Shel Silverstein’s Homework Machine was one of my kids’ favorite poems of his when they were little. First published in 1981, the short poem turned out to be rather prescient about AI, especially the earlier LLMs, which couldn’t math their way out of a wet paper bag. Your
Conservatives are trying to roll the Constitution back to the pre-Civil War version . “It will be a society of the dominators and the dominated. But it will not be a democracy worthy of the name.”
One of America’s Most Successful Experiments Is Coming to a Shuddering Halt . “‘It’s not the same. Why am I here? I question that to myself.’ Amid an astonishing wave of anti-Indian animus, it’s a question many Indian Americans are asking.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Ultracold atoms observed climbing a quantum staircase . (Relatable: the upstairs of my house is warmer than the ground floor too.) 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
I pushed a key change to the Underscore music player over the weekend. Members can now click on any song in their collection to play it (previously there was only a randomize button). I added this because I often wanted to listen to a particular song/album/playlist, genre, or
Thin Desires Are Eating Your Life . “A thick desire is one that changes you in the process of pursuing it. A thin desire is one that doesn’t.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
A look back at the best of creativity, science, and culture throughout 2025. 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 Our Favorite Stories of 2025 appeared
The Internet Archive has a playable version of the NY Times Crossword Puzzle app from 1992 . It ran on Windows 3.1 and included a few hundred puzzles. (Click on Game/Open to select a puzzle.) 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
I love these photos of Rama Duwaji by Szilveszter Mako — a perfect combination of photographer and subject. Duwaji is an artist, illustrator, New Yorker, and second-generation Syrian-American. She is also married to Zohran Mamdani, who is the mayor-elect of NYC. Tags: art ·
Good morning! Just wanted to let you all know that Rian Johnson subtly rickrolled us with a scene in Wake Up Dead Man. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
This past summer, Participant Inc., a Lower East Side art nonprofit, hosted an exhibition on Chloe Dzubilo, a trans woman who became an AIDS activist after contracting the disease. The show, curated by Alex Fleming and Nia Nottage, was immensely rich and important for both its
"Calvin Gimpelevich writes on the history and politics of public bathrooms."
On poison and high voltage wires, the label clearly informs us that this can kill us, right away. For obvious reasons, these are important labels, and generally quite effective. On cigarettes, it’s clear that if you smoke long enough, you’re going to die, and probably not
It’s easy to imagine the myriad difficulties with which you’d be faced if you were suddenly transported a millennium back in time. But if you’re a native (or even proficient) English speaker in an English-speaking part of the world, the language, at least, surely wouldn’t be a
The inner critic creates writer’s block and stifles adventurous writing, hems it in with safe clichés and overthinking. Every writer has to find his or her own way to get free of that sourpuss rationalist who insists on strangling each thought with logical analysis and fitting