#I AM...OVERWHELMED

[markscherz]

You might know this tiny frog.

This is Mini mum (photo by Andolalao Rakotoarison), a species I had the pleasure to name—together with a team of amazing colleagues—back in 2019.

That was the start of a fascination with the process and consequences of miniaturisation for vertebrates. How the hell does this tiny frog manage to fit all of its vital organs—more or less all the same senses and organs that we have—into a package the size of a tic-tac‽ Why and how has it evolved to be so small? And why don't we get frogs that are much smaller?

Well, I just secured 1.5 MILLION Euros (!!!) in the form of a European Research Commission Starting Grant, to answer these and other related questions in the genomes of Mini frogs and other miniaturised vertebrates.

Because it turns out, there are *lots* of miniaturised vertebrates, and they push the boundaries of how small we think it is possible for a vertebrate to be! Here is a little graphic of some of them, scaled to a BIC ballpoint pen.

The project is called GEMINI: The Genomics of Miniaturisation in Vertebrates! You can read more about it on my website here, and in the press release, here!

[inkskinned]

i got my isbn today for the book. 8 months to go. my mom and i were talking about what the next steps are. i was eating trail mix, standing on one foot, phone tucked into my ear.

"yeah," i said. "the problem is that tumblr as a market is like, not something that can be studied." there's this weird wave of nostalgia and affection for this place that came up over me: how lovely we avoid consumerism. okay, it sucks as a creator. but also? keep stickin' it to 'em.

my mother made the sound at the back of her throat that i also make, the one that means i've got an idea. "you should figure out some kind of reward for presale amounts. maybe you give out poems or a mug or a signed book or something. would your followers like that?" my mother is sweet, and kind, and i have no idea how to explain on this website you can buy someone crabs.

i put more m&ms down the hatch. i had to speak through peanuts and almonds. "if it passes 25 thousand i will print the book out in its entirety and eat it live on camera."

"oh god. no, you don't have to do that." she was anguished. "just tell them that you'd love them to read it, and that they've inspired you to write. you got started on that site, and they helped you keep going. raquel, you love these people. the community? you talk all the time about the other writers and artists and whatever else. tell them that you're hoping for their support, they'll come through."

"no," i assured her. i discovered i had dropped an m&m, but an ant had already found it, so it belonged to him now. i will let his little life have a surprise blue treasure in it, too. "i'm gonna fuckin' eat the book."

[nikothebookdragon]

hey btw. being platonically in love is so real btw. having a silly text convo with your friend and thinking "I love you" with every message. studying together in silence and feeling the most comfortable you've been in years. having a huge cheesy grin on your face after you spend time together, or even just text for a bit. your worries becoming a little easier to bear when they hug you. worrying about them, wishing you could magically give them all the happiness in the world.

being platonically in love is one of my favourite feelings in the world, and you know what? I'm so grateful that being aspec let me experience this in full. I fucking love being on the aromantic spectrum <3

[personishfive]

in which dialogue is exchanged

[entnoot]

Artfight attack of Ailill Mahariel for @ruushes!

[dingledraw]

If you can’t handle cringe fail disco Crowley, you don’t deserve disco goddess Crowley!!! 😤💃🏻

[hymnsofheresy]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

A new challenger approaches (slowly)

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[qqueenofhades]

my mom was defeatist when she found out biden dropped out of the race, but i told her i was having hope. seeing the posts about the donations rolling in, i think my hope is well placed

Hold your ground! HOLD YOUR GROUND!

Sons of Gondor! Of Rohan! My brothers. I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day!

An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down -- but it is not this day! This day we fight!

By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!

[nyxofdemons]

THE WAY THAT THEY INVENTED ROMANCE WITH THIS SONG???? HELLO?????

[queruloustea]

since you here seem like dust, i offer some quick doodles of a little mother-child bonding and also some Holding :]

[seagreenstardust]

“I thought we’d go on forever competing and chasing each other” while Katsuki is crying right in front of Izuku is literally just Kacchan-ese for “can we stay together please I don’t ever want you to not be with me”

[ventique18]

Imagine being Yuu and having the privilege to call this guy the love of your life, your husband, your soulmate

Would they wake up one day and just. Gaze at him. And a tidal wave of disbelief and happiness overwhelms them because HOW THE HELL are they and this guy on the same bed? Exchanging I-love-yous and kisses? Promising forever to each other? Eating biscuits from the same tray and laughing at accidentally grabbing the same cookie and cleaning up after the crumbs as if they're the most normal couple in the universe when in fact they're not?

And that he'd feel the exact same way as they do and spend hours and hours gazing at their face and thanking whatever gods exist out there that they crossed paths during that fateful night?

GOD they're so perfect lord help me

[sketchy-tour]

HELLO HI HELLO I AM!!! RECOVERING CURRENTLY!!!!

So I haven't posted in a small moment and planned to get myself going again soon but right now I am recovering from an accident (I won't get into the nitty gritty) that has left me quite shaken. FIRST OFF I AM OKAY! Minor injuries so nothing alarming I am physically fine besides being sore for a bit and some scrapes and bruises that are still healing, including my arms which is making drawing a bit difficult. I'm slowly getting better but cant really draw for long periods and honestly I might not draw much for a bit till I feel better both physically and mentally. its the mentally part that might take some time. But I'm resting, rest assured!

ANYWAY this is more just an update cause I know i've been a lil absent. ESPECIALLY after this accident. I'm not abandoning the blog by any means, def still check on tumblr but couldn't seem to muster the energy to interact with much at the moment as my brain is a little rattled up.

I hope yall are all okay! I hope your days are bright and yall are taking care of yourselves!

I promise I'm doing what I can to take care of me!

[gingerteaonthetardis]

shaking in my boots thinking about s6 so far. how spike is the closest thing to death that buffy can still get her arms around. and that's all she wants, to hold death close, to conquer death, to be dead, to play dead, to tell death she's sorry and she loves it but she's not allowed to have it for keeps, death is not for her no matter how bad she craves it and no matter how bad it craves her back!! death is her gift and she can only give it, never take it back for herself. death keeps crawling towards her like an animal with bloody teeth. so okay, she wasn't supposed to live this long and she's not allowed to die and she'll never get to heaven and this one man-shaped demon demon-shaped man is the only thing she can touch that knows anything about it. she can't cuddle up to death at night, right, so there's just this. there's just them!!!

[sinlizards]

next batch of kofi requests!

requests are still open here starting at $15! might be closing em up soon so get em while you can >_o