Image by Klaus Schmeh, via Wikimedia Commons Magyar, which is spoken and written in Hungary, ranks among the hardest European languages to learn. (The U.S. Foreign Service Institute puts it in the second-to-highest level, accompanied by the dreaded asterisk labeling it as
Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) never saw a rhino himself, but by relying on eyewitness descriptions of the one King Manuel I of Portugal intended as a gift to the Pope, he managed to render a fairly realistic one, all things considered. Medieval artists’
"A visit to the Falkland Islands, where the fearless seabirds navigate the rugged topography with tenacious spunk, shows the new challenges they face."
The CIA has deleted the CIA World Factbook (a popular almanac about the countries of the world) from the web. Fuck this. All these assholes do is pillage & destroy. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Measles Is Causing Brain Swelling in Children in South Carolina . 876 measles cases in the state so far, and some children have developed encephalitis. “Among children who get measles encephalitis, 10 to 15 percent die.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
“There was no good reason to rename it,” Director Daniel Weiss told Hyperallergic about the museum’s decision to backpedal on a controversial new name.
One of the most important things I have learned about living is that, in any life of purpose and creative vitality, you must be as religious and disciplined about your sleep as about your work. And yet one of the great self-betrayals of our culture is the way it wears the lack
Emails and apparent diary entries accuse the billionaire and MoMA trustee of biting and abusing alleged victims.
From screen-printed posters to apparel, beaded earrings, and even spell-casting, the message is clear: Artists want ICE out of Minnesota.
The Torment of Saint Anthony is the earliest surviving work attributed to Michelangelo, painted by him in 1487 or 1488 when he was 12 or 13 years old. This is an intense painting, the kind of thing that would have resulted in Michelangelo’s parents visiting the principal’s
The Tour Down Under’s winner won despite being blasted off his bike by kangaroos. “ Two of them blasted through the peloton when we were doing probably 50 kph and…went left, right, left right, left right and I ended up hitting its backside .” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
"There used to be hundreds of pie and mash shops in London. Now there are barely more than 30. Can social media attention and a push for protected status ensure their survival?"
“Virginia Oliver, a feisty, salty-tongued lobster boat skipper who fished off the New England coast wearing earrings, hot-pink lipstick and an occasional scowl for more than 80 years, until she was 103, died on Jan. 21 in Rockport, Maine. She was 105. ” 💬 Join the discussion on
Residents of Sebastia in the Occupied West Bank say that Israel’s plan to redevelop the area for tourism will cut them off from their history and livelihood.
This week, we honor an Irish colorist, a Senegalese sculptor, and the steward of a family art dynasty, as well as two Florida Highwaymen.
Shared Claude is a website anyone can change via LLM chat. “Text the number below to shape this website in real-time.” (Does anyone remember Metababy ?) 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
The 2026 grant cycle opens February 16. Submit a letter of intent by March 6.
Wow, these paper flowers from 11th-century China are amazingly well-preserved. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Cast your vote for your favorite photo until March 18. 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 Vote for the 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s
"Apollo 8 saved 1968. Artemis II may work similar magic today."
I was poking around on YouTube for “how to” videos (one of my favorite video genres) the other day when I hit a small jackpot: a bunch of How Do They…? videos from the National Film Board of Canada. A favorite shows how chain link fences are made: You can view all the videos at
The artist critiques the legitimacy of cartography, empire, and ecological adaptation.
An almost 2-hour mashup mix by dk darkly of music from France’s two most well-known electronic duos, Daft Punk and Justice . Also available on Bandcamp . 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
"A photograph is only a small piece in the jigsaw that makes up the big picture, but sometimes it is these small pieces that open our eyes to the broader reality." Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts
The question of what it takes to create — to make something of beauty and substance that touches other lives across space and time — is one of the deepest, oldest questions, perhaps because the answer to it is so unbearably simple: everything. We bring everything we are and
From the collection of the Met, an Egyptian artist’s sketch of a sparrow circa 1479–1458 BCE. Much of the art that filters down to us from ancient civilizations was used for official purposes (state, religion, commerce); it’s nice to see something simpler like this drawing.
The Evolutionary Brilliance of the Baby Giggle . “Laughter and humor are fundamental to how babies learn about and participate in the world.” *Highly recommend* watching the laughing baby videos to brighten up your day. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Only 7 gasoline cars were sold in Norway last month . Seven! 98 diesel cars & 29 hybrids were also sold, but the rest were EVs. And this comes after Norway cut EV incentives. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
"It may be that in REM, this gloaming between waking consciousness and the unconscious, we practice the possible into the real... It may be that we evolved to dream ourselves into reality — a laboratory of consciousness that began in the bird brain."
Roxane Gay : “Humanity is, always, enough. We have a right to protest, legally carry a firearm, drive while Black, walk in a neighborhood at night, play in a park, sleep in a bed or do anything else whether we are wonderful people, and beloved or not.” 💬 Join the discussion on
Good god, this story: Mother Says Asking 13-Year-Old Son to Swim Four Hours to Save Family ‘One of the Hardest Decisions’ . “I knew he was the strongest and he could do it.” Australia: a nation of athletes. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
To master our own lives, we must venture beyond the rules and embrace risk – Heidegger’s philosophy grounded in real life - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
David A. Ross resigns for his ties with the convicted pedophile, shows to see in LA this spring, the role of plastic in contemporary art, and our monthly opportunities listings.
"Using chemistry, archival records and AI, scientists are reviving the aromas of old libraries, mummies and battlefields."