Marissa Matsler

Is this the worst time to be alive for the “words mean things” community?

It is wild, if not surprising I guess, that whether people could fly somewhere at Thanksgiving seemed to have more political effect than whether people could *eat* at Thanksgiving.

An actual conversation:

Them: I like Los Angeles, but they don't do infrastructure well. I'm from Texas, where they do infrastructure well.

Me: Texas? Where the power grid keeps failing?

Them: I don't think of the power grid as infrastructure.

Me: It's one of the definitions of infrastructure.

Multiplication of peat moss (Sphagnum L.) species for climate action Abstract. Mosses from the genus Sphagnum have experienced 350 million years of separate evolution, resulting in distinctive features, such as unlimited api

Did you know that all peatlands together store more carbon than is stored in all the other living matter (viruses, archeae, bacteria, plants, animals, including humans) combined? That's why peatlands are important for our climate. More in our review
doi.org/10.1093/jxb/...

That is so cool! 🤩

honestly I hate the whole framing that a woman choosing not to sleep with or go out with a man is “rejecting” him

it makes it sound so active, like the default is to say yes

when in actuality we all walk by hundreds of people every day that we’re not going to sleep with

In case you're wondering how scientists can say that many shark populations are threatened with extinction while some US fishermen report that they've never seen so many sharks, the answer is shifting baselines: how much things have changed depends on when you start counting.

Federal agencies hiding out in a bunker

The EPA cited my paper in their argument against the endangerment finding today. However, their point is completely backwards: my paper actually supports the EPA's 2009 range of 1.8C to 4C warming by 2100. www.nature.com/artic...

a man in glasses is holding a book that says " is this a pigeon " Alt: a man in glasses is holding a book that says "is this a pigeon" while looking at a butterfly

Is it just me or is there a dearth of peer reviewed papers on evacuating rural communities for #disasters? I am hoping to find some case studies to review but nothing. Is this a gap in the literature?

But one of the main things I wanted to reflect upon in this year's thread is the challenging practical reality of managing complex/chronic medical conditions in general. It is all-consuming, at times, and uniformly exhausting. And yet that reality is nearly invisible to others.

Main character energy is OUT, this summer we’re bringing NPC energy. We’re posted up at the bar dropping lore and suggesting side quests. We’re leaning casually near a locked door and saying “I don’t think you have the key for that” when someone tries the handle. We’re staring at a tree.

There’s so much happening right now, I thought I’d put together a running thread on the dismantling of #climate and research and knowledge infrastructure in the United States 🧵

The Creation of FEMA: Historical Context Op-Ed from a fellow Reader and FEMA Employee

This is really well written. Clear explanation of why handing emergency management off to the states is a terrible idea.

substack.com/inbox/post/1...

Steam rising from orange pipes on a Manhattan Avenue.

The rats have chosen a new pope.

E.P.A. Plans to Shut Down the Energy Star Program

Triply stupid.

EnergyStar is a voluntary program with thousands of companies participating.

Consumers’ yearly energy savings are *1000* times what it costs EPA to run.

Those energy savings meet energy needs without the pollution from burning more gas and coal.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/06/c...

48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science 48 scientific societies representing almost 100,000 scientists signed on to a letter asking Congress to protect the future of science

If you’re concerned about the impact of the proposed budget on Federal funding of science but aren’t sure what to say when you call your elected officials, remember that a coalition of professional societies representing nearly 100,000 scientists signed an open letter about this a few weeks ago.
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Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.

Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.

AGU and AMS join forces on special collection to maintain momentum of research supporting the U.S. National Climate assessment Congressionally mandated, the NCA draws on the latest scientific research to evaluate how climate change is affecting the United States. The new special collection does not replace the NCA but instead...

Last week, the govt dismissed 400 researchers working on the US National Climate Assessment. I was one of them. Today, @agu.org & @ametsoc.org announced they are joining forces to sustain the momentum. It's not a replacement, it's a reminder that science is unstoppable. news.agu.org/press-releas...

Senate overturns EPA rule on seven highly toxic air pollutants If also passed by the House as expected, the action will be the first time Congress has weakened protections under the Clean Air Act.

Because they felt that air pollution isn't killing enough Americans, the Senate voted to overturn an EPA rule that limits toxic air pollutants emitted by industrial facilities, marking the first time Congress has weakened protections under the Clean Air Act.

Why whale urine is so important to life in the sea Their carcasses and faeces are also important to the ocean.

Whale 🐋 urine is vital to the ocean 🌊.

Grey, humpback & right whales transport carbon & nitrogen to the tropics via the “great whale conveyor belt”.

They transfer 46,000+ tons of biomass and 4,000 tons of nitrogen to poor nutrient grounds each year.
theconversation.com/why-whale-ur...

Catching up with colleagues and I feel like "have any of your grants been terminated yet" is the new "have you had COVID yet" from 2022 and I hate it.

Really want to knit those "architectural lines" 🤩 how fun!

An astronomy professor colleague of mine once relayed trying to explain to his students why it was important that they actually write their class reports themselves. “The point is not to teach ME about neutron stars,” he said.

US map via scienceimpacts.org visualization of economic loss due to IDC cuts to 15% as part of Feb 7, 2025 executive order, with shading denoting intensity of cuts.

Working with an interdisciplinary team, we have developed a website to communicate how the White House's proposed cuts to health research would cause losses of $16B and 68,500 jobs.

Find out how your community may be impacted.

Explore more at SCIMaP: scienceimpacts.org

a 🧵

A wooden chalkboard sandwich board outside a store, on the sidewalk. In chalk, it says I don’t have WIPs, I have a curated collection of mood based knitting options, and the word knitting is crossed out and replaced with crochet by digital editing.

Not sure how many WIPs I actually have (a lot!), but it turns out I'm not indecisive, I'm curating a collection of mood boards! 🧶
#crochetaway #crochet #knittingtoo #fiberlove

Wow this gradient is superb 🤩

Giant ice bulldozers: how ancient glaciers helped life evolve | News at Curtin New Curtin University research has revealed how massive ancient glaciers acted like giant bulldozers, reshaping Earth’s surface and paving the way for compl ...

Researchers at Curtin University discovered that as glaciers carved through the landscape, they scraped deep into the Earth’s crust, releasing key minerals that altered ocean chemistry.

Learn how this could enhance our understanding of Earth’s interconnected natural systems: bit.ly/3Dl6t5y

Trump Administration Aims to Eliminate E.P.A.’s Scientific Research Arm More than 1,000 chemists, biologists and other scientists could be laid off under a plan to dismantle the Office of Research and Development.

Breaking News: The EPA plans to eliminate its scientific research arm, firing as many as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists.

Three people in sky blue shirts and jeans climbing the steps of the US Capitol, including a young blonde girl wearing a red and white bandanna around her head and turning to look at the camera

Today is the 35th anniversary of the Capitol Crawl, in which disabled activists discarded their mobility aids at the foot of the Capitol steps to climb them in support of passage of the Americans with Disabilities Ac. Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, 8, told reporters "I'll take all night if I have to!"