Reports of Israel airstrikes on Rafah as Gaza ceasefire deal comes under threat Air force reportedly carries out attack after Hamas militants emerge from tunnels and shoot at Israeli soldiers

It isn't a ceasefire if the firing hasn't ceased?

Close-up image of a bright orange, fuzzy moth with feathery antennae and black eyes perched on the edge of a green leaf. Black background.

Arthropod Photo of the Week: October 15, 2025
Tangerine furry-legs moth
Acraga moorei
Lepidoptera: Dalceridae
By Tom Myers, Kentucky, USA
#arthropodPOTW

How Genocide Happened

Front page of Scottish newspaper The National today.

Today (date), the Slender-billed Curlew was declared extinct. The first bird extinction on mainland Europe in 500 years — on our watch. Extinction is final. No going back. Think about that.

Large model of a green caterpillar, the back of which is covered by dozens of white cocoons. Wasps can be seen emerging from some of the cocoons.

Spookiest decoration at the "Zoo Goes Boo" event at the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids? Giant model of parasitoid wasps hatching from cocoons affixed to their caterpillar host.

#ScienceSky, tell your colleagues to leave X, delete those x buttons on your lab page and replace with a butterfly. I declare #Bluesky the official social network for science and by scientists (you and your network of colleagues operate as your own algorithm determining what you see here). 🩺 🧪

every single dem should be taking notes. this is how you message around trans issues

(of note: i believe he is the only cis candidate for office to have trans people consult on his lgtbq+ policy platform)

Man takes selfie in front of a poster of them in drag.

At a time when queer existence in universities is treated as an “ideology,” I’m proud to be on display at work being unapologetically gay.

burn in hell ian watkins

XC398794 Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris) Awful wind noise in the original! See sonogram and notes of the recording circumstances on p12 of Gretton A. (1991) The ecology and conservation of the Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris). ...

It's also not "just another" extinction, it's the first from mainland Europe in centuries. CENTURIES.

And there will be others within our lifetime.

That's biodiversity loss.

We'll never hear this sound, ever again xeno-canto.org/398794

Well, it's official. After our paper last year (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....), the Slender-billed Curlew is officially declared Extinct today.

Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology

London hits clean air milestone 184 years early - ULEZ makes 'big difference' A professor has branded the success a 'truly remarkable turnaround for the city's air quality'

Thanks to London’s bold action, almost 10 million people are now breathing cleaner air.

That means fewer children will grow up with stunted lungs and fewer people will have to suffer from asthma, dementia and heart disease.

interviewer: where are you at

interviewer: in your phd

interviewee: ...

interviewee: at my limit

🥹 #PhDSky #AcademicSky

Foraging flight strategy varies with species identity of co-occurring individuals in bats The presence of individuals from a different species induces a change in bat's flight strategy, that probably reflects an increase in competitiveness. Inde

[NEW PAPER OUT]

🦇 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 !

A deep dive into optimal foraging theory and social foraging through this bat study: flight speed, tolerance to conspecifics, and adjustments in the presence of heterospecifics revealed via 3D tracking.

Palestinians will feel understandable relief. The West should feel nothing but shame. Gaza has been obliterated. The territory rendered uninhabitable. Tens of thousands murdered in cold blood. The entire population subjected to starvation tactics. And now, colonial subjugation under Trump and Blair

Fate of the last female great auk is finally solved DNA and historical sleuthing have traced the extinct bird’s remains to a museum in Ohio

Such a sad story, but good that it can be told in full in museums now.
doi.org/10.1126/scie...

Suriname pledges to permanently protect 90% of its forests, far exceeding the 30x30 global goal for climate and biodiversity protection – Rainforest Trust Suriname pledges to permanently protect 90% of its forests, a significant commitment for global climate action and biodiversity.

Suriname steps up and wants to protect 90% of its #forests reports the @rainforetrust.bsky.social 🌍

#30x30 #Rewilding #HalfEarth #TropicalForests

www.rainforesttrust.org/our-impact/r...

This tiny butterfly has the most chromosomes of any animal on Earth Scientists have confirmed that the Atlas blue butterfly carries the most chromosomes of any animal, with 229 pairs. Unlike duplication, its chromosomes split apart, reshaping its genome in surprising ...

Homie got 229 pairs of chromosomes

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...

three enamel pins in lesbian colours: a frog, a circle that says "It's Dr, actually", and a rectangular lesbian flag with a trans inclusive chevron on the left.

I might be biased but I think my lesbian enamel pin designs are some of my best.

Happy #InternationalLesbianDay! canopyrobin.etsy.com

Monitoring changes in UK temperature Multiple sources of data agree on long-term observed trends

Monitoring changes in UK temperature

To (almost) no-one’s surprise, multiple sources of data agree on the long-term trends in UK temperatures.

climatelabbook.substack.com/p/monitoring...

Clown wrasses, like all wrasses and parrotfish, start their lives biologically female and transition through a series of color phases before ending as a male in their ‘terminal phase’. Here we see a male terminal phase clown wrasse chasing a female initial phase #coralcitycamera #miami #coralcity

Vocal learning in wild birds! Today I spoke about our collaborative studies of Savannah Sparrows. Followed by great talks by Alex Kirschel, David Wheatcroft, Julie Elie, and Frédéric Theunissen. An information-rich day in Ste. Etienne. Thank you @nicolasmathevon.bsky.social

Political violence is bad but me and my mates need to set fire to this hotel because it contains people I don’t know personally but don’t like the idea of. Political violence is bad but I support the right of a country to kill hundreds of thousands of civilians because I’ve deemed them terrorists

Ursula von der Leyen calls for suspension of EU trade with Israel Commission president cites illegal West Bank settlement plans, Gaza and attempts to ‘undermine two-state solution’

Whilst Starmer, who said Israel has the right to withhold water from Palestinian civilians, hosts its President at Number 10. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Bright red ant mimic sac spider with stripy black and white and red legs and a white stripe down her carapace. She's chilling in my hand, grooming a foot

Face of the gorgeous creature, chilling in my hand.

I haven't seen as many Castianeira this year as I usually do, but this magnificent lass showed up at the end of my walk today and made me happy. Red lightning in the sand. ♥️
(still unclear which species this is, 4+ years after my first sighting)

- you clean up that banksy?
- sure did, your honour, leaving a perfect, permanent outline, imbuing the work with real fuckin gravitas while making its point better than the artist did himself just like you asked

Thanks to UK leadership, a global 30x30 target was adopted at COP15 in 2022 as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

But last year, the Government appeared to be sleepwalking with only 3% of land in England effectively protected. Today, we are moonwalking at just 2.8%.

🧪🌎

[opposing devastating cuts to welfare]

You can no longer be a Labour MP

[sending birthday messages to convicted paedophile, sex trafficker and "best pal" Jeffrey Epstein then continuing contact after his first conviction]

Well now hold on a second he's said he's sorry jeez

BREAKING: They're scrubbing @banksy

The court is erasing Banksy's mural just like it's erasing our right to protest.