PG Holmlov
@pgho.bsky.social
Each fresh experience presented itself to him as an opportunity for experiment… Franklin, instead of getting closer… walked away to reach the limit of Whitefield’s voice and calculate the maximum number of people who could fit within the area… (25,000, he thought) www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Ferdinand Mount · His Very Variousness: Benjamin Franklin’s Experiments
Benjamin Franklin was a total immerser; he bathed in the cold morning breeze, just as he plunged into the freezing...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Each fresh experience presented itself to him as an opportunity for experiment… Franklin, instead of getting closer… walked away to reach the limit of Whitefield’s voice and calculate the maximum number of people who could fit within the area… (25,000, he thought) www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Russia’s economy is imploding. Largely due to sanctions caused by the Ukraine War… the Central Bank expects the full-year deficit to reach $55 billion, 2% of GDP… Russian exports are clearly catastrophic, but the domestic finances are in an equally parlous state engelsbergideas.com/notebook/why...
Why Russia has come to the table
Moscow is burning through its reserves and staring into a deep domestic abyss. Everyone in Putin’s Russia — from the poorest pensioner to the wealthiest oligarch — is feeling the strain. That's why th...
engelsbergideas.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Russia’s economy is imploding. Largely due to sanctions caused by the Ukraine War… the Central Bank expects the full-year deficit to reach $55 billion, 2% of GDP… Russian exports are clearly catastrophic, but the domestic finances are in an equally parlous state engelsbergideas.com/notebook/why...
The alcohol made the individual judgements worse (individuals made on average 50% more errors). But the alcohol-intoxicated groups produced just as good consensus answers as the sober groups tomstafford.substack.com/p/collective...
Collective intelligence, under the influence
From the annals of “Research it must have been fun to do” - getting people drunk to study the benefits group decision-making.
tomstafford.substack.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:34 AM
The alcohol made the individual judgements worse (individuals made on average 50% more errors). But the alcohol-intoxicated groups produced just as good consensus answers as the sober groups tomstafford.substack.com/p/collective...
I could hear our neighbour Abu Adam shouting in despair as the rain tore through his tent and flooded it… After seventeen minutes the sky cleared. Seventeen minutes of rain was enough to flood the tents of thousands of families. Months of winter lie ahead www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
Hassan Ayman Herzallah | Seventeen Minutes of Rain
In the first week of November I was sitting with my mother in the tent in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza. It was 9 a.m. on...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 8:28 AM
I could hear our neighbour Abu Adam shouting in despair as the rain tore through his tent and flooded it… After seventeen minutes the sky cleared. Seventeen minutes of rain was enough to flood the tents of thousands of families. Months of winter lie ahead www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
Following an experiment over 72 weeks and across 136 sites in 10 countries… participants lost an average of 9.6% of their body weight on the highest dose of the drug… Orforglipron is not a peptide, but activates the same receptor as GLP-1 www.sciencealert.com/new-diabetes...
New Diabetes Pill Works as Well as Ozempic For Weight Loss, Trial Finds
A major new clinical trial involving more than 1,600 people has found that a GLP-1 pill form of the drug orforglipron works about as well as injectable semaglutide for people with type 2 diabetes.
www.sciencealert.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Following an experiment over 72 weeks and across 136 sites in 10 countries… participants lost an average of 9.6% of their body weight on the highest dose of the drug… Orforglipron is not a peptide, but activates the same receptor as GLP-1 www.sciencealert.com/new-diabetes...
Waymos are involved in ten times fewer serious crashes than an average human driver. So far, at least, in San Francisco there have not been job losses among cab or rideshare drivers… Robotaxis are losing money at present, but they ought to become much cheaper archive.is/2025.11.27-1...
archive.is
November 28, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Waymos are involved in ten times fewer serious crashes than an average human driver. So far, at least, in San Francisco there have not been job losses among cab or rideshare drivers… Robotaxis are losing money at present, but they ought to become much cheaper archive.is/2025.11.27-1...
Cognitive scores of those who had the highest intake of flavonols — roughly one cup of tea a day — declined 40% slower each decade… Kaempferol, abundant in leafy green vegetables, kale, and tea had the biggest benefit, followed by myricetin — abundant in red wine studyfinds.org/flavonols-te...
Cup of tea with breakfast, wine with dinner the secret recipe to fighting memory decline?
These drinks and several other foods and beverages are rich in antioxidant flavonols -- plant chemicals that boost blood flow to the brain.
studyfinds.org
November 28, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Cognitive scores of those who had the highest intake of flavonols — roughly one cup of tea a day — declined 40% slower each decade… Kaempferol, abundant in leafy green vegetables, kale, and tea had the biggest benefit, followed by myricetin — abundant in red wine studyfinds.org/flavonols-te...
Fish have complex social relationships, cognitive abilities, long-term memories, and use tools… before Sneddon started work on fish pain in the ’90s, fish had mostly been ignored by the field… Charles Darwin did not wonder about whether fish feel pain… he assumed they did archive.ph/2025.11.24-1...
archive.ph
November 28, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Fish have complex social relationships, cognitive abilities, long-term memories, and use tools… before Sneddon started work on fish pain in the ’90s, fish had mostly been ignored by the field… Charles Darwin did not wonder about whether fish feel pain… he assumed they did archive.ph/2025.11.24-1...
A group of neighbors can paint an entire intersection in one morning for $100 or less. Getting the city of Los Angeles to paint a crosswalk might take 14 years and the death of a nine-year-old boy… neighbors are banding together to paint crosswalks reasonstobecheerful.world/los-angeles-...
People Are Painting Crosswalks Across L.A. to Protect Pedestrians
Fed up of waiting for the city to tackle traffic fatalities, Angelenos are taking street safety into their own hands — one bucket of paint at a time.
reasonstobecheerful.world
November 28, 2025 at 4:10 PM
A group of neighbors can paint an entire intersection in one morning for $100 or less. Getting the city of Los Angeles to paint a crosswalk might take 14 years and the death of a nine-year-old boy… neighbors are banding together to paint crosswalks reasonstobecheerful.world/los-angeles-...
…a German nonprofit “outsources” breeding work to a network of volunteers… “The animals thrive, zoos gain breathing room and ordinary people can contribute to real conservation”… he began with three pairs of stump-foot toads and now has bred 400 toads reasonstobecheerful.world/foster-endan...
You Can Foster an Endangered Species in Your Home
In their own basements and living rooms, hobbyists are building a decentralized Ark for Earth's most threatened wildlife.
reasonstobecheerful.world
November 28, 2025 at 4:06 PM
…a German nonprofit “outsources” breeding work to a network of volunteers… “The animals thrive, zoos gain breathing room and ordinary people can contribute to real conservation”… he began with three pairs of stump-foot toads and now has bred 400 toads reasonstobecheerful.world/foster-endan...
…vi har plast i stort sett överallt i kroppen, i moderkakan, testiklarna, levern, njurarna, mjälten, benmärgen. Det finns plast i den allra första avföringen från ett nyfött barn, det som kallas för mekonium eller barnbeck… halterna tycks vara extra höga i våra hjärnor www.dn.se/varlden/milj...
Miljöforskaren: ”Mikroplast i hjärnan är bara toppen på ett isberg”
Miljöforskaren Richard Thompson myntade begreppet mikroplast – nu vill han att folk ska se hela bilden
www.dn.se
November 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
…vi har plast i stort sett överallt i kroppen, i moderkakan, testiklarna, levern, njurarna, mjälten, benmärgen. Det finns plast i den allra första avföringen från ett nyfött barn, det som kallas för mekonium eller barnbeck… halterna tycks vara extra höga i våra hjärnor www.dn.se/varlden/milj...
Executives involved in China’s efforts liken the future of factories to living organisms that can increasingly think and act for themselves, moving beyond the preprogrammed tasks at traditionally-automated factories www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-r...
Robots and AI Are Already Remaking the Chinese Economy
China’s factories and ports are learning to make and export more goods faster, cheaper and with fewer workers.
www.wsj.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Executives involved in China’s efforts liken the future of factories to living organisms that can increasingly think and act for themselves, moving beyond the preprogrammed tasks at traditionally-automated factories www.wsj.com/tech/ai/ai-r...
Och ingenting blir bättre av detta. Inte integrationen, inte ekonomin, och inte kriminaliteten. Allt blir sämre. Tillfälliga uppehållstillstånd, svåröverkomliga arbetstillstånd och hot om återtagande av permanenta uppehållstillstånd och medborgarskap försämrar integrationen www.vk.se/2025-11-28/m...
Sofia Mirjamsdotter: Regeringen slår sönder Sverige
Det är inte av misstag som välintegrerade människor eller barn födda i Sverige utvisas till länder där de inte känner någon. De är inga undantag. Det är de nya reglerna som Tidöregeringen infört i ing...
www.vk.se
November 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Och ingenting blir bättre av detta. Inte integrationen, inte ekonomin, och inte kriminaliteten. Allt blir sämre. Tillfälliga uppehållstillstånd, svåröverkomliga arbetstillstånd och hot om återtagande av permanenta uppehållstillstånd och medborgarskap försämrar integrationen www.vk.se/2025-11-28/m...
The Zero Units operated largely outside of the normal chain of command of U.S. and Afghan forces… The units had a reputation for ruthlessness, with journalists and human rights groups referring to them as “death squads” www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/u...
The Suspected D.C. Shooter Was in a ‘Zero Unit’ in Afghanistan. Here’s What to Know.
www.nytimes.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:16 AM
The Zero Units operated largely outside of the normal chain of command of U.S. and Afghan forces… The units had a reputation for ruthlessness, with journalists and human rights groups referring to them as “death squads” www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/u...
We think most ocean life is primitive, because we misunderstand the idea that we evolved from the sea, forgetting that a) ocean species have evolved for far longer than we have, and b) they’ve continued to evolve alongside us jasonanthony.substack.com/p/consider-t...
Consider the Shrimp
11/27/25 - Making life (and death) a little more kind for trillions of animals
jasonanthony.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:13 AM
We think most ocean life is primitive, because we misunderstand the idea that we evolved from the sea, forgetting that a) ocean species have evolved for far longer than we have, and b) they’ve continued to evolve alongside us jasonanthony.substack.com/p/consider-t...
…the venture capitalists themselves will become wealthy from the management fees alone. (It is their clients, such as pension funds, that will take the hit)… there are many reasons to doubt that LLMs will ever deliver the rewards that many people expected garymarcus.substack.com/p/a-trillion...
A trillion dollars is a terrible thing to waste
The machine learning community is finally waking up to the madness, but the detour of the last few years has been costly.
garymarcus.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:31 AM
…the venture capitalists themselves will become wealthy from the management fees alone. (It is their clients, such as pension funds, that will take the hit)… there are many reasons to doubt that LLMs will ever deliver the rewards that many people expected garymarcus.substack.com/p/a-trillion...
And on the plane, between pie servings, Leo took a moment to thank the journalists for their work, stressing the need for reporting “that really reveals the truth and the harmony that the world needs” www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/american-p...
American Pope Spends Thanksgiving in Turkey: Pope Leo Serves Pie — and a Challenge to ‘Might Is Right’
History’s first American pope spent Thanksgiving Day far from home — trading pumpkin pie banter at 30,000 feet for a profound plea to build bridges and shun brute power.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:13 AM
And on the plane, between pie servings, Leo took a moment to thank the journalists for their work, stressing the need for reporting “that really reveals the truth and the harmony that the world needs” www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/american-p...
Take everything I’ve written here with a grain of salt. You can’t put people in buckets like this. We all probably have our maximizer and focuser instincts. We shift through our careers. You have to consider all sorts of contextual factors cutlefish.substack.com/p/tbm-383-ma...
TBM 383: Maximizers vs. Focusers
Many leaders (and successful entrepreneurs) are what I call “maximizers”. The quotes above come from “focusers”. Maximizers and focusers have a hard time understanding each other. It has nothing to do...
cutlefish.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Take everything I’ve written here with a grain of salt. You can’t put people in buckets like this. We all probably have our maximizer and focuser instincts. We shift through our careers. You have to consider all sorts of contextual factors cutlefish.substack.com/p/tbm-383-ma...
Some of these distractions (TikTok, Instagram reels, YouTube shorts) don’t even pretend to be useful… trying to make real progress on what matters to you is like trying to lose weight by signing up for a gym located between an ice-cream parlour and a hamburger joint timharford.com/2025/11/our-...
Our devices work for Big Tech, not for us
Given how many things there are to rage-tweet about these days, it was almost a pleasure to stumble upon the hate for the Analog™ to-do list system, available from a Philadelphia-based design studi…
timharford.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Some of these distractions (TikTok, Instagram reels, YouTube shorts) don’t even pretend to be useful… trying to make real progress on what matters to you is like trying to lose weight by signing up for a gym located between an ice-cream parlour and a hamburger joint timharford.com/2025/11/our-...
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir offered his total backing to the Israeli forces involved. ”I fully support the border guard members and Israeli army soldiers who shot at wanted terrorists who emerged from a building in Jenin” www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
Israeli Army is reviewing the filmed shootings of two Palestinians who had surrended
On Thursday, the Israeli army and police said that they were reviewing an incident in which two Palestinian men were shot and killed in the West Bank after surrendering to Israeli forces. Videos circu...
www.lemonde.fr
November 28, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir offered his total backing to the Israeli forces involved. ”I fully support the border guard members and Israeli army soldiers who shot at wanted terrorists who emerged from a building in Jenin” www.lemonde.fr/en/internati...
It’s been reported that the person who shot the national Guard soldiers in DC yesterday was an Afghan national who worked with the CIA and came to the U.S. as part of the evacuation in 2021 and was granted asylum in 2025 by Trump’s DHS digbysblog.net/2025/11/27/t...
digbysblog.net
November 28, 2025 at 5:45 AM
It’s been reported that the person who shot the national Guard soldiers in DC yesterday was an Afghan national who worked with the CIA and came to the U.S. as part of the evacuation in 2021 and was granted asylum in 2025 by Trump’s DHS digbysblog.net/2025/11/27/t...
When insects first appeared 400 million years ago, they were deaf… insect ears arose more than 20 separate times… If how insects hear varies enormously, so does what they hear… ”Insects only hear what they need to hear” knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
Awesome ears: The weird world of insect hearing
Evolution made insect ears many times over, resulting in a dazzling variety of forms found in spots all over the body. Biologists are digging deep into some of those ears to figure out how and why the...
knowablemagazine.org
November 27, 2025 at 9:10 PM
When insects first appeared 400 million years ago, they were deaf… insect ears arose more than 20 separate times… If how insects hear varies enormously, so does what they hear… ”Insects only hear what they need to hear” knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...
”When you have an insight, you tend to be better able to remember the solution”… For incorrect trials, the participants reported experiencing insight 40% of the time… correct trials were accompanied by feelings of insight 65% of the time www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
How Your Brain Creates ‘Aha’ Moments and Why They Stick | Quanta Magazine
A sudden flash of insight is a product of your brain. Neuroscientists track the neural activity underlying an “aha” and how it might boost memory.
www.quantamagazine.org
November 27, 2025 at 8:53 PM
”When you have an insight, you tend to be better able to remember the solution”… For incorrect trials, the participants reported experiencing insight 40% of the time… correct trials were accompanied by feelings of insight 65% of the time www.quantamagazine.org/how-your-bra...
The authors of the meta-analysis examined 235 studies spanning various fields… ”letting go and—crucially—reengaging with new goals, was found to restore purpose and well-being”… Giving up on goals was significantly linked to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression nautil.us/the-surprisi...
The Surprising Benefits of Giving Up
The Surprising Benefits of Giving Up: Ditching or adjusting goals in the face of adversity might often be the best thing for us.
nautil.us
November 27, 2025 at 8:39 PM
The authors of the meta-analysis examined 235 studies spanning various fields… ”letting go and—crucially—reengaging with new goals, was found to restore purpose and well-being”… Giving up on goals was significantly linked to reduced stress, anxiety, and depression nautil.us/the-surprisi...
Genom hela doktorandtiden ökar användningen av antidepressiva, ångestdämpande och sömnmedel. Efter fem år ligger den ungefär 40% högre än före doktorandstart. När de flesta har disputerat faller användningen tillbaka något, men inte ner till utgångsläget www.arbetsvarlden.se/kronikor/att...
Att doktorera är inkörsporten till lyckopillren
Doktoranden är en långdistanslöpare i ett ingenmansland. Varken student eller anställd, och med osäkert mål och lösa ramar.
www.arbetsvarlden.se
November 27, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Genom hela doktorandtiden ökar användningen av antidepressiva, ångestdämpande och sömnmedel. Efter fem år ligger den ungefär 40% högre än före doktorandstart. När de flesta har disputerat faller användningen tillbaka något, men inte ner till utgångsläget www.arbetsvarlden.se/kronikor/att...