2025-06-12

Worthy

• Our Knowledge System Has Collapsed. Can We Survive Without It?

  In these volatile situations, the whole entrenched hierarchy of truth and authority gets totally reversed. The old experts and their systems are discredited, and completely new values take their place. The newcomers bring more than just a new attitude—they turn everything on its head. That’s happening right now. The knowledge structure that has dominated everything for our entire lifetime—and for our parents and grandparents—is collapsing. And it’s taking place everywhere, all at once. If this were just an isolated situation—a problem in universities, or media, or politics—the current hierarchy could possibly survive. But that isn’t the case. The crisis has spread into every sector of society that relies on clear knowledge and respected authority.

  Democrats accuse Republicans of “fake science.” But Republicans also make the same charge against Democrats. I’m not sure anybody really wins in these arguments, but I can tell you who loses—science itself. But, as you can see from the chart, the term fake science hardly existed during the 20th century. In those days, science was considered emblematic of truth. If it was fake, it wasn’t science. But when the knowledge structure collapses, science loses its privileged access to truth. At the final stage, it gets harder and harder to distinguish science from propaganda. We are now living in that nightmare scenario.

  Why isn’t this discussed openly—in the media, in universities, in public discourse? Everything I’ve mentioned above is public knowledge. So why aren’t the experts discussing it? Well, that’s obvious. The experts don’t want to admit this is happening because it puts their status at risk. And the same is true of all the organizations and businesses that own and control the knowledge system. The last thing they want is to call attention to the breakdown. So they can address the situation only in isolated, disconnected ways. Admitting that these 10 symptoms are part of a larger, systemic problem can’t be acknowledged—not under any circumstances. And that’s why we can’t assume that any quick fix—from politicians or universities—will reverse this decline. We are beyond that stage. The more important question is this: When the old knowledge hierarchy collapses, what will replace it?

etc

• Toyota and Lexus no longer most reliable carmakers, says Consumer Reports

Horseshit

• Vodafone aims to leverage quantum computer to streamline broadband routes

• IBM: "The science is solved" for fault-tolerant quantum computing

  • IBM Sets the Course to Build First Large-Scale, Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computer

• Treasure photos may prove 'the richest wreck in history' has been found

• Floppy disks and paper strips lurk behind US air traffic control

• A surprising trick to making hard choices? Try thinking less

• No Home, No Retirement, No Kids: How Gen Z-ers See Their Future

• Netflix documentary examines how the Titan sub disaster happened

• (Jan 2024) Good Marriages Are Good. Bad Marriages Are, Well, Bad

• Social media use increases depression in preteens, not vice versa

celebrity gossip

• Disney star Bridgit Mendler gave it up to change the world

Obit

• David Murdock, Longevity-Driven Former CEO of Dole, Dies at 102

• Brian Wilson, visionary creative spirit for the Beach Boys, dies aged 82

  • The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson Dies at 82

  • Brian Wilson Dies at 82

  • Brian Wilson, Beach Boys Co-Founder, Dies at 82

Rank Propaganda / Thought Policing / World Disordering

• Palantir may be engaged in coordinated disinformation campaign on Reddit

• Bluesky Isn’t a Bubble. It’s a Containment Dome.

• How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works

Musk

• Elon Musk once again claims Tesla robotaxis are coming soon

• French Tesla customers file lawsuit over brand becoming 'extreme-right' symbol

• First Tesla Robotaxi Spotted Driving Around Austin

• X's Sales Pitch: Give Us Your Ad Business or We'll Sue

• Verizon bought $10M in ads on X to avoid lawsuit from Musk, report says

• Musk targets June 22 launch of Tesla's long-promised robotaxi service

Electric / Self Driving cars

• Uber, SoftBank-Backed Wayve Plan Trial of Driverless Cars in UK

• Why It's So Hard to Make a Reliable Self-Driving Car

• Low-speed EVs may offer transportation compromise between full-size cars&e-bikes

Religion / Tribal / Culture War and Re-Segregation

• Can Jesse Singal save liberalism? - UnHerd

  Singal has been a bête noire for transgender activists going back to 2018, when he wrote an essay for The Atlantic suggesting that the medical case for youth gender medicine is weak. Ever since, he has been ruthlessly, relentlessly attacked online. In quieter, more rational circles, his rigor has made him a hero, especially as the evidence mounts that he was right all along. Democrats and progressives seeking a way to refocus on their party’s strengths — and to walk back the dogmatism that characterised the party during “peak woke” — might learn from him.

Edumacationalizing / Acedemia Nuts

• Big Bang theory is wrong, claim scientists

  • The Universe was sneezed into existence.

Info Rental / ShowBiz / Advertising

• Steve Jobs would have fired everyone | Hacker News

• Public health bodies urged to launch period tracking apps to protect data

  • Menstrual tracking app data is gold mine for advertisers that risks women safety

• Gnome introducing stronger dependencies on systemd

  • Recapitulating Windows brain damage in in Linux since day 1.

• A Google Shareholder Is Suing the Company over the TikTok Ban

• Nintendo Switch 2 sells 3.5M units in 4 days

  • Nintendo Switch 2 smashes record as company's fastest-selling console

• No more Liquid Ass. | The Verge

  Apple has changed its YouTube thumbnail for its Liquid Glass video, because the play button was in a really unfortunate position.

• Google 'handling stolen goods' with YouTube theft of paywalled news articles

• FCC threat to revoke EchoStar spectrum licenses draws widespread backlash

  As previously reported, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr directed agency staff to investigate EchoStar's compliance with obligations to provide nationwide 5G service under the terms of its spectrum licenses. EchoStar bought Dish Network in December 2023 and offers wireless service under the Boost Mobile brand.

• iOS 26 Will Let You Add Your U.S. Passport to Wallet for Identity Verification

• WhatsApp tells BBC it backs Apple in legal row with UK over user data

• The 'Dragon Age' Debacle That Gutted EA's BioWare Studio

• 23andMe say 15% of customers asked to delete their genetic data since bankruptcy

• HP reveals first Google Beam 3D video conferencing setup, priced at $25,000

• Amazon Doubles Prime Video Ads to 6 Minutes per Hour

TechSuck / Geek Bait

• The FPGA turns 40. Where does it go from here?

AI Will (Save | Destroy) The World

• Sam Altman thinks AI will have 'novel insights' next year

• Meta is reportedly making a $15B bet on AGI by purchasing 49% of Scale AI

• Despite $2M salaries, Meta can't keep AI staff

• Google Expands Buyout Program in Push to Ramp Up AI Spending

• Starbucks is rolling out a Microsoft Azure OpenAI assistant for baristas because their jobs are just so complicated.

• I don't think AGI is right around the corner

• San Francisco start-up is building AI tools to automate white-collar jobs

• Disney and Universal Sue Midjourney for Copyright Infringement

• Getty Images and Stability AI face off in British copyright trial

• Google names new chief AI architect to advance developments

• Paul Tudor Jones Fears AI Job Losses Will Worsen Social Division

Space / Boomy Zoomers / UFO

• Amazon Kuiper second satellite launch delayed by ULA due to weather

• NASA raises the odds that an asteroid could hit the moon in 2032

• "Sol hole" jokes incoming: First view of the Sun's South Pole filmed by spacecraft

  During the chaotic period the Sun tries to reduce its complexity and violence spills out, as bits of the Sun hurtle toward the Earth. These solar storms can damage communications satellites and power grids, though they can also cause beautiful auroras in the sky.

  • First-Ever Images of Sun's South Pole Released by European Mission

Crypto con games

• Peter Thiel-backed crypto group Bullish files for U.S. IPO

• Sam Altman's World Raises $135M in Token Sale to A16Z and Bain Capital Crypto

• Guatemala's Largest Bank Adopts Stablecoin Rails for U.S. Remittance Payments

Economicon / Business / Finance

• New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years

• Uber Overcharged Riders Nearly $1.8M in Congestion Fees, City Records Show

• How Will We Adapt as Red States Reduce Their Supply of New Housing?

  While it remains difficult to build in cities like Boston and San Francisco, areas where building was once straightforward, such as Atlanta, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Dallas, have begun implementing land use regulations that limit growth. From a basic economic perspective, this shift has led to rising home prices in these once-affordable cities.

Gubmint / Poilitcks / Law Making

• Gov. Polis signs expanded protections for illegal immigrants in Colorado.

• 2024 Election Results Under Scrutiny as Lawsuit Advances - Newsweek

  The lawsuit could renew debate about the 2024 election, though it won't change the outcome since Congress has certified the results declaring President Donald Trump the winner. It comes amid unconfirmed reports that voting machines were secretly altered before ballots were cast in November's election. The federally accredited testing lab, Pro V&V, that signed off on "significant" changes to ES&S voting machines—which are used in over 40 percent of U.S. counties—"vanished from public view" after the election, according to the Dissent in Bloom Substack. Jack Cobb, the director of Pro V&V, told Newsweek via email that the changes approved by the lab relate to ballot boxes, ballot bins, changing printers to newer models, adding mounting brackets and moving the location of files. "There really is no change of any significance," he said. Cobb also said the lab's website was taken down and replaced with a new one in February and has been "running ever since."

  • Lawsuit Moves Forward After Kamala Harris Received Zero Votes in a County

Mostly Peaceful Riots

• Meghan Markle loses her chance to shine as LA Natural History Museum cancels glam gala as riots turn LA into a warzone.

• Riot gear distributed by masked group sparks questions.

• X is winning on the LA story - Don Surber

• Mayor Bass Declares Emergency, Curfew in DTLA - LAmag

  Mayor Karen Bass announced a curfew for Downtown Los Angeles after five straight days of violence and mayhem that has marred much of the neighborhood around the federal buildings where immigrants rounded up in a series of raids are being held and prosecuted. “The curfew will be in place from 8 p.m. tonight until 6 a.m. tomorrow,” announced Bass, adding that it could last for several days and would be reevaluated tomorrow. “Everyone must abide by this curfew.” Bass said a “local emergency” has been declared and that the curfew was necessary because of what she called "extensive widespread vandalism" that includes profanity-laced graffiti scrawled on City Hall, an LAPD building, and rampant destruction in public parks and at private businesses. Bass said she was dismayed that 23 businesses were looted, while multiple historical landmarks in Little Tokyo along with immigrant-owned businesses, were heavily damaged. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said that anyone who violates the curfew "will be arrested." The curfew's boundaries will encompass the area encircled by the 5 Freeway, the 110 Freeway, and the 10 Freeway and end where the 5 Freeway and the 110 Freeway merge.

  Bass said people who live or work in Downtown and credentialed media representatives have a limited exemption from the curfew. Those experiencing homelessness are also exempt from the curfew, McDonnell said. The mayor had a message for President Trump, who has ordered 700 Marines and as many as 2,000 National Guard soldiers into Los Angeles to deal with what he called lawlessness. "If you want to restore peace in the city, end the raids."

Trump

• Trump says FEMA to be wound down after hurricane season

  • Trump says FEMA to be wound down after hurricane season

• Donald Trump responds to Elon Musk's apology after public feud

  President Trump is feeling good about Elon Musk’s apology after the former “first buddy” admitted late Tuesday he had gone “too far” in his personal attacks on the commander-in-chief. “I thought it was very nice that he did that,” the president told The Post in a brief phone conversation Wednesday morning, but didn’t say whether he was willing to let bygones be bygones with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.

• Trump says China will supply rare earths, US to allow students | Reuters

• Trump Says Again He'll Set Unilateral Tariffs in Two Weeks

Democrats

• Harris-Walz campaign may have been targeted by iPhone hackers, cybersecurity firm says

  One of the few companies to specialize in iPhone cybersecurity said in a report Thursday that it has uncovered evidence in a handful of mobile phones of a potential hacking campaign targeting five high-profile Americans in media, artificial intelligence and politics, including former members of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The preliminary research, conducted by the cybersecurity firm iVerify, includes a “significant amount of circumstantial evidence,” iVerify CEO Rocky Cole said. Apple, the maker of the iPhone, pushed back on the findings. But Cole said the report was worth publishing for use by the cybersecurity research community. Apple's reputation is sterling among security professionals, and if it is confirmed a hack occurred, it would be a significant development in the cybersecurity industry.

  • not "no standing" from the courts, no billion dollar libel counter-suits from the voting machine people... how things change.

• DNC boots David Hogg and Malcom Kenyatta from vice chair roles - POLITICO

  Democratic National Committee members removed David Hogg his vice chair position — discharging the 25-year-old activist and another vice chair from national party posts amid his threats to take on “ineffective” Democratic incumbents in primaries. The virtual vote, which concluded on Wednesday and the results were obtained by POLITICO, vacated its two vice chair positions, stemming from a procedural complaint unrelated to Hogg’s primary activities, and put forth a plan to hold a new election. Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta must now run again for their positions next week.

Left Angst

• Trump guts digital ID rules, claims they help 'illegal aliens' commit fraud

• Whitesides says budget proposal shows the administration does not value science

• Things in Trump's budget that won't make NASA great again

• Why Rooftop Solar Could Crash Under the GOP Tax Bill

• NIH chief stands by funding cuts to 'politicized science' at tense hearing

• An Existential Crisis at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• If It's Worth Your Time To Lie, It's Worth My Time To Correct It

  if your only real point is that racism exists and causes harm, you could have said that racism exists and causes harm, and that wouldn’t have been a lie. Instead you chose to talk about how Joe Target punched the black guy because of racism. Presumably you thought that point made your argument stronger than it would have been if you’d just said that racism existed - maybe 5% stronger. If that’s true, then that extra 5% argument strength is illegitimate, and it’s every honest person’s duty to take it away from you. If you’re allowed to have it, then eventually we escalate all the way to the point we actually escalated to, where people have said in all seriousness that Trump might try to put all minorities in camps and murder them. (sorry - I’ve genuinely heard people say he was going to put minorities in camps, but I’m not sure they specified all minorities, and I don’t think they ever said they would get murdered there. Would you have let me get away with that exaggeration?)

  • This is gently suggesting we apply the brakes long after the bus has gone off the cliff. They can see the crash approaching now and are beginning to wonder if there's ways of avoiding it.

• Major US climate website likely to be shut down after almost all staff fired

• The EPA Wants to Roll Back Emissions Controls on Power Plants

• FDA to Use A.I. In Drug Approvals to 'Radically Increase Efficiency'

• CPI inflation report: Damage from Trump tariffs isn't guaranteed

  A run of better-than-expected indicators — including Wednesday's inflation report — so far point to a strikingly resilient economy. Those waiting for signs of a tariff-wrecked economy will have to keep waiting.

  • U.S. Inflation Remains Muted, with Limited Effects from Tariffs

• Bragg Soldiers Who Cheered Trump Were Checked for Allegiance, Appearance

External Security / Militaria / Diplomania

• US ambassador to Israel says US no longer pursuing goal of independent Palestinian state | Trump administration | The Guardian

  Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, has said that the US is no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian state, marking what analysts describe as the most explicit abandonment yet of a cornerstone of US Middle East diplomacy. Asked during an interview with Bloomberg News if a Palestinian state remains a goal of US policy, he replied: “I don’t think so.” The former Arkansas governor chosen by Donald Trump as his envoy to Israel went further by suggesting that any future Palestinian entity could be carved out of “a Muslim country” rather than requiring Israel to cede territory.

• U.S. evacuating personnel from the Middle East amid growing tensions with Iran

  • US reduces the presence of staffers not deemed essential in the Middle East as tensions rise

  The State Department said it has ordered the departure of all nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad based on its latest review and a commitment “to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad.” The embassy already had been on limited staffing, and the order will not affect a large number of personnel. The department, however, also is authorizing the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait. That gives them the option of leaving those countries at government expense and with government assistance. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations” across the region, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The command “is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East.”

World

• Türkiye to export 48 KAAN fighter jets to Indonesia, President Erdogan announces

• What's behind Keir Starmer's decision to back nuclear power?

• Enforcing the Online Safety Act: Ofcom opens nine new investigations

• London Tech Week turns away entrepreneur for bringing baby

  • Entrepreneur 'humiliated' after London Tech Week turns her and baby away

• Lifelike Dolls Cause a Frenzy in Brazil

• Denmark gets more serious about digital sovereignty

• Scotland to host UK's national supercomputer

• No Travelling Out of Kuwait Without an Exit Permit: New Rule for Expats

• UK Gov enables drivers to use preferred apps in all car parks

• World Bank Ends Its Ban on Funding Nuclear Power Projects

China

• Price wars grip China as deflation deepens, $30 for a luxury Coach bag?

• Hong Kong Bans Video Game in Further National Security Push

• Apple's most sweeping software redesign disappoints mainland Chinese consumers

• In China, fears grow of an EV financial crisis amid pricing war

• Japan sights two Chinese aircraft carriers in Pacific for first time.

• Hong Kong Bans Taiwanese Video Game for Promoting 'Armed Revolution'

  • Hong Kong police accuse mobile game of promoting 'armed revolution'

Health / Medicine

• Bioprospectors mine microbial genomes for antibiotic gold

• False claims that ivermectin treats cancer, Covid leads states to pass OTC laws

• Drug deaths plummet among young Americans as fentanyl carnage eases

• The Breakthrough Blood Test for Alzheimer's Disease

• Use of GLP-1 RAs is associated with a 2-fold higher risk of Macular Degeneration

• Diabetes Drugs Are Finding New Life as an Antiaging Hack

• App for tracking and understanding morning wood to gain better health insights

  • the subject demands real data, based on hard measurements, not subjective feelings. Someone give us a grant for the development of a hi tech phone accessory sleeve to measure all the important penile variables. In some cases this may require the creation of new metrics; how hard is 'hard"? Can it hammer a spike through a 6in plank?

Environment / Climate / Green Propaganda

• Accelerating flood warnings by 10 hours using AI-enhanced flood forecasting

• China's aerosol cleanup has contributed to the acceleration in global warming

• Scientists Warn Against Attempts to Change Definition of 'Forever Chemicals'

• Comparing Insect ID Apps for Budding Entomologists

• Why common climate messaging backfires

• Microbes living in the clouds affect our lives

• Chemical Breakthrough Could Solve Our Plastic Waste Problem

• Chimpanzees use leaves to wipe bums and clean up after sex, study finds

• Highly diverse flower strips promote natural enemies more in annual field crops