*Snowman*

“Who are you to stand so fearsome

With your wavy locks of auburn hair and eyes of emerald green?”

This is freaking AMAZING.

Honestly I’m surprised we didn’t get a nightmare like this in Kenobi.

Paleontologists completed a life-sized replica of Sue, the most complete T. Rex ever found.

And she is freaking GORGEOUS!

As I read more about this beauty, I found out some new details regarding things I thought I previously knew about the beast that was Tyrannosaurus Rex, and I’m going to share them with you.

First, and most obvious, her size:

This is nothing new, we all figured T. Rex was big, but I for one never stopped to consider exactly how big it was. Nobody ever really knows what to imagine when they read about something the size of a whale that walked around and ate everything it could kill. 

Speaking of eating things, I just want to remind you all that T. Rex had–by miles–the strongest bite of any terrestrial animal living or dead, somewhere around six and a half tons of force. That’s over six times greater than the current estimate of what Allosaurus was capable of, and three times what was delivered by the highest measured reading of the living title holder–the estuarine crocodile. It didn’t have to waste time swinging its head open-mouthed like Saurophaganax for a little extra oomph, or grow fancy serrated teeth like Carcharodontosaurus to cut pieces out of its prey. It opted for the simplest approach: get its mouth around something and crush it to death; imagine the full weight of an elephant on whatever was between this thing’s jaws.

“How did it find something to eat?” I hear you asking. “It can’t see something if it doesn’t move, right?”

Listen, I love Jurassic Park too, but that’s a big crock of shit.

Notice how both her eyes face forward. That gives her binocular vision (the ability to focus both eyes on one target, like you and I). More importantly it means she has impeccable depth perception due to overlapping fields of vision from each, large, eyeball. Researchers agree that T. Rex not only had incredible vision, but that it was probably better than most modern animals–including eagles, hawks, and owls–and that she could likely spot something three and a half miles away. If something that big can see that well, it doesn’t matter if you move or not, she’d be able to tell if it was an animal trying to hide or a piece of vegetation. So pray she isn’t hungry if she lays eyes on you. And even if by some miracle she didn’t see you, she’d still smell you. 

If she decided you looked tasty, you probably wouldn’t hear her coming as much as you’d feel her. Modern science indicates that T. Rex didn’t roar like in Jurassic Park, but rather bellowed or maybe even hissed like crocodilians. If she were on to you, you’d most likely feel this sense of unease creep up your spine as a low-pitched rumble in the air permeated through you. You wouldn’t know what it was or where it was coming from until you hear her footfalls. By then it’s too late–you could try to run but she’d probably catch you. There’s plenty on YouTube that reconstructs what T. Rex may have sounded like, and it’s legitimately haunting.  

To wrap all of this up, the one bit of good that came out of the cursed year that is 2020 is that this wonderful child of science and art came into the world, and reaffirmed my respect and admiration for the eight ton slab of muscle and teeth that is this magnificent creature.

They also created this Quetzalcoatlus that made the rounds online (image credit goes to National Geographic)

As well as many more amazing sculptures and dioramas, so please check them out here on Tumblr and on Instagram

They are currently working on a new Tyrannosaurus again which will be on display in Europe (image credit goes to Blue Rhino Studio)

Below is a handful guide by Dr. Mark Witton who happens to be both a palaeontologist and an artist:

“(Please, do not body-shame our T. rex. SUE is perfect just the way they are. And, yes, “they” is correct there—scientists don’t know if SUE was male or female, so in the spirit of scientific accuracy and LGBTQ inclusivity, we’ve transitioned to singular “they/them” pronouns instead of calling SUE “she” or “her.”)”

because they will find out their girlfriend of 3 years (that they were about to propose to) went off to a random farm in minnesota, hours away from were the two of them built a life together, and she decided to just… stay there without even consulting him.

and then he decides to take a trip to make sure she’s okay, because this is generally alarming behavior, and then sees that she literally fell in love with her ex within one (1) week- and he wasn’t there, but you can TELL that they’ve made out a couple times.

and then she just strings him along for a few days, until fucking christmas eve, when she just breaks up with him and is like “i know we used to have the same values, but i’ve never loved you. mark makes me happier than you ever did. and you ONLY care about work, whereas i like christmas and fun, like a Good Person.”

My viral soup post hasn’t gotten reblogged in a while and needed to be updated, and @redheadmystic asked me about it today, so here’s a brand-new master post of soups, including most of the ones that were on the list before, as well as some newer favorites. I’ve made many more soups than just this list over the past year, but these selections are my very tip-top, most enthusiastically-recommended picks.

Chef Michael Smith’s Thai Coconut (Red Curry) Soup with Chicken & Noodles 

Not A Curry’s Thai Coconut (Green Curry) Shrimp Noodle Soup with Tofu

Nigella Lawson’s Cold Cure Soup (onion, orange, lime, ginger, cinnamon, chicken: your house will smell like heaven)

BA’s Chicken Khao Soi (very rich; will stick to your ribs)

BA’s Tom Ka Gai (if you can find galangal, it makes this soup)

Ellie Krieger’s Savory Carrot Cashew Soup (healthy & vegetarian)

my recipe for Pasta e Fagioli

my recipe for Creamy Spring Onion, Pea, and Zucchini Soup (easiest imaginable prep)

Victoria Granof’s Pasta con Ceci (sometimes I like it thick, more like a pasta dish, and sometimes I add more water and loosen it up because I want it brothier, like a soup)

my adapted version of Caldo Xóchitl(-ish)

Smitten Kitchen’s 44-Clove Garlic Soup (don’t be afraid of the number; it’s surprisingly refined and understated)

Yvette Van Boven’s Daube Provençal (stew beef marinated in, then simmered with orange, olives, and a whole bottle of Côtes du Rhône)

BA’s Poached Cod with Tomato & Saffron (note: I double all the ingredients but the fish, and add olives and capers, to make this more like a stew than a poach)

America’s Test Kitchen’s brilliant Creamy Cauliflower Soup (nearly dairy free, but super creamy)

my own recipe for Vichyssoise, adapted from a 1962 recipe in Gourmet

Alison Roman’s Spicy Noodle Soup with Mushrooms & Herbs (vegan)

Sue Li’s Lemony Shrimp & Bean Stew

Colu Henry’s Roasted Tomato & White Bean Stew

Kay Chun’s Hot and Sour Dumpling Soup

Eric Kim’s Cornish Game Hen Soup with Garlic, Ginger, and Fried Shallots

With Spice’s Cabbage, Onion, and Farro Soup

Veselka’s Cabbage, Sauerkraut, and Pork Soup

Classic Billi Bi (an elegant, wine-y, old-school cream of mussels soup)

Julia Turshen’s Chicken Tortilla Soup with the Works (requires a huge pot and an entire afternoon. Worth it.)

Andrea Nguyen’s Vietnamese Canh. Shrimp, onion, ginger, fish sauce, mustard greens: very simple, clean flavors, takes just a few minutes, and absolutely lovely with some glass noodles in it, plus a little sriracha and/or hoisin.

Urvashi Pitre’s Instant Pot Tom Kha Soup. This comes the closest of any soup I’ve ever made to my favorite restaurant version of coconut shrimp soup. Do leave the shrimp tails on, if you can: it gives the broth more flavor and makes it come out absolutely bewitching and addictive. I usually throw in half a block of cubed tofu at the end, as well.

Marcella Hazan’s Broccoli and Potato Soup. Aesthetically, this is a homely soup, but it is so comforting and delicious, especially served with a spoonful of crème fraîche swirled into the bowl at the end. This soup benefits from using homemade rather than boxed or bouillon broth.

Rotisserie Chicken Soup with Pierogi and Lots of Herbs. This one relies on boxed broth and frozen pierogies: easy, fast, and as homey and cozy as a warm blanket.

Pat Tanumiharja’s Instant Pot Soto Ayam. This Indonesian soup is amazing and richly aromatic and chickeny, but all the garnishes/fixings take it right over the top into the sublime. I always use all of the ones suggested in the recipe.

J. Kenji López-Alt’s 30-Minute Pressure Cooker Pho Ga. This soup changed our life this year. The amount of flavor you can get out of the aromatics and chicken in just a half-hour in the instant pot is nothing short of mind-blowing. I’ve learned to be sure and get a good, deep char on the onion and ginger before proceeding to the other ingredients.

Spicy Kimchi Miso Soup. This vegetarian one helped get us through a long, cold winter. I usually serve this with a scoop of rice.

Instant Pot Kimchi Beef Stew (Kimchi Jigae). This one is similar, but it’s much heartier from the beef. I also learned from firsthand experience that it freezes and reheats very well.

Carla Lalli Music’s Hammy Chickpea Soup. I normally soak the chickpeas overnight (even though the recipe doesn’t call for it) to make sure they cook evenly the next day. This soup is genius: all the carrot, garlic, and onion that cook in the soup with the legumes get fished out and put into a bowl with some of the broth, plus a scoop of the chickpeas, and pureed into a vegetal thickener for the soup. This stuff is out of this world. I forgot to add the red pepper flakes the first time I made this, and now I skip them on purpose because I actually prefer the soup mild.

Turkey Soup with Lime and Chile. We had this the day after Thanksgiving to use up leftover turkey. It’s dynamite.

Pressure Cooker Miso Chicken Ramen with Bok Choy. Makes a great (and easy) base for ramen, and all that’s involved is throwing everything into the instant pot – no searing or sautéing or extra steps – so it’s great for a weeknight.

Urvashi Pitre’s Instant Pot Indian Tomato Coconut Soup. This tasted like the Indian version of Campbell’s tomato soup. It’s sweet and spicy and wonderful.

Hot or Cold Creamy Lettuce Soup. So, this never comes out as pretty color-wise or as smooth as in the photo, but it is so delicious. I love it hot or cold, especially with a few drops of truffle oil on top.

Half Baked Harvest’s Instant Pot Pesto Zuppa Toscana. Made this twice. It’s so bright and rich and hearty (and easy).

Joshua McFadden’s Cream of Celery Soup with Celery Leaf, Vinegar-Plumped Raisin, and Toasted Walnut Relish. I was stunned by the ferocity of how much I loved this soup. It is pure, beautiful celery (plus sweet/crunchy/rich with the toppings).

Molly Baz’s Coconut Cod Chowder with Seasoned Oyster Crackers. The warm broth and spices – coconut, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cardamom – transform the leek, potato, and cod. This was a revelation, such an inspired combination of flavors: thick, rich, bright, fragrant, slightly spicy. And those seasoned oyster crackers are genius.