Reading List

The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.

We have to stop freaking out about every new microplastics study

You’ve probably heard microplastics are everywhere — in our brains, in our hearts, in possibly every single man on earth’s testicles. Studies published in major medical journals have reported that microplastics are plentiful in seemingly every inch of the human body and they have attracted widespread media attention. Most of us have gotten the message loud […]

How right-wing influencers are bending reality in Minneapolis

In the hours and days after news and videos spread of the ICE shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis last week, a small army of right-wing, pro-Trump creators, journalists, and influencers descended on the city and flooded social media. They filmed protests; rode along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection; documented […]

Can the ICE shooter be prosecuted?

The Twin Cities, and much of the nation, are still reeling from ICE agent Jonathan Ross shooting and killing Renee Good last week. The local resistance to the federal immigration forces deployed in and around Minneapolis has grown, and the Trump administration’s rhetoric against Good and the protesters around Minneapolis has heated up. On Thursday, […]

Why universal child care is closer than ever in New York

It looked like one of Zohran Mamdani’s most ambitious promises. Between a $6 billion price tag and the complexity of hiring and training potentially thousands of educators, the mayoral candidate’s proposal to offer universal child care in New York City drew widespread skepticism during last year’s campaign. Though 71 percent of likely voters supported the […]

Gadgets are getting worse and more expensive at the same time

The paper clip problem always seemed too absurd to me. Also known as the paper clip maximizer, this is the thought experiment by philosopher Nick Bostrom that imagines how a superintelligent AI with the goal of maximizing paper clip production could end up destroying the world by directing all available resources to making paper clips.  […]