#365ways2026 — Public Fediverse posts

Boldly Go!

This week marked the 60th anniversary of Star Trek (it was Tuesday, actually, but alas! I was distracted by the whole “return to work” thing). And the show almost didn’t make it at all.

How ‘Star Trek’ almost failed to launch

“The Cage” – a complicated story about alien mind-control – was an ambitious pilot. When Roddenberry presented it to NBC, the programming executives were blown away. But the sales and marketing department wasn’t convinced. Not enough action, they thought. It would be hard to promote. Pass.

“Star Trek,” it seemed, was dead.

Fortunately, there’s more to that story, and the show not only got off the ground but became the entertainment juggernaut it is today.

I wasn’t a Trek fan growing up, in large part, I think, because my parents had made the conscious decision not to have a television. Now that I’m all grown up and have a TV of my own, though, I appreciate the ideals and more behind the sometimes campy but always fun franchise. So inspiring, and not just for everyday fans. 

‘Star Trek’ and NASA have intertwined legacies – the show championed diversity and inspired generations of real space scientists

When it premiered in 1966, no one could have predicted that it would lead to more than a dozen spinoff shows, more than a dozen movies and one of the most enduring fandoms in popular culture.

“Star Trek” is also unusual for its close connections to NASA, both in its storylines and in the real world. Decades of “Star Trek” adventures have ignited a love of spaceflight across generations, inspiring many who now work as space professionals.

Let’s hear it for the real-world powers of fiction. And now, in life and the imagination, go boldly!

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Bayeux Mania!

Books are just one of the many ways to interpret and record history. The 11th-century Bayeux tapestry, is going on display to the public today in the UK. The tapestry has more than 220 feet of embroidery detailing the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England in 1066. And the public is loving it.

British Museum Opens Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition

Inside the exhibition on Thursday morning, the first visitors made their way along the tapestry, snapping photos as they went. They were all quiet until one — Cheryl Prax, 71, a retired property manager — spotted some of the nude figures in the tapestry’s borders and laughed loudly. “I love quirky historical things like that,” Prax said afterward.

(And what would this type of storytelling look like with more modern topics? Artist Edith Pritchett drew a modern-day version depicting “today’s battles with online trolls, social media addiction, the manosphere, AI agents” and more: The trollers v the scrollers: Edith Pritchett’s Bayeux tapestry for the modern age)

Want to see the tapestry in person but can’t get tickets to see the original? You still have options!

Where to See the World’s Bayeux Tapestry Replicas

Here are links to just some of the animals, people, and other items depicted (the astronomical object included, and some less safe for work items) in the tapestry. And if you can’t make it in person, check out this high-res digital version from the Bayeux Museum: Explore the Bayeux Tapestry online.

Fair warning, though, many of the main websites linked to the tapestry are slooooow today. Because history is cool, and Bayeux Mania is real!

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A Book in the Library of Life

Why write? It’s a question writers get asked a lot. There are a lot of challenges to writing, both internal and external, and overcoming them can take persistence and focus and a good handle on what and why. So I periodically ask myself just that: why write? 

Here’s one author talking about her history with writing: Patricia Cornwell, novelist: Imagination saved me

Jamie Coomarasamy speaks to Patricia Cornwell, one of the world’s best-selling crime writers, whose books have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide… Her imagination became a refuge during difficult years, shaping the stories and characters she would later create.

Ann Patchett’s The Getaway Car is another interesting look into the author’s development as a writer, but everyone’s answer is different.

My version of why tends to revolve around an essential truth: I want to be part of the worlds I’ve loved since I was a child. I want to be a book in the library of life.

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A Book in the Library of Life

Why write? It’s a question writers get asked a lot. There are a lot of challenges to writing, both internal and external, and overcoming them can take persistence and focus and a good handle on what and why. So I periodically ask myself just that: why write? 

Here’s one author talking about her history with writing: Patricia Cornwell, novelist: Imagination saved me

Jamie Coomarasamy speaks to Patricia Cornwell, one of the world’s best-selling crime writers, whose books have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide… Her imagination became a refuge during difficult years, shaping the stories and characters she would later create.

Ann Patchett’s The Getaway Car is another interesting look into the author’s development as a writer, but everyone’s answer is different.

My version of why tends to revolve around an essential truth: I want to be part of the worlds I’ve loved since I was a child. I want to be a book in the library of life.

* * *

A Book in the Library of Life

Why write? It’s a question writers get asked a lot. There are a lot of challenges to writing, both internal and external, and overcoming them can take persistence and focus and a good handle on what and why. So I periodically ask myself just that: why write? 

Here’s one author talking about her history with writing: Patricia Cornwell, novelist: Imagination saved me

Jamie Coomarasamy speaks to Patricia Cornwell, one of the world’s best-selling crime writers, whose books have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide… Her imagination became a refuge during difficult years, shaping the stories and characters she would later create.

Ann Patchett’s The Getaway Car is another interesting look into the author’s development as a writer, but everyone’s answer is different.

My version of why tends to revolve around an essential truth: I want to be part of the worlds I’ve loved since I was a child. I want to be a book in the library of life.

* * *

A Book in the Library of Life

Why write? It’s a question writers get asked a lot. There are a lot of challenges to writing, both internal and external, and overcoming them can take persistence and focus and a good handle on what and why. So I periodically ask myself just that: why write? 

Here’s one author talking about her history with writing: Patricia Cornwell, novelist: Imagination saved me

Jamie Coomarasamy speaks to Patricia Cornwell, one of the world’s best-selling crime writers, whose books have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide… Her imagination became a refuge during difficult years, shaping the stories and characters she would later create.

Ann Patchett’s The Getaway Car is another interesting look into the author’s development as a writer, but everyone’s answer is different.

My version of why tends to revolve around an essential truth: I want to be part of the worlds I’ve loved since I was a child. I want to be a book in the library of life.

* * *

A Book in the Library of Life

Why write? It’s a question writers get asked a lot. There are a lot of challenges to writing, both internal and external, and overcoming them can take persistence and focus and a good handle on what and why. So I periodically ask myself just that: why write? 

Here’s one author talking about her history with writing: Patricia Cornwell, novelist: Imagination saved me

Jamie Coomarasamy speaks to Patricia Cornwell, one of the world’s best-selling crime writers, whose books have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide… Her imagination became a refuge during difficult years, shaping the stories and characters she would later create.

Ann Patchett’s The Getaway Car is another interesting look into the author’s development as a writer, but everyone’s answer is different.

My version of why tends to revolve around an essential truth: I want to be part of the worlds I’ve loved since I was a child. I want to be a book in the library of life.

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Lots Going On Up There!

Tomorrow is an interesting day, astronomically speaking. Let me check my list; it’s a long one (and be warned, exclamation marks ahead!).

Let’s see:

• solar eclipse, check
• meteor shower, check
• planetary conjunction, check!

The Eclipse

Parts of Western Europe will see a total eclipse, the first visible on mainland Europe in 27 years, but many other places on Earth will have at least a partial version. When and where can you see it? Here’s a look at the timing.

What time is the total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026? | Space

While totality will be visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, millions more people across Europe will experience a dramatic partial solar eclipse. Whether you’re chasing the moon’s shadow in Reykjavik or watching the moon take a ‘bite’ out of the sun from London, Paris, or Berlin, timing is everything.

New York City will only see about 9% totality just before 2pm, for example, but if you happen to be in London at 7:13pm, well, 91% totality for you!

You can look up your own location here: Total Solar Eclipse on August 12, 2026. For me, the max eclipse will take place at 13:42:42. 

Not in the eclipse path? Live stream it here! LIVE: Total Solar Eclipse – August 12, 2026 – YouTube

One Spanish museum is taking an interesting approach to the eclipse, and how changes in the light impact our perceptions of art. 

A light touch-up: Madrid’s Prado Museum digitally reimagines solar eclipse masterpieces | Euronews

The project, entitled “The Prado in the light of the eclipse”, proposes a progressive transformation of the lighting applied to some of the most iconic paintings in the celebrated gallery. Through this shift in light, the video shows how small variations in illumination can radically alter the perception of colours, shapes and the atmosphere of the paintings, revealing details and nuances that everyday light leaves hidden.

That’s already a lot, and we haven’t even talked about meteors or other planets!

The Meteors

Perseid Meteor Shower 2026—When, Where, and How to See It

Good news, meteor shower fans: the 2026 Perseids peak on August 12–13, under a New Moon—the ideal lunar phase for watching shooting stars.

Here’s a viewing map: Perseids Meteor Shower 2026

The Planetary Parade

And just before sunrise on the 12th, the planetary parade:

August 12, 2026 Sky Events: Solar Eclipse, Perseids, Planet Parade

The day starts before the Sun comes up. On the morning of August 12, six planets — Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune — will appear spread across the sky.

Do not expect a tight line of bright dots. This is a wide planetary alignment, stretching from the horizon across a large part of the sky. Mars and Saturn will be the easiest planets to spot with the naked eye. Mercury will sit low above the horizon shortly before sunrise. Jupiter will be bright, but very close to the horizon. Uranus and Neptune will need binoculars or a telescope.

Check the link above for times, but for me this would be just after 6am. 

It’s going to be a pretty special day, astronomically speaking. Actually, I should have set up this post in terms of time (location dependent, of course!), like so:

• early morning: planet parade
• early afternoon: solar eclipse
• evening: Perseid meteor shower! 

If you have a few moments and clear sky, check it out. There’s a lot going on up there!

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Inspiration is Everywhere

Maybe you’ve heard of Jimothy, the Seattle native and short-spined raccoon who has captured the hearts and minds of the internets, but if you haven’t, this critter has inspired creatives far and wide. 

Art, tattoos and now a video game for Jimothy | KNKX Public Radio

That includes Chris Pirillo, a designer who has created not one, not two, not three, but four ! arcade-style video games starring the adorable little raccoon. If you need a bit of a break today, you can check them out here:

Jimothy: Every Free Game and Toy Starring Seattle’s Raccoon

Have fun, and remember, inspiration is everywhere!

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Gibson Riffs

William Gibson riffs on writing and the future

So I would recommend that people read a lot, and as broadly as possible, and then I would suggest that people write a lot. You have to have written a very good deal in order to become really good at it. And if you do it often enough and pay sufficient attention, you’re much more likely to get somewhere than if you don’t.

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Imagined Endings

Perhaps you remember the “Dear Aliens” contest? Maybe you even submitted a story to be shared with our alien visitors? 

Mr Man and I have had a lot going on over the past few months so I did not get a story together, but I’m glad that many of you did. And now, the winners have been announced!

To Those Arriving Soon by MacEagon Voyce

“You’ll know by now that we humans fear the unknown, and that we fill that chasm with stories, imagining endings we have some agency over.”

See the full list for the top ten stories, and enjoy!

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