ubi

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Last Notes

2026-02-28 20:29:59 GMT

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@nprofile…xnyu This is not depictions of art, but what living in the climate crisis actually looks like and adaptations against it.
Often the first line of disaster response is part of the invisible design of daily life. In Southeast Asia, regular floods means that traditional houses are built on stilts and designed to allow for some flooding. The wooden nailess frame also withstands earthquakes and allows waves of water to pass under the house.
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/116/150/119/184/352/508/original/798c6ead344a1c33.jpg

2026-02-10 14:48:53 GMT

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@nprofile…4z9s @nprofile…pfuj I'm living in Malaysia and occasionally run into these ants in the forest. As far as tropical ants go, they are kind of boring aside from their size.
They were also kind of annoying when they swarmed my carrion baited pitfall traps.

2026-02-06 03:17:18 GMT

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@nprofile…pfuj I think Arsenic is a fine name.

2026-02-03 02:48:37 GMT

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@nprofile…pfuj There's at least two spiders named after David Bowie. He seems to be popular with taxonomists.
(I do listen to him sometimes while doing labwork)

2026-01-30 00:41:21 GMT

This road in Shah Alam, Malaysia was recently pedestrianised. I passed by in the morning while there wasn't anyone around. I like the mix of passive and active cooling. Looks like a render of some solarpunk concept art. The future is being built.
#solarpunk
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/115/981/237/060/165/442/original/2964f5748f87d6c4.jpg

2026-01-27 09:09:31 GMT

This is an interesting example of Malaysian multiculturalism. The sign is for The Selangor Foochow Association, in English, Chinese and Malay Jawi (Arabic letters) scripts.
The rightmost word is how you spell Foochow in Jawi. Which is: Fa Wau Ha Alif Wau. FuHau.
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/115/966/245/343/268/898/original/0ce48df4a0de3d67.jpg

2026-01-14 10:39:21 GMT

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@nprofile…6e37 What show was that spiny xenomorph from?

2026-01-14 10:27:15 GMT

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@nprofile…6e37 Xenomorph globe?

2026-01-03 09:33:41 GMT

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@nprofile…gydw Why are they called sharks?

2025-12-26 09:44:33 GMT

I got a few fountain pens, but after a couple of years I just settled on using a Pilot Kakuno with an EF tip. It's a reliable pen that gets the job done and it has killed any desire for fancier pens. It's how a tool should be, it is of good quality and just works.
#fountainPens

2025-12-20 16:49:08 GMT

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@nprofile…7f3n In an ideal world, this is what academics in universities are supposed to do. In our current world, they just do a lot of paperwork and apply for grants all day.

2025-12-10 01:17:27 GMT

The Malay word "Comot" doesn't seem to have an English equivalent. It means "Messy in an endearing way" and is usually reserved for babies and cats.

2025-10-17 06:32:32 GMT

Rhinoceros frog. Limnonectes plicatellus. The male has a bony growth between the eyes, which has an unknown function.
#Frog #macroPhotography
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/115/388/081/816/077/859/original/791508b3dd3c45bf.jpg
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/115/388/081/888/162/208/original/1b47c083659be6f6.jpg

2025-10-16 14:52:50 GMT

Trilobite Beetle!
Platerodrillus ruficollis
Managed to get some shots with the head exposed, it's that tiny little muppet-like thing in the front.
Everybody takes photos of the dorsal view, but these creatures look so mindblowingly insane from the side.
Laowa 65mm Macro with Fujifilm XT-100
#macroPhotography #beetlesOfMastodon #insects
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/115/384/350/357/329/475/original/b52315188640395a.jpg
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/115/384/350/497/910/610/original/5a1adce2a6422472.jpg

2025-09-08 10:33:51 GMT

Bloody hell. I just noticed that a coauthor turned in a manuscript containing a halucinated reference.
I know that the reference is fake because it has my name as the first author, but I never wrote that paper or published in that journal before. It's shaped like a paper that I could have plausibly written, but it's not the paper that I wrote about on the same topic on that year...
Not sure what to do about this.
#AcademicChatter

2025-08-25 09:24:36 GMT

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@nprofile…nnjv #doneclaim ini disokong rakyat Malaysia

2025-08-13 04:37:17 GMT

Lunch today. Trying to get more fibre.
#makanApaToday
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/115/019/586/930/797/005/original/dbe10a2d0760a0f8.jpg

2025-08-13 02:54:47 GMT

As someone with a PhD, I got to say that you guys are really overestimating what "PhD level intelligence" is...
It's just regular intelligence overapplied to a weirdly niche subject.
#academicChatter

2025-08-01 10:41:33 GMT

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On another related note, in the 19th century the British considered Sumatrans and Javanese to be 'Malaysians'.
From JM Guilick's 'A History of Selangor'
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/114/953/073/859/959/583/original/f9791c0d90a3c25b.jpg

2025-08-01 05:02:16 GMT

In older biological publications, you can find references to "Malaysia" before the country was established in 1967. This is because "Malaysia" originally was a biogeographical term to describe Borneo, Sumatra, Java and the Malay Peninsula all the way to Tennasserim.
I have found references to "West Malaysia" which actually meant Sumatra instead of the modern Peninsular Malaysia definition.
You have to be very careful when reading these older localities.
#biogeography #tootSEA

2025-07-29 09:16:33 GMT

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@nprofile…dc6s Not credit cards, but most Southeast Asian countries are moving away from Visa/MC to their own QR code payment systems. The rest of the world is already reducing dependency on these payment providers.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1925546

2025-07-22 08:58:39 GMT

In Malaysia we are seeing more of these energy efficient mall designs where large fans and shaded air wells are used to keep the area cool. It's not air conditioning cold, but it's a comfortable temperature even when it's scorching outside.
As the climate gets warmer, I feel like we'll need to retrofit some existing structures with shades and fans to make it more tolerable.
#solarpunk
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/114/896/044/025/641/800/original/1888806029330749.jpg

2025-07-17 02:27:45 GMT

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@nprofile…6phh It's definitely a Draco, the wings on the belly are unmistakable, but I'm not too good with species level identification.

2025-07-14 03:00:55 GMT

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@nprofile…args Without arthropods, would lobopods and Onychophora take over?
Imagine a wonderful world dominated by velvet worms. Where they diversify to fill in niches that arthropods don't occupy. Velvet worm crabs, Velvet worm ants and Velvet worm butterflies.

2025-07-11 07:14:27 GMT

Belated #makanApaToday. Vegetarian chicken from Hainan Village. It's just tofu, but the taste and texture is convincing enough.
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/114/833/351/401/686/349/original/95d47bf2494061a9.jpg

2025-06-19 10:36:01 GMT

I'm on a low carb diet, so I'm eating like a Silver leaf monkey. The fried catfish is the only thing that tethers me to humanity.
#ulam #makanApaToday
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/114/709/525/296/971/049/original/b8a333461b97ee6e.jpg

2025-06-18 11:20:11 GMT

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@nprofile…5wev eggs were commonly eaten, but the chickens themselves were reserved for special occasions.

2025-06-18 09:22:46 GMT

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@nprofile…5wev It's the Americans and their industrial chicken breeding that made it a staple protein for the rest of the world. Prior to that, chickens held more ritual importance (and were used for cockfighting). But that also depended on the breed as well.

2025-06-18 08:49:45 GMT

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@nprofile…5wev In Southeast Asia where they are native, chickens were the go to bird for ritual sacrifices (they still are in some places).
The idea of chicken as a cheap food item is relatively modern, even my mother remembers that chickens were a luxury food eaten only once a year during celebrations.

2025-06-12 06:50:33 GMT

Rare find for lunch: Rendang Maman. It uses the herb Maman putih (Cleome gynandra), which doesn't have a very distinct taste when cooked. The stems however give it an interesting texture and it really soaks up the rendang.
It's a speciality of the Minang people from Peninsular Malaysia. Not sure if the Sumatran Minang also cook it.
#makanApaToday
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/114/669/029/176/860/905/original/189d01911f7df7eb.jpg

2025-06-06 08:54:18 GMT

I received my copy of The Urban Naturalist from Menno Shilthuizen. Chapter 18 is all about the urban fireflies of Kuala Lumpur and the citizen science program there that I worked on.
#urbanBiodiversity #ecology #fireflies
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/114/635/556/501/506/622/original/ef34638a9336375b.jpg
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/114/635/557/616/854/828/original/b67783b5c5424127.jpg

2025-04-27 14:10:08 GMT

Taking a break from scholarship to work on hobbies to keep myself sane. Spent a few of weekends building this diorama with a friend.
1/144 scale HG Zaku I and Zaku FZ. The road came from a 30MM urban terrain set and I got the the tiny palm trees and base from Daiso.
#gunpla
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/114/410/291/973/655/613/original/d4e23a6ed6c66d41.jpg

2025-04-21 14:07:15 GMT

Not many people know that the stem of the banana plant is edible, Malaysians call it 'umbut pisang'. We remove the soft inner section of the stem to use in salads or curries. The stems are soft, tender and soak up flavours really well. Usually only eaten during celebrations
I personally believe that this was how people used to consume wild banana plants before domestication
Some additional information in this blog (in Malay)
https://animhosnan.blogspot.com/2012/02/umbut-batang-pisang.html?m=1
#makanApaToday #indigenousKnowledge

2025-04-18 07:42:36 GMT

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@nprofile…87fc The only American thing that I still buy is the occasional fast food. I have trouble thinking about what other products I can boycott.

2025-04-15 04:00:42 GMT

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@nprofile…pqg2 @nprofile…4mp2 People that say "law of the jungle" have likely never set foot in an actual jungle.

2025-04-08 14:44:49 GMT

Yesterday I was asked, as a scientist and field ecologist if I believed in spirits in the forest. I replied, "Definitely, there's a lot of weird shit that goes on in rainforests." It isn't just me, all my colleagues have similar experiences.
When I train new students, I always make it a point to tell them about the 'adat' or taboos whenever entering the forest. You are entering someone's house, so you better behave. A forest must be respected, otherwise it plays tricks on your mind.
#ecology

2025-03-26 00:53:11 GMT

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@nprofile…pqg2 This is completely speculation on my part, but maybe it doesn't need moss, instead it needs the rotting wood and whatever fungi is causing the rot.
What if you tried woodchips innoculated with the fungi from the rotting wood?

2025-02-14 16:50:36 GMT

This article was very useful when I referred to Indonesia as Konoha to a friend and he didn't get it.
https://en.tempo.co/read/1815556/the-reasons-why-indonesian-netizens-call-their-country-konoha
#tootSEA

2024-12-03 10:07:18 GMT

A selection of Southeast Asian gingers used in cooking and jamu making in no particular order: Galangal (Alpinia galanga), Temu kunci (Boesenbergia rotunda), Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Turmeric (Curcuma longa) (old and young rhizomes), Temu ireng (Curcuma aeruginosa) and Sand ginger /cekur (Kaempferia galanga).
All can be sliced thin and eaten raw to add an aromatic taste to rice. But for jamu they are blended and the juice is extracted to make tonics.
#makanApaToday #indigenousKnowledge
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/113/588/267/498/185/573/original/16539319f518d409.jpg
https://ecoevo.social/system/media_attachments/files/113/588/325/659/552/776/original/aa422094a5b44074.jpg

2024-11-21 09:18:16 GMT

We wouldn't have so many problems if we were worms.
Notochords and dorsal nerve cords were a mistake.
#InvertebrateShitposting

2024-11-18 10:27:51 GMT

I just saw a post of opinions about tits, and due to all the birders that I follow I'm very confused about the context. #ornithology

2024-09-03 05:35:26 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh What do we replace it with on the scale? Zus coffee?

2024-09-03 05:27:25 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh Development milestones for residential areas in Malaysia:
Warung -> Tom Yam -> KFC -> Family Mart (Used to be McD)

2024-08-25 11:05:51 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh Alien Romulus is only 1.5 hours wasted at the cinema.

2024-08-05 05:15:03 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh No! Don't let the government in here.
Then again their instance would probably end up being blocked by most of the Fediverse.

2024-07-24 07:31:53 GMT

I am at a bootleg Malaysian al-Baik fried chicken. Not really to the level of original al-Baik, tastes just like kfc. It's like they're not even trying.
Verdict: Just put your money in your Tabung Haji account instead, this one is not worth it.
#makanApaToday #broastedChicken
https://cdn.masto.host/ecoevosocial/media_attachments/files/112/840/196/124/566/242/original/13704a8b36fe14be.jpg

2024-06-09 11:35:20 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh Gerai bakso mana ni?

2024-04-26 04:57:18 GMT

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@npub1szg…syak In Malay they add black, brown, light blue, pink and white to the colors of the rainbow...

2024-04-02 05:19:17 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh looks like you have to ikat perut for a while then.

2024-04-02 05:16:00 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh UiTM actually produces some good graduates, especially their law programs. Send him there instead and spend the money on yourself. I think he can still make the 2nd intake.

2024-03-05 06:44:32 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh What is the context for this?

2024-02-23 01:33:56 GMT

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@npub1cpp…2uya That's not a bee, it's a longhorn beetle. Bees look much more fuzzy and cute.

2024-01-17 06:38:03 GMT

Roti kahwin (married roti) is a pair of roti canai, one with eggs and one without.
In Malay:
Roti Kahwin: roti canai satu ada telur, satu takde telur.
The meaning of the explanation in English is the same, but the the gender implied by the eggs* gets flipped.
*egg = telur = euphemism for balls
#makanApaToday

2023-12-13 12:12:12 GMT

Today's unconventional pizza: the tandoori naan pizza. Basically naan and tandoori chicken rearranged into a pizza shape.
But you cant go wrong with tandoori chicken and naan, so it tastes pretty good.
#makanApaToday
https://cdn.masto.host/ecoevosocial/media_attachments/files/111/573/032/885/410/016/original/455f3b41f7a41820.jpg

2023-12-07 05:43:13 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh There's something going around that is not influenza or covid. A lot of people I know are down with it.
But there's also influenza and COVID spreading too.

2023-12-05 14:29:58 GMT

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@npub18s6…c4cg What is a good RPG to use for language learning in a Malaysian context?
I'm familiar with D&D, but recently I enjoyed co op play of Ironsworn and liked the lighter rules of the system.

2023-11-29 10:08:51 GMT

Mystical Malay paddy planting practices look like they would make a really cool magic system for a TTRPG.
#myToots
@npub18s6…c4cg
https://cdn.masto.host/ecoevosocial/media_attachments/files/111/493/282/716/558/887/original/603ab3f6a2ef7988.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/ecoevosocial/media_attachments/files/111/493/282/848/072/241/original/f431dd75d98aa62a.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/ecoevosocial/media_attachments/files/111/493/282/823/716/810/original/eb2255d525dc8f80.jpg

2023-10-27 16:44:59 GMT

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@npub1sdk…0kgj I didn't know that Rumpelstiltskin had versions about turning down suitors. I'm only familiar with the Brothers Grimm version that I read as a child.

2023-10-27 16:35:38 GMT

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@npub1sdk…0kgj Are there also equivalents to Asian folklore stories where a woman uses her wits to turn down suitors?
Here's one example that I can think of:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_Puteri_Gunung_Ledang

2023-10-26 10:41:13 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh Kenapa KFC tak pernah kena boikot?

2023-10-26 00:41:02 GMT

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@npub14k2…ed68 @npub153s…cvd9 All butterflies have clubbed antenna.
There is also the problem that the definition for moths is everything that is not a butterfly. Which makes it an undefinable large group species.

2023-10-16 01:18:00 GMT

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@npub1kvp…f9wh It's a bit easier on Mastodon since you have more control over your feed, on X all those graphic images are just rammed into your face.

2023-10-07 02:25:59 GMT

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@npub1xes…sfk6 It's a snail made Rorschach test.

2023-09-24 01:43:38 GMT

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@npub1zdp…vqv8 There is a big research network of international scientists that conduct ant research near Kuala Lumpur. We have a field station in the forest about an hour's drive from the city center. I occasionally run into the ant people, but I don't really chat much about the ants
I've encountered Dinomyrmex plenty of times during field work. They're surprisingly docile, plenty of ants that will sting on a moments notice but these just run around. I guess intimidating size is enough deterrence

2023-09-23 17:19:39 GMT

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@npub1zdp…vqv8 It's probably the other way around and a direct translation of the English name.
Raksasa is sometimes used to describe something large, like kaiju.
Bahasa Malaysia is very poor in entomological names. I always have to do a lot of digging or invent new terms when translating. I suspect there are historical and cultural biases in play, the root language of Bahasa Melayu was a maritime language used for trading. The forest dwelling tribes have a better vocabulary of insects

2023-09-23 17:05:28 GMT

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@npub1zdp…vqv8 I've seen two names in Bahasa Malaysia, but they are not commonly used outside of articles or tourism information.
Semut Hutan Gergasi (Giant Jungle ant) or Semut Hutan Raksasa (Monstrous Jungle Ant).
Semut = ant
Hutan = Jungle (it's where the utan from Orang utan comes from)
Gergasi= giant
Raksasa = Monster

2023-09-23 16:45:42 GMT

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@npub1zdp…vqv8 Dynomyrmex gigas aren't very common in cities, usually I spot them in forests bordering or forest patches within Kuala Lumpur. But they seem to avoid built environments.
Within forests they are a relatively common sight on the forest floor. A bit hard to photograph because they are so fast and active.

2023-07-15 13:39:32 GMT

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@npub15tv…d7jl I'm not a fan of colek, I usually prefer my stuff separately. Probably that explains why I haven't seen this around.

2023-07-15 13:31:35 GMT

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@npub15tv…d7jl I can't decide if this is a good idea or not.
Where can I try it?

2023-07-06 21:30:48 GMT

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@npub1jeq…jglm Just curious, what are the metrics that we are monitoring for the Fediverse? I see numbers of accounts, but is there anything else?

2023-07-02 06:02:18 GMT

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@npub17nc…9dam Get with the times, all the cool kids are sinking yachts these days.