What’s chilling isn’t just the evil of one man, but how easily he moved through so many centers of power. Unsure if that power comes from exploiting evil or if it corrodes ordinary people. Maybe both. But myth of the lone villain, matters less than the society that let this influence grow unchecked.

If you don’t ask, it’s already a no. Make the call. Take the chance.

Really something being nearly as disastrous as a raging pandemic. #MAGA

A message from the divine. 😅

Wild how fast this shifted. Ads made sense on June 16, given OAI’s massive free tier, but now since Anthropic/Google brand “ad free” as the trust differentiator, ads feel risky. If OAI proceeds, they’ll need strict separation from answers & low frequency or risk major churn from a mostly free base.

Some of the best internet moments of our times…this one and the cat one below remain undefeated. youtu.be/Mh4f9AYRCZY

Upgrade your viewing setup before inviting your friends over to watch the big game. www.wired.com/gallery/supe...

If these reporters spin up a new newsroom, I’d back it…GoFundMe to get started, subscriptions to sustain it (easier said than done, I know). Until then, if you can, consider supporting @propublica.org and @wired.com.

WaPo laid off one of the journalists who won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the January 6th attack on the Capitol.

I do not make this comparison lightly.

Generally, we talk about dopamine like it’s mostly a brain thing. This study argues the gut-vagus axis can act like a volume knob, on the brain’s reward pathway…determining how strongly reward signals land (in mice, for now). Good read.

🙌

A 13-year-old asked whether the universe might be a simulation. A physicist explains philosopher Nick Bostrom's logic: if future humans can create realistic simulations of countless worlds, probability suggests we're in one now. buff.ly/cUqFKU9

I don’t remember who said this, but someone aptly said (and I’m paraphrasing)…if men could get pregnant, birth control would be available at every Starbucks. 🎯

People losing minds over Melania are missing the point. The flex is getting Bezos/Amazon to fund & distribute it. That part’s already won. For Bezos it’s just another investment. Criticism/outrage is just free promotion, even a distraction. All parties already hit their goals…ticket sales ain’t it.

So chatty and upbeat for a Monday morning… what gives? 😅

FT pointing out the scary part…we’re not just looking at fewer limits, but loss of transparency & the day to day assurance of arms control with no inspections/data sharing. Everyone plans for the worst…more hedging, more buildup, more chance of dangerous misreads & as of now there’s no replacement.

Zooming out…zooming in. 1. The Snow Moon, representing the peak of winter. 2. Bode’s Galaxy (M81) 3. Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) 4. Jupiter, with three of its moons visible

Wanted: CEOs with backbone ft.trib.al/yJ6UcXZ | opinion

Twilight being magical as usual. Here’s the sun and the moon on opposite sides of the same moment, both in their own glory, adding to the evening.

The eyesore doesn’t just resemble a dumpster…it also resembles the Casspir, an armored military vehicle that was a symbol of oppression during South Africa’s apartheid era, where it patrolled black neighborhoods. If you see a connection here, it may not be accidental.

Just a few pages in, @mims.bsky.social ‘s “How to AI” already feels like a good book for the generalist, the sceptic, and the AI cheerleader alike, without talking past any of them…a hard balance to strike.

Hear, hear. “…recognize that all scientific knowledge is a public good, whatever its national origin," writes H. Holden Thorp

Shouldn’t the FTC step in? Isn’t this what antitrust law is for? SpaceX + xAI + Starlink + X under one umbrella feels like textbook concentration. So many questions…mostly rhetorical, at this point.

I think this is the most hopeful I’ve felt in a long time. 👇

This piece is incredibly important for understanding the Trump administration and what happens next. There's a stochastic element to what they do, because social media algorithms are central, not incidental, to government policy www.theverge.com/news/869824/...

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free

Think I called this out some days back….the guy and his evil are so predictable.😅

Burned the midnight oil working on a project while my little astrophotography camera captured some great shots right from my office window. ✨

Sharing what’s worked for me…Recognizing that people act from their own capacities…and that it’s not a reflection of your worth, helps reframe forgiveness as self regulation. Also probably the healthiest & most graceful path forward, regardless of the direction or status quo of the relationship.

"For many years, credit card companies and other payment methods were aggressive about policing child sexual abuse material. Then, Elon Musk’s Grok started undressing children on X."

Good read, although I think the headline undersells the article’s depth. While humans have projected bias onto visual evidence, shaped by context, incentives and priors, since the invention of film, the article dives into why and under what conditions that divergence happens.

Highly promising news as we kick off the new week: Drugmakers turn to AI to speed trials, regulatory submissions www.reuters.com/legal/litiga... #medsky

There’s the fall guy who absorbs blame for systemic failures and/or real villains…usually followed by reform, and then there’s the “nudge guy”, who’s pushed aside just enough to preserve status quo.

Yeah, more like cruising on inertia… borrowed time, really. Add manufactured international turmoil to already vulnerable underlying indicators, and we’re edging beyond fragile.

Deleted a post. These are emotionally charged times, and while restraint is getting harder, it feels increasingly important.

Sending a little color your way… stay safe, and make the best of the forced lockdown if you’re impacted by the winter storm.

Feeling helpless watching ICE's unconstitutional & homicidal acts? One thing to do: check online to see if your Senator has pledged to vote NO on the DHS funding bill coming this week. Then call to say "Vote NO" - or if they have, thank them! Capitol Switchboard 202 224 3121. Just called Andy Kim:

Dark times, and immense respect and gratitude for those risking their lives amidst escalating unrest. Take some time to manage emotions. The immediate future will require us to be emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially well regulated.

Waiting in line in the high school parking lot to pick up a friend’s kid. Serious nostalgia about the lil things that make us feel complete…the classic teenage scowl included. 😅

America first…”Keep the base stupid, sick and crippled”.

The scary part is that most of this is performative, and with the intention to mislead. Like the saying goes…you can’t wake up someone who’s pretending to sleep.

Both to the detriment of others.😅

FUCK yeah arstechnica.com/health/2026/...

Pair of F/A-18s doing routine training sorties out of MCAS Miramar… keeping things warm, I guess.

The Shingles vaccine has outperformed all expectations. Why? erictopol.substack.com/p/spotlight-...

The Shingles vaccine and reduction of dementia: a new natural experiment from Canada replicated 3 others and adds to this week's link to slowing of biological aging. erictopol.substack.com/p/spotlight-...

New FSD just dropped.