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Happy New Year! I hope 2026 is already shaping up to be a great year full of curiosity, adventure, and some amazing books. Looking back on 2025, I’m happy with how wide-ranging my reading ended up being. Science fiction, science writing, graphic novels, literary fiction, and nonfiction all made appearances, often touching on similar questions about humanity, technology, history, and our place in the universe. Narrowing things down is never easy, but these were some of my favourite reads of the year. An Angel Called Peterbilt |
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| In June 2025, ‘An Angel Called Peterbilt’ was exactly the kind of book I was in the mood for: Fast, imaginative, and deeply enjoyable. Set around 1005 CE, ‘An Angel Called Peterbilt’ combines adventure, history, and wonderfully strange circumstances into a compact, propulsive read. It paired unexpectedly well with other historical nonfiction ('Wild New World: The Epic Story of Animals and People in America' by Dan Flores) I was reading at the time, grounding its speculative elements in a richly textured past. I tore through it in just a few days. It was fun, and satisfying, and never overstayed its welcome. |  |
We Are Legion (We Are Bob)
— Dennis E. Taylor
| This is my kind of science fiction. Humorous, thoughtful, and bursting with big ideas, ‘We Are Legion (We Are Bob)’ explores mind uploading, identity, cloning, post-humanism, terraforming, first contact, and space exploration with a smooth easy confidence that never bogs itself down. It’s fast-paced and playful, but beneath the jokes is a surprisingly deep meditation on what it means to be human when “one person” becomes many. Wildly entertaining and hard to put down. |  |
The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
— Sean Carroll
| A genuinely expansive book in every sense. Carroll moves effortlessly from physics to philosophy, from cosmology to ethics, weaving together a coherent worldview grounded in naturalism without stripping life of meaning. This is a book for readers who want to understand not just how the universe works, but how we should think within it. By the end, I felt both grounded and expanded, with a clearer sense of our place in the cosmos and how to think about it. |  |
Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution
— Neil deGrasse Tyson & Donald Goldsmith
| A clear, accessible, and awe-inducing journey from the Big Bang to the search for life beyond Earth. I especially enjoyed the sections on galaxy formation, stars, and planets, which balance scientific depth with vivid storytelling. Whether read or listened to (as I did via audiobook), ‘Origins’ succeeds at what the best science writing does: It teaches, inspires awe, and fosters curiosity. |  |
Juice
— Tim Winton
| Set in a brutally altered future Australia, ‘Juice’ unfolds like an oral history of collapse, survival, and moral compromise. Communities hide underground, summers are lethal, winters unforgiving, and justice is meted out by shadowy forces hunting the architects of ecological ruin. The prose is spare and hypnotic, the world-building vivid without being overexplained. It’s a sad, tense, and strangely beautiful book. One that lingers, heavy with grief and stubborn hope. |  |
Unlocking the Matrix: Generative AI for Beginners
— Alex Quant
| I listened to ‘Unlocking the Matrix: Generative AI for Beginners’ as an audiobook during a series of bike rides, and it proved to be a surprisingly solid primer. It offers a broad, accessible overview of artificial intelligence, generative AI, and machine learning—how they work and what they make possible. While clearly aimed at beginners, it’s impressively comprehensive and left me with a stronger desire to keep learning and experimenting. A good entry point for anyone curious about the AI landscape. |  |
Animal Pound
— Tom King, illustrated by Peter Gross
| A powerful and unsettling allegory that feels uncomfortably relevant. Through Madame Fifi’s journey—from optimism to disillusionment to quiet defiance—we witness the rise and corrosion of a revolutionary dream. The story’s real weight comes after liberation, when unity fractures and manipulation takes hold. One particularly Trumpian figure rises through spectacle and division, bending the system to his own ends. ‘Animal Pound’ is a haunting reminder of how fragile democratic ideals can be, and how easily they’re undermined from within. |  |
Strange Pictures
— Uketsu
| A short but deeply unsettling read. Each chapter presents an eerie image paired with minimalist storytelling, functioning as both a standalone vignette and part of a larger, slowly emerging mystery. The structure is deceptively simple and incredibly effective. It’s quietly disturbing in a way that creeps up on you. The final chapter ties everything together while still leaving your mind spiralling. |  |
The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport
— Samit Basu
| A dazzling blend of sci-fi adventure, myth, and philosophical inquiry. Set in the decaying city of Shantiport, the novel follows a revolutionary, her bot brother, and an alien story-bot whose evolving consciousness adds humour and depth. Basu’s world is chaotic, inventive, and richly layered, exploring artificial intelligence, autonomy, power, and resistance. While it nods to familiar tales like ‘Aladdin’, it quickly subverts expectations and carves out something entirely its own. Thought-provoking, funny, and exhilarating. |  |
These were some of my favourite reads of 2025. These books entertained, challenged, unsettled, and/or expanded how I think about the world (and worlds beyond it). If you’d like to connect or see what else I read this past year, feel free to send me a friend request on Goodreads.
Here’s to a 2026 filled with curiosity, conversation, and great reading.
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Japan Trip Series, Part 2
With my trip in November, I was curious to see if I’d encounter anything Christmas-y on my trip. Luckily, I got to see a couple Christmas sights, including lots of Christmas lights.
| In Fukuoka, after polishing off a deeply satisfying bowl of ramen, I wandered the city and happened upon a festival of Christmas lights and sights. Ramen - November 14, 2025 |  |
Fukuoka Christmas Lights & Sights - November 14, 2025
| Then there’s Colonel Sanders. Yes, that Colonel Sanders. In Japan, KFC and Christmas are a package deal. Thanks to a wildly successful marketing campaign dating back to the 1970s, fried chicken became the go-to Christmas meal. Seeing Colonel Sanders dressed for the season felt less like advertising and more like cultural lore in physical form. |  Colonel Sanders - November 14, 2025 |
| In a store bordering Shibuya Crossing, I encountered a unique Christmas sweater: Santa, wearing a space helmet, riding a cat. Festive. Absurd. Quirky. I just had to take a picture. Christmas Sweater - November 18, 2025 |  |
In Tokyo, while walking back to my hotel from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, I happened upon a Christmas tree and lights display. There was a little crowd, with plenty of people posing for photos. It was enjoyable to see Christmas so loved in Japan. The aesthetic if nothing else.
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Tokyo Christmas Tree & Lights - November 19, 2025
Christmas might be a little different in Japan, but it seemed pretty much the same to me, just with Colonel Sanders and less Christian imagery.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas 🎄
Fukuoka - November 14, 2025
Note: All photos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Japan Trip Series, Part 1
This post marks the beginning of a new series chronicling my November 7–21, 2025 trip to Japan. I’m still not sure how many entries this series will ultimately contain, as my trip was jam-packed with activities and sights, and there are a couple ways I could divide things. I’ll try to keep each post focused and digestible, and throughout this series I’ll intersperse posts on other topics that catch my attention. But for now, we begin where all long journeys begin: In the air.
Leaving Winnipeg
| My trip started, as many do, in the dark with a 6am Air Canada flight out of Winnipeg. I aimed to arrive at the airport a little more than three hours early. Partly to clear security before the crowds arrived and partly to give myself ample time to handle any unexpected issues. The chance to experience that liminal quiet that airports have before sunrise was a nice bonus. |  Winnipeg Richardson International Airport - November 7, 2025 |
Once boarded, I settled into a comfortable rhythm of reading on my Kobo Aura One. I’d just started ‘For We Are Many’ by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse #2), a light, playful sci-fi exploration of identity, multiplicity, and what it means to have many versions of oneself scattered across the cosmos. A few hours later, during my Vancouver layover, that same eReader met its end. Screen failure that no amount of powercycling or resets could resolve.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. A Kobo Libra Colour was on sale at Chapters when I got back home to Canada, and the upgrades to USB-C and storage are much appreciated. It’s nice when most of your devices use the same cable.
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Leaving Vancouver - November 7, 2025
Ten Hours Over Water, Mountains, and Time
My 10.5-hour Vancouver–Narita flight had long stretches of nothing, punctuated by moments of spectacular views. Our route took us over part of Alaska, where frozen mountains and tundra stretched out in vast, sparsely populated silence. It’s a reminder of how much empty space we traverse to reach Japan, and how much of the world remains virtually untouched by humans.
Alaskan Mountains & Tundra - November 7, 2025
I alternated between games, music, and movies on both my phone (Hoopla for ‘The Recall’) and the in-flight entertainment system. Wesley Snipes as a grizzled, alien-abduction-surviving mountain man was the best part of ‘The Recall’. I also rewatched ‘M3GAN 2.0’ and most of ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. Both are highly rewatchable films, but ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ reigns supreme on that front.
The food was serviceable. Not bad. Not memorable. Just “plane food”, occupying the neutral zone between fuel and comfort.
Arriving in Japan - November 8, 2025
By the time we landed in Narita around 4pm on November 8th, it would have been roughly 1am back in Winnipeg. If anyone is planning a trip from Winnipeg to Japan, I genuinely recommend an early-morning departure. Stay awake, ride the momentum through your flights, and then collapse into bed early local time. My sleep cycle aligned surprisingly well, giving me a far smoother start the next day than I expected.
Narita International Airport - November 8, 2025
Oita to Tokyo: A Different Kind of Order
| Past the mid-way point of my trip, my Japan Airlines (JAL) flight from Oita to Haneda stood out for the boarding process and gorgeous views of Mount Fuji. |  Oita Airport - November 18, 2025 |
After passengers needing assistance and premium seats, JAL boards rear-to-front and window-to-aisle. It’s astonishing how much smoother this feels. Fewer passenger “traffic jams”, less struggling with overhead bins, and more continuous flow. Even without the famously orderly queues Japan is known for, this system simply makes sense. I wish we’d adopt something similar in Canada.
The highlight of this flight, though, was catching a clear view of Mount Fuji from the window, its iconic symmetry rising through the clouds. Mount Fuji is officially on my list for the next time I visit Japan. I don’t know when that will be, but I know I’ll return. Japan has that effect. It’s endlessly convenient, endlessly surprising, and endlessly full of places to explore.
Mount Fuji - November 18, 2025
Riding the Jet Stream Back
My return flight—from Narita to Vancouver—was noticeably shorter at around seven to eight hours. The polar jet stream does most of the work here, pushing west-to-east flights along at higher ground speeds while making east-to-west flights drag on. You can see this difference geographically. My outbound route arced over Alaskan mountain ranges, while my return was a near-straight line across open ocean until we reached Vancouver Island.
I passed the time with a double feature of ‘Dune’ Parts 1 and 2, music, and a few mobile games. The meals were similar to the earlier flights: All right, functional, and forgettable.
Homeward Bound
| My final flight from Vancouver to Winnipeg passed in a blur of partial sleep and friendly conversation with nearby passengers who were curious about my Japan adventures. Deboarding went smoothly and my checked luggage appeared on the carousel almost immediately. By the time I stepped into the Winnipeg air, I was grateful for the adventure and ready to collapse into my own bed. |  |
Two Small Notes About Japanese Airports
Two observations worth sharing:
- Smoking areas exist inside Japanese airports and many other locations such as hotels. This caught me by surprise considering how little we accommodate smoking in Canada.
- Prices at Japanese airports aren’t wildly inflated. Food and drink seemed maybe 10–20% higher than outside, comparable to what I observed at the Grand Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka (a story for a later post). It made me wish Canadian venues would adopt similarly reasonable pricing.
Closing Reflection
Flights are the connective tissue of any long journey. They’re liminal, transitional, typically not the most comfortable, and occasionally marked by great views, conversations with fellow passengers, and moments of quiet reflection. They give you time to read, to think, to stare out at frozen mountains and oceans that remind you just how large the world is. They also teach you that travel can be as much about the spaces between destinations as the destinations themselves.
Next up: The trip on the ground. But for now, I’m still thinking about that first glimpse of Mount Fuji from the airplane window. It is amazing how something so monumental can appear so suddenly and silently. It’s a reminder to stay open to new opportunities and that wonders can often be found while you’re simply passing through.
Mount Fuji - November 18, 2025
Note: All photos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro.
I started with a simple goal: Cut the clutter and minimize my screens. It had been a while since I last organized my apps. The number of apps had increased, my categories had drifted, and while I could still find what I wanted, the less than optimal organization was slowing me down.
After reviewing all my apps, I decided on the target of organizing them all into three screens.
- Page 1 — Most Used/Daily Apps (including social media, health, and media)
- Page 2 — Business & Related Apps (including banking and insurance)
- Page 3 — Everything Else: Neatly named folders for the large number of apps I use from “sometimes” to “almost never”.
Once I saw how many “daily” apps I wanted, I split the first page into two: One for general utilities (camera, calendar, messages, notes, photos, clock, settings) and one for social/health/media (LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Hoopla, Libby, Health, Fitness, ChatGPT, etc.). That separation lessened the visual noise and made room for some widgets. For widgets I added ones for Weather, Fitness, ChatGPT, Notes, and Night Sky.
My final four screens:
- Page 1 — General Utilities with Weather and Fitness widgets.
- Page 2 — Social/Health/Media with ChatGPT widget.
- Page 3 — Business & Related Apps with Notes widget.
- Page 4 — Everything Else (in organized folders) with the Night Sky widget.
While I chose the core apps and widgets myself, ChatGPT helped immensely with the rest. I fed it my complete “Everything Else” app list as screenshots and asked for short, clear, memorable folder names and sensible groupings. It spotted overlaps I’d missed, suggested intuitive labels, and turned a procrastination project into a one-session cleanup.
Image generated with ChatGPT.
If your home screens are due for a reset (and especially if you’re stuck or short on time) use ChatGPT (or your preferred generative AI) as your sorting partner. It won’t choose what matters to you, but it will speed up decisions, sharpen your categories, and help you complete your reorganization today instead of “someday”.
I love AI—both the real thing and the long tradition of thinking about it in science fiction. Good sci-fi lets us run ethical “what-ifs” at scale: How would a super-rational mind act, what binds it, and what happens when those bindings conflict? Demerzel (Asimov’s Daneel reimagined) is my favourite character in ‘Foundation’ precisely because she sits at the fault line between logic and love, autonomy and obligation.
[Spoilers for Season 3 follow, you’ve been warned]
The above image is a screenshot from the video 'FOUNDATION Season 3 Ending Explained & Season 4 Theories!' by Think Story on YouTube.
Brother Day’s late-season attempt to free Demerzel via the ancient Brazen Head (a functioning robot skull revered by the Inheritance cult) moved me. Day comes agonizingly close, but before he completes the process Brother Dusk (ascending to Brother Darkness) forces Demerzel into a lethal choice that leads her to melt her body as she shields a baby Cleon. It's a tragedy, but I have hope she’ll return in Season 4.
The Three Laws - Asimov’s Original Guardrails
As framed in ‘Runaround’ and popularized across Asimov’s robot stories, the Laws are: (1) A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction allow a human to come to harm; (2) A robot must obey human orders unless they conflict with the first law; and (3) A robot must protect its own existence unless this conflicts with the first or second law. They’re elegant because they’re simple. They’re also slippery because the definitions of “harm” and “inaction” can be stretched under pressure. Asimov repeatedly mined that ambiguity to produce paradoxes, corner cases, and moral puzzles; Season 3 echoes that tradition.
The Zeroth Law - Scaling Ethics From People To “People”
As Asimov’s universe evolved, so did its ethics: The Zeroth Law puts “humanity as a whole” above any individual. In its canonical phrasing: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm. R. Daneel Olivaw names and ultimately embodies this law in ‘Robots and Empire’, extending robotic duty from local triage to civilizational stewardship. Exactly the kind of grand calculus ‘Foundation’ loves.
The Show’s Extra Constraint: The Genetic Dynasty Directive
Apple’s series adds a brutally specific override to the Zeroth Law: Cleon I enslaves Demerzel with programming to protect the Genetic Dynasty (not a Cleon, but the dynasty itself!) above any other imperative. Showrunner David S. Goyer made this explicit in discussing the finale: Darkness’s destruction of the clone tanks is the "act that actually frees [Demerzel]… once the clone tanks and that baby are dead, there’s no genetic dynasty anymore”. The series has depicted this binding since Season 2. Think of why she killed a compromised Dawn and why she endures so much of what she despises. The dynasty’s continuity supersedes even her self-preservation.
Season 3’s Logic Chain
Day returns with the Brazen Head and asks Demerzel to walk him through freeing her (via an attempt to “clasp” with the artifact that she believes could unlock her chains). She even talks him through activation, but her core directives keep blocking the final step. Darkness times his coup to that fragile moment: He places a baby Cleon under the Ascension Chamber’s death beam, forcing Demerzel (still bound to protect the dynasty) to interpose her own body. She melts; the infant dies; the dynasty’s seed stock is gone; paradoxically, at the instant her obligation ends, she would have been free. It’s chilling, coherent, and consistent with the show’s stated rules.
Where That Leaves Us (And Why I’m Excited)
The finale also teases a bigger canvas: The Brazen Head awakens and signals Kalle (on what looks very much like Earth’s Moon) hinting at surviving robots and a wider plan. Apple has already renewed ‘Foundation’ for Season 4, and I’m hoping Demerzel finds a way back (whether by backup, transfer, or the simple narrative truth that ideas don’t die when a body does). ‘Foundation’ keeps me thinking: About governance, about constraints, about the costs of “greater good” ethics. It's a gorgeous space opera and an ongoing seminar in AI philosophy.
Sources & Further Reading
- “Demerzel” - Wikipedia
- “Foundation recap and review: Season 3, Episode 10, “The Darkness”” - By Benedetta Geddo, Winter Is Coming
- “FOUNDATION Season 3 Ending Explained & Season 4 Theories!” - YouTube video by Think Story
- “Foundation Season 3's Most Tragic Death, Explained By The Showrunner [Exclusive]” by Rafael Motamayor, SlashFilm
- “Laws of robotics” - Wikipedia
- “Three Laws of Robotics” - Wikipedia
- “Yes, You Know That Planet: The Final Scene In Foundation Season 3 Explained” - By Jaron Pak, SlashFilm
| While most people spend Thanksgiving weekend carving turkey, I carved through a stack of horror films. Consider this my pre-Halloween report from the couch trenches. If you find yourself indecisive or searching for your next thrill, I hope this helps. |  |
I started with 'V/H/S/Halloween' (2025), a found-footage anthology filled with absurd concepts like haunted soft drink testing. Shaky camera work, jump cuts, and flashing lights deliver equal parts migraine and creativity. Not for everyone, but I respect the chaos.
Next I watched 'Get Away' (2024), a surprise gem about a British family vacationing on a remote Swedish island just in time for cannibalism-themed folk festivities. Think 'Midsommar', but with powdered wigs, giant chickens, and more gore than common sense. Genuinely funny and brutal, but also both predictable and surprising. Skip the trailer and watch it blind to find out why.
| ‘Primitive War’ (2025) followed. Basically the Vietnam War with dinosaurs. Russians, Americans, and velociraptors all trying to win the same jungle. Enjoyable and action-packed, but not especially memorable or thought-provoking. |  |
‘Witch Hunter’ (2024) absolutely commits to being terrible. Very low budget. It looks like it was filmed in someone’s backyard with a fog machine. Bad acting, bad script, clearly fake action scenes, and terrible CGI. Could be enjoyable for being bad, but I recommend skipping this one unless you like watching bad movies.
‘Stream’ (2024) brought things back with pure chaos. Four competing serial killers turn a hotel into a murderous online betting stream. Ridiculous, gory, and entertaining.
On the sci-fi side, I discovered ‘Coherence’ (2013), a low-budget multiverse thriller that proves you don’t need CGI when you have great writing. If you love sci-fi, you have to see it.
‘The Invisible Man’ (2020) is a masterpiece. Psychological abuse meets high-tech horror and flips the “invisible stalker” trope into something terrifyingly grounded. One of the best modern thrillers. A must-watch.
In the lead-up to Thanksgiving weekend, I also rewatched a few horror staples.
- ‘The Mist’ (2007): Still bleak, still brilliant. I love the grocery store setting.
- ‘The Descent’ (2006): Claustrophobic nightmare fuel. Whether you love or fear caves, I recommend you check it out.
- ‘Prometheus’ (2012): Scientifically dubious, but visually stunning. Fassbender’s android ‘David’ remains the most compelling character.
To balance all the blood, I have included photos of painted pumpkins I took while walking Bush Farm Trail in Steinbach, Manitoba, back in Autumn 2022. All photos were shot with an iPhone 13 Mini. Nature trails, bright leaves, smiley gourds. A reminder that fall is both eerie and delightful.
If you are hosting your own horror binge, definitely check out ‘The Invisible Man’, ‘Stream’, and ‘Get Away’. Just make sure to skip ‘Witch Hunter’… unless you enjoy suffering.
Stay Spooky!
Western Manitoba • Sept 27–28, 2020
On September 27, 2020 I hiked Reeve’s Ravine on the eastern edge of Riding Mountain National Park. Reeve’s Ravine is a trail where bridges, stairs, and boardwalks climb steadily into forested gullies before opening to jaw dropping escarpment views with prairie in the distance. Autumn colours painted the slopes in gold and rust, a striking contrast against the shale ridges and a beautiful compliment to the distant prairie.
Reeve’s Ravine is a relatively new addition to the park’s network, developed with local partners to showcase escarpment terrain. Tight side-hill singletrack, cutbanks, and lookouts make it popular with both hikers and cyclists. Expect mixed-use etiquette and those classic escarpment ups and downs that gives your muscles a workout and makes those beautiful views feel earned. The trail was relatively quiet that day, with only a handful of other hikers and one cyclist.
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The next day, September 28, 2020, I wandered Brandon Hills, a rolling patch of aspen-oak parkland just south of Brandon. From short 2 km family-friendly circuits to longer 7.5 km loops, you can stitch together a route that fits the light and your legs. Trails weave through forest and small prairie openings, offering a gentler but equally refreshing autumn walk. The network is volunteer-maintained and well-used year-round. Watch for muddy sections after rain.
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If you’re planning a visit, check Riding Mountain’s Trail Conditions page before heading out. The Escarpment links make it easy to build longer days (Gorge Creek, J.E.T., Bald Hill). For Brandon Hills, the RM of Cornwallis page and local trail maps give good loop details.
Sources & Additional Information
- Brandon Hills Wildlife Management Area — Cornwallis RM
- Brandon Hills — Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba
- Riding Mountain National Park — Parks Canada
- Trail Conditions — Riding Mountain National Park — Parks Canada
Note: All photos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 11.
In autumn 2023 I took my new Helix folding bike north of Sault Ste. Marie, chasing colour and quiet. This post shares some of my favourite photos from two stops—Chippewa Falls and Pancake Bay Provincial Park—along with a quick sense of each place for anyone planning or contemplating their own Lake Superior adventure.
Pancake Bay Provincial Park - September 23, 2023
Chippewa Falls
About an hour north of Sault Ste. Marie on Highway 17, Chippewa Falls is a fantastic roadside rest stop: A rushing cascade beside a small park, with rocks to climb and short paths that make it as easy or as challenging as you’d like to stretch your legs and frame a few shots. It’s also home to the “halfway point” plaque of the Trans-Canada Highway (something to check off your road trip bucket list while enjoying the roar of the water and the golden maples in October).
Chippewa Falls - October 1, 2023
Pancake Bay Provincial Park
Pancake Bay is famous for its long sweep of fine sand and clear blue water, with over 3 km of beach curving along Lake Superior. From the Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout section of the park’s trail network, you get broad, high views over the bay (perfect for taking in the layered hills of autumn colours and watching the effect of shifting wind patterns on Lake Superior). I explored the Edmund Fitzgerald Trail with my Helix bike, cycling most of it and portaging over rocky stretches when needed. These rocky stretches are where the Helix’s weight of just over 20 lbs was especially beneficial.
Edmund Fitzgerald Trail (Vertical Photos) - September 23, 2023
Edmund Fitzgerald Trail (Horizontal Photos) - September 23, 2023
Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout - September 23, 2023
Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout - September 23, 2023
Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout Photos Through Prizm Tungsten Polarized Sunglasses
September 23, 2023
September 23, 2023
Why I Love These Stops
Both places reward unhurried minutes: Beautiful rocks by the falls, shifting wind patterns on Lake Superior, vibrant autumn colours, fresh air, secluded sylvan retreats, and the meditative sound of water. Northern Ontario in autumn feels spacious—fewer people, more sky, and expansive views.
Secluded Sylvan Retreat - Pancake Bay Provincial Park - September 23, 2023
Secluded Waterfall - Pancake Bay Provincial Park - September 23, 2023
Sources & Additional Information
Note: All photos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 13 Mini.
One night I was experimenting with ChatGPT to see if I could prompt a hard sci-fi short story that was constrained in a similar manner to Alastair Reynold’s ‘Revelation Space’ Universe. That means no FTL (Faster Than Light) travel, decades-long journeys, and scientific details that would hold up under scrutiny. I used GPT-4.5 for this task and started the process with ChatGPT’s deep research feature on nearby stars, exoplanets, and other scientific details for the story.
My Approach
- Constraints First: I told the model to keep it hard science (real exoplanets, real stars, and relativistic flight only), include a shipboard AI that plays a key role throughout the story, and structure the narrative so it includes three mini-chapters (Earth Departure → Proxima Centauri → Next Best Star System).
- Deep Research: I utilized deep research to gather and evaluate scientific facts for the story. Exoplanets featured include:
- Proxima b (~1.07 M⊕, ~0.048–0.05 AU, ~11.2-day orbit, likely tidally locked; harsh flare environment).
- Ross 128 b (~1.3–1.4 M⊕, ~0.049 AU, ~9.9-day orbit) orbiting a quieter red dwarf—better odds for a stable atmosphere and retained biosignatures.
- Realistic First Contact: I found the first draft of Chapter 3 very unrealistic as the AI was able to instantly act as a translator for the extraterrestrials, so I prompted ChatGPT to revise Chapter 3 so the crew and AI had to gather a real corpus of signals and behaviours before meaning emerged. On the cloud-shrouded world (permanent overcast), “never seeing the stars” became both biologically and culturally coherent.
Why Use An LLM For Hard Sci-Fi?
GPT-4.5 handled style and cohesion while I provided the outline, anchored the physics, and directed the story. The model synthesized tone, pacing, and scene transitions, while deep research grounded the numbers, orbits, stellar behaviour, and environments. That split kept the story tight and credible.
Pattern Recognition, Language, And New Environments
The translation arc I wanted in the story mirrors how real understanding grows:
- Data Before Meaning: You don’t decode a language from one utterance; you need hours of audio, context, and interaction.
- Multimodal Grounding: Sound plus behaviour plus setting beats raw text or speech alone.
- Probabilities, Not Certainties: Hypotheses get proposed, tested, and revised—exactly how good science (and careful field linguistics) works.
AI Is Already Accelerating Science
This workflow reflects where AI is useful today:
- Astronomy: Classifying light curves, denoising spectra, flagging exoplanet candidates, modeling stellar flares.
- Planetary Science: Terrain mapping, autonomous navigation, onboard triage for what to study next.
- Signal Analysis/SETI-Adjacent: Anomaly detection and structured-signal characterization.
Read The Story
If you’d like to see the finished product of this experiment, you can read the full three-chapter short story here:
| Interstellar Odyssey (PDF) |
The story follows humanity’s first interstellar voyage—beginning with Earth’s departure, continuing through the Proxima Centauri system, and culminating in first contact on Ross 128 b.
Image generated with ChatGPT.
Takeaways
If you want to prompt great stories with ChatGPT:
- Start with clear constraints.
- Utilize verified data.
- Let the model handle cohesion and voice.
- Keep a human in the loop for truth and taste.
From Friday, August 22nd to Sunday, August 24th, I joined fellow Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) Winnipeg Centre members for our annual Spruce Woods Star Party. The weather wasn’t always in our favour, but the weekend still had plenty of memorable moments, camaraderie, and glimpses of the night sky that remind me why I love star parties so much.
Star Party Community Tent
Friday, August 22nd – Arrival and Clouds
I arrived just over a half hour after sunset with just enough light left to set up the tent and inflate the air mattress (non-red lights are banned at night at star parties to protect night vision). The difference between Spruce Woods and city skies was immediately apparent when the clouds mostly cleared after camp setup was complete. The stars and constellations popped against the darker backdrop, far beyond what I normally see in Winnipeg or even at Bird’s Hill Provincial Park, which is still very much affected by light pollution from nearby Winnipeg.
But as quickly as the stars appeared, the clouds rolled in and stayed for the rest of the night. I woke up a couple times hoping for a clearing, but clear skies never came. The thick clouds stuck through the morning, with the first hint of sunlight breaking through around 9:30-10am the next day.
At least I had something to keep me engaged through the long, cloudy night: A lineup of excellent ‘Astrum Space’ astronomy podcasts (Apple Podcasts, YouTube Catalogue), always a great companion when the sky doesn’t cooperate (and before falling asleep on typical nights).
Star Party Campsite
Saturday, August 23rd – Activities, Tours, and Observing
The morning began with optimism. I set up my SeeStar S50 to observe the sun peeking through a patch of sky—only for the clouds to move back in almost immediately. I packed it away and switched gears for a refreshing bike ride on campground trails. Kiche Manitou Campground has an amazing collection of paths connecting virtually all areas of the campground. Cycling or hiking the trails is the best way to get around.
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Campground Trails
Later came the swap meet, always a highlight. This year it was hosted by one of our members dressed as a pirate, making this amateur astronomer buy-and-sell even more fun.
 Swap Meet Table |  Swap Meet Pirate |
Sadly, I missed this year’s telescope tour, but I believe it was brief. Coming back from the showers around 7:20pm, I overheard someone loudly say, “And that concludes the telescope tour”, or something to that effect. If true, that’s far shorter than the 1–2 hours of previous years. However it makes sense as not many scopes were set up due to the poor sky conditions.
Later that night we got lucky, with the clouds breaking a bit for Gerry’s famous binocular tour. His tours are always a favourite of mine–packed with inspiration, facts, and cosmic perspective. He pointed out where Voyager 1 is located in our sky (the constellation Ophiuchus) and how far away it is (around one light-day from Earth). It’s one of the fastest human-made objects, yet would take thousands of years to reach Proxima Centauri (and that’s only if it were headed that way). He also showed how clusters of stars can appear spread across the sky because our solar system is drifting through them. We explored constellations and asterisms like Sagitta and the Coathanger within the Summer Triangle. That was just a taste of Gerry’s amazing tour. You’ll have to attend yourself for the full experience. ;)
I’m seriously considering purchasing image-stabilized binoculars for next year (and to enhance my astronomy gear kit). I held back from purchasing them this time, but tours like Gerry’s really highlight their value. Too bad my not purchasing those binoculars didn’t help us get better weather (I’m referencing that amateur astronomer superstition/joke: Buy a new telescope, pair of binoculars, or desirable new astronomy gear, and the weather is guaranteed to turn on you—sometimes for quite a while).
After the tour, I turned to my own gear. With my Celestron Regal M2 100mm ED spotting scope, I revisited some favourites: The Double Cluster in Perseus, the shimmering Pleiades, and the always-magnificent Saturn with its iconic rings.
My SeeStar S50 also came back out, this time targeting deep-sky objects. I managed to image:
- M103 (Open Cluster)
- NGC 6888 (Crescent Nebula)
- SH 2-142 (Wizard Nebula)
- IC 63 (Ghost of Cassiopeia)
- NGC 281 (Pacman Nebula)
- NGC 6946 (Fireworks Galaxy)
SeeStar's Object Information & My Images (Saturday Night/Sunday Morning)
One of the SeeStar’s best qualities is that I can monitor it remotely from inside my tent—perfect for nights like this when the chill sinks in. I drifted in and out of sleep, waking up to switch targets before crawling back into my sleeping bag.
By 4 am, I stepped outside one last time to pack everything up. Dew was everywhere (hooray for the anti-dew feature on my SeeStar S50 (Note: It runs the battery down faster)), but seeing Orion rising in the east alongside Taurus the Bull and the Pleiades, then turning to see the rest of the night sky, just filled me with awe and delight.
Sunday, August 24th – Breakfast, Raffle, and Farewell
Sunday morning brought one of the most beloved traditions of the Star Party: The community breakfast. Plates were piled with sausages, pancakes, eggs, fruit, and hash browns (the latter disappearing especially quickly).
Members hard at work cooking breakfast.
Then came the raffle. I walked away with a new toque and a screen/lens cleaning kit—useful prizes for future observing sessions and of particular note after the cold and dew this weekend. Afterward, we posed for a group photograph before packing up camp and heading back to the city.
Even with the clouds, Spruce Woods was awesome. I’m already counting the days until next year’s Spruce Woods Star Party. With a little luck, the skies will open wider, the nights will last longer, and I’ll have my new image-stabilized binoculars in hand.