Afflictor: Believing that Paul McCartney got to front Nirvana after their original choice turned them down.
Oh well, whatever, nevermind.
- Old Print Article: Fat Men’s Association of Coney Island stages dance, gets mocked (1890).
- Classic Photograph: Hi Jolly, Sans Camel, With Bride (App. 1880).
- Featured Videos: Andy Warhol and William S. Burroughs dine on hare (1980) + Ravi Shankar gives sitar lessons to George Harrison + Merv Griffin visited by Muhammad Ali (1980), Ricky Jay (1983) and Pearl Harbor commander Capt. Mitsuo Fuchida (1965) + A reel of concept automotive tires + The launching of the Echo satellite (1960) + Headless robot replicates human muscle movement + DARPA’s “autonomous precision payload emplacement system.”
- Recently Posted on NYC’s Craigslist: Tired of the same old Hollywood blockbusters? + Why are all the cats and dogs hiding? + You think you love Telly Savalas?
- Claude Shannon was a father of the Information Age–and deeply eccentric.
- In 1800s New England, some corpses were accused of vampirism.
- Oliver Sacks notes how hallucinations have changed over time.
- Frank Rich excoriates Petraeus, Broadwell and our hero culture.
- Larry Page discusses the future of self-driving cars.
- Harold Evans recalls table tennis great Marty Reisman.
- Peter Thiel discusses computer chess and the human brain.
- There is no evidence that criminality is genetic.
- Gary Marcus explains why making truly intelligent robots is so tough.
- A mall Santa Claus conducts an Ask Me Anything on Reddit.
- A Dumpster diver conducts an Ask Me Anything on Reddit.
- Our universe could just be a simulation run by a futuristic computer.
- Predictions for 2030 by the National Intelligence Council.
- Futuristic handcuffs will be able to administer shocks or sedatives.
- DARPA has created a foam that can freeze internal injuries.
- Lewis Lapham recalls dropping acid with Allen Ginsberg.
- A brief note from 1858 about a family dinner.
- A brief note from 1901 about a leisurely drive.
- A brief note from 1894 about a sleepwalker.
- This week’s Afflictor keyphrase searches.