She/Her. Systems/E-resources Librarian @msulibraries, Cats Owner, Tea Drinker, Chocolate-chip Cookies Muncher. I care about #accessibility#a11y#UX#OpenSource
The reason we think dandelions are weeds is because of a 1950s marketing campaign.
Dandelions, native to Europe and Asia, were brought to North America in the 1600s by European colonists who grew them deliberately.
Every part is edible. The leaves are a salad green, the flowers were made into wine, and the roots were roasted as a coffee substitute and used medicinally for liver and kidney conditions for thousands of years. They were a kitchen-garden staple well into the 1800s.
The shift happened after World War II, when 2,4-D (originally developed for chemical warfare research) was approved as a residential herbicide. Companies like Scotts built the modern lawn-care industry around the idea that a perfect green lawn meant zero broadleaf plants.
Dandelions, being bright yellow and resistant to mowing, became a visible enemy, and the campaign worked. By the 1970s, "dandelion-free" was synonymous with "well-kept."
They aren't native, but they aren't doing significant ecological harm either. The herbicides used to kill them, on the other hand, kill bees, contaminate groundwater, and have been linked to non-Hodgkin lymphoma in humans.
If you hate dandelions, it's most likely due to a marketing campaign that ran before you were born.
“I’ll be 10 min late sorry!!!”
-ashamed
-fragile
-unreliable
“A thousand apologies. The relentless slog of time has overtaken my faculties.”
-powerful
-commanding
-honest
Me: inside Japanese police station.
not arrested. hopefully.
I came to report lost wallet.
officer very polite.
Officer: Where did you last see it?
Me: Probably train station.
Officer nods, types for two seconds.
Officer: Found.
Me: …what.
Officer: Yes.
Me: That fast?
Officer: Japan.
another officer walks over holding my wallet carefully like sacred relic, everything still inside, cash untouched.
Me genuinely emotional.
Me: This country is unbelievable.
Officer smiles proudly, then pauses.
Officer: There was one issue.
Me: …what issue.
Officer opens wallet slowly, pulls out embarrassing anime sticker I forgot existed.
silence.
both officers staring at me respectfully but differently now.
Officer: You like magical girls?
Me: …we all have struggles.
older officer suddenly leans forward.
Old Officer: Season two was disappointing.
Me: WHAT.
Old Officer: They ruined power scaling.
younger officer immediately joins debate.
Officer: No no movie fixed it.
suddenly entire police station arguing anime lore passionately.
one detective emerges from back room holding instant noodles.
Detective: Original manga better.
Me: I CAME HERE FOR A WALLET.
Happy #517Day from the MSU Museum! Today we are celebrating all things mid-Michigan. The MSU Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free for all visitors.
"There’s something weirdly magical about the early internet with its clunky fan sites, pixelated GIFs, and blogs with neon text. And while most of it vanished years ago, the Wayback Machine lets you return and experience it all over again." - Sam Singleton, @pcmag https://t.co/meflCQBqe8
What happens when music, science, and art come together?
This video highlights recent collaborations with the College of Music and the MSU Museum, from student performances inspired by Blurred Realities to behind-the-scenes moments with Carl Craig. Watch: https://t.co/B8uBXDLGew
From Apollo to Artemis!
Check out this incredible side-by-side trajectory comparison of Apollo 11, 13, and Artemis II.
We’ve come a long way in our journey to the Moon! Which mission’s path surprises you the most?
Credit: ansys_inc
It’s the #VernalEquinox, which means it’s time for SPRINGTIME (1929)! 🌦️🐸🕷️
🌱 The first in the seasonal Silly Symphonies cycle, it entered the #PublicDomain last year. Coming soon: SUMMER, AUTUMN & WINTER (1930). Watch this space for seasonal shifts and their animated accompaniments. ☀️🍂❄️
👀 Watch the full short ➡️ https://t.co/VahpDZvdu8
#Spring #equinox @InternetArchive #Disney #Animation #ClassicCartoons #VintageAnimation
Applications for Fellowships, Public Scholars, Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan, and Awards for Faculty at HBCUs are now open!
Deadline to apply is April 22. Learn more at https://t.co/hW3OcJAHcK
The shortest physics paper ever published is the 1951 Physical Review note by Friedrich Lenz, titled
“The Ratio of Proton and Electron Mass.”
At just 27 words long (plus one equation, one number and a single reference).