Some AI networks may require periods of rest like humans do to avoid hallucinating. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lack-of-sleep-could-be-a-problem-for-ais/

When cassette tapes ruled the earth http://www.tapedeck.org/index.php

In rural Ireland, it’s not unusual for residents to come across a block of bog butter while digging up peat to heat their homes. Incredibly, this butter has often laid buried—in wooden containers, earthenware pots, or animal skins—for hundreds of years. Even after all this time, it can still have a notably buttery texture and aroma, although the taste tends to be a little too aged for modern palates. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/bog-butter-ireland-scotland

Experimental archaeologist Bill Schindler’s globe-trotting research has led him to champion a diet based on humanity’s long history of inventive food preparation techniques, from nose-to-tail butchery to sourdough bread. (no relation) https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/paleo-processing-foods/

After ten years of restoration, Monserrate Hill, on the outskirts of Bogota, Colombia, has been transformed from a deforested eyesore to a bird sanctuary. It now offers an oasis of calm amidst the city of 8 million people, and is home to over 115 species of birds, including 18 types of hummingbirds. https://awaramusafir.com/when-a-hummingbird-sanctuary-provides-respite-from-stresses-of-city-life/

amazing photo essay https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/year-in-pictures.html

TwoInchBrush.com is a database listing all Bob Ross Paintings https://www.twoinchbrush.com

"The nonprofit Digital Public Library of America has been in discussions with Amazon Publishing on a potential a deal to make Amazon’s e-book content available in public libraries. ... DPLA officials confirmed that a deal could be done soon." https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/85068-dpla-in-talks-to-offer-amazon-publishing-e-books-to-libraries.html

The promise of metagenomic next-generation DNA sequencing has finally been realized, after Californian scientists developed an incredible new sequencing technique to detect multiple pathogens from any type of body fluid. This means a single clinical laboratory test can now zero in on bacteria, viruses, or fungi causing infections in hospitalized patients in as little as six hours. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/11/419011/rapid-test-can-id-unknown-causes-infections-throughout-body

Good morning, folks!
https://twitter.com/benphillips76/status/1335160565891739651

These 17th-century foldable rings are small armillary spheres. https://mymodernmet.com/armillary-sphere-finger-ring/

This is more than a little creepy. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/technology/trump-family-impersonator.html

Leonardo Da Vinci's to-do list from 1490: the plan of a Renaissance man. https://www.openculture.com/2020/11/leonardo-da-vincis-to-do-list-from-1490-the-plan-of-a-renaissance-man.html

2021 will bring far fewer two-door coupes, four-door sedans, and what’s left of available wagons. It also means fewer small economy cars as they’re superseded by small, economy crossovers.
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g33444956/these-vehicles-are-dead-for-2021/

MovieSync helps you find movies you can watch together with friends https://movie-sync-app.web.app/onboard

Whenever you need a moment, just pop over to Desktop Mindfulness to be walked through an assortment of peaceful moments—such as walking through a forest, going to the beach, visiting a waterfall, and looking at the clouds—before being released back out into the world. http://desktopmindfulness.angelinahan.com

A crowdfunding campaign has been started with hopes that “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” fans will support an initiative to purchase, restore and turn the property into a Tolkien museum. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/realestate/tolkien-house-sale-oxford.html

A core mystery endures: how Kurt, the feckless Ivy frat boy, became Vonnegut, satirist to the galaxy. Two missing links have recently come to light. The first is an 84-page scrapbook of letters and ephemera compiled by Vonnegut and his family, long hidden, sold to a private buyer at Christie’s in 2018. The second is this collection of 226 wartime love letters, missives, some typed, some handwritten and illustrated. https://theamericanscholar.org/satirist-to-the-galaxy/

Guy Fieri raised more than $21.5 million in seven weeks to assist unemployed restaurant workers. (That's awesome, but he shouldn't have to do it. Congress knows exactly where the pain is.)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-03/guy-fieri-flavortown-mayor-raises-21-5-million-for-workers-bloomberg-50-2020

"The community is obliged to use the inheritance, valued at €6.2 million, for "community facilities and infrastructure." ..... ..... Heine told Hessenschau that money was needed for cycling paths, buildings and a kindergarten, while residents suggested the money should be spent on an outdoor pool, public transportation and facilities for local children."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/04/europe/germany-inheritance-intl-scli-grm/index.html