Matilda's Lab

Matilda's Lab turns 11 years old today! So I'm celebrating by releasing this year's Halloween post a little bit early. Is it scary? I'll say: It's quantum! matildaslab.wordpress.com/2026/10/27/c... #scicomm

It's time for another #sundayfishsketch as I continue to box off the last few additions to my A-Z of sharks.

Newsletter time! This week, we take a short escape. There is reincarnation science, good mother bats, how we control our accent, a bird (but not as you know it) and one of the greatest mysteries in science. matildaslab.substack.com/p/matildas-l...

The featured post today is my cownose ray fact sheet. matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/03/04/c... #scicomm #sciart #infographic

I've not made a new one of these for a little while, so here's a brand-new instalment of Notorious Namesakes: matildaslab.wordpress.com/2026/10/20/e... #scicomm #ellendegeneres

A problem with business sustainability is that it is perception led. That's an issue when perception is wrong. Businesses are keen to show what they are doing, but sustainability is more about what you aren't doing than what you are. www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #scieencenews #sustainability

Map of life update Sharks and Rays are the only surviving members of a group of fish known as the elasmobranchs, but there were other. I've added one, Cladoselache, on the top left. The full map of life can be seen here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/ #scicomm #sciart #evolution #infographic

Were you ready for green and pink stars when you woke up this morning? We think of stars as being a variety of colours, like yellow, orange and white. It appears that the heavens are more chromatically diverse than anyone thought. www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #sciencenews

I've not done a #sundayfishsketch for a while, or any fish sketch for that matter. But I started an A-Z of sharks a while ago am I'm determined to get it finished now. Today I did "T". It had to be the Tiger Shark. #sharks

This issue with ultra processed foods isn't just to do with what gets added. Depending on how they are prepared, our bodies can have a different reaction to identical ingredients. Even down to how many calories we take from them. www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #sciencenews

Here's the next fact sheet from my featured post. This has to be one of my favourite garden birds. matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/02/28/e... #scicomm #sciart #biology #bluetit

Today, from the blog, it's my fact sheet on the Azure damselfly. matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/02/19/a... #scicomm #sciart #infographic #biology

Sleeping with you dog? No problem: for your sleep, at least. www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #sciencenews

In today's featured post we remember the great Donald Sutherland and his less famous association with engineering. matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/02/15/m... #scicomm #donaldsutherland

It's time for the map of life to grow again. This time, I'm extending the Pristiformes with the addition of the longtooth sawfish. Remember, more than just the sharks and their ilk can be found here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/ #scicomm #sciart #biology #infographic #evolution

Why do people get vaccine hesitancy? Generally, it's not about the science, it's about politics. That means that the solution is not education, it's much harder than that. It's cultural identity. 😬 #sciencenews

Newsletter time! This week we celebrate a birthday. We have brollies for corals, the surprising variety of anger, the same ingredients made better for you, a thumbs up for sleeping with your dog and how to stay young.

...it couldn't happen they said, but it did, in the Twilight Zone (and Baylor University). www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #sciencenews

I'm still coming at you, thick and fast with the fact sheets. Today, it's the Whale Killer (or at least it would be had the name not been translated wrongly). #scicomm #sciart #inforgraphic #biology #orca

It's time for a shiny new instalment of the History of Science. Today, we are introduced to the remarkable, yet enigmatic, Indus Valley Civilisation. #scicomm #historyofscience #indusvalley

Let's kick this week off with another fact sheet. Today it is the aquarium standard that, for some reason, don't appear to like my fish tank. The neon tetra. #scicomm #sciart #infographic #biology

Scientific study is often championed as the ultimate champion of reason. However, it is a flawed as the humans who do it. Biased scientists make biased conclusions. When it comes to ultra-processed food, nearly everyone has skin in the game. #sciencenews

It's nearly the weekend, although it may take more than that to cheer up the little donkey in today's featured post. matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/02/03/e... #scicomm #eeyore #biology

Today's featured post is another one of my species fact sheets. A representative of one of the most fascinating groups of animals, the octopus. #scicomm #sciart #octopus #biology

It's time for another Map of Life update. There are 4 new species this time, the Paraselachimorpha in the top left corner. There's more map of life action here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/ #scicomm #sciart #evolution #biology

The hottest planet in the solar system is not closest to the sun nor the biggest. It's almost the size of Earth and it's our closest neighbour. It's Venus. My upbeat new single contains many other nuggets of wisdom about this hot mess of a planet; and it has Matilda on backing vocals. Check it out!

Do you eat as part of a group or are you a solo muncher? Aside from the social benefits, eating alongside our loved ones lowers our blood sugar levels. #sciencenews

It's newsletter day: This week I start pushing for the next level. We have the hidden benefit of social dining, your new (2nd) brain, operatic lemurs, vomiting plesiosaurs and why old people tell so many stories. matildaslab.substack.com/p/matildas-l...

I have neglected the development of the map of life for too long. I'm still working on the cartilaginous fish. The new addition is the wonderfully bizarre Squaloraja. The full maps are here: matildaslab.wordpress.com/map-of-life/ #sciart #infographic #evolution

When I was at university, I was taught that humans are the only animal that actively teach their young, rather than merely learning through observation. Chimps have blown that idea out of the water, and here is another example of how. #sciencenews #chimps

Today's feature blog post is another of my infographics. This time, it's a favourite of both of our kids (no matter how often I tell them that we aren't getting one): the Axolotl. matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/01/26/a... #scicomm #sciart #axolotl #infographic

Today's feature post is my infographic on the species that we are most familiar with. Homo sapiens. matildaslab.wordpress.com/2023/01/26/h... #scicomm #sciart #infographic

Hyenas are fascinating animals, on many levels. Their public image does not do them justice. E.g, their reputation for being scavengers is simply not true. Lions scavenge from hyenas more often than the other way around. It stands to reason that they would rather steer clear of lions. #sciencenews

Childhood distraction: it's a feature, not a bug #sciencenews

I'm finally trying to take Matilda's Lab beyond merely the virtual realm. The first Matilda's Lab lesson has now been adapted into a Zine. A free download version is available on my new Ko-Fi store. It comes with an activity sheet. #scicomm #zines

There's been talk recently about the future of AI and its future threat to humanity. So I've updated this post from 2020. A lot has changed since then. Ultimately, we don't know if machines will rise up, but there are some more immediate concerns that we should be mindful of. #scicomm #ai

It may not be the best medicine, but it helps www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #sciencenews

People-power is the biggest threat to powerful organisations, and they know it. That's why they have tactics to stop people-power from turning against them. It's so tried and tested that a scientific paper has been written about it. #scicomm

I've gone right back to the start of Matilda's Lab to make a video about farts and diffusion with Nathaniel. This little guy is natural on camera and really brings the humour. #scicomm

Today's feature blog post. I find your lack of flies disturbing. #scicomm #darthvader #starwars

There was a time when cigarettes were branded as cool and people did social smoking. The modern data now shows the stark contrast that smoking has a negative social effect. www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #sciencenews

Newsletter time! This week, it’s back to school. We have a shrinking planet, distracted children, why laughter is a medicine (of sorts), what makes dull animals important and the truth about hyenas.

It's long been known that music can help us tolerate pain, but we now know how to make it more effective. Key points are: being able the choose the music and any form of moving in time with the music, as small as tapping your finger to the beat, will enhance the effect. #sciencenews

Humans may be the only species known to have fully functioning spoken languages, but we aren't the only one to have regional accents. Our closest relatives, chimps, have them too. www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #sciencenews #chimps

Can you inherit a mindset? Clearly our personalities are shaped by our lived experiences. Our values come from the culture that we live in. But new data suggests that our DNA has more influence over our character than was previously thought. www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #sciencenews

Whoever said 'Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story' could have been talking just as validly about planning a campaign. You don't need facts when you have truth, and truth is subjective. #sciencenews

Teenagers like to sleep late. That's natural. But it can give them social jetlag as they ding-dong between mid-week and weekend routines. This jetlag is being linked to anxiety. #sciencenews #teenagers

I recently shared a study that showed how politics has divided, not only communities, but families. Yet, this study shows that religion can override political divisions. I suspect it comes down to which contributes the most to your sense of identity. www.eurekalert.org/news-release... #sciencenews