Things fall, Descartes
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France and the United Kingdom suggest they’ll extend nuclear protections to European allies. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
An overview of security challenges emerging in the Arctic. / BBC News
Once again, Strava heatmaps are causing geopolitical headaches, this time for the Swedish prime minister. / Semafor
Less than a quarter-century ago, the United States had 40 journalists per 100,000 residents. Today? About eight. / Muck Rack
Only 1.1 million US homes were sold to first-time buyers last year—380,000 fewer than in 2023 and almost half the historical norm. / The Wall Street Journal [$]
Unrelated: A complex of buildings in Shanghai is walked to an adjacent site “by a phalanx of miniature robots.” / BLDGBLOG
About one in three American teenagers has prediabetes. / STAT
Fine arts programs are receiving record-high applications despite hefty tuition costs. / Gothamist
Olivia Rodrigo’s guitarist reveals the singer paid for her band and crew to have psychotherapy on their last tour. / NME
This week, Bookshop.org is offering free shipping during its “anti-prime sale,” which it kicked off with a spoof of Jeff Bezos’s wedding invitation. / Bookshop.org, TechCrunch
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey shows off a message program that works over Bluetooth. / TechCrunch
A fascinating account of scammers using artificial intelligence to impersonate celebrities like Keanu Reeves and extract cash from victims. / The Hollywood Reporter
Eleven signs to distinguish Marco Rubio from an AI imposter. / The Atlantic [$]
See also: Hertz and other rental companies are using AI to look for damage that’s barely visible to the human eye. / The New York Times [$]
From May, some number-crunching on how people read “TRD” when it’s emblazoned on the side of Toyota trucks. / From the Hart
Photographs of Los Angeles beachgoers in the 1970s and ’80s. / Flashbak
French philosopher René Descartes used to be accused of lying to his readers “so as to manipulate them into becoming his disciples.” / aeon
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