subj
Think chess is just a board game?
Think again. Scientists say the number of possible chess games is greater than the number of atoms in the entire universe — and that’s not an exaggeration. Known as the Shannon Number, this mind-melting figure (around 10¹²⁰) means that every move you make could open a new universe of possibilities — literally!
That’s what makes chess so endlessly fascinating. Even after centuries of play, no two games have ever been the same. From ancient kings to modern AIs, everyone’s still trying to master this infinite puzzle. It’s not just a game of strategy — it’s a glimpse into the boundless complexity of human thought.
That’s what makes chess so endlessly fascinating. Even after centuries of play, no two games have ever been the same. From ancient kings to modern AIs, everyone’s still trying to master this infinite puzzle. It’s not just a game of strategy — it’s a glimpse into the boundless complexity of human thought.
subj
11th century method for calculating Earth's radius!
Al-Biruni calculated the Earth's radius to be approximately 6,339.9 km (or 6,336 km in some sources), which is an incredibly close estimate for his time. He used a method involving trigonometry, the height of a mountain, and measuring the angle of the horizon's dip from the mountaintop. This calculation was highly accurate, with a margin of error of less than 1% compared to modern measurements.
Al-Biruni's method:
Concept: Al-Biruni understood that the Earth's curvature causes the horizon to appear lower from a mountaintop than from sea level.
Height measurement: He determined the height of a mountain by measuring the angle of elevation from two different points on flat ground.
Horizon dip: Using an astrolabe, he measured the angle of dip (or depression) of the horizon below the horizontal line from the mountaintop.
Calculation: He applied the law of sines to the large triangle formed by the Earth's center, the mountaintop, and the horizon to calculate the Earth's radius.
Result: His calculation for the radius was about 6,339.9 km, and his estimate for the circumference was within 0.3% of today's accepted value.
Al-Biruni's method:
Concept: Al-Biruni understood that the Earth's curvature causes the horizon to appear lower from a mountaintop than from sea level.
Height measurement: He determined the height of a mountain by measuring the angle of elevation from two different points on flat ground.
Horizon dip: Using an astrolabe, he measured the angle of dip (or depression) of the horizon below the horizontal line from the mountaintop.
Calculation: He applied the law of sines to the large triangle formed by the Earth's center, the mountaintop, and the horizon to calculate the Earth's radius.
Result: His calculation for the radius was about 6,339.9 km, and his estimate for the circumference was within 0.3% of today's accepted value.
subj
How to tour the world without ever leaving Maine
My family has a place in Athens. People would always be interested when I mentioned we were going to Athens. Less so after I explained that it's a very small town kind of in the middle of nowhere. People also get less impressed by the "vacation house" when I explain about the outhouse and eternal rodent and snake population that is in residence when we aren't. And while we are, actually. I still love it!
subj
Analog is the new black
Comment from Albrecht Pagenstert, head of brand for BMW North America: “Authenticity is the new disruption. At a time when everyone’s using AI to simulate something that looks and feels real, being genuine actually stands out.”
Albrecht was describing the brief behind their new ad that makes fun of the glut of “AI slop,” a buzzword for low quality, high volume AI-generated content. Polaroid similarly tapped into this insight in a recent billboard campaign with headlines like “AI can’t generate sand between your toes.”
This stretches far beyond advertising. WIRED shared research late last year that over 54% of longer English-language posts on LinkedIn were likely AI-generated. Google, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest are starting to grapple with AI slop using different degrees of labeling, detection, and filtering. Google is now using the term “human-first” to describe what it prioritizes in AI overviews.
Ann Handley has been writing and talking about the benefits of another type of AI: "Analog Intelligence." Ann is no luddite, but she describes Analog as an essential complement to Artificial Intelligence:
“I’m convinced that in the Age of Artificial, Analog is a power move.”
Ann also warns about the dangers of what she calls “Thoughtstipation," which is a watch-out in all forms of communication and creativity:
“Thoughtstipation happens when we skip the messy, human part of creativity—the part where we meander, doodle, ramble, reflect, and debate the use of an Oxford comma just because we love thinking about sentences.
“AI is useful. OF COURSE it is.
“But if you invite it in too early, before you’ve even heard your own voice and explored for yourself, you risk overriding your natural thinking process. Over time, that leads to chronic blockage. You literally can't think without AI in the wings; you've offloaded your own brain and its power.”
Albrecht was describing the brief behind their new ad that makes fun of the glut of “AI slop,” a buzzword for low quality, high volume AI-generated content. Polaroid similarly tapped into this insight in a recent billboard campaign with headlines like “AI can’t generate sand between your toes.”
This stretches far beyond advertising. WIRED shared research late last year that over 54% of longer English-language posts on LinkedIn were likely AI-generated. Google, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest are starting to grapple with AI slop using different degrees of labeling, detection, and filtering. Google is now using the term “human-first” to describe what it prioritizes in AI overviews.
Ann Handley has been writing and talking about the benefits of another type of AI: "Analog Intelligence." Ann is no luddite, but she describes Analog as an essential complement to Artificial Intelligence:
“I’m convinced that in the Age of Artificial, Analog is a power move.”
Ann also warns about the dangers of what she calls “Thoughtstipation," which is a watch-out in all forms of communication and creativity:
“Thoughtstipation happens when we skip the messy, human part of creativity—the part where we meander, doodle, ramble, reflect, and debate the use of an Oxford comma just because we love thinking about sentences.
“AI is useful. OF COURSE it is.
“But if you invite it in too early, before you’ve even heard your own voice and explored for yourself, you risk overriding your natural thinking process. Over time, that leads to chronic blockage. You literally can't think without AI in the wings; you've offloaded your own brain and its power.”
express, not stress