Benj @Benj@qoto.org

Some of you may have seen Elon Musk's endorsement of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s crazy antivax conspiracy theories today.

Over at post.news, I just posted a long-form piece about this, and about how science education needs to adapt to online disinformation.

Please a look. If you like it, boost it there or here or — if you dare — over on the birdsite.

https://post.news/article/2J7VEapSIpNWsrC0EawD8CopYqo

The wonderful song of the whales 🔊

I'll be adding this to my resources page later, but I want to highlight this one:

https://halftonehospital.com/

Free digital tools for zinesters, comic artists, and so on, including brushes, templates, tones, fonts, textures, and more. Support for a variety of art software.

#MastoArt #FediArt #zines #comics #zineScene #illustration #art #DigitalArt

The thing Bob loves most about being a werewolf is when his wife takes him on a car ride.

Merry Christmas fellow weirdos! Hope everyone is having a good day!

There is an exoplanet less reflective than coal. It's the darkest planet ever discovered orbiting a star, and its atmosphere is hotter than lava! It would incinerate any stocking it found itself in. Happy holidays from your exoplanet friends!
https://go.nasa.gov/3hIGMB3
#NASAExoplanets

Just want to add that I know it’s easy to hate on journalists, but we are people from all walks of life. Personally, I love thinking about social products and features, that’s why I write about communication technology. I appreciate everyone’s feedback and I hope ppl understand that I’m not trying to “ruin” anything by sharing my personal opinions on features. It’s ok to disagree! I also have deep knowledge of online harassment and how it manifests 💓

Un des grands handicaps de Mastodon qui l'empêche de devenir une plateforme de shitposting aussi efficace que Twitter est la nécessité (en tout cas dans l'appli Tusky) d'appuyer sur un bouton « Pouet » pour envoyer son message.

Vous avez écrit une blague (pourrie) et, pour la valider, vous devez faire « pouet » comme le dernier des clowns de supermarché. La self-awareness est terrible, impossible de franchir le pas, saisi de honte, vous effacez.

Criteria we could use to judge & compare countries instead of GDP & military strength:

- % of population living in poverty
- child mortality
- average women’s educational level
- life expectancy
- standard of living for poorest 10% of population
- median leisure budget remaining after core expenses (rent, food, health, education)
- minimum wage v cost of living
- happiness index
- % population failed by social safety net
- preventable deaths
- environmental impact per population

What can you get for that hard-to-shop-for loved one? How about an aerospace history e-book? You can download any of our >200 titles for free!

Explore the collection: https://go.nasa.gov/3WbApF2
#NASAhistory

A timelapse showing the incredible movement of a growing vine, exhibiting both nastic movement to find, and then a thigmotropic response to grasp and hold.

Credit: Roger P. Hangarter

https://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/movements/nastic/nastic.html

#botany #nature #plants #science

@eldadoinquieto @nyrath Or from Portal 2:

Henrietta Lacks was a poor, Black, young mother diagnosed w cervical cancer in 1951. When her cells were collected w/o consent, scientists saw they multiplied remarkably fast.

“HeLa” cells changed #science. They’re used globally to study viruses, drugs, hormones, genes, diseases & develop vaccines. Lacks passed away at 31 w no recognition.

Rebecca Skloot’s beautiful book about her life & legacy is changing that. Now her statue will replace Robert E. Lee in NC. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/20/us/henrietta-lacks-statue-roanoke-virginia.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare #history

Have you seen this one? Before & after of a brain after a 20 minute walk — illustrates why walking to work, or school, or just to get the intellectual juices flowing, has been strongly linked to better creative & intellectual performance.
Just one of MANY benefits of choosing to walk, for you and for society.
Design and build walkable cities.
#walking #cities #urbanism #WalkableCities #WalkToSchool #WalkToWork #city #cars

#mosstodon #iceland

Southern Iceland is home to one of the most surreal landscapes I’ve ever seen. Nothing but moss as far as the eye could see. We got close to the ground and looked carefully, but didn’t see a single insect even when we gently rolled a small rock to peek underneath.

Wow: More than 100 new designs discovered in Peru’s ancient Nazca plain
Findings this month of geoglyphs, which date back more than 2,000 years, are smaller and can be seen from the ground. And they’re in danger from mining 😟

Via The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/19/peru-nazca-plain-ancient-art-new-designs-discovered

Why did Attila and his huns transition from farmers & herders to violent raiders who attacked the Roman Empire? A new study published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology says the study of tree rings indicates it was drought.

(Raise your hand if you're surprised that climate change likely played a role. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?)

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/974385

-----------------
#ClimateChange #archaeology #history #climate

2018 #OnThisDay
#HumanArtists #ArtByHuman #FuckAi

"Midnight tale"
#Daily
________
#ArtStation https://artstn.co/p/XBgvqw
#DeviantArt http://fav.me/dcuco37

Umi bozu is a #yokai sea spirit from #JapaneseFolklore. They appear on calm nights as a large humanoid shape emerging from the water, causing sudden turbulence and wild waves. Umi bozu will attempt to sink ships by demanding a barrel from the crew and then proceeding to scoop water into the boat. The only way to escape is by throwing them a bottomless barrel and quickly escaping while they are confused.
#japodon #folklore #ukiyoe
🎨1. 'The Sea Monk' - Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1843
2. Shigeru Mizuki

We may never be able to match the incredible achievements of #JohnMastodon, but the European Union still plays its part!

We are proud funders of Mastodon through the Next Generation Internet initiative (@EC_NGI).

Open,
Interoperable,
Decentralised,
Trust based.

More info: https://www.ngi.eu/blog/2022/11/24/how-ngi-supports-open-interoperable-decentralised-and-trust-based-internet-applications-through-fediverse-projects-like-mastodon/