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Erin Ross

@erineaross

I write about science. I climb big (and lil) mountains. Currently freelance. Past: OPB, Axios, Nature, NPR. Sometimes I do museum stuff too (most recently: DC Botanic Garden exhibit Fierce Flora)

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Latest posts by Erin Ross @erineaross

Trio of tiny hooded pitcher plants, dwarfed by my finger beside them for scale. Barely poking out of the grass

Trio of tiny hooded pitcher plants, dwarfed by my finger beside them for scale. Barely poking out of the grass

Baby pitcher plants, if needed πŸ₯Ή

(Sarracenia minor)

14.02.2026 01:40 πŸ‘ 316 πŸ” 41 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 6
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Rewatching Shaidorov’s skate and β€”

holy crap is that Ina Fried?

glad to see Axios sending their coolest reporters to the Winter Olympics @inafried.bsky.social

14.02.2026 01:36 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Autocratic regimes hate the free press. They hate journalism because they don’t want to be held accountable. These Minnesota journalists are being targeted because journalism has prevented this administration from doing even more insane things in Minnesota. Remember it was video that proved lying …

30.01.2026 19:20 πŸ‘ 3508 πŸ” 1056 πŸ’¬ 79 πŸ“Œ 19

No Kings has been absolutely essential to building up the numbers and resources for our ICE watch and is posed to become a direct recruitment platform

29.01.2026 07:27 πŸ‘ 276 πŸ” 54 πŸ’¬ 11 πŸ“Œ 1
Screenshot of Macaulay Culkin IG post. Top pic of Catherine O’Hara and Macaulay in Home Alone 1 and bottom pic of Catherine and Macaulay at his Hollywood star ceremony. 

culkamania Mama.
I thought we had time.
I wanted more.
I wanted to sit in a chair next to you.
I heard you.
But I had so much to say.
I love you.

Screenshot of Macaulay Culkin IG post. Top pic of Catherine O’Hara and Macaulay in Home Alone 1 and bottom pic of Catherine and Macaulay at his Hollywood star ceremony. culkamania Mama. I thought we had time. I wanted more. I wanted to sit in a chair next to you. I heard you. But I had so much to say. I love you.

Oh Macaulay 😭😭😭

30.01.2026 19:27 πŸ‘ 818 πŸ” 214 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 60

It’s probably the single most important piece of feminist writing from the 19th century 😭

I literally read it in Honors Lit in 9th grade.

I highly recommend it, because we still treat post partum illness basically the same way the woman in this story was treated.

It’s a short read.

30.01.2026 19:07 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Like I don’t expect them to know the author or year off the top of their head. But they should know that there was an important feminist/mental health work called β€œThe Yellow Wallpaper.”

I read it in AP American Lit in high school.

24.01.2026 03:42 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

For those who didn’t watch: the category was stories with colors in the title 😭 and the word β€œwallpaper” was literally in the clue.

24.01.2026 03:40 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

they also didn’t know the title of Wallace Thurman’s Harlem Renaissance book β€” despite having the clue that the title was the first half of a saying juxtaposed with β€œthe sweeter the juice.”

Somehow they guessed every adjective except β€œthe *blacker* the berry.”

Yes, they were all white

24.01.2026 03:31 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

like if you’re on Tournament of Champions you *must* study and study the classics.

But naturally one of the most important works of 19th century feminist literature doesn’t make the list.

24.01.2026 03:26 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The way that none of the men on Jeopardy tonight got the (very obvious) clue for The Yellow Wallpaper.

(they also didn’t know what prolactin was, but that’s more predictable.)

24.01.2026 03:25 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Oregon, Portland leaders condemn shooting by Border Patrol Gov. Tina Kotek said the state is "united in peaceful opposition" to federal actions.

Gov. Tina Kotek said the state is "united in peaceful opposition" to federal actions.

09.01.2026 03:29 πŸ‘ 67 πŸ” 14 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 3
No Blood For Oil vs. Exactly How Much Oil Are We Talking About?

No Blood For Oil vs. Exactly How Much Oil Are We Talking About?

Expect to see a lot of this classic Onion headline, from 23 years ago, over the coming weeks.

03.01.2026 17:40 πŸ‘ 16357 πŸ” 4173 πŸ’¬ 74 πŸ“Œ 55
A view of the sunrise over a snowy Chicago

A view of the sunrise over a snowy Chicago

Ok ok ok Chicago

10.11.2025 12:46 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Over 22.5 hours.

22.10.2025 21:05 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Terrifying. An Associated Press investigation found more than 420 bills attacking longstanding public health protections such as vaccines, milk safety and fluoride have been introduced in statehouses across the US so far this year. Around 30 bills in 12 states have already been enacted or adopted.

22.10.2025 20:42 πŸ‘ 1574 πŸ” 847 πŸ’¬ 46 πŸ“Œ 71

It looks like he’ll come in at the third longest speech. I’ve seen folks speculating that he’d go for Booker’s record but I don’t think he ever intended to β€” it’s just too important of a moment.

22.10.2025 20:50 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I sob

22.10.2025 20:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

He’s taking the last few minutes of his speech to thank the pages and encourage them toward activism, to thank Senate staff, and security.

22.10.2025 20:48 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It sounds like Merkley will be wrapping up soon β€” he noted that he’s 20 minutes from his β€œgoal,” which seems to be to surpass Wayne Morse’s speech in length.

That will make this the third longest speech in U.S. Senate History.

(Morse, incidentally, was also an Oregonian.)

22.10.2025 20:46 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Many editors and writers at the Wall Street Journal's Health and Science desk have just been laid off. I've worked closely with many of them; they've done amazing work through difficult circumstances. It's devastating to hear about these cuts at a time when we need science journalism more than ever.

22.10.2025 19:30 πŸ‘ 359 πŸ” 116 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 1

idk if anyone has a betting pool going on how long this speech will be … but my guess is 24:45.

Long enough to beat Strom Thurmond, but respecting Booker’s record.

22.10.2025 18:25 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

This is now the fifth longest speech in U.S. senate history.

Would be something if the two longest speeches were held in the same year, in response to the same president’s policies.

22.10.2025 18:18 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

taps the evergreen sign

22.10.2025 14:30 πŸ‘ 40 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Tbt to that time I spent like 2 hours asking GPT4 how to spell different berries

08.08.2025 00:35 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Level 3 Evacuation orders have been expanded for the fire in Oakridge, Oregon.

The area under evacuation now is larger, geographically, than Oakridge is. Not a lot of people live in this area. It’s wild to see such a large evac area next to a town under none, but that’s weather for you.

08.08.2025 00:21 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Usually, the Northwest’s season is offset from southern California’s. Which is offset from the Southwest’s. These are seasonal jobs. As more and more fires occur early or late (or in JANUARY) this system gets strained. And that can make fires more dangerous.

07.08.2025 23:47 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I understand that fires in small towns like this can seem unimportant compared to fires in California. But for a very small community that is *not* wealthy, they can be devastating.

They also matter because wildland firefighters are a national resource, and are shuffled around with fire seasons.

07.08.2025 23:45 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

All to say: it’s the kind of place that can take a long time to come back.

07.08.2025 23:25 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Oakridge is a town that doesn’t have a lot. As the logging industry collapsed, they attempted to pivot to outdoor adventure. Mountain biking caught on, but not enough to support a town. And it’s further from ski mountains and major hikes than other towns. It has a lake, but it isn’t lakeside.

07.08.2025 23:25 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1