Tuesday, 14 July - I am a Paleontologist

July 14, 2026

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 14 July. In your Squiz Today…

  • The world pays tribute to Kiwi actor Sam Neill

  • At least 28 people have died in a Bangkok fire

  • And a T-rex fossil goes under the hammer… 🦖

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🙋🏼‍♀️ This newsletter was written by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Alice Dempster and Sophie Felice

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“Well, I don’t Google myself so it’s absolutely fine."

Said the historian Tom Holland (from The Rest is History podcast) to the actor Tom Holland, after the latter apologised for making the former’s name impossible to Google. The 2 Hollands chatted about actor-Holland’s new film The Odyssey this week - it’s all a bit Double Dutch…

Vale Sam Neill

The Squiz

The actor famous for his roles in Jurassic Park and The Piano died yesterday at 78yo. If you’re anything like us, your social media channels and group chats probably lit up with friends and family members mourning his passing and remembering his career - he was a beloved actor with a long line of critical and commercial hits. A post to his social media channels yesterday announced his death - saying “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.”

Tell me more about him…

Born Nigel Neill in Northern Ireland, he grew up in New Zealand (where his father was from) and was eventually adopted as an honorary Aussie… His breakout role was as Harry Beecham in My Brilliant Career in 1979, and worked steadily throughout the 80s, including a couple of films opposite Meryl Streep: Plenty and A Cry in the Dark, where he played Michael Chamberlain. But it was his turn as Dr Alan Grant in 1993 megahit Jurassic Park that launched him into full-on Hollywood stardom. From there, he remained a regular fixture on our screens - here’s a list of some of his best roles, which range from Aussie comedy The Dish to sci-fi horror Event Horizon. He even auditioned to play James Bond - you can see his screen test here…

He had an amazing career…

He sure did - and his co-stars and colleagues have been coming from everywhere to pay tribute. His Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg said he “adored making all the ‘Jurassic’ movies with him”, and Nicole Kidman - who co-starred with him in Dead Calm - said he was “a joy to be around”. His former partner, the ABC’s Global Affairs lead Laura Tingle, also shared some memories of the couple’s time together on Instagram. Beyond his acting, Neill was also a keen winemaker who talked about his ‘Two Paddocks’ label regularly. In recent years, he had been recovering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, but his family’s statement said he “remained cancer-free” at the time of his death. He still has films set for release - including the new Godzilla x Kong movie next year, so we’ll still see more of his work. And it might be time to watch The Dish again…

Where curious minds gather...

If who/what/when/where and why are questions you often ask, Festival of Dangerous Ideas might be your kind of event... Returning this August it’ll bring together more than 120 thinkers, artists and provocateurs for 10 days of talks, films, art and excursions across Sydney. This is a chance to see topics from a different perspective, question assumptions, and explore the ideas shaping the world around us. Tickets are on sale now.

Squiz the Rest

A deadly blaze in Bangkok

Authorities in the Thai capital say at least 28 people are dead after a fire at a packed pub in the city’s north. At least 25 people are in a critical condition, and here at home, staff at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are making urgent calls to find out if any Australians have been caught up in the tragedy… What we know so far is that the fire was reported around midnight on Monday. Footage shows its intensity, and rescuers say that many of the dead were caught in the toilets at the back of the building, trying to shield themselves. As for the cause, the musician who was performing on stage saw a circuit breaker smoking before the power cut out and ceiling decorations caught alight - but investigations are still being carried out…

Sydney daycare worker facing child abuse charges

Police have charged 35yo Hamish Tait with allegedly abusing 136 children between 2009 and 2025 at 5 facilities in Sydney’s north-west. The AFP arrested him in July last year after a major operation, but until now a court order prevented his identity from being revealed. He’s been charged with a total of 329 offences, including producing child abuse material, filming a person engaged in a private act without consent, as well as using a child under 14 years for the production of child abuse material. Acting Commander Luke Needham said his team have contacted more than 121 families affected in Australia and overseas, and there are still 22 alleged victims who haven’t been identified yet. The AFP has created a website where carers and parents can get information about his employment history and access support.
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A fond farewell to a medical marvel

Hundreds gathered and dozens cycled to Professor Richard Scolyer’s state memorial at the Sydney Opera House yesterday, after he died last month of brain cancer. The former Australian of the Year was known worldwide for his pioneering melanoma research, credited with saving thousands of lives. Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett performed - and tickets got snapped up in a matter of hours, which gives you an idea how popular he was. PM Anthony Albanese gave the eulogy, calling him a “national treasure”, and NSW Premier Chris Minns also spoke, saying “he was one of the most generous, unpretentious mentors” in academia. As someone wrote in his tribute book: “The world is a better place because of you.”

Who wants yesterday’s papers…

…sang the Rolling Stones, and it turns out - not the Oz Border Force. The Federal Government has announced it’s scrapping the paper arrival cards people flying into the country have to fill out before landing (well, those of us who remember to pack a pen in their hand luggage…). These are the small cards that ask you for your details, along with any food, plant or animal products you’re bringing in from overseas. They’re gonna be replaced with digital passenger cards, which Tourism Minister Don Farrell says will make the arrival process “simpler and quicker”. The plan is for the new system to be rolled out to all Oz international airports and seaports over the next 18 months as a ‘webform option’ before eventually becoming available via airline apps…

Some dino-soaring prices

Auction house Sotheby’s is hosting an event with a distinctly Cretaceous flavour to it this week - as part of their annual natural history auction, they’ll be selling off a T.Rex fossil, which could become the most expensive fossil ever sold at a price north of $40 million. The fossil - nicknamed Gus - was excavated over a 3-year period and is set to make some serious coin for the experts who discovered it, dug it out of the ground and preserved it. But the high price has caused debate, because it puts the skeletal prize out of range of museums and scientific organisations, meaning they can only end up in private collections. We’ll see what happens with Gus tonight - and if he beats the $64 million record set by Apex the stegosaurus in 2024. Good job, Apex…

Apropos of Nothing

This year’s World Cup is the biggest to date - and FIFA says there are plans in the pipeline to expand the tournament even more, allowing 64 teams to take part. That would mean 128 matches, making it even longer - but not everyone’s on board… 

And here’s a trailer for the upcoming movie Digger, which stars Tom Cruise - no, really, that’s definitely Tom Cruise - as a wealthy, powerful man who realises he needs to save humanity from his own actions. It’s coming out in October, and as you can see, Mission: Impossible this is not…

And numbats have been pulled off the most severe category for endangered animals due to conservation efforts in Western Oz. Experts say there’s still work to be done, but progress has been made to keep our emblem kicking on…

Squiz the Day

11.45am (AEST) - Data Centres and Victoria's Digital Future CEDA event, with a keynote address from  Victoria's Economic Growth and Jobs Minister Steve Dimopoulos - Melbourne 

Australian Bureau of Statistics data release: overseas arrivals and departures, May 2026

Bastille Day - France, marking the anniversary of the beginning of the French Revolution with the fall of the Bastille Prison (1789)

Birthdays for Former Queensland Premier Anna Bligh (1960), actor and comedian Jane Lynch (1960) and actor and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge (1985)

Anniversary of 

  • Revolutionaries in France storming the Bastille prison, a key event in the French Revolution (1789)

  • New Zealand holding its first general election (1853) 

  • the birthday of Archaeologist and spy Gertrude Bell (1868)

  • Howard Hughes' crew breaking a record with 91-hour flight around the world (1938)

  • NASA's New Horizons probe completing a flyby of Pluto (2015)

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