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Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham
Midnight in Chernobyl is a meticulous examination of the Chernobyl disaster. It accounts for the bureaucratic neglect the Soviet system grew into that contributed towards key events. Neglect that contributed to the way the plant and reactor were designed, the town and state response, and the attempted cover up. Plus, it tells of the horrific human toll paid by those exposed to the radiation.
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Scent Makes a Place
Sniffing, searching, naming: These actions enable us to more thoughtfully engage with our environment.
Katy Kelleher connects how scent shouldn’t be discounted as one of our senses. Scent makes a place, both physical as to where we are in the world at a particular time and the emotion and memories it evokes. With the background as a perfumer, they illustrate the importance unique smells brought to different cultures. Historically, language has had difficulty accurately translating or describing smell despite the power it can evoke.
Helen Keller called our sense of smell the “fallen angel.”
“It is difficult to put into words the thing itself,” she wrote. “There seems to be no adequate vocabulary of smells, and I must fall back on approximate phrase and metaphor.”
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Homemade crunch bars
Do you like chocolate, peanut butter, a gentle but satisfying crunch with a light touch of salt? Here’s a super easy homemade crunch bar recipe in 15 minutes (plus chill time).
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This is the Tom Green Documentary
This is the Tom Green Documentary is an insightful work of nostalgia, showing his rise, how he made it work, and how he understood media and technology. The documentary serves as a segue to his new reality series on Prime.
He performed TikTok, street style pranks before Gen Z was born. He executed Jackass style physical stunts before the Jackass crew got together. He even produced a web stream talk show before podcasting became a word.
Green’s parents and friends all appear, and towards the end, there’s a contemplative aura about him.
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Chappel Roan takes Pink Pony Club on a ride
From first singing, the song, Pink Pony Club in front of 50 people in 2021 and thinking it too a 150,000 person sing-along in 2024.
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Fixing a piano during an 8 hour layover
Aspiring piano tuner, Josiah Jackson, fixed a public piano in O’Hare Airport during an 8 hour layover.
On YouTube, his channel name is the Piano Doctor, and he posted a video of the endeavor.
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Backing up government data sets
Fascist bureaucrats don’t like facts that contradict their agenda. Backing up government data sets as an act of resistance.
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2024 in snacks
Cabel Sasser does his annual year in review of snacks. Did you know there are:
- Churro flavored Oreos
- Smore flavored Ramen
- Spiced Coca Cola
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10 technologies for 2025
MIT Technology Review posted their prognostications for what 10 technologies will make an impact in 2025. Maybe this will be the year of the robotaxi. Interestingly, cow burps, a significant source of methane, might receive relief.
Cow burps are one of the largest sources of agricultural emissions—and one of the trickiest ones to solve. A food supplement that significantly reduces the amount of methane that cattle belch is now available in dozens of countries. Other products, which might prove even more effective, are likely on the way.
