From a 1983 profile in 60 Minutes, Captain Grace M. Hopper, former American computer scientist and Navy rear admiral, and one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer, explains a nanosecond. You can skip to 4:00, but the whole thing is good.
Rehearsal footage of David Bowie and his band in September 1974, synched to "Right" from Young Americans.



15hThe primary designer...prepared for the task of representing the subway lines using an unconventional method. He rode the length of every train line with his eyes closed, feeling the curve of each track and then drawing the path he perceived in his sketchbook.
↩︎ The New York Times
The best-selling single of every decade back to 14,000 BCE.
Make sure to follow the entire thread:
I am a music historian, and with @AdrianRMG I have researched the best-selling single of every decade all the way back to 14,000BC. Here's a thread:
— ������������ ������������������ (@jazzemu_) December 5, 2019
2010s - Ed Sheeran, The Shape of You pic.twitter.com/Y4rrOdSGY2
All the usual suspects are here: Ed Sheeran (2010s), James Blunt (2000s), Cher (1980s). Past that—well, just make sure to listen to all the clips. Here's a taste.
From the 1900s, the Wright Brothers' "Ten Feet High Club":
We're gonna fly in the sky
And then we're gonna make love
The first two members
of the 10 Feet High Club
And there's Cher's "I Turned Back Time" from the 1580s:
I can't believe that worked
I only read the wikiHow
And don't miss "The Aliens Are Gone," the 3220s BCE hit from the People of Babylon.
via Waxy

16h“I have to remind myself why we’re stinging. Like I have to seriously look for it when I’m in that much pain. I’ll question: ‘What the heck am I doing? This is weird. This is stupid. Why are we doing this?’”
↩︎ Texas Monthly



Tell us why you should be our 2020 Tournament of Books Reader Judge.
Will you be the one to make the deciding call in an epic battle of literary bloodsport? Every year we leave a seat open on our judging panel for a Tournament of Books fan. This year, it could be you.
Nominate yourself by completing the below form by Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019, at midnight Eastern Time. For this exercise (but not your actual ToB judgment) you’ve got 100 words. Here’s what we want to know:
Show us you’re a reader. As a judge, you’re faced with two books and a firm deadline. An appetite for reading is essential.
Show us you’re opinionated. We want judges with conviction, not kid gloves.
Show us you’re creative. The strength of your final judgment is in how you express it. (Extra points if you avoid basketball metaphors.)
Show us who you are. What is it about you—your background, your job, your current life—that will help bring a fresh voice to the ToB?
