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​The end of mail in Denmark​

As Denmark officially ends its postal service, a funny, meandering reflection on writing letters and the frustrations of Danish bureaucracy.

The Dial | Anna Juul (tr. Caroline Waight)

​The last yak herder of Ladakh​

Stunning photographs and a visit with Thinlay Nurboo, one of the last people keeping up the traditional way of life of Himalayan yak herders in the face of climate change and modernity.

Noema | Sajad Hameed and Rehan Qayoom Mir

​The beast of Bentonville​

Walmart's massive new headquarters channels Silicon Valley in its ambition, but may already reveal a company out of the times: "not quite conservative enough, not quite liberal enough, not quite a tech company, not just a brick-and-mortar retailer, either."

n+1 | Olivia Paschal

​How a cute dog in a Super Bowl ad revealed a national surveillance crisis​

How Ring invited backlash by calling attention to its invasive surveillance capabilities, and other worrying aspects of the creeping surveillance state.

The Ringer | Brian Phillips

​The DJI Romo robovac had security so poor...​

And how an attempt to control a robot vacuum with a PlayStation gamepad accidentally revealed live video feeds of thousands of private spaces.

The Verge | Sean Hollister

​I studied the latest Epstein files. As a woman, this is what I felt​

Browsing Epstein's emails offers a disturbing peek behind the curtain at how powerful men talk privately about women.

The Times | Helen Rumbelow

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​The big case against owning small pets​

On the ethics of keeping small pets like birds, hamsters, and reptiles, providing alleged comfort but denying their natural tendencies to roam.

Vox | Kenny Torrella

​Humbled by evolution​

A very nice essay on the beauty of evolutionary theory and the wonderful diversity of life emerging from its simple principles.

American Scientist | Lee Alan Dugatkin and Carl T. Bergstrom

​Fermenting revolution​

The forgotten culinary history of the Aerated Bread Company, which saved bakers' backs and provided public meeting spaces, the Starbucks of its day, for women's suffragists.

Works in Progress | Phoebe Arslanagic-Little

​They just wanted to grow food. Their suburban neighbors declared war.​

A new book looks at the ongoing fight for the right to grow food in your own yard, not just grass.

Mother Jones | Kate Brown

​The Harvard of the south... of the west?​

With expansion to San Francisco and West Palm Beach, Vanderbilt is the latest university to try a networked model with campuses around the country.

The Atlantic | Rose Horowitch

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​A landscape artist in winter​

Profile of Scottish sculptor Andy Goldsworthy as he approaches the end of his career and sets to work on a massive new project.

The New Yorker | Rebecca Mead

​The median voter theorem is a clarity trap​

Advice for the Democratic party and a book recommendation for C. Thi Nguyen’s The Score.

Programmable Mutter | Henry Farrell

​A.I.'s pandemic moment​

Contemplating a metaphor: are tech workers situated in the AI equivalent of February 2020?

Read Max | Max Read

​The rise of RentAHuman​

And a new platform offers humans gig work for AI bosses.

Wired | Kyle MacNeill

​It's maple syrup season​

Want to plan your vacation around maple syrup? There's a guide for that.

The New York Times | Jennifer A. Kingson

​Bird of the year​

Finally, in bird news... can Seabird have your nomination for bird of the year?

Poorly Drawn Lines | Reza Farazmand

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