TL;DR summary of stories on the internet
From 2009 to 2012, Apple devices had a Send to YouTube feature that saw a 1700% rise in uploads. This led to a plethora of videos with the default title IMG_XXXX, providing a unique and surreal look into strangers’ lives on YouTube. Surprisingly, many of these unedited videos offer genuine moments and insights. For example, […]
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The illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a major international crime linked to money laundering, corruption, and other illicit activities. The trade of species like pangolins, elephants, rhinos, and African blackwood poses a significant threat to biodiversity and human health. Efforts to combat IWT involve international treaties, policies, and innovative approaches, including the use of wildlife […]
Daniel Crouch, a dealer of rare books, maps, and atlases, acquired a 19th-century map depicting the fictional Central American monarchy of Poyais created by Gregor MacGregor. Despite not existing, MacGregor successfully convinced hundreds of people to invest in the Scottish colony, selling fake government bonds and land. Crouch is fascinated by maps as tools for […]
For years, there have been suspicions that Facebook amplifies misinformation, but a study funded by Meta, Facebook’s parent company, and published in Science in 2023, claimed otherwise. The study suggested that Facebook’s algorithms had no major impact on misinformation during the 2020 US election. However, doubts have been raised by a team of researchers led […]
The Neft Daşları, or Oil Rocks, is a unique city floating in the Caspian Sea filled with a rich history of oil production. Initially built by oil workers in the 1940s, it grew into a vast expanse of oil wells interconnected by bridges and pipelines, functioning as the world’s oldest offshore oil platform. Despite its […]
The author’s project aims to convert music into sheet music using open source algorithms for audio source separation. By analyzing Fourier transforms and envelopes of instrument data, the program can successfully recreate music at a set time. The method involves splitting music into constituent notes and instruments through a matrix derived from a cost function. […]
This post is a transcription plus commentary of the Board of Longitude’s 1767 document “The Principles of Mr. Harrison’s Time-keeper,” sought by the author. From scans on the University of Cambridge Digital Library, a great article on “watchesbysjx” revealed the microscopic magic of H4, Harrison’s First Sea Watch. The text is updated for modern readability, […]
The author delves into the complex world of typesetting engines, emphasizing the importance of the line breaking algorithm. The post explores various typesetting engines like HTML/CSS, LaTeX, and react-pdf, highlighting the pros and cons of each. Notably, the challenges of CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) typesetting due to the vast character set and cultural nuances are […]
Chonkie is the ultimate no-nonsense RAG chunking library that promises to CHONK your texts with lightning-fast speed and effortless ease. Tired of bloated or feature-less alternatives, the creator set out to develop a lightweight solution that just works. With Chonkie, you get all the CHONKs you need in a fast, easy-to-use package. The library supports […]
Charles Cecil of Revolution Software admits his regret in not introducing direct control to PlayStation version of Broken Sword, acknowledging the missed opportunity for a huge success. Tim Schafer’s creative process behind Grim Fandango involved combining Mexican folklore with film noir, leading to the unique concept of an adventure game set in the Land of […]