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Mike Kaspari

@mikekaspari.bsky.social

I’m a college professor immersed in #teaching and #ecology. I visit lots of ecosystems, combine observations and simple experiments, and look for generalities. I #garden, #cook, play #music and #read to round things out.

3,191 Followers  |  274 Following  |  1,251 Posts  |  Joined: 02.10.2023  |  2.2337

Latest posts by mikekaspari.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Nitrogen deposition reveals global patterns in plant and animal stoichiometry - Nature Communications Organisms vary in their nitrogen and phosphorus content, shaping ecological and evolutionary processes. This study shows that nitrogen deposition is a consistent global factor associated with plant an...

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πŸŒπŸ”¬ Our new paper is out! We identify the global mechanisms shaping the elemental composition of organisms β€” and the results overturn long-standing assumptions in ecology.

πŸ‘‡ Thread ↓
doi.org/10.1038/s414...

09.12.2025 14:32 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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We Did It, Texas Dems, We Did It Candidates in every legislative, statewide, and federal race. Now it’s time to build power where it counts.

Texas Democrats just did something historic under the leadership of new state party chair @kendallscudder.bsky.social. We have filed a candidate in EVERY 2026 race.

U.S. Senate: 1 of 1
U.S. House: 38 of 38
State Senate: 15 of 15
State House: 150 of 150
State Board of Education: 8 of 8

09.12.2025 04:35 β€” πŸ‘ 2050    πŸ” 458    πŸ’¬ 45    πŸ“Œ 78

May his memory be a blessing.

08.12.2025 23:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

this places rules and if you're too afraid to visit that's between you and your tiny baby brain

08.12.2025 19:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1271    πŸ” 136    πŸ’¬ 32    πŸ“Œ 3

UPDATE: Another Chicago-area church has put up an immigration-themed Nativity scene.

A church member at Urban Village Church sent this one along, where Mary, Joseph and Jesus are gone and replaced with a sign that reads: β€œDue to ICE activity in our community, the Holy Family is in hiding.”

07.12.2025 22:31 β€” πŸ‘ 8038    πŸ” 2781    πŸ’¬ 66    πŸ“Œ 85
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Dear New Phytologist
I fully intended to get that review in today but I was recruited in house for a puzzling challenge in astrophysics.

Tomorrow. For sure.

07.12.2025 22:23 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The advantage of youth is the sheer energy one can bring to life’s project. Be dogged, try whatever interests you, invest the time, have patience.

The advantage of age is the diverse toolkit you’ve developedβ€”ever ready for the opportunity when idea meets tool.

Patience is the common denominator.

07.12.2025 17:44 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

My teen, who had dreamt of being an astrophysicist, just told me he wants to go to law school because, β€œScience isn’t going to be a priority in the US in the future…I don’t want a job where I’ll be constantly worried my funding will be taken away.”

Gutting. How many future scientists have we lost?

07.12.2025 01:23 β€” πŸ‘ 2825    πŸ” 671    πŸ’¬ 193    πŸ“Œ 84
Nancy and Sluggo have found a pair of sunglasses and they are walking side by side with their heads together so they both can wear the sunglasses at the same time.

Nancy and Sluggo have found a pair of sunglasses and they are walking side by side with their heads together so they both can wear the sunglasses at the same time.

SUNDAY WITH NANCY AND SLUGGO

07.12.2025 12:51 β€” πŸ‘ 169    πŸ” 17    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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From the @wsj.com chief foreign correspondent

07.12.2025 09:43 β€” πŸ‘ 10566    πŸ” 3264    πŸ’¬ 167    πŸ“Œ 159
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Peanut butter cookies taste better when stored in 1960s Tupperware from the house you grew up in.

06.12.2025 21:00 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

I’ve been nominated for the FIFA prize for literature, oh wait, I just found out I won. Imaginary prizes are it turns out, very easy to win.

06.12.2025 17:27 β€” πŸ‘ 12501    πŸ” 1557    πŸ’¬ 509    πŸ“Œ 80

It only took four of us making a two-minute public comment about the library at the city council meeting for the councilors to restore the funding the mayor’s office had cut.

06.12.2025 17:08 β€” πŸ‘ 919    πŸ” 265    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 4

I really can't emphasize enough that if you care about local politics, all you gotta do is show up. Just a regular schmegular person showing up. Literally just show up consistently in person and within a remarkably short amount of time, you will have a shocking amount of influence.

05.12.2025 06:07 β€” πŸ‘ 3279    πŸ” 913    πŸ’¬ 20    πŸ“Œ 172
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Talking With Paul Kedrosky So, about this AI thing ...

Great Krugman interview with Paul Kedrosky on the AI bubble substack.com/inbox/post/1... The bursting will be great fun. Be there!

06.12.2025 13:00 β€” πŸ‘ 43    πŸ” 18    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 3

There are comics that are funny.
There are comics that are relevant.
There are comics that are unforgettable.
C Harvey pulls off the rare hat trick.

05.12.2025 17:38 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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incredible writing

04.12.2025 10:30 β€” πŸ‘ 138    πŸ” 22    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 0

The thing that strikes me even more than how objectively terrible that essay is is how readily OU threw the TA under the bus. They were perfectly happy to have her, a grad student, as the only person teaching the course… and now they’re going to sacrifice her to try and buy off the outrage machine.

01.12.2025 02:43 β€” πŸ‘ 33    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Republican senator pretends he doesn’t know any senators

30.11.2025 23:19 β€” πŸ‘ 2576    πŸ” 524    πŸ’¬ 83    πŸ“Œ 15

"OU Is Doing Higher Education the Right Way" - by Ezra Klein

30.11.2025 22:45 β€” πŸ‘ 136    πŸ” 24    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Why leaky plants are a troublesome climate issue for Earth - The Weather Network A recent study revealed that plants are starting to lose more water under high temperatures. A phenomenon known as 'leaky plants' is increasing because of climate change, potentially converting them f...

Recent study revealed plants are starting to lose more water under high temperatures. Known as "leaky plants," the abnormality is increasing because of #ClimateChange, potentially converting them from carbon sinks to carbon sources @seanmichaletz.bsky.social www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/clim...

30.11.2025 18:41 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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@ianmarsden.bsky.social
😳😳😳

29.11.2025 20:24 β€” πŸ‘ 486    πŸ” 150    πŸ’¬ 30    πŸ“Œ 12

42

30.11.2025 14:12 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Sounds like there’s an…um…story behind this?

30.11.2025 14:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Number of SNAP recipients
Amazon	2,456
Walmart	2,318
Uber	1,799
DoorDash	1,462
Tempus Unlimited	1,425
Stop & Shop	989
Mass General Brigham	956
Dollar Tree	952
Albertsons Companies, Inc.	896
Bayada Home Health	887

Number of SNAP recipients Amazon 2,456 Walmart 2,318 Uber 1,799 DoorDash 1,462 Tempus Unlimited 1,425 Stop & Shop 989 Mass General Brigham 956 Dollar Tree 952 Albertsons Companies, Inc. 896 Bayada Home Health 887

The Boston Globe identified the companies in Massachusetts that employ the most SNAP recipients. A key stat: "In Massachusetts, 74% of working-age recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are employed, half of them full-time."

Full article: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/28/m...

29.11.2025 15:55 β€” πŸ‘ 3408    πŸ” 1812    πŸ’¬ 11    πŸ“Œ 257
Post image 29.11.2025 12:59 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Still true.

28.11.2025 23:53 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Credit where credit is due: Dr. Brian McGill wrote an amazing essay on the topic of β€œstatistical machismo” in Ecology back in 2012.

dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/s...

28.11.2025 23:51 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Introduce yourself with 5 animals you’ve seen in the wild:

Jaguar
Puma
Ocelot
Margay
.
.
.
Pheidole multispina

28.11.2025 18:38 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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When Is It Time to Flee? Trans people and their families are facing hard questions and choices as threats to their safety and rights proliferate.

This is a really good New Republic article about trans people leaving the country. Do some research about getting visas. Start now. It is harder and slower than you think, and there are no opportunities for asylum right now. It also is entirely doable.

newrepublic.com/article/2036...

27.11.2025 23:58 β€” πŸ‘ 163    πŸ” 52    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 12

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