Affordable telescopes.

Technology has come quite a long way. There’s a low-cost telescope available that has some pretty cool optics, and appears to be much easier to control that the telescopes of the past. 

I was kind of intrigued:

https://www.seestar.com/products/seestar-s30-pro

And then I saw this:

https://youtu.be/-v8mIvP_zUA?si=ZN7zMy98haGD2FJ1

Putting them in series to do some mapping?! It sounds totally crazy but is so cool! And completely possible because of these technological advancements. 

Disney’s $60 billion bet on the one thing AI can’t replace

This is a long form article about, essentially, Disney betting big on physical experiences such as theme parks and cruise lines. 

It’s an interesting perspective to be sure. And they do point out that the other CEO that took over for Iger - chapek - was also investing in theme parks, but he was very big on the revenue and thus raised prices and cut amenities. 

Something D’Amaro appears less likely to do. But we'll see…

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/disney-60-billion-bet-one-131500076.html

An interplanetary shortcut can speed up trips to Mars

In a way, this harkens back to the original moon missions.  Computers (ie, the people - mostly women - who did the computing by hand) figured out the most efficient way to get to the moon, orbit it, and come back to earth… and have a fairly precise landing spot (yes it was many 10s of miles, but it was a reasonable calculation in the 1960s). 

Here, a scientist looked at the path that a meteor took in its path between mars and earth, and figured out that we could theoretically have a “fairly short” trip to mars because of the orbital mechanics and whatnot. 

It’s a cool way to look at the way in which we can get to the red planet. 

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-interplanetary-shortcut-mars.html

A New Big Database of DNA From Indigenous Americans Shakes Up Scientists' Theories About Human Settlement of South America

I’m always fascinated by the fact that new discoveries can lead to new scientific concepts and update a long-held theory. 

Here’s another example of how indigenous people migrated between the Americas - and they did it in waves for various reasons is pretty remarkable. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-new-big-database-of-dna-from-indigenous-americans-shakes-up-scientific-theories-about-human-settlement-of-south-america-180988628/

Namid Desert: Lost since 1533: This Renaissance merchant ship has resurfaced in the Namib Desert after 500 years | World News - The Times of India

So much to unpack in this story. It shows how ships were built. Unlocks some stories about how trad worked. Tells us a little about the human spirit. And of course creates new mysteries around how the ship wound up inland; probably through changing oceans? 

It’s always amazing what we can learn. 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/lost-since-1533-this-renaissance-merchant-ship-has-resurfaced-in-the-namib-desert-after-500-years/articleshow/130574374.cms

Disneyland is now scanning your face at nearly every gate, sparking privacy concerns - Los Angeles Times

Oh dear. Privacy is basically a thing of the past, a quaint notion. 

Yeah, Disneyland is joining the fray of facial recognition. While they give the usual standby lines about need to protect itself and data being deleted in a short amount of time, it can be used in very many bad ways. 

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-28/disneyland-rolls-out-facial-recognition-at-park-entrances-heres-how-it-works

Walt Disney was an informant for the FBI. - History Facts

The attached is a very short summary of Walt's involvement with the DOJ, and more specifically the FBI.

Remember that Walt was a patriot (as defined in the 20s-60s) and believed in what this country stood for.  He was also a bit of an opportunist, so when it came time for WWII, he made propaganda cartoons and housed the military in his studios.

Walt was asked to join the House Unamerican Affairs Committee (which wanted to root out the evils of communism), and did so reluctantly and cautiously (by many accounts).  But he did have a few names to share with the committee.  One was a particular animator who "gave him trouble" and wanted to unionize, and apparently had maybe been engaged in some "subversive activity"

And because he was this sort of patriot and was beloved and well known, the house, the DOJ, and the FBI asked for any information he had going forward.

Was he an "informant?" Likely not.  Was he doing his part and staying in the good graces of the feds?  Almost certainly.

It was an interesting time, and Walt was savvy enough to know how to play the game (as it were)  

https://historyfacts.com/famous-figures/fact/walt-disney-was-an-informant-for-the-fbi/

Study links lung cancer to eating fruits and veg: What this means

Here’s a study that’s worth taking a look at.  Of course the headline itself is a little misleading.  The scientists break it down thoroughly in their study findings.  They studied people with healthy, plant-based diets and did discover the incidence of lung cancer was higher.

However, what they also discovered is that the reason wasn't the fruits and vegetables themselves, but rather the pesticides and remaining residue that people consumed on the plant matter.

Does that mean one shouldn't eat plants?  Of course not! It means that we need to find better ways to remove pesticides from them before ingestion (because we all know that the industry will not stop using pesticides; that is a losing battle!)

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/healthy-diet-higher-lung-cancer-risk-deciphering-surprising-link-study-pesticides-contraceptives

Archaeologists Found 115,000-Year-Old Human Footprints Where They Shouldn’t Be

This is  an interesting look at an archaeological find.  It shows a couple of things: (a) these appear to be homosaoiens, which tells us that these early humans wandered farther than we previously thought, (b) the reason for their wandering may have been related to the ice age, and (c) we really need to re-think what we think we know about our early ancestors.

And again, this underscores the beauty of science.  We have a notion of what early ancestors did, and where they traveled.  But, we can continue to learn and update those theories, because we gather more evidence,

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a71129594/archaeologists-discover-ancient-human-footprints-change-migration-history/

The thousands of tons of banana pseudostems left rotting after each harvest are now being transformed into tissue paper and packaging materials, while a simple process using sodium hydroxide at 230°F is achieving pulp yields of up to 44 percent in April 2026 trials

Here’s an interesting concept: use banana stems and pulp, that otherwise goes to waste, to create tissue paper and other materials. 

In early tests, it can be done fairly cheaply, so this definitely has some potential. 

 

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/the-thousands-of-tons-of-banana-pseudostems-left-rotting-after-each-harvest-are-now-being-transformed-into-tissue-paper-and-packaging-materials-while-a-simple-process-using-sodium-hydroxide-at-230/31049/

A bit of a role model, and an inventor!

I read this article about the 15 year old inventor who came up with an invention to (cheaply!) use ocean currents to generate electricity. For it, she took home the top prize at a 3M young inventors challenge. 

https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/04/teen-built-electric-generator-using-ocean/

But that was - decade ago, and this woman has been extremely busy since!

She has had numerous inventions and ideas. She won a shark tank college inventors forum called “croc tank”

https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/croctank-funding-epipaws-fau-sharks-abc.php

And on and on. She’s quite determined, and prolific!

You can read more about her on her website.

https://www.hannahherbst.com/m_home.html

Now this is someone that should serve as a role model for young people. Be inquisitive and always try to find new ways to do things!

For 74,000 years, one ancient killer quietly dictated where early humans could survive across Africa

This is an interesting look at human migration.  Researchers examined where malaria was present through the history of Africa, and are suggesting that because malaria was deadly, it had a direct impact on human migration. 

That’s some critical thinking, and is pretty interesting to consider. 

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-years-ancient-killer-quietly-dictated.html

Disney's Lakeshore Lodge

Disney is on a never-ending quest to put their hand in your wallet in various ways.  One of those ways is through their "Disney Vacation Club" properties (a/k/a Time Shares) that exits around Walt Disney World.

They just keep popping up, and in my humble opinion ruin the aesthetics of the property on which they are built.  And as we saw during the pandemic, Disney has to make them available, regardless of extenuating circumstances, to comply with the contract language.

Anyway, pre-pandemic, Disney announced that they were removing the long-abandoned River Country water park, and were replacing it with another DVC property (between the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness). The project was halted during the pandemic, but about a week ago, Disney made an announcement that it was back under construction and it has a preview and opening date planned.

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-world-finally-reveals-new-lakeshore-lodge-concept-art-opening-timeline-details/

Researchers create fireproof building material from sawdust

Oooh. Ammonium magnesium phosphate, crushed watermelon seeds, and sawdust are combined to created a hard material that is fireproof. 

The secret is in the phosphate acting as an enzyme that binds the sawdust and the seeds provide a coating. 

A simple fireproof material that can be used in place of traditional particle board to protect buildings. Neat-o. 

https://www.dezeen.com/2026/04/14/sawdust-struvite-fireproof-material-eth-zurich-empa/

Meet the inventor dubbed 'Black Edison,' who beat Thomas Edison in court

Granville Woods is no household name. Yet, he was a prolific inventor who caught Edison’s attention … and in short, Edison used all manner of tactics to try and steal Woods’ inventions. 

The thing is that Woods had the misfortune of being black in America at a time when we were still overcoming slavery…. So he was never afforded the same deference as Edison. 

At least today, we can acknowledge the man and his accomplishments. Even if he died a poor man without much (if any!) recognition. 

 

https://www.wsj.com/business/granville-t-woods-patent-battles-edison-6744bfcf?mod=RSSMSN

Disney is Ruining its own theme parks

I made a recent visit to the Disney theme parks, and was struck by how everyone was so focused on their phones, and the next thing they were going to do, that they missed out on living in the moment.  

And with the price increases, and these "extras" you can add on for a fee (I'm looking at you Lighting Lane), you can see why people want to maximize their time in the parks.

Then, just to drive the point home, I got a survey from Disney that asked for my opinion about the technology they use and the relative cost of buying these extras.  Its clear that they are sensitive to what they are doing, but they are letting market forces drive them.

By the way, I did notice on this visit that there were a fair number of guests who hired Disney's own tour guides, which I suppose makes some sense because there's more of a return on that investment; they can navigate you around the park.  I had a chance to chat with one CastMember who was waiting for his guided family and he told me that particular family was pretty happy with how it was going and they got to see everything they wanted to that day. 

But.... its more complicated than that of course.  I happened to catch this video, where the host does a good job of laying it all out there, and wonders why Disney is ruining their theme parks.

https://youtu.be/GM7238HHbsQ?si=QRMXxsP2g1aVGgBa

Watch "Trump becomes a parody of himself as he runs out of answers and his base erodes" on YouTube

This is all so weird. And somehow we’ve normalized it.  Or fail to see it for what it is.  F Trump and all his supporters. 

https://youtu.be/4eGwnQc89lk?si=dLWHmSiR1M5yyUg3

Amanda Ungaro Arrived in the U.S. on Jeffrey Epstein's Plane at 17 — Now She's Going After Melania Trump From Brazil

This is such a bizarre story. And it includes the corruption that’s ever present…

Amanda Ungaro Arrived in the U.S. on Jeffrey Epstein's Plane at 17 — Now She's Going After Melania Trump From Brazil - Wealth of Geeks https://wealthofgeeks.com/amanda-ungaro-arrived-in-the-u-s-on-jeffrey-epsteins-plane-at-17-now-shes-going-after-melania-trump-from-brazil/

Artemis returns

Wow.  It was an amazing thing that happened!  The Artemis crew went off into space, circled the moon, and returned safely. They were at a fairly high altitude from the lunar surface, so in completing their mission, they became the humans that went the farthest from Earth - ever. The Apollo 13 astronauts were much closer to the lunar surface, so Artemis now holds the distinction.

They had a bit of a side mission to catalog as much of the moon as they could see, documeting, and taking photos and videos.  Many of the photos were beamed back to Earth in near-real time, so we could see them before the crew landed.  They also took a now 50-year-old tradition, which was started with the first Apollo mission to the moon, and had the opportunity to name a crater. Commander Reid's wife had died somewhat recently. and the other three crew decided that the crater would be named after his late wife.  Which was simply heartwarming.

We now have most of the moon captured in images, which is pretty cool.  We also got some amazing views of Earth - and in somei, the sun was eclipsed by the Earth!

But the one thing that got me was how spoiled we've become.  We had real time video and audio coming back from the crew (in actuality, its delayed by about 1.5 seconds each way, but that's less than the delay on terrestrial TV broadcasts which is about 7 seconds).  We lost contact with the crew as they went behind the moon, because the transmission waves follow a straight line, and the moon was blocking those waves.  That was totally expected.

What was more surprising was that the transmission cut out as the spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere.  That's due to the plasma buildup on the vehicle.  But, with SpaceX missions, we have a constant live view and can see the plasma buildup.  And the reason for that is because SpaceX is using its starlink satellites to receive the transmission and beam that to Earth.  NASA doesn't have that capability.  And I admit I missed it.

In fact, the entirety of the return and recovery felt very much like the Apollo missions. You had grainy footage (with terrible white balance) from aircraft in the area.  You had "visualizations" that showed us what was happening (rather than the real thing).  You had a distant view from a ship when it splashed down.  And when they recovered the crew, they sent helicopters to fish them off of what amounts to a life raft, and hoisted them up and took them to a waiting ship.  Compare that with the SpaceX returns that have a recovery ship that quickly goes to retrieve the capsule and haul it onboard; astronauts then are helped onto the ship without the extra steps involved.

Anyway, it was totally amazing.  And to the science deniers who say we've never left Earth, I say: suck it.

Earth's Population Has Surpassed The Planet's Capacity, Study Suggests : ScienceAlert

A couple of scientists “did the math” and figured out what the optimal earth population should be, given factors like natural resources, food & water supply, etc. 

They note that while they have a number - and we have exceeded it - the other factor is that we have technology which allows us to extend beyond the resource limits. 

That said… their optimal number for population is about 2.5 billion. Our current earth population is around 8.3 billion. Which is a significant difference. They note that this is one reason we’re seeing problems with our ability to feed everyone. 

https://www.sciencealert.com/earths-population-has-surpassed-the-planets-capacity-study-suggests

The World's Largest Wind Farm Built to Power 3.3 Million Homes Just Flipped a Major Switch

Clean energy for the win. Essentially, the large wind farm in the North Sea was connected and a cable was laid to the UK coastline. 

Energy will now be provided to the grid, and that should be sufficient to power 3.3 million homes.  

https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/04/hornsea-3-offshore-wind-farm-export-first-cable-uk/

Watch "Wait, what? Trumps pastor Franklin Graham said this at the White House today. #trump #israel #iran" on YouTube

Well. I’ll be! 

https://youtube.com/shorts/an9D8G1BtjY?si=Zh1eHC1fzDbJaPd1

About the Iran military action

As I've noted many times in the past, it is nearly impossible to know what "truth" is, and the media is no help in finding it. Take the military action that is ongoing in Iran as an example.

T-rump gives updates, tells us how long he expects it to last (the ever changing goalpost), gives ultimatums, and the media just reports on that without probing further. 

We have no idea about the rationale or the objective of the conflict, though some will give what amounts to their opinion, or repeat what T-rump says.  It’s sad in a way. We should be better informed. 

We're also told about relative successes, while negative news is underreported. 

But, if you search outside of what we consider mainstream media, you get a different flavor of what's going on.  A couple of things I thought I would share:

• There was some amount of persuasion, focused on T-rump by warmongers and other nations, to get the United States involved. He had said no in his first term, but this time agreed to an offensive action. It’s unknown why he changed his mind, but this sudden change at least partially explains the lack of a clear objective. But no matter: in the end, it was his decision.  He - alone - owns it. 

• One of the things he tells us is that he wants to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.  Which I find dubious. They have had the program for decades, and as they say, you can’t put a genie back in the bottle.

• Most of the middle east, and parts of Europe that are "nearby," have prohibited the US from using their airbases for any sort of offensive actions.  That means that aircraft carriers are the primary launching points for sorties.  However, the largest carrier (the Gerald Ford) had a fire, and had to exit the theater for major repairs (which may take a year to complete).  How the fire started is the subject of some discussion.  But reporting from outlets outside of the US, and even an offhand comment by T-rump, suggest that it may have been hit by an Iranian missile.

• Several tactical sites and planes used in general operations (which were at airbases in the Middle East or used in rescue operations), have been destroyed by what appear to be Iranian attacks.

• Russia is apparently helping Iran in some way.  In spite of T-rumps crush on Putin.

• The strait of Hormuz is now fully controlled by Iran, and they want to keep it that way, in order to control the world's oil supply (that is to say that T-rump's actions have changed the dynamic in the gulf, and emboldened Iran to make a power move).

• Its very unclear when (or maybe if?) oil prices will go down, worldwide

• Finally, there have been some strikes that appear to violate international law, and he’s announced others that there are absolutely against the convention about targeting civilians.  There is a strange report (from the person who received the call) that T-rump called a reporter and bragged about arming civilians in Iran.  All of these would be considered war crimes, and should be investigated further. 

And that’s just what’s top of mind. I have to say that it looks like there may be a “lasting legacy” if this keeps up. 

One thing I will add is that there are those who think that we can simply use our might to obliterate Iran.  I remind you that Russia had a similar plan in the Ukraine, and after years of attacks, it’s maybe not going so well.  

Also, I've heard it suggested that the US will simply release its strategic oil reserves to help stabilize prices and supply.  But that shows a lack of understanding about the oil reserve is.  And you can’t overlook the subtext about US oil production, which is also misunderstood.

As always, we prove to be moderately uneducated and are fed misinformation along the way.

Reps. Levin & Casten & SEEC Clean Energy Deployment Task Force Introduce the Energy Bills Relief Act | U.S. Congressman Mike Levin

Given rising gas prices, a supply issue, and the want to build more things that need to tap into electricity (like data centers), it's amazing to me there isn't more coverage of the topic. 

Americans are getting squeezed at the pump and in their utility bills. And it barely registers. 

So here's a bill that was introduced to help Americans. The energy bills relief act would address some of this and might actually help. 

Is it perfect? No. 

Does it address the broad problem and make some reasonable tradeoffs to help? Yes. 

Does it get any attention whatsoever? No. 

Is it likely to pass? As much as I'd hope so, I would assume the answer will be no. 

https://levin.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-levin-and-casten_seec-clean-energy-deployment-task-force-introduce-the-energy-bills-relief-act

A group of amateur astronomers has just “heard” a signal from 25 billion kilometers away, confirming that Voyager 1 is still transmitting from the outer reaches of the Solar System

Voyager 1 is still transmitting, and we are still receiving its signal. At 25 Billion kilometers away. Thats amazing. 

It takes light 24 hours to travel that distance. Voyager is about 173 times as far away from us, as the sun is. 

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/a-group-of-amateur-astronomers-has-just-heard-a-signal-from-25-billion-kilometers-away-confirming-that-voyager-1-is-still-transmitting-from-the-outer-reaches-of-the-solar-system/30278/

Disney and National Geographic Invite Audiences to ‘Step into Wonder’ This Earth Month to Celebrate and Explore the World Around Them

Earth Day is coming up, and Disney wants to help you to take it in.  

Not content to confine it to a single day, Disney is celebrating Earth Month in partnership with National Geographic.  It nicely fits within the idea of the True Life Adventures that Walt Disney himself created.

"For 138 years, National Geographic has been guided by a spirit of exploration that opens hearts as much as it expands minds," said Courteney Monroe, President, National Geographic. "With 'Step into Wonder,' we're putting that spirit at the center of Disney's Earth Month, creating a platform for stories that spark a love for our planet and inspire families to step outside and celebrate the everyday wonders of our world." 

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/news/nat-geo-earth-month-2026/

The Astronaut walk out door

The Artemis astronauts emerged from their quarantine facility and took a moment to wave to the cameras before heading over to the launch pad.  

But did you know that this is *the same* walk out door that has been used throughout NASA's space flight program?  Yes, these astronauts quarantined in the same facility!

You can watch a short video I made on the topic here:

https://youtu.be/mh0O-vZvGGQ

By the way, one intriguing thing is that this crew is made up of one white American, one woman, one African American man, and a Canadian man.  It's a more representative group of people than the old three-man white American crews we saw in the 70s. Details here: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/our-artemis-crew/ 

Artemis Moon Mission

I'm just barely old enough to remember the first moon landing in 1969 (my parents woke me up and I have a recollection of the grainy video on our TV, of Neil Armstrong stepping out onto the lunar surface).  And I've essentially been a fan of the whole space program ever since. 

Those of you who know me know that my graduate research was a NASA-funded grant related to the Space Shuttle. So you likely know that I am a BIG fan of the space program (hence why there are regular posts about space!).

NASA committed to a return to the moon (more on that in a moment), and they recently stepped up the program from its fairly slow pace, to try and make it happen sooner.

Artemis is the name of the program, and that name comes from Greek Mythology. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt and the wilderness, which makes a lot of sense. 

You had the Artemis 1 launch that sent an unmanned craft around the moon in 2022.  Artemis 2  launched this week, which has a crew of four astronauts heading around the moon. They won't be landing, but what better way to see how these missions will go than by sending astronauts to the moon as we did with Apollo!

Now to the pressing question, and what the media can't quite get: why are we returning to the moon after 50 years?  The answer lies in our human need to explore. The next great frontier is space.  We have a (tentative?) plan to create a new space station, and there is a desire to build a moon base. They're all part of the nature of continued exploration.

And there's also some measure of scientific discovery in this moon return.  There are some hints as to the universe's origins on the lunar surface, and perhaps we can start to get more insights into the Earth's weather, since the moon has a direct impact on the tides and therefore contributes to our climate.

But... of course there  is the elephant in the room.  You can talk about nationalism, pride, exploration, and science.  But without a financial motivator, there is no reason to return.  

In case you wondered, the moon may have some significant mineral deposits which have some value. And there's deeper space to explore and (to a point) exploit.  Those are certainly motivating factors, too.

  

Further reading:

https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/why-are-we-going-to-the-moon-artemis-nasa-again-89dsbs29f

Archaeologists may have found the grave of the legendary "fourth musketeer" - Ars Technica

Another intriguing mystery. Archeologists have unearthed what they believe to be the remains of musketeer D'Artgan

Whether it is him or not remains to be seen. But the signs certainly point to it being him.  

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/archaeologists-may-have-found-the-grave-of-the-legendary-fourth-musketeer/

Don’t let the door hit you in the butt …

Here's to hoping that one day, justice catches up with her …

Hubble images taken 25 years apart show big changes in the iconic Crab Nebula — Space photo of the week | Live Science

Nice! Using celestial images to show how expansion takes place in the universe.  

https://www.livescience.com/space/hubble-images-taken-25-years-apart-show-big-changes-in-the-iconic-crab-nebula-space-photo-of-the-week

More than half of World Cup countries face extra costs as Fifa fails to agree US tax deal | World Cup 2026 | The Guardian

Another interesting problem, related to the World Cup.  

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/02/world-cup-countries-face-extra-costs-fifa-tax-deal-us-government