London Review of Books (LRB) – December 20, 2023: The latest issue features Stevenson in Edinburgh; Katherine Mansfield’s Lies; James Meek changes the channel, and Israel and Germany…
Research Preview: Nature Magazine Dec 21, 2023
Nature Magazine – December 20, 2023: The latest issue cover features ten people who helped to shape science during the year. The cover takes its inspiration from one of the developments that dominated the year: artificial intelligence.
From Einstein to AI: how 100 years have shaped science
Looking back a century reveals how much the research landscape has changed
Earth is warming but Mount Everest is getting chillier
Winds triggered by climate change sweep cold air down from the summit of Mount Everest and other Himalayan peaks, leading to a cooling trend.
ChatGPT and science: the AI system was a force in 2023 — for good and bad
The poster child for generative AI software is a startling human mimic. It represents a potential new era in research, but brings risks.
Politics: The Guardian Weekly – December 22, 2023

The Guardian Weekly (December 20, 2023) – The new issue features Two wars and a growing divide between the global west and south. Plus: Best culture of 2023.
World risks new age of empires where might makes right, warns Estonian foreign minister

International institutions seem powerless in face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, writes Margus Tsahkna, arguing they ‘cannot survive unchanged’
The international rules-based system needs urgent and fundamental change if it is not to collapse, the Estonian foreign minister has said, calling for “a new global conversation” to begin on how to reform the UN and the international criminal court.
Writing in the Guardian on Wednesday, Margus Tsahkna says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted flaws in the system that risk fatally undermining people’s faith in it.
_______________________________
Elsewhere, we shouldn’t forget there are plenty of reasons for hope. Having been expected to deliver little, the Cop28 climate summit turned out to be full of surprises – but was the final deal on fossil fuels just a ruse, asks environment editor Fiona Harvey.
Writers from the Guardian’s global development team reflect on the inspirational figures they met in 2023, from leaders to dancers to dads, who proved that humanity still has much to give. And leading conservationists and scientists tell us about the mysteries of the planet they wish they better understood.
The review of 2023 continues with the Observer’s selection of those we lost, recalled with affection by their friends. There’s also a dazzling range of images courtesy of the Guardian agency photographers of the year.
Last but not least, the Guardian critics’ top 10 rundowns of the best film and music of 2023, topped off with the Guardian Weekly team’s now-legendary television selections of the year.
France Culture: Périgord Castles & Gastronomy
FRANCE 24 English (December 20, 2023) – With a thousand castles and almost as many churches, France’s south-western Périgord region is a paradise for lovers of ancient stones. Aude, 32, has inherited the fortress of Commarque.
The young Parisian left everything behind to protect this 12th-century monument. Gastronomy is also a key part of life in the Périgord. In this region that cherishes quality produce, chef Pierre Corre cooks black truffles like no one else.
Read more: https://f24.my/A0gb.y
News: Red Sea Shipping Crisis, Colorado Bars Trump From State Ballot
Arts/Books: Times Literary Supplement – Dec 22, 2023

Times Literary Supplement (December 20, 2023): The latest issue features ‘A nice little earner’ – On Dicken’s Christmas Carol; Jane Austen’s Truth Universally Acknowledged; Between God and Jingle Bells; and ‘Revoltingly Cute’…
The New York Times — Wednesday, Dec 20, 2023
Trump Is Disqualified From 2024 Ballot, Colorado Court Says in Explosive Ruling

The decision, the first by a court to find that Donald Trump is ineligible to hold office again because he engaged in insurrection, is likely to put a monumental case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Red Sea Attacks Pose Another Threat to Global Economy

Already hampered by problems at the Panama Canal, shipping companies are now steering clear of the Suez Canal to avoid being attacked in the Red Sea.
7 Months Inside an Online Scam Labor Camp
A man was abducted by a Chinese gang and forced to work in a scam operation. He gathered financial information, photos and videos and shared the material with The New York Times.
In Iceland, a Fiery Show of Lava and Smoke
Icelanders had been girding for an eruption. When it happened, they wanted to see it.
Scientific American – January 2024 Preview
Scientific American (December 19, 2023): The January 2024 issue features How Much Vitamin D Do You Need to Stay Healthy?; Inside Mathematicians’ Search for the Mysterious ‘Einstein Tile’; How Analyzing Cosmic Nothing Might Explain Everything; Why Are Alaska’s Rivers Turning Orange?; and Intervention at an Early Age May Hold Off the Onset of Depression…
New Zealand Design: Waiheke Island Home Tour
The Local Project (December 19, 2023) – On Waiheke Island, New Zealand, an architect designs a hidden home. Offering a distinctive New Zealand experience, Mawhiti House was created for two sisters who were in search of a unique holiday dwelling where they could peacefully retreat to.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Hidden Home 00:43 – Designed for Two Siblings 01:49 – The Form of the Home and its Influence 02:28 – The History of the Gateway Pavilion 03:31 – In Conversation with the Home and the Landscape 04:00 – The Layout of the Home 04:45 – Incorporating A Soulful and Earthy Feeling 05:36 – Proud Moments
A place of restoration and rejuvenation, an architect designs a hidden home that evokes a sense of calm. Built on an expansive plot of land, the Mawhiti House is surrounded by native bushland along with expansive views of the ocean, which can be accessed from the kitchen, bathrooms and living spaces within. Stephens Lawson Architects has designed the form to feel welcoming to the owners and their guests all year round. As seen in the house tour, Mawhiti House combines utility with a deep spiritual atmosphere. Another inspiration for the design was the idea of a rural barn.
Accompanying the Waiheke Island residence is a gateway pavilion, a structural addition that is made out of timber and enhances the living experience. Formed out of raw, natural pieces of wood, the structure offers a unique way to experience the surrounds of Waiheke Island. The house tour also reveals that the home and pine wood gateway are in constant dialogue with each other through the triangular forms and materiality of the timber architecture. Broken into three pavilions, the dwelling is spread across the site and seamlessly blends into the landscape as if it has always been a part of it. Between the pavilions are micro courtyards positioned off the bathrooms. As an architect designs a hidden home, each courtyard is differentiated from one another to enrich the experience of the owners and their visitors alike.