Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Hagakure: Death, Loyalty, and the Way of the Samurai

2025-05-22

This excerpt from Hagakure explores the Bushido code. The author emphasizes that the essence of Bushido lies in readiness for death and unwavering loyalty to one's master. Through historical anecdotes and philosophical reflections, the text details the virtues of loyalty, courage, self-discipline, and proper conduct expected of a samurai, showcasing the depth and intensity of the Bushido ideal.

(hagakure.space)

Misc Bushido Loyalty

Automating Four Years of Piano Sight-Reading Practice: From Python to D3

2025-05-22

The author shares their experience automating four years of piano sight-reading practice using an iPad app. They built a Pythonista interface to automate key selection and track practice data, visualized progress with D3.js, and discovered that randomization and data visualization significantly improved sight-reading ability. Key insights include bypassing note naming in favor of pattern recognition and the benefits of a structured practice routine.

(sandrock.co.za)

Misc piano practice

Musil's Plays: A Tension Between Utopia and Reality

2025-05-22

This article examines Robert Musil's two plays, *The Utopians* (1921) and *Vinzenz and the Mistress of Important Men* (1923), written during a period of intense engagement with theater. These works reflect Musil's dissatisfaction with contemporary theater and his exploration of utopian ideals. His utopias are not fixed systems but rather a resistance to rigid conventions and a pursuit of creative openness, mirroring themes in his unfinished novel, *The Man Without Qualities*. The characters' struggles symbolize the loneliness and uncertainty of the individual within a world of limitless possibilities, reflecting Musil's profound reflections on art's social role.

(lithub.com)

Misc Musil

Ancient Law Requires Hay Bales on London Bridge

2025-05-22

Construction work on London's Charing Cross railway bridge has triggered a quirky ancient law. Due to reduced clearance under the bridge because of scaffolding, contractors are required to hang bales of hay as a warning to river traffic, a requirement dating back to medieval times. The hay bales, along with warning lights at night, will move along the bridge as the multi-year maintenance project progresses.

(www.ianvisits.co.uk)

Misc ancient law bridge maintenance

AI in Higher Ed: Gimmick or Revolution?

2025-05-22

This article explores the application of artificial intelligence in higher education. The author attends an AI teaching workshop and observes differing scholarly viewpoints on AI, ultimately questioning AI's revolutionary status in education. Many AI advocates, the author argues, overhype AI's capabilities, presenting it as a panacea while ignoring its environmental costs and negative impact on student learning habits. The author concludes that AI is currently more of a gimmick, unable to replace the face-to-face interaction and deep thinking between teachers and students. True education requires teacher guidance and student engagement—things AI cannot replicate.

(hedgehogreview.com)

Misc

Tinnitus After a Concert: A Cautionary Tale

2025-05-22

I developed permanent tinnitus after attending an electronic music show last November. Initially, I was careless about hearing protection, assuming any discomfort would be temporary. This time, it wasn't. Now loud sounds physically hurt, and I find myself acting like a concerned parent, reminding friends to wear helmets and reflective vests. This experience has highlighted the often overlooked risk of hearing damage and the importance of self-protection.

(blog.greg.technology)

Misc tinnitus hearing protection

Bhutan's Talking Stamps: A Surprising Investment Opportunity

2025-05-21

Issued in 1972, Bhutan's miniature vinyl record stamps, playable on a standard turntable, were initially dismissed as novelties. These seven stamps, featuring Bhutanese folk songs and history, have recently surged in value due to their rediscovery by vinyl collectors. The stamps' creator, American adventurer Burt Todd, revolutionized Bhutan's philatelic program with innovative designs, transforming what were once cheap trinkets into a highly sought-after collector's item.

(thevinylfactory.com)

Misc Bhutan

Website Data Collection and User Privacy Notice

2025-05-21

This website uses technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information to provide the best user experience. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent may adversely affect certain features and functions. Technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. The technical storage or access is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.

(magazine.atavist.com)

Misc

Emperor Qianlong and Chinese Goldfish: An 18th-Century Oddity

2025-05-21

Published in 1780, *Histoire naturelle des dorades de la Chine* (Natural History of the Gilded Fish of China) was the first monograph on goldfish published in Europe. The book opens with a coloured portrait of Emperor Qianlong, followed by text from Louis-Edme Billardon de Sauvigny describing goldfish and offering “observations and anecdotes relating to the customs, manners and government of this empire.” It reflects the exotic image of the East held in the Western imagination at the time.

(publicdomainreview.org)

Misc goldfish Emperor Qianlong Western culture

Rediscovering Goethe: A Neglected Genius and His Profound Impact on the Modern World

2025-05-21

A. N. Wilson's new book, *Goethe: His Faustian Life*, revisits the largely neglected genius of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in the English-speaking world. Goethe was not only a towering poet but also a scientist, philosopher, and statesman whose influence shaped 19th-century Germany and even touched Darwin's theory of evolution. Wilson intertwines Goethe's life with his masterpiece, *Faust*, showing how he infused his experiences into his art, creating a 'myth' of modern humanity's pursuit of knowledge and truth. The book also explores Goethe's unique scientific perspective, emphasizing holism and reverence for nature, rejecting the simplistic reduction of nature into measurable units. Goethe's insights offer valuable lessons for understanding the relationship between science and art, and humanity's place in the natural world.

(www.commonwealmagazine.org)

Misc Faust Scientific Philosophy

Amazon Issues Proactive Refunds for Unverified Returns

2025-05-21

Amazon recently proactively refunded a small subset of customers whose returns hadn't been processed. An internal review revealed that these refunds were stalled due to an inability to verify the correct item had been returned. Amazon stated they should have communicated more clearly and sooner with these customers to understand the return status and facilitate resolution. Given the time elapsed, Amazon opted to prioritize customer experience and simply complete the refunds.

(financialpost.com)

Misc Refunds Customer Experience

Sortition: A Return to Ancient Athenian Democracy?

2025-05-21

This article explores the potential of replacing elections with sortition (random selection) of political representatives. Ancient Athenian democracy utilized sortition for council and jury selection, embodying the principle of rotational governance. Today, facing issues of underrepresentation in electoral systems, scholars and activists propose reviving sortition to enhance decision-making's representativeness and inclusivity. The article analyzes the experiences of citizen assemblies in Canada, Ireland, and elsewhere, acknowledging sortition's potential to improve decision quality and representation while highlighting challenges in accountability and public engagement. Ultimately, the article argues that sortition isn't a simple replacement for elections but should complement them, coupled with effective public communication mechanisms, to better achieve democratic goals.

(thewalrus.ca)

Misc electoral reform citizen participation

Quitting Instagram: A Battle with the Algorithm

2025-05-21

The author shares his struggle with Instagram addiction. Initially, he went cold turkey for three months, but upon reinstalling, he found himself quickly falling back into the trap. The algorithm precisely recommended short videos that interested him, even if those videos were bizarre and absurd. He tried replacing it with news, but it wasn't as effective, as news couldn't cater to his preferences as accurately as the algorithm. The author finally controlled himself by disabling the ability to install new apps on his phone, but he also realizes this is only a temporary solution. The real challenge lies in confronting the algorithm and his own desires.

(blog.greg.technology)

Misc social media addiction self-control

Last Letters: Facing Mortality, Understanding Life

2025-05-20

In a Bordeaux bookshop, the author discovers a collection of last letters written by those executed by Nazi firing squads during WWII. These poignant missives offer a raw glimpse into the human condition facing imminent death, revealing stages of grief and the precious memories clung to in final moments. The author reflects on how these letters, far from merely documenting wartime atrocities, force a profound contemplation of life's meaning and the importance of cherishing every moment.

(aeon.co)

Misc

US Trade Deficit: A Tale of Saving and Investment

2025-05-20

The persistent US trade deficit isn't simply due to insufficient exports; it's fundamentally linked to a macroeconomic imbalance. The article uses national accounting to demonstrate the equivalence between the trade deficit and the gap between domestic saving and investment spending. Analyzing household, business, and government savings, it shows how their interplay affects the overall saving rate. The author argues that while trade policies like free trade agreements or industrial policy can influence trade composition, they won't solve the deficit unless they also address the saving-investment gap. Closing this gap, however, presents a significant challenge.

(libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org)

Misc saving

A 16th-Century Anamorphosis: 3D Simulation of Mary Queen of Scots' Ominous Portrait

2025-05-20

While researching logarithms, the author stumbled upon a 1580 anamorphosis portrait of Mary Queen of Scots. The painting uses perspective trickery; viewing it from different angles transforms the image from Mary's face into a skull. Using WebGL, the author reconstructed the painting in 3D from two differently-angled images, creating an interactive simulation that showcases this visual transformation. Created years before her execution, the painting's symbolism is intriguing.

(www.charlespetzold.com)

Misc Anamorphosis Historical Image

Visualizing the Collatz Conjecture: A Shower Thought Turned Stunning

2025-05-20

A scuba diving trip sparked a shower thought that led to a beautiful visualization of the Collatz Conjecture. The author cleverly translates the iterative process of the Collatz function into binary fractions, plotting the results. The resulting graph reveals striking self-similar patterns, almost resembling alien script. Surprisingly, this mirrors a 2019 paper by French mathematician Olivier Rozier, although their construction methods differ. The author's straightforward approach is easy to understand and invites exploration of the graph's hidden patterns.

(abstractnonsense.com)

Misc Fractal

Top 500 Most Viewed Wikipedia Pages

2025-05-19

This dataset reveals the top 500 most viewed Wikipedia pages, spanning various categories including countries, languages, figures, and geographical locations. Countries like Turkey, Japan, and the United States rank highly, while notable figures such as Michael Jackson and Donald Trump also hold prominent positions. The list offers insight into global information consumption patterns and reflects the influence of different cultures and events.

(sohom.dev)

Misc Page Views

Dilbert Creator Scott Adams Reveals Terminal Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

2025-05-19

Scott Adams, creator of the iconic comic strip "Dilbert," announced on his Rumble show that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, the same type of cancer President Biden is battling. Adams, 67, stated he expects to die this summer. While localized prostate cancer is curable, his advanced stage is not. Despite his own grim prognosis, Adams expressed sympathy for President Biden and his family.

(www.thewrap.com)

Misc Prostate Cancer Scott Adams Dilbert

Why Are Surgeons Addressed as 'Mr.' in the UK?

2025-05-19

A curious British tradition persists: male surgeons are consistently addressed as "Mr." This article delves into the historical roots of this practice, tracing its origins from the 18th century when surgeons lacked formal qualifications to the rise of the Royal College of Surgeons and the emergence of "pure surgeons" in the 19th century. The title evolved into a badge of honor, but with modern collaborative medical teams, the article questions the relevance of this anachronism, suggesting a shift to addressing all qualified medical professionals as "Dr."

(pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Misc British culture

Discover.com Warning: Leaving for a Third-Party Site

2025-05-19

Discover.com is warning users that they are about to leave its site and visit a third-party website. Discover states that it is not responsible for the products and services offered on the third-party site and does not guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any financial tools. Users are advised to review the privacy, security policies and terms and conditions of the third-party website. Consult a financial advisor for personal financial advice.

(www.discover.com)

Misc third-party website

Republicans' Cruel Budget: Tax Cuts for the Rich, Cuts for the Poor

2025-05-19

Republicans in Congress are pushing a deeply regressive budget, delivering massive tax cuts to the wealthy while cruelly slashing programs serving lower-income Americans. This bill is exceptionally cruel, relying on demonstrably false claims and failed policies—what some call 'zombie ideas'. For example, it would slash Medicaid by requiring adult recipients to be employed, ignoring the reality that most recipients are children, seniors, or disabled. This isn't just about finances; it's a malicious attack on the vulnerable, revealing a lack of compassion and an abuse of power by the Republican party.

(paulkrugman.substack.com)

Misc Budget Social Welfare

A 17th-Century Beekeeping Manual: Charles Butler and His Hive

2025-05-19

Charles Butler's *The Feminine Monarchie, or the History of Bees* (1609), the first English work of its kind, remained an influential apiculture handbook for centuries. The book is filled with Butler's firsthand observations of bees at his Hampshire parsonage, whom he calls "the muses' birds." He revered them, outlining protocols for earning their respect that read almost like a religious purity code. Bees, being "most chaste and neat," "utterly abhor" those who eat leeks, onions, and garlic; their sobriety and industriousness means they "violently defend" themselves against drunkards and gluttons. Butler seems to yearn for a bee-like existence, lamenting that "unto the industrious nature of bees nothing is more odious than sloth and idleness." His only grievance is with the drone bee, who, violating the Protestant work ethic, "worketh not at all, either at home or abroad, and yet spendeth as much as two labourers."

(publicdomainreview.org)

Misc beekeeping

The Unintended Consequences of Free Speech: From Milton to Trump

2025-05-19

This essay explores the historical evolution of free speech and its unforeseen consequences. Tracing the concept from Milton to the modern era, the author reveals its complex and accidental development, shaped by numerous historical contingencies. The essay focuses on the absolute protection of free speech under the US First Amendment and its downsides, such as the proliferation of hate speech and resulting violence. Ultimately, it argues for a balance between free speech and social order, preventing its misuse and harmful societal impact.

(www.lrb.co.uk)

Misc

The Economist's Subscription Pricing: A Global Mess

2025-05-18

Two years ago, a wildly inconsistent global pricing structure for The Economist's digital subscription was revealed, with prices varying over 300% depending on location. Poorer nations paid significantly more than wealthier ones. This continues in 2024, with Australia and New Zealand still heavily overcharged. An 'Economad Index' comparing subscription prices reveals even greater discrepancies than the Big Mac Index, highlighting The Economist's illogical and unfair pricing, leading one subscriber to cancel their subscription.

(halcrawford.substack.com)

Misc The Economist global pricing subscription prices

Call for Fictional Research: Deals and Dealings

2025-05-18

The Journal of Imaginary Research is calling for submissions of short fictional pieces themed around "deals and dealings." Contributors need to submit a 200-word fictional research abstract, a 100-word fictional researcher biography, and a copyright-free image. This initiative encourages academics to enjoy writing for pleasure and reflects on creative communication within academia. The deadline is December 1st, 2023.

(journalofimaginaryresearch.home.blog)

Misc Fictional Writing Academic

California License Plate Dataset Reveals a Battle Between Morality and Free Speech

2025-05-18

A dataset containing 23,463 personalized California license plate applications, many including vulgar and offensive language, has been released. These applications represent only a fraction of those received by the California DMV, specifically those flagged for review. The data includes the requested plate combination, review reason codes, applicant explanations, reviewer comments, and approval status. This release highlights the DMV's struggle to balance public morality with freedom of expression in approving license plates.

(github.com)

Misc license plate applications moral review

From Online Extremist Philosophy to Real-World Terror: Efilism and the Palm Springs Bombing

2025-05-18

This article examines the Palm Springs fertility clinic bombing, where the perpetrator, Guy Edward Bartkus, was influenced by the extremist philosophy of Efilism. Efilism posits that all life is suffering and should be ended. The article traces Efilism's online origins, from Benatar's antinatalism to Mosher's Efilism, and its connection to Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza. Bartkus's actions weren't solely driven by ideology; his friend's suicide deeply impacted him, and Efilism served more as a vocabulary for his despair. The article explores the spread of online extremist ideologies and the complex causes of individual extremism, prompting reflection on the responsibilities of online platforms.

(default.blog)

Misc extremism terrorism

How Parenthood Changes Friendships (And How to Keep Them)

2025-05-18

Having kids can dramatically alter friendships. This article explores the common challenges faced by parents and non-parents in maintaining their relationships. The piece features interviews with women who share their experiences and insights, offering four key strategies: Don't assume your friends don't want to hang out; ensure conversations include everyone; adapt to new ways of socializing, like doing chores together or incorporating kids into activities; and communicate openly about feelings. The article emphasizes the importance of communication and compassion in navigating these evolving relationships, suggesting that friendships can endure even as life stages change.

(text.npr.org)

Misc parenthood

Fearmongering: A Deep Dive into the Manipulation of Fear

2025-05-18

This article explores the widespread use of fearmongering tactics, from political campaigns and product advertisements to psychological warfare. It argues that humans' inherent sensitivity to danger is exploited by media, politicians, and others who exaggerate threats for personal gain. This manipulation not only distorts public perception of risk but can also drive societal extremes, such as increased polarization and a desire for strong authority. The article uses examples like the "Daisy" ad and Italy's "Strategy of Tension" to illustrate the power and far-reaching consequences of fear-based propaganda.

(en.wikipedia.org)

Misc fear marketing psychological warfare

Category: Misc