2026-09-27 -- control

#1 · news-in-context Mar 31, 2026

The US FDA recently tried to regulate the expanded prenatal genetic tests

The agency proposed a new rule in 2023 to make it explicit that these types of tests are devices under existing law and clarify that that the agency could move to regulate them. They finalized a regulatory change in 2024 that added the words "including when the manufacturer of these products is a laboratory" to an existing law, but a federal district court vacated that edit in March 2025—returning the law to as it was before.

lead An FDA advisory panel voted to endorse a blood test designed to detect up to 50 forms of c sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.07 · score -8

#2 · explainers Sep 16, 2025

A look behind the scenes of the UN General Assembly

This behind-the-scenes look at the 2015 UN General Assembly offers a unique perspective on what it takes to run one of the world’s most complicated and important diplomatic events. Following four staffers—including a youth advocate and an interpreter—the video captures the energy, pressure, and coordination behind the scenes.

lead World leaders gathered in New York City as the United Nations opened the General Debate of own · sim 0.48 · keep 0.58 · score -1

#3 · experiences Jul 2, 2026

Explore this interactive tool from the National Cancer Institute to calculate your risk of dying from various causes, including cancer.

This tool inputs factors such as age, sex, race, and smoking status to help determine fatality risks for average individuals.

By contextualizing potential health threats, users can create custom charts.

lead An FDA advisory panel voted to endorse a blood test designed to detect up to 50 forms of c own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.61 · score -7

#4 · explainers Aug 3, 2026

There are three different ways to calculate gross domestic product: the expenditure approach, the value-added approach, and the income approach.

The expenditure approach is arguably the most commonly used method, adding together the total value of consumer spending, investments, government spending, and net exports.

Using the income approach, GDP can be calculated by adding together a country’s entire wages, the profits of all businesses, and rental payments.
The value-added approach is calculated by determining the value added by each step of production or point of sale across all industries.

itk A breakdown of every state's share of the entire US gross domestic product. own · sim 0.49 · keep 0.24 · score -4

#5 · curiosity Sep 18, 2026

With one species reaching speeds of 58 kilometers (36 miles) per hour, dragonflies are the world's fastest flying insect.

A dragonfly's compound eyes provide nearly 360-degree vision, with each eye possessing as many as 30,000 ommatidia—individual units that point in a unique direction and have their own lens.

Besides complex compound eyes, dragonflies have three smaller eyes at the front of their heads called ocelli, which are thought to help with keeping them stable while flying.
While humans possess three light-sensitive pigments involved in color vision—blue, green, and red—dragonfly eyes have as many as 30 such proteins.
Dragonflies have two pairs of wings, but the angle and speed of each wing are controlled independently, enhancing the insect's flight control and agility.
Observed eating flies, bees, beetles, butterflies, and even small birds, dragonflies achieve a hunting success rate of up to 97% by waiting for prey before attacking or scouting an area.

itk Dragonflies are the world's fastest-flying insect, reaching speeds of 36 miles per hour. own · sim 0.77 · keep 0.65 · score -1

#6 · curiosity Aug 7, 2026

In 1969, a group of reporters wrote an intentionally bad and salacious novel under a pen name to prove that sex sells more than quality. It sold 20,000 copies within a few months and spent 13 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Newsday columnist Mike McGrady led the effort after reading a popular romance novel and feeling fed up with its writing style. McGrady told writers in his office to submit one chapter of an erotic novel each, and he decided to keep only the dirtiest and most poorly written passages.

The book titled "Naked Came the Stranger" revolved around a woman in an unhappy marriage who pursued a series of affairs after discovering her husband's infidelity. The writers used the pen name Penelope Ashe and claimed she was a quiet housewife in Long Island.
McGrady revealed the hoax three years after writing it, on a talk show, which was believed to be the start of Penelope Ashe's press tour.

itk In the 1960s, reporters wrote an intentionally bad novel under a pseudonym that became a b own · sim 0.63 · keep 0.70 · score -1

#7 · experiences Mar 26, 2026

Reimagining YouTube as cable TV, complete with channel-surfing

The site streams YouTube content as if it were broadcast television, providing the ability to flip through channels and enter videos mid-stream, and you also can't easily skip ahead. The product is designed in part to bring back serendipity to video discovery.

etc Apple, Spotify, YouTube sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.73 · score -2

#8 · curiosity Sep 17, 2026

Spotify's success turned Swedish entrepreneur Daniel Ek into a billionaire in his mid-30s.

Ek and his cofounder Martin Lorentzon envisioned Spotify as a legal version of Napster.

Securing licensing deals with major labels like Universal Music, Sony, and Warner Music gave Spotify access to a broad music catalog.
Its freemium model, offering both a free tier supported by ads and a paid ad-free tier, helped attract early adopters.
Customers loved the convenience of streaming songs rather than paying per download from services like iTunes.
At first exclusive to desktops, Spotify launched mobile apps for iOS and Android devices in 2009.
Rapid growth followed Spotify’s mobile expansion; the service had around 1 million users at the start of 2009, which grew to around 7 million by the end of that year.
Spotify entered the US in 2011, which helped its global user base expand to 20 million by 2012.

etc Apple, Spotify, YouTube own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.32 · score -6

#9 · curiosity Nov 23, 2022

Ten thousand mink got loose in Ohio

Vandalism freed thousands of mink at a rural northwest Ohio farm, leaving an estimated 10,000 of the small carnivorous mammals unaccounted for, according to the local sheriff.

etc Nashville singer-songwriter volunteers to rescue foxes, saving them from mange. own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.06 · score -1

#10 · news-in-context Feb 26, 2026

Courts have blocked the Trump administration's 2025 executive order limiting birthright citizenship

In June 2025, the Supreme Court declined to rule on the constitutionality of the order. Since then, two federal appellate courts have found the order unconstitutional, halting its enforcement nationwide.

lead A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.05 · score -1

#11 · explainers Mar 12, 2026

Some educators argue society's obsession with colleges at the top of rankings has hurt the US higher education ecosystem

Why are "good colleges" often the ones that accept the fewest students? Speaker Cecilia Orphan argues that society's obsession with colleges that are often private, expensive, and that reject applicants with high frequency has done harm. Instead, she argues, we should focus on regional public universities that meet the needs of students in a cost-achievable manner.

lead US News & World Report released its annual rankings of the nation's best universities. own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.73 · score -4

#12 · experiences Aug 5, 2026

Scientists have found that the Great Barrier Reef's microbiome includes an estimated 362,802 distinct viruses and 876 distinct bacterial and archaeal species—584 of which had never been documented before 2026.

Many of the microbial life in the Great Barrier Reed are photosynthetic and form the foundational level of food webs by being eaten by krill and other zooplankton, which are then consumed by animals.

Continued monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef's microbiome will help researchers learn how microorganisms respond to climate change, human activity, bleaching, and other environmental factors.

lead The Ecosystem Inside You sibling · sim 0.48 · keep 0.12 · score -8

#13 · explainers Jul 27, 2026

Possessing trunks that contain about 40,000 individual muscles, African elephants act as keystone species by trampling and clearing trees, making pathways in forests, digging water holes, and spreading seeds.

As environmental engineers, African elephants promote biodiversity by reshaping their surroundings to support other species, while their waste enriches soil and feeds insects, which in turn provide food for birds.

itk Not only are they cute, but black-tailed prairie dogs also play a pivotal role in North Am sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.47 · score -3

#14 · curiosity Sep 20, 2026

Often viewed as pests, black-tailed prairie dogs play a key role in North American grassland ecosystems.

The rodent helps support roughly 150 other species, including by acting as a food source for predators.

By continuously clipping and eating grass, they prevent woody shrubs from overtaking the landscape, benefiting grazing herbivores.
Their tunnel systems aerate the soil, route water irrigation pathways, and provide habitat for other animals.
Roughly 62% of North America's grassland biome has already been lost to farming and development among other factors, and 93% of what remains is at risk of further agricultural conversion.

itk Not only are they cute, but black-tailed prairie dogs also play a pivotal role in North Am own · sim 0.80 · keep 0.80 · score -1

#15 · curiosity Mar 10, 2026

Before it became the home of 24-hour prestige TV, HBO used to sign off each night.

In its earliest incarnation, HBO only aired content for about nine hours daily.

After each day's programming, it'd play a cozy animated bumper.
The network changed course when its primary competitor, Showtime, began airing 24 hours a day in 1981.

itk Before it became the home of 24-hour prestige TV, HBO used to sign off each night. own · sim 0.82 · keep 0.78 · score -1

#16 · experiences Sep 2, 2024

YouTube brought endless content—and endless culture wars

How did YouTube grow from a startup in 2005, to a media powerhouse with more than 2.5 billion monthly logged-in users who watch more than 1 billion hours of video every day? That’s what this podcast interview with Bloomberg tech reporter Mark Bergen on NPR’s Fresh Air explores.

etc Apple, Spotify, YouTube own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.29 · score -3

#17 · news-in-context Sep 17, 2026

Read a user's review of the differences between Spotify and its closest rival, Apple Music.

When it comes to digital music streaming services, Spotify and Apple Music have solidified their place as the #1 and #2 services, respectively, based on their number of users.

Spotify’s closest rival in the US is Apple Music, which reportedly had more than 93 million paying users as of January 2025.
Spotify had about 300 million paying subscribers as of August 2026.

etc Apple, Spotify, YouTube any_band · sim 0.46 · keep 0.22 · score -1

#18 · news-in-context Sep 21, 2026

It is unclear how NATO would respond if Russia attempted a limited hybrid attack or incursion on the alliance's territory.

New US intelligence warns that as early as Fall 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin could use a limited attack on a NATO country, most likely in the Baltics, to test the unity of the alliance.

Recent reports indicate that Russia is already probing, with a rise in airspace violations and suspected Russian drone activity over Europe.
If Putin tries a more serious attack on a NATO country, all 31 other nations in the alliance would be obligated to respond in some way.
With Washington signaling that it's time for Europe to protect itself as they withdraw troops and other support, Putin could see a rare window to test NATO.
The European public shows strong support for aiding allies in the event of an attack on NATO, but a much lower willingness to fight themselves.

lead Would NATO Fight Russia? own · sim 0.62 · keep 0.11 · score -1

#19 · explainers Jun 16, 2026

The gut microbiome—a complex community of up to 100 trillion microbes—has a changing composition, influenced by our life stage, diet, medications, environment, and other factors.

This video from 1440 takes a high-level look at what populates the gut microbiome, its purpose, how it affects our health, and much more.

lead The Ecosystem Inside You own · sim 0.62 · keep 0.71 · score -1

#20 · experiences Apr 15, 2026

See a gallery of art and architecture at New York City's UN building

The group's nearly 200 member states have contributed art and cultural experiences to the New York campus since the building's founding in 1950. This gallery hosts hundreds of photos of the art on the premises.

lead World leaders gathered in New York City as the United Nations opened the General Debate of own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.61 · score -6

#21 · explainers Jun 17, 2026

Supplement sales soared during the pandemic, a trend that has continued even though some of the products don't work.

Supplement sales have also soared due to a growing distrust of the health establishment.

This fascinating podcast traces the historical arc of supplements sold in the US, including highly toxic products in the early 1900s and the contentious history of how to regulate them.
The makers of Prevagen, an unapproved jellyfish-derived protein supplement, added the memory-enhancer to (NeuroShake) nutrition shakes so it could be then sold as a supplement.
Prevagen's makers were later sued by the US Federal Trade Commission and the New York Attorney General for false advertising, a case the government won in 2024, which prevents Prevagen's makers from making false claims not backed by science about their product helping with memory loss.

itk The pandemic contributed to a boom in supplements, even though some of the products don't sibling · sim 0.67 · keep 0.58 · score -1

#22 · curiosity Jun 22, 2026

Consumers are buying more books now than they were 20 years ago, thanks to a 2020 boom and a popular literary corner on TikTok.

Interest in reading spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued building since then.

The romance and fantasy genres in particular have been especially popular, with titles celebrated on BookTok, a wing of TikTok dedicated to reading, spurring the craze.

itk The pandemic contributed to a boom in supplements, even though some of the products don't own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.24 · score -12

#23 · curiosity Mar 25, 2026

Visualize how changes to lineups, driven by modern analytics, could have changed one of MLB's most iconic moments.

Amid the embrace of analytics, the game's best overall hitters were moved from the third spot to second, power bats were shifted out of the "cleanup" role, and speedsters—typically the leadoff batters—were pushed to the bottom half of the nine-player lineup.

Joe Carter, the hero of the '93 World Series, likely never hits his iconic walk-off from the cleanup spot in a modern lineup.

itk Explore the data behind every Major League Baseball player's success rate with the new tec own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.54 · score -6

#24 · experiences Sep 17, 2026

Read about how Spotify creates niche genres, from 'Webcore' to 'Phonk.'

One of Spotify's most recognizable features is its playlists.

The provider offers an endless stream of strangely titled mixes with names like "Hyperpop" and "Lorem," which suggest uniform genres and scenes despite featuring seemingly random assortments of artists and songs.
By organizing its music in this way, some argue that the process erases organic movements that developed outside of the app.

etc Apple, Spotify, YouTube sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.56 · score -4

#25 · explainers Dec 31, 2025

Viral pop artists create systems of participation, not just music

Musicologist (and Swift expert) Paula Clare Harper weighs in on the factors that make music go viral. Tracks designed for shareability that feed well into content algorithms on streaming platforms are able to grow in popularity, with traditional human gatekeepers sidelined.

etc Apple, Spotify, YouTube any_band · sim 0.41 · keep 0.57 · score -5

#26 · news-in-context Feb 4, 2025

What Trump's executive order provides TikTok

Just a few days into his second term, President Trump paused the US law banning TikTok through an executive order. While that may sound like an all-out reversal, it's more of a time out, granting ByteDance an additional 75 days to find a US-based seller. This resource breaks down what Trump's executive order provides the Chinese company and what it might mean for the future of the app.

lead A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.08 · score -2

#27 · explainers Jan 20, 2026

The Supreme Court has greatly expanded executive power in recent years

In Trump v. United States, the court ruled that a former president enjoys absolute immunity for "official acts" in his constitutional core powers. In Trump v. CASA, Inc., the court limited federal courts' ability to block executive enforcement through nationwide injunctions—decisions that shifted power toward the executive branch.

lead A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.17 · score -3

#28 · experiences Jun 26, 2023

The world's 10 best places to live

The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index ranked 173 cities based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure. The report shows an overall increase in livability scores compared to previous...

lead US News & World Report released its annual rankings of the nation's best universities. own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.55 · score -6

#29 · explainers Aug 28, 2026

Watch Jon Stewart's unifying opening monologue during his first show back after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Nearly all entertainment and satire in American entertainment went dark for weeks after the attacks.

Jon Stewart's first Daily Show monologue on September 20, 2001, began without an intro, with Stewart speaking through tears about the tragedy.

itk After 9/11, The Onion stuck with satire, defying predictions of "the death of irony." own · sim 0.50 · keep 0.36 · score -2

#30 · curiosity May 19, 2026

See these 16 pieces of art evoking phobias of snakes, flying, spiders, and more.

CBC News informally polled readers about their fears and then found works of art either inspired by or nodding to those topics.

The collection includes a massive spider sculpture, surreal photos of feared items or situations, video of a robot programmed to paint with blood extracted from a Brooklyn artist, and more.

itk Sixteen types of artworks inspired by or evoking elements of different phobias. own · sim 0.77 · keep 0.69 · score -1

#31 · curiosity Aug 26, 2026

Climate resilience strategies, which help communities mitigate the effects of climate change, include painting roofs white, building clam gardens, harvesting fog, and feeding cows seaweed.

Scientists have explored reducing greenhouse gas emissions by feeding cows seaweed, with some red seaweed species yielding reductions of about 80%.

To improve water access in regions where drought is exacerbated by climate change, sophisticated dehumidifiers and plastic sheets draped on trees have been used to collect clean water from fog.
The construction of clam gardens can provide habitats for various species, thereby increasing biodiversity, which is threatened by climate change.
The eventual death of clams releases shell fragments into the ocean, whose minerals help offset climate change-driven ocean acidification.
Placing white paint or solar panels in areas frequently exposed to sunlight, such as roofs, reflects the sun's thermal energy back into space or harnesses it to generate electricity.
In the Netherlands, some buildings have been built to move vertically with changes in sea level while remaining connected to utilities via stretchy, flexible connections.

itk Painting roofs white can help communities mitigate the effects of climate change, among ot own · sim 0.64 · keep 0.58 · score -1

#32 · news-in-context Sep 22, 2026

Dark money, political spending by groups that don't disclose donors, totaled $1.9B for 2024 federal races.

In Citizens United v. FEC (2010), the Supreme Court ruled that the government cannot limit independent political spending by corporations, unions, and nonprofits.

Since the Citizens United decision, the Brennan Center estimates that dark money groups have spent at least $4.3B on federal elections.
The $1.9B total was a record for an election cycle, eclipsing the previous record of $1B set in 2020.

lead According to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan campaign finance tracker, House and Senate candida own · sim 0.55 · keep 0.09 · score -1

#33 · explainers Sep 1, 2026

NATO has only invoked its mutual defense clause once, in the days after the 9/11 attacks.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance of 32 member countries from Europe and North America.

The organization is founded on collective defense, meaning that an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all.
The only invocation of Article 5 came after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against the US, leading to NATO's military involvement in the war on terrorism.
No nation has directly invaded a NATO country since the alliance's founding and the adoption of its mutual defense clause, suggesting the deterrent effect of the alliance.

lead Would NATO Fight Russia? own · sim 0.56 · keep 0.66 · score -2

#34 · experiences Mar 3, 2026

Take a 360-degree look at biochemical activity from within a human cell

In this tour, users can observe the dynamic processes that occur within the basic units of the human body, including the production and transport of proteins and the assembly and disassembly of microtubules—thin, cylindrical structures that provide structural support and a means of moving material within the cell.

lead The Ecosystem Inside You own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.71 · score -16

#35 · explainers Jul 8, 2026

Listen to legendary investor Marc Andreessen break down the 'lump of labor fallacy,' which argues that there's not a finite amount of work in an economy and that technological innovations create new industries.

Andreessen points to how the personal automobile's invention, for instance, sowed widespread panic over mass job elimination within the horse industry.

While many of the jobs caring for horses were eliminated, they were replaced by jobs working on cars or in the booming industries that came out of car travel (like paving roads and tourism).
The same concept could be applied to the AI boom: While some individual jobs will be eliminated in the event of any major technological change, on the macro-level, AI could actually create new jobs for humans and expand the economy.

itk Examine a web of circular investments among major AI industry players. own · sim 0.54 · keep 0.66 · score -5

#36 · curiosity May 20, 2026

Mosquitoes stop flying at wind speeds equivalent to the swishing of a horse's tail.

This low threshold for wind—halting flight at 2 to 3 miles per hour—underscores that the bugs are actually not particularly strong flyers.

Mosquitoes don't need to be particularly robust fliers since their tiny, dark bodies and erratic movements can make them challenging to spot.

itk Dragonflies are the world's fastest-flying insect, reaching speeds of 36 miles per hour. sibling · sim 0.53 · keep 0.71 · score -2

#37 · curiosity Sep 25, 2026

Fossils from the Carboniferous period show that insects reached their largest size about 300 million years ago, long thought possible due to higher atmospheric oxygen concentrations.

These ancient insects included carnivorous, dragonfly-like insects with wingspans about 70 centimeters (28 inches) wide and millipede-like organisms more than 2 meters (6.56 feet) long.

Instead of vacuuming air into lungs, as humans do, insects primarily absorb oxygen via tiny breathing tubes and passive diffusion—the natural movement of molecules from higher concentrations to lower concentrations.
Decreasing sizes of insect fossils after the Carboniferous period may have been driven by the evolution of birds, in which smaller bodies that could more easily flee would have been favored.

itk Dragonflies are the world's fastest-flying insect, reaching speeds of 36 miles per hour. own · sim 0.50 · keep 0.57 · score -3

#38 · news-in-context Apr 13, 2026

Trump has extended TikTok's sale deadline three times

In 2024, US lawmakers passed a requirement for parent company ByteDance Ltd. to sell TikTok or face a ban in the country, which the company challenged in court. In early 2025, the law took effect, though President Trump paused it three separate times, affording the company more time to sell.

lead A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.06 · score -5

#39 · explainers May 22, 2025

Trials ongoing for a 99% accurate, AI-powered blood test

The UK's National Health Service has launched a trial for a blood test that can detect a dozen types of cancers with just ten drops of blood. An AI tool looks for genetic material known to be released by tumors, allowing for cancer detection before tumors are large enough to be imaged.

lead An FDA advisory panel voted to endorse a blood test designed to detect up to 50 forms of c own · sim 0.55 · keep 0.13 · score -1

#40 · experiences Sep 23, 2026

Biosphere 2 is the largest Earth science experiment ever built, housing multiple biomes to study Earth's systems within a facility larger than three acres.

Biosphere 2 is modeled after Earth, which is considered Biosphere 1, and contains tropical rainforest, ocean, wetlands with mangroves, desert, and savanna biomes.

B2's vivarium—an enclosed system including animals and plants—is sealed from below with 454 metric tons of stainless steel and includes an ocean habitat with more than 700,000 gallons of seawater.
The desert biome mimics a coastal arid scrub ecosystem—known as a fog desert—and transitions into a rain forest via the savanna biome, which contains a stream and waterfall.
Beneath B2 is the technosphere—over three acres of underground electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems that control the meteorological conditions within each biome.
Researchers conduct experiments in B2 to replicate the conditions of potential real-world environments to better understand the impacts of climate change, extreme weather, and human habitability in extraterrestrial environments.
B2 is visited by 100,000 people yearly, including more than 10,000 K-12 students, and its surrounding 40-acre campus has been used to model city planning, resource management, and sustainable power.

lead The Ecosystem Inside You sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.65 · score -27

#41 · explainers May 1, 2026

Breaking down what makes HBO different

The network took an early gamble on longer episodes and more complicated narratives than a standard television drama. That paid off and, in the process, created what we now consider "prestige TV."

itk Before it became the home of 24-hour prestige TV, HBO used to sign off each night. sibling · sim 0.59 · keep 0.72 · score -2

#42 · curiosity Nov 20, 2014

See the most iconic photos from four decades of LIFE magazine.

Famous images, such as a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square to celebrate the end of World War II, or Senator John Kennedy and his bride, Jacqueline Kennedy, smiling during their wedding in 1953, are each presented with context in this article.

The American magazine Life was launched in 1936. Co-founder Henry Luce underscored the importance of photography in a 1936 mission statement, “To see life ... To see the world; to eyewitness great events ... to see and be amazed.”
Luce wanted Life to be the primary destination for Americans to see amazing photography.

itk See the most iconic photos from four decades of Life magazine. own · sim 0.68 · keep 0.70 · score -1

#43 · curiosity Jul 27, 2026

As environmental engineers—a main type of keystone species—prairie dogs support over 150 other species through their grazing habits and burrowing of underground tunnels, which serve as habitats for owls, snakes, ferrets, insects, and other organisms.

Underground tunnels created by burrowing prairie dogs provide various species with protection from predators and extreme weather, while also improving water absorption, nutrient distribution, and soil aeration, which supports the growth of wildflowers and grasses that benefit herbivores, pollinators, and other wildlife.

Prairie dogs serve as a food source for hawks, coyotes, eagles, foxes, and owls, thereby supporting biodiversity and ecological balance by sustaining predators.

itk Not only are they cute, but black-tailed prairie dogs also play a pivotal role in North Am own · sim 0.65 · keep 0.41 · score -2

#44 · news-in-context Mar 16, 2026

Hear why one author thinks college rankings may be irrelevant

For more than three decades, US News & World Report has released an annual ranking of the country's best colleges. An extremely influential list that can determine application volume, funding decisions, and more, the rankings have been compiled by a secret algorithm indecipherable to many on the opposite side of the table. Author Malcolm Gladwell attempts to unpack the calculation, ultimately raising the question: How relevant is the list?

lead US News & World Report released its annual rankings of the nation's best universities. own · sim 0.59 · keep 0.48 · score -1

#45 · explainers Mar 10, 2026

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission allowed unlimited independent spending in US elections

The 2010 Supreme Court ruling allowed corporations and other outside groups to spend unlimited money on elections independently of candidates—while leaving direct contribution limits intact—expanding the role of wealthy donors and outside influence in American political campaigns.

lead According to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan campaign finance tracker, House and Senate candida own · sim 0.46 · keep 0.20 · score -4

#46 · experiences Jun 18, 2026

Visualize the different parts of the digestive tract, a roughly 30-foot tube which runs from our mouths to our rear.

Its major components include the esophagus, stomach, intestines, colon, and more.

lead The Ecosystem Inside You sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.29 · score -32

#47 · explainers May 1, 2026

The best HBO shows of all time

In addition to establishing the blueprint for TV in the 21st century, HBO has also been responsible for excellent comedies ("Veep"), talk shows ("Last Week Tonight with John Oliver"), and historical dramas ("Chernobyl").

itk Before it became the home of 24-hour prestige TV, HBO used to sign off each night. own · sim 0.44 · keep 0.67 · score -4

#48 · curiosity Feb 24, 2026

ConsumerLab is a watchdog site reviewing supplements for quality and recalls

The group purchases supplements and tests them for accuracy. When it tested 26 popular B vitamin supplements, it found five failed their tests because they provide either significantly less or much more of the ingredients than listed. This type of product-label mismatch can occur because the FDA does not regulate these products as it would a drug.

itk The pandemic contributed to a boom in supplements, even though some of the products don't sibling · sim 0.40 · keep 0.32 · score -16

#49 · curiosity Apr 29, 2026

A history of the rare, chaotic moments when MLB batters charge the pitcher on the mound

They typically occur when a pitcher has slung a pitch a little too close to the batter—though the exact causes vary, from quick tempers to longstanding grudges. No definitive account of these infrequent but highly visible incidents has existed, so sportswriter Jon Bois compiled data on 264 such moments between 1950 and 2025. The resulting 23-minute video explores the rich narratives leading to these charged events.

itk Explore the data behind every Major League Baseball player's success rate with the new tec sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.74 · score -10

#50 · news-in-context May 29, 2025

The largest university endowments in the US

This US News article ranks the 20 universities with the largest endowments in the United States, based on data from the 2022 fiscal year. Harvard tops the list at more than $50B, followed by Yale, Stanford, and Princeton. Check out this snapshot of how these financial resources support academic programs, research, and student aid.

lead US News & World Report released its annual rankings of the nation's best universities. sibling · sim 0.49 · keep 0.27 · score -2

#51 · explainers Sep 24, 2026

The UN complex in NYC is an international zone belonging to all member states, with its own postal service, fire department, and security forces.

US federal, state, or local officials cannot enter the headquarters to perform official duties without the direct consent of the UN Secretary-General.

The UN HQ is located on the East side of Manhattan on an 18-acre site.
The complex features four primary structures: the Conference Building, the General Assembly building, the Secretariat building, and the Dag Hammarskjöld Library.
Workers began preparing the site in 1948 and fully completed construction in 1952.

lead World leaders gathered in New York City as the United Nations opened the General Debate of own · sim 0.46 · keep 0.36 · score -2

#52 · experiences Apr 17, 2026

View a breakdown of the identified species on Earth, led by about one million insect species, while mammals such as humans make up one of the smallest groups.

Over 2 million species have been documented by scientists, but there may be as many as a billion distinct species.

lead The Ecosystem Inside You sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.55 · score -33

#53 · explainers Mar 25, 2026

Inside MLB's robo-umping experiment

Human umpires call roughly 94% of pitches right overall, but performance reduces on borderline pitches in high-leverage moments, the calls that shape game outcomes most. A professor and historian analyze early experiments with the full "robot ump" system that helped shape MLB's decision to implement a compromise "challenge" system.

itk Explore the data behind every Major League Baseball player's success rate with the new tec own · sim 0.62 · keep 0.27 · score -2

#54 · curiosity Jan 6, 2026

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, The Onion stuck with satire, defying what some were predicting was 'the death of irony.'

Although other comedians believed anything lighthearted in the wake of the attacks was inappropriate, The Onion, a satirical newspaper, decided to do what it had always done.

The lead headline for its first issue following the attacks was "US Vows To Defeat Whoever It Is We're At War With."
Chris Karwowski, a writer for the Onion at the time, said, "It felt disrespectful to not take it on. If we were just writing normal jokes, avoiding the whole thing, it would have felt like, 'What are you guys doing?'”
The publication had just moved to New York a few months before the attacks.

itk After 9/11, The Onion stuck with satire, defying predictions of "the death of irony." own · sim 0.81 · keep 0.39 · score -1

#55 · curiosity May 19, 2026

Fear or disgust related to clusters of holes and cracks, called trypophobia, may stem from evolutionary processes to help us avoid pathogens.

This type of extreme reaction to harmless holes, dots, cracks, and seed collections can be debilitating for those who have it, but it is not an officially recognized disorder in the DSM-5.

Because negative reactions to these stimuli are often more about disgust—than fear—there's controversy about whether or not it should be considered a phobia.
Roughly 10%-18% of the adult population feels some level of anxiety when viewing clusters of small holes.

itk Sixteen types of artworks inspired by or evoking elements of different phobias. own · sim 0.46 · keep 0.59 · score -2

#56 · news-in-context Sep 18, 2023

Ranking the most popular undergraduate degrees of the last decade

Roughly 2 million Bachelor's degrees are awarded by colleges and universities in the US every year, but within that number there are big shifts in the popularity and decline of certain majors. This data visualization breaks down the biggest gainers...

lead US News & World Report released its annual rankings of the nation's best universities. sibling · sim 0.49 · keep 0.56 · score -3

#57 · explainers Jan 31, 2026

Members of the United States Congress earn $174,000 annually

Members of the United States Congress have received the same pay since 2009. Leadership roles are more lucrative, and lawmakers become eligible for a federal pension after five years, with benefits tied to the length of service and salary.

lead According to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan campaign finance tracker, House and Senate candida sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.19 · score -5

#58 · experiences Jan 8, 2025

Visualizing the built world compared to the natural world

In the last century, humans have covered the Earth in 1,300 metric gigatons of built material, known as technomass. That amount is more than the Earth's entire biomass at 1,100 GT, which includes all living organisms. To get a sense of the scale of this comparison, click through this striking, simple visualization showcasing the various organisms comprising biomass as well as the materials making up the technomass.

lead The Ecosystem Inside You sibling · sim 0.40 · keep 0.72 · score -39

#59 · explainers Mar 2, 2026

Home energy performance can be boosted through home orientation and shading

When designing a home, placing living areas to the north maximizes sun exposure during winter, while eaves and awnings can limit excessive summer heat. Breezeways and entry air locks can also reduce the dependence on heating and cooling costs.

itk Painting roofs white can help communities mitigate the effects of climate change, among ot own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.71 · score -2

#60 · curiosity Jun 11, 2026

Visualize where the first batch of founders from the famous startup accelerator Y Combinator are now.

While OpenAI wasn’t among the companies started at YC, Sam Altman, who would later become the AI company’s CEO, had a different company called Loopt in the first batch.

Reddit was one of the most famous companies that got its start in Y Combinator’s first batch.

itk Examine a web of circular investments among major AI industry players. own · sim 0.47 · keep 0.49 · score -21

Gut Microbiome, UN Debate, and a Literary Hoax