Happy Yuri Night Everybody

merry-go-round

As a STEM tiktok content creator, specifically one who focuses on zoology, enviornmental science, and entomology, I’m going to say something and I fear it’s going to make a number of you upset.

I dare not post this to my TikTok page because face it - that app has no social comprehension or common sense - but something I’ve noticed over the years is this strange microaggression often towards black people in my comments that may, to many, go unnoticed; but I see it.

To suggest that the study and discipline of zoology and entomology is explicitly a “white people” activity is racist. And to follow up your comments saying that black people would do the “sensible thing” and “kill something” they don’t like or understand is aggressively even more so.

I shame and delete these comments whenever I get them, but I have gotten them for years and despite what I say it’s like people still can’t grasp how hurtful and bigoted this “joke” is. Someone tried telling me today “don’t worry man there’s just an account on here who makes videos of white people identifying the scientific names of animals and a black man screams and runs away from them” so you’re laughing at a harmful black caricature. that’s what you’re telling me. curious

as if racism against people of color ESPECIALLY black scientists isn’t prevalent enough you have this shit to worry about being seen as funny or acceptable. absolutely insane

I’m certain someone has already done this but. It’s necessary.

hey. me again.

Metric Paper Wasp (Polistes metricus), taken April 18, 2025, in Georgia, US

A beautiful, sleek wasp in the afternoon sun! This individual was an extremely good sport and let me get in very close for photos! Typically, paper wasps are a bit skittish and prefer to keep their distance, but this one just seemed curious. It's always a good day when a wasp stops buzzing around and lets me get some nice pictures! They're usually so busy that it's impossible to get anything!