After scientists in South Africa discovered the omicron Covid variant, which appears to have higher rates of reinfection, the country says it's being unjustly punished through travel bans. / BBC

See also: If previous Covid mutations are any guide, travel bans likely won't help quell the spread of the omicron variant. / NPR

The covert war Iran and Israel have been engaged in for years has now reached civilians, as government hackers begin attacking critical infrastructures. / The New York Times

A deep, deep dive into the massive clickbait ecosystem that results in Facebook and Google paying millions to fund misinformation. / MIT Technology Review

See also: Among various media outlets, there doesn't seem to be a clear definition of what constitutes "misinformation." / The New York Times

Nearly everything has come true on WIRED's 1997 list of the worst things that could happen in the 21st century. / Digg

What's the first example of science fiction? Maybe it's The Tempest, or perhaps ancient Greek myths. It all depends on how you define sci-fi. / Counter Craft

Design luminary Virgil Abloh has died at 41. / The Root

Related: An oral history of Abloh's life and career. / GQ

Why it's time to stop demonizing "invasive species": The reasons they've entered a new ecosystem are likely due to something people did. / Vox

A study finds the drop in air travel by major sports teams during the pandemic reduced their carbon footprints by 22%. / Concordia University

"You must not manipulate the French language, whatever the cause." France's struggle over a nonbinary pronoun. / The New York Times

A censored version of Birds of Prey that unexpectedly showed up on HBO Max is a reminder of the ways streaming services can erase history. / Gizmodo

"What could be less punk rock than giving every song, in effect, its own homeowners association?" Blockchain could fix the music industry (by replacing it). / Platformer

See also: Is crypto bullshit? / Model Citizen

Stunningly lit paintings of Tokyo streets at night, by Keita Morimoto. / Spoon & Tamago

The economics of Broadway shows, and why Hamilton totally upended the math everyone thought they knew. / The Hustle

An artist bio generator. / 500 Letters