MetaFilter

For years, the typical story about governments, politicians, or public figures showing up on Reddit focused on the unlikeliness of that match. Reddit was rowdy, weird, or nerdy, and it was sort of interesting or fun or strange for people with big platforms to show up there. In recent years, Reddit has grown from a large cluster of online communities into a sort of last refuge semi-protected habitat for online communities in general — that is, spaces where actual people gather to discuss or find information about certain topics or interests, organized and moderated by other actual people. Now, nobody is deigning to post on Reddit. They’re just hoping it might add to their audience a bit. from Is Reddit the Future of Crisis Comms? [Intelligencer; ungated] [more inside]
posted by chavenet at 11:52 AM - 8 comments

Hint: All you'll need is a public library card or an university email. Create a Kanopy account. Check out all the movies offered. Be happy. [more inside]
posted by dancestoblue at 8:32 AM - 29 comments

Most of us could name a favorite book, movie, or album and talk for ages about why we love them so much. But how did you come to find these things in the first place? Is there a special person who introduced you to your favorite band, or did you happen upon your favorite TV show through pure chance? Maybe a MetaFilter thread clued you into a favorite app or video game. And do you find it true that your favorites were mostly encountered during a formative, nostalgic period in life, or is your top tier more wide-ranging? (Or in other words, what's a more recent all-time fave you've discovered?) Discuss this and more in your weekly free thread!
posted by Rhaomi at 8:27 AM - 30 comments

A four-tonne machine just printed a house in the US. Texas just opened its biggest 3D-printed neighbourhood as a solution to its acute housing problem.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 7:51 AM - 28 comments

Records of Pompeii’s survivors have been found—and archaeologists are starting to understand how they rebuilt their lives. [more inside]
posted by rory at 7:32 AM - 6 comments

"Hi. We’re a group of comic book writers & artists who are furious about Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation’s plan to consolidate power under authoritarian rule. So we made a bunch of comics to explain their agenda and move you to vote against it." stopproject2025comic.org (quote from Bluesky) 15 comics up now on Internet freedom, taxation, the environment, anti-trans legislation, and other issues; more coming soon. License: CC BY-ND. Transcripts included. Contributors include Matt Fraction, Greg Pak, and Greg Rucka.
posted by brainwane at 7:09 AM - 3 comments

Pokémon developer Game Freak suffered a server breach recently, leaking an enormous amount of unseen assets, including diagrams of the universe's pantheon, frightening concept art (YT 15:02) and some quite unusual lore.
posted by lucidium at 7:03 AM - 2 comments

Black on Both Sides is the best Rawkus Records album ever (OkayPlayer, archive.is). [more inside]
posted by box at 6:39 AM - 7 comments

Tell me if you've heard this one before: a curious young bug hunter discovers a major software vulnerability, tries to report it, and is ignored and gaslit. Today's villain is Zendesk, which you've probably used if you've interacted with customer support tickets.
posted by Rhomboid at 5:05 AM - 19 comments

Visual Effects channel the Corridor Crew (previously) look at AI scams and how to identify them (25 minutes)
posted by TheophileEscargot at 2:40 AM - 5 comments

Apple Intelligence engineers don't think that LLM's reason, and have described their tests to see if the reasoning is reliable and predictable (and useful for an Apple-style 'it just works' product). Here's a summary rolled up from exTwitter by Threadreader, and this is the arXiv.org pre-print. More analysis at why this is a bad thing at Gary Marcus' substack: LLMs don’t do formal reasoning - and that is a HUGE problem.

In particular, adding irrelevant data to the input or swapping names of things (rose, schmose) caused unintended variability in the LLM's response.
posted by k3ninho at 1:39 AM - 35 comments

I always try to live by what Thoreau said, which is that it’s very important not to let your knowledge get in the way of what’s more important—which is your ignorance. As long as I know that I’m ignorant, I can learn something. from SPIN DNA: William T. Vollmann on Journalism
posted by chavenet at 12:51 AM - 12 comments

Queensland's Houdini crocodile to remain in popular lake, but mystery remains about how it got there. An elusive freshwater crocodile that has been the talk of an outback town for months will not be targeted for removal after wildlife authorities deemed the "shy and timid" animal no threat to human life. Context: No human fatalities are known to have been caused by this species. [more inside]
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 7:52 PM - 2 comments

On October 13, Space X launched Starship 5 and several minutes later, caught the first stage ( called Super Heavy Booster) when it returned to the launchpad from whence it came! Scott Manley has great commentary about the feat, including the separate return of Starship itself into the ocean.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:24 PM - 31 comments

“According to my notes, Netscape went live shortly after midnight on Oct 13, 1994. We sat in the conference room in the dark and listened to different sound effects fired for each different platform that was downloaded. — jwz (Jamie Zawinski) reminisces on his blog about releasing the first public version of Netscape. [more inside]
posted by ambrosen at 1:12 PM - 25 comments

While scanning these files I came to realise that timezones were even more complicated than I had originally understood, with the rules in a constant state of flux. I was intrigued to see what patterns might emerge if I could visualise this dataset in its entirety ... from Exploring 120 years of timezones [Scott Logic, 2021]
posted by chavenet at 12:04 PM - 42 comments

A paper to be presented at Siggraph 2024 examines the geometric properties of tightly curled Black hair and creates algorithms to model it for computer graphics. This is essentially the first formalized description and algorithm for rendering tightly curled hair in the decades long history of computer graphics.
posted by seanmpuckett at 11:09 AM - 2 comments

On Point Nemo, the most remote place on earth (Cullen Murphy for The Atlantic)
posted by box at 9:40 AM - 15 comments

ARCHiOx (Analysis and Recording of Cultural Heritage in Oxford) is a project to create detailed 3D models of a variety of books and objects from the collections of the Bodleian Library, allowing users to explore highly decorative and unusual bindings without a visit to the reading room. (Previously)
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:39 AM - 5 comments

The protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong has been banned this year under Hong Kong's National Security Law, which criminalizes advocating for "secession from China" or "seditious activities. Looking back, Hong Kongers reflect on where they started, and where they are now: “I thought 2014 was shit at that time, but compared to 2019 it was just a piece of cake,” she says. “I was so naive, believing the government would be sensible, respect people’s voice, and abide by the promise in the Basic Law. But now I can say I was totally wrong.” HKFreePress follows up on 12 leaders of the protest movement and where they are today. Founder of defunct Apple Daily Jimmy Lai was denied a request for a jury trial for his libel case against a pro-Beijing newspaper. (Previously, previously, previously.
posted by toastyk at 7:39 AM - 8 comments

Marlene Weisman: "So, as you can imagine, this “think fast” boot camp was amazing training for my creative thinking up to this day. As the famous SNL adage goes: The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30."
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:15 AM - 9 comments

When mostly men went to college? Prestigious. Aspirational. Important. Now that mostly women go to college? Unnecessary. De-valued. A bad choice. from Why aren't we talking about the real reason male college enrollment is dropping? [Matriarchal Blessing]
posted by chavenet at 12:17 AM - 116 comments

Elders bring home sacred Indigenous artefacts held in UK museum for 120 years. Warumungu artefacts, including a famous boomerang, are being returned to country in Central Australia in an emotional milestone for the community.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 11:38 PM - 3 comments

blue lagoons of water amid the palm trees and sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, nourishing some of its most drought-stricken regions with more water than many had seen in decades [aljazeera]
posted by HearHere at 11:32 PM - 2 comments

Watch game reviewer Raptor be endlessly delighted by the simple, elegant building game Tiny Glade. [more inside]
posted by ishmael at 9:55 PM - 9 comments

Old cigarette lighters are more than just lighters. A one minute video showing the imaginative design and function of cigarette lighters from the last century. No smoking involved.
posted by storybored at 9:04 PM - 13 comments

Government highway agencies have enabled the blatant falsification of traffic model results. As a result, the United States wastes billions on road expansions that fail to cure congestion and make it harder to get around without a car.
posted by ursus_comiter at 8:18 PM - 27 comments

Young Marble Giants Live at the Western Front November 6, 1980

What it says on the tin
posted by y2karl at 4:24 PM - 13 comments

On October 3, Judge Elizabeth Riles of the Superior Court of Alameda County (Calif.) granted, with a few caveats, Small Press Distribution’s motion to consolidate all claims in their dissolution, totaling $316,000 owed to 163 publishers, most of whom are unlikely to receive much of what is owed them (previously). Under the fold, a roundup of 25 new books by former SPD presses. [more inside]
posted by joannemerriam at 3:27 PM - 3 comments

Altruism, or doing nice things for others, is “something very deeply ingrained in our psyche,” says Ghodsee. “But the minute you introduce economics into it, you actually diminish the experience of that friendship,” she says. According to her, the expectation of ‘reciprocity’ can do more harm than good. “You do favours so at some future moment when you’re in need, that person will return the favour, right? This is the reason we call friends ‘toxic’, because there are some people who take, take, take, and then never give back,” she explains. While of course it’s fair (and sensible) to take a step back from a relationship if you feel as if it’s draining you, it’s generally a good idea to resist the temptation to ‘keep score’ with your closest friends. from Is frugality ruining our friendships? [Dazed]
posted by chavenet at 12:22 PM - 40 comments

FAKE DOCUMENTARY Q is a subtle, slow-burn psychological horror mockumentary series from Japan, consisting of a series of 22 standalone episodes "sourced" from old VHS tapes, security camera footage, answering machine messages, and more, all forming a loosely-linked narrative which can be watched in any order: CURSED VIDEO - BASEMENT - THE PORTRAIT - INFERNO - NO FICTION - THE VISIT - SANCTUARY - STRANGE MESSAGES - HOUSE OF MIRRORS - EXORCISM - HIDDEN LINK - LAST COUNTDOWN - PASSENGERS - WHAT THE DECEASED LEFT BEHIND - FLOWER OFFERING - OBSCURE - PLAN C - BIVOUAC - TAKE100 - MINDSEEKER - MOTHER - LIVESTREAM. English subtitles are available for all entries. More: Fake Documentary Q: Gateway into Modern Japanese Horror
posted by Rhaomi at 11:24 AM - 3 comments

Wednesday: I apply to, interview for, and begin an apprenticeship as an electrician. ...I then whittle the fallen log into a tasteful mid-century modern footstool... Friday: I wake up blindfolded and handcuffed to what feels like the mast of a ship [pointsincase]
posted by HearHere at 8:55 AM - 31 comments

"At the beginning of the process, Ruby provided a few insights that guided my image research and initial concepts. She envisioned the cover with a comet as the central motif, and also suggested evoking old newspaper headlines from historical comets and cosmic events, wanting to evoke a feeling of mystery, even a kind of haunting. So off I went to scour the internet for paintings, etchings, and illustrations of celestial events, mining the cultural history of comets, as well as contemporary paintings, photographs, and scientific diagrams to see where inspiration would strike."
posted by cupcakeninja at 4:42 AM - 6 comments

It takes quite a lot to re-wire the brain from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. You're basically biologically wired to be afraid of running out of resources (and for good historical reason) - so it's pretty hard to recognize the massive abundance you live in, were you to be fortunate enough to be in the spot I illustrated. from Net Worth Order Book [more inside]
posted by chavenet at 1:13 AM - 20 comments

Heritage-listed, 120-hectare (296 acres) private property handed back to traditional owners. The Walbunja people of the New South Wales far south coast have been handed back an important piece of their culture, once owned by the late environmental activist, academic and philosopher Val Plumwood.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:24 PM - 3 comments

Interview with Neurologist Warren McCulloch. (slyt)
posted by clavdivs at 6:43 PM - 5 comments

On 8th June 1924 British mountaineers George Mallory and Sandy Irvine were seen ‘going strong for the top’ of Mt Everest. They were never seen alive again and it's been a hot button in climbing circles whether they died before or after reaching the summit: 29 years before Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary definitely stood on top of the world. Mallory's body was discovered in 1999. Sandy Irvine's foot has just been found melting out of a glacier. [more inside]
posted by BobTheScientist at 1:54 PM - 29 comments

Ed Yong gives a more personal talk than his usual fare, describing the overall arc of his journalism on COVID, the principles he follows, and where he goes from here. Previously, previously, previously.
posted by toastyk at 1:20 PM - 8 comments

“What the FBI uncovered in this case is essentially a new twist to old-school financial crime,” Jodi Cohen, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division, said in a statement. “What we uncovered has resulted in charges against the leadership of four cryptocurrency companies, and four crypto ‘market makers’ and their employees who are accused of spearheading a sophisticated trading scheme that allegedly bilked honest investors out of millions of dollars.”
posted by chavenet at 12:14 PM - 28 comments

Writing for Ars Technica, automotive editor Jonathan Gitlin covers Tesla's "We, Robot" event in which the car maker revealed their Cybercab prototypes, as well as their autonomous "Robovan" minibus concept. [more inside]
posted by NoxAeternum at 10:55 AM - 56 comments

These native species were locally extinct but are now reclaiming their desert homeland. A number of native animals, extinct in New South Wales for more than 100 years, are reclaiming the desert in Sturt National Park and scientists are trying to teach them how to survive predators like feral cats.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 8:15 AM - 4 comments

"I’m Blake Watson. I’ve been building websites since the early 2000s. Though I work professionally in the field, I feel strongly that anyone should be able to make a website with HTML if they want. This (free web) book will teach you how to do just that. It doesn’t require any previous experience making websites or coding. I will cover everything you need to know to get started in an approachable and friendly way. Ready? Let’s do it!" [more inside]
posted by JHarris at 2:16 AM - 66 comments

Formally, Ghana prohibits the import of many forms of hazardous e-waste material. But the team found that a well-placed bribe can get port officials to look the other way. As a result, informal e-waste sites are growing across Ghana’s coast. There, both functional and non-functional e-waste get dumped into vast piles that are encroaching on residential areas. Thousands of “pickers” come to these sites, picking through the rubbish to separate items that might be repaired from waste that could contain valuable minerals. from Stunning photos of a vast e-waste dumping ground — and those who make a living off it [NPR] [more inside]
posted by chavenet at 1:13 AM - 4 comments

The queen of suspense: how Ann Radcliffe inspired Dickens and Austen – then got written out of the canon - "She was all but forgotten. Now the 18th-century author's republished novels reveal why she made such an extraordinary contribution to literature." [more inside]
posted by kliuless at 10:49 PM - 20 comments

An Enormous Photo of the Moon Zooms in on the Cratered Lunar Topography in Incredible Detail From Colossal: Following four days of continuous observation, Darya Kawa Mirza captured the moon and its rugged surface in exceptional detail. The self-taught Kurdish astrophotographer amassed 81,000 images, which he stitched into a 708-gigabyte composite revealing the intricacies of the lunar topography in stunningly high resolution.
posted by aleph at 9:53 PM - 10 comments

There are birds that vomit on anything that threatens their nest. Faking injuries and vomit attacks are on the list of defences birds use against predators during nesting season.
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 9:02 PM - 9 comments

Miss USA, an Army Officer, Has a New Mission: The Chicago Marathon West Point alum and current Stanford University student pursuing a master's in data science, Alma Cooper will compete in Miss Universe next month—but first, she’ll run 26.2 miles to raise money to end gender-based violence. [more inside]
posted by hydropsyche at 6:03 PM - 11 comments

We deserve better than an AI-powered future.
posted by signal at 4:52 PM - 45 comments

"My name is Danny Pennington, I'm 48 years old, and between 1988 and 1995 I was a ninja in the Foot Clan."
posted by mhoye at 2:27 PM - 17 comments

The Price: America is Updating Its Nuclear Weapons Systems (slNYT) (Archive) Part of the Series: The Brink (archive)
posted by lalochezia at 11:01 AM - 46 comments