All articles from Kottke.org
Macaulay Culkin Watches Home Alone With His Kids Who Don't Realize He's Kevin
On tour for the 35th anniversary of Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin said his kids love the movie, but don’t know he’s Kevin. They’re only three and four years old, so this makes sense, but it’s still hila
Rebecca Solnit: A Year on From Trump's Victory, Resistance Is Everywhere. "There...
Rebecca Solnit: A Year on From Trump’s Victory, Resistance Is Everywhere. “There has, in fact, been a tremendous amount and variety of resistance and opposition and it’s mattered tremendously.”
Atul Gawande of Harvard's School of Public Health: The Trump regime's destruction...
Atul Gawande of Harvard’s School of Public Health: The Trump regime’s destruction of USAID “has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children”.
A long profile of comics legend Alan Moore. "For the first time...
A long profile of comics legend Alan Moore. “For the first time in his 45-year career, Alan Moore is alone on the page.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
I'm still working on the KDO gift guide for this year. In...
I’m still working on the KDO gift guide for this year. In the meantime, here’s the 2024 edition, which has aged well and includes these popular Japanese nail clippers.
"Australia is on course to meet a target of eliminating cervical cancer...
“Australia is on course to meet a target of eliminating cervical cancer by 2035, which, if achieved, will make it the first country to do so.” This is due in large part to their HPV vaccination campai
What Are You Thankful For?
It’s been a really tough year for many of us, the citizens of the world. But on this day of thanksgiving in the US, I wanted to ask you all: what are you thankful for today? I’m thankful that I was ab
All of the Rivers
Perhaps inspired by All Streets, Ben Fry’s map of all the streets in the US, Nelson Minar built a US map out of all the rivers in the country. Minar put all the data and files he used up on Github s
"Art is valuable precisely because it is not easy to create. We...
“Art is valuable precisely because it is not easy to create. We are interested in art, in any and all of its forms, because humans made it. That’s the very thing that makes it interesting; the who, th
If Quantum Computing Is Solving "Impossible" Questions, How Do We Know They're...
If Quantum Computing Is Solving “Impossible” Questions, How Do We Know They’re Right? “In order to validate quantum computers, methods are needed to compare theory and result without waiting years for
Thoughts and Prayers
This is the trailer for an HBO documentary called Thoughts and Prayers about “the impact of the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry on schools and communities across America”. It’s tough
In a London increasingly dominated by rideshare services, some drivers are still...
In a London increasingly dominated by rideshare services, some drivers are still opting to study for years for The Knowledge, “the grueling examination that requires applicants to essentially memorize
21st-Century Culture Has Hit a Wall. "We — creators and audiences alike...
21st-Century Culture Has Hit a Wall. “We — creators and audiences alike — have to make an effort to encourage bold new forms of culture. Even failures and half steps will be more interesting than over
My Recent Media Diet, the Japan Edition
Konnichiwa! I’m back from Japan and finally getting over my jetlag, which took much longer than I expected. Here’s a list of all the things I’ve been reading, watching, listening to, and experiencing
Chindōgu: The Japanese Art of "Unuseless" Inventions
Chindōgu is the Japanese practice of inventing things that are not exactly useful but neither are they useless; they’re more unuseless, a term coined by chindōgu’s originator Kenji Kawakami. Some exam
My Car Is Becoming a Brick. "Cars used to be entirely mechanical...
My Car Is Becoming a Brick. “Cars used to be entirely mechanical objects” but now “certain models are destined to age their way out of compatibility with the latest software” (like smartphones).
To Explore Violence Against Women, She Drugs Herself Onstage. "It's an attempt...
To Explore Violence Against Women, She Drugs Herself Onstage. “It’s an attempt to explore whether performance can give form to the disorganizing experience of trauma, its gaps and obsessional thinking
What's the difference between an artist and a creator? "An artist is...
What’s the difference between an artist and a creator? “An artist is a self-directed artistic expressor” vs. “a creator is a self-directed market expressor”. (Wondering where I fit on the 4-quadrant g
Does Harrison Ford Know His Lines?
Vanity Fair sat down with Harrison Ford and asked him to identify which of his lines he’d said in which movie, mostly as a way of getting him to talk about his career. A few observations: I love that
Small Japanese Pickup Truck Shows Bigger is Definitely Not Better. "Kei trucks...
Small Japanese Pickup Truck Shows Bigger is Definitely Not Better. “Kei trucks are city-sized, not highway-sized.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
America's Polarization Has Become the World's Side Hustle. "Social media monetization programs...
America’s Polarization Has Become the World’s Side Hustle. “Social media monetization programs have incentivized this effort and are almost entirely to blame.” Team USA just scoring own goal after own
Requiem for Early Blogging. "I still look for people with early blogger...
Requiem for Early Blogging. “I still look for people with early blogger energy, though — people willing to make an effort to understand the world and engage in a way that isn’t a performance, or troll
The Surprising Benefits of Giving Up. A recent meta-analysis reveals that "adjusting...
The Surprising Benefits of Giving Up. A recent meta-analysis reveals that “adjusting our goals in response to stress or challenges, rather than grinding on, is often ‘a more appropriate and beneficial
A thread of "feel good" YouTube channels to watch. E.g.: "CinemaTherapy. Two...
A thread of “feel good” YouTube channels to watch. E.g.: “CinemaTherapy. Two former college roommates (one a filmmaker, the other a therapist) analyze movies.” 💬 Join t
Poetic Textural Landscapes by Lee Hyun-Joung
I’ve posted about Korean artist Lee Hyun-Joung’s swirling and swooping work before, but I recently saw one of her pieces in person and decided to feature some of her most recent stuff. It’s always a g
Lots to like about Variety's list of 100 Best Comedy Movies of...
Lots to like about Variety’s list of 100 Best Comedy Movies of All Time, but Coming to America at #46 and no Trading Places at all make me question the list’s credibility.
How the Elite Behave When No One Is Watching: Inside the Epstein...
How the Elite Behave When No One Is Watching: Inside the Epstein Emails. They reveal “a power elite practiced at disregarding pain” who have “learned to look away from so much other abuse and sufferin
What's All the Fuss About Pluribus?
So I’ve been watching Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus on Apple TV and this review from Inkoo Kang resonated with me (emphasis mine): Millions of offscreen casualties aside, it’s clear t
"The Little Movie That Couldn't": 'Mallrats' Turns 30. I can't remember if...
“The Little Movie That Couldn’t”: ‘Mallrats’ Turns 30. I can’t remember if I was one of the few that saw this in the theater, but I loved this movie on VHS/DVD. Haven’t seen it for, what, 20 years tho
"Today, the only naked bodies that many Americans will likely ever see...
“Today, the only naked bodies that many Americans will likely ever see are their own, a partner’s, or those on a screen. Gone are our unvarnished points of physical comparison — the ordinary, unposed
Meet the Aphantasics, Those Who Can't See Mental Images
We’ve talked before about how some people can picture things in their heads quite vividly and others can’t at all. The latter group has a condition called aphantasia. As soon as I close my eyes, what
Activists are role-playing ICE raids in games like Fortnite & GTA to...
Activists are role-playing ICE raids in games like Fortnite & GTA to teach people what to do IRL situations. “Many people may not have seen an interaction with ICE yet, it’s a way to get folks to know
The World Lost the Climate Gamble. Now It Faces a Dangerous New...
The World Lost the Climate Gamble. Now It Faces a Dangerous New Reality. “We are heading into ‘overshoot’ within the next few years. The world is going to become more turbulent and more dangerous. So,
The Bad UX World Cup 2025. "Build a date picker with bad...
The Bad UX World Cup 2025. “Build a date picker with bad UX (the worse, the better).” The winning entry used a Tinder-like interface to swipe your desired days, months, and years.
A Bright Light Has Gone Out
I’m headed out on an unexpected trip this afternoon, to attend the funeral of Dr. Steve Feller, who was my advisor in college and to whom I owe a great deal. I talked about Doc, as all his students ca
My Pace
Goro Obata went to the woods because he wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if he could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when he came to die, discov
Stigler's law of eponymy: "No scientific discovery is named after its original...
Stigler’s law of eponymy: “No scientific discovery is named after its original discoverer.” Stigler’s law is itself an example of Stigler’s law. 💬 Join the discussion o
The Librarians
As part of the fascist war on “woke”, tens of thousands of books have been pulled from the shelves of libraries around the country over the past few years. On the front line are the nation’s librarian
NASA's Perseverance rover scooped up a rock that might prove there was...
NASA’s Perseverance rover scooped up a rock that might prove there was life on Mars. But the planned return of that sample to Earth is endangered by the Trump regime.
Iowa City Made Its Buses Free. Traffic Cleared, and So Did the...
Iowa City Made Its Buses Free. Traffic Cleared, and So Did the Air. “The transit system is one of the greatest tools communities have to combat climate change and reduce emission. You can make a prett
"Geothermal is underdeveloped, and its upfront costs can be high, but it's...
“Geothermal is underdeveloped, and its upfront costs can be high, but it’s always on and, once it’s set up, it is cheap and enduring.” Why the Time Has Finally Come for Geothermal Energy.
Rainy Day Jazz Vinyl Set. "Plenty of ballads, blues and heart-warming songs...
Rainy Day Jazz Vinyl Set. “Plenty of ballads, blues and heart-warming songs from Jazz artists across the ages for a cold, and rainy Sunday afternoon.” 💬 Join the discus
Can You Drive West to Lengthen the Sunset?
Two reasons why XKCD’s What If? series is so compelling: Even when an answer seems straightforward, the devil is in the details. And with respect to the details, Munroe does his due diligence. In thi
CDC officials confirm that the US is two months away from measles...
CDC officials confirm that the US is two months away from measles being considered endemic for the first time since 2000. “Elimination status is lost if the virus spreads continuously for 12 months.”
The Saudification of America Is Under Way. "Jamal Khashoggi's plight and murder...
The Saudification of America Is Under Way. “Jamal Khashoggi’s plight and murder was a warning sign for the US, of the impending loss of freedom and censorship that would sweep the country.”
Making Dark Chocolate Hilarious
Dark chocolate is very serious business. That’s why this ad for Bournville dark chocolate, which takes aim at dark chocolate snobbery, is so funny. This one is so intense. It comes with a list of side
Edward O. Wilson in 2009: "The real problem of humanity is the...
Edward O. Wilson in 2009: “The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and god-like technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now
The Strange Afterlife of Hilma af Klint, Painting's Posthumous Star. "As af...
The Strange Afterlife of Hilma af Klint, Painting’s Posthumous Star. “As af Klint’s fame has grown, so have the questions — about what she believed, whom she worked with, and who should be allowed to
The Fascinating History of Tarot Card Decks: From the Renaissance to the...
The Fascinating History of Tarot Card Decks: From the Renaissance to the Modern Day. The V&A does an unboxing of a half dozen tarot card decks from the last 500 years. �
Mary Beard: Hollywood Lied to You About Ancient Rome. Here's the Truth.
In an interview lasting for more than an hour, classicist Mary Beard shares her knowledge & experience about how the picture of Rome we might have in our heads, inherited from Hollywood movies like Gl
Raccoons Are Showing Early Signs of Domestication. "City-dwelling raccoons seem to be...
Raccoons Are Showing Early Signs of Domestication. “City-dwelling raccoons seem to be evolving a shorter snout — a telltale feature of our pets and other domesticated animals.”
Magnetikpunk: Playing Vintage Reel-to-Reel Tapes as Musical Instruments
A Japanese experimental music group called Open Reel Ensemble plays reel-to-reel tape recorders from the 70s & 80s as musical instruments (give it a sec to get going): Brilliant! A YouTube commenter
The winners of the LIT Lighting Design Awards, encompassing the best work...
The winners of the LIT Lighting Design Awards, encompassing the best work in lighting architecture, product design (lamps, etc.), concerts, healthcare, streets, and many more categories.
A Beloved Clothing Store Closed. A Customer Bought All 4,500 Items. "Ms....
A Beloved Clothing Store Closed. A Customer Bought All 4,500 Items. “Ms. Szuflita said she had nearly broken even purely on the numbers. There’s also value in the still unfolding adventure.”
Fantastic and useful little design touch on this website that sells lighting...
Fantastic and useful little design touch on this website that sells lighting (toggle the switch in the upper right corner). 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Football Stadium Turned Community Garden
As part of a city-wide urban greening program, Taipei turned an abandoned football stadium into a community garden. Here’s an overview of the terraced garden that’s taken over Zhongshan Soccer Stadium
How Mira Nair Built the World That Made Zohran Mamdani. "Zohran has...
How Mira Nair Built the World That Made Zohran Mamdani. “Zohran has been marinated in love, not just from us, his parents, but from intergenerational family life. He’s so secure in knowing who he is.”
Stress Is an Ancient Superpower That Is Slowly Killing You
Stress in pre-modern times was a “biological superpower” that helped humans hunt for food and survive in harsh environments and situations. But our bodies can’t easily tell the difference between the
How to Photograph an Active Volcano Without Getting Vaporized. "It's dangerous and...
How to Photograph an Active Volcano Without Getting Vaporized. “It’s dangerous and completely mesmerizing. Everyone edges closer even though your brain’s screaming don’t. It’s pure moth-to-flame energ
Climate Change in America: Is It Too Late to Wake Up?
From Vann R. Newkirk II, a editor & journalist who hosts the Floodlines podcast (about Hurricane Katrina), a long piece about the climate chaos that’s taking hold in the US: What Climate Change Will D
Clint Smith recently talked to students around the country about the "complexities...
Clint Smith recently talked to students around the country about the “complexities and contradictions” of US history (including slavery) and found they were receptive to it. “Doesn’t seem that hard. J
Kevin Kelly shares some essential apps & services for independent travel in...
Kevin Kelly shares some essential apps & services for independent travel in China. “A good rule of thumb is to download your apps outside of China before you leave, because most are behind their great
All the Cats, Explained
From MinuteEarth, a quick tour of all the different kinds of cats in the world, extinct, wild, and domesticated, and how they are related to each other. Some interesting facts I learned: The saber-too
They're making a live-action Legend of Zelda movie?...
They’re making a live-action Legend of Zelda movie? 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
The Sagrada Família has become the tallest church in the world, after...
The Sagrada Família has become the tallest church in the world, after workers placed the first part of a cross at the top of its central tower. The Barcelona church will top 564 feet when the rest of
A digital atlas of the Roman Empire's entire road network (180,000+ miles)....
A digital atlas of the Roman Empire’s entire road network (180,000+ miles). “The data creation is a collaborative ongoing project edited by a scholarly community.” 💬 Jo
Skydiving the Sun
Skydiver & musician Gabriel Brown and astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy teamed up to capture these incredible photos of Brown transiting the Sun while skydiving. You can see a video of the jump and so