iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Mark Zec

Meade Krosby @meadekrosby.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

If you could use a pick-me-up, check out the Smithsonian’s live cheetah cub cam. The five-day old cubs are beyond adorable, and an important addition to the captive breeding program for this vulnerable species.

nationalzoo.si.edu

Cheetah Cub Cam

The Cheetah Cub Cam streams live from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.

11845353

Reposted by Mark Zec

NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory @rubinobservatory.org · 08/10/2026

A night at NSF–DOE Rubin Observatory✨ Beneath the Milky Way, Rubin shares the scene with the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and the faint red Cobold Nebula. 🔭🧪 Over the next decade, Rubin will scan this sky over and over, building an ever-deeper view of the changing Universe🌌

A stunning night sky showcasing the vibrant, colorful Milky Way galaxy arching above a boot-shaped observatory on a hill, with countless stars and cosmic dust visible in the clear atmosphere.

312129

Reposted by Mark Zec

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 08/10/2026

"Are you lost, mortal?" a voice whispered. "I just haven't been here before." "You are in the Forest of Perpetual Gloom." "These are oaks." "Er... Their dense canopy-" "It's autumn. The leaves are falling." "But the days grow shorter, so..." "Perpetual gloom except around lunchtime?" "Yes."

134779

Reposted by Mark Zec

Peter Gleick @petergleick.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Space water! At the heart of the Milky Way, the supermassive black hole (Sagittarius A*) produces intense radiation, powerful winds, & gravitational stress, yet using the #JamesWebb telescope astronomers found clear signatures of #water in the nearby giant star IRS 3. www.sci.news/astronomy/wa...

Sagittarius A* imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope in 2017, released in 2022. Bright red/yellow glow surrounding a dark center.

2224

Reposted by Mark Zec

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

So sad to hear that the iconic, trailblazing, Apollo 11 moon landing software engineering lead, Margaret Hamilton, is no longer with us. Love this image of her, standing next to a print out of the software that landed Buzz Aldrin and Neil Amstrong on the moon! 👩‍🔬🔭🛰️🧪 ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A woman looking very cool in a 70's dress standing next to a massive pile of very thick books

8855236

Reposted by Mark Zec

Eos @eos.org · 07/10/2026

There may be a clue about resilience hidden in these hexagonal fossils, which. . .something. . .has been making for more than 500 million years. 🧪 eos.org/articles/sci...

eos.org

Scientists Finally Think They Know What Made These Geometric Fossils - Eos

Arthropods, with harder bodies and better cognition than some other candidates, seem to be the most likely culprit.

02612

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Behold Saturn and its moons! Roberto Ortu in Cabras, Sardinia, Italy, captured this view of #Saturn and some of its larger #moons in late September. Thank you, Roberto! #astronomy 🪐📸 buff.ly/9ANBnYy Now is a great time to see the ringed planet. Here's how to find it: earthsky.org/astronomy-es...

A tan-colored planet with rings around it. Five moons are also visible around it as dots.

0193

Reposted by Mark Zec

Physghoul 👻 🎃 @physgal.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Rosalind Franklin knew what she was looking at. 👩🏻‍🔬 🧪 ⚛️

25710

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

EarthSky's Marcy Curran in Cheyenne, Wyoming, captured this beautiful image of a galaxy not so far, far away ... the #AndromedaGalaxy! It's only about 2 million light-years away. Thank you, Marcy! 📸🌌 #astronomy buff.ly/nu79cYU See more great photos and submit yours: buff.ly/2AfQjvs

Huge spiral galaxy that looks oval from this viewing angle. Two smaller bright patches of light are on the lower edge and just above the galaxy. A teddy bear is in the lower right corner.

071

Reposted by Mark Zec

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 05/10/2026

NEW: A surprising chemical clue has broken open a Hubble cold case from 1999. Astronomers now suspect the mystery signatures in the data are from a second-generation planet that formed from gas and dust ejected by a dying star: news.stsci.edu/46WpciV 🔭

Illustration labeled Artist’s Concept at bottom right. A gaseous planet in the right foreground, seen mostly in silhouette, orbits a small, white star in the background at left. The star is surrounded by a thin, bright white disk tilted from lower left to upper right. A semi-transparent tail of material comes off the planet toward upper right. Distant stars dot the black background of space.

06214

Reposted by Mark Zec

SFF Addicts Podcast @sffaddictspod.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

PROPHECIES and the POWER OF WORDS 📖 Ep. 223 airs tomorrow, with guest V.E. Schwab telling co-hosts @adrianmgibson.bsky.social & Greta Kelly about her personal prophecy and the power words can have over readers. Available Oct. 6: linktr.ee/SFFAddicts youtube.com/@fanfiaddict @torbooks.bsky.social

051

Reposted by Mark Zec

Nicole BOO-liucci 🎃 @noisyastronomer.com · 05/10/2026

STUNNING radio picture. WOW. #RadioAstronomy

0275

Reposted by Mark Zec

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 04/10/2026

The dragon watched the girl climb up to its mountain lair. She stopped to catch her breath, then shouted: "Oi! I've got some questions." "Ask." "Princesses, why?" "They're educated and smell nice." "No noble blood?" "All humans are humans." "Yes! The revolution is go! Cheers!" "Good luck."

1444117

Reposted by Mark Zec

Dr. Jeff Masters @drjeffmasters.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Impressive fall color at Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior this weekend! Enjoyed a great paddle at Miners Castle yesterday before the winds started cranking.

29610

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Big day for #Saturn! It's at opposition — opposite the sun — today. How can you identify it? It's brighter than any star in the east after sunset now. Look east after sunset! A fainter star, #Fomalhaut, is nearby. Charts and more here: buff.ly/p8IvbA5 📸 Stellarium.

Star chart with Saturn along slanted line of ecliptic near bright star Fomalhaut.

095

Reposted by Mark Zec

Dr. Merritt Rae Turetsky @queenofpeat.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Welcome to Fabulous Fen in the high country of Colorado. Rich fens like this are named after their incredibly rich biodiversity. Please help spread awareness that these wetlands are far from wastelands, but complex and beautiful.

17015

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Martin Curran in Cheyenne, Wyoming, captured this image of IC1396 (the Elephant's Trunk Nebula), a huge gas and dust #nebula in Cepheus. Thank you, Martin! buff.ly/ikg99mQ Have a photo of your own to share? Submit it here! buff.ly/aCnqZq1

Colorful nebula with dark dust clouds and scattered stars.

1146

Reposted by Mark Zec

Dr. Merritt Rae Turetsky @queenofpeat.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Un-optimized. Moss-covered. Decaying but deeply alive. Reject efficiency, embrace the peat. #BogLife

Image of a sundew plant in Sphagnnum moss.

114023

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The night sky is for everybody. 🗺️ You don’t need a telescope or an astronomy degree to start stargazing ... Our 10 tips for beginners will help you start noticing the #moon, #planets, #stars and patterns overhead — and, most importantly, enjoy the journey. 🌙✨ More: buff.ly/lSJzUwn 📸 Thomas Frazier

Kid sitting on a rail fence and looking at the glowing Milky Way in a very starry sky.

13115

Reposted by Mark Zec

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 01/10/2026

#NASAWebb data is helping scientists identify the types of collisions—high or lower energy—occurring between Moon- and Mars-sized objects in young stellar environments. Our solar system is thought to have undergone similar events to form the Moon: news.stsci.edu/47mLryB

Artist’s concept of a star and its debris disk against the black background of space. The star is in the background, right of center, and depicted as a small, luminous sphere. The debris disk is a large blue ring that encircles the star. The debris disk is angled toward the viewer, so that the portion nearest to the viewer extends beyond the bottom frame of the illustration. Many dark, rocky fragments are scattered throughout the debris disk. In the foreground, toward the left, is a small planetary body colliding with a larger spherical object on its right. The impact site glows bright yellow and orange and has a lava-like appearance, as though chunks of both colliding bodies are breaking up and being destroyed. Orange-yellow streams of vapor extend outward from the collision area. Behind the debris disk and its star are many small stars in the background. A label in the bottom right corner reads “Artist’s Concept.”

0318

Reposted by Mark Zec

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 30/09/2026

The princess took an earring off and held it out. The raven looked at it. "Whatever for?" "You are wise and clever. Many princesses have dragons, but none has a raven friend." The raven picked up the earring. "Say no more." "Friends?" she asked when it returned the next day. "Forevermore."

5533142

Reposted by Mark Zec

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It's been 7 months since I gave evidence at the UKGov select committee hearing, on the policy changes at UKRI which have had a catastrophic impact on funding for UK astronomy and particle physics. When asked if we thought we were the "canary in the coal mine", we said yes..... we weren't wrong. 🧪🔭⚛️

35321

Reposted by Mark Zec

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 29/09/2026

Her son carefully lifted his ochre-stained hand from the cave wall and studied the outline. "That's me. My hand." He looked at the other hands. "Do you know all?" "Some are older than me." "That old?" "Hush you," she laughed. "We don't make these to be seen tomorrow, but because today, we live."

035188

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Look up, skywatchers! Late tonight, the waning gibbous #moon will visit the #Pleiades star cluster. Orange star #Aldebaran - the fiery eye of #Taurus the Bull - will shine nearby, too. Don't miss them! 🌖🌌 For more sky events, visit EarthSky’s night sky guide: buff.ly/wO2IARe 📸 Chart via EarthSky.

The moon passes 5 small dots, the Pleiades, on September 29 and 30. They are above a red dot, the star Aldebaran.

0104

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The magnificent #MilkyWay view — sideways view into our home galaxy — caught by Iván Cárdenes Muñoz in Gran Canaria, Spain, earlier this month. Thank you, Iván! buff.ly/ejr2TTI Where's your best place for seeing the Milky Way? Tell us in the comments!

A breathtaking Milky Way stretches over a rugged mountain landscape.
Warm village lights glow below, contrasting beautifully with the dark, star-filled sky.

24811

Reposted by Mark Zec

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 28/09/2026

#NASAWebb observed galaxy Messier 51 to uncover how star clusters form. This close-up of one of its spiral arms reveals white star clusters among red and orange gas clumps. Credit: ESA, NASA, CSA, A. Pedrini, A. Adamo (Stockholm University), FEAST JWST team.

A large, long portion of one of the spiral arms in spiral galaxy Messier 51. Red-orange, clumpy filaments of gas and dust stretch in a chain from left to right to comprise the arm. Shining cyan bubbles light up parts of the gas clouds from within, and gaps expose bright star clusters in these bubbles as glowing white dots. The whole image is dotted with small, point-like stars. A faint blue glow around the arm illuminates the otherwise dark background.

04610

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Equinox sunset from the Oregon Coast from our friend Cecille Kennedy. Thank you, Cecille! buff.ly/x1cjPJi Have photos of your own? Share them with us here! buff.ly/gNmP2ZK

Large orange sun sets behind dark bands of clouds, filling the sky with fiery red and orange hues.

1166

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Our friend Mandy Daniels captured the waxing gibbous #moon last night. Did it look full to you? It did to us! But it wasn't quite full. See Mandy's comment here: buff.ly/Prnp1QZ The Harvest Moon is tonight. Watch a video: buff.ly/nfDd9I4

0133

Reposted by Mark Zec

SETI Institute @setiinstitute.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

⭐ Did this star eat its planets? Astronomers have found a new way to uncover evidence of stars swallowing rocky worlds. Lead author Anne Rathsam joins @goastromo.bsky.social on #SETILive to explain the cosmic detective work. 📅 Oct. 1 | 11 am PDT 🧪 🔭

0302

Reposted by Mark Zec

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 25/09/2026

Astronomers estimate that there are 500,000 stars within this #NASAWebb image of Sagittarius C. One of the most densely packed areas lies within the dark, U-shaped region at the top left of the cyan-colored cloud of ionized hydrogen: bit.ly/4zeme64

A funnel-shaped region of space appears darker than its surroundings with fewer stars. It is wider at the top edge of the image, narrowing toward the bottom. At the bottom, a small clump of red and white appears to shoot out streamers upward and left. A large, bright, cyan-colored area surrounds the lower portion of the funnel-shaped dark area, forming a rough U shape. The cyan-colored area has needle-like, linear structures and becomes more diffuse in the center. The right side is dominated by clouds of orange and red, with a purple haze. There are thousands of pinpoints of light, a multitude of stars, throughout the view.

15619

Reposted by Mark Zec

Project Gutenberg @gutenberg.org · 25/09/2026

Why Did Claude Monet Paint the Same Scenes Over and Over Again? The Impressionist Artist Was Obsessed With Capturing the Fleeting Nature of Time by Ellen Wexler www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/w... The Seven Lamps of Architecture by John Ruskin at PG: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35898 #books #art

Rouen Cathedral: Setting Sun (Symphony in Pink and Grey).

The Gothic façade dissolves into soft blues, pinks, and lavenders, capturing shifting light rather than architectural detail.

Rouen Cathedral Series. In the evening.

It was painted here in warm reds and oranges against a blue sky—capturing the façade at a different time of day than the pink/grey version, with light dissolving architectural form into color and texture.

0223

Reposted by Mark Zec

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 24/09/2026

Dr. Dastard pressed the button. Nothing happened. "I cut the wires," Captain Clever said, "you won't rain death and destruction on the world today." "What? My rockets were going to fetch ice asteroids to crash them into the moon." "Why?" "To make an ocean, to let the moon experience tides too."

419839

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

At 2.5 million light-years away, the #Andromeda Galaxy is the most distant thing you can easily see with the unaided eye. And right now is a great time to spot it! 🤩 Here's how: buff.ly/J3FL0im 📸 Andy Dungan.

A huge, glowing spiral with 2 small fuzzy patches nearby, among thousands of foreground stars.

062

Reposted by Mark Zec

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 23/09/2026

One of the most transformational telescopes of modern time has reached another major milestone—200,000 orbits around Earth. Hubble’s observation from that day is a part of its defining legacy, measuring the expansion rate of the universe: go.nasa.gov/4h812b9 🔭

Dozens of galaxies on the black background of space observed by Hubble. Most of the galaxies are small white splotches. Some galaxies are more oval shaped, others are circular. Toward the center-left is a larger, fuzzy white oval.

07618

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Wow! Researchers have found the youngest-known #exoplanet so far. The baby planet — called Elias 2-24 b — is less than a million years old. It is about twice as massive as Jupiter and 450 light-years from Earth. #Elias224b buff.ly/5E7KzqR 📸 W. M. Keck Observatory/ Adam Makarenko/ NASA.

Reddish sphere with bright white center. A set of blue rings is around the sphere, with a small white oval object between them.

022

Reposted by Mark Zec

Prof Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Science has just quietly rewritten the limits of life. 🤯 It's discovered an amoeba that can grow and reproduce at 63°C (145°F), beyond the previous ~60°C upper limit for eukaryotic life. And it can survive brief exposure to 70°C. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

cell.com

A geothermal amoeba sets a new upper temperature limit for eukaryotes

The amoeba Incendiamoeba cascadensis demonstrates that eukaryotic life can withstand temperatures beyond what was thought possible and sheds light on molecular strategies for survival in extreme heat.

13913

Reposted by Mark Zec

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The two #Equinox are the only days when the Sun rises due East and sets due West, everywhere. At the Dec solstice the sun rises in the S-East. At the June solstice it rises in the N-East. As the days pass between the two, the sunrise position slowly changes passing due East each equinox.🤩 🔭🧪

519479

Reposted by Mark Zec

SFF Addicts Podcast @sffaddictspod.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Ep. 221 is LIVE! Join guest @paultremblay.bsky.social and co-hosts @adrianmgibson.bsky.social & Greta Kelly for their writing masterclass on THE HORRORS OF TECHNOLOGY. Stream/download/watch Ep. 221: linktr.ee/SFFAddicts youtu.be/RITighDJI_E?... @mjkuhnbooks.bsky.social @wmmorrowbooks.bsky.social

071

Reposted by Mark Zec

The Authors Guild @authorsguild.org · 22/09/2026

“Newly unsealed comments made in briefs filed by the tech giants reveal that executives knew they were illegally training their products on copyrighted books and that AI generated books would likely displace human-authored books in the market.“

publishersweekly.com

Unsealed Files Show Open AI/Microsoft Knew Copying Was Illegal and Could Hurt Authors

Newly unsealed comments made in briefs filed by Open AI and Microsoft reveal that executives knew they were illegally training their products on copyrighted books and that AI generated books would lik...

3184101

Reposted by Mark Zec

Paolo Bacigalupi @paolobacigalupi.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Some idiot just emailed me, offering AI-assisted support in writing climate fiction. Yeah, buddy. Because clearly I'm in desperate need of your slop. How will I ever survive without you? 😂😂😂😂😂😂

2803

Reposted by Mark Zec

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 21/09/2026

When a wizard dies, their spells unravel. But the pattern lingers a while. When Fitzglob died, other wizards swarmed his tower, trying to find his time-stopper room, which you exited as soon as you entered, no matter how long you spent inside. "Here! This room!" "Why?" "It has a reading chair!"

5415109

Reposted by Mark Zec

Astronomer Royal for Scotland | Catherine Heymans @astroroyalscot.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

BlueSky! Any Sunday chores on your to-do list today that would benefit from an audio accompaniment? Here is me & Jason Goodyer (editor of BBC Science Focus) having a lovely long blether about reality. Suitable for both cooking and cleaning activities. You're welcome 🤗🧪🔭 🔗: pod.link/1296673906/e...

Podcast episode
Are we living in a simulation? How to tell if reality is fake.
Instant Genius.
A picture of a spooky face with plants in its brain....???

45514

Reposted by Mark Zec

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · 18/09/2026

Baltimore City Public Schools alumni carry a universe-sized impact. 🪐 Decades before contemporary engineers took the reins to operate cutting-edge observatories, City Schools trailblazers were pioneering technologies and shaping NASA's most critical missions.

baltimorecityschools.org

The Only Limit for City Schools Students Is the Stars: How Baltimore City Public Schools Alumni Are Shaping the Universe

Baltimore City Public Schools alumni carry a universe-sized impact. Decades before contemporary eng...

1388

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#Aurora season comes around the fall and spring equinox each year and we're in it now. This pattern in nature — auroras increasing twice a year — is due to the way the magnetic fields of the sun and the Earth combine with sun-Earth geometry. #northernlights Read more at: buff.ly/b5uq1El 📸 JD Smith.

Brilliant red and green curtain-like northern lights glow above a small illuminated church and trees beneath a starry sky.

0124

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The jewel of the solar system ... 🪐 Nancy Ricigliano in Long Island, New York, captured this lovely view of #Saturn last Saturday. Thank you, Nancy! #astronomy 📸 buff.ly/bdGiZKt See more great photos, and submit yours, at EarthSky Community Photos: buff.ly/sBYxM1t

Large planet with goldish-tan banded clouds and huge rings around it.

092

Reposted by Mark Zec

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Nature is healing: A poacher hunting rhinos was ambushed by a herd of elephants and trampled to death.

metro.co.uk

Poacher sneaking up on rhinos ambushed and trampled to death by elephants

241180238

Reposted by Mark Zec

EarthSky @earthskyscience.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In 2013, scientists discovered that #Chariklo – a small asteroid-like body orbiting the sun between Saturn and Uranus – has rings. And now, a new study has revealed that these rings have evolved noticeably over just a few years. Find out more: buff.ly/PgEGreu 📸L. Maquet/ Observatoire de Paris/ IAA.

Rocky body in starry space, with 2 thin rings around it. A bright star in the distance.

031

Reposted by Mark Zec

The Authors Guild @authorsguild.org · 16/09/2026

NEXT WEEK: A free discussion about what authors and narrators need to know about AI and copyright, what should be agreed to contractually, and what the copyright process actually protects. Register here:

authorsguild.org

How are authors and audiobook narrators navigating the AI landscape—and how might they collaborate better with each other? The Authors Guild and the National Association of Voice Actors invite you to ...

066

Reposted by Mark Zec

Micro SF/F by O. Westin @microsff.com · 16/09/2026

The entity drifted dreamlessly through space, as it had for aeons. It woke when it neared a star. Scanned for planets, life, signs of technology. Having found all, it analyzed and decoded radio emissions, then composed a message to send. "My hovercraft is full of feels." It resumed dormancy.

736258