36 Things I Learned in 2022

 Elon Musk To Media: Info Coming Out of Twitter Has ‘Only Just Begun’.

A Timeline of the Evolution of Western Art Movements

THERE’S A LOT TO UNPACK IN THIS HEADLINE: ‘Toxic’ influencer Andrew Tate is arrested in human trafficking raid at his luxury villa in Romania after PIZZA BOX in his smug video clap-back at Greta Thunberg gave away his location.

The Best Book Covers of 2022

Jason Kottke  

36 Things I Learned in 2022

Jason Kottke  

Inspired by Tom Whitwell’s annual list (here is 2022’s), I kept a list of interesting things I learned this year. There are supposed to be 52 things but I took much of the year off soyou’ll have to manage with only 36. Enjoy!

1. For the first time in history in 2020, the weight of things produced by humans (concrete, metals, plastic) was greater than the weight of the global living biomass. 
2. “It is physically impossible to exceed the 70-pound domestic weight limitfor a USPS small flat rate box.”
3. There is a species of fish called “boops boops”.
4. In a recent experiment by a Turkish farmer, outfitting his cows with VR goggles that simulate being in a pasture upped milk production by 2 gallons per cow per day. 
5. It’s “just deserts”, not “just desserts”.
6. The Sun has only rotated approximately 20 times around the galactic center.
7. Of the estimated 1,300,000 to 1,750,000 people sent to the death camps of Sobibór, Bełżec, and Treblinka by the Nazis, “perhaps not more than 150” of them ended up surviving the war. 150. Not 150,000. 150. (From The Holocaust: A New History by Laurence Rees)
8. A new streaming version of Fight Club released in China changed the ending from Tyler successfully bombing a large city to him being caught by the authorities.
9. An astounding statistic: approximately 1 out of every 70 Americans 65 years and older has died of Covid-19 in the past three years.
10. You might be surprised to learn that the crossword puzzle wasn’t invented until 1913. I was even more shocked to learn that the word search puzzle first appeared in 1968.
11. The burpee exercise was invented by Royal Huddleston Burpee Sr.
12. The Mediterranean Sea mostly dried up for over 600,000 years but took less than 2 years to completely refill, often at rates of 30 feet per day, by a river moving 1000 times more water per day than the Amazon.
13. “15% of the searches we see every day have never been Googled before.”
14. The word “bear” is actually derived from a euphemism for the animal…we don’t know what the original name was.
15. QR codes “sprang from a lunchtime game of Go more than a quarter of a century ago”. 
16. Abraham Lincoln is the only US president to hold a patent.
17. Due to the chaotic nature of weather, accurate forecasts of more than 2 weeks are impossible.
18. Cosmic latte is the average color of the universe.
19. The silk of Darwin’s bark spiders is ten times stronger than kevlar.
20. Because of the climate crisis (melting glaciers). Switzerland’s cartographers are having to redraw the country’s topological maps. “Only three cartographers at the agency [are] allowed to tinker with the Swiss Alps.”
21. Warmlines are telephone/chat hotlines for people who aren’t in crisis but just need to vent or talk to someone.
22. “Planning the Holocaust took all of 90 minutes.”
23. “With the exception of a few native species that live in rotting logs and around wetlands, there are not supposed to be any earthworms east of the Great Plains and north of the Mason-Dixon Line.”
24. A final score never seen before in NFL history is called a scorigami. There were 6 scorigamis in the 2021 season and a total of 1047 unique scores ever.
25. Actually, it’s “E.E. Cummings” and not “e.e. cummings”.
26. In a small 5-year study of basic income in Hudson, NY, “employment among the participants went from 29% to 63%” and they reported better health and personal relationships with others.
27. In the 90s, Meat Loaf coached a JV girls softball team in a small Connecticut town. “To the scrappy group of girls he was trying to mold into softball players, he was Coach Meat.”
28. The world’s coldest marathon is held in Yakutia, Siberia. 2022’s winner ran it in 3h 22m; the temperature was -53°C.
29. In January 2022 in Norway, about 84% of new cars sold were EVs. That compares to 53% in Jan 2021.
30. A 70s board game called The Campaign for North Africa takes around 1500 hours (~62 days) to complete.
31. Saturn’s rings are disappearing. We only have another 300 million years to enjoy them.
32. Wisconsin is home to a local delicacy called the cannibal sandwich(raw ground beef and raw onions, sandwiched between two pieces of bread).
33. There are now 8 billion people in the world.
34. Due to the lull in human activity, some birds changed their birdsong during the pandemic.
35. The Pointer Sisters sang Sesame Street’s “Pinball Countdown” song. “One two three four five…six seven eight nine ten…eleven twelve.”
36. “Gun violence recently surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for American children. We’re now living in the era of the gun.”

You can check out last year’s list here.

Twitter now shows how many people view your tweets

Hoard food and it rots. Hoard money and you rot. Hoard power and the nation rots.

~Chuck Palahniuk, Adjustment Day

Once you realize that trickle-down economics does not work, you will see the excessive tax cuts for the rich as what they are -- a simple upward redistribution of income, rather than a way to make all of us richer, as we were told.

Ha-Joon Chang, 23 Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism

Biden thought “somebody was lying … about the way the incident had gone down,” author Chris Whipple writes in “The Fight of His Life,” according to excerpts published by The Independent ahead of the book’s Jan. 17 release.

A Roomba recorded a woman on the toilet. How did screenshots end up on Facebook? MIT Technology Review

Lee Harvey Oswald, the CIA, and LSD: New Clues in Newly Declassified Documents Ryan Grim

5 foods that are traditionally eaten for luck in the New Year Salon

Barbershop owner in Buffalo opens his doors and saves lives in deadly blizzard. BBC

ZDNET What is an IP address and how can you change it with a VPN?: “Your IP address can be a gold mine for invasive advertisers, as well as thieves, hackers, and other bad actors. We’ll explain why it’s so sought after, and how you can protect your IP address by using a VPN…Why would I want to hide my IP address? 

The short answer is to protect your security and privacy. Anyone can use publicly available IP lookup tools to find both your ISP and your general physical location.  On the mildly irritating side of things, your IP address provides an way for invasive advertisers to bombard you with localized ads and to tie any collected browsing data to your IP to help track all of your activities. 

Some folks may have stronger motivations to hide their IP addresses. This includes people living under repressive regimes that could use an IP address to hunt down political opponents, people escaping from abusive relationships, and anyone else who fears they could be targeted by malicious individuals that would love to get their hands on a physical location. Identity thieves would also love to get their hands on this info to further exploit whatever data they may have on their target…”

TechCrunch: “Twitter is rolling out a feature that shows how many people view your tweets, similar to features on platforms like YouTube that show how many times a video has been viewed. “Twitter is rolling out View Count, so you can see how many times a tweet has been seen! This is normal for video,” Elon Musk wrote in a tweet. “Shows how much more alive Twitter is than it may seem, as over 90% of Twitter users read, but don’t tweet, reply or like, as those are public actions.” 

Per his own words, Musk seems enthusiastic about this feature showing users just how many people they will reach on Twitter; the comparison to online video feels like a call out to content creators like YouTuber MrBeast, whom Musk says is “not out of the question” in the search to find Twitter’s next CEO. But for some users, this feature might have the opposite effect and reveal that fewer people see their tweets than they believed…”

TechCrunch Twitter now shows how many people view your tweets

FoxNews:”A proposal to force cellphone companies to block certain spam texts is gaining momentum. Meanwhile, there are simple things you can do right now to stop spam texts, which I’ll get to shortly. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has expressed his support for a proposal by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to put an end to illegal and malicious texts.  

By doing so, he joined attorneys general from the other 49 states and Washington D.C., who had all previously expressed their support of the proposal. In a letter signed by all 51 attorneys general to the FCC, supporting them in their hopes to require cellular providers to block illegal text messages from invalid or unused numbers, as well as blocking any phone numbers found on a “do not originate” list, numbers which have previously been proved to have been used for fraudulent activity. 

The attorneys general are pushing for the FCC to go a step further, however, in urging them to develop authentication software that would help determine if a text message is a known or likely spammer, similar to how many spam or fraudulent phone calls are listed as “potential spam” on smartphones, thanks to the STIR/SHAKEN technology implemented in 2021…”

Silvester

        Michael Moore Q & A 

       There's a new translation of Alessandro Manzoni's The Betrothed out, by Michael F. Moore, and in America James T. Keane has a Q & A on Translating ‘the greatest novel in the Italian language’: Michael Moore on restoring ‘The Betrothed’ to its rightful place in world literature. 
       I haven't seen this one yet but very much hope to; meanwhile, see the Modern Library publicity page, or get your copy at Amazon.com, Bookshop.org or Amazon.co.uk. 

The year in AI

Thomas Sargent on the origins of AI and machine learning, including Galileo and Darwin

The Dangers of Elite Projection

Jason Kottke  

Public transit consultant Jarrett Walker:

Elite projection is the belief, among relatively fortunate and influential people, that what those people find convenient or attractive is good for the society as a whole. Once you learn to recognize this simple mistake, you see it everywhere. It is perhaps the single most comprehensive barrier to prosperous, just, and liberating cities.

This is not a call to bash elites. I am making no claim about the proper distribution of wealth and opportunity, or about anyone’s entitlement to influence. But I am pointing out a mistake that elites are constantly at risk of making. The mistake is to forget that elites are always a minority, and that planning a city or transport network around the preferences of a minority routinely yields an outcome that doesn’t work for the majority. Even the elite minority won’t like the result in the end.

Using ChatGPT to scrape websites.  And publicly announced ChatGPT variants and alternatives.  And Alpa.

The culture that is Finland?  Just don’t be proud of it!

Claims about Russia (speculative)

Under current U.S. patent law, including some 2022 cases, AI cannot count as an “inventor” and receive IP protection

Ali Ahmed Aslam RIP, credited with inventing chicken tikka masala (NYT)

The excellent Alec Stapp points us to an absolute classic in the law of unintended consequences:

APNews: A new federal law requiring that sesame be listed as an allergen on food labels is having unintended consequences — increasing the number of products with the ingredient.

Food industry experts said the requirements are so stringent that many manufacturers, especially bakers, find it simpler and less expensive to add sesame to a product — and to label it — than to try to keep it away from other foods or equipment with sesame.

As a result, several companies — including national restaurant chains like Olive Garden, Wendy’s and Chick-fil-A and bread makers that stock grocery shelves and serve schools — are adding sesame to products that didn’t have it before. While the practice is legal, consumers and advocates say it violates the spirit of the law aimed at making foods safer for people with allergies.

It’s all too easy to get sick right now. Here’s how to protect yourself

“Keep in mind as humorless, self-righteous, insufferable and mediocre corporate journalists are, they still fare better in all those metrics than academics.” 

-Michael Malice

Preparing for the Final Collapse of the Soviet Union Hudson Institute. Lambert: “What they really believe. We’ll see how it works out.”

The 2022 Prize Winners of the Worst Opening Sentences to Novels

The name of the contest is in honor of Edward Bulwer-Lytton, a British writer and politician who was active in the mid-19th century. He’s typically roasted for having the worst opening line in an actual novel: “It was a dark and stormy night.” But Bulwer-Lytton also came up with several pithy and memorable turns of phrase, like “the pen is mightier than the sword”.

Elon Musk’s Finances Complicated by Declining Wealth, Twitter Pressures Wall Street Journal

How Protecting Trees Can Fight GentrificationMother Jones

Release of Select Committee Materials – Additional Witness Testimony Transcripts

Dec 22, 2022 – Washington —”Today, the Select Committee made public additional transcripts of witness testimony that was gathered over the course of the Select Committee’s investigation into the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol These records can now be found on the Select Committee’s website:

• Cassidy Hutchinson, September 14, 2022, September 15, 2022.
• Chris Krebs
• Stephen Ayres, Part 1, Part 2
• Mark Esper
• Ken Klukowski, June 10, 2022
• Sarah Matthews

Vox: “Right now, the US is in the middle of an infectious disease trifecta. The “tripledemic” of the coronavirus, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has led New York Cityand Los Angeles County, among others, to “strongly recommend” masking indoors. Officials in Oakland and Sacramento may follow suit soon. 

The CDC, which has barely spoken about masking for the past year, now advises wearing one based on Covid-19 community levels — a recommendation that considers hospital admissions, beds available, and the number of case rates. Look, I’m not trying to freak you out with this objectively scary information. The data simply speaks to how crucial it is to prepare to weather this season. There’s a sense of fatigue especially when it comes to Covid: It’s been almost three years since that particular pandemic started, and the recommendations from officials have remained confusing. 

It’s overwhelming; I totally get that. But addressing the emotional reality of navigating these illnesses can go a long way toward protecting you and your loved ones. Covid-19 cases have increased by 26 percent over the two weeks preceding December 19, while hospitalizations and deaths have seen a 14 percent and 63 percent jump, respectively. And this flu season is on trend to be one of the worst in recent years. The CDC estimates that 15 million people have contracted the flu this season. 

As of December 16, at least 150,000 people have been hospitalized, and 9,300 have died from flu rates higher than average. And even though RSV is beginning to trend downward, infection rates remain high. These high rates of illness are also putting a major strain on hospitals and pharmacies. So how can we best navigate this icky viral chaos? I asked Elizabeth Stuart, a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health professor, and James Conway, a physician specializing in pediatric infectious disease at the University of Wisconsin. Here’s their advice, edited for length and clarity…”

Vox It’s all too easy to get sick right now. Here’s how to protect yourself

Trump and Taxes Released: How Were the First World Maps Created

 The finding led to criticism from Democrats. Don Beyer, a member of the committee that oversaw the record release, said that the IRS' auditing system was broken and that "Congress has so much work to do to make tax enforcement in this country fairer." 

In a memo cited in an earlier report, the IRS noted that "it is not possible to obtain the resources available to examine all potential issues" associated with Mr Trump's hundreds of business interests.

Donald Trump paid $1.1 million in federal income taxes in his first three years as president, and paid no taxes in 2020 as his income began to dwindle, new figures in a House Ways and Means Committee report show. https://nyti.ms/3Q5dXLM

Releasing six years' worth of Donald Trump's tax returns ensures transparency

How Were the First World Maps Created?

After seeing an abstract US map where the borders between the states were preserved but the shapes of the individual states were not, Tom Comerford was inspired to design what he calls The Topologist’s Map of the World.

I describe this a a topologist’s map because topology is a branch of mathematics concerned with the way that space is connected. In topology it’s common to think of stretchy, distortable surfaces that can be moved around without being punctured or torn.

The Best Book Covers of 2022

Jason Kottke 

Talking Trash with George Eliot

Curious if that term had been in use before George Eliot wrote Middlemarch in the early 1870s, I found Mark Liberman’s post on Language Log, where the earliest citation of the “abuse of opponents” sense of the phrase seems to be 1933. I will leave it to the etymological experts whether what Eliot meant by the phrase can be linked to the competitive speech of Muhammed Ali, Michael Jordan, and other athletes.

Lost a phone? Here’s how to track the location of an iPhone or Android device

       New World Literature Today 

       The January-February 2023 issue of World Literature Today is now available, with a focus on 2022 Neustadt International Prize for Literature laureate -- and The Knight and His Shadow-author -- Boubacar Boris Diop. 
       As always, of particular interest: the book review section. 

 Lost a phone? Here’s how to track the location of an iPhone or Android device ZDNET: “It’s happened to the best of us, that brief moment of panic when our phone is not in sight — nor in our pockets. I know I can’t be the only one who’s left their phone on a Target shelf or Starbucks counter, right? 

Luckily, both Apple and Google have GPS software for iPhones and Android phonesthat makes finding a device easy.  Here’s how you can set up and use the platforms’ respective location-tracking services to retrace your steps and, hopefully, find that lost phone. Also, read on for some alternative third-party apps that are just as effective and available for both operating systems.”

The Menu is a slow-cooked meal with a murderous kick: a delectable full course with a bloody and comedic twist, several surprises along the way, a delightful cast led by Ralph Fiennes at his best, some gorgeous presentation, and a sweet and explosive dessert that sticks with you long after your bill arrives. It also happens to be a bloody good time.

Menu

Slivovitz, a spirit with a cherished Jewish history, gets UNESCO World Heritage protection

Cover Your Tracks Electronic Frontier Foundation 

 

As Long as We’re on the Subject of CAPTCHAsBruce Schneier

 

Meta agrees to pay $725 million to settle lawsuit over Cambridge Analytica data leak CNN (Kevin W)

The Facts Underpinning Jan. 6 Committee Criminal Referrals FactCheck.org (furzy). I have trouble with the claim that Trump had a plan, as opposed to some impulses. 

 “FlightAware provides accurate real-time, historical and predictive flight insights to all segments of the aviation industry”. https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled/#Flightdelays #Transportation #Airlines#Aviation

Dr. Eiko Fried: “In December 2021, Robin Kokwrote a series of tweets about his Elsevier data access request. I did the same a few days later. This here is the resulting collaborative blog post, summarizing our journey in trying to understand what data Elsevier collects; what data Elsevier has collected on us two specifically; and trying to get this data deleted.

 A PDF version of this blog post is also available…To start with, of course they have information we have provided them with in our interactions with Elsevier journals: full names, academic affiliations, university e-mail addresses, completed reviews and corresponding journals, times when we declined review requests, and so on. Apart from this, there was a list of IP addresses. 

Checking these IP addresses identified one of us in the small city we live in, rather than where our university is located. We also found several personal user IDs, which is likely how Elsevier connects our data across platforms and accounts. We were also surprised to see multiple (correct) private mobile phone numbers and e-mail addresses included…And there is more. 

Elsevier tracks which emails you open, the number of links per email clicked, and so on…We also found our personal address and bank account details, probably because we had received a small payment for serving as a statistical reviewer.These €55 sure came with a privacy cost larger than anticipated…”