fun facts
A man and a horse and a journey from Spain to China.
Xu Zhixian thought the trip would take about a year. After six months he’s made it from Spain to the Netherlands, about a quarter of the way. | learn more
fun facts
The secret history of 7 common words.
Y’all know I love etymology. This article helped me connect an old Russian-language insult back to English (via Greek). “Everyday words often hide histories revealing a time when people’s views of the world, the cosmos, and each other were profoundly […]
fun facts
The insane biology of hammerhead sharks.
These relatively modern sharks are impressive! This is a great video ~18 minutes long. | learn more
on the blockchain
Why is Iran turning to a new ‘digital rial’?
“It is a project officials hope could significantly increase their control over the national currency and its users while offering new opportunities to financial actors.” | learn more
on the blockchain
Full DNS namespace integration to ENS.
I missed this news last year, but I think it’s quite interesting. You can use a .com (or other) domain name as an address in cryptoland. “For example, if you own “example.com” on DNS, you can import it into ENS […]
big ideas
The rational case for monarchy.
“If you were to go back over the past couple of centuries, the vast majority of the most appalling regimes would be republics. Mussolini’s Italy might merit a place, and perhaps Tsarist Russia, which killed a fair few political opponents […]
big ideas
Britain and EU decide burning wood is carbon neutral?
“Not only are they going back to the future, but they also claim doing so is carbon neutral (spoiler alert: it isn’t, not even close). Nearly 40% of Europe’s so-called renewable energy is currently obtained by combusting wood, much of […]
big ideas
A first: extra-terrestrial water inside a meteorite.
“The Winchcombe meteorite, which struck a road in the town of Gloucestershire last February, is also believed to contain information about the origins of the water that makes up the planet’s immense seas, according to the Independent.” | learn more
under the microscope
3D printer ink to make wooden objects.
“The cell structure of ordinary tree wood influences the shape the wood will distort into as it dries. With the new technique, scientists can control the cell structure and, as a result, the precise shape that the product will take […]
retail therapy
Wegmans discontinues its in-store scan-and-go mobile app, citing high losses.
“Wegman’s losses from the app point to a common problem among companies that utilize in-store scan-and-go technology — shoplifting. Walmart temporarily suspended Scan and Go, its cashierless checkout program due to theft, an ex-Walmart exec told Business Insider in 2019.” | learn […]