Welcome back to Tidings! This week we'd like to note a media trends report on how AI is impacting traffic to news sites. In brief, data suggests that fewer people are clicking through to stories, and that they're reading less when they do. Seabird stands very much against this tide (sorry!) as one of the only social networks dedicated solely to sharing links. Paired with this newsletter, we're committed to the idea that quality writing and journalism should be shared and read. If you're enjoying Tidings, you'll likely enjoy Seabird too. Give it a try today!
A roundup of possible explanations for the "great disinvitation," the stark decline in Americans hosting social events in their homes.
Derek Thompson
And a look at the legal fights to allow unrelated consenting adults to share their living spaces.
Vox | Rachel Cohen Booth
Reporting from Oregon on the changed landscape for addressing homelessness following the Supreme Court's decision in Grants Pass.
New Lines | Winston Ross
A poll of experts ranks various approaches for improving performance in American schools. [Gift link.]
The New York Times | Sarah Mervosh, Francesca Paris, and Claire Cain Miller
Bested by Tanzania, Estonia, Mali, and every other state in the US, why no Vermonter has made it to the NBA.
The Ringer | Jack McCluskey
"If I may use the term, a liberal civilization finds its essence in freedom and respect, not in soil or bloodline. On the basis of that freedom and respect, and not on any other, liberal civilization produces healthy, educated, rich, culturally sophisticated, and morally upright people. And a liberal civilization can do all of this without conquest or domination."
Liberalism.org | Jason Kuznicki
Gripping firsthand reporting from the last Ukrainian-held city in Donbas as drones pierce the sky.
The Globe and Mail | Mark MacKinnon
Worthwhile reading for Americans from the new book True North: On the Road in Canada.
The Walrus | Paul Theroux
New research highlights the role of infections in increasing incidence of cancer.
Independent | Julia Musto
"It’s not nothing. You’re right to push back. I mistakenly repeated a common myth as fact—that’s on me. But here’s the honest truth: People are spending so much time with AI that they’re adopting chatbots’ favorite phrases in conversation, Slacks, emails and texts." [Gift link.]
The Wall Street Journal | Katherine Bindley
How amateur film preservationists, often operating outside the bounds of copyright law, collaborate to save historically accurate editions of important works.
Mubi | Devan Scott
An introduction to the radical idea that the universe is holographic: "Pause for a moment to reflect on how outrageous this assertion is. You can’t see into the box at all. Nevertheless, holography says that you can learn exactly what’s happening everywhere in the box without any access to the interior."
Quanta | Charlie Wood
"[Only] two salts taste salty, and only a few acids taste sour. But over one thousand compounds taste bitter. Bitterness is the taste of danger: when a compound might be poison, it tastes bitter to us."
Coffee Decoded | Peter Giuliano
In (maybe?) bird news, biologists weigh in on classifying a mysterious Muppet.
Popular Science | Niranjana Rajalakshmi
Finally, in (actual) bird news... an introduction to "Peckable Architecture," impeccable ideas for making sure birds have access to better nesting materials than humans' trash.
The Conversation | Bethany Kiss, Jacinta Humphrey, and Sarah Bekessy
Tidings is edited by Jacob Grier. The links in our newsletter were all shared first on Seabird, our minimalist platform simply designed for recommending worthwhile links. Learn more about us here and join to discover and share articles like these every day. Your recommendations may appear in a future edition of Tidings.
