Emily Graslie

Emily Graslie

@ehmee.bsky.social

🎥 Creator: The Brain Scoop 🦝 New videos! YouTube.com/thebrainscoop 🎥 Prehistoric Road Trip 🦕 PBS 🎨 Art / speaking / bio: www.emilygraslie.com 👩🏼‍💻 Updates: Patreon.com/emilygraslie

3.1K followers181 following118 posts

Emily Graslie reposted

Buried in the regime's political takeover letter of the Smithsonian is the worst bit. Unlike exhibits, which are non-destructive towards primary materials, temporary in nature, and reversible, the foundational collections are irreplacable. They want to be able to throw stuff out.

.@dradriansmith.bsky.social coming in hot with more unbelievably cool insect footage!!! tbh I didn't even know earwigs could fly 🤯

Adrian Smith@dradriansmith.bsky.social

Finally checked off "rove beetle wing folding" from my need to film list. New video up now: youtu.be/uvXxiUjw-xY

Thanks to @clurelise.bsky.social for taking the time to listen & share my story, clearly putting into words the uncertainty and anxiety many of us have about our professional futures.

Grist@grist.org

Even your favorite YouTube creators are feeling the effects of federal cuts. Emily Graslie, creator of The Brain Scoop, shares about the uncertain future of her science communication work. grist.org/looking-forw... #Jobs #FederalJobs #Science #Climate #Communications #YouTube

Emily Graslie reposted

Even your favorite YouTube creators are feeling the effects of federal cuts. Emily Graslie, creator of The Brain Scoop, shares about the uncertain future of her science communication work. grist.org/looking-forw... #Jobs #FederalJobs #Science #Climate #Communications #YouTube

grist.orgEven your favorite YouTube creators are feeling the effects of federal cutsEmily Graslie, creator of The Brain Scoop, shares about the uncertain future of her science communication work.

Emily Graslie reposted

just saw that an @npr.org podcast i interviewed for about queer nature is the first thing on the administration’s list attempting to justify defunding NPR & PBS. there are thousands of species that are intersex (etc.) & ppl afraid of these scientific facts simply shouldn’t be running our nation.

Emily Graslie reposted

I spent my early career in museums and I endorse everything that Emily says here. If I can add my own take it’s that Museums produce some of the most amazing scientists and people, like Emily! Museums build empathy with the world and we need to fight for them

Emily Graslie@ehmee.bsky.social

Losing the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) would be an act of monumental neglect. I made a video about what’s at risk, and how orgs like @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social and the American Alliance of Museums need us to help advocate for these critical places. youtu.be/fYLC-KWy-Ks?...

If you’d rather have this in text form with citations, I gotchu 💛 bit.ly/3XWWUki

bit.lyIMLS Cuts_The Brain Scoop_04.10.2025Emily Graslie IMLS Cuts The Brain Scoop April 10, 2025 Updates and Resources on the Impacts of Executive Orders – American Alliance of Museums FAQ: Executive Order Targeting IMLS – American Library...
12tone@12tone.nebula.tv

Haven't had time to watch this yet (will do it tonight!) but sharing it anyway because I'm 100% sure Emily's thoughts on this are worth your time.

After WWII, the Museum of Natural History in Berlin fell on the eastern side of the Wall. Scientists were prohibited from collaborating w/ anyone besides those in communist countries (which is why they’ve got a phenomenal land snail collection from Cuba.) www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cdc-wh...

huffingtonpost.co.ukCDC Staff Prohibited From Co-Authoring Papers With World Health Organization PersonnelIt’s just the latest “Orwellian” crackdown on government scientists.
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The communist-imposed laws governing who could work in scientific fields - and control the sort of work they were doing - held the field of science in East Berlin back for almost half a century. This wasn’t that long ago. I was born in 1989.

The beginning construction of the Berlin Wall didn’t happen during the day with heavy machinery. It was started by laying out huge coils of barbed wire through the middle of the city in the dead of night. Just some things I’ve been thinking about lately 🙃

After WWII, the Museum of Natural History in Berlin fell on the eastern side of the Wall. Scientists were prohibited from collaborating w/ anyone besides those in communist countries (which is why they’ve got a phenomenal land snail collection from Cuba.) www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cdc-wh...

huffingtonpost.co.ukCDC Staff Prohibited From Co-Authoring Papers With World Health Organization PersonnelIt’s just the latest “Orwellian” crackdown on government scientists.
View full thread

This went on from 1945 until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Some things to keep in mind: many of the Stasi scientists didn’t have a choice. Their compliance wasn’t just out of fear of losing their jobs - it was also the very real concern that the Stasi would imprison or kill their families.

You don’t need me to remind you that spying on our neighbors and colleagues is infinitely easier today than it was back when you had to sneak into their house to plant a microphone behind their wallpaper. Now you just need to get into their computer.

After WWII, the Museum of Natural History in Berlin fell on the eastern side of the Wall. Scientists were prohibited from collaborating w/ anyone besides those in communist countries (which is why they’ve got a phenomenal land snail collection from Cuba.) www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/cdc-wh...

huffingtonpost.co.ukCDC Staff Prohibited From Co-Authoring Papers With World Health Organization PersonnelIt’s just the latest “Orwellian” crackdown on government scientists.

Some science staff became covert Stasi agents. They started spying on each other, breaking into one another’s offices, rifling through drawers and reading their mail. Anyone found to be corresponding with collaborators outside of Germany was reported to the police.

Emily Graslie reposted

Hello, internet! Things are bad for our trans & queer friends in the US, so I teamed up with bsky's nature artists to create this pack containing 80 wallpapers and growing. 1. Donate to one of the two orgs below 2. DM me your receipt 3. I'll give you a download link Valid til the end of the month

I’m looking to follow more ppl on this app- writers/journalists, artists, scientists or organizations you love to follow right now. Good news, bad news, no news — link below please!

I recently spoke with a friend on the inside of one of those major 3-letter federal agencies, and although this isn’t groundbreaking news I thought it was helpful context: The scrubbing of DEI mentions is a distraction tactic & pressure campaign for federal employees as much as it is the public

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Again, any of you journalists might be like “duh” but as someone desperately panicking about “WHAT DOES IT MEAN” it was reassuring to be reminded there are just as many determined folks fighting on the inside. They just can’t tell you about it.

Oh did I mention it’s blatantly about eugenics? If they kick out the folks contributing to science that refutes the validity of eugenics then it means they can give more opportunities to those who want to advance scientific racism. The minority opinion becomes the majority.

I recently spoke with a friend on the inside of one of those major 3-letter federal agencies, and although this isn’t groundbreaking news I thought it was helpful context: The scrubbing of DEI mentions is a distraction tactic & pressure campaign for federal employees as much as it is the public

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Again, any of you journalists might be like “duh” but as someone desperately panicking about “WHAT DOES IT MEAN” it was reassuring to be reminded there are just as many determined folks fighting on the inside. They just can’t tell you about it.

I recently spoke with a friend on the inside of one of those major 3-letter federal agencies, and although this isn’t groundbreaking news I thought it was helpful context: The scrubbing of DEI mentions is a distraction tactic & pressure campaign for federal employees as much as it is the public

View full thread

Thing is, only the most privileged staff will be able to wait this out & the new admin is banking on that, too. We know it doesn’t include the people whose livelihoods rely on the grants & departments being frozen or cut entirely- like the grad students on NSF grants and visas. It’s forced attrition

Scrubbing diversity mentions and research is a way to draw this out, and/but it may be their most obvious tactic. Eventually they’ll run out of tactics when they realize lots of federal scientists are too smart to fall for scammy emails. Unfortunately it’ll be too late for the most venerable.

I recently spoke with a friend on the inside of one of those major 3-letter federal agencies, and although this isn’t groundbreaking news I thought it was helpful context: The scrubbing of DEI mentions is a distraction tactic & pressure campaign for federal employees as much as it is the public

It’s a way to redirect their full attention away from current projects. In the meantime you’ve got those top-down emails that have actually said “reply ‘RESIGN’ & we’ll handle it for you 😏” — like a bad phishing scheme. It takes strong internal leadership to comply, but stay focused.

Emily Graslie reposted

The news cycle right now - even just for science & higher ed - is overwhelming. We have to do it, but fortunately, we don’t have to do it alone. My team is focused on tracking what’s happening to research funding, jobs & salaries, shared datasets, university responses & safety of our communities

Oh man imagine you don’t know what this guy does for a living, you’re at a dimly-lit party and ask him about his job “I’m the leech man 😈” as they slither out of his nose “AND THEY WANT A NEW HOST 👹”

Veeloxxy Bites@the-episiarch.bsky.social

Sometimes, scientists put their own body on the line in the name of science - in this case a parasitologist decided to become a temporary host in order to investigate the life history of an enigmatic nose leech #Invertebrate 🧪 dailyparasite.blogspot.com/2019/10/dino...

Guess who was supposed to start a new federally-funded Brain Scoop miniseries about health research this month 🥲

Kyle Griffin@kylegriffin1.bsky.social

The Trump admin has instructed federal health agencies — including the FDA, CDC, and NIH — to pause all external communications, such as health advisories, weekly scientific reports, updates to websites and social media posts. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

The idea for the partnership came up in early 2023, so it’s something we’ve been working on for a long time. I was this close 🤏🏻 to being on campus to start the series this month and now it’s been delayed indefinitely.

Emily Graslie reposted

Who shot the cheetah kittens? I remember having this thought fifteen years ago when visiting the Field Museum. I understood the rationale for taking specimens for science, but still—look at those little faces. Who could make specimens of them? Turns out there's an answer. (CW: animal death) 🧵🧪

Emily Graslie reposted

Replying to @sarahmackattack.bsky.social

I’ve seen a bunch of smug takes lately about “welll you shouldn’t have relied on social media, you fools.” But where is the alternative? We’ve disinvested from science education, from science journalism, and it’s good, actually, for independent people trying to make the world better to be supported.

Emily Graslie reposted

If you didn’t use TikTok much, you probably didn’t know that that’s where so many of the science educators and climate activists were meeting people where they’re at, sharing and informing, activating and building community.

Sarah McAnulty, Ph.D.@sarahmackattack.bsky.social

Seeing my biggest platform destroyed, then watching many younger women in SciComm have *their* biggest platforms destroyed is weighing on me. I’ve rebuilt here. I know they can rebuild too. Having our delicate careers subject to billionaire whims has me wishing for a stability I don’t think exists.

Everyone saying “just rebuild on another platform” — take it from me, whose biggest audience belonged to another entity: sit down. 😅 I had tremendous success on YouTube and the -day- I lost access was a complete reset and I never recovered. Today, I struggle to get funding for a single video.

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Success on one platform does not guarantee your content will translate easily to another one. It’s not a 1:1 post conversion. I specialize in projects w/ longer interviews that are difficult to condense into viral sound bites. Plus, it’s an addt’l cost in time and/or $ to recut content for vertical

Everyone saying “just rebuild on another platform” — take it from me, whose biggest audience belonged to another entity: sit down. 😅 I had tremendous success on YouTube and the -day- I lost access was a complete reset and I never recovered. Today, I struggle to get funding for a single video.

It turns my stomach anytime I hear “you’re back!” I didn’t go anywhere; I’ve hustled as much as I did when I had full time employment. But opportunities on these platforms are based on your social currency and when that is ripped from you, you’ll feel the consequences the next time rent is due.

Emily Graslie reposted

Welcome to another round of 'Which One Is The Ant?' in which I ask you the participants, well, which one of these bugs is the ant... if there's any. Also, rate yourself. On a scale of 1-10, how confident you are with your answer? #InverteFest