The far right thrived in 2024, and the erosion of liberal democracy is the story of the century so far. It didn’t have to be this way By Cas Muddle
Want to imagine the city of the future? Try Milton Keynes Jen Stout
THE AMERICAN SCHOLAR (December 2, 2024): The latest issue features ‘From Atop The Magic Mountain’ – One-Hundred years later, Thomas Mann’s epic remains as prophetic as ever.
Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain, published a century ago, tells of a world unable to free itself from the cataclysm of war By Samantha Rose Hill
Many of us do not go gentle into that good night
Only rarely did the outside world intrude on an idyllic Connecticut childhood, but in the tumultuous 1960s, that intrusion included an encounter with evil
BARRON’S MAGAZINE (November 30, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Tax ‘Moves for Trump 2.0’
A postelection look at how tax laws are likely to change, and especially the outlook for the 2017 tax cuts.
The deficit is likely to rise a lot more, and inflation could prove stubborn, leading to higher interest rates. How investors can protect themselves.
Rebalancing after a strong year for stocks may be uncomfortable. Do it anyway.
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A multifunctional metamaterial can change shape and steer light simultaneously
Footprints in Kenya show that hominin bipedalism had a complex evolutionary history
The Guardian Weekly (November 28, 2024): The new issue features last week’s escalation of Nato ballistic missile activity, in which UK and US-made missiles were launched into Russia for the first time, brought a predictably cold response from Vladimir Putin – who loosened Moscow’s nuclear doctrines and promised more attacks with a new, experimental ballistic missile.
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Spotlight | Does lame duck Biden have time to Trump-proof democracy?
The outgoing US president may only have weeks left in the White House, but activists say he can secure civil liberties, accelerate spending on climate and healthcare, and spare death row prisoners. David Smith reports
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Science | My weird, emotional week with an AI pet
Casio says Moflin can develop its own personality and build a rapport with its owner – and it doesn’t need food, exercise or a litter tray. But is it essentially comforting or alienating? Justin McCurry finds out
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Feature | Are we right to strive to save the world’s tiniest babies?
Doctors are pushing the limits of science and human biology to save more extremely premature babies than ever before. But when so few survive, are we putting them through needless suffering? By Sophie McBain
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Opinion | A social media ban is in everyone’s interests – not just kids under 16
Van Badham on why she resents being excluded from protection against monetised fear, anger and toxicity
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Culture | A road trip like no other: an epic drive on the Autobahn
Fifty years after electronic pioneers Kraftwerk released a 23-minute song about a road – and changed pop music for ever – Tim Jonze hits the highways of Düsseldorf and Hamburg in search of its futuristic brilliance
Stimulating certain brain cells in mice seems to ease anxiety without causing hallucination-like effects.
A pall of smoke from burning cropland each year decreases rainfall in the annual monsoon.
Understanding how human neurons cope with the energy demands of a large, active brain could open up new avenues for treating neurological disorders.
Times Literary Supplement (November 27, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Mutti Knows Best?’ – Angela Merkel’s triumph and tragedy; Gaughin’s uncensored thoughts; Gladiator II; C.S. Lewis’s Oxford and “The Magic Mountain” at 100…
 Inside Clear’s ambitions to manage your identity beyond the airportThe company that has helped millions of people cut security lines wants to give you a frictionless future—in exchange for your face. Read more →  Google DeepMind has a new way to look inside an AI’s “mind”Autoencoders are letting us peer into the black box of artificial intelligence. They could help us create AI that is better understood, and more easily controlled. Read more →  How this grassroots effort could make AI voices more diverseA massive volunteer-led effort to collect training data in more languages, from people of more ages and genders, could help make the next generation of voice AI more inclusive and less exploitative. Read more →  Who’s to blame for climate change? It’s surprisingly complicated.The world’s biggest polluters, by the numbers.Read more →  The rise of Bluesky, and the splintering of socialYou may have read that it was a big week for Bluesky. If you’re not familiar, Bluesky is, essentially, a Twitter clone that publishes short-form status updates. Read more → |
BARRON’S MAGAZINE (November 23, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Google Is Under Siege. It Will Prevail.”
The company is facing pressure on two fronts—the government and a host of new AI-powered search rivals. It has the capacity to meet both challenges and continue to prosper.
Wall Street is making a push for more extended hours in the stock market, and Trump’s incoming regulators are likely to approve. What to know so you don’t lose your shirt.
Retailers are lifting their earnings guidance as shoppers hit the stores. Five names in the bargain bin.
John Williams, who heads the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, says 2% is the rate that can best balance the Fed’s employment and price stability goals.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to scrutinize proven vaccines and slash staff at research and regulatory agencies
$1 billion SinoProbe II will map the depths with drill rigs and instrument arrays
Boomers Daily 