Mastodawn

🦭Why do seals "whisk" their whiskers?

New research by PhD student Chinmay Gupta, Prof. Ajay Kottapalli and team @rug.nl shows that active whisking improves sensing, helping seals accurately follow underwater trails.🌊

🧪 #SciComm #sciencealert #ScienceNewsroom #bioinspired #biomedical #engineering #mechanics #technology #biology #research #science #scientistsOnMastodon @universityofgroningen

GrrlScientist ⧖ Ⓥ 🇺🇦3h ago

Is Lovebird Behavior The Result of Nature or Nurture?

"Two closely-related species of lovebirds provide an intriguing look at the nature of behavior: is it innate or learned? or maybe a little of both?"

#SciComm by @grrlscientist

#Behavior #parrots #birds #ornithology #learning #instinct #Ecology https://grrlscientist.medium.com/is-lovebird-behavior-the-result-of-nature-or-nurture-c683a3b77295

Show thread

RHET AI Center 6h ago

The symposium “Teaming Up with Generative AI: From Tool Use to Partnership” marks the conclusion of the interdisciplinary research project “The Answering Machine.”
Researchers and practicioners discuss how generative AI is transforming collaboration, creativity, and communication—and how it is increasingly understood not just as a tool, but as a partner.

#AI #GenAI #ScienceCommunication #scicomm

Sci_Burst 11h ago

📣 We’re doing another live show! Come along Saturday 11 April to see our final recording for Season 3 on Solarpunk Australia 👀🎙️ and learn how a podcast is made. There will be an opportunity to interact with podcasting equipment afterwards and to ask us lots of questions xx

Book now for FREE to secure your spot! Link in replies ⬇️🔗🎟️

#scicomm #podcast #liveshow #livepodcast #solarpunk

Matt Hodgkinson 15h ago

Ruth Francis, a science communication consultant, has died. She headed comms at the journal publisher BMC shortly after I left, and went on to do the same at Springer Nature and F1000 before becoming a consultant, in which role I briefly got to work with her. She will be missed. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/it-is-with-great-sadness-that-we-share-the-share-7442234166001303552-QYlI

#Obituary #JournalPublishing #SciComm

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Ruth Francis. Ruth was a well-known and much-loved Stempra member and contributor to our community. She had more than two decades of… | Stempra | 34 comments

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Ruth Francis. Ruth was a well-known and much-loved Stempra member and contributor to our community. She had more than two decades of experience in science communication, having worked for King's College London, Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Nature Portfolio, Springer Nature, F1000, and in recent years as a freelance communications consultant. She was also Chair of Stempra in the early 2010s, supported the committee when Rob Dawson passed four years ago, and most recently was Co-Chair from March 2024 until her diagnosis last year. Those who worked with Ruth describe her as inspiring, creative and kind - a colleague who helped others tell the stories of science in interesting and honest ways, while always championing her team and finding humour along the way. Her warmth, insight and generosity shaped the experiences of many across the science communication community. We know this news will be a shock to many. We are collecting messages of condolence and memories to share with Ruth’s family - please send these to [email protected]. There will be a moment of reflection at tomorrow’s AGM, and we will share more soon about how we plan to honour Ruth’s memory in the long term. | 34 comments on LinkedIn

SciAnts Media 16h ago

It's a Tinker Tuesday! Today we will be chatting about termites, while crafting termite scenery, plus rabbit holes galore! 9pm EDT #science #twitch #TwitchPartner #live #stem #sciants #livestream #scicomm #twitchambassador #youtube twitch.tv/sciants_stre...

PsychoticSheep 22h ago

Another photo from my training, this time captured during the analysis of a polymer sample under the light microscope ✨🔬

The material is based on a polycondensation reaction of 4,4´-dihydroxybiphenyl with an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid chloride. Using an aqueous phase with sodium hydroxide and a phase transfer catalyst results in a polymer whose structure and properties strongly depend on the ordering of its molecular chains.

It becomes especially interesting when looking at the thermal and optical properties. In differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the material shows two endothermic transitions. This means that the ordered structure is not lost all at once, but stepwise via a liquid crystalline phase into a fully isotropic state.

Under the polarizing microscope, this order becomes directly visible. The sample exhibits birefringence, meaning direction-dependent refraction of light. This only occurs when regions within the material are organized on a scale comparable to the wavelength of light. These structures are exactly what create the fascinating patterns and colors in the image.

In short, a small window into the world of liquid crystals, somewhere between ordered structure and thermally driven disorder.

I love these moments when chemistry is not only measurable, but also visible.

#chemistry #polymer #polymerchemistry #liquidcrystals #microscopy #polarizedlight #birefringence #materials #materialscience #lablife #science #research #stem #scicomm

Aktionsb. neue soziale Medien 23h ago

#NoKings

As early as 2 years ago, many people in #Germany and #Europe felt that #BigTech ’s internet platforms did not live up to the claim of being #socialmedia. Many were appalled by the #hatespeech, #incitement, #cyberbullying, and #disinformation being spread there.
Our action alliance first reached out to #universities to propose withdrawing from #X and adopting #Mastodon. We believe the #Fediverse platforms are much better suited for #SciComm or, more broadly, for substantive discourse aimed at protecting and preserving our #democracy. Other initiatives have since emerged, such as #ByeByeElon, #HelloQuitX, #LeaveX, and #SaveSocial.

We’ve already seen some initial success: around 150 #academic institutions in Germany are active on Mastodon and have +157k followers there
👉 https://mastodon-listen.playground.54gradsoftware.de/institute-DE
We believe this is an approach we can also recommend to the #research and #academic communities in the #US to fend off attacks from #autocrats .

Mastodon Listen

Listen von Mastodon-Accounts von z.B. Universitäten, Forschungseinrichtungen etc. Erstellt mit Daten von Wikidata.

Laborjournal 23h ago

Erster Tag der #analytica2026 !
Heute bis Freitag, von morgens bis abends findet ihr uns noch in Halle A3, Stand 108!

Wir freuen uns auf weitere inspirierende Gespräche, fachlichen Austausch rund um die #LifeSciences und geben euch Einblicke in unsere Arbeit!

#Laborjournal #LifeSci #Messe #München #SciComm

Matilda's Lab 1d ago

It's back! After an involuntary hiatus, the map is life is making a return. I have completed my line-up of illustrated bull-headed sharks on the Chondrichthyes map and I have the next bit ready to share with you all soon.
https://matildaslab.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=10994&action=edit
#scicomm #sciart