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A movie I’d like to see

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/19/a-movie-id-like-to-see/

Published: September 19, 2026 17:18

This looks like a relevant and interesting documentary: The Last Picture Shows. It’s about all those small town movie houses that still exist, even as Hollywood tries to strangle us all. Filmmaker Rustin Thompson journeys into the American West on a search…

Double-feature at the bijou

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/19/double-feature-at-the-bijou/

Published: September 19, 2026 13:46

My wife, Mary, is from a family with two sisters, and they taught me the meaning of sisterhood. Back in the 80s and 90s when we’d occasionally have family get-togethers that I dreaded: three sisters in one place with their mother, and they’d talk nonstop…

I’m going to have to give up on modern medicine

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/18/im-going-to-have-to-give-up-on-modern-medicine/

Published: September 18, 2026 11:45

I’m a bit of a mess right now. My voice is an ugly croak, and I’m also experiencing some gastrointestinal issues, so like a good boy I made an appointment to see a doctor and get checked out. I went in yesterday. The doctor didn’t talk about any of my…

I guess I’m handing out Skittles for Halloween

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/17/i-guess-im-handing-out-skittles-for-halloween/

Published: September 17, 2026 16:26

It seemed too sappy for much of its length, but the ending saved it for me. Is it really time to start thinking about Halloween?

Peter Max has died

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/17/peter-max-has-died/

Published: September 17, 2026 11:55

I think this means the Sixties are finally over. This is how he illustrated the Apollo 11 moon mission. The guy had a definite style. I had Peter Max folders and notebooks back when I was going to school.

Quantificosis

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/17/quantificosis/

Published: September 17, 2026 11:38

We need a name for this disease, and it may already have one, because it’s been rampant for decades. It is the need to attach a specific number to a phenomenon that is not a single parameter, that encompasses a diversity of causes and consequences, and…

High praise

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/16/high-praise/

Published: September 16, 2026 21:38

I was croaking my way through lab today, when one student told me… “This class has more math than any of my other classes!” Which means I’m teaching it well. We haven’t even gotten to enzyme kinetics yet — that’s Friday.

No voice, but a guardian angel

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/16/no-voice-but-a-guardian-angel/

Published: September 16, 2026 13:23

I still can’t talk, and my throat is horribly sore. But…when I got home yesterday, Mary put me to bed, zipped out to the pharmacy and picked up some medications, went to the grocery store and got Jell-O and chocolate pudding, nagged me to drink lots of…

It’s happened

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/15/its-happened/

Published: September 15, 2026 16:58

My voice is totally gone, except as a raspy whisper that frequently cracks and can only make shushing noises. That’s the bad news. The good news is that none of my students have stopped by to ask questions! I guess I have taught them superbly well, or…

A Cambrian chelicerate!

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/15/a-cambrian-chelicerate/

Published: September 15, 2026 12:46

I’ll have to show my spiders this reconstruction of their great-great-many-times-great grandmama. She’s adorable. It’s all in the chelicerae. In a study published in Nature, Research Scientist Rudy Lerosey-Aubril and Associate Professor Javier…

It’s a mask day

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/15/its-a-mask-day/

Published: September 15, 2026 12:15

The timing is terrible. I developed a nasty sore throat last night that kept me up half the night — I’m going to be gulping down tea with honey all day long. I’m giving the first big exam of the semester tomorrow, so I’m giving extended office hours this…

I know there are differences between male & female anatomy, but…

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/14/i-know-there-are-differences-between-male-female-anatomy-but/

Published: September 14, 2026 14:54

This is ridiculous. Backwards, grossly mislabeled, multiplication of organs — two vaginas in unexpected places? — one imaginary organ (dorsme?), all professionally illustrated. Don’t show this to any young boys, they will be even worse in their future…

Have we all forgotten Tom Corbett and Rocky Jones?

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/14/have-we-all-forgotten-tom-corbett-and-rocky-jones/

Published: September 14, 2026 12:13

I hope my terrible confession doesn’t drive away my readers, but… I can’t stand Star Trek anymore. I don’t want to watch it. I see an ad for a new Trek series, or Trek memorabilia, or a Trek convention, and I immediately set course for a new destination…

Biology don’t care

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/14/biology-dont-care/

Published: September 14, 2026 11:44

Stumbling across an online conversation between AI advocates is so weird, because they are using the language and concepts of evolutionary biology, but in such a crude, mangled, ignorant way that ultimately, they’ve stripped away the biology to replace it…

Our kitchen helper

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/13/our-kitchen-helper/

Published: September 13, 2026 16:22

This is Carina, a Pholcus living under our cupboards who has been expanding her empire to the backboards.

Oh no! I’ve been erased from history!

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2026/09/13/oh-no-ive-been-erased-from-history/

Published: September 13, 2026 14:47

I’ve been on TPUSA’s Professor Watchlist since 2016, and I was quite proud to be mentioned on Charlie Kirk’s hate list. All the best people are on it, you know. Kirk created the Professor Watchlist 10 years ago on Turning Point USA’s website. Users were…