today i found out that when monarch butterflies migrate south for the winter, all the ones that go across the middle of lake superior suddenly stop going south and go west for five miles and then continue south. which really freaked scientists out cos like What is in the Middle of Lake Superior what do Butterflies know that We Dont Is This The End Times etc. anyway turns out about a hundred million years ago there was a mountain there and the butterflies still think they gotta fly around it. classic butterflies

Y’all, unfortunately, this is just not true. A few months ago, I urged people on this site to be skeptical specifically about ecology & wildlife biology posts with no sources. This is a perfect example.

This post has made its rounds for ten years (originally posted in 2015), and the earliest source I have ever been able to find for this claim is an article posted in 2013, which says:

“Biologists, and certain geologists, believe that something was blocking the monarchs’ path. They believe that that part of Lake Superior might have once been one of the highest mountains ever to loom over North America.”

Who these “biologists” and “certain geologists” are is a mystery. The article links two sources:

Dillard is an acclaimed author and nature writer, but she is not a biologist or geologist and cannot be referenced as such. The referenced excerpt from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek:

Dillard credits this claim to nameless entomologists and a book with no title. It’s a dead end. Bear in mind, the entomologists and books who may have made this claim, which Dillard later read, would have done so pre-1974.

The truth about monarch butterfly migrations may lack the sci-fi/fantasy allure of a mountain range that exists only in a butterfly’s primordial memory, but it’s still incredible.

These creatures with magnificently intelligent and fragile bodies are believed to use internal solar and magnetic compasses to traverse mountains and lakes:

The geologic history of Gichigami, aka Lake Superior, is also extremely cool:

But as far as I can find, there is no Monarchs’ memories of a long-lost mountain which dictates their modern-day migration route. If anyone has more insight on this, I would appreciate it, because I am not an entomologist. I specialize in marine science and scientific interpretation, and I only used those skills to find and present what I believe is the best available information on this topic. Thank you!

people keep calling this “a net zero information post.” you should click any of the links I shared about butterflies and the lake and learn something new and exciting! : )

In 1987, when Spider-Man finally tied the knot and married Mary Jane, Stan Lee held a real-life wedding at Shea Stadium as a publicity stunt.

Stan Lee performed the ceremony and had other Marvel heroes in the audience cheering on.

Shout out to anyone that ever made a character that’s a ‘Secret Government experiment’ that escapes the lab and is now wanted and misunderstood. That’s top tier character design, thank you.

nerver die

the time it was set up to look like MJ was going to cheat on peter with some guy that had been coming onto her for a few issues while peter was out of town but when she took him back to the apartment he was met with this

Period. She’s a crazy person

One-hour experimental comm i finished in January! This is my first time drawing a marvel villain and my big-men loving self was overjoyed to get to draw one of my fave depictions of Doc Ock ever, tied with Spiderverse's Liv 💚

i like working at plant store. sometimes you ring up someone and there's a slug on their plant and so you're like "Oh haha you've got a friend there let me get that for you" and you put the slug on your hand for safekeeping but then its really busy and you dont have time to take the slug outside before the next customer in line so you just have a slug chilling on your hand for 15 minutes. really makes you feel at peace with nature. also it means sometimes i get to say my favorite line which is "would you like this free slug with your purchase"

@holyknuckled you get it. lterally what are we here on earth for if not to occasionally impose gastropods upon unsuspecting customers. this story is delightful

@holyknuckled like that?

oh? my god???

yeah, Exactly like that

For your reading pleasure: an iNaturalist forum thread about how dandelion taxonomy is so fucked up that no researcher wants to even touch it

FUCK EM UP SEDGE QUEEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

therapist: so, how have you been coping with your anxiety lately?

Me, nervously: Well… I’ve been trying to treat myself like a nervous cat…

therapist, stifling a goodnatured laugh: Oh? can you explain that to me?

Me: Well… if you have a nervous cat, the first thing you do is make sure their environment is safe and remove stressors… and you make sure they have enough food and water and places to hide… and you provide some enrichment in case they need to work out energy…

Therapist: And how are you applying that to yourself?

Me: Um. If I feel anxious, I’ll see if I need to back out of any sites or conversations, enforce my boundaries… check my environment for flashing lights or painful noises… make sure I’m hydrated and have eaten… and work on a hobby

Therapist: those are all excellent things! You’re a nervous cat and you need care and kindness!

Frame problem solving & solutions in ways that work for you!

started watching Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, and this has got to be the funniest scene so far..😂😂😂

He squeeze

(via)

My current Imaginary Scenario is to pretend I'm a mouse in a sort of Beatrix Potter World and imagine all the different objects in my house and how I obtained them. You know, spool of thread side table I stole from an old lady's purse. Velvet ring box armchair I found discarded in the park after a failed marriage proposal. Pocket square bed linens I liberated from the coat of a man distracted by a pretentious argument about beer. Bottle cap dishes also liberated during that argument. Beaded curtain that used to be a Mardi Gras necklace. That sort of thing.

Some things I would buy on Facebook Marketplace to furnish my Mousecore room if I were rich

Important additions

Obsessed with this! Please accept my humble submissions

no sentence fills me with utter loathing so much as "i asked chatgpt"

Source

this is one of my favorite reddit posts of all time

God forbid Chippy do anything