Nature
Apr. 9th, 2026 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithPrairie plants reveal a hidden defense against climate extremes
It looks peaceful – but these places are basically training grounds for weather whiplash.
A new study says prairies really do have a built-in advantage when the climate gets nasty: biodiversity helps. But it’s not as simple as the old slogan “more species = more resilience.”
The researchers found that different kinds of biodiversity matter depending on the kind of extreme – drought versus flood – and that nuance could matter a lot as heat, floods, and dry spells become more common.
( Read more... )
It looks peaceful – but these places are basically training grounds for weather whiplash.
A new study says prairies really do have a built-in advantage when the climate gets nasty: biodiversity helps. But it’s not as simple as the old slogan “more species = more resilience.”
The researchers found that different kinds of biodiversity matter depending on the kind of extreme – drought versus flood – and that nuance could matter a lot as heat, floods, and dry spells become more common.
( Read more... )
Poem: "The Grabber"
Apr. 9th, 2026 10:35 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from ravan. It also fills the "Exception" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series Monster House.
( Read more... )
ravan. It also fills the "Exception" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series Monster House.( Read more... )
Poem: "So DONE with It All"
Apr. 9th, 2026 10:18 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by janetmiles. It also fills the "Request" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo.
( Read more... )
janetmiles. It also fills the "Request" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. ( Read more... )
Poem: Their Hidden Source
Apr. 9th, 2026 10:15 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from siliconshaman. It also fills the "Request" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis. It directly follows "Someone Who Was Trying to Be Sober" so read that first or this won't make much sense.
( Read more... )
siliconshaman. It also fills the "Request" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the series One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis. It directly follows "Someone Who Was Trying to Be Sober" so read that first or this won't make much sense.( Read more... )
Mood Theme in a Year: Second Medium Track Run
Apr. 10th, 2026 01:53 amsoc_puppet posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
newcomersHello, everyone! Over at moodthemeinayear, the second Medium Track run has just started.
For those not familiar with the schedule over there, the Medium Mood Track lasts about three months, and covers all of the higher-level moods: The fifteen absolute minimum moods you need for a complete custom mood theme, and the next nineteen that have moods that branch off of them (plus two extra). If you want to create a custom mood theme that's fairly well filled out but don't want to go for the whole 132 graphics, the Medium Track may be for you!
If you want to try and min-max your mood theme, on the other hand, the Minimum Track has also restarted; it lasts six weeks, and takes you through the bare minimum fifteen moods you need for a complete custom mood theme, plus the next three most populous higher-level moods, so you get the most image diversity for the least amount of work 👍
Feeling ambitious and want to go for the whole thing? Jump in now and follow along with the Medium and Maximum Tracks simultaneously! The Medium Track will catch you up to all of the moods the Maximum Track has already covered, while the Maximum Track covers all of the moods that aren't in the Medium Track.
Come check it out, and maybe earn some Dreamwidth points while you're at it!
moodthemeinayear, the second Medium Track run has just started.For those not familiar with the schedule over there, the Medium Mood Track lasts about three months, and covers all of the higher-level moods: The fifteen absolute minimum moods you need for a complete custom mood theme, and the next nineteen that have moods that branch off of them (plus two extra). If you want to create a custom mood theme that's fairly well filled out but don't want to go for the whole 132 graphics, the Medium Track may be for you!
If you want to try and min-max your mood theme, on the other hand, the Minimum Track has also restarted; it lasts six weeks, and takes you through the bare minimum fifteen moods you need for a complete custom mood theme, plus the next three most populous higher-level moods, so you get the most image diversity for the least amount of work 👍
Feeling ambitious and want to go for the whole thing? Jump in now and follow along with the Medium and Maximum Tracks simultaneously! The Medium Track will catch you up to all of the moods the Maximum Track has already covered, while the Maximum Track covers all of the moods that aren't in the Medium Track.
Come check it out, and maybe earn some Dreamwidth points while you're at it!
Poem: "Beautiful, Tough, Shiny, Resilient"
Apr. 9th, 2026 08:21 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the April 7, 2026 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from alatefeline and a previous discussion with siliconshaman about the life aspects of geodes. It also fills the "Lilac" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to The Blueshift Troupers series.
( Read more... )
alatefeline and a previous discussion with siliconshaman about the life aspects of geodes. It also fills the "Lilac" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to The Blueshift Troupers series.( Read more... )
Food
Apr. 9th, 2026 02:15 pmysabetwordsmithScientists discover spice synergy that boosts anti-inflammation 100x
Mixing everyday plant compounds may unlock a powerful, hidden anti-inflammatory effect far greater than any single ingredient alone.
Chronic inflammation often works quietly in the background but can fuel serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. New research reveals that everyday plant compounds—like menthol from mint, cineole from eucalyptus, and capsaicin from chili peppers—can team up inside immune cells to dramatically boost their anti-inflammatory power. While individual compounds showed modest effects, certain combinations amplified results hundreds of times over by activating different cellular pathways at once.
( Read more... )
Mixing everyday plant compounds may unlock a powerful, hidden anti-inflammatory effect far greater than any single ingredient alone.
Chronic inflammation often works quietly in the background but can fuel serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. New research reveals that everyday plant compounds—like menthol from mint, cineole from eucalyptus, and capsaicin from chili peppers—can team up inside immune cells to dramatically boost their anti-inflammatory power. While individual compounds showed modest effects, certain combinations amplified results hundreds of times over by activating different cellular pathways at once.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Apr. 9th, 2026 01:28 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny and warm with howling wind. :/ The wind really complicates my plans to plant anything today, so I'm trying to think of ways to compensate for that.
I fed the birds. I've seen a fox squirrel on the ground and at the hopper feeder.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I used salvaged string to fasten together 4 white single-pot plant stands, with the taller 2 in back and shorter 2 in front, forming a square. Due to the angled legs, it is not snug, but at least they are more stable than any one would be alone.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I put the pot of mixed Johnny-jump-ups on one of the tall white plant stands. This is not necessarily its final location, but allows me to get it out of the house without exposing it to too much wind.
I sorted out the black single-pot stands. There is a tall one, a medium one, and two short ones. I started by fastening the tall one to a folding multipot stand.
I've seen a flock of house finches, a male goldfinch molting, and a male cardinal.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work securing the black one-pot planters. There's one left to attach. Progress.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I finished securing the last black planter. The resulting structure, while not perfectly tight, is still a great deal more stable overall due to more legs connected in some manner. It doesn't have to look fancy, just do better than last year's constantly tipping pots.
I've seen several sparrows in the forest garden.
It got up to 80°F today, but is cooling down now.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a fox squirrel on the ground and at the hopper feeder.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I used salvaged string to fasten together 4 white single-pot plant stands, with the taller 2 in back and shorter 2 in front, forming a square. Due to the angled legs, it is not snug, but at least they are more stable than any one would be alone.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I put the pot of mixed Johnny-jump-ups on one of the tall white plant stands. This is not necessarily its final location, but allows me to get it out of the house without exposing it to too much wind.
I sorted out the black single-pot stands. There is a tall one, a medium one, and two short ones. I started by fastening the tall one to a folding multipot stand.
I've seen a flock of house finches, a male goldfinch molting, and a male cardinal.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work securing the black one-pot planters. There's one left to attach. Progress.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I finished securing the last black planter. The resulting structure, while not perfectly tight, is still a great deal more stable overall due to more legs connected in some manner. It doesn't have to look fancy, just do better than last year's constantly tipping pots.
I've seen several sparrows in the forest garden.
It got up to 80°F today, but is cooling down now.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 4/9/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
Community Thursdays
Apr. 9th, 2026 12:15 amysabetwordsmithThis year I'm doing Community Thursdays. Some of my activity will involve maintaining communities I run, and my favorites. Some will involve checking my list of subscriptions and posting in lower-traffic ones. Today I have interacted with the following communities...
* Posted "Draw a Bird Day" ingreen_joy.
* Posted "Crafts" ingreen_living.
* Posted "Poem: Haiku for Natural Monuments of Japan 1-10-26" tohaiku_gallery.
* Posted "Birdfeeding" inbirdfeeding.
* Commented on "Just One Thing (09 April 2026)" inawesomeers.
* Posted "Draw a Bird Day" in
green_joy.* Posted "Crafts" in
green_living.* Posted "Poem: Haiku for Natural Monuments of Japan 1-10-26" to
haiku_gallery.* Posted "Birdfeeding" in
birdfeeding.* Commented on "Just One Thing (09 April 2026)" in
awesomeers.Draw a Bird Day
Apr. 8th, 2026 07:30 pmysabetwordsmithToday is Draw a Bird Day. You don't need to be "an artist" for this. Your drawing (or painting, or whatever) does not have to be fancy. Just squiggle out a bird!
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Early Humans
Apr. 8th, 2026 06:12 pmysabetwordsmithStone Age humans used these mysterious signs and symbols to store and share information, almost 40,000 years before writing was invented
The research team studied 260 mobile artifacts that contain more than 3,000 signs. The team focused only on intentional and non-practical surface marks. That means the signs were not accidental scratches or marks made for tool making.
( Read more... )
The research team studied 260 mobile artifacts that contain more than 3,000 signs. The team focused only on intentional and non-practical surface marks. That means the signs were not accidental scratches or marks made for tool making.
( Read more... )
Birdfeeding
Apr. 8th, 2026 02:21 pmysabetwordsmithToday is sunny, breezy, and warm.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows and house finches, plus a male goldfinch.
I put out water for the birds.
I took some pictures around the yard.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- We went out to run errands. I picked up a flat of mostly pansies and violas in assorted colors plus a couple 4-packs of white alyssum, a pot of mixed Johnny-jump-ups that are actually fragrant, and a purple-and-white columbine. :D
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I planted the purple-and-white columbine in the rain garden. The bleeding heart there is starting to bloom! \o/
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did a bit of work on the new picnic table garden.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small flock of sparrows and house finches, plus a male goldfinch.
I put out water for the birds.
I took some pictures around the yard.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- We went out to run errands. I picked up a flat of mostly pansies and violas in assorted colors plus a couple 4-packs of white alyssum, a pot of mixed Johnny-jump-ups that are actually fragrant, and a purple-and-white columbine. :D
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I planted the purple-and-white columbine in the rain garden. The bleeding heart there is starting to bloom! \o/
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 4/8/26 -- I did a bit of work on the new picnic table garden.
As it is getting dark, I am done for the night.
Cuddle Party
Apr. 8th, 2026 01:51 pmysabetwordsmithEveryone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!
Poem: "Someone Who Was Trying to Be Sober"
Apr. 7th, 2026 01:42 pmysabetwordsmithThis is today's freebie. It was inspired by a prompt from torc87. It also fills the "Escape" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem belongs to the series One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis. (Continue with Their Hidden Source.)
( Read more... )
torc87. It also fills the "Escape" square in my 4-1-26 card for the Flower Fest Bingo. This poem belongs to the series One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis. (Continue with Their Hidden Source.)( Read more... )
Tags:
Birdfeeding
Apr. 7th, 2026 12:54 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy, breezy, and cold. A beautiful day to stay indoors and write!
I fed the birds. I've seen a small mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a male cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/7/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a lot more sparrows and house finches, several starlings, and a fox squirrel.
EDIT 4/7/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a small mixed flock of sparrows and house finches plus a male cardinal.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 4/7/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
I've seen a lot more sparrows and house finches, several starlings, and a fox squirrel.
EDIT 4/7/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I am done for the night.
Poetry Fishbowl Open!
Apr. 7th, 2026 12:04 pmysabetwordsmithThe Poetry Fishbowl is now CLOSED. Thank you for your time and attention. Please keep an eye on this space as I am still writing.
Starting now, the Poetry Fishbowl is open! Today's theme is "I am SO done with this!" I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.
I'll be soliciting ideas for activists, rebels, Women Who Run with the Saberteeth, explorers, traitors, exes, people who escape domestic violence, refugees, runaway youth, escaped slaves or other captives, housemates, siblings, parents, teachers, clergy, leaders, superheroes, supervillains, teammates, alien or fantasy species, failure analysts, ethicists, stray or feral animals, other people who get into untenable situations, protesting, planning, throwing in the towel, escaping, running like someone left the gate open, adventuring, hitchhiking, quitting school, divorcing, disowning, betraying, teaching, leaving your comfort zone, discovering things, conducting experiments, observation changing experiments, troubleshooting, improvising, adapting, cleaning up messes, cooperating, bartering, taking over in an emergency, saving the day, discovering yourself, studying others, testing boundaries, coming of age, learning what you can (and can't) do, sharing, preparing for the worst, expecting the unexpected, fixing what's broke, upsetting the status quo, changing the world, accomplishing the impossible, recovering from setbacks, returning home, trails, sailing ships, campervans or RVs, distant lands, the forest primeval, prehistory, liminal zones, schools, homeless shelters, hotels, churches, sharehouses, campfires, laboratories, supervillain lairs, makerspaces, nonhuman accommodations and adaptations, stores, farmer's markets, starships, alien planets, magical lands, foreign dimensions, other places where the intolerable happens, unhappy relationships, protest rallies, slavery or captivity, locks or chains, travel mishaps, sudden surprises, the buck stops here, trial and error, weird food, secret ingredients, supplements that turn out to be metagenic, intercultural entanglements, asking for help and getting it, enemies to friends/lovers, interdimensional travel, Get a Life Program, lab conditions are not field conditions, superpower manifestation, the end of where your framework actually applies, ethics, innovation, problems that can't be solved by hitting, teamwork, found family, complementary strengths and weaknesses, personal growth, and poetic forms in particular.
EDIT 4/7/26 --alatefeline offers this challenge:
My /personal/ challenge, for myself and others, based on a recent conversation:
Think of the weirdest science fiction you're read (or watched, played etc) recently.
(Other speculative forms also welcome).
Now think of something WEIRDER.
Now go prompt /that./
Currently eligible bingo card(s) for donors wishing to sponsor a square:
Flower Fest Bingo Card 4-1-26
Among my more relevant series for the main theme:
An Army of One is developing its own neurovariant culture after rebelling against the Galactic Arms.
The Bear Tunnels introduces modern principles to people in the past.
A Conflagration of Dragons has the Six Races (plus the dragons) who all have different cultures and climates. This often poses challenges for the refugees.
Coracle Shores is about leaving a distressed world for somewhere better.
The Daughters of the Apocalypse has people trying to find enough resources to survive, when former cities are unsafe.
The Moon Door explores a women's chronic pain group and lycanthropy.
Not Quite Kansas deals with demons and angels, also characters dumped out of their original worlds.
The Ocracies has a wide variety of countries crammed together, each with a totally different government. Sometimes people leave their homeland to find something they like better.
One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis follows Shaeth as he works on becoming the God of Drunks after quitting as the God of Evili.
Path of the Paladins includes a few characters who have walked away from unbearable situations, like Johan.
Peculiar Obligations combines Quakers and pirates, the latter of whom are well versed in weighing anchor.
Polychrome Heroics has ordinary humans, supernaries, blue-plate specials, superheroes, supervillains, primal and animal soups all trying to get along and figure out how to make a functional society. The supervillains are the most likely to cut and run from a bad situation.
Schrodinger's Heroes has a lot of situations that people want to get away from including Chris avoiding some of his relatives, Morgan moving to a new dimension, and dimensions that just suck for everyone.
The Wandering is a series about fantasy time travel where people loop back within their own lifespan.
Or you can ask for something new.
Linkbacks reveal a verse of any open linkback poem.
( Read more... )
Starting now, the Poetry Fishbowl is open! Today's theme is "I am SO done with this!" I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.
I'll be soliciting ideas for activists, rebels, Women Who Run with the Saberteeth, explorers, traitors, exes, people who escape domestic violence, refugees, runaway youth, escaped slaves or other captives, housemates, siblings, parents, teachers, clergy, leaders, superheroes, supervillains, teammates, alien or fantasy species, failure analysts, ethicists, stray or feral animals, other people who get into untenable situations, protesting, planning, throwing in the towel, escaping, running like someone left the gate open, adventuring, hitchhiking, quitting school, divorcing, disowning, betraying, teaching, leaving your comfort zone, discovering things, conducting experiments, observation changing experiments, troubleshooting, improvising, adapting, cleaning up messes, cooperating, bartering, taking over in an emergency, saving the day, discovering yourself, studying others, testing boundaries, coming of age, learning what you can (and can't) do, sharing, preparing for the worst, expecting the unexpected, fixing what's broke, upsetting the status quo, changing the world, accomplishing the impossible, recovering from setbacks, returning home, trails, sailing ships, campervans or RVs, distant lands, the forest primeval, prehistory, liminal zones, schools, homeless shelters, hotels, churches, sharehouses, campfires, laboratories, supervillain lairs, makerspaces, nonhuman accommodations and adaptations, stores, farmer's markets, starships, alien planets, magical lands, foreign dimensions, other places where the intolerable happens, unhappy relationships, protest rallies, slavery or captivity, locks or chains, travel mishaps, sudden surprises, the buck stops here, trial and error, weird food, secret ingredients, supplements that turn out to be metagenic, intercultural entanglements, asking for help and getting it, enemies to friends/lovers, interdimensional travel, Get a Life Program, lab conditions are not field conditions, superpower manifestation, the end of where your framework actually applies, ethics, innovation, problems that can't be solved by hitting, teamwork, found family, complementary strengths and weaknesses, personal growth, and poetic forms in particular.
EDIT 4/7/26 --
alatefeline offers this challenge:My /personal/ challenge, for myself and others, based on a recent conversation:
Think of the weirdest science fiction you're read (or watched, played etc) recently.
(Other speculative forms also welcome).
Now think of something WEIRDER.
Now go prompt /that./
Currently eligible bingo card(s) for donors wishing to sponsor a square:
Flower Fest Bingo Card 4-1-26
Among my more relevant series for the main theme:
An Army of One is developing its own neurovariant culture after rebelling against the Galactic Arms.
The Bear Tunnels introduces modern principles to people in the past.
A Conflagration of Dragons has the Six Races (plus the dragons) who all have different cultures and climates. This often poses challenges for the refugees.
Coracle Shores is about leaving a distressed world for somewhere better.
The Daughters of the Apocalypse has people trying to find enough resources to survive, when former cities are unsafe.
The Moon Door explores a women's chronic pain group and lycanthropy.
Not Quite Kansas deals with demons and angels, also characters dumped out of their original worlds.
The Ocracies has a wide variety of countries crammed together, each with a totally different government. Sometimes people leave their homeland to find something they like better.
One God's Story of Mid-Life Crisis follows Shaeth as he works on becoming the God of Drunks after quitting as the God of Evili.
Path of the Paladins includes a few characters who have walked away from unbearable situations, like Johan.
Peculiar Obligations combines Quakers and pirates, the latter of whom are well versed in weighing anchor.
Polychrome Heroics has ordinary humans, supernaries, blue-plate specials, superheroes, supervillains, primal and animal soups all trying to get along and figure out how to make a functional society. The supervillains are the most likely to cut and run from a bad situation.
Schrodinger's Heroes has a lot of situations that people want to get away from including Chris avoiding some of his relatives, Morgan moving to a new dimension, and dimensions that just suck for everyone.
The Wandering is a series about fantasy time travel where people loop back within their own lifespan.
Or you can ask for something new.
Linkbacks reveal a verse of any open linkback poem.
( Read more... )
Space Exploration
Apr. 6th, 2026 05:29 pmysabetwordsmithArtemis 2 lunar flyby is Monday. What to expect
After launching on April 1, 2026, the Artemis 2 mission has already passed the halfway point between the Earth and moon. It will enter the sphere of the moon’s gravitational influence — where lunar gravity begins affecting it more than earthly gravity — today, Sunday, April 5, 2026, aka Flight Day 5. Tomorrow, April 6, Flight Day 6, the 4-person crew will perform its closest flyby to the moon. The brave astronauts will pass approximately 4,600 miles (7,400 km) above the lunar surface.
During this loop around the moon’s far side, the astronauts will break the all-time human distance record from Earth. The crew of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission set this record at 00:21 UTC on April 15, 1970 (7:21 p.m. EST on April 14, 1970). At that moment, Apollo 13 was approximately 248,655 miles (400,171 km) away from Earth’s surface.
Exciting!
After launching on April 1, 2026, the Artemis 2 mission has already passed the halfway point between the Earth and moon. It will enter the sphere of the moon’s gravitational influence — where lunar gravity begins affecting it more than earthly gravity — today, Sunday, April 5, 2026, aka Flight Day 5. Tomorrow, April 6, Flight Day 6, the 4-person crew will perform its closest flyby to the moon. The brave astronauts will pass approximately 4,600 miles (7,400 km) above the lunar surface.
During this loop around the moon’s far side, the astronauts will break the all-time human distance record from Earth. The crew of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission set this record at 00:21 UTC on April 15, 1970 (7:21 p.m. EST on April 14, 1970). At that moment, Apollo 13 was approximately 248,655 miles (400,171 km) away from Earth’s surface.
Exciting!
Nature
Apr. 6th, 2026 04:51 pmysabetwordsmithKing Charles III England Coast Path
The King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP), originally and still commonly known as the England Coast Path, is a long-distance National Trail that follows the coastline of England. Opened on 19 March 2026 by King Charles III, the trail extends for 2,689 miles (4,328 km).
Sections of the English coast already had established walking routes, most notably the South West Coast Path. However, the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 required Natural England, under section 298, to create a continuous coastal path. The first section, along Weymouth Bay, opened in 2012. The walking route is the longest coastal trail in the world, and its total length increases further when considered alongside the Wales Coast Path.
Those of you who live in or visit the United Kingdom may wish to explore this amenity.
The King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIIIECP), originally and still commonly known as the England Coast Path, is a long-distance National Trail that follows the coastline of England. Opened on 19 March 2026 by King Charles III, the trail extends for 2,689 miles (4,328 km).
Sections of the English coast already had established walking routes, most notably the South West Coast Path. However, the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 required Natural England, under section 298, to create a continuous coastal path. The first section, along Weymouth Bay, opened in 2012. The walking route is the longest coastal trail in the world, and its total length increases further when considered alongside the Wales Coast Path.
Those of you who live in or visit the United Kingdom may wish to explore this amenity.