November 4, 2021
cosmic inflation
We now know the big bang theory is (probably) not how the universe began - "The Big Bang still happened a very long time ago, but it wasn't the beginning we once supposed it to be." [more inside]
The daemon that no one comprehends.
COBOL: The code that controls your money. "In fact, these days, when the phone rings in the house Thomas retired to — in a small town outside of Toronto — it will occasionally be someone from the bank. Hey, they’ll say, can you, uh, help… update your code? Maybe add some new features to it? Because, as it turns out, the bank no longer employs anyone who understands COBOL as well as Thomas does, who can dive in and tweak it to perform a new task. Nearly all the COBOL veterans, the punch-card jockeys who built the bank’s crucial systems way back when, who know COBOL inside and out — they’ve retired. They’ve left the building, just like Thomas. And few young coders have any interest in learning a dusty, 50-year-old computer language. They’re much more excited by buzzier new fields, like Toronto’s booming artificial intelligence scene. " [more inside]
Glue predates anatomically modern humans and other facts
People are thinking about you…
…about as much as you think about them—but they don't think you're a mess. Researchers on the "thought gap" and the "beautiful mess effect". [more inside]
5-7-5 the Elements
5 short Diwali stories
By Iona Datt Sharma (previously
on Diwali): "Light
and fire: five stories for Diwali (2018)", a collection of miniature
stories for the festival.
You may disagree with someone, but you must at least hold your hand out.
Sunao Tsuboi, a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing and vocal campaigner against nuclear weapons, passed away at 96 on Oct 24th. Obits: BBC, Asahi Shimbun, NYT, Globe & Mail. [more inside]
Here today, tabs tomorrow
Today in Tabs. You may want to read the Tabs newsletter (took a break in 2016 but came back this year on Substack) (written by Rusty Foster, of Kuro5hin/MeFi's own note for some) for a broad round up in recent Internet on-goings. Or, if for example, you want to read about the AP quoting Doug, the potato, and possibly the world's biggest potato, discovered in NZ (since corrected):
“We put a hat on him. We put him on Facebook, taking him for a walk, giving him some sunshine,” Doug said. “It’s all a bit of fun. It’s amazing what entertains people.”[more inside]
Three specialized computer languages
CookLang is markup and some commandline utilities and webserver -- oh, and an iOS app -- for managing recipes. alda is text-based syntax to write music playable by MIDI. Haku is a programming language shaped like written Japanese. It's not meant to be useful. (Haku via mastodon, where I think I saw someone write a generative music program in Haku, but now I can't find it).
“What’s the difference between plowing your car and planting a bomb?”
The Car Becomes the Weapon Demonstrators around the country have been injured and killed by vehicle rammings, but there’s been precious little justice. And new laws could make accountability even scarcer. (SLBoston Globe)
Why sanctions are a bad idea
An overview of sanctions-- they impoverish the public where they're applied even if there's an effort to target a few high status people. This kills people. [more inside]
Why is Kim Kitsuragi so cool?
The tamale tastes like home
As a side note… I am really annoyed by one thing about Star Trek. “Replicated food is not as good as real food.” That’s ridiculous. In Star Trek, replicator technology is part of the same tech tree as transporters. Replicated food would be identical to the food it was based on, down to the subatomic level. Tumblr user aqueerkettleoffish inadvertently sparks a conversation: what about food makes it good, if not its chemical composition?
I can tell by the pixels
Bellingcat offers a beginners guide to investigating the accuracy and provenance of images shared on social media (or elsewhere), with detailed examples.
From idyllic rural foraging life to packaged river snail noodles...
"She drew millions of TikTok followers by selling a fantasy of rural China. Then politics intervened." On camera, Li Ziqi, one of China’s most darling vloggers, lives a peaceful, enviably pastoral life. [...]But in reality, Li Ziqi is a complicated brand. Although she has created a virtual escape from the technological ills of modernity, her success is built around the very things that her lifestyle rejects. [more inside]
Together in Electric Dreams
As the Christmas season begins with the traditional reveal of the annual John Lewis advert (history and background), so another generation hears a version of the 1984 song Together in Electric Dreams (extended version). This year's cover is sung by Lola Young (YouTube). The original featured in Electric Dreams (trailer), a love triangle film dedicated to the memory of UNIVAC I, and was a collaboration between composer Giorgio Moroder and singer Phil Oakey from the 80s synthpop band Human League (live The Things That Dreams Are Made Of and 2012 remaster). Together in Electric Dreams is regularly sung on tours by the group. A 2020 cover by The Leaf People. [more inside]
Genetically Isolated, Culturally Cosmopolitan
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