Evolutionary ecologist & Boggle aficionado. Author: The Scientist's Guide to Writing; Charles Darwin's Barnacle and David Bowie's Spider. He/him. Blog and book links: scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3muadvrhdir2dJust read a 1476-word Abstract (of an 80-page paper). This Abstract needed to have a Metaabstract. Next time some journal wants me to boil one of mine down to 150 words, they're going to hear about this...29 Aug 2026 16:57 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3muadvrhdir2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mua4km6mim2iThis morning's reading (for my book in progress) has so far included a Sciences Advances paper from 2020, an archaeological monograph from 1965, and the Old Testament book of Genesis. Let me just say that the writing styles span quite the range. 1/229 Aug 2026 14:46 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mua4km6mim2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mu5isecapn2cLatest evidence that naming species after celebrities is an effective way of bringing public attention to the science of species discovery. Someone seeing this will roll their eyes, maybe even reply to say this is unseemly. But it works, and it matters. https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/slash-guns-n-roses-guitarist-snake-9.731566628 Aug 2026 13:46 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mu5isecapn2chttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mtywqf7vfj2bCurrently using image-editing software to floss the teeth of a great white shark (as one does). That is, cleaning up a scan of Nicolas Steno's 1667 illustration of a great white shark head he dissected. But I prefer to think of it as flossing its teeth; the only safe way to do so on this beast!26 Aug 2026 18:13 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtywqf7vfj2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mtvrujlelt2bThat new species of monkey last month was a great news story, but is species discovery really like that? And why museums are so important: https://scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2026/08/25/new-species-from-the-rainforest-vs-new-species-from-museum-drawers/ 🌍🧪25 Aug 2026 12:08 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtvrujlelt2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mtye2uav4t26So, I thought there might have been a publisher interested in producing a Portuguese translation of 'The Scientist's Guide to Writing'. But negotiations halted because the publisher informed us that they "do not pay for the purchase of rights and royalty payments". 1/226 Aug 2026 12:39 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtye2uav4t26https://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mtvtwzxh7p2bOn the corporatization of universities, by Brian McGill. Spot-on, except possibly for the part where he's optimistic about the appetite of society to put a brake on it... https://dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2026/08/25/the-corporatization-of-universities-in-both-mission-and-governance/25 Aug 2026 12:45 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtvtwzxh7p2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mtvrujlelt2bThat new species of monkey last month was a great news story, but is species discovery really like that? And why museums are so important: https://scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2026/08/25/new-species-from-the-rainforest-vs-new-species-from-museum-drawers/ 🌍🧪25 Aug 2026 12:08 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtvrujlelt2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mttlpk5snk2hWalton Glen Gorge, Fundy Trail Provincial Park, New Brunswick.24 Aug 2026 15:12 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mttlpk5snk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mtltxplg7k2fCurrent writing project is going to require me to rewatch Big, Jurassic Park, and When Harry Met Sally. The sacrifices I make for my readers...21 Aug 2026 13:19 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtltxplg7k2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mtlrnofgq625Mushrooms on the trail - Cortinarius (webcaps) I think, with bunchberry for scale. Walton Glen Gorge trail, Fundy Trail Provincial Park, New Brunswick.21 Aug 2026 12:37 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtlrnofgq625https://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mte6wo4k2l27Writing books is a lot of fun, but also (partly) tedious. So you do stuff to keep yourself entertained... I put an Easter Egg in 'The Scientist's Guide to Writing'. Who can find it? https://scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2026/08/18/the-easter-egg-in-the-scientists-guide-to-writing/ 🧪🌍18 Aug 2026 12:14 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mte6wo4k2l27https://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mtgnlwsukj2aSmall weevil friend by the sink this morning. Zoom in (and pretend you don't notice how poorly focused this is) to check out the beefy sculpted front femurs with a major spike. Asked him what THAT was for but couldn't hear the answer...19 Aug 2026 11:41 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtgnlwsukj2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mtf4kj3dwt27This feels wrong.18 Aug 2026 21:04 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtf4kj3dwt27https://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mteuex3fpj2bHey folks: 'Teaching and Mentoring Writers in the Sciences' is dirt-cheap as an e-book right now, at least via the evil corporate bookseller: $2.99 (USA, https://amzn.to/3UlpyMP); or $3.99 (Canada, https://link.amazon/B00gBshZa). (Or, of course, buy elsewhere if you prefer!)🧪 1/218 Aug 2026 18:37 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mteuex3fpj2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/stephenbheard.bsky.social/post/3mte6wo4k2l27Writing books is a lot of fun, but also (partly) tedious. So you do stuff to keep yourself entertained... I put an Easter Egg in 'The Scientist's Guide to Writing'. Who can find it? https://scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com/2026/08/18/the-easter-egg-in-the-scientists-guide-to-writing/ 🧪🌍18 Aug 2026 12:14 +0000at://did:plc:7y5syibchqqcewclckdxinks/app.bsky.feed.post/3mte6wo4k2l27