In China, protests over Covid lockdown restrictions intensify across multiple cities and universities. / BuzzFeed News

Related: With its anti-propaganda team now decimated, Twitter is being overwhelmed by spam in attempts to drown out coverage of the protests. / The Washington Post

Iran wants the US suspended from the World Cup over images of its flag—without the emblem of the Islamic Republic—posted in support of Iranian protestors. / Reuters

"It was a word looked up frequently every single day of the year." Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "gaslighting." / Associated Press

Scientists can finally explain why lightning zig-zags: When electrons detach after hitting oxygen molecules, they redistribute the electric field. / Phys.org

In a recent study, 53 species, many previously thought to be nonvocal, make sound, often for communication purposes. / NewScientist

Another crypto firm goes down, as BlockFi files for bankruptcy, citing its financial dealings with FTX. / The Verge

Accidental whale deaths and poor enforcement of government regulations drove a sustainability authority to red-list Gulf of Maine lobster. / Down East

A trip across America to chronicle the rituals that express faith in its many forms. / The New York Times

See also: From 2014, atheists and agnostics tell us how they're spending their secular holiday seasons. / The Morning News

To explain DALL-E 2's place in art history "requires a limited view of what art history is." / Hyperallergic

A remix of the Reading Rainbow theme. / Boing Boing

Food experiments from the early web—e.g., making sparks by microwaving a halved grape. / MetaFilter

"The scribal arts offered dramatic new ways to process knowledge, allowing for not only superior organization, but also superior thinking." On the origin of listicles. / Literary Hub

Taken from space two weeks ago, an image of Mont Saint-Michel resembles a painting more than a photo. / Atlas Obscura

An empty mall with "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" playing in the background. / Reddit