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Damn Interesting
@damninteresting.bsky.social
Fascinating true stories from science, history, and psychology since 2005
OpenAI has deleted the word ‘safely’ from its mission – and its new structure is a test for whether AI serves society or shareholders
theconversation.com/openai-has-d...
OpenAI has deleted the word ‘safely’ from its mission – and its new structure is a test for whether AI serves society or shareholders
OpenAI’s restructuring may serve as a test case for how society oversees the work of organizations with the potential to both provide benefits and harm humanity.
theconversation.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Famed Texas forensic artist releases sketch of masked suspect in Nancy Guthrie case
www.statesman.com/news/article...
Famed Texas forensic artist releases sketch of masked suspect in Nancy Guthrie case
A Texas forensic artist released an unofficial sketch as the FBI posts billboards across Texas and offers a $50,000 reward in the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
www.statesman.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Men lose their Y chromosome as they age. Scientists thought it didn’t matter – but now we’re learning more
theconversation.com/men-lose-the...
Men lose their Y chromosome as they age. Scientists thought it didn’t matter – but now we’re learning more
The Y chromosome doesn’t seem to do much except determine sex – but its loss in older men might be linked to heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
theconversation.com
February 13, 2026 at 9:28 PM
How the Gila Monster Gave the World Ozempic
nautil.us/how-the-gila...
How the Gila Monster Gave the World Ozempic
How the Gila Monster Gave the World Ozempic: The creature’s toxic venom revolutionized diabetes treatment.
nautil.us
February 13, 2026 at 5:54 PM
The Mega-Rich Are Turning Their Mansions Into Impenetrable Fortresses
www.wsj.com/real-estate/...

Mirror: archive.is/2026.02.13/h...
The Mega-Rich Are Turning Their Mansions Into Impenetrable Fortresses
Anxiety over high-profile violence has the wealthy spending big on armed security, bunkers and even moats to keep themselves safe from intruders.
www.wsj.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:36 PM
"Do not feel absolutely certain of anything." Bertrand Russell's 10 rules for thinking clearly, from 1951
boingboing.net/2026/02/11/d...
"Do not feel absolutely certain of anything." Bertrand Russell's 10 rules for thinking clearly, from 1951
"Do not feel absolutely certain of anything." Russell's ten rules for thinking clearly, from 1951.
boingboing.net
February 13, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Australia's toxic legacy at Wilkes Station in Antarctica
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
The abandoned base that's left a toxic legacy in Antarctica
The ABC has been given rare access to an abandoned Australian base in Antarctica that continues to pose a threat to the environment.
www.abc.net.au
February 13, 2026 at 4:33 PM
An Elephant Is Blind Without Its Whiskers
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/s...

Mirror: archive.is/2026.02.13/h...
An Elephant Is Blind Without Its Whiskers
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Thomas Edison’s failed rechargeable battery may get a second life
www.popsci.com/technology/e...
Thomas Edison’s failed rechargeable battery may get a second life
The famed inventor's nickel-iron idea isn't suited for EVs, but it could help solar farms and data centers.
www.popsci.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:21 PM
'I died for 40 minutes - here's what it taught me about life'
www.bbc.com/news/article...
I died for 40 minutes - here's what it taught me about life
After a cardiac arrest Patrick Charnley was clinically dead. He came back to life a changed man.
www.bbc.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Video: The Rise, Chaos, and Traumatic End of ALF [15:36]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDmI...
The Rise, CHAOS, and Traumatic End of ALF
YouTube video by Late Night Vault
www.youtube.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Every Eye Has a Hidden Blind Spot. Scientists Think It’ll Reveal the True Nature of Consciousness
www.popularmechanics.com/science/a702...
Every Eye Has a Hidden Blind Spot. Scientists Think It’ll Reveal the True Nature of Consciousness
The human eye contains a blind spot at the back of the eye where the optic nerve and retinal blood enter and exit, but our brains are able to fill in the spot.
www.popularmechanics.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:41 PM
Western US gripped by extreme snow drought: ‘I’ve never seen a winter like this’
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Western US gripped by extreme snow drought: ‘I’ve never seen a winter like this’
States brace for less water and fire risks as Oregon, Colorado and Utah report lowest statewide snowpack since 1980s
www.theguardian.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Video: The Skyscraper That Ruined Paris [15:38]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=68JU...
The Skyscraper That Ruined Paris
YouTube video by The B1M
www.youtube.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:51 PM
Economist: The Finance Industry Is a Grift. Let’s Start Treating It That Way.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/o...
Opinion | The Finance Industry Is a Grift. Let’s Start Treating It That Way.
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Meet the Sea Walnut — A Cannibalistic Jelly Currently Invading Venice’s Lagoon
www.discovermagazine.com/meet-the-sea...
Meet the Sea Walnut — A Cannibalistic Jelly Currently Invading Venice’s Lagoon
Learn how the comb jelly is taking over the Mediterranean, threatening local marine life and expected to only worsen with a changing climate.
www.discovermagazine.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:27 PM
China has planted so many trees around the Taklamakan Desert that it's turned this 'biological void' into a carbon sink
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
China has planted so many trees around the Taklamakan Desert that it's turned this 'biological void' into a carbon sink
Huge-scale ecological engineering around the edges of one of the world's largest and driest deserts has turned it into a carbon sink that absorbs more CO2 than it emits, research suggests.
www.livescience.com
February 12, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Could the Milky Way galaxy's supermassive black hole actually be a clump of dark matter?
www.space.com/astronomy/da...
Could the Milky Way galaxy's supermassive black hole actually be a clump of dark matter?
"We are not just replacing the black hole with a dark object; we are proposing that the supermassive central object and the galaxy's dark matter halo are two manifestations of the same, continuous sub...
www.space.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:10 PM