NEW: A mass propaganda event is about to engulf the US news cycle and what, if anything, survives it will be a lesson for our times. But it’s what the rest of the world does now that’s key. When someone tells you who they are, believe them. broligarchy.substack.com/p/the-threat...

🇺🇦 Bonne année à tous depuis Kharkiv. Malgré les alertes fréquentes, les explosions, le froid, les tempêtes de neige ❄️, cette ville écorchée mais toujours magnifique est encore debout.

A reminder of the stunning rate of scientific progress: it’s only been 101 years that we’ve known the Universe is larger than the Milky Way. Now we know that it’s at least *1 million* times larger in linear size than the Milky Way (and probably 50 or more times larger than that, even).

Truly inspiring set of interviews about the lively art scene in #Kharkiv, a city under regular bombardment. #Ukraine podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u...

The Library of Alexandria was burned. The Nazis burned books. Lenin destroyed Soviet science. This is no different. Trump and the GOP are coming for both science and our libraries.

In the coming year, I wish you all a thriving community

You know what actually makes women happy? Bank accounts. Voting rights. The ability to leave a bad marriage, and not have a miscarriage kill us. Participating in these "debates" is agreeing that our rights are not important.

Her defenders, I mean

Interesting summary of the state of play in Europe and the US for #EVs in the coming year: insideevs.com/features/781...

New, from me: The NYT reporter who specializes in profiles of beleaguered right-wingers on campus went to New College...and found out that things were going ok! So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵 donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...

One of the most incredible shots I've ever gotten, in Yellowstone. This coyote walked over a ridge in the blowing snow and posed for me, with a small grin on its face, the snowfalkes like stars in the background. The desolation and beauty of life and nature is grounding, and so good for the soul.

The principle I go by is to treat every person like a person. You never know who will be successful, nor do you know who will become a dear friend. So just be kind and engaged. The only people who hate being treated as normal are nightmares. Not clicking with them is a secret bonus.

I like how very direct the politics of the Knives Out movies are. Each one identifies a different dreadful group of people in American society and rinses them while delivering its whodunnit pleasures

“We live during a time where all the institutions and corporations I worked for—or leaders I looked up to—they caved or remained silent, so we are now finding hope in everyday people…” www.thebulwark.com/p/defiance-i...

A pagan New Year’s folk tale called “Shchedryk” (meaning bountiful in Ukrainian) composed by Ukrainian music teacher Mykola Leontovych became one of the most famous Christmas songs in modern times — “Carol of the Bells.”

This is how it’s done!

Someone remake “It’s a Wonderful Life” but Mr. Potter believes that hoarding is morally required so he can devote resources to delivering a far future with trillions of humans while George Bailey is like, “Gosh Darnit! What if taking care of people today is what takes care of people in the future?!”

Good night and sleep well! 🌟

on the tramway in Nantes and a pretty old woman gave her seat to a very old woman so I gave my seat to the pretty old woman then a man gave me his seat then a teenager gave a man his seat and then we all laughed, aren't people fantastic

Nine-year-old Oleksandra Paskal, who lost her leg because of the war, won bronze at a gymnastics tournament, TSN reports. She is such a fighter ❤️‍🩹

The “free speech” and “cancel culture” panics have led to overt state censorship because that was always their purpose. (Gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

As the year draws to a close, a chilling question hangs over Russia's literary realm: If Dostoevsky isn't immune, who is? The Kremlin's censorship reached unprecedented levels in 2025, and the trend is ominous. 🧵Here's what you need to know: [1/13]

The full spiked 60 Minutes CECOT package, clean & subtitled. 1/5

Telescope Types xkcd.com/3182/

The Ukrainian "Shchedryk" (Carol of the Bells) performed by a Swedish choir. ​The choir’s director, its pianist, and several young singers are Ukrainian. The rest of the members are foreigners who learned our legendary "Shchedryk" in its original Ukrainian for this special performance. ​

Attacks on feminism are similar to attacks on vaccines. We begin to take for granted a world where women have rights and most children live to see adulthood, and then, over time, we begin to forget, neglect, and (now) reject the movements and innovations that brought us here.

In English we know it as “Carol of the Bells,” but the melody arises from a Ukrainian folk tradition of songs welcoming the new year and summoning the forces of nature to meet human labor and bring prosperity. Do listen. I wrote about the history here: snyder.substack.com/p/o-generous...

Absolutely right. AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there. Let me illustrate …

My "notify me when this is available" tag on Libby is huge - even if your library doesn't have a book you want, let 'em know you want it! My library has acquired quite a few titles that were on my "notify" list

Hilarious video by The Wall Street Journal newsroom, who ran circles around the chatbot running the vending machine. My favorite part was when they convinced it that it was Soviet Russia in 1962 and it should offer everything for free. m.youtube.com/watch?v=SpPh...

For the record, I've never used Midjourney or ChatGPT or any other LLM or art-mangling AI. I gave up on Google and use DuckDuckGo with the AI functions and images turned off under the Manage AI setting. I use spellcheck in Word because my spelling sucks and I visit the Merriam-Webster website a lot.

Coming back to this, I'm still struck by the implication that academics should care if the AI pushers "trust" all our work that's done without AI. I don't know, man, you all seemed to trust our work enough to steal it from us wholesale.

Clarice gazed at Rudolph's nose, at the silent contempt blazing in its scarlet glow. "They hate you, Rudolph. They hate you for your strength, your self-reliance, for being a… a misfit. This world won't accept you. So to be worthy of you, I will choose to suffer."

You might be thinking, "CPSC, does a dry Christmas tree really burn that much faster than a well-watered tree?" Friend, let's find out together by watching this PSA.

If we can't even identify our enemies then how can we fight them? Trump's National Security Strategy is the longest suicide note in American history www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus: "What Christmas has taught me is, above all, to be grateful. Grateful that I can celebrate it in peace with my family. And that makes me think about all the brave Ukrainian men and women who are fighting tonight to defend their country against the ruthless Russian aggressor.

Jumping Frog Radius xkcd.com/3181/

THEY are lying to you. But if you follow my strategy I will lead you to a better life. open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...

While waiting for the power to return, let me show you these candles — their natural honey scent is so rich that even a non-honey person like me was pleasantly surprised. And their slogan? Perfect. Made in Ukraine.

I wish a single journalist or leader would reach out to me I have the scientific expertise, lived experience of a trans person, and am literally a science communicator for my career I'm willing to explain this even though I know it will decrease my personal safety!! bsky.app/profile/jeym...

A Few Good Men. Best in Show. A Mighty Wind. Miss Congeniality. Barcelona. All three movies in Linklater's "Before" trilogy. Music & Lyrics. Michael Clayton. All films that were able to be made because of the production company Reiner co-founded in order to give talented filmmakers creative freedom.

An unapologetic ally through and through. Thank you, Rob Reiner. May you and Michele rest in power.

Elephant-sized sloths dug enormous 6 ft diameter tunnels throughout Argentina and Brazil www.earth.com/news/huge-tu...

Screw Trump's garbage bleat. Read @sonnybunch.bsky.social's remembrance of Rob Reiner instead: lnk.thebulwark.com/4ahaztt

I simply could not and would not respond on social media last night about Rob and Michele. I am beyond devastated at the loss of two dear friends. There will be lots of mentions of his brilliant as an actor and director. He was just a wonderful person, as was she. Generous, a true Mensch.

Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner chose love in the midst of hatred and fear. It falls to us to carry on their art, their advocacy, their kindness. "Those who choose, even on a small scale, to love in the midst of hatred and fear are the people who offer true hope to our world." ~ Henri Nouwen

Physicist Freeman Dyson was born #OTD in 1923. He was known for his work in quantum electrodynamics and –– among many, many other things –– his eschatological musings about physics and the prospects for life in the far-flung future. 🧪 ⚛️ 🔭 🎢 Photo: Heka Davis / AIP

Rob Reiner was a creative genius and a lovely man, with such passion and principle, including on politics. I had the privilege of interviewing him once. And of course A Few Good Men is one of my favorite movies of all time. Rest in power, Rob.

This, for the love of all that is holy Compliant and credulous media will be the death of the republic