are under so much stress their #hair is turning gray?
Good news! It does.
The process is a bit complicated, but the short version is #stress depletes the stem cells which make the cells that give hair color (melanocytes).
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-1935-3
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/210/484/234/583/596/original/6f5f3043fc47443b.png

2025-03-22 09:07:18 UTC

Ran into this in a random visit to the other place (wow, my feed, there is a desert, mostly the big names with thousands of followers still around).
#Academic | #Academia
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/205/280/487/013/810/original/441fc21a40d7c8d3.png

2025-03-21 15:49:08 UTC

Rejoice! For the days of #ornithopters are soon upon us (or at least the Birdy robots from Gundam Seed).
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08228-9
https://s3.eu-central-2.wasabisys.com/mastodonworld/media_attachments/files/114/201/207/322/316/447/original/a0cbfcef528247a8.png