A rabbi and a blind man are sitting on a park bench. The rabbi taps the blind man's shoulder and hands him some matzoh. Then there are a few seconds of silence. The blind man taps the rabbi's shoulder and asks, "Who wrote this shit?"

“Neuroscientists have found reading computer code does not rely on the regions of the brain involved in language processing. Instead, it activates the ’multiple demand network,’ which is also recruited for complex cognitive tasks such as solving math problems or crossword puzzles.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201215131236.htm

The BBC has made available more than 100 empty sets from well-known TV shows such as Strictly, Dr Who, Eastenders and 'Allo 'Allo! to use with apps that create virtual backgrounds. https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/empty_sets_collection/zfvy382

GameStop, the movie. MGM acquired the rights to adapt The Antisocial Network. https://deadline.com/2021/01/mgm-ben-mezrichs-the-antisocial-network-wall-street-1234684378/

This is fascinating. Recommended.

"The story of Coughlin, the demagogic radio priest who dominated American airwaves during the Great Depression, offers an intriguing analog-age precedent to the digital-age debates over the limits of free expression." https://slate.com/technology/2021/01/father-coughlin-deplatforming-radio-social-media.html

A first for the International Space Station: a plant transplant. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/microgravity-works-wonders-with-plant-transplants

Take a break and listen to the Mongol bowed morin khuur, or horse-head fiddle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L21VfI13sc&list=PLFiFijzUSSaJhMU1HO1F-SkqbC4BZrY9k

The plant known as corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanium) blooms rarely, but when it does, it’s a spectacle: The flower can be taller than a grown man, is supported by underground parts that can weigh more than 100 pounds, and emits a formidable, putrid stench. Sadly, fewer than 1,000 of the fascinating plants remain in the wild. https://undark.org/2021/01/11/breathing-life-into-the-corpse-flower

It all started when Charlie Brown let out a *sigh* at the state of things. https://capiche.com/e/markdown-history

I like this idea: Set up a remote storytime for you, your child, and an isolated senior. https://www.goodnightzoom.com

Subscription newsletters may be all the rage today, but the idea of readers paying writers directly for information has deep roots, writes Tom Standage. https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/01/28/ye-olde-substack-publishings-hot-new-business-model-has-17th-century-origins

“Flow is still a happy accident when it happens. All we can do is make you more accident-prone.”
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190204-how-to-find-your-flow-state-to-be-peak-creative

Perl.com domain stolen, now using IP address tied to malware https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/perlcom-domain-stolen-now-using-ip-address-tied-to-malware/

The new V&A digital tool allows viewers to explore high-resolution scans of Raphael's cartoons for his Sistine Chapel tapestry sequence https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/raphael-sistine-chapel-images-high-resolution-180976819/

"I decided to use my terracotta foculus (portable brazier) and ollae (cooking pots) for this recipe in order to simulate the original cooking technologies and the “reek and fume” of Cicero’s stew-houses." https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/recreate-the-menu-of-pompeii-ancient-pub

So how do you talk to a person who believes a conspiracy theory? One tip: “The best way to change someone’s view is to make them feel like they’ve uncovered it themselves.” https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/07/15/1004950/how-to-talk-to-conspiracy-theorists-and-still-be-kind/

"The story of Coughlin, the demagogic radio priest who dominated American airwaves during the Great Depression, offers an intriguing analog-age precedent to the digital-age debates over the limits of free expression." https://slate.com/technology/2021/01/father-coughlin-deplatforming-radio-social-media.html

Getting a banana to market is a complex process—and a race against the clock. Also, did you know they're classified as berries? https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/food/food-journeys-graphic

"Blue pigments, which date back 6,000 years, have been traditionally toxic and prone to fading. That’s no longer the case with YInMn, which reflects heat and absorbs UV radiation, making it cooler and more durable than pigments like cobalt blue."
https://hyperallergic.com/615971/meet-yinmn-the-first-new-shade-of-blue-in-two-centuries