Mike Sowden
@mikeachim.bsky.social
Writer (on science, travel & curiosity), Yorkshireman, tedious enthusiast, professional overthinker, Megathreader. Now: Scotland.
Writes Everything Is Amazing: https://everythingisamazing.substack.com/
Writes Everything Is Amazing: https://everythingisamazing.substack.com/
Pinned
Mike Sowden
@mikeachim.bsky.social
· Nov 11
OK, this is wild.
In September 2023, geophysicists across the world started monitoring a very odd signal coming from the ground under them.
It was picked up in the Arctic. And Antarctica. It was detected everywhere, every 90 seconds, as regular as a metronome, for *nine days*.
What the HELL?
1/
In September 2023, geophysicists across the world started monitoring a very odd signal coming from the ground under them.
It was picked up in the Arctic. And Antarctica. It was detected everywhere, every 90 seconds, as regular as a metronome, for *nine days*.
What the HELL?
1/
Okay, time for a much-requested thing: a THREAD OF THREADS. I've now written dozens of these sciencey threads now, and it's increasingly easy to lose them in the scrum of new stuff on here, so - here's a roundup.
First: the mystery of the BONG BONG BONG: bsky.app/profile/mike...
1/
First: the mystery of the BONG BONG BONG: bsky.app/profile/mike...
1/
I'M THRILLED 'For All Mankind' is back (just in time for a real-life return to the Moon!) - & that Wrenn Schmidt is in the main cast.
Because of events in s4, none of us knew if we'd be seeing Margo again. I'm delighted we will indeed.
Everyone not yet on board: you've got 2 months. Start NOW.
Because of events in s4, none of us knew if we'd be seeing Margo again. I'm delighted we will indeed.
Everyone not yet on board: you've got 2 months. Start NOW.
January 22, 2026 at 2:58 PM
I'M THRILLED 'For All Mankind' is back (just in time for a real-life return to the Moon!) - & that Wrenn Schmidt is in the main cast.
Because of events in s4, none of us knew if we'd be seeing Margo again. I'm delighted we will indeed.
Everyone not yet on board: you've got 2 months. Start NOW.
Because of events in s4, none of us knew if we'd be seeing Margo again. I'm delighted we will indeed.
Everyone not yet on board: you've got 2 months. Start NOW.
Reposted by Mike Sowden
I wrote a bit more about it here
the title says it all really
everythingisamazing.substack.com/p/returning-...
the title says it all really
everythingisamazing.substack.com/p/returning-...
We're Going Back To The Moon And It's Kind Of Weird That Nobody Is Freaking Out?
Plus: new stories of the ancient world, and an update on our planet's greatest navigator.
everythingisamazing.substack.com
January 21, 2026 at 6:46 PM
I wrote a bit more about it here
the title says it all really
everythingisamazing.substack.com/p/returning-...
the title says it all really
everythingisamazing.substack.com/p/returning-...
I don't know who made this image but
I know the world is noisy with Bad Things right now, but for the first time in over 50 years human beings are going to go round the Moon, THE MOON
and it's kind of weird that hardly anyone is freaking out about this?
I know the world is noisy with Bad Things right now, but for the first time in over 50 years human beings are going to go round the Moon, THE MOON
and it's kind of weird that hardly anyone is freaking out about this?
January 21, 2026 at 6:43 PM
I don't know who made this image but
I know the world is noisy with Bad Things right now, but for the first time in over 50 years human beings are going to go round the Moon, THE MOON
and it's kind of weird that hardly anyone is freaking out about this?
I know the world is noisy with Bad Things right now, but for the first time in over 50 years human beings are going to go round the Moon, THE MOON
and it's kind of weird that hardly anyone is freaking out about this?
Reposted by Mike Sowden
This is a really cool map from that high fantasy book you’ve been wanting to read for AGES.
Except - it’s actually a surprisingly dramatic reimagining of the Mediterranean by artist Sabine Rethore, with the text flipped to complete the illusion.
Sometimes all you need is a change of perspective.
Except - it’s actually a surprisingly dramatic reimagining of the Mediterranean by artist Sabine Rethore, with the text flipped to complete the illusion.
Sometimes all you need is a change of perspective.
April 18, 2025 at 10:39 AM
This is a really cool map from that high fantasy book you’ve been wanting to read for AGES.
Except - it’s actually a surprisingly dramatic reimagining of the Mediterranean by artist Sabine Rethore, with the text flipped to complete the illusion.
Sometimes all you need is a change of perspective.
Except - it’s actually a surprisingly dramatic reimagining of the Mediterranean by artist Sabine Rethore, with the text flipped to complete the illusion.
Sometimes all you need is a change of perspective.
January 20, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Well, that was purty. You wouldnt know it from my photos, but it really was.
January 20, 2026 at 1:09 AM
Well, that was purty. You wouldnt know it from my photos, but it really was.
Reposted by Mike Sowden
The first thing Virginia Spanberger did after being sworn in as Governor of Virginia was repeal Youngkin’s executive order requiring state and local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE.
This is the kind of leadership Democratic governors nationwide should be emulating.
This is the kind of leadership Democratic governors nationwide should be emulating.
January 18, 2026 at 11:35 AM
The first thing Virginia Spanberger did after being sworn in as Governor of Virginia was repeal Youngkin’s executive order requiring state and local law enforcement to cooperate with ICE.
This is the kind of leadership Democratic governors nationwide should be emulating.
This is the kind of leadership Democratic governors nationwide should be emulating.
Reposted by Mike Sowden
The rules have changed, and this is the new one for 2026:
Be so utterly, recklessly weird that ChatGPT could never sound like you.
Be so utterly, recklessly weird that ChatGPT could never sound like you.
January 17, 2026 at 8:53 PM
The rules have changed, and this is the new one for 2026:
Be so utterly, recklessly weird that ChatGPT could never sound like you.
Be so utterly, recklessly weird that ChatGPT could never sound like you.
Reposted by Mike Sowden
The fascinating thing about Greenlandic music is that it is clearly informed by popular music trends but they use it to spread their language, which outside of Greenland is basically unused.
It is their way of modernizing their heritage, a form of inclusive protest.
It is their way of modernizing their heritage, a form of inclusive protest.
If you want to understand where a culture comes from, listen to their music.
subrosalabel.bandcamp.com/album/kaataq
subrosalabel.bandcamp.com/album/kaataq
Kaataq, by Nuuk Posse (Hip Hop from Greenland)
10 track album
subrosalabel.bandcamp.com
January 17, 2026 at 11:11 PM
The fascinating thing about Greenlandic music is that it is clearly informed by popular music trends but they use it to spread their language, which outside of Greenland is basically unused.
It is their way of modernizing their heritage, a form of inclusive protest.
It is their way of modernizing their heritage, a form of inclusive protest.
The rules have changed, and this is the new one for 2026:
Be so utterly, recklessly weird that ChatGPT could never sound like you.
Be so utterly, recklessly weird that ChatGPT could never sound like you.
January 17, 2026 at 8:53 PM
The rules have changed, and this is the new one for 2026:
Be so utterly, recklessly weird that ChatGPT could never sound like you.
Be so utterly, recklessly weird that ChatGPT could never sound like you.
There's a young guy in England, a professional animator, who spent over 4 years sleeping in the woods in a hammock under a tarp - and I just wrote about him, if you need a distraction from :
open.substack.com/pub/everythi...
open.substack.com/pub/everythi...
One Thing Becomes A Million Things
Lessons from sleeping in the woods for 4 years.
open.substack.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:42 PM
There's a young guy in England, a professional animator, who spent over 4 years sleeping in the woods in a hammock under a tarp - and I just wrote about him, if you need a distraction from :
open.substack.com/pub/everythi...
open.substack.com/pub/everythi...
Reposted by Mike Sowden
You have to block them immediately. The full nuclear. They are only here to make folks angry, and that can’t happen if we lock them out.
✅ @icegov.bsky.social has been verified by @bsky.app.
January 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM
You have to block them immediately. The full nuclear. They are only here to make folks angry, and that can’t happen if we lock them out.
Reposted by Mike Sowden
China just installed a 20 MEGAWATT wind turbine at sea, as part of a research project.
That's enough to power approx. 3,000 homes per day - all from 1 turbine.
(Not even the most powerful! Another turbine started trials in September that can generate 26 MW.)
www.offshorewind.biz/2026/01/15/w...
That's enough to power approx. 3,000 homes per day - all from 1 turbine.
(Not even the most powerful! Another turbine started trials in September that can generate 26 MW.)
www.offshorewind.biz/2026/01/15/w...
'World's First' 20 MW Wind Turbine Installed Offshore
A 20 MW wind turbine was installed in the waters off southern Fujian, China, on 13 January as part of a research project. This is the first time a wind turbine with this output was installed at sea, b...
www.offshorewind.biz
January 15, 2026 at 4:35 PM
China just installed a 20 MEGAWATT wind turbine at sea, as part of a research project.
That's enough to power approx. 3,000 homes per day - all from 1 turbine.
(Not even the most powerful! Another turbine started trials in September that can generate 26 MW.)
www.offshorewind.biz/2026/01/15/w...
That's enough to power approx. 3,000 homes per day - all from 1 turbine.
(Not even the most powerful! Another turbine started trials in September that can generate 26 MW.)
www.offshorewind.biz/2026/01/15/w...
China just installed a 20 MEGAWATT wind turbine at sea, as part of a research project.
That's enough to power approx. 3,000 homes per day - all from 1 turbine.
(Not even the most powerful! Another turbine started trials in September that can generate 26 MW.)
www.offshorewind.biz/2026/01/15/w...
That's enough to power approx. 3,000 homes per day - all from 1 turbine.
(Not even the most powerful! Another turbine started trials in September that can generate 26 MW.)
www.offshorewind.biz/2026/01/15/w...
'World's First' 20 MW Wind Turbine Installed Offshore
A 20 MW wind turbine was installed in the waters off southern Fujian, China, on 13 January as part of a research project. This is the first time a wind turbine with this output was installed at sea, b...
www.offshorewind.biz
January 15, 2026 at 4:35 PM
China just installed a 20 MEGAWATT wind turbine at sea, as part of a research project.
That's enough to power approx. 3,000 homes per day - all from 1 turbine.
(Not even the most powerful! Another turbine started trials in September that can generate 26 MW.)
www.offshorewind.biz/2026/01/15/w...
That's enough to power approx. 3,000 homes per day - all from 1 turbine.
(Not even the most powerful! Another turbine started trials in September that can generate 26 MW.)
www.offshorewind.biz/2026/01/15/w...
Reposted by Mike Sowden
Can confirm! It was like spa day for my face before 7am on a Thursday.
MENFOLK OF 2026: I am here from the FUTURE to tell you that if you rub some moisturizer on your face BEFORE applying shaving cream, you will have the best shave of your life. I know a lot's going on right now, but try it.
a man is shaving his face in a bathroom with a razor .
ALT: a man is shaving his face in a bathroom with a razor .
media.tenor.com
January 15, 2026 at 1:14 PM
Can confirm! It was like spa day for my face before 7am on a Thursday.
Reposted by Mike Sowden
MENFOLK OF 2026: I am here from the FUTURE to tell you that if you rub some moisturizer on your face BEFORE applying shaving cream, you will have the best shave of your life. I know a lot's going on right now, but try it.
a man is shaving his face in a bathroom with a razor .
ALT: a man is shaving his face in a bathroom with a razor .
media.tenor.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:22 AM
MENFOLK OF 2026: I am here from the FUTURE to tell you that if you rub some moisturizer on your face BEFORE applying shaving cream, you will have the best shave of your life. I know a lot's going on right now, but try it.
Another eye-opener, again from Our World In Data via Sam:
Despite the growing effects of climate change, world food supplies continue to outpace human population growth by an increasingly wide margin on every continent (taken as a whole).
Looks like a very encouraging safety-net - so far.
Despite the growing effects of climate change, world food supplies continue to outpace human population growth by an increasingly wide margin on every continent (taken as a whole).
Looks like a very encouraging safety-net - so far.
January 14, 2026 at 2:59 PM
Another eye-opener, again from Our World In Data via Sam:
Despite the growing effects of climate change, world food supplies continue to outpace human population growth by an increasingly wide margin on every continent (taken as a whole).
Looks like a very encouraging safety-net - so far.
Despite the growing effects of climate change, world food supplies continue to outpace human population growth by an increasingly wide margin on every continent (taken as a whole).
Looks like a very encouraging safety-net - so far.
Reposted by Mike Sowden
One thing you will never think after reading a great book or listening to a great album or seeing a great piece of art is, “I’m really glad this person remained cautious while they were making this and guarded against being perceived as weird.”
December 13, 2025 at 7:29 AM
One thing you will never think after reading a great book or listening to a great album or seeing a great piece of art is, “I’m really glad this person remained cautious while they were making this and guarded against being perceived as weird.”
MENFOLK OF 2026: I am here from the FUTURE to tell you that if you rub some moisturizer on your face BEFORE applying shaving cream, you will have the best shave of your life. I know a lot's going on right now, but try it.
a man is shaving his face in a bathroom with a razor .
ALT: a man is shaving his face in a bathroom with a razor .
media.tenor.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:22 AM
MENFOLK OF 2026: I am here from the FUTURE to tell you that if you rub some moisturizer on your face BEFORE applying shaving cream, you will have the best shave of your life. I know a lot's going on right now, but try it.
Wisdom from a rural corner of England:
"I’m sorry, but your phone is not a torch...when you’re stumbling about trying to find your car on a moonless night in a village entirely untroubled by street lamps you will soon realise it is next to useless."
mzharrison.substack.com/p/ceci-nest-...
"I’m sorry, but your phone is not a torch...when you’re stumbling about trying to find your car on a moonless night in a village entirely untroubled by street lamps you will soon realise it is next to useless."
mzharrison.substack.com/p/ceci-nest-...
Ceci n'est pas une winter jumper, sorry
A free post about what really constitutes warm clothes when you live in the countryside, also torches, boots and several other things
mzharrison.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:26 PM
Wisdom from a rural corner of England:
"I’m sorry, but your phone is not a torch...when you’re stumbling about trying to find your car on a moonless night in a village entirely untroubled by street lamps you will soon realise it is next to useless."
mzharrison.substack.com/p/ceci-nest-...
"I’m sorry, but your phone is not a torch...when you’re stumbling about trying to find your car on a moonless night in a village entirely untroubled by street lamps you will soon realise it is next to useless."
mzharrison.substack.com/p/ceci-nest-...
Reposted by Mike Sowden
...lots of human doctors are out here, ready to treat you like a real human being, giving you credible, fact-checked, non-hallucinatory advice based on decades of very real experience in serving patients with dignity & respect.
My other half is one of them: www.marianacalleja.com
Trust the humans.
My other half is one of them: www.marianacalleja.com
Trust the humans.
January 13, 2026 at 1:40 PM
...lots of human doctors are out here, ready to treat you like a real human being, giving you credible, fact-checked, non-hallucinatory advice based on decades of very real experience in serving patients with dignity & respect.
My other half is one of them: www.marianacalleja.com
Trust the humans.
My other half is one of them: www.marianacalleja.com
Trust the humans.
OpenAI is now rolling out "ChatGPT for Healthcare" - using a service well-known to nonsensically hallucinate, which OpenAI itself acknowledges. (Both these screenshots are from the OpenAI website.)
This seems ridiculously dangerous?
Meanwhile...
1/
This seems ridiculously dangerous?
Meanwhile...
1/
January 13, 2026 at 1:28 PM
OpenAI is now rolling out "ChatGPT for Healthcare" - using a service well-known to nonsensically hallucinate, which OpenAI itself acknowledges. (Both these screenshots are from the OpenAI website.)
This seems ridiculously dangerous?
Meanwhile...
1/
This seems ridiculously dangerous?
Meanwhile...
1/
Every year, installing solar at home gets easier and cheaper - and this feels like a big leap in the right direction: an all-in-one, 'plug & play' box!
- 1.35 to 1.8 kilowatts of solar panels
- 2.5 to 5 kilowatt-hours of battery storage.
- plug your appliances in (120v or 240v) and go.
1/
- 1.35 to 1.8 kilowatts of solar panels
- 2.5 to 5 kilowatt-hours of battery storage.
- plug your appliances in (120v or 240v) and go.
1/
January 13, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Every year, installing solar at home gets easier and cheaper - and this feels like a big leap in the right direction: an all-in-one, 'plug & play' box!
- 1.35 to 1.8 kilowatts of solar panels
- 2.5 to 5 kilowatt-hours of battery storage.
- plug your appliances in (120v or 240v) and go.
1/
- 1.35 to 1.8 kilowatts of solar panels
- 2.5 to 5 kilowatt-hours of battery storage.
- plug your appliances in (120v or 240v) and go.
1/
[Unsolicited, unfiltered blurt of stream-of-consciousness feelings to hopefully make you aware I'm still alive because I haven't posted much, in the hope a few of you click through to my newsletter, or at least stop thinking "remember Mike? So much potential. What happened?" in my imagination.]
January 13, 2026 at 12:26 PM
[Unsolicited, unfiltered blurt of stream-of-consciousness feelings to hopefully make you aware I'm still alive because I haven't posted much, in the hope a few of you click through to my newsletter, or at least stop thinking "remember Mike? So much potential. What happened?" in my imagination.]
Reposted by Mike Sowden
Quiet Sunday afternoon on the sofa with the dog and a pint. Anyone want to #AskAnAstronomer anything?
January 11, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Quiet Sunday afternoon on the sofa with the dog and a pint. Anyone want to #AskAnAstronomer anything?