Pieces
You’re Probably Wearing Too Much Deodorant
This article explores the rising trend of whole-body deodorant use in America, attributing its popularity partly to a post-pandemic increase in olfactory anxiety and historical marketing strategies that exploit personal hygiene concerns. It questions the scientific basis for whole-body deodorizing, noting that most body odor originates from specific glands and bacteria. The author highlights the profound, often unconscious, role of natural human scent in identification, health signaling, and pheromonal communication, suggesting that masking it might have unforeseen social and psychological consequences, potentially leading to interpersonal alienation.
How Free Is Free Speech?
The article discusses the escalating "speech war" in the United States, examining how free speech is being interpreted and challenged, particularly by the Trump administration. It critiques the hypocrisy prevalent in the free speech debate and reviews two books: Christopher L. Eisgruber’s “Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right” and Fara Dabhoiwala’s “What Is Free Speech? The History of a Dangerous Idea.” The piece explores the complexities of applying free speech norms in educational and professional settings, the historical evolution of free speech concepts, and expresses concern for the future of established legal precedents like New York Times v. Sullivan amidst contemporary political pressures.
How One Man Is Working to Solve Los Angeles’s Homelessness Problem on His Own
John Alle, a property manager and activist in Santa Monica, has launched a controversial hotline offering one-way tickets home to homeless individuals in Los Angeles. Frustrated by the city's slow progress on homelessness and personally affected by an attack, Alle's program, a two-man operation with minimal bureaucracy, aims for a faster, cheaper solution than traditional methods. The article follows the journey of Jason Narron and his husband, Alterrick Hooker, as they navigate life on the streets of Los Angeles and ultimately use Alle's program to return to North Carolina, highlighting both the hope and the unresolved challenges of such initiatives.
A24's Empire of Auteurs
This New Yorker article, "A24's Empire of Auteurs," delves into the independent film studio's journey from its origins championing small, provocative, auteur-driven films to its current ambition of producing blockbusters. It highlights A24's distinctive approach to filmmaking, characterized by strong relationships with writer-directors such as Robert Eggers and Ari Aster, its innovative and often controversial marketing strategies, and its cultivation of a passionate fan base. The piece explores how the studio navigates the challenges of scaling its operations, including increased budgets and expansion into television and A.I. tools, while striving to preserve its unique artistic identity in a commercially driven Hollywood landscape.
A Single, 'Naked' Black Hole Rewrites the History of the Universe | Quanta Magazine
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered QSO1, a 'naked' black hole weighing 50 million solar masses in the early universe, challenging existing theories of cosmic evolution. Unlike typical black holes found within galaxies, QSO1 appears largely isolated, suggesting it might have formed directly from the primordial soup of the Big Bang, as proposed by Stephen Hawking. This discovery is part of observations of "little red dots" by JWST, which indicate a chaotic early cosmos. Researchers like Roberto Maiolino and Lukas Furtak confirmed its identity and mass, while others, including Priyamvada Natarajan, are exploring various alternative theories for its unusual formation, moving beyond the conventional model of stars collapsing and merging.
UTF-8 is a Brilliant Design
This article by Vishnu Haridas delves into the ingenious design of UTF-8 encoding, explaining its ability to represent millions of characters from diverse languages and scripts while maintaining backward compatibility with ASCII. It details the variable-width nature of UTF-8, how it uses different byte patterns for single and multi-byte characters, and the process of determining character code points. The author provides practical examples, including decoding Hindi characters and text with emojis, and discusses UTF-8 in contrast to other encodings like UTF-16 and UTF-32. The article also introduces a "UTF-8 Playground" tool developed by the author for interactive visualization of the encoding process.
The Story of Creative Technology
This article chronicles the history of Creative Technology, founded in Singapore in 1981 by Sim Wong Hoo. It details the company's evolution from early computer products to its groundbreaking Sound Blaster line of audio cards, which dominated the PC market. The narrative covers Creative's diversification into multimedia, graphics cards, and portable MP3 players (NOMAD series), as well as its strategic acquisitions and significant legal battles. It concludes by describing Creative's current focus on audio products amidst the challenges of integrated motherboard audio and competition from other tech giants, highlighting its enduring legacy among retro-tech enthusiasts.
America Surrenders in the Global Information Wars
This article details how the U.S. government, under the Trump administration, is dismantling vital programs like Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which were designed to counter foreign propaganda and promote free speech globally. This "unilateral disarmament" in the information war is creating a void that authoritarian regimes, particularly China and Russia, are rapidly filling. The author highlights the historical bipartisan support for these initiatives and the ongoing legal battles to prevent their defunding, arguing that these actions undermine U.S. national security and democratic ideals abroad.
Why Are So Many Pedestrians Killed by Cars in the US?
An analysis of pedestrian deaths in the US reveals a significant increase since 2009, unlike other high-income countries. This rise is primarily observed on urban roads and disproportionately affects older age brackets (30-39 and 60-79). While driver behavior and distraction are hard to quantify, the article points to the 'Big SUV hypothesis' as the strongest explanation due to the increased deadliness of pedestrian accidents, even though deaths involving sedans have also risen. Other factors like drug use by drivers and pedestrians are considered, but not as primary causes. The study uses NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data to explore these trends.
Just a little longer
The article, "Just a little longer," reviews Nicholas Dames' book "The Chapter: A Segmented History from Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century," written by Joshua Barnes for the Sydney Review of Books. It explores the historical development and evolving function of chapters in literature, from ancient informational headings to their role in shaping narrative time in novels. The review discusses Dames's analysis of authors like Laurence Sterne, William Caxton, Augustine, and the Victorian novelists, examining how chapters create a sense of 'unified discontinuity' and influence the reader's perception of temporality. Barnes highlights Dames's taxonomic approach and his broader inquiry into how literary conventions reflect societal experiences of time, concluding with reflections on the melancholic aspects of literary history and reading.
Why Some Illinois Farmers Are Stuck Raising Crops That No Longer Thrive
Illinois farmers, particularly in Alexander County's Dogtooth Bend, are caught in a cycle of farming flood- and drought-prone land that no longer yields much, primarily due to federal subsidies and crop insurance programs that cushion their losses. Despite federal programs designed to help them retire such land for conservation, these initiatives are often underfunded, slow, and mired in bureaucracy, exacerbated by staff cuts under the Trump administration. This situation forces farmers to continue cultivating unproductive fields to maintain eligibility for insurance, leading to prolonged financial strain and ecological damage, while preventing a transition to more sustainable land use.
Rivals Rub Shoulders in the World of Competitive Massage
The article "Rivals Rub Shoulders in the World of Competitive Massage" details the International Massage Association's annual World Championship in Massage, founded by Jeppe Tengbjerg. Held in Copenhagen, the event brings together massage therapists from across the globe to compete in various categories, showcasing different techniques and innovations. The article explores the motivations of competitors, the judging process, the evolution of massage as a practice, and the growing mainstream acceptance of massage therapy, highlighting both the competitive spirit and the profound human connection inherent in the art of touch.
20 years ago, New Orleans fired its teachers. It's been rebuilding ever since
The article discusses how New Orleans' public education system was rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, focusing on the firing of most teachers and their replacement, often by new and less experienced educators, including those from Teach For America. It explores the impact of these changes on the city's schools, teacher workforce demographics, and student outcomes, highlighting the efforts to restore experienced, local teachers and the ongoing challenges in special education.
How to Live Forever and Get Rich Doing It
This article from The New Yorker explores the burgeoning field of longevity research and biohacking, focusing on key figures like Peter Diamandis, founder of XPrize and Singularity University. It details the scientific advancements, technological aspirations, and the ethical and philosophical questions surrounding the quest to extend human lifespan indefinitely. The piece delves into various biohacking practices, the role of AI and investment, and the personal sacrifices made by those pursuing extreme health and a longer life, while also highlighting the skepticism and challenges faced by the field.
The History of The New Yorker's Vaunted Fact-Checking Department
This article delves into the intricate history and rigorous practice of The New Yorker's fact-checking department. It describes the meticulous, often adversarial, process of verifying information, the challenges checkers face, and the distinct personalities of editors and checkers throughout the magazine's history, from Harold Ross to Peter Canby. The piece highlights the department's unwavering dedication to accuracy, the complexities of journalistic truth, and the inherent tension between writers and their checkers, ultimately portraying fact-checking as a crucial, though sometimes frustrating, element of editorial integrity.
How Much Is Trump Profiting Off the Presidency?
A comprehensive estimate of how much Trump and his family are making, from hotel mega-deals to crypto schemes, has been elusive—until now.
When Your Kid’s Best Friend Is a Great Big Problem
This article explores the challenging parental dilemma of disliking a child's friends. It advises against outright prohibition, explaining that such actions often backfire due to "Reactance theory," which can make forbidden relationships more appealing. Instead, the author advocates for a long-term approach, emphasizing the enduring power of parental influence through modeling core values, creating a welcoming home environment, and reinforcing family practices. The piece suggests that parents should avoid negative comments about their child’s friends and, even in cases of dangerous peer influence, focus on addressing underlying issues rather than simply removing individuals. Ultimately, it encourages parents to trust the foundation they've built, viewing friendships as a part of adolescent development, and to remain a loving, supportive presence.
The Color of the Future
The author discusses how their favorite color changed over time and reflects on blue as the most fascinating and technological color, often used to represent the future. The article delves into the historical development of blue pigments, from ancient indigo and Egyptian blue to modern synthetic dyes like Prussian blue and phthalo blue. It also explores the cultural association of blue with science fiction interfaces and the recent breakthroughs in creating blue LEDs, suggesting that the historical difficulty in producing blue has solidified its status as the color of innovation and the future.
Speaking to the Future
This article explores the immense challenge of communicating the dangers of nuclear waste to future generations over millennia. It delves into the efforts of the Human Interference Task Force, examining the limitations of evolving languages, ambiguous visual media, and ignored oral traditions. The article discusses outlandish proposals like glow-in-the-dark cats and an 'atomic priesthood,' as well as more conventional warning structures for sites like the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Ultimately, it questions the effectiveness of any explicit warning, considering the Finnish approach to simply bury nuclear waste without markers, trusting in the future's intelligence to understand potential dangers.
Pluralistic: How monopoly enshittified Amazon
Cory Doctorow details how Amazon's monopoly and monopsony power have led to the "enshittification" of its platform, transforming it from a customer-centric company into an ad-saturated marketplace. Sellers are forced into a "payola" system to gain visibility, driving up prices across all retail channels due to Amazon's "most favored nation" clauses and high fees. Doctorow extends this critique to other platforms like Spotify and Audible, arguing that market concentration consistently shifts value from creators and sellers to shareholders. He advocates for structural separation, strong antitrust enforcement, and "adversarial interoperability" to restore competition and benefit consumers.
Introducing the Historical Tech Tree
This article introduces the 'Historical Tech Tree', a timeline visualizing the full history of 1,780 major technologies from 3.3 million years ago to today. It includes over 2,000 connections like prerequisites and inspirations to show how innovations led to others. The author explains how large language models (LLMs) significantly aided the development process, highlighting the concept of 'vibe coding'. The piece emphasizes that by combining technology and history, one can better understand the world's complexity and appreciate humanity's ingenuity in problem-solving.
Making Software: What is a color space?
This article offers a comprehensive explanation of digital color, covering color perception, various color spaces (CIE XYZ, sRGB, Display P3), color models (RGB, HSL, HSV, oklab, oklch), gamuts, gamma correction, and bit depth. It details additive and subtractive color mixing, and the complexities of color management, emphasizing the non-linear nature of human color perception and the challenges of accurate color representation across different devices and applications.
When the Blade Breaks
The article "When the Blade Breaks" by Gabriella Burnham on The Verge details the controversy surrounding the Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm, particularly after a turbine blade broke off the coast of Nantucket in July 2024. The incident sparked public outrage among Nantucket residents, who were concerned about environmental impact, debris on beaches, and potential harm to marine life like the North Atlantic right whale. The article explores the perspectives of residents, environmental groups (like ACK for Whales), industry representatives, and scientists, highlighting the complex intersection of renewable energy development, community concerns, and political influence. It also discusses the challenges of public engagement, misinformation, and the differing views on the benefits and drawbacks of offshore wind, especially in a community heavily reliant on tourism and fishing.
The Future of AI in Content Creation
This article discusses the burgeoning role of artificial intelligence in automating and enhancing various aspects of content creation, from initial ideation to final publication. It examines the opportunities and challenges presented by these advanced tools for writers, editors, and publishers.
RFK Jr. Cut Grants for Autism Research While Vowing to Find a Cause
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as Secretary of Health and Human Services, has cut millions in funding for autism research and eliminated divisions actively investigating environmental causes, despite promising a $50 million initiative to find autism's causes. He has also remained silent as the Trump administration rolls back protections against pollution and toxic chemicals, some of which are linked to autism, creating a contradiction between his stated goals and the administration's actions.
How Weekly Shōnen Jump Became the World’s Most Popular Manga Factory
The New Yorker article delves into the phenomenon of Weekly Shōnen Jump, the world's most popular manga magazine, and its success in nurturing young talent like Takeru Hokazono, the creator of "Kagurabachi." It explores the magazine's rigorous process, including reader surveys, the demanding schedule for mangaka, and its significant role in Japan's cultural exports and global pop culture, with series like "Naruto" and "One Piece" becoming international sensations.
Ferdinand Mount · Biff-Bang: Tariffs before Trump
Ferdinand Mount's article challenges the common belief that globalization is past its prime, arguing that the recent enthusiasm for tariffs, championed by figures like Donald Trump, represents a return to historical protectionist policies rather than a forward-looking economic strategy. It explores the origins of tariffs from ancient times, through mercantilism, and highlights parallels between Trump's approach and past figures like Herbert Hoover, while critically examining the economic impacts of such measures.
The Pleasure of Patterns in Art
The article, adapted from Samuel Jay Keyser's book "Play It Again, Sam," explores how repetition and variation are central to human perception of structure, rhythm, and depth in art. It delves into aesthetic pleasure derived from recognizing patterns, using examples such as Gustave Caillebotte's "Paris Street; Rainy Day," Lee Friedlander's "Albuquerque, New Mexico," Roni Horn's "Becoming a Landscape," and Ormond Gigli's "Girls in the Windows." The author analyzes the concept of "same/except" judgments and the historical notion of "parergon" to explain how visual rhymes and subtle differences enhance aesthetic enjoyment, demonstrating that recognizing order amid difference is key to the pleasure provided by these artworks.
WORLD OF TOMORROW by DON HERTZFELDT
A little girl named Emily is taken on a mind-bending tour of her distant future by a third-generation clone of herself. The clone shares memories of advanced technologies like cloning, digital consciousness transfer, time travel, and the 'Outernet', as well as personal experiences of love, loss, and the inevitability of death in a future facing a catastrophic meteor strike. The film explores themes of memory, identity, and the human condition.
Terence Tao: Research Powers Progress
UCLA’s Terence Tao, often called “the Mozart of Math,” has built a career expanding pure theoretical mathematics, laying the groundwork for future scientific discovery by probing the fundamentals of equations and their solutions. With funding cuts to higher education, Tao worries that young scientists are already looking abroad for more stable opportunities. Without consistent support, he cautioned, the nation risks losing the very pipeline of talent that drives discovery.
0.999...
In mathematics, 0.999... is a repeating decimal that is an alternative way of writing the number 1. The three dots represent an unending list of "9" digits. Following the standard rules for representing real numbers in decimal notation, its value is the smallest number greater than every number in the increasing sequence 0.9, 0.99, 0.999, and so on. It can be proved that this number is 1; that is, 0.999... = 1. Despite common misconceptions, 0.999... is not "almost exactly 1" or "very, very nearly but not quite 1"; rather, "0.999..." and "1" represent exactly the same number.
Open Banking and payments competition
The article discusses the controversy surrounding Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act, focusing on Open Banking and its impact on payments competition. It explains how banks, particularly JPMorgan Chase, are attempting to monetize or restrict access to Open Banking data, viewing it as an "existential risk" to their lucrative credit card business. The author argues that Open Banking enables lower-cost payment methods like ACH debits, which benefit consumers and businesses but challenge banks' traditional revenue streams. The piece also delves into the regulatory battles involving the CFPB, the role of data aggregators like Plaid, and the broader implications for innovation in financial services and the ability of banks to pick "winners and losers" in the market.
An Illustrated Guide to OAuth
This article provides an illustrated guide to OAuth, explaining its origin, purpose, and how it works. It details the OAuth flow from both a user's and a developer's perspective, introducing key terminology such as resource owner, OAuth client, authorization server, resource server, and scopes. The guide also covers security considerations, including why sending access tokens in URLs is not secure and the role of authorization codes and client secrets. It touches upon advanced topics like PKCE for apps without a backend and the distinction between front-channel and back-channel communication in OAuth.
The Geological Sublime
This article explores the concept of 'deep time' through the lens of geology and evolution, primarily discussing the contributions of Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin. The author personalizes this vast temporal scale using the example of butterfly populations and the accelerating climate crisis. It delves into the difficulty of human comprehension of immense geological spans, introduces the idea of the 'Great Year,' and contrasts human history with natural processes. The piece concludes by suggesting that contemporary geological forces, now termed the 'Chthulucene,' demand a re-evaluation of humanity's relationship with the Earth's profound history and powerful responses.
3 things to know about haboobs, massive dust storms in the Southwest
Massive walls of dust and debris, known as haboobs, frequently roll through the U.S. Southwest, posing a terrifying spectacle for motorists. These phenomena, spawned by thunderstorms, can create dust walls thousands of feet tall and miles wide, moving at speeds of 60 mph. Scientists note that while localized bursts of rain during the monsoon season have become more intense, it's unclear if haboobs themselves are becoming more frequent. The article explains how haboobs form from strong thunderstorm downdrafts stirring up dust and dirt from arid areas, and provides safety advice for those caught in these storms, emphasizing the dangers of reduced visibility.
The story of how RSS beat Microsoft
This article details the historical 'syndication war' between RSS and Microsoft's Information and Content Exchange (ICE) standard. It draws parallels to the VHS vs. Betamax format battle, explaining how the open, simple, and grassroots-driven RSS ultimately prevailed over the complex, commercial, and top-down ICE. The piece highlights how RSS's ease of use and community adoption led to its success, even as major tech companies like Microsoft initially pushed for proprietary solutions for content monetization.
Life Has Gotten Surreal in China
This article explores the increasingly surreal environment in China under Xi Jinping, characterized by intensified government censorship, propaganda, and micromanagement of citizens' lives. It highlights the growing disconnect between the state's narrative of a harmonious socialist utopia and the realities faced by its people, including economic slowdown and suppression of dissent. The author argues that this neo-totalitarian approach, reminiscent of earlier Communist rule, risks curtailing China's vitality and placing limits on its global ascent, despite external perceptions of its rising power.
The End of Niche College Sports
This article argues that it is long overdue to allow colleges to pay revenue-generating athletes, even if this leads to the demise of niche, non-revenue sports like squash and water polo. The author asserts that the current system, where profits from major sports like football and basketball subsidize less popular, often wealthier, sports, is monumentally unfair, especially to disproportionately Black and poor athletes. While President Donald Trump has issued an executive order to protect non-revenue sports, the article suggests that such protections would preserve an arbitrary status quo that diverts resources from academics and more equitable opportunities. The author contends that cutting non-revenue sports could free up funds for education and financial aid, allowing students to pursue hobbies without being rewarded with scholarships based on niche athletic talent.
The staff ate it later
The article discusses the common caption "The staff ate it later" used in Japanese TV programs when food appears, intended to address concerns about food waste, which is not socially acceptable in Japan. It explores the presumed origins of this caption, the ongoing debate about its authenticity (with reports both supporting and refuting that staff actually consume the food), and the general reception and critique from commentators, producers, and columnists regarding its necessity and impact on program quality.
What are OKLCH colors?
OKLCH is a newer color model designed to be perceptually uniform, making colors more accurate to human perception and easier to work with. It consists of Lightness, Chroma, and Hue, differing from LCH in its use of the OKLab color space. Key advantages include consistent brightness across different hues and predictable shades without hue or saturation drift. Gradients in OKLCH are calculated based on lightness, chroma, and hue, often resulting in smoother transitions. It also supports wider color gamuts like Display-P3, enabling more vivid colors on modern screens. While widely supported, fallbacks for older browsers can be implemented using CSS `@supports` directive.