Dr. Tara A. Nitka 🦅

A snowy pine forest and a field of fresh snow, under a clear, starry sky with the clouds of colorful stars and dust in the Milky Way core. Uintah Mountains, Utah in February 2026. Photo: Bill Dunford

Galactic core and pines, life in the Milky Way galaxy.

No, he’s not secretly gay.

He just doesn’t think women are people and gets his emotional satisfaction from other men

The time to prevent the thing from happening is *early*, as it is gaining steam. These things always start small, with efforts to weaken the norms against discrimination, with casual, unreflective slurs. They start with wedge policies (not gays, just gay adoption! not trans, just sports!).

And so if you really *mean* "never again" -- if you're serious about it -- then the time to intervene, the time to speak up, the time to stop it, is *when it is still small*. When it's just a casual slur. When it's just sports. When it's just asking questions. When it's framed as anti-PC.

a cartoon of basketball players with the words you are all fools of the highest caliber ALT: a cartoon of basketball players with the words you are all fools of the highest caliber

watching american diversity once again power us to olympic glory

watching conservatives argue that diversity is a weakness

The men were clearly inspired by the women.

ADOPTEES HAVE BEEN SCREAMING THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN NOW AND HAS HAPPENED FOR YEARS AND NOBODY EVER LISTENS. IF YOU ALL CARED ABOUT REFORMING THE ADOPTION SYSTEM AT ALL THIS WOULD NOT BE LEGALLY POSSIBLE. 🥚

Do you believe in Connoricles Hellebuyckles? #USAHockey #Gold #Olympics

NELSON BRINGS HOME GOLD 🇺🇸

So the women’s team only inspires the next generation of girls to play hockey but the men’s team inspires all Americans, got it got it got it.

It really beggars belief how so many journalists have been so incurious and unaware - but that’s how it’s been with moral panics in the modern era.

Transphobe: Trans inclusive sport is against SCIENCE!

Me: OK So would you agree to sport-by-sport rules based on scientific evidence?

Transphobe: NO

Burrowing owl couple peeking out from their burrow on the bank of a canal. The female looks shocked, the male looks bored.

Good morning! 🪶

Since I can’t sleep, here’s another hot take: The world would be a better place if everyone‘s science literacy was much better. There should be more emphasis on teaching basic science at all levels in school. Science isn’t just something nerds do, it’s the foundation of the modern world.

Burrowing owl parent grooming a kid while the other three kids hunker down in the burrow.

Good morning! 🪶

“Why Are We Funding This?” Long-standing myths about “silly science” have contributed to the reckless slashing of government-supported research.

ICYMI, last year I wrote an essay for American Scientist magazine defending funding basic research, even research that sounds silly when presented out of context. 🧪

www.americanscientist.org/article/%E2%...

The weirdest part of this is that he’s managed to not notice that neoliberals love AI.

These Republican Attorneys General are not only calling for the National Academies to take information about climate science off their website, but also also attacking the NASEM for their a guide to addressing scientific misinformation, calling that project a "liberal crusade."

Burrowing owlet flying over an alfalfa field.

Good morning! 🪶

Three burrowing owlets at sunrise with dilated pupils.

Good morning! 🪶

Burrowing owlet looking very innocent.

Good morning! 🪶

Coffee-growing countries becoming too hot to cultivate beans, analysis finds Five countries responsible for 75% of world’s coffee supply record average of 57 extra days of coffee-harming heat a year

Uh-oh

A bunny rides on the back of a flying horse, across a red sky with clouds. a bunch of other bunnies run alongside the horse

Daily bunny no.3233 rides into the sun

Two fluffy burrowing owlets biting each other's beaks.

Good morning! 🪶

A bunny on the deck of a flying, wooden ship waves to another bunny on a similar flying boat, as both sail through a quiet, starry sky

Daily bunny no.3232 is passing in the night

Red-tailed Hawk is perched on a wire in front of a professional building.

Here's my best perched shot from yesterday. What a handsome red-tailed hawk!
#Birds #Red-TailedHawk

Burrowing owl family of four all glaring at the camera.

Good morning! 🪶

Golden Eagle - with the snow capped mountains of the Cairngorms in the background #birds

A bunny sits outside at a nice restaurant, with a table for two on the waterfront . the other menu is untouched, and the bunny looks around. The sun is setting

Daily bunny no.3230 is waiting to order

Two burrowing owlets peeking out of their burrow. One is looking at the camera, one is looking at the other owlet.

Good morning! 🪶