"Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, and stupid people already have all the answers."
- Socrates
Voting is now open for the 2026 Tiny Awards, featuring 10 sites that celebrate “the best of the small, poetic, creative, handmade web”. You have until Sept 25 to vote.
25 MOST INFLUENTIAL CREATORS OF 2026
WHAT I KNOW ABOUT JEFFREY EPSTEINSeymour Hersh
Ways of Treeing, “Meditations on time and rebellion against the straight line”.
The quiet grief of adult friendship. “Adult friendship became one of the most emotionally significant and least discussed losses of modern life.” (Via swissmiss)
Hugh Howey (author of the Silo books) on how the self-publishing window has closed(or at least narrowed). “We had less than 20 years of writing being hard and publishing being easy, and we will never get that window back.”
A media diet post - watching s03 of Silo, listening to Toni Morrison read Beloved (great book but what a fucking gift to hear Morrison read it), and enjoyed the new Spider-Man, a series that is at its best when the three leads just chill and talk.
“Artist and researcher Maggie Coblentz fermented miso in orbit, chasing a deeper question: What makes a miso a miso—or a person a person—away from Earth?”
I Eat the Stars: How to Live Fully and Beautifully in a Collapsing World by Sarah Wilson.
Messy Nessy’s Cabinet (always a good source of interesting links) redesigned recently.
These Dutch strip islands are cool
Federal Data Terminations Tracker.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our briefing introducing the Federal Data Terminations Tracker. If you missed the briefing or would like to revisit the discussion, watch the recording below to learn about the methodology behind the tracker, why measuring data terminations is so challenging, and a few of the dozens of federal datasets identified as terminated. Additional resources from the webinar are available here.
Have a termination or removal to add? Contact us at removals@dataindex.
The Neuroscience Behind Writing: Handwriting vs. Typing—Who Wins the Battle?
So, do both! Marano G, Kotzalidis GD, Lisci FM, Anesini MB, Rossi S, Barbonetti S, Cangini A, Ronsisvalle A, Artuso L, Falsini C, Caso R, Mandracchia G, Brisi C, Traversi G, Mazza O, Pola R, Sani G, Mercuri EM, Gaetani E, Mazza M. The Neuroscience Behind Writing: Handwriting vs. Typing-Who Wins the Battle?Life (Basel). 2025 Feb 22;15(3):345. doi: 10.3390/life15030345. PMID: 40141690; PMCID: PMC11943480.
Background: The advent of digital technology has significantly altered ways of writing. While typing has become the dominant mode of written communication, handwriting remains a fundamental human skill, and its profound impact on cognitive processes continues to be a topic of intense scientific scrutiny. Methods:
This paper investigates the neural mechanisms underlying handwriting and typing, exploring the distinct cognitive and neurological benefits associated with each. By synthesizing findings from neuroimaging studies, we explore how handwriting and typing differentially activate brain regions associated with motor control, sensory perception, and higher-order cognitive functions. Results: Handwriting activates a broader network of brain regions involved in motor, sensory, and cognitive processing.
Typing engages fewer neural circuits, resulting in more passive cognitive engagement. Despite the advantages of typing in terms of speed and convenience, handwriting remains an important tool for learning and memory retention, particularly in educational contexts.
Conclusions: This review contributes to the ongoing debate about the role of technology in education and cognitive development. By understanding the neural differences between handwriting and typing, we can gain insights into optimal learning strategies and potential cognitive advantages, in order to optimize educational, cognitive, and psychological methodologies.
