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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò on magical thinking and elite impunity. “We are ruled by a class of people who seem either to believe or presume that war, disease, and apocalyptic destruction are things that will only ever happen to poorer and browner people.”

"What happens when someone throws a message into the sea?"

Nicole Nikolich is a textile artist whose current focus is making crochet artworks that reference old school technology. You can explore her work on her website, at Paradigm Gallery and on Instagram. Some of her artworks are available for sale here. I’m a sucker for these types of projects because innovations in textile production led to the development of the first computers and the work of artists like Nikolich bring that relationship full circle. See also The Embroidered Computer. Tags: art · computing · crochet · Nicole Nikolich

David Pierce:

On this episode of The Vergecast, David and Nilay are joined by Daring Fireball’s John Gruber to talk about their reactions to the news, the (mostly) smooth transition Apple seems to have pulled off, and what we should really make of Tim Cook’s legacy as a product person. Really, the question is: Do we blame Cook for the Touch Bar, or do we blame him for not trying hard enough to make the Touch Bar great?

I know that sounds like a joke but I really do think the biggest problem with the Touch Bar wasn’t that the first crack at it wasn’t good enough, but that they never took a second crack at it. Going back to dumb fiddly F-keys with functional icons printed on them was uncharacteristically lazy for Apple.

Link: theverge.com/podcast/917965/apple-ceo-cook-ternus…

For many years, Microsoft and OpenAI's relationship has included a weird clause saying that, should AGI be achieved, Microsoft's commercial IP rights to OpenAI's technology would be null and void. That clause appeared to end today. I decided to try and track its expression o...

Livestream of the Big Bear bald eagle nest (perched 145 feet up in a pine tree) with two fuzzy bald eagle chicks that hatched 3 weeks ago.

In this interview, I sit down with brilliantly innovative pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan to explore his unique musical architecture. We discuss his evolution from growing up on Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, to transcribing bebop legends like Charlie Parker, to complet...

Presidents Can Be Impeached Because Benjamin Franklin Thought It Was Better Than Assassination. “The Constitution’s impeachment procedures make the removal of the chief magistrate less violent, less disruptive, and less error-prone than assassination.”

What better way to meditate on nature's most majestic features than to recreate its details one stitch at a time?

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Cassandra Dias Takes an Impressionistic Approach to Painting with Thread appeared first on Colossal.

Speech translation in Google Meet is now rolling out to mobile devices

I just encountered this feature via a "try this out now" prompt in a Google Meet meeting. It kind-of worked!

This is Google's implementation of the ultimate sci-fi translation app, where two people can talk to each other in two separate languages and Meet translates from one to the other and - with a short delay - repeats the text in your preferred language, with a rough imitation of the original speaker's voice.

It can only handle English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian at the moment. It's also still very alpha - I ran it successfully between two laptops running web browsers, but then when I tried between an iPhone and an iPad it didn't seem to work.

Tags: google, translation

Thoughtful thread on the armed man who rushed the WHCA dinner. “This guy is indicative of people who are anti Trump not having a voice because Congress and SCOTUS have enabled Trump to obliterate any recourse they have when he does horrible things.”

“Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, often found in plastic, coupled with climate change’s effects…are each linked to reductions in fertility and fecundity across global species – including in humans.” Argh, no one wants a Children of Men prequel…

The expansive model consists of 340 individual sections, each constructed with materials like balsa wood, cardboard, and glue.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Joe Macken Spent 21 Years Hand-Assembling a Vast Model of New York City appeared first on Colossal.

Teaser trailer for season four of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. “Space is limitless in its beauty. And in its terror.” (Reminder: they are doing an episode with puppets this season.)

The Californian man suspected of trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington attended by President Trump and other senior administration figures is due in court to face charges of assaulting a federal officer and using a firearm during a violent crim...

An amazing capture of galaxy Messier 104, aka the Sombrero Galaxy, by the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera mounted on a Chilean observatory. The Sombrero galaxy (Messier 104) is a galactic masterpiece that captivates scientists and astronomy enthusiasts alike. Its intrica...

Gunfire of the Vanities: Trump Dinner Shooting Defines a Violent, Unserious America, “a land where guns are everywhere and a callous elite media dons formalwear to toast its own humiliation by our narcissist king”.

Nature's resilience is at the center of a practice also focused on sustainability and environmental renewal.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Rachel Mentzer Transforms Discarded Cartons into Dusky Collagraphs appeared first on Colossal.

Laughing gas can make you feel relaxed and euphoric in seconds. But it comes with serious risks like oxygen deprivation and nerve damage. #kurzgesagt #inanutshell #kurzgesagt_inanutshell #learnwithshorts #science #laughinggas #drugawareness Sources & further reading: ...