All articles from Kottke.org
For instance, there is an engraved stone erected at the Buddhist Kan'ei-ji...
For instance, there is an engraved stone erected at the Buddhist Kan’ei-ji temple to “console the spirits of the flies, crickets, and grasshoppers that had been killed in the production of a scientifi
Current status: looking through Atlas Obscura's list of things to do in...
Current status: looking through Atlas Obscura’s list of things to do in Tokyo. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Rapper 50 Cent, adjusted for inflation, is 109 Cent....
Rapper 50 Cent, adjusted for inflation, is 109 Cent. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
"The spread of dangerous infections that do not respond to antibiotics has...
“The spread of dangerous infections that do not respond to antibiotics has been increasing by as much as 15 percent a year”, says the WHO. “The less people have access to quality care, the more they’r
A House of Dynamite
From director Kathryn Bigelow comes A House of Dynamite (trailer), starring Rebecca Ferguson, Idris Elba, and Greta Lee. When a single, unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race be
"The MUTE Series is a collection of one-take microfilms that report on...
“The MUTE Series is a collection of one-take microfilms that report on the vagaries of human behaviour.” There are 3 rules for their films: no dialogue, no camera moves, one shot only.
A short documentary about the groundbreaking sound design of Dune: Part Two,...
A short documentary about the groundbreaking sound design of Dune: Part Two, featuring director Denis Villeneuve and sound mixers & designers from the film. I love the sound of both Dunes.
"The smartest design move isn't chasing trends, it's planting the tree and...
“The smartest design move isn’t chasing trends, it’s planting the tree and letting time do the work,” writes Dave Snyder. “Trees don’t pay off tomorrow. They pay off in a decade. They compound quietly
For the last-ever episode of his WTF podcast, Marc Maron interviewed Barack...
For the last-ever episode of his WTF podcast, Marc Maron interviewed Barack Obama. You can watch their hour-long conversation here. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org
Humans of New York has taken over all of Grand Central Terminal...
Humans of New York has taken over all of Grand Central Terminal for a huge art installation called Dear New York. “For the first time possibly ever, there is not a single ad to be seen in Grand Centra
Diane Keaton, Oscar-Winning 'Annie Hall' Star, Dies at 79....
Diane Keaton, Oscar-Winning ‘Annie Hall’ Star, Dies at 79. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
The Underscore Music Player
For the past several months, I’ve been using a web-based music player I built called Underscore. It’s playing music for me right now. I recently revamped & improved it and thought it was time to show
Minute/Year is an art piece/installation where the sound occurring in a space...
Minute/Year is an art piece/installation where the sound occurring in a space for a single minute is recorded each day. Simultaneously, the previous day’s recording is played back. So each day’s recor
Missed this from a few days ago: the winners of the 2025...
Missed this from a few days ago: the winners of the 2025 MacArthur Fellowship. “I think this year, we see empathy and deep engagement with community figures prominently in this class.”
ILM Visual Effects Artist Breaks Down Hidden VFX
If you were one of those people who loved watching DVD extras, you’ll enjoy the hell out of ILM visual effects artist Todd Vaziri breaking down some of the special effects that he and his team have wo
An oddly fascinating video on the Barney Google comic strip, which began...
An oddly fascinating video on the Barney Google comic strip, which began in 1919 and is somehow still running (it’s called Snuffy Smith now). Interesting how art forms shift through innovation and evo
I love the synchronized waves that these Himalayan giant honey bees use...
I love the synchronized waves that these Himalayan giant honey bees use against their hornet predators. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Can You Recommend a Good Bookmark Manager?
I know I’m opening up a can of bees here, but I am in the market for a bookmark manager. I’ve got a good workflow going for potential KDO fodder, but my, um, system of Chrome bookmarks + memory + past
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize. "When...
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize. “When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist.”
"ShadeMap is a global simulation of mountain, building and tree shadows for...
“ShadeMap is a global simulation of mountain, building and tree shadows for any date and time. ShadeMap calculates shadow positions in realtime and displays them on a map.”
Hokusai. Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.
This book, from Taschen, looks amazing. Bound in Japanese style, it’s a reproduction of Katsushika Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, a collection of woodblock prints of which the most famous i
If you google around, there are claims of people with a max...
If you google around, there are claims of people with a max vertical jump of 55+ inches, but the official record seems to be 51” by Darius Clark (he touched 12’4” w/ a standing reach of 8’1”). It’s in
"It turns out playing God is neither difficult nor expensive." That line...
“It turns out playing God is neither difficult nor expensive.” That line was written about the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing tool but I’d argue that the increasing power of individuals is the defining ch
The Evolution of the YouTube Progress Bar (2005-2025)
Since launching in 2005, YouTube has changed the progress/volume/tool bar on their video player several times. Here’s what it’s looked like through the years:1 I don’t remember the first two or three
Area Man Has Far Greater Knowledge Of Marvel Universe Than Own Family...
Area Man Has Far Greater Knowledge Of Marvel Universe Than Own Family Tree.
A Data Love Letter to the NYC Subway
Giorgia Lupi and her team at Pentagram have created a data-driven animation for the MTA called A Data Love Letter to the Subway. More from Lupi (who calls this an “absolute dream project”): The proj
"We've put together a reading list about capitalism, imperialism, policing, and the...
“We’ve put together a reading list about capitalism, imperialism, policing, and the politics and strategies of anti-war resistance movements of the past and present — tools in the struggle against rep
An interview with Ann Goldstein, Elena Ferrante's English translator. "I had never...
An interview with Ann Goldstein, Elena Ferrante’s English translator. “I had never heard of Ferrante. I didn’t know anything about her. I still don’t know anything about her.”
Bird Photographer of the Year for 2025
The organizers of the Bird Photographer of the Year competition received more than 33,000 images for 2025’s contest; here are the winners and runners-up. Photos above by Franco Banfi, Francesco Guffan
This is a lovely & thoughtful essay on the messiness of teaching...
This is a lovely & thoughtful essay on the messiness of teaching and learning, an alchemy endangered by efficiency & automation. “What A.I. can’t do is feel the shape of silence after someone says som
A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry in the United States
The American Slave Coast: A History of the Slave-Breeding Industry (Amazon) by Ned & Constance Sublette is a book which offers an alternate view of slavery in the United States. Instead of treating sl
The Oatmeal's take on AI art. "When I consume Al art, it...
The Oatmeal’s take on AI art. “When I consume Al art, it also evokes a feeling…until I find out that it’s Al art. Then I feel deflated, grossed out, and maybe a little bit bored. This feeling isn’t a
The Family of Migrants is a new book & museum exhibition that...
The Family of Migrants is a new book & museum exhibition that tells the story of the past 120 years of human movement in photographs. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.or
As they labor to fight off the slop bots, Wikipedia maintains a...
As they labor to fight off the slop bots, Wikipedia maintains a fairly extensive list of signs & tells that text was written by AI. “This list is descriptive, not prescriptive; it consists of observat
Muhammad al-Zaqzouq writes about using his books for cooking fuel. "Let's use...
Muhammad al-Zaqzouq writes about using his books for cooking fuel. “Let’s use one or two for now, and when the war’s over you can replace them. The kids need food more than they need to be read to.”
Knit Hello, a Simple Typeface for Knitting
Designer Rüdiger Schlömer has created a new typeface for beginning knitters called Knit Hello. Knit Hello is a typeface for hand knitting. It was made for beginners: knitters and typographers who love
A list of laws, theories, principles and patterns that software developers might...
A list of laws, theories, principles and patterns that software developers might find useful, including the 1% Rule and “institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution”.
The Movies That Defined Gen X. Ferris Bueller, The Breakfast Club, Do...
The Movies That Defined Gen X. Ferris Bueller, The Breakfast Club, Do the Right Thing, Clerks, Dead Poets Society, Pulp Fiction, Before Sunrise. “Not galaxies far away, not fairy tales. Parking lots,
The trailer for Downey Wrote That, a documentary about long-time SNL writer...
The trailer for Downey Wrote That, a documentary about long-time SNL writer Jim Downey. “Most of what makes us laugh is something that’s true, just you’ve never heard it put that way before.”
The first new edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary in 22 years contains...
The first new edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary in 22 years contains a bunch of new words & phrases: cold brew, petrichor, doomscroll, adulting, beast mode, farm-to-table, etc.
The Onion made a movie about Jeffrey Epstein and they're airing it...
The Onion made a movie about Jeffrey Epstein and they’re airing it for free on YouTube. Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile airs Thursday, Oct 9 at 7pm ET.
Bob Ross paintings to be auctioned to support public TV stations after...
Bob Ross paintings to be auctioned to support public TV stations after federal funding cuts. What stage of anti-democratic capitalism is this? *paints huge, angry clouds*
Committing to the Bit
I thought this piece from Isaac Butler examining how Daniel Day-Lewis goes about his acting work was really interesting. I have always been haunted in some way by Day-Lewis. He is clearly among the gr
Everything Is Becoming a Bank. "Most major corporations — from airlines to...
Everything Is Becoming a Bank. “Most major corporations — from airlines to social media platforms — now aspire to become unregulated banks. Bankification today accounts for the highest profit margins
"The world's wind and solar farms have generated more electricity than coal...
“The world’s wind and solar farms have generated more electricity than coal plants for the first time this year, marking a turning point for the global power system.” 💬
What Do You Do with the Mad That You Feel?
In 1969, Fred Rogers appeared before the Senate to argue against cutting federal funding for public broadcasting. During his testimony, Rogers recited a song from his show, What Do You Do with the Mad
Qualcomm buys open-source electronics firm Arduino. "Qualcomm said Arduino 'will retain its...
Qualcomm buys open-source electronics firm Arduino. “Qualcomm said Arduino ‘will retain its independent brand, tools and mission.’” I wonder how long that independence will last…
I missed that NIN's Tron:Ares soundtrack came out a couple of weeks...
I missed that NIN’s Tron:Ares soundtrack came out a couple of weeks ago. Listening this morning to catch up! 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Upcoming exhibition from the MFA in Boston: "'Faces in the Crowd: Street...
Upcoming exhibition from the MFA in Boston: “‘Faces in the Crowd: Street Photography’ explores the evolving techniques photographers have used to record the human experience as it has played out in po
The Mainstream Media Is Catastrophically Failing To Meet The Moment. "Mainstream media...
The Mainstream Media Is Catastrophically Failing To Meet The Moment. “Mainstream media has become so terrified of appearing biased that they’ve abandoned their basic responsibility to clearly communic
The Taco Bell 50k Ultramarathon was run in Denver over the weekend....
The Taco Bell 50k Ultramarathon was run in Denver over the weekend. Competitors must eat at 9 out of 10 Taco Bells along the route. “By the 4th stop, all entrants must have consumed at least one (1) C
I missed this from a couple of months ago: Inside the World...
I missed this from a couple of months ago: Inside the World of “The Great British Bake Off”. “No show does so much to hide its true nature: namely, that it is a competition people desperately want to
What Makes for a Healthy Society?
In a 2014 preface for his 1978 book The Ohlone Way, a description of how the indigenous peoples of California’s Bay Area lived before Europeans arrived, Malcolm Margolin shared a list of what he thoug
"Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi won the 2025 Nobel Prize...
“Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work shedding light on how the immune system spares healthy cells, creating openings for possi
Empty Nest? Or Open Door?
Last year, Gretchen Rubin wrote a widely circulated piece about trading the “empty nest” metaphor for something that “emphasizes possibility”: the open door. I somehow hadn’t read it when it came out,
How to Write in Cuneiform, the Oldest Writing System in the World....
How to Write in Cuneiform, the Oldest Writing System in the World. “Cuneiform consists of three components — upright, horizontal and diagonal — made by pressing the edge of a reed stylus, or popsicle
In Praise of Comfort Films
In his latest video essay, Thomas Flight praises the comfort film and shares some examples (The Big Lebowski, Perfect Days, Mon Oncle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Moonrise Kingdom) from a few different t
Tim Berners-Lee: "I gave the world wide web away for free because...
Tim Berners-Lee: “I gave the world wide web away for free because I thought that it would only work if it worked for everyone. Today, I believe that to be truer than ever.”
Oh I don't know, the appearance of two perfectly overlapping fiery rings...
Oh I don’t know, the appearance of two perfectly overlapping fiery rings in the sky doesn’t seem like a good omen to me, even at low frequencies. 💬 Join the discussion
We Are Not Fascists, and If You Call Us Fascists, We Will...
We Are Not Fascists, and If You Call Us Fascists, We Will Arrest You. “There is nothing funny about calling me or Donald Trump a fascist, and if you do, we will ship you to Guantanamo.”
Keeping Up Appearances star Patricia Routledge dies at 96. I loved that...
Keeping Up Appearances star Patricia Routledge dies at 96. I loved that show — almost every time I’m driving and see a herd of cows in a nearby field, I shrill, “Mind the cows, Richard!”
80 of the Most Iconic Guitar Intros
Watch as Paul Davids plays 80 of rock’s most iconic guitar intros, including ones from Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry, The Kinks, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, ZZ Top, Joan Jett, AC/DC, Blur, and T
Name A 28-Year-Old. "The data tells us that 3,880,894 children were born...
Name A 28-Year-Old. “The data tells us that 3,880,894 children were born in the year 1997, and yet we can find no trace of them in popular culture.” 💬 Join the discussi
I think I'm gonna read Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence next,...
I think I’m gonna read Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence next, inspired by Evan Puschak’s recent video. Just downloaded the free ebook from Standard Ebooks. 💬 Join t
Harvard Library's collection of Soviet and post-Soviet lapel pins. Sputnik, Aeroflot, the...
Harvard Library’s collection of Soviet and post-Soviet lapel pins. Sputnik, Aeroflot, the 1980 Olympics, Tolstoy…collect your favorites! 💬 Join the discussion on kottke
Swift Justice: A Look Inside a Taliban Courtroom
Swift Justice is a short documentary that, perhaps for the first time, takes viewers inside a rural Afghan courtroom operated by the Taliban, whose arbiters decide cases using Sharia law. [Content war
Life Is More Than an Engineering Problem, an interview with Ted Chiang...
Life Is More Than an Engineering Problem, an interview with Ted Chiang from earlier this year. “I don’t believe it’s meaningful to say that something is better art absent any context of how it was cre
The 25 Most Influential Magazine Covers of All Time, including, of course,...
The 25 Most Influential Magazine Covers of All Time, including, of course, Ali on the cover of Esquire as Saint Sebastian. See also all the nominated covers. 💬 Join the
Instead of hiding rips and tears, the visible mending movement turns them...
Instead of hiding rips and tears, the visible mending movement turns them into art. “Born from the Japanese art of sashiko, visible mending enables crafters to eschew fast fashion and make mistakes be
Old Masters, New Media
In a five part series called “emoji-nation”, Ukrainian Nastya Ptichek mixes the work of well-known painters with graphical elements of new media. In the second part of the series, the works of Edward
When Kittens Came to My Prison, I Had Not Petted One in...
When Kittens Came to My Prison, I Had Not Petted One in 15 Years. “All those hard cases doing hard time melt like butter on a summer sidewalk when they visit the felines, feed them, watch them chase t
A Chronology of All 113 Prints of Hokusai's The Great Wave
A few years ago, a researcher looked at every surviving print of Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa that she could find (113 in all) and, using differences caused by “woodblock wear”, developed a s
Are you ok? In a recent video, Hank Green tells his brother...
Are you ok? In a recent video, Hank Green tells his brother John: I’ve Not Been Doing Well. Lots of what Green says here resonates with me. 💬 Join the discussion on kot
Quentin Blake: How I Draw
Illustrator Quentin Blake, who is most widely known for his energetic drawings for Roald Dahl’s books, generously shares his drawing process on his website and also in a series of videos. I do a freew
The official number of exoplanets tracked by NASA has reached 6000. Astronomers...
The official number of exoplanets tracked by NASA has reached 6000. Astronomers have found “planets covered in lava; some with the density of Styrofoam; and others with clouds made of gemstones”.
Musician Plays the Last Stradivarius Guitar in the World, the "Sabionari" Made...
Musician Plays the Last Stradivarius Guitar in the World, the “Sabionari” Made in 1679. I had no idea Stradivari made guitars. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
A company called Blackdot has built a tattooing robot. The company says...
A company called Blackdot has built a tattooing robot. The company says the machine is less painful and the tattoos look like they are laser-printed. 💬 Join the discuss
Have I Earned It?
Craig Mod is off on another of his long walks of Japan and is writing a pop-up newsletter (subscribe!) along the way. I am feeling this bit from his first missive recently: To have a day like today fe
A new kind of bone glue that "mimics how oysters stick to...
A new kind of bone glue that “mimics how oysters stick to underwater surfaces” can bond bone fragments together in 2-3 minutes, “even in blood-rich areas where most adhesives fail”.
25 years ago today, Radiohead released Kid A. This morning, I'm celebrating...
25 years ago today, Radiohead released Kid A. This morning, I’m celebrating by, um, listening to Kid A. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
"Scientists reflect on the life and work of [Jane Goodall], whose discoveries...
“Scientists reflect on the life and work of [Jane Goodall], whose discoveries made them rethink what it means to be human.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Amateurs! How We Built Internet Culture and Why it Matters. "A bold,...
Amateurs! How We Built Internet Culture and Why it Matters. “A bold, thoughtful and beautifully lyrical exploration of how amateur creativity shaped the internet.” 💬 Jo
Every Click
Korean artist group Shinseungback Kimyonghun made a video of every time they clicked their mouse. It’s mesmerizing. [This is a vintage post originally from Jan 2014.] Tags: mesmerizing · Shinseungback
The driest desert on Earth (non-polar category) is blooming in a gorgeous...
The driest desert on Earth (non-polar category) is blooming in a gorgeous phenomenon called El Desierto Florido. 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
From Haymarket Books, an Abolish the Border, Abolish the Police Reading List....
From Haymarket Books, an Abolish the Border, Abolish the Police Reading List. “In solidarity with all those standing up for our communities against the brutality of immigrant detention and police repr
A Loophole to Survive the End of the Universe?
The latest video from Kurzgesagt imagines a scenario in which an advanced civilization called the Noxans can potentially survive the heat death of the universe. With five hours of the full energy emit
Anil Dash on Mariah Carey's unreleased "Hole-inspired grunge album" called Someone's Ugly...
Anil Dash on Mariah Carey’s unreleased “Hole-inspired grunge album” called Someone’s Ugly Daughter, recorded in the mid-90s with “an album cover featuring a dead cockroach on the front”.