the blog is dead, long live the substack
# tech

the blog is dead, long live the substack

Sometimes the only way forward is to try something new.


why neutron stars may be the coolest objects in the universe
# space

why neutron stars may be the coolest objects in the universe

Neutron stars’ thunder is usually stolen by black holes, but these bizarre objects living on the edge of physics create plenty of fascinating phenomena all on their own.


how social media ruined expertise and how to get it back
# tech

how social media ruined expertise and how to get it back

Thanks to social media, everybody can be a pundit today, and that’s ruining how we build a factual understanding of our world and what’s happening in it.


behold the (terrifyingly badly designed) cyborg of the 1960s
# science

behold the (terrifyingly badly designed) cyborg of the 1960s

Humans have been thinking about modifying themselves to survive the rigors of space flight for a long time now. Thankfully, out ideas for how to do it have vastly improved.


was the cia punking the world with psychic flights to the martian past?
# oddities

was the cia punking the world with psychic flights to the martian past?

Could Project Stargate have been an elaborate ruse to rattle the nerves of superstitious world leaders?

pollution denial, the hot new trend ready to kill you for a quick profit
# science

pollution denial, the hot new trend ready to kill you for a quick profit

Fossil fuel lobbyists are ready to give you asthma, COPD, and even lung cancer if it means they and their clients can make an extra dollar.

no, seriously, all planets are round
# oddities

no, seriously, all planets are round

Flat Earthers don't seem to realize that their theory violates basic laws of physics.

in search of the frozen menace at the bottom of the world
# oddities

in search of the frozen menace at the bottom of the world

Conspiracy theories are still looking for frozen Nazis in a fabled underground base.

do alien space sailors unfurl their solar sails to surf interstellar laser beams?
# astrobiology

do alien space sailors unfurl their solar sails to surf interstellar laser beams?

A new proposal posits that some of the fast radio bursts we've been routinely detecting may be coming from aliens, though not on purpose...

to hack, or not to hack, or when you have the means but not the motive
# oddities

to hack, or not to hack, or when you have the means but not the motive

WikiLeaks and pro-Kremlin trolls are charging the CIA with hacking the DNC to rig the election for Trump so they can... keep Trump from winning?

when asked about sciences, people turn to stereotypes, movies, and wild guesses
# science

when asked about sciences, people turn to stereotypes, movies, and wild guesses

Another study shows that Americans still don't seem to understand how science works.

to find aliens, we need to know when and why life began on earth
# space

to find aliens, we need to know when and why life began on earth

Knowing how life started right here at home can tell us how likely it is to sprout on another world.

quantum of bigot: fighting trolls with a.i.
# tech

quantum of bigot: fighting trolls with a.i.

If you're going to fight trolls, racists, and bigots with AI, you're going to need a much more comprehensive approach than a few neural networks...

the amazing, rocky, nearby, (potentially) habitable solar system
# astrobiology

the amazing, rocky, nearby, (potentially) habitable solar system

The TRAPPIST-1 solar system is the most unique one we've seen so far and could offer amazing possibilities for life.

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