Marie Curie’s 1911 Nobel Prize win, her second, for the discovery of radium and polonium, would have been cause for public celebration in her adopted France, but for the nearly simultaneous revelation of her affair with fellow physicist Paul Langevin, the fellow standing to the
Our staff and contributors look back on a year in art, from museum reopenings to shows that make and remake history.
This is a pretty good optical illusion . If you’re not on your phone, it also works if you shake your head a little. (thx, caroline) Tags: optical illusions 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
A guide on how (and why) to quit Spotify . “I am extremely glad I [switched away from Spotify]; it’s been a minute since I’ve felt something approaching genuine delight in discovering a new tech service.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
"By treating economies as living systems, we can build financial frameworks that regenerate rather than exploit."
Stickertop.art is a massive collection of the tops of laptop computers adorned with stickers. Laptop stickers are more than decoration, they’re a form of self-expression. Each one is a snapshot of a moment, a place, and an attitude. But they’re fleeting; when the technology
Unionized staff at the Paris institution pledged to strike if working conditions do not improve as tumult at the museum continues.
Why We Have Two Nostrils Instead of One Big Hole . (Great title!) “The nostrils alternate airflow from one side to the other. This may allow one side of the nose to rest.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
The broadcast of Netanyahu’s speech was not the first time Israel intentionally used sound and speaker systems to intimidate and terrorize the people of Palestine.
Five works by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari were also taken from the Mário de Andrade Library in São Paulo.
2025 was a great year for spotting the auroras. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Photographers Around the World Capture Astonishing Auroras During
"Steely Dan conjured a sealed-in-amber studio perfection—a sound that could alienate listeners as easily as seduce them."
I’m working on the 2025 gift guide right now, but I wanted to separately shout-out my favorite gift recommendation of the year: Kelli Anderson’s incredible popup book about typography & the alphabet, Alphabet in Motion ( Amazon ). 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
The news of Pilar Tompkins Rivas's departure is the latest shakeup at the $1 billion LA institution.
A video featuring Magnus Carlsen trying to beat a very novice player at chess with increasingly unfair rules (opponent gets two moves per turn, opponent starts with 23 queens, Magnus starts with 1 king and 23 pawns, etc.) 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Csoke explores a wide range of queer emotional and social experiences, summoning emotions that range from grief to glee. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The
From Nature, a list of 10 people who helped shape science in 2025 . “A fired public-health official, a mosquito breeder and a baby with a smile seen around the world. These are just a few of the remarkable people chosen for Nature’s 10.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
"How one era changed everything about the culture — and why we’re so nostalgic for its creations."
The all-out AI race . “They are tearing towards a technology that could, in theory, sweep away millions of white-collar jobs and pose serious risks in bioweapons and cybersecurity. Or it could usher in a new era of abundance, health and wealth.”
Instead of engaging in dialogue with its dedicated Video Data Bank staff, SAIC chose to callously cross out a budgetary line item.
Sebastian Foster offers a selection of prints perfect for under the tree. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Shop Limited-Edition Prints from
From photographer and videographer Jan Erik Waider , a trio of videos that features the black sand beaches of Iceland from a drone’s vantage point. Captured on Iceland’s south coast where a glacial river meets the Atlantic Ocean. The camera observes the slow interplay of
Narrative String Theory is collection all known instances in film & TV of bulletin boards covered with investigatory items, “walls and floors littered with paperwork by obsessives”, and so on. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
The announcement of the planned Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros, one of the last remaining major studios, is shedding light on a key issue we often overlook when thinking about culture, creativity and creation. Carriage is the term for the method that books, movies, TV shows
Hyperallergic's year in art, remembering architect Frank Gehry, and Tewa Pueblo artists on the myth of "O'Keeffe Country."
It felt, for quite some time there, like the age of Frank Gehry would never end. But now that the latest defining figure of American architecture — or technically, Canadian-American architecture — has died at the age of 96, the time has come to ask when, exactly, his age began.
From two side of the world—these are the stories shining a light on the overlooked corners often holding the pieces together.