Danna Staaf

Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 20:13 UTC

The latest issue of my newsletter lives up to its tagline "All the news that's fit to ink" more explicitly than usual 😂✒️🐙🦑

buttondown.email/dannastaaf/a...

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 10, 2024 at 01:13 UTC

I haven't yet decided if my ability to make only weird faces around cameras is a bug or a feature

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 09, 2024 at 18:52 UTC

I felt so lucky to nerd out about cephalopod ink with such a smart and curious audience at @calacademy.bsky.social Nightlife! Thanks to @sarahmackattack.bsky.social for the killer threads, and thanks to Marion Mou for the fantastic photos.

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 22:27 UTC

hehe thank you

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 08, 2024 at 19:28 UTC

I heard Wen-Sung Chung of the Queensland Brain Institute refer to blue-ringed octopuses as "venomous Blueys" in a #cephneuro talk, and the phrase lodged itself in my brain until I illustrated it 🐙🦑💙

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 03, 2024 at 23:14 UTC

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jul 03, 2024 at 22:31 UTC

I'm delighted to return to Smithsonian Associates this summer with a talk on Understanding Cephalopod Behavior! (unofficial title is "From Greedy Trickster to Kindly Teacher: Octopuses Have the Range") 🐙🧪
When: Mon, ​Aug 26, ​6:45-8:15 pm ET
Where: Zoom
smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/ti...

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 29, 2024 at 21:13 UTC

Hanging out with my huge and stinky new best friend!!! I regret to report that the smell is not super noticeable. I got a couple of tiny whiffs. But I learned from a docent that it's not continuous, it comes and goes! And it's a combination of scents, some of which actually smell nice!

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 29, 2024 at 14:38 UTC

HEY FRIENDS IMMA SEE A CORPSE FLOWER TODAY
I'm in San Diego visiting family and Amorphophallus JUST BLOOMED in time for me to see it before we leave 🥹😭🤩
You also can see it because there's a Corpse Cam: sdbg.org/explore-our-...

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 28, 2024 at 02:15 UTC

In my completely professional opinion you are correct

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 28, 2024 at 01:26 UTC

My daughter came up with an incredible idea this morning and I couldn't rest until I drew it 🐙

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 23, 2024 at 14:31 UTC

there's gotta be some weird evolutionary history behind growing a second pair of fins instead of modifying the first pair, but as far as I know it hasn't been studied!

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 23, 2024 at 14:30 UTC

in the beautiful paper "Flight of the Vampire," Seibel et al. connect the fin metamorphosis to a change in swimming behavior--babies swim with jet propulsion, while adults swim mostly with their fins.
digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcont...

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 23, 2024 at 14:13 UTC

YES beautiful documentation

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 23, 2024 at 14:12 UTC

As is right and natural!!

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 23:02 UTC

Aw thank you!

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 22:03 UTC

such a noble beast!!

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 22:03 UTC

incredible job with the eyes, for sure, and also those crinkly fins like shrinky dinks in the oven! so good!

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 22:02 UTC

adult vampire squid: *is weird on every possible axis* humans: ok are you done adult vampire squid: no adult vampire squid: *has babies* baby vampire squid: imma grow two fins and then imma grow two more and then imma reabsorb the first two hehehe humans: ...why

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 21:52 UTC

is it really doing 👉👈 or am I reading too much into it anyway these shapes and colors are scrumptious

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 21:50 UTC

I gave a talk about cephalopod ink at @calacademy.bsky.social Nightlife: Inked! And dressed up for the event with an Escher-inspired temporary tattoo

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 21:41 UTC

they say you never get over your first love, and mine was a giant pacific octopus at @montereyaq.bsky.social in 1993

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 21:34 UTC

important question; ideally I think you'd have a swivel seat to match the swivel propulsion (siphon that can be angled in any direction)

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 21:32 UTC

oh gosh I have one of those toooo! love it!

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 21:31 UTC

e x q u i s i t e

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 21:08 UTC

oh my gosh thank you 🥹

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 20:38 UTC

I hope everyone knows the correct posture to assume when discussing Bigfin Squid a.k.a. Elbow Squid

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 20:36 UTC

this is the most dynamic illustration of an elbow squid I think I've ever seen!

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 20:34 UTC

I cannot stop looking at this eye, it's so good and haunting

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 20:34 UTC

Flamboyant cuttles are the BEST! Just remember to separate your cephalopods on laundry day

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 20:26 UTC

I'm catching up on #CephalopodWeek content (since I didn't have much online time this week) and this ink-terview is FASCINATING! I did not know about pygmy sperm whale ink 🤯 nor that melanin binds to heavy metals so ink helps remove toxins! 🦑🧪

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 22, 2024 at 20:10 UTC

"Don't start doing biology with me now" I'm cryinggggg I must know more about these people incredible work!

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 20, 2024 at 18:02 UTC

I'm still giggling tbh

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 19, 2024 at 15:00 UTC

When I finished my tea, I almost set the mug down on my wireless phone charger 🤦 Then after a pause I thought yeah, let's do this. Let's see if it's full of tea when I come back

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 19, 2024 at 14:26 UTC

Hmm I don't think there will be any melanized mucus in the cocktails but I guess we'll see 😉

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 14, 2024 at 23:19 UTC

I'll be talking at @calacademy.bsky.social NightLife next Thursday, June 20, about "Nature's Ink Guns" - that's squid, octopus, and cuttlefish, of course!
Come learn about high-speed jets of melanized mucus in African Hall at 7:30pm 🐙🦑🧪
Tickets: www.calacademy.org/nightlife/ni...

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 05, 2024 at 20:58 UTC

WHEE 😍👻🐙

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 05, 2024 at 17:56 UTC

Thanks very much! I'm so sorry for your loss, she sounds like a truly loved and loving companion. ❤️

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 01, 2024 at 18:51 UTC

The last prompt of #MeowMay was "rainbow" and, with the beginning of Pride month, I thought a mercat could be a bisexual icon 😄

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 01, 2024 at 02:38 UTC

Yes, he's given us so many good memories! And we are fortunate to still be receiving and savoring his snuggles for now.

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 01, 2024 at 02:36 UTC

Incredible design. I love her immediately.

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 01, 2024 at 02:11 UTC

It's such a cool idea!!! (And I like the colors)

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 01, 2024 at 02:02 UTC

🥹❤️

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 01, 2024 at 02:01 UTC

Thank you so much for MeowMay! My 11yo daughter and I drew all the prompts together (well, we still need to do rainbow) and really enjoyed looking at all your cats and everyone else's. It was a fantastic experience! And your rainbow mercat is a stunner! 🤩

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 01, 2024 at 01:57 UTC

Drawing cats all month for #MeowMay has been especially meaningful to me because my family's 16-year-old cat won't be with us much longer. This drawing is an homage to all the elder cats in their sunset years, replete with love and wisdom.

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] May 31, 2024 at 22:16 UTC

(reference)
bsky.app/profile/dann...

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] May 31, 2024 at 22:11 UTC

The colors! The shapes!! The BIOLOGICAL PLAUSIBILITY!!! impeccable work 10/10

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] May 31, 2024 at 22:08 UTC

I am speechless, I am screaming, I am in awe 🤩🥹😭😍

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Danna Staaf @dannastaaf.bsky.social [ View ] May 31, 2024 at 14:24 UTC

Cat snail on your door!!! 😻 I love when the prompts send my brain really out there

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