Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Mister Rogers and the Magical Computer Mouse

2025-03-15

Mister Rogers introduces children to a computer mouse, demonstrating its use on the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood website (now defunct). In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, a playful search for the missing "royal mouse" ensues, involving King Friday, Queen Sara, and other beloved characters. The mystery is solved, and Mr. McFeely adds to the fun with a video on computer mouse repair and a surprise comedic short film.

(misterrogers.org)

Misc computer mouse

Editing the 80,000+ Page Peirce Papers: A Herculean Task

2025-03-15

The Harvard Peirce Papers, comprising over 80,000 manuscript pages, present a monumental editing challenge. This article details the rigorous selection and editorial principles employed to curate and publish this vast collection of largely unpublished writings. Utilizing modern textual scholarship and leveraging digital tools, the editors aim to present the most complete and accurate representation of Peirce's intellectual output across various disciplines.

(peirce.indianapolis.iu.edu)

Misc textual scholarship Peirce critical edition

A Toast to Douglas Adams: The Humorist of the Cosmos

2025-03-15

Today marks the anniversary of Douglas Adams' birth. This article humorously remembers the science fiction master known for works like *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*, filled with absurd cosmic imaginings and profound reflections on the human condition. The author argues that Adams' work not only brought laughter but also changed how we think about technology, extinction, and the very nature of reality itself; his humorous philosophy continues to guide us in navigating an increasingly complex world.

(multiverseemployeehandbook.com)

Misc Douglas Adams Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Bird Mimicry: Courtship, Defense, or Accident?

2025-03-15

The Northern Mockingbird and Gray Catbird, well-known North American mimics, learn and reproduce a wide variety of sounds, including other birds, car alarms, etc., to attract mates and showcase their survival skills and experience. Some birds, such as the Indigo bird in Africa, use mimicry to deceive host birds, thus protecting their offspring. Other species occasionally mimic other vocalizations, but their function remains unclear. Studies suggest that incorrect mimicry may lead to reproductive failure and thus be selected against.

(www.allaboutbirds.org)

Misc ornithology mimicry

Small Contributions, Big Impact: The Power of Foreign Aid

2025-03-14

This article explores the impact of foreign aid on global health and development. Using the eradication of polio as a case study, it demonstrates that even though wealthy nations spend less than 1% of their national income on foreign aid, its impact is substantial. Through the combined efforts of governments and private donations, global polio cases have fallen by over 99%. The article also highlights other successful aid programs, such as PEPFAR and the Global Fund, and calls for increased foreign aid budgets and improved efficiency in aid spending.

(ourworldindata.org)

Misc foreign aid global health

The Internet of Beefs: A Never-Ending Culture War?

2025-03-14

This essay explores the pervasive online conflict, termed the "Internet of Beefs" (IoB). It argues that this 'culture war' isn't driven by ideology, but by clashes between anonymous users ("mooks") manipulated by high-profile figures ("knights") for personal gain. The war has no winners, only endless conflict and attrition. The author concludes that ending it requires redefining humanity, finding new ways of being, and thus rebooting history.

(www.ribbonfarm.com)

Misc social conflict

The UK's 'Economic Inactivity' Crisis: Myth vs. Reality

2025-03-14

The much-discussed 'economic inactivity' crisis in the UK isn't a true unemployment problem, argues this piece. Decades-long stability in the number of economically inactive people points to a shift in narrative, not a sudden crisis. The government frames non-work as a moral failing, attempting to coerce people into employment, echoing historical forced labor. The article critiques this view of work as the sole source of value, highlighting the neglect of unpaid labor (care, childcare). Technological advancements haven't reduced working hours, but instead intensified work's intrusion. The real crisis, the author suggests, is capitalism's declining ability to extract surplus value, not individual 'non-work'. The solution lies in redistributing the fruits of technological progress and shifting values to appreciate care, art, and rest.

(anticapitalistmusings.com)

Misc Capitalism

The Absurdity of US School Carpool Lines: Why Are They So Long?

2025-03-14

The ubiquitous and frustrating school carpool lines in the US are a national embarrassment. This article explores the reasons behind their existence, citing declining school bus usage, increased distances between homes and schools due to suburban sprawl, and a car-centric urban design. The author analyzes data showing a dramatic increase in the percentage of students driven to school by private vehicles and a corresponding decrease in walking and biking. Solutions proposed include improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, encouraging the use of e-bikes, and fostering greater independence in children. Ultimately, the article argues that fixing this problem requires a community-wide effort to reshape both the physical environment and cultural expectations.

(collegetowns.substack.com)

Misc traffic

Fediverse Donut Club: Bridging Online and Offline Communities

2025-03-14

Inspired by a successful office donut club, the author proposes a "Fediverse Donut Club," a bi-weekly #FediDonutFriday event where participants share donut pictures on the Fediverse platform to foster connections. This initiative aims to break down online silos, connecting individuals through a simple, shared activity with the potential for offline meetups. Participation is easy: follow the #FediDonutFriday hashtag and share your donut photos!

(sethmlarson.dev)

Misc

Stoicism's Rise in Silicon Valley: A Double-Edged Sword

2025-03-14

This article explores the recent popularity of Stoicism among Silicon Valley's tech elite. The author highlights Stoicism's ethical focus on self-mastery and detachment as a means of coping with life's hardships. Its metaphysics posits a unified universe where individual mortality is absorbed into the cosmic whole. While sharing similarities with Buddhism in emphasizing inner values, the philosophy can also be used to justify inequality and social apathy. The author argues that Stoicism offers valuable stress management, but shouldn't replace the pursuit of social change.

(www.exurbe.com)

Misc Stoicism

Pink: A Surprising History of a Color

2025-03-14

This book explores the surprising history of pink, tracing its evolution from an 18th-century aristocratic favorite to its association with femininity and eventual decline into a color considered dowdy and bourgeois. Using the 'Pink Prince' as a starting point, the narrative reveals how pink's meaning shifted across different periods, reflecting societal norms and cultural changes in fashion, cosmetics, and beyond.

(lithub.com)

Misc color history social culture

The Curious History of Pi: Why 3.14...? A Mathematical Debate

2025-03-13

This essay delves into the fascinating history of pi (π), exploring why we settled on 3.14... as its value instead of other related constants like 6.28.... From Archimedes in ancient Greece to Euler in the 18th century, mathematicians' understanding and representation of pi evolved, culminating in Euler's convention establishing 3.14... as the standard. The article also explores alternative pi values and proposes concepts like a 'Good Enough' Pi Day and Pi Meal, offering readers a blend of mathematical history and cultural reflection.

(mathenchant.wordpress.com)

Misc Euler

The Ostrich: From Biblical Texts to Arabian Souks

2025-03-13

This book's chapters are organized by region and period, starting with Palestine, Syria, and Arabia. While Leviticus and Deuteronomy deemed the ostrich unclean, North African Numidians feasted on it. (Quoting Dr. Duncan of the Department of Agriculture, the author suggests contemporaries try ostrich as a New Year or Easter bird.) Hebrew speakers called the ostrich bath haya’anah (“daughter of the desert”); Arabic speakers used similar epithets, calling it the desert’s father, but also the magician, the strong one, the fugitive, the stupid one, and the gray. While researching, the author found abundant ostrich feathers in the souks of Aleppo, Damascus, and Smyrna, and recounts an Islamic legend about the bird's weak wings: competing with a bustard, the ostrich forgot to invoke Allah's aid before flying near the sun, scorching its wings and those of all future generations.

(publicdomainreview.org)

Misc ostrich

Deconstructing the Mozart Assassination: A Novelist's Wrestle with History

2025-03-13

American novelist David Weiss, fascinated by Mozart's life, wrote several fictional novels inspired by the composer. Among them, *The Assassination of Mozart* boldly hypothesized Mozart's death as a conspiracy. This article details the author's research in Temple University's archives, examining Weiss's manuscripts to uncover the truth behind his novel's creation. The research reveals that while Weiss consulted numerous historical sources, he intertwined his own speculation with facts, constructing a fictional story filled with conspiracy. This raises questions about the boundaries between fact and fiction in historical fiction and how authors use existing historical materials to build fictional narratives.

(contingentmagazine.org)

Misc historical fiction Mozart

The Kings of Cinema's Cesspool: Cats, Battlefield Earth, and Other Unforgettable Movie Disasters

2025-03-13

This article explores some of cinema's most hated films and the actors behind them. Analyzing audience disapproval and the magnitude of disdain, it reveals that critically panned movies like Cats, Battlefield Earth, and Fifty Shades of Grey gained unexpected attention and discussion for their unique 'so bad it's good' quality. The article also examines Hollywood's current risk-averse strategies and how these contribute to a rise in one-star rated films. Ultimately, it concludes that in an era of content overload, even bad movies can avoid oblivion if they generate enough conversation.

(www.statsignificant.com)

Misc movies bad movies hollywood

Early Pirate Bay Backer Dies in Plane Crash

2025-03-13

Carl Lundstrom, co-founder and early financial backer of The Pirate Bay, died in a plane crash in the Slovenian mountains. Lundstrom, also a member of the far-right Alternative for Sweden party, was flying from Zagreb to Zurich when his plane crashed. The 64-year-old's Piper Mooney Ovation M20R split in two upon impact. Bad weather hampered rescue efforts. He was previously convicted in 2012 for assisting in copyright infringement. Lundstrom also had ties to other Swedish political parties and unsuccessfully ran for office in 2021.

(www.independent.co.uk)

Misc Plane Crash

The Greenwich Time Lady: The Remarkable Life of Ruth Belville

2025-03-13

For nearly fifty years, Ruth Belville carried on a unique family tradition, personally delivering precise time readings to London's clockmakers. Inheriting the role from her grandmother, who took over the task from her husband, Ruth meticulously delivered time using an antique pocket watch, spanning the transition from mechanical to electrical timekeeping. Her dedication created a unique and enduring legacy, a personal touch in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

(eehe.org.uk)

Misc

Thessaloniki: A City's Struggle with Erasure and Remembrance

2025-03-13

This article explores the complex history of Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city. Once a vibrant Ottoman city with a diverse population of Jews, Muslims, Bulgarians, and others, Thessaloniki's identity drastically shifted after its capture by Greece in WWI. The Greek state implemented policies to 'Hellenize' the city, leading to the displacement and assimilation of many non-Greek communities. The article centers around Musa Baba's mausoleum—the city's last remaining Muslim memorial—and the perspectives of Odysseas, an elderly Greek man, and Ayşe, a young Turkish-Greek woman, revealing the lasting impacts of these historical events. The narrative intertwines personal stories with broader themes of cultural erasure, national identity, and the ongoing struggle to reconcile a city's past with its present.

(thecritic.co.uk)

Misc urban transformation cultural conflict

How Ideas Shape Historical Change: A Century-Spanning Ideological Struggle

2025-03-13

This essay explores the role of ideas in major historical transformations. From religion to the Enlightenment and neoliberalism, the author analyzes how different ideologies have emerged, evolved, and impacted historical processes. Some ideologies, like Marxism, have exerted immense mobilizing power due to their rigorous theoretical frameworks during specific historical periods; others, such as neoliberalism, have achieved global influence through their control over economic foundations. The author argues that the Left needs to develop a systematic and uncompromising ideology capable of challenging the existing order to effectively participate in future historical changes.

(newleftreview.org)

Misc historical change political thought

Slushies: A Warning for Parents of Young Children

2025-03-12

New research suggests children under eight should avoid slushies due to the potential for glycerol intoxication syndrome. The brightly colored icy drinks contain high levels of glycerol, a sugar substitute that prevents freezing. This can lead to symptoms including loss of consciousness, low blood sugar, lactic acidosis, and hypokalaemia. While glycerol is present in some foods, the concentration in slushies is significantly higher. A study examined 21 children (ages 2-7) who experienced symptoms like those described above after consuming slushies, requiring emergency treatment. Although all recovered, researchers urge caution, particularly as there's a lack of transparency regarding glycerol levels in slushies, making it difficult to determine a safe dose. The Food Standards Agency already advises against slushies for children under four and limits consumption for those aged five to ten. This new research reinforces the need for parents to avoid giving slushies to children under eight.

(news.sky.com)

Misc children's health glycerol

My Two-Year Noise-Cancelling Odyssey: From Self-Delusion to 'Ah-ha!' Moment

2025-03-12

Driven mad by noisy upstairs neighbors and a perpetually loud park, the author spent two years experimenting with bizarre noise-reduction methods: from industrial-strength earmuffs and silicone earplugs to researching earwax genes and the physics of sound, even attempting to build a soundproof chamber. All failed miserably. The ultimate solution? A simple pair of noise-canceling headphones. This article reflects on how over-reliance on theoretical analysis, neglecting simple solutions, and a fixation on cleverness led to wasted time and suffering.

(dynomight.net)

Misc noise cancellation life hacks self-reflection

A Fish's-Eye View: Reframing the World from Beneath the Surface

2025-03-12

In his 1919 book, *Animal Life Under Water*, photographer Francis Ward describes a unique perspective: from the riverbed, the water's surface acts as a vast mirror reflecting the river bottom. The terrestrial world is visible only through a circular 'window'—the point of refraction between air and water. This, Ward writes, is the 'fish's point of view'.

(publicdomainreview.org)

Misc

Elon Musk and Ketamine: A Risky Remedy?

2025-03-12

Elon Musk's public admission of regular ketamine use for depression has sparked concerns about his mental health and behavior. The article explores the dual nature of ketamine as an anesthetic and antidepressant, and the potential cognitive and psychological impairments associated with long-term abuse. Musk's case raises questions about substance use within the tech elite and the complex relationship between power and personal well-being. The prevalence of ketamine also highlights the need for responsible mental health treatment and regulation.

(www.theatlantic.com)

Misc Ketamine

Oberwolfach Snapshots: Making Modern Mathematics Accessible

2025-03-11

The Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach presents "Snapshots of modern mathematics," short texts on various aspects of the field written by visiting researchers and edited for clarity. Aimed at promoting understanding and appreciation of modern mathematics globally, the project was previously funded by the Klaus Tschira Foundation and the Oberwolfach Foundation. High school math is recommended as prerequisite.

(www.imaginary.org)

Misc popular science Oberwolfach

From Nero's Poison to Turkish Jam: The Deadly Double Life of Cherry Laurel

2025-03-11

The author discovers a cherry laurel tree in their backyard, a plant whose fruits and leaves contain the deadly poison cyanide. Historically, it was used by Locusta, Nero's poisoner, to assassinate enemies. However, cherry laurel has also been used as a food flavoring; 19th-century British cooks used its leaves in puddings, resulting in child poisonings. Today, in Turkey, ripe cherry laurel fruits are made into jams and other foods. The article engagingly recounts the plant's transformation from ancient poison to modern food, warning against confusing cherry laurel with bay leaves to prevent accidental poisoning.

(suziepetryk.com)

Misc plant poison

Global Job Postings: Remote, On-site, or Hybrid

2025-03-11

This job posting covers numerous countries and regions globally, as well as numerous counties in the UK, offering remote, on-site, and hybrid work options. Job seekers can filter by date and highest paid.

(outsideir35.com)

Misc jobs global positions

Fragments of Poetry: Dong Li's The Orange Tree

2025-03-11

Dong Li's debut collection, *The Orange Tree*, tells the story of a family shattered by the political turmoil of 20th-century China, using fragmented, evocative poetry. The poems blend personal emotion with historical suffering, exploring themes of memory, identity, and homeland. Li's concise yet deeply moving style, reminiscent of an enduring orange tree, weaves together a powerful narrative. This collection is both a poignant reflection on history and a profound exploration of poetic language, resulting in a truly remarkable work.

(www.mcsweeneys.net)

Misc Chinese literature family history

WWII's Ramree Island: A Nightmarish Crocodile Massacre

2025-03-11

Following a battle on Ramree Island during WWII, nearly 1,000 Japanese soldiers fled into a dense mangrove swamp. Little did they know, this refuge was home to a massive population of saltwater crocodiles. These apex predators, some reaching over 20 feet in length, ambushed the terrified soldiers. Survivors recounted horrific tales of nightmarish attacks, screams, gunfire, and the sounds of flesh being torn. Hundreds perished in what Guinness World Records dubbed the "most fatalities in a crocodile attack."

(www.atlasobscura.com)

Misc Ramree Island Saltwater Crocodiles

Mapping UChicago's 135-Year Expansion: A Contentious History

2025-03-11

The University of Chicago's 135-year expansion in Hyde Park and beyond is a complex story of conflicting priorities, land disputes, and racial tension. This visual history, compiled from archives, maps, and academic literature, charts the University's contentious property acquisitions since its founding in 1890. It highlights the institution's pioneering role in urban renewal, its impact on the surrounding neighborhoods, and the evolving relationship between the university and the city.

(chicagomaroon.github.io)

Misc University of Chicago Town and Gown

Christianity and Sexuality: A History of Contradictions

2025-03-11

This book delves into the complex history of Christianity's attitude towards sex, from the early church's emphasis on celibacy to the persecution of homosexuals and the complex definition of women's roles. The author meticulously examines the various interpretations of biblical texts on sexuality and reveals how power, social norms, and fear of human desire have shaped the church's stance on sex. Despite the church's historically harsh attitude towards sex, the book also showcases individuals and stories that challenge traditional views and the pursuit of love and devotion. Ultimately, the author reflects on the challenges facing the modern church and the need to rebuild a truly Christian faith based on love and forgiveness.

(www.lrb.co.uk)

Misc religious history sex and religion

Category: Misc