the best of the week, in one newsletter
You probably heard the news of tens of thousands of migrants trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa. But what actually happened there, and more importantly: why? This conversation does a good job of going beyond the simple explanations that were floated instantly.
Reuters’ «Climate Monitor» puts the enormous heat in Europe in perspective, with a number of excellent data visualisations. As I’m writing this, it reads: «An estimated 334 million people, 91% of Western Europe’s population, are forecast to experience a high temperature of +5°C or more above the historic norm.»
My head is still spinning from the number of times I’ve read secretly loyal in this report. Then again, it’s the key term to understand how a small group of people could stage an AI-enabled coup. You don’t need to read the entire report; the first couple of chapters give you a good sense of…
Over the past 80 years, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program has tracked around 300 wars. More than 60 per cent had no formal ending. This is a helpful analysis for understanding why never-ending wars are becoming the norm, and how they could be avoided. (Not starting them would be one way, but the analysis focuses…
I had never thought of this: even if we somehow invented a way to time travel, it wouldn’t be as cool as sci-fi tells us. In fact, using a time machine would mean you would end up somewhere in cold, dark space and die pretty quickly. Because «moving through time also means moving through space.»
Another great explainer video by Max Fisher. On how Ukraine managed to shift the momentum in Crimea and why taking back control is not its primary goal.
«For a long time I argued the exact opposite. Here is how I changed my mind.» This is often a good premise for an opinion piece. This is the CEO of a German publishing platform – think Substack with less money and fewer horrible people – explaining why they draw clear lines on who they…
He is undoubtedly the most electrifying political figure in the United States right now – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. His influence is quickly expanding beyond NYC, and that’s what this interview focuses on. Even if none of this interests you, give it a listen anyway. Because, wow, what a masterclass in political communication.
«This is what collapse looks like. It’s the breakdown of the systems and routines that keep life rolling comfortably in the way that we expect and in the way that the system demands.» A personal dispatch from Paris that puts into words that something is shifting. To many in Europe, this summer feels different. It…
The always inspiring Ed Yong on the many ways animals experience our world in ways that remain hidden from our human senses. How birds can not just sense, but actually see the magnetic field of the Earth. Or how dogs can smell time, glimpsing into the past and the future with their noses. A small…