kottke

kottke, 15 days ago to random

Scientists have figured out why killer whales are smashing up luxury yachts: it’s a new fad among teen orcas. “A combination of free time, curiosity and natural playfulness has led to young orcas adopting this ‘trend’ of boat-bumping.” https://newatlas.com/biology/orcas-killer-whales-boats/

kottke, 1 month ago to random

The Sky Was Purple and Red and Yellow and On Fire. I loved the aurora borealis takeover of social media this weekend. Here’s some of the best shots taken by folks all over the world. https://kottke.org/24/05/the-sky-was-purple-and-red-and-yellow-and-on-fire

kottke, 24 days ago to random

How to get Google search results without the AI garbage. “It’s essentially Google, minus the crap. No parsing of the information in the results. No surfacing metadata like address or link info. No knowledge panels, but also, no ads.” https://tedium.co/2024/05/17/google-web-search-make-default/

kottke, 29 days ago to random

Google is replacing their search results with AI answers. There’s a very simple explanation for this: it’s better/cheaper to provide potentially wrong answers to keep you clicking within Google than it is to send you away for the right answers. https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/14/24155321/google-search-ai-results-page-gemini-overview

kottke, 1 month ago to random

Copy the Shrug Emoji. A website for copying the shrug emoji. Too cute? Ruins it? ¯_(ツ)_/¯ https://copyshrugemoji.com/

kottke, 22 days ago to random

A Massachusetts “millionaire’s tax” (extra 4% tax on $1M+ incomes) has earned the state more than $1.8 billion in income for fiscal 2023. That’s about double the estimates and the funds will be spent on education and transportation. https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2024-05-21/millionaires-tax-revenue-reaches-1-8-billion-on-pace-to-double-estimates

kottke, 1 month ago to random

Seabike is an “underwater mobility device” that can propel you through the water at “superhuman speed”. You pedal with your feet, driving a small propellor. https://newatlas.com/marine/seabike-swimming-propeller/

kottke, 9 days ago to random

World-first tooth-regrowing drug will be given to humans in September. “If successful, this therapy could be available to patients with any permanently missing teeth within six years.” https://newatlas.com/medical/tooth-regrowing-human-trial/

kottke, 28 days ago to random

Why do big cicada broods emerge at prime-numbered year intervals? It could be because it’s easier for them to avoid predators with two-, three-, four-, or six-year cycles. https://kottke.org/24/05/cicadas-and-prime-numbers

kottke, 24 days ago to random

Can shame help us become better people? “In Confucianism, shame is a crucial tool that leads you toward your best self, and you have more power over it than you know.” https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/article/2024/may/16/confucius-shame-chinese-philosophy

kottke, 20 days ago to random

Lol, tiny bumper stickers for your phone, including “My other phone is a burner”, “Caution: Extremely Online”, and “I brake for Notes app apologies”. https://bumperstickers.blog/

kottke, 1 month ago to random

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a skate video like this before: a group of riders skating the smooth, flowing rocks on the Maltese island of Gozo (site of Calypso’s cave in the Odyssey). https://kottke.org/24/05/skating-the-contours-of-nature

kottke, 1 month ago to random

Lydia Polgreen: The Student-Led Protests Aren’t Perfect. That Doesn’t Mean They’re Not Right. “These young people seek a worthy cause: to end what may be the most brutal military operation for civilians in the 21st century.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/26/opinion/columbia-student-protests-israel.html?unlocked_article_code=1.n00.H9EM.7niiAQglNBkl

kottke, 13 days ago to random

The trailer for Butterfly in the Sky, a documentary film about Reading Rainbow and its host, LeVar Burton. “Reading Rainbow was not about learning to read, it was about loving to read.” Now streaming on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUb6MCOMISY

kottke, 1 month ago to random

Currently listening to Atavista, a “new” album from Childish Gambino (which he says is the “finished version” of an album he released in 2020 called 3.15.20). https://pitchfork.com/news/listen-to-childish-gambinos-new-album-atavista/

kottke, 1 month ago to random

A new LoTR movie is coming: Andy Serkis is starring and directing in Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Peter Jackson is producing and Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens are writing the script. https://variety.com/2024/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-movie-2026-release-warner-bros-1235997102/

kottke, 13 days ago to random

“Donald Trump has been found guilty of all 34 counts of falsifying business records in a criminal hush-money scheme to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.” First former president to become a felon. Congrats. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/30/trump-trial-hush-money-verdict

kottke, 1 month ago to random

A North Yorkshire county authority banned apostrophes on street signs because they cause problems with poorly designed computer systems. “I walk past the sign every day and it riles my blood to see inappropriate grammar or punctuation.” https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-68942321

kottke, 8 days ago to random

In the last 10 years, Paris has closed 100 streets to cars, removed 50,000 parking spots, tripled parking fees for SUVs, and built more than 800 miles of bike lanes. “Those changes have contributed to a 40% decline in air pollution.” https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/paris-olympics-city-reduce-air-pollution-rcna153470

kottke, 8 days ago to random

This is excellent: The Musical History Lesson Buried Beneath the Song of the Summer. “Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘Espresso’ is one of several recent hits bringing back the genre that never got a name.” (See also Dua Lipa’s Dance the Night.) https://slate.com/culture/2024/06/sabrina-carpenter-espresso-song-summer-boogie-post-disco.html

kottke, 7 days ago to random

Genderswap[dot]fm is a catalog of gender-swapped song covers — think Beyoncé covering The Beatles, Miley Cyrus covering The Talking Heads, or The Flaming Lips covering Kylie Minoque. There’s also a less comprehensive Spotify playlist. https://genderswap.fm/

kottke, 7 days ago to random

Starring the Computer: a catalog of computers used in movies and TV shows. For instance: “The first episode of Andor has a heavily modified Tandy TRS-80 Model III.” https://starringthecomputer.com/

kottke, 7 days ago to random

Download free coloring books sourced from the collections of dozens of museums and libraries. You know, for kids. https://kottke.org/24/06/download-free-coloring-books-from-museums-and-libraries

kottke, 6 days ago to random

From Practical Engineering, this is a video explaining every type of bridge in just 15 minutes, including beam, arch, cantilever, truss, suspension, and trestle bridges. https://kottke.org/24/06/every-kind-of-bridge-explained-in-15-minutes

kottke, 6 days ago to random

A UK research team has discovered that the more CO2 air contains, the longer viruses can stay alive in that air. This is a tranmission double-whammy: poorly ventilated spaces with lots of people in them increases potential viral load and longevity. https://www.statnews.com/2024/06/04/co2-ventilation-research-virus-airborne-life-haddrell-celebs/