Some time back I shared news of a Margaret Thatcher statue that was planned for Grantham, her hometown. Its eventual unveiling has gone as you would expect.
Links
Not so still waters
Ever wondered how fast the rivers are flowing in the UK? Me neither, but it’s an interesting presentation from Matt Gluf, reminiscent of Cameron Beccario’s visualisation of the globe’s wind speeds and ocean currents.
High altitude evidence
Nice to see one of my photos appearing on Boing Boing recently. Shame it was for such an unpleasant subject.
Questions, questions
Clive Thompson has written a clever little web app that shows you only the questions in a piece of writing, and tries it out on a range of writers, from Churchill and Orwell to Martin Luther King and Joan Didion.
Protest songs
I’ve heard of classical music being weaponized before, but now New Zealand’s authorities are trying to disperse protesters with Barry Manilow, James Blunt and Baby Shark. Seems not to be working, though.
#TinnitusWeek
I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post about sound and noise that it’s Tinnitus Week again this week. This year they’re focussing on the need for a Tinnitus Biobank.
Websites as flytraps, content as bait
Max Böck (previously) is fed up with the sorry state of the web these days, sentiments I share completely. And here’s Rubens Cantuni with similar thoughts on habit-forming app design, “like seeing those tobacco commercials from the 50s.”
This breakfast cereal does not exist
What better way to start the day than with a bowl of eggo nut frosted strawberry pancakes. I think I’ll pass on the carbonated waffle balls, even if they are the “gold standard for waffle ball fun innovation using wheat-based flavors and crispy aluminum foil.”
Short and not so sweet
As short stories go, this one’s very clever — and ruthless.
Excel World Cup?
Lots of talk about that Formula 1 result, but here’s a sports story from the weekend I wasn’t expecting to read about — the Microsoft Excel Financial Modeling World Cup. You can try it for yourself, if you like. Or find help on TikTok.
Robotic-tock
If you want to know the time, ask a robot.
Life’s a collection of jigsaw pieces
Take a moment to explore the fragments that define our identities in this non-linear interactive piece by Sam Villamin.
Technological competence inequality
We have some people speculating on the hi-tech homes of the future, whilst others are seriously struggling with the technology of today. Well, of 14 years ago really.
Outlaws
Banksy’s allowed another one of his artworks to be destroyed. Instead of being shredded in an auction house, this one was deliberately painted over by a Hollywood A-lister, at the behest of the BBC.
Twenty years
A very poignant account of one family’s grief and search for meaning in the twenty years since 9/11. It’s hard to believe it was that long ago. An unthinkable tragedy.
Tick tock ticker
A tech report from The Verge combining two of my favourite things — watches and anxiety.
Got a light?
Someone needs to buy Tomohiro Okazaki a lighter, he’s having serious difficulties with his matches.
How not to write html
Brutalist basketball
This member of the Japanese basketball team never fails to score. Perhaps there’s an Olympic sport I can get behind after all.
Take your time
With a title that recalls Wait But Why’s method of considering a typical lifespan that I’ve mentioned a few times here, Oliver Burkeman’s new book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It, almost sounds like an anti-productivity manual.
Miscellaneous Details 