It's rabbit holes all the way down

Thanks for stopping by. As per our agreement, I've read the entire internet so you don't have to. Here's what I found this week.

1. What fact is common knowledge in your field, but almost unknown to the rest of the population?

Interesting question, tons of fascinating answers. Essentially, an entire Reddit thread full of rabbit holes inviting you in to explore more. Still pondering what would be my own answer for the field of journalism. If you have your own answers to share, I'd love to hear them — just reply to this email.

2. A new era of climate sickness

Impressive longread, based on reporting on the ground in Pakistan and analysing data from climate models, combining text with powerful images and graphics. Really drives home the point that in a world that warms by ~2 degrees on average, some places are becoming unbearably hot, causing many health threats beyond the immediate heath risk.

3. ​​Listening to Taylor Swift in Prison

With Tiktok currently on a mission to turn me into a Swiftie, I thought I might as well give this essay a try. I mean, how can you not read an article that begins like this: The first time I heard about Taylor Swift, I was in a Los Angeles County jail, waiting to be sent to prison for murder.

Listening to Taylor Swift in Prison

Her music makes me feel that I’m still part of the world I left behind.

The New YorkerCondé Nast

4. A New Race to the Moon

In late August, India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon. This episode from the NYT's The Daily gives a good primer on that matters, and why the landing is indicative of how much the international space race has changed.

A New Race to the Moon

What India’s success in landing a robotic craft at the moon’s south pole means for international competition in space.

The New York TimesHosted by

5. Does History have a Replication Crisis?

I remember that as a kid in school, I was somewhat puzzled to learn that history was a field of study. Until then, I had imagined history simply as the sum of events that happened in the past, no ambiguity, just something one can learn about and then know. This came back to my mind when I read this interesting piece on how — similar to psychology a decade ago — history might have a serious problem with the reproducibility of some its findings.

Age of Invention: Does History have a Replication Crisis?

Back in 2011, the field of psychology went into crisis. Some of the most famous and widely-cited experimental results could not be replicated by others. These were findings published in the field’s most prestigious academic journals, and going back for decades. Since then, more and more scientific f…

Age of Invention, by Anton HowesAnton Howes

What else?

• Fun geography game: Find your way from one country to another by crossing the fewest possible countries in between.
• Need to tie a knot? Animated tutorials for dozens of knots.
• Cute: Combining chalk drawings with everyday objects to create playful street scenes.
• Creepy: AI Human Generator
• Sadly, not entirely inaccurate: «Everyone’s career progresses from Excel to PowerPoint to Outlook» (Benedict Evans)

The Future of...Glaciers

Ice whispers retreat
Melting toward tomorrow's heat
Future incomplete.

A gem from the archive

It’s been a while that I watched a TED talk, let alone recommended one. They have become a cliché of themselves. This one is beautiful, and worth your time. Hrishikesh Hirway, who invented the world’s best podcast, on the value of listening closely.

What you discover when you really listen

“Every conversation has the potential to open up and reveal all the layers and layers within it, all those rooms within rooms,” says podcaster and musician Hrishikesh Hirway. In this profoundly moving talk, he offers a guide to deep conversations and explores what you learn when you stop to listen c…

TED TalksHrishikesh Hirway

Thanks for reading. I wish you a nice weekend and hope to see you again next Friday!

— David 👋