Dr Kat Day (she/her)
@chronicleflask.katday.com
Science & Fiction editor/writer. Chemistry PhD ⚛️ Co-Editor at PseudoPod 🦑 Writer: The Crash Course Organic Chemistry & various DK science books 🧪 Short fiction https://thefictionphial.wordpress.com 🖊️🐢
The third annual Stephen Dixon Award for Short Fiction opens for submissions January 28th
Submissions here (on the 28th) mcsweeneysquarterly.submittable.com/submit
Submissions here (on the 28th) mcsweeneysquarterly.submittable.com/submit
January 13, 2026 at 10:04 PM
The third annual Stephen Dixon Award for Short Fiction opens for submissions January 28th
Submissions here (on the 28th) mcsweeneysquarterly.submittable.com/submit
Submissions here (on the 28th) mcsweeneysquarterly.submittable.com/submit
A few months ago I had the bright idea of growing out my hair. Ridiculous. What was I thinking. Anyway, back to short today 😄
January 13, 2026 at 3:33 PM
A few months ago I had the bright idea of growing out my hair. Ridiculous. What was I thinking. Anyway, back to short today 😄
A small gift to myself: tentacles! 🦑
January 8, 2026 at 2:28 PM
A small gift to myself: tentacles! 🦑
Today is the 10th anniversary of my jokily starting a petition to name (then) newly discovered element 117 octarine (Oc) in honour of Terry Pratchett
Element 117 (now named tennessine) is, technically, a halogen. Greenish-purple and only visible to the magically inclined seemed right to me (1/4)
Element 117 (now named tennessine) is, technically, a halogen. Greenish-purple and only visible to the magically inclined seemed right to me (1/4)
January 6, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Today is the 10th anniversary of my jokily starting a petition to name (then) newly discovered element 117 octarine (Oc) in honour of Terry Pratchett
Element 117 (now named tennessine) is, technically, a halogen. Greenish-purple and only visible to the magically inclined seemed right to me (1/4)
Element 117 (now named tennessine) is, technically, a halogen. Greenish-purple and only visible to the magically inclined seemed right to me (1/4)
Just out of Inside No. 9’s Stage Fright. It was absolutely bloody brilliant.
January 3, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Just out of Inside No. 9’s Stage Fright. It was absolutely bloody brilliant.
Right-wing politicians and press: “hunt restrictions are waging war on rural life!”
Actual person living in a rural area:
Actual person living in a rural area:
![Hounds out of control, hunt followers blocking roads. Be careful folks!
I have just had a really stressful drive back into the village after finding the [redacted] Hunt fully hunting, and allowing their hound to chase a trail that certainly wasn't man made.
I watched as hounds crossed the [redacted] and [redacted] Road three times while in full cry. Only when they entered the village, did I hear any Huntsman's attempt at calling them back.
C'mon, [redacted] landowners. I thought you knew better than to allow illegal fox hunting on your land. It makes you the law breakers too, after all.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:icsm7hd2dok5lxddyrig4gbt/bafkreif6u2bpqy3chrr2icfxzrgf7brhtrp4fgcgxb5vqgqlg6jr223hwm@jpeg)
January 2, 2026 at 8:21 PM
Right-wing politicians and press: “hunt restrictions are waging war on rural life!”
Actual person living in a rural area:
Actual person living in a rural area:
More on #TheArchers, particularly for podcast listeners: there's a special episode which is not (yet?) in the main podcast feed and also doesn't seem to show up in BBC sounds if you just search for "The Archers"
Search for "The Archers: Truth and Lies" in BBC Sounds and you'll find it.
Search for "The Archers: Truth and Lies" in BBC Sounds and you'll find it.
January 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM
More on #TheArchers, particularly for podcast listeners: there's a special episode which is not (yet?) in the main podcast feed and also doesn't seem to show up in BBC sounds if you just search for "The Archers"
Search for "The Archers: Truth and Lies" in BBC Sounds and you'll find it.
Search for "The Archers: Truth and Lies" in BBC Sounds and you'll find it.
Assuming I’m not going to start generating direct current (origin story incoming), it means “intensely exciting”. Let’s hope that’s in a good way…
January 1, 2026 at 8:54 PM
Assuming I’m not going to start generating direct current (origin story incoming), it means “intensely exciting”. Let’s hope that’s in a good way…
Behold the homemade Yorkshire puddings
December 27, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Behold the homemade Yorkshire puddings
Looking west. The crops in this field were harvested, everything died off, and now it’s ready for new growth ❄️ 🌙 🌱
December 26, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Looking west. The crops in this field were harvested, everything died off, and now it’s ready for new growth ❄️ 🌙 🌱
Oh no, what a shame. Poor you. Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
What in the name of whatever is going on with that scale there?
What in the name of whatever is going on with that scale there?
![SCREENSHOT:
Al Threads
Tired of the Prompt Thieves in the Al art community. Seriously, the moment a great prompt is public, someone immediately copies it, shares it, and pretends it's their own genius work.
It's not about gatekeeping, it's about
giving credit where it's due. Stop stealing and start creating! #PromptStealer
Image shows a Black woman wearing a black dress and blowing a pink bubblegum bubble. She’s standing against a plain background holding a sign saying PROMPT STEALER. There’s a height scale next to her which goes 0, [illegible], 10, 15, 10, 10, 25, 20, 25 and continues in that vein. All measurements seem to be marked in inches. The markings closest to her head are 60, 65 and 68, and these are higher up the scale than 70, 80, 70](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:icsm7hd2dok5lxddyrig4gbt/bafkreid4vcxuqn4wcy6htqddcyuq3qsdzreucwqhpx2sifzlnx6bqsosha@jpeg)
December 21, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Oh no, what a shame. Poor you. Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
What in the name of whatever is going on with that scale there?
What in the name of whatever is going on with that scale there?
A typically well-considered comment from the Telegraph
December 21, 2025 at 12:20 AM
A typically well-considered comment from the Telegraph
The older I get, the better I understand the whole maiden-mother-crone thing, because past a certain age you do simply become the experienced witch.
December 20, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The older I get, the better I understand the whole maiden-mother-crone thing, because past a certain age you do simply become the experienced witch.
The Radio Times has been purchased. It’s Christmas, everyone! (Love the gentleman’s retreat)
December 18, 2025 at 1:51 PM
The Radio Times has been purchased. It’s Christmas, everyone! (Love the gentleman’s retreat)
And I’ve just remembered that I carefully saved the Wordle grid where the answer was “HELLO” to go with this story!
December 17, 2025 at 7:27 PM
And I’ve just remembered that I carefully saved the Wordle grid where the answer was “HELLO” to go with this story!
Love this moment 😢
“Because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”
“Because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”
December 15, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Love this moment 😢
“Because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”
“Because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”
Methylene blue, known to chemistry students and teachers as the indicator in the “blue bottle” experiment (which goes from blue to colourless to blue again). Also turns your brain blue.
December 15, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Methylene blue, known to chemistry students and teachers as the indicator in the “blue bottle” experiment (which goes from blue to colourless to blue again). Also turns your brain blue.
My daughter just pulled this out of a trivia game and said, “it’s you, Mummy!” 😆
December 13, 2025 at 8:37 PM
My daughter just pulled this out of a trivia game and said, “it’s you, Mummy!” 😆
Hey, palaeontologists, talk to me about this extremely weird GWR poster that I spotted on a train…
December 11, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Hey, palaeontologists, talk to me about this extremely weird GWR poster that I spotted on a train…
On the topic of body weight: new research:
“Those with a BMI in the overweight category … were no more likely to die during the five years of follow-up”
“Individuals with a BMI of 18.5 to <20.0 kg/m² … were twice as likely to have died”
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
“Those with a BMI in the overweight category … were no more likely to die during the five years of follow-up”
“Individuals with a BMI of 18.5 to <20.0 kg/m² … were twice as likely to have died”
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
December 8, 2025 at 7:51 PM
On the topic of body weight: new research:
“Those with a BMI in the overweight category … were no more likely to die during the five years of follow-up”
“Individuals with a BMI of 18.5 to <20.0 kg/m² … were twice as likely to have died”
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
“Those with a BMI in the overweight category … were no more likely to die during the five years of follow-up”
“Individuals with a BMI of 18.5 to <20.0 kg/m² … were twice as likely to have died”
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
No, individual women do not need FEWER calories for individual meals
December 8, 2025 at 7:38 PM
No, individual women do not need FEWER calories for individual meals
Christmas at Blenheim Palace!
December 7, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Christmas at Blenheim Palace!
This is a good article and I hope people read beyond the headline. The ending is hopeful. Education is the way to deal with this. You can’t put the genie back in the box, but you can teach people to call it out for what it is.
December 6, 2025 at 10:34 AM
This is a good article and I hope people read beyond the headline. The ending is hopeful. Education is the way to deal with this. You can’t put the genie back in the box, but you can teach people to call it out for what it is.
I’m very concerned that the contents of my food bowl are getting dangerously low
December 5, 2025 at 11:50 PM
I’m very concerned that the contents of my food bowl are getting dangerously low