Long distance flights can be pretty crazy sometimes. I’ll be taking one next week from Lima to Mexico City to wrap up my time in Peru and South America. Although that won’t be nearly as long as last week’s 19.5-hour Qantas test flight (!) from New York to Sydney, Australia. Humanity is really starting to push air travel to the absolute limit. Currently the longest commercial flight is Singapore Airline’s route from Newark to Singapore which usually takes around 18.5 hours. The New York-Sydney flight would obviously smash that record.

This news also reminds of the longest commercial flight I have taken, which was a 13.5 hour United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Shanghai back in 2009. This was the first and only time I have flown on a Boeing 747. It was also one of the older 747 models with little fuzzy televisions (and no closed captions) every few rows which didn’t make for a very exciting flight but I hung in there. Although I did manage to survive a 15-hour bus ride in Peru a few weeks ago but I have to thank for my smartphone for that.

On that note, I’m curious to know what is the longest flight you have ever taken? How did you keep yourself entertained? Would you prefer to sit on a 19.5 hour direct fight or break it up with a layover or two? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments! Anyways, onto Flakes...

Frosted Flakes

Nebrasketball Player Profile: Shamiel Stevenson | Basketball | Corn Nation

Shamiel is a transfer from Pittsburgh via Nevada. He is a Junior who spent his first year and a half of of eligibility at the University of Pittsburgh. Halfway through his sophomore year he transferred to the University of Nevada in January of 2019. He decided to then transfer from Nevada when head coach Eric Mussleman took the head coaching job at Arkansas.

Wan’Dale Robinson Named to Freshman All-American Watch List | Football | Corn Nation

The versatile and speedy receiver/back/kick returner is getting a well-earned look at potential postseason honors.

Mailbag: Exciting Freshman, Running Back Potential, Blackshirts & More | Sports | Hail Varsity

Hail Varsity staff members Mike Babcock, Jacob Padilla, Greg Smith, Erin Sorensen and Brandon Vogel tackle your questions about the latest news in Husker Nation.

Martinez a Game Time Decision, Wan’Dale Hopeful and Other Practice Notes | Football | Hail Varsity

Quarterback coach Mario Verduzco said Martinez, the Huskers’ sophomore star, is starting to “look like his old self” and got more work in practice this week than last. Offensive coordinator Troy Walters said Martinez, equipped with a knee brace this week, is moving better than a week ago.

Bring on the adversity, Mazour feels confident he can help Huskers in Washington’s absence | Football | Lincoln Journal Star

This season, Mazour has eight carries for 31 yards. He missed Nebraska’s last game, a 34-7 loss Oct. 12 at Minnesota, because of a concussion. Missing that game makes him all the more hungry to help the Huskers get on the right track Saturday. He’ll enter the game with confidence, and also the mindset he can help the offense as both a runner and receiver.

Nebraska sophomore outside hitter Capri Davis to take indefinite medical leave of absence | Volleyball | Omaha World-Herald

After a breakout scrimmage followed by solid performances in the opening weekend, Davis missed five matches the next two weeks because of an abdominal muscle strain. She also missed the Rutgers match Oct. 2 because of an illness.

Huskers travel to Indiana, #20 Purdue | Volleyball | Huskers.com

The fifth-ranked Huskers will face Indiana at 7 p.m. on Friday in IU’s brand-new Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington. Then on Saturday, Nebraska will play No. 20 Purdue at 7 p.m. (CT) in Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette.

Huskers host Penn State for Senior Day | Soccer | Huskers.com

The Nebraska soccer team (4-9-4, 3-5-2 Big Ten) wraps up the regular season on Sunday when the Huskers host Penn State (11-6-1, 7-3-0 Big Ten) at Hibner Stadium, starting at 1:05 p.m.

Kusche named Big Ten Athlete of the Week | Cross Country | Huskers.com

Kusche led the Huskers and finished fifth at the Under Armour Pre-Nationals in the 8K “Blue” race in Terre Haute, Ind., last Saturday with a PR time of 23:31.6. His time was a new personal-best by seven seconds and he was the top finisher for the Big Ten at the meet.

More Sports

The Tragedy of Diego Maradona, One of Soccer’s Greatest Stars | Soccer | The New Yorker

November 10, 2001, Diego Armando Maradona played his final testimonial match, in Buenos Aires. For those unacquainted with the tradition, testimonials are tribute games, played for adoring, nostalgic fans, in which friends of the honored player jog leisurely around the pitch, allowing him one more moment of glory.

The Siege and Fall of a Hoops Haven That Made All the Wrong Enemies | Basketball | Deadspin

In Philadelphia, a ghost was born.In the late ‘90s, whispers of a new prep school hoops program began to circulate around the AAU scene, one that didn’t look much like the traditional powerhouses of New England or the rural south.

Inside Olympic Destroyer, One of the Most Deceptive Hacks in History | Olympics | WIRED

How digital detectives unraveled the mystery of Olympic Destroyer—and why the next big attack will be even harder to crack.

What I Read This Week

Here’s What It’s Like to Take the World’s Longest Non-Stop Flight | Aviation | TIME

Qantas wants to begin flying the time-saving route commercially as soon as 2022, so the airline used this test trip to explore ways to reduce its inevitable downside: Soul-crushing, body-buckling jet lag. Here’s how my journey unfolded in real time.

The First Non-Stop Flight from New York to Sydney Has Landed After 19 Hours in the Air | Travel | Lonely Planet

The flight was part of the planning process for Project Sunrise, Qantas’ goal to operate regular non-stop commercial flights from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York.

Best in Travel - The Best Places to Visit in 2020 | Travel | Lonely Planet

We ask everyone, from our writers and editors to our online family of social media influencers, and amid fierce debate, the list is whittled down by our panel of travel experts to just 10 countries, 10 regions, 10 cities and 10 best value destinations. We ask everyone, from our writers and editors to our online family of social media influencers, and amid fierce debate, the list is whittled down by our panel of travel experts to just 10 countries, 10 regions, 10 cities and 10 best value destinations

What Komodo Island’s New $1000 Visitor Fee Means for Travelers | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

Until recently, visiting Komodo Island and getting a glimpse of its famed dragons would cost you a flight to Indonesia, a cruise or tour to Komodo National Park, and a small $10 USD admission fee. That’s about to change.

Tourists Are Paying for the Services of ‘Pigeon Spookers’ in Thailand | Travel | Lonely Planet

Visitors to Pae Tae Gate, a major tourist site in Chiang Mai, Thailand have been paying for the services of ‘pigeon spookers’ to help them get the perfect Instagram shot.

A Swiss Village Obsessed With Scotland | Travel | BBC

With bagpipe music in the air and kilt-wearing locals competing in caber tossing, the village of Abtwil, Switzerland, turns Scottish for one weekend every two years.

Royal Caribbean Passenger Banned for Life After Instagram Photoshoot | Travel | Travel & Leisure

“Earlier this week on the Allure of the Seas a guest was observed recklessly and dangerously posing for a photo by standing on her stateroom balcony railing with the help of her companion,” Jonathon Fishman, corporate reputation manager for Royal Caribbean Cruises, told USA Today in an email.

JetBlue Agent Faces 20 Years for Giving $785,000 Worth of Free Travel | Travel | Travel & Leisure

Jenkins used the “involuntary exchange” computer function that is typically used for when passengers experience a death in the family or miss their flights, The Boston Globe reported. Over the course of 15 months, Jenkins upgraded 505 flights for more than 100 different people.

Why Bolivia Is The Next Food Hotspot | Travel | BBC

Consistently overshadowed by Lima, La Paz is finally stepping out into the spotlight as a gastronomic city, using high-altitude ingredients and ancient cooking techniques.

Who Really Owns Borsch? | Food | BBC

To the average person, Russians broadcasting about borsch may seem obvious and innocuous, but not so for Ukrainians, who consider the soup to be their national dish.

Researchers Uncover ‘Lost City’ in Cambodia | Archaeology | Travel & Leisure

Mahendraparvata, or the Mountain of Indra, King of the Gods, was an early site of the ancient empire and was found by on-the-ground surveying and overhead laser scanning, according to a recent report published by archaeology journal, Antiquity.

‘I Went Quiet...And That Allowed Me to Understand’: The Life of a Molecatcher | Animals | Longreads

Marc Hamer discusses life, death, and the lost art of catching a mole.

The Best and Worst Countries to Be A Woman | Culture | National Geographic

The Women, Peace and Security Index seeks to understand these global differences by measuring women’s inclusion in society, sense of security, and exposure to discrimination—key indicators of how women are faring.

One Man’s Wild Quest to Reach the Bottom of Every Ocean | Adventure | Outside Online

Multimillionaire Victor Vescovo committed himself to one of the world’s craziest remaining adventure quests: to reach the deepest points in every ocean. What does it take to get there? A radically high-tech $30 million Triton submersible, a team of crack engineers and scientists, and one very gonzo explorer.

How Twitter Changed Music in the 2010s | Music | Pitchfork

Hashtag rap! Kanye rants! Terrifying stan pile-ons! For better and worse, Twitter has forever altered the music landscape.

The Lines of Code That Changed Everything | Technology | Slate

Apollo 11, the JPEG, the first pop-up ad, and 33 other bits of software that have transformed our world.

A Million People Are Jailed at China’s Gulags. I Managed to Escape. Here’s What Really Goes on Inside. | World News | Ha’aretz

Rape, torture and human experiments. Sayragul Sauytbay offers firsthand testimony from a Xinjiang ‘reeducation’ camp.

Last But Not Least