synchronoptica
one year ago: miscellany from the depths of Wikipedia (with synchronoptica), assorted links to revisit plus Hansel and Gretel (1893)
seven years ago: keep watching the skies plus misappropriating a Secessionist motto
eight years ago: combatting fake news
nine years ago: a cavalcade of holiday customs, Christmas ghost stories, lip balm recalled over high THC levels plus Seasons’ Greetings
ten years ago: Ship of Theseus
Via Damn Interesting’s Curated Links, we are directed to a class of quasiparticles in condensed matter physics—the field of study that focuses on the difference of properties and behaviours on macroscopic versus microscopic scales—that has the unexpected quality of carrying mass and charge in one direction 
only and when turned 90° suddenly become massless. Though the scholarship has been established for about a decade regarding such topological behaviour, researchers believe that harnessing such novel semi-Dirac fermions (with a strangely definitive level of certainty for the quantum realm) could have revolutionary applications for quantum computing and transcend the restraints of traditional circuitry that’s too blunt to wire reliably for qubits on a nano-scale. The semi- and super-conductors of solid state electronics do not corral energy in orderly or predictable ways for such a delicate set-up but if the circuit could be a virtual one comprised not of wire but of a particle with switching properties, quantum computations (see previously) could quickly become very robust. More from Popular Mechanics at the link above.
beige and confused: with the democratisation and de-fetishisation of graphic design, Elizabeth Goodspeed questions the role of Colour of the Year
diamond in the rough: researchers perfect nuclear-powered battery that lasts ten-thousand years—see previously
heroรถn: monumental ancient shire discovered in western Greece
now go away or he will taunt you a second time: former Homeland Security advisor is not retracting her criticism of FBI director nominee Kash Patel—see previously
naughty, brutish and short: philosophers on Santa’s good and bad lists
continuing resolution: the stop-gap spending bill to fund the US government through March hints at a revolt by Republican congressional members, refusing to entertain provisions to eliminate the debt ceiling (which Trump needs to enact his agenda) and postpones the budget battle to a time when the GOP has a even narrower majority
demonstration project: MIT-linked charter company plans world-first grid-scale fusion reactor
party city holdco inc: with every report on a company going bankrupt, there are at least four paragraphs citing inflation, consumer sentiment and competition before mentioning it was private equitied to death
that the US Central Intelligence Agency had turned its gaze inward against its jurisdiction and was conducting a massive covert domestic spying operation on anti-war protestors, wire-tapping the phones of tens of thousands of US citizens and infiltrating groups. Operation CHAOS was originally chartered under the administration of Lyndon B Johnson in 1967 but was greatly expanded by Nixon even after initial findings indicated no link between prominent peace movements and foreign embassies in the US or abroad—the prefix MH designated the area of operation to be global—and this secret redux of McCarthyism, given Nixon’s deportment, proved highly unpalatable to the public. Although ending the programme, Hersh felt betrayed after subsequently learning of secret meetings between the Ford administration and the editors that censored material, including political assassinations never disclosed to the reporter, prompting Hersh to distance himself from investigating the agency in the future. 
boughs of holly: a gallery of Edwardians dressed up as Christmas trees—via the Everlasting Blรถrt
gifcities: the Internet Archive’s gallery of vintage animations
hb3:
Pornhub is pulling out of Florida over a new law that requires age
verification on adult websites with a government issued form of
identification—don’t say you weren’t warned
diplomatic corps: Trump pre-appoints a slew of woefully unqualified ambassadors
superman is bleeding: the teaser trailer for the new cinematic adaptation neolithic octopoid: revisiting the Silurian hypothesis through cephalopods—via Clive Thompson’s Linkfest
by-line: Pulitzer’s year in news stories
perfect fit content: Spotify ghosts human artist, avoiding royalties
the campaign for economic democracy: Jane Fonda’s political action committee was funded through sales of Workout, inspired by serial presidential candidate and entrepreneur Lyndon LaRouche
a court of thorns and roses: sexual congress with supernatural beings is illegal in Sweden—via Strange Company
retrospective: around the world in the exhibitions of 2024
and the blue and silver candles that would just have matched the hair on grandma’s wig: Postmodern Jukebox’ take (previously) on a reviled holiday tune
Via JWZ, we are directed to this piece by Wonkette contributor Gary Legum with the brilliant and crucial preamble: “Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: a bigoted industrialist who owns a giant car company has endorsed a far-right German political party full of Nazis that aims to purify Europe by casting out groups of people it considers to be its lessers, if not downright subhuman. Ha ha, no, it’s not Henry Ford, but we sure fooled you.” 
Of course Legum is referring to the cosplay Darlek shadow president space Karen, who fresh off his latest foray into trying to influence the US congress is now sparking outrage after endorsing AfD ahead of Germany’s snap elections. Musk has launched trial balloons before in international matters in inciting rioters in Britain, criticising Italy’s immigration policy and presaged by his turning Twitter into a Nazi bar. Those aligned with Alternative fรผr Deutschland, including party co-chair Alice Weidel, who plans to campaign for chancellor, were ecstatic over this boosterism from the American oligarchy. What does Germany need saving from? The United States reelected an authoritarian, which was risible the first time, and quoth Marx, “history repeats itself first by tragedy second by farce.”
synchronoptica
one year ago: Midwinter Night traditions (with synchronoptica), Strange Paradise plus Christmas cards from Dan Quayle
seven years ago: Trump moves the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, what do you call a world that can’t learn from itself, a sleek sedan plus no more email signature blocks with motivational quotations
eight years ago: assorted links to enjoy, Christingle plus the VR experience
nine years ago: a new HTTP status code that calls out censorship plus the sewers of Wiesbaden
ten years ago: the Russian rouble and the Dutch Disease plus 2014 in review
Released under clemency conditions from the Landsberg prison complex outside of Munich from his 
confinement for participation in the attempted coup, Bรผrgerbrรคu Putsch, of the government of the Weimar Republik, Adolf Hitler (previously) used his incarceration to dictate Mein Kampf to his deputy Rudolf Hess. Following the war, the facility was a holding area of war criminals during the Nuremberg Prozess and as early as the establishment of West Germany in 1949 and the abolishment of the death penalty there was a push for reformation and rehabilitation with the prison today being run as a progressive correctional facility with job training for basic vocations.
