fun facts
Ink drama gripping the fountain pen community.
“A manufacturer reintroduced Dark Lilac, a limited-edition ink, to great fanfare. The only problem? The color had changed.” ~ learn more
fun facts
Find everything humans know about…
This is a very cool new tool that takes any topic and creates a branching hierarchy of related concepts that serves as a very quick primer. It is especially great because for many of the topics it’ll include images that […]
better doing
Drill baby drill (for geothermal energy).
Fervo Energy, who are using fracking techniques to drill geothermal wells, is back in my news feed once more. This time they announced their latest well was delivered in 30% of the time and for half the cost of their first well. ~ learn […]
big ideas
Thinking doesn’t just happen in the brain.
In October 2022, I shared this link where Michael Levin showcased work from his lab on organ regeneration. He had figured out that all cells communicate electrically, which is how they know what and where to be when they grow up. He demonstrated it by cutting a planarian […]
teaching the kids
The future of land-grant universities.
This article caught my eye in part because I went to such a university, and in part it’s an important question for our education system. “Land-grant universities got their start in 1862, when the federal government donated land to the […]
thoughts of food
Seed catalog throws tantrum after listing GMO tomato by accident.
This relates to the recently-approved Purple Tomato. “Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company had an intriguing offer in its 2024 catalog: a tomato seed it called Purple Galaxy. However, what the Missouri-based non-GMO seed supplier didn’t seem to realize is that […]
thoughts of food
Purple Tomato seeds start shipping to home gardeners.
It’s a bio-engineered plant that yields purple colored tomatoes with extra anti-oxidants. This newsletter first linked to a write-up about the company in September 2021, so it’s cool to see it start shipping. “Seeds are available at www.norfolkhealthyproduce.com. Packets of 10 high […]
under the microscope
The promise of and problems with phages.
“But for many people, phages aren’t some miraculous elixir. In 2022, researchers published the largest series of case studies of phage therapy for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections yet. Of the 20 people treated with phages, most with infections related to cystic […]
under the microscope
Supercharging CAR-T cells for cancer treatment.
Before CAR-T therapy really picks up steam toward its full life-saving potential, society might see one or more major improvements in its cost or effectiveness. Here’s one: “Traditional CAR-T cells, while effective against liquid cancers, face challenges in solid tumors—the […]
retail therapy
Financial advice columnist writes about being scammed for $50k.
Be careful out there! “Now I know this was all a scam — a cruel and violating one but painfully obvious in retrospect. Here’s what I can’t figure out: Why didn’t I just hang up and call 911? Why didn’t […]