Woah! On Gaia, here’s a bit from my new book on the mystic Rudolf Steiner’s influence on Golding and Lovelock

Probably didn't help that Dawkins said "red in tooth and claw" admirably sums up our understanding of natural selection (I don't think it quite does)

Also fascinating that Darwin and Tennyson were exact contemporaries and had the same tutor at Cambridge (William Whewell) tho not at same time, AND they both hung out with Babbage!

Great book. I was amazed to learn that Tennyson wrote “nature red in tooth and claw” in 1844, years before he’d read Darwin. Always assumed it was a response to Origin.

The First WORLD FENCING LEAGUE is happening April 25th!!! I'M GEEKING!!!

Japanese engineers developed this "Sword Tip Visualisation" tracking technology specifically for this event that will make it so much easier for the average person to see what's going on!

I MUST WATCH THIS ENTIRE TOURNAMENT

L.Y.R. - Guernica Jigsaw YouTube video by Real World Records

Enjoyed Simon Armitage and LYR doing Guernica Jigsaw on Front Row www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoLI...

A “Super El Niño” Is Coming - And It Could Trigger Global Climate Chaos Spotify video

A super El Niño - or "Godzilla" El Niño - could make 2027 the hottest year on record
open.spotify.com/episode/5kY7...

A “Super El Niño” Is Coming - And It Could Trigger Global Climate Chaos YouTube video by The World, The Universe And Us

Not now, “Godzilla” El Niño
With me, @pennysarchet.bsky.social and @alecluhn.com
m.youtube.com/watch?v=97ve...

A warning: with The Story of Birds coming soon, I'm going to be very annoying with constant PR & marketing posts. Even more annoying than usual.

In an effort to blunt the narcissism, here are some books from other writers (yes they exist) that I've greatly enjoyed recently!

What a picture. Caravaggio-vibes.

Britain’s First Astronaut on the New Race to the Moon YouTube video by The World, The Universe And Us

I spoke with Britain's first astronaut, Helen Sharman, about:
🌖The race to the moon
🌔The Artemis accords
🌑Life at the lunar south pole
🌜Nuclear reactors on the moon
🈷️And more!
youtu.be/d9NR-wy5GSs

Critical Atlantic current significantly more likely to collapse than thought Scientists say finding is ‘very concerning’ as collapse would be catastrophic for Europe, Africa and the Americas

"Rahmstorf, who has studied the Amoc for 35 years, has said a collapse must be avoided 'at all costs'. 'I argued this when we thought the chance of an Amoc shutdown was maybe 5%, and even then we were saying that risk is too high, given the massive impacts. Now it looks like it’s more than 50%.'"

Selection accelerated since the transition from hunting and gathering to farming

Britain’s First Astronaut on the New Race to the Moon | Helen Sharman Spotify video

PWC estimated that the lunar economy could be worth 100s of billions of dollars. We discuss with astronaut Helen Sharman open.spotify.com/episode/0AwB...

Britain’s First Astronaut on the New Race to the Moon YouTube video by The World, The Universe And Us

I spoke with Britain's first astronaut, Helen Sharman, about:
🌖The race to the moon
🌔The Artemis accords
🌑Life at the lunar south pole
🌜Nuclear reactors on the moon
🈷️And more!
youtu.be/d9NR-wy5GSs

Meanwhile my own oak bonsai is unfurling. Young leaves are red from protective anthrocyanin (to repel herbivores)

Wasp queen, just emerged from hibernation! If you see a big (2cm) wasp it’s probably a queen looking for a place to start a colony.

Drama and mixed emotions in Hammersmith. The long-term male (Tom) has been ousted (maybe killed) by this new male. Tom has been here for 10 years and even I have known him for 6. @fabperegrines.bsky.social

Where are your stripes Roger!

We Now Have Early Warning Signal Of Ocean Current Collapse YouTube video by The World, The Universe And Us

AMOC collapse looking more likely. Our podcast m.youtube.com/watch?v=yNhZ...

A BONSAI ginkgo tree! Not seen a bonsai one before, love it.

A reconstruction of a Neanderthal based on the fossils from La Chapelle-aux-Saints in France. He is a man with pale skin and a broad nose, shoulder-length hair and a beard. He's looking straight at the camera. Credit: S. Entressangle / E. Daynes / Science Photo Library

I tried to make sense of all the conflicting data and ideas about the origins of the Neanderthals, for @newscientist.com

www.newscientist.com/article/2522913-are-nean...

😂

Is that an image of you trying to figure it out?

Looking forward to meeting Suzanne Simard today!

Bluebells in my front garden. They have poor root systems, and rely on symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi to do the job of scouting for nutrients. From my book Togetherness (now available for pre-order!) www.penguin.co.uk/books/459006...

They lay eggs in spider eggs!

Ha - commander Reid Wiseman reported “four green crew members” - in NASA parlance that means 😍 not 🤢

Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman called the astronauts “almost poets”. Respect to poetry! #artemisII

Genetic analysis reveals how the Neanderthals went extinct Spotify video

Ten Neanderthals got their genomes sequenced (this is not the start of a joke!) open.spotify.com/episode/4Nu1...