Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

sheribomb

@sheribomb.bsky.social

160 followers 330 following 100 posts

Writer focusing on science, fiction, and fun. Nature, books, crafts, sustainability, and whimsy. Some serious stuff because we live in this world. Posts are mine, not employers’. Likes/shares/follows ≠ endorsement. Arlington, VA https://linktr.ee/sheribomb

linktr.ee

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · 6h

Imagine dropping this on your face while doomscrolling in bed 😭

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · 10d

I started a Substack! This will be a new home for some of my longer-form content. My first post is about how “good enough” AI content might just ruin everything great. Let’s do better, guys! Read more here: open.substack.com/pub/sheribom...

The AI-Driven Downward Spiral

How Irresponsible Use of Generative AI Will Make Everything Worse

open.substack.com

1 3

Reposted by sheribomb

Anjali Dayal @anjalikdayal.bsky.social · 12d

Can’t decide whether these Statue of Liberty rubber chickens that say “squeeze me to hear me scream” are a little too on-the-nose for these times or if they’re perfect

A yellow cardboard carton on a CVS shelf with brightly colored letters that say “squeeze me to hear me scream” and “statue of liberty chicken.” Inside the carton are hot pink, teal, and royal blue rubber chickens with googly eyes rendered like the Statue of Liberty, with their faces distressed and frozen in a shriek. They have tags around their necks that say “squeeze me to hear me scream”

51 520 2.2K

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · 13d

I’m posting this as a self-pubbed author and content creator — not trying to sell you on self vs trad publishing. Both have a role and watching how they coevolve over the years has been fascinating! 👀

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · 13d

It goes to show how far self-publishing has come! These books would not have existed if they hadn’t been self-published first. With all the disruptions in the publishing industry, self-publishing is an increasingly legit player in how new books and authors are discovered and published 📚🌟

1 1 2

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · 13d

Alchemised is a dark fantasy that was originally Harry Potter fanfic with a Hermionie/Draco toxic love story & Handmaid’s Tale elements. SenLiYu was pubbing it online and it was so popular that Penguin offered for it (w/o the fanfic parts) and it has a film deal! www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...

The fanfiction written on a notes app that’s become a bestseller – with a seven-figure film deal

SenLinYu’s debut started life as Harry Potter fanfiction. The Alchemised author shares why they were drawn to a war-torn love story, how a conservative upbringing shaped their writing, and the snobber...

www.theguardian.com

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · 13d

This Inevitable Ruin is the 7th book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. It’s Lit RPG (role-playing-game-like fiction) set in a bizarre virtual world. The hilarious ebooks were self-pubbed & then Penguin Random House acquired the print rights only—a unique deal! butwhytho.net/2025/08/dung...

Dungeon Crawler Carl: Building A Universe With Matt Dinniman and Jeff Hays

From books and audiobooks to Webtoons, a TTRPG, and maybe even live action, Dungeon Crawler Carl is leveling up into a full-blown universe.

butwhytho.net

1 1

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · 13d

At Target yesterday, I took a look at the books they have on the endcap right by the cash register — the top spot for popular fiction. The two books with the top-shelf spots were SFF with non-traditional routes to publishing:
-This Inevitable Ruin by Matt Dinniman
- Alchemised by SenLinYu

1 1 5

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · 17d

Best giant skeleton I’ve seen so far! 💀🧱🖤

Screenshot of a post about building a giant LEGO skeleton, one showing the full-size skeleton next to a child and several photos of the building process.

Text reads:

Bad Legos
Giant LEGO skeleton Halloween decoration! It's made of foam with a metal armature inside to support the weight and add stability. It stands about 13.5 feet/4 meters tall.
Created by Alan Perkins

A child standing next to a 13.5-foot tall model of a LEGO skeleton, with her head positioned in the skeleton’s hand. They are standing on a lawn in front of a house.

2 4

Reposted by sheribomb

Rebecca R Helm @rebeccarhelm.bsky.social · 20d

I get that the news cycle is packed right now, but I just heard from a colleague at the Smithsonian that this is fully a GIANT SQUID BEING EATEN BY A SPERM WHALE and it’s possibly the first ever confirmed video according to a friend at NOAA

10 YEAR OLD ME IS LOSING HER MIND (a thread 🧵)

730 10K 30K

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · Sep 13

Because they got beet up 🙃

1 1

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · Sep 13

Remember when only the dumpster was on fire?!

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · Sep 12

The weather is feeling a little apocalyptic these days 😳
wapo.st/3VfL4zV

So many spotted lanternflies are out right now, you can see it on radar

So many have descended across the Mid-Atlantic, swarms of the insects have been appearing on weather radar. Clouds of them have been descending on trees and buildings across the region.

wapo.st

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · Sep 6

Isn’t it ironic, Duolingo?
Don’t you think?

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · Sep 5

Emil Bove is 44 years old. Looks like he’s been making horcruxes ☠️

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse @whitehouse.senate.gov · Sep 4

Some crew to hang out with, when being sworn in as neutral independent judge.

Screenshot of a tweet from Alina Habba. The tweet reads, "Congratulations Judge Emil Bove 🇺🇸" with a photo of her, Emil Bove, and Todd Blanche.

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · Sep 4

Ouch [in a comedic, expressive, everyday-kid tone]

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · Aug 31

Oh no, it’s Home Depot. I was just there yesterday and worrying about it 😡😡😡😢

Reposted by sheribomb

SRtwofourfour @srtwofourfour.bsky.social · Aug 20

#southarlington is haunted - stay away!

Sunflowers in the night with green illumination.

1 14

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · Aug 19

I’ve been thinking a lot about this scenario too — the fact that AI might be “good enough” for people, and then it’ll kill everything great. I’m working on a post about it (coming soon!). Really great insights in this essay from @cwarzel.bsky.social

Quote from the 2nd to last paragraph of the linked essay, with sentences 3 & 4 highlighted.

Reposted by sheribomb

Martha Wells @marthawells.com · Jul 7

This is a new Murderbot short story, coming out later this week on Reactor Magazine. It’s about ART and its crew, set before Network Effect, and how ART finally decided to tell them about meeting a rogue SecUnit.

49 410 1.2K

Reposted by sheribomb

Dave Statter @statter911.bsky.social · Jun 27

New: It appears lightning struck the Washington Monument at 12:02 a.m. The view is from two STATter911 cameras. The second and fourth shots are slow-motion versions. #weather #lightning #washington #stormhour @arlnow.bsky.social @capitalweather.bsky.social @stormhour.com @joshmankiewicz.bsky.social

5 12 54

Reposted by sheribomb

✨ sticky comics ✨ @xiann.bsky.social · Jun 13

I made a tiktok about the fucking tanks - filmed by bicycle with @sheribomb.bsky.social #trumpparade #nokings www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjGJDJsg/

Tanks for Nothing Donnie - the prep for Donald Trump's military parade travesty ruining my bike ride - vids made with @sheribomb #fascistpolicestate #trumpparade #washingtondc #nokings

TikTok video by Sticky Comics

www.tiktok.com

3 2

Reposted by sheribomb

Robert Saint Lawrence @robertsaintlawrence.social · Jun 9

LAPD when they think no one’s looking

770 5.1K 9.3K

sheribomb @sheribomb.bsky.social · Apr 20

Fascinating analysis and imagery of human migration patterns disrupts some of our assumptions on where and when people migrate (from NYT w/ data released by… Meta 🙃) Gift link! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Opinion | To Understand Global Migration, You Have to See It First (Gift Article)

These estimates, drawn from the location data of three billion Facebook users, provide a view of human migration in extraordinary detail.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by sheribomb

Jeffrey Rowland @wigu.org · Apr 19

I invented a new phone to help save time in the morning

A drawing of a perfect phone that only has three buttons on it, one of them says IS HE DEAD one of them says AM I BROKE and the other one says RELAXING PUZZLE GAME

390 6.3K 33K