I’m sure most of have heard of the birthday paradox: the chance of two people sharing the same birthday is above 50 percent as soon as you have x people in the same room (not going to spoil the number here for those who haven’t heard of it). I’m also pretty sure, though, you haven’t seen an explanation of it that is so comprehensible (and charming) as this one by The Pudding.
There’s arguably no better person to learn about ISIS from than Rukmini Callimachi. The Times’ reporter now has her own audio series – and judging from the frist one and a half episodes, it’s going to be fantastic.
The gripping story of a young woman who keeps disappearing for weeks because she forgets who she is.
Here’s a feeling I have: I don’t think Mark Zuckerberg is a bad person, or driven by the wrong motives. However, he’s most certainly out of his depth when it comes to the societal implications of the behemoth he has created. Zeynep Tufekci tells the story of Facebook as a series of apologies.
🌔 = 😮. A stunning NASA video from imagery and data that the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft collected.
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I don’t have a whole lot of explicit life goals, but this is one: Never start complaining about how people younger than me use language. This article gives a fascinating overview on how a new form of written language is being established on the web. «A rulebook which states that deliberately misspelled words and misused grammar can convey tone, nuance, humour, and even annoyance.» One warning before you start reading: Once you’re in the know, you will never again be not conflicted about ending a sentence with a full stop(.)
The teenager told police all about his gang, MS-13. In return, he was slated for deportation and marked for death. What a story. And such great animated illustrations to tell it.
A dividing line between poor and not poor I haven’t really thought about before. One in three families in the US can’t afford diapers. Why are they so expensive? And what are the consequences for those who struggle to afford them?
Here’s an intriguing hypothesis: An excellent way to spread democracy is to take in more migrants from dictatorships.
A beautiful photo essay.