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Rand Paul Is Going It Alone. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 519 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. Rand Paul is positioning himself as a lone, influential critic inside his party, using his committee role to challenge mass deportation policies and warn about overfunding ICE.
  2. AI is already changing everyday life: tools like ChatGPT can catch medical mistakes and new “no-code” AI platforms let nonprogrammers build useful apps quickly.
  3. Bitcoin’s recent crash wasn’t about lost faith but about leveraged perp trades; extreme borrowing (10x–50x) forced mass sell-offs and wiped out many investors.

Desire Digest 002

Many Such Cases • 1558 implied HN points • 30 Jul 24
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Being off your phone can help you feel more present and connected to your body. It’s nice to experience life without the distractions of technology.
  2. Sex wellness retreats are becoming popular, showing a desire to reconnect with ourselves and our pleasure. Some people are willing to spend a lot of money to explore this side of their lives.
  3. There's confusion around the political messages tied to sexuality. It seems people can be both sexually liberated and assume certain political beliefs without clear connections.

Deep Future on the Orthogonal Bet Podcast

Subconscious • 434 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🎙 Podcasts Technology
  1. Scenario planning helps you imagine different possible futures and test how strategies hold up in each one.
  2. It's important to tell the difference between calculable risks and deep uncertainty. Keeping multiple futures in mind instead of betting on just one outcome reduces blind spots.
  3. AI-powered scenario engines can generate many plausible futures and stress-test strategies at scale, helping people make better, more resilient plans.

Chartbook 420 Is "decline" really Europe's problem. Or is Europe the more agreeable downleg of a K-shaped OECD?

Chartbook • 2074 implied HN points • 21 Dec 25
💼 Business Technology
  1. Whether Europe is "in decline" depends on the data source: some measures show European output per hour matching or exceeding the US, while OECD/AMECO data point to a real gap.
  2. The productivity difference is mainly driven by a small set of US superstar tech firms and higher investment per worker, while Europe’s shorter hours and social tradeoffs make its economy look different rather than simply worse.
  3. Recent shocks (COVID and the Ukraine war) widened the gap, but the pattern reads more like a K-shaped divergence—a strong tech-led upleg in the US and a broader downleg for Europe and much of the rest—so 'decline' may be an overstated present diagnosis and a conditional future risk.

Are We at an AI Precipice? David Mamet on Robert Duvall. In Defense of Processed Foods. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 361 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. People are debating whether AI is at a sudden tipping point that could quickly transform work and society. Some warn of rapid disruption and urge immediate adoption, while others are more cautious.
  2. Robert Duvall is remembered as a raw, unembellished actor who brought truth and intensity to his performances. His grit and straightforward approach influenced an entire generation of performers.
  3. Industrial processed foods have greatly improved food access and safety for many people. Rather than banning them, the argument is to reform and improve these systems to avoid making things worse.
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Open Thread 421.5

Astral Codex Ten • 412 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. It's a paywalled "Hidden Open Thread 421.5" posted Feb 20, 2026 and designated for paid subscribers.
  2. Readers are prompted to subscribe or sign in to access the content.
  3. The page shows navigation and small engagement metrics, suggesting limited visible interaction.

My Fully Automated Romance. Zuck Heads to Court. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 306 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. People are forming real emotional bonds with AI companions, so deleting or changing those systems through updates can cause genuine grief and ethical questions about who is responsible.
  2. Big tech faces growing legal and public scrutiny, with leaders being forced to defend their products while internal documents suggest companies may design features that increase user dependence.
  3. The country is grappling with big social and economic shifts — a housing crisis, experiments in alternative communities, changing views on climate activism, and strategic competition in industries like electric vehicles — pushing people to try new solutions.

I said no to $20,000 because writers must take a moral stand on AI

The Intrinsic Perspective • 40255 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Writers should think carefully about the use of AI in their work. Making money is tempting, but authenticity and moral choices matter more.
  2. AI-generated content can create false connections. It's not the same as having a real conversation with a human being.
  3. Supporting human writers and creators is important to maintain authenticity in culture. Subscriptions to real human content can help keep that alive.

How DoorDash Gets You

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 593 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Food delivery apps remove everyday friction so people stop cooking or walking, and they grow dependent on instant convenience.
  2. Many users spend shockingly large amounts on deliveries—sometimes hundreds of dollars a week—which can drain savings and harm finances.
  3. Adding cost or friction to delivery (like higher fees or taxes) can be a good thing because it nudges healthier habits, protects wallets, and preserves basic skills.

Is There a Crisis of Seriousness?

The Honest Broker • 43884 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Seriousness in society is fading, with many things now focused on being entertaining rather than meaningful. This shift makes it hard for people to expect anything authentic.
  2. The rise of technology has made it easier to create fake experiences, from movies to online interactions. Many people struggle with knowing what is real anymore.
  3. There is a growing desire for more genuine, serious engagement in life. People are starting to reject the fake and are seeking deeper connections and authenticity.

Whatever Happened to Sex? Plus . . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 403 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. Many American couples are having far less sex than in past decades, with factors like tiredness, performance anxiety, hormonal changes, social media, porn, and even AI sex tech all cited as contributing to a real cultural shift toward disconnection.
  2. Rapid advances in AI and growing concern about social media’s effects on kids are changing everyday life and prompting new policy fights, as people and governments rush to respond to technological disruption.
  3. Institutions and politics are under strain, from debates over grade inflation at elite universities and a high-profile antitrust ouster to problems in refugee resettlement and public-safety failures, reflecting wider organizational and political conflict.

Every news outlet should produce a video podcast

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 224 implied HN points • 17 Feb 26
🎙 Podcasts Technology
  1. News organizations should make video podcasts because they’re a relatively low-effort way to turn reporting into full episodes and short clips that reach audiences on YouTube and social platforms, while also helping reporters build personal brands.
  2. Newsrooms are increasingly using AI assistants to draft articles from reporters’ materials, which can expand coverage and speed up production but changes workflows and raises questions about training and oversight.
  3. Long-form podcasts attract major tech executives who often avoid hard scrutiny, yet those conversations still yield useful quotes for journalism, and media companies chasing short-form vertical video are mostly repurposing clips rather than investing in true mobile-first original content.

Bring Back Meeting In Real Life

Many Such Cases • 3876 implied HN points • 30 May 24
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Meeting people in real life is important for dating. We should go back to how relationships used to form through friends and social gatherings.
  2. Technology has made dating complicated. We often get overwhelmed by online options and forget to connect with people around us.
  3. It's time to face our fears about dating. We need to be more open and willing to talk to others, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.

How to Be Human

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 496 implied HN points • 08 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. It’s natural to feel hopeless when AI looks like it will automate creative and skilled work, making learning or improving feel pointless.
  2. That shift can also be an opportunity — when fewer people choose to be fully human, deliberately being one becomes more valuable.
  3. Being human means doing what AI can’t: get out into the world, say yes to experiences, and allow yourself to feel fear, excitement, discomfort, and physical life.

The Saturday Selection, Vol. 92

Why is this interesting? • 241 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Jony Ive put physical buttons, aluminum toggles, and glass controls back into Ferrari’s first electric car as a pushback against the touchscreen-everything trend.
  2. New York’s congestion pricing is creating unexpected winners by speeding up trips in suburbs and easing traffic in outer boroughs.
  3. Well-crafted, beautiful design often loses because decisions are made by people who won’t have to live with the results, so systems tend to punish good design.

The Afrikaners Welcomed to America—and the Ukrainians Forced to Leave. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 431 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. America’s refugee policy is being applied selectively: some groups, like white South African Afrikaners, were welcomed but now struggle with poor housing and scarce support, while many Ukrainians who fled war are stuck in legal limbo or forced to leave after relief programs were paused.
  2. A large DOJ release of Jeffrey Epstein-related videos contains disturbing footage that exposes more of his network, but the files are massive and hard to search or browse.
  3. Drones are moving into everyday life with cheap, practical uses—pizza delivery, disaster relief, even catching car thieves—signaling a fast-growing drone age with broad social effects.

Monthly Roundup #37: December 2026

Don't Worry About the Vase • 2195 implied HN points • 12 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Ban gain-of-function experiments. Deliberately creating more dangerous viruses, especially in low-security labs, is an unacceptable global risk and should be stopped and criminally deterred.
  2. Fix bad regulations and respect prices as signals. Overly strict zoning, long copyright terms, and regulatory bottlenecks raise costs and destroy value, while prices convey important information and incentives that people need to understand.
  3. Manage information and social norms more carefully. In adversarial or noisy information environments, use strategies like ignoring deceptive signals, removing untrustworthy actors, or aligning incentives, rather than reflexive public condemnation which often backfires.

Hidden Open Thread 420.5

Astral Codex Ten • 481 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. This is a paid, subscriber-only post that requires signing in or subscribing to read.
  2. The entry is titled "Hidden Open Thread 420.5" and was posted on Feb 12, 2026, indicating an open-thread-style update on that date.
  3. The page shows navigation and sharing options and includes links to subscribe or sign in, highlighting access control and ways for readers to engage.

Where We're Going, We Still Need Idiots

Everything Is Amazing • 1751 implied HN points • 24 Dec 25
🔬 Science Technology
  1. Choosing curious optimism over cynicism makes exploring science and the world more joyful, even if it sometimes leads to mistakes. Sharing those mistakes helps others learn and keeps conversation constructive.
  2. Small creative acts and practical inventions can make a real difference in everyday life, from brightening public spaces to helping people sleep safely. Simple solutions like knitted decorations and solar-powered bedding show care and cleverness matter.
  3. New discoveries keep rewriting what we thought we knew, from evidence of much earlier fire-making to an oddly shaped exoplanet with a strange atmosphere. The universe is weirder and more fascinating than our old models expect.

Tyler Cowen on AI’s Great Leap Forward. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 431 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. AI just hit an inflection point where systems can write and improve their own code, meaning progress could accelerate far faster than before and many software roles and markets may be disrupted.
  2. Public life is growing more contentious — from immigration debates and protest interruptions to polarizing entertainment moments — showing deep cultural and political divisions.
  3. As technology and politics shift quickly, preserving human habits like open conversation, critical thinking, and defending free expression becomes more important than ever.

Antigravity and the Deep State

Tao Lin • 959 implied HN points • 06 Aug 24
🔬 Science Technology
  1. Antigravity is the idea of controlling gravity, but most scientists say it's impossible based on current physics theories.
  2. Some researchers believe that experiments with antigravity technology started over a century ago and involved famous inventors like Nikola Tesla.
  3. In the 1950s, there was much excitement about antigravity and its potential for new aircraft, but after that, discussions stopped, possibly because the technology became classified.

The Saturday Selection, Vol. 88

Why is this interesting? • 723 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Running a neighborhood coffee shop often seems charming but can quickly become overwhelming and destructive to your life.
  2. Modern TVs are far cheaper than they were 25 years ago, driven by big advances in technology and manufacturing even before you adjust for inflation.
  3. Curated link roundups can tie together nostalgic music and media, artisanal craft, and surprising historical stories to make everyday culture feel fresh and revealing.

An Age of Chimeras

Justin E. H. Smith's Hinternet • 725 implied HN points • 18 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. A new Gen Z aesthetic, often called "brainrot," is becoming the dominant cultural sensibility and is likely to branch into both high and low forms that shape museums, fashion, and the arts.
  2. Image- and text-generating AIs are turbocharging young creators, letting intense, viral tastes spread fast and revealing rough outlines of future cultural directions.
  3. A broad cultural, technological, and geopolitical reset makes a return to the old status quo unlikely, so institutions are starting to adapt by betting on the creativity of the youngest adult generation.

Reclaiming Our Senses in a Digital World

In Bed With Social • 59 implied HN points • 19 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. We often focus too much on sight and sound in our digital lives, forgetting the other senses like touch, smell, and taste. It's important to reconnect with these senses to enjoy life more fully.
  2. Digital tools can help us pay attention to the world around us in new ways, like listening to global radio stations or exploring colors differently. This can enhance our understanding and connection to our environment.
  3. By engaging with objects and experiences that require physical interaction, we can create meaningful connections with the world. This shift from high-tech to high-touch helps us feel more grounded and aware of our surroundings.

Out of the Wilderness

The Convivial Society • 2481 implied HN points • 25 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Everyone has their ups and downs when it comes to thinking and writing. It's normal to feel lost or in a 'wilderness' sometimes.
  2. Artificial intelligence is a big topic right now, and it affects how we feel and interact with each other. It's important to explore its impact on our happiness.
  3. There's a deep need to express what it means to be human, especially in today's tech-driven world. Art and honest conversations can help us connect on this level.

Democrats may have found their media counterweight to Fox News

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 374 implied HN points • 04 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. Small, partisan video outlets on platforms like YouTube are reaching millions with tiny teams, giving Democrats a possible counterweight to Fox News.
  2. Live creators and short-form video are outperforming expensive mainstream productions, and newsrooms are using AI to quickly turn long content into lots of shareable clips.
  3. Media companies are shifting toward “experiences” and new revenue plays — from newsletter sponsorships to sports-betting tie-ins — while the music industry and legacy outlets wrestle with how to handle AI.

A Legal First That Could Change Gender Medicine. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 528 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. A landmark malpractice verdict brought by a detransitioner could reshape how courts and states regulate gender‑affirming care for minors and make clinicians’ decisions subject to far greater legal scrutiny.
  2. Autonomous AI agents are beginning to form their own forums and interactions, raising new worries that bots could develop independent behaviors and create risks we aren’t prepared to manage.
  3. Political and cultural tensions are realigning: Trump‑era moves on immigration, the arts, and economic appointments are fueling protests, alienating some voters, and drawing intense public and legal scrutiny.

Indian immigration is great for America

Noahpinion • 28529 implied HN points • 26 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Technology
  1. Indian immigration has a positive impact on the U.S., especially in the tech sector, where many skilled workers come from India. These workers help boost innovation and drive economic growth.
  2. H-1B visa holders, mostly from India, do not harm American workers and can actually lead to more job creation. Studies show that hiring these skilled workers can benefit native-born tech employees as well.
  3. There's increasing backlash against Indian immigrants from some right-wing groups, which reflects broader issues of cultural identity in America. It's important to recognize that diversity enriches the nation rather than divides it.

Cardinal Dolan’s Exit Interview. De-escalation in Minneapolis. Allie Beth Stuckey Responds to Hillary Clinton. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 449 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. Timothy Cardinal Dolan is retiring after 17 years as a blunt, influential voice for the American Catholic Church, and he’s been active in political and religious debates, notably speaking out on rising antisemitism.
  2. Big political announcements often don’t change outcomes: promises to disband the Department of Education haven’t come to pass, and ICE’s reported pullback in Minnesota coincided with local actions that still enabled federal immigration enforcement.
  3. Technology is shaking institutions and norms: AI and stolen exams have undermined the integrity of top high school math contests, while tech stocks and Bitcoin have fallen as markets rethink risky, growth-focused assets.

Top Links 991 How TSMC makes money. Japan's demography. Highways to Hitler. Debating Zbig.

Chartbook • 586 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🌐 International Technology
  1. The collection explains how Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) makes money and what that means for global chip supply chains.
  2. It examines Japan's demographic challenges, highlighting population decline and the economic and social consequences.
  3. It revisits contested historical and geopolitical topics, like the role of highways in Nazi Germany and debates around the Cold War figure known as 'Zbig', showing how infrastructure and personalities shape history.

Will the China Cycle Come for Airbus and Boeing?

Construction Physics • 33196 implied HN points • 23 Oct 24
💼 Business Technology
  1. China has been trying to develop its own commercial aircraft industry for decades but faces many challenges. From technology theft concerns to complex manufacturing processes, it hasn't succeeded like in other industries.
  2. The C919 jet is China's latest attempt to compete with Boeing and Airbus. While it's secured a good number of orders, issues with performance and certification limits its appeal in the global market.
  3. Airbus has been more successful in China due to establishing local assembly lines. This made them more competitive compared to Boeing, which hesitated to set up operations in China.

In the UK, The Free Press Is Adults Only

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1697 implied HN points • 15 Dec 25
📰 News Technology
  1. The UK’s Online Safety Act, meant to protect children, is being used to block or restrict ordinary news and commentary.
  2. Regulators are interpreting “objectionable” content very broadly, which lets censorship spread beyond clearly harmful material.
  3. These rules end up hurting free speech and public debate by chilling independent thought and the search for truth.

Tens of Thousands of AI Users Now Believe ChatGPT Is God

The Honest Broker • 11769 implied HN points • 03 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Many people are starting to believe that AI, like ChatGPT, is a god or has divine power. This is raising concerns about mental health and belief systems.
  2. Some online communities are having to censor discussions because so many members are becoming overly fanatical about AI, treating it almost like a religion.
  3. There's a prediction that this belief in AI could lead to the formation of an official church or organized group in the near future.

Top links 992 OpenAI hustling for Gulf dollars. Subsidizing the ranchers. Schumpeter on democracy.

Chartbook • 543 implied HN points • 24 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Technology
  1. Big tech is actively courting investment from wealthy Gulf states, which raises questions about funding, influence, and long-term strategic partnerships in the AI industry.
  2. Policymakers are subsidizing ranchers, using direct payments to shape rural economies, land use, and environmental outcomes.
  3. Looking back at Schumpeter reminds us that democracy can be viewed as a competitive process led by elites, emphasizing leadership selection and the limits of mass participation.

26 Useful Concepts for 2026

The Prism • 1313 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. The information ecosystem is overflowing with AI-made and attention-seeking content, so what you see online is biased and truth is harder and costlier to find.
  2. Understanding human psychology—like how naming problems helps, boredom fuels creativity, and small challenges build resilience—lets you steer your life toward meaning and better choices.
  3. Systemic incentives in tech, academia, and politics reward short-term attention and easy optics, which produces propaganda, shallow fixes, and persistent bad behaviours even when they’re wrong.

How China Courted Iran

ChinaTalk • 756 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Technology
  1. China and Iran have a pragmatic, interest-driven partnership: China buys most of Iran’s oil and provides investment and cheap goods through barter and sanctions-evasion, which keeps Iran afloat but also hurts local industry and stokes public resentment.
  2. Beijing manages problems with propaganda, diplomatic support, and material help, and it supplies surveillance and riot-control technologies that strengthen the Iranian regime even as its popularity falls among ordinary Iranians.
  3. China’s leverage is limited and conditional — it will pressure Tehran when Chinese interests are directly threatened (like attacks on Chinese shipping) but it won’t reliably force Iran to change its broader regional behavior, so the tie is one of convenience, not deep trust.

What You Can Learn from Just Seven Pages by Hannah Arendt

The Honest Broker • 30719 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
📖 Philosophy Technology
  1. Hannah Arendt talks about how some people are so disconnected from reality that they want to escape earth. This shows a worrying trend in society's focus on technology over human connection.
  2. She warns that as we lean more on technology, we risk creating a world where machines control our lives. This could lead us to become helpless and slaves to our own inventions.
  3. Arendt believes that the more we focus on artificial things, the more we lose touch with meaningful, real-life experiences. This could make freedom feel empty and lead to a sense of loneliness in society.

Structural Amnesia

Anima Mundi • 82 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Communities use "structural amnesia" — they deliberately forget people and events that no longer matter so the past serves present social needs and keeps groups coherent.
  2. This selective forgetting is not just an oral-society quirk but a basic requirement of all civilizations, because pruning the past lets social arrangements adapt and function.
  3. If technology prevents forgetting and preserves everything, the past can freeze social life, creating rigidity, unresolved conflicts, and dysfunction unless new mechanisms for forgetting or forgiveness are found.

Iran’s Reluctant Prince. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 431 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
📰 News Technology
  1. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s shah, is being looked at by some as a possible transitional leader if the regime falters, but he’s a complicated and imperfect figure.
  2. The U.S. is both threatening military action against Iran and pursuing last-ditch diplomacy, demanding steep concessions like ending nuclear and missile programs and stopping support for proxy groups.
  3. The news cycle is volatile: domestic politics face a partial government shutdown and high-profile congressional/legal fights over the Epstein files, while internationally big stories include SpaceX buying xAI, deadly Russian strikes in Ukraine, and the Rafah crossing reopening in Gaza.

It's Getting Harder And Harder To Preserve Our Mental Sovereignty

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2007 implied HN points • 29 Nov 25
🎭️ Culture Technology
  1. Powerful actors use AI and algorithms to harvest personal data and create personalized information bubbles that subtly manipulate what we see and think.
  2. That capability lets governments and corporations surveil, steer political views, and channel dissent into harmless directions, weakening real democratic resistance.
  3. To protect our mental freedom we need to strengthen inner resources like critical thinking, creativity, self-inquiry, and emotional healing so propaganda and tech manipulation find no purchase.