2026-09-29 -- control

#1 · news-in-context Apr 10, 2026

See a chart showing how US tariff revenue has grown in recent years.

In April 2025, President Donald Trump announced tariffs on countries across the globe, raising them to unprecedented levels in modern American history.

The increase in tariff rates led to a significant rise in tariff revenue.
US Tariff revenue rose to $264B in 2025—more than double that of recent years.

lead Steeling Up in Iowa own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.15 · score -1

#2 · explainers Sep 27, 2024

Stock buybacks are when a company purchases some of its own shares of stock

This reduces the number of shares on the market and, therefore, makes the remaining shares more valuable. Buybacks have received a lot of criticism in recent years for many reasons, such as how they could artificially inflate share prices.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback own · sim 0.55 · keep 0.23 · score -1

#3 · explainers May 27, 2026

'You will never feel proud of your work if you find no joy within it; your best work is always joyful work.'

Stevie Wonder (1950-present)

itk Stevie Wonder shares four previously unreleased tracks from "Songs in the Key of Life" sibling · sim 0.46 · keep 0.36 · score -3

#4 · curiosity Sep 28, 2026

Watch several Motown stars—including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and the Supremes—perform at the Apollo Theater in 1962.

The Motortown Revue was the name of Motown Records' nationwide tours, which featured Motown artists and some soul and R&B stars who weren't signed, such as James Brown.

In this performance from Harlem's historic Apollo Theater, a 12-year-old Stevie Wonder (then known as "Little Stevie Wonder") performed "Fingertips."
The headliner for this show was Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, who performed "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and "Shop Around." 42:48
This recording was shot in 1962, and the audio was later released by Motown Records on several LPs through the 1960s.

itk Stevie Wonder shares four previously unreleased tracks from "Songs in the Key of Life" own · sim 0.48 · keep 0.65 · score -1

#5 · curiosity Apr 26, 2024

In 1992, sports betting was outlawed in places where it wasn't already legal

On Oct. 29, 1992, then-President George HW Bush signed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, outlawing sports gambling where it was not already legal.

itk Senate passes bipartisan college sports bill to regulate payments and restrict transfers, own · sim 0.40 · keep 0.19 · score -7

#6 · experiences Sep 7, 2022

America's most underrated places to visit

The United States is vast, with beautiful and fascinating cultural hubs, landmarks, and natural wonders to fill a lifetime of travel. These landmarks can be well-known and top everyone's bucket list, or they can fly under-the-radar. Here's a list of...

etc Liverpool, New York, tops list of nicest places in America. own · sim 0.47 · keep 0.67 · score -2

#7 · curiosity Nov 21, 2024

The most unique-smelling places on Earth

Have you ever picked a travel destination by smell? This Atlas Obscura piece cultivates a list of the most distinct-smelling spots in the world. Learn about these obscure scents to potentially book a trip to a spring that smells like rotten eggs, or a desert valley filled with frankincense trees.

etc ... and ranking the US' best-smelling cities. own · sim 0.49 · keep 0.78 · score -2

#8 · curiosity Aug 30, 2023

Uncovering the evolution of history's largest dinosaurs

This article details how sauropods—the dinosaurs that Little Foot would call longnecks—repeatedly evolved to attain such colossal sizes, towering over other land critters, including tyrannosaurs and mammoths.

Sauropods were giant, long-necked...

etc See rendering of anatomically bizarre, newly discovered dinosaur. own · sim 0.54 · keep 0.53 · score -1

#9 · news-in-context Dec 20, 2024

In 2023 and the first half of 2024, Berkshire Hathaway bought back more than $12B of its own stock

In the second half of 2024, the company—and Buffett—decided to buy up shares of Domino’s Pizza, Pool, Sirius XM Holdings, and Liberty Media. They also decided to sell Capital One, Ulta Beauty, and Nu Holdings, among others. Learn why Buffett is buying and selling these stocks and what it could mean for the financial conglomerate.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback sibling · sim 0.48 · keep 0.17 · score -6

#10 · explainers Apr 15, 2025

By 2024, Nvidia had become one of the world’s most valuable companies

Nvidia started as a graphics chip designer for PCs and consoles. This explainer traces its rise from early GPU innovation to powering AI breakthroughs and fueling the data centers behind today’s biggest tech platforms.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.51 · score -2

#11 · explainers Jul 16, 2025

Title IX helped push women’s soccer to the world stage

In 1999, Title IX-era stars Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain helped the US win the 1999 World Cup, drawing a then-record 18 million viewers and popularizing US women’s soccer. Many suggest this would not have been possible without the NCAA’s role as a talent incubator, attracting over 20,000 international athletes annually.

itk National Women's Soccer League unveils Atlanta expansion club's name, colors, and crest; t own · sim 0.44 · keep 0.29 · score -5

#12 · curiosity May 29, 2026

Watch a supercut of the various iterations of SpaceX's Starship rocket

The first version, called Starhopper, was named with the vision of developing rocket stages that could safely land after use, enabling reusability to cut costs. The endeavor was an enormous engineering challenge that required years of testing.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.61 · keep 0.73 · score -1

#13 · curiosity May 29, 2026

SpaceX successfully caught a rocket booster in mid-air

As part of the fifth test flight of its Starship system, the Super Heavy booster used high-speed navigation systems, grid fins, and Raptor engines to steer itself onto the mechanical arms of a tower called Mechazilla.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA own · sim 0.57 · keep 0.53 · score -2

#14 · experiences Jun 7, 2022

Evaluating the world’s 'smartest' cities

A ranking of "smart cities" analyzes cities by economical and technological aspects as well as quality of life, inclusiveness, and care to the environment.

etc ... and ranking the US' best-smelling cities. sibling · sim 0.49 · keep 0.56 · score -3

#15 · curiosity Jan 8, 2026

An image of a shark swimming on the freeway repeatedly fools viewers during natural disasters

The long-running joke traces back to 2011, following Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico. Since then, pranksters have spread the image after Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and Hurricane Laura in 2020. The image is photo-edited, combining a 2005 photo of a kayaker being followed by a great white shark and a photo of a flooded street.

etc Shark spotted in flooded New Jersey streets amid nor'easter. (w/photo) own · sim 0.61 · keep 0.45 · score -1

#16 · curiosity Mar 24, 2026

Scientists are reconstructing ancient smells—including the surprisingly perfumy scent of a 3,500-year-old Egyptian mummy—to help the public experience olfactory aspects of history.

Chemical analysis of an Egyptian mummy's embalming materials enabled researchers to reverse-engineer what they believe was the original scent from thousands of years ago.

Researchers have placed the mummy scent on specialized cards that enable museum-goers to smell that person's "last perfume."
A researcher on the project describes the ancient mummy smell as "sweet" and "smoky."
The exhibit went on display at the Royal BC Museum in Canada in June 2026 and is slated to close in January 2027.

etc How old is scratch-and-sniff? sibling · sim 0.46 · keep 0.50 · score -1

#17 · news-in-context Jul 6, 2026

As of 2025, Nvidia controls over 90% of the discrete graphics processing unit market, with its high-end components serving as the backbone for the AI data center boom, followed by AMD and Intel.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.15 · score -9

#18 · explainers Feb 19, 2026

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang once saved Nvidia from bankruptcy with a multi-million dollar Hail Mary

Nvidia is now known as one of the top companies contributing to the AI boom, but back in the 1990s, it almost failed. One last-ditch effort conversation that CEO Jensen Huang had with an investor saved the company.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.62 · score -3

#19 · explainers Jun 24, 2026

mRNA vaccines teach the immune system how to respond to a threat, using a molecule called messenger RNA.

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were developed faster than any vaccine ever made, and scientists are adapting that approach to try to unlock preventive treatments for a wide range of conditions.

The main problem with mRNA vaccines is that mRNA breaks down very easily, so it must be stored under very specific conditions, including extremely cold environments.

itk Engineers tweak formula of lipid nanoparticles used to deliver mRNA, allowing vaccines to own · sim 0.55 · keep 0.56 · score -1

#20 · curiosity Mar 24, 2026

Humans can track smells on the ground quite well—our ability to crawl is a limiting factor

As part of a scientific bet, neurobiology researchers dragged a chocolate bar across the grass and sought to see if a human could track it—she could. This led to a more in-depth experiment on human olfactory capabilities and behavior when other senses were blocked.

itk Neuroscientists discover humans' response speed when exhaling is on average 41 millisecond own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.67 · score -9

#21 · curiosity Feb 6, 2024

How a panel blew off a Boeing plane in mid-air

As Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 climbed just over 16,000 feet into the sky, a refrigerator-sized panel was ripped from its side, forcing it to land. Few of the 171 passengers were injured. This infographic explains how the panel tore from the body of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane, which had only been in service for eight weeks.

itk Boeing shares close down 6.9% after the company identifies 737 MAX software glitch that co sibling · sim 0.46 · keep 0.13 · score -1

#22 · 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...

etc ... and ranking the US' best-smelling cities. sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.55 · score -8

#23 · curiosity Mar 2, 2026

In the 1930s, three Australian soldiers were sent to fight emus with machine guns—and lost

As part of a post-WWI initiative to turn veterans into farmers, soldiers were given plots of land. After emus were found damaging the farmland, three men were sent to handle the flightless birds. These men ended up losing to the second-largest bird species in the world and potentially exacerbating crop losses by sending swaths of the birds running and trampling over wheat.

etc Watch emu defeat man in impromptu wrestling match. (w/video) own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.78 · score -1

#24 · curiosity Jun 23, 2026

John D. Rockefeller—the world's first billionaire—was born to a well-known con artist father.

John D. Rockefeller's father was a man known as “Devil Bill."

Devil Bill made a living posing as a traveling doctor and selling fake herbal cures.
He was also infamous for his dramatic storytelling and elaborate cons.

etc John D. Rockefeller reported as world’s first billionaire (1916); Pope John Paul II is fir sibling · sim 0.50 · keep 0.70 · score -3

#25 · news-in-context May 29, 2026

In 2025, American tech companies will spend $300B to $400B on AI

That is, in nominal dollars, more than any group of companies has ever spent to do anything. Notably, these companies are not remotely close to earning $400B on artificial intelligence.

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#26 · explainers Jun 30, 2026

Nvidia was founded in a Denny's restaurant

Nvidia is one of a handful of companies valued at more than $1T. In its early days, the semiconductor company sold GPUs, or graphics processing units, that were used for video games. But in recent years, Nvidia's chips have been used for crypto and AI. Nvidia has faced several setbacks on its journey, including when the US sanctioned chip exports to China.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.51 · score -4

#27 · explainers Aug 26, 2026

Trade between the US and China has significantly increased in recent decades.

After China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, the trade partnership between the US and China bloomed.

Pros of the relationship include lower prices for US consumers and higher profits for US corporations.
Cons, however, include the loss of American jobs due to import competition and multinational companies moving overseas.

itk The US and China agree to each lower tariffs on $30B worth of nonsensitive goods, includin own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.15 · score -1

#28 · curiosity May 29, 2026

Starbase is SpaceX's testing ground for their most powerful rocket, Starship

Located near the southernmost part of Texas, the complex includes rocket bays, test pads, the "Rocket Garden" where flown, cancelled, or retired spacecraft are kept. The outdoor seating area of the site's private restaurant is covered in Mk1 Starship prototype flaps.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.57 · keep 0.40 · score -3

#29 · curiosity May 2, 2026

Starship is the space travel ship that rides atop the world's largest rocket

SpaceX hopes to use the vehicle for both interplanetary travel and shorter flights around Earth. At 30 feet wide, it allows for more storage and headspace for inhabitants than previous NASA spacecraft.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.57 · keep 0.74 · score -4

#30 · experiences Sep 2, 2022

View a directory of more than 300 dinosaurs

This resource details each dinosaur's taxonomy, type, diet, and habitat, from Aardonyx to Zuniceratops. More well-researched dinosaurs include information on when they were discovered alongside their size, behaviors, and other noteworthy findings.

etc See rendering of anatomically bizarre, newly discovered dinosaur. sibling · sim 0.53 · keep 0.57 · score -2

#31 · curiosity Dec 18, 2023

America's best mountain towns

Thrillist compiled a list of the most well-rounded mountain towns in the US, from ski-friendly Park City, Utah, to austere desert hotspot Taos, New Mexico. Peruse this list for you next mountain adventure.

etc Liverpool, New York, tops list of nicest places in America. sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.73 · score -5

#32 · curiosity Feb 17, 2026

A 2025 study explored the common words to describe body odor across 17 countries

The work identified the 25 most frequent words used to describe body odors across languages, ranked by frequency, and found that "sweaty" topped the list, followed by "sour" and "stinky."

etc ... and ranking the US' best-smelling cities. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.45 · score -6

#33 · news-in-context Feb 4, 2026

Walmart was the first traditional retailer to crack the $1T club

In early 2026, the company joined major tech companies Nvidia, Apple, and Meta (among others) as one of the rare firms with a market capitalization beyond $1T. See the latest top companies here.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.12 · score -12

#34 · explainers Apr 24, 2026

Nvidia's attempted Arm acquisition revealed its hopes of becoming the world's leading AI company

Though Nvidia's acquisition of Arm, another company that designs semiconductors, was ultimately quashed over antitrust concerns, the attempt offered insights into Nvidia's business strategy. Over time, Nvidia has increasingly focused on using its graphics cards to power machine learning, and its platform CUDA is dominant in the sector.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.14 · score -5

#35 · explainers Jul 16, 2025

The government has said Title IX does not protect transgender athletes or apply to athlete pay

In early 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender women from college athletics, suggesting the move was in line with Title IX compliance. A week later, the Department of Education said Title IX does not require equitable distribution of name, image, and likeness payments to athletes. Both instances reverse former President Joe Biden’s interpretations of the law.

itk Justice Department files appeal to end transgender care for inmates sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.07 · score -1

#36 · curiosity Jun 10, 2026

The Artemis program to bring humans to the moon for the first time since 1972

Using NASA's next-generation megarocket, the Space Launch System, Artemis I will take an uncrewed spacecraft on a 42-day journey around the moon. Subsequent missions plan to land the first woman on the lunar surface.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.56 · keep 0.21 · score -5

#37 · curiosity Apr 23, 2026

Overcoming industry skeptics, SpaceX provides low-cost, high-publicity spaceflights

From recovering and reusing rocket components to launching a mannequin and Tesla into orbit to the tune of David Bowie's "Starman," Elon Musk drove public interest and government contracts to his company as he transformed space launches into spectacles.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.52 · keep 0.20 · score -6

#38 · experiences May 14, 2026

Explore an interactive timeline and map of dinosaurs across the globe

This tool maps dinosaur habitats based on fossil sites around the world. It includes short articles and additional information—including size, diet, and weight—about each dinosaur. A timeline and data table also allow users to compare dinosaur emergence and extinction dates.

etc See rendering of anatomically bizarre, newly discovered dinosaur. sibling · sim 0.46 · keep 0.73 · score -10

#39 · curiosity Jun 30, 2026

Spinosaurus had the weirdest dinosaur tail of all time

A new fossil of one of the most unusual dinosaurs, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, suggests it was a swimming predator powered by a fin-like tail.

etc See rendering of anatomically bizarre, newly discovered dinosaur. own · sim 0.51 · keep 0.85 · score -3

#40 · curiosity Nov 6, 2025

Magnus Carlsen became world champion at just 22 years old

Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen won the World Chess Championship in 2013 at age 22, one of the youngest champions in history. He went on to dominate for a decade, peaking at an Elo rating (a modern measure of chess ability) of 2882—the highest ever recorded.

etc Meet the youngest female chess prodigy: an 11-year-old girl. own · sim 0.55 · keep 0.46 · score -1

#41 · news-in-context Aug 6, 2026

See a web of circular investments among major AI industry players like Nvidia and OpenAI, as many top AI companies provide significant investments to one another.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.43 · score -14

#42 · explainers Jun 30, 2026

Nvidia pioneered the GPU industry via its origins as a video game company

From the mid-1990s to early 2000s, Nvidia carved out a niche as a maker of semiconductor chips specially designed for the video game industry. Nvidia broke through the competition to seal deals with TSMC and Microsoft, and popularized the term "graphics processing unit," aka GPU.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.41 · score -7

#43 · explainers Aug 18, 2026

New rules introduced in 2021 let college athletes profit from their name, image, and likeness.

The NCAA’s 2021 policy shift allowed athletes to earn money through endorsements, sponsorships, and personal branding.

In 2024, the NCAA agreed to pay nearly $2.8B to athletes who had previously lost out on financial gain due to NCAA rules.
The NIL industry is expected to be $4.5B in 2026.

itk Senate passes bipartisan college sports bill to regulate payments and restrict transfers, sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.13 · score -1

#44 · curiosity Apr 23, 2026

Elon Musk's $100M investment in SpaceX was lost to three failed rocket launches

The attempts with Falcon 1 endangered the company's future but provided valuable information from which to iterate and follow up with the successful first privately funded orbital launch in history and multiple ISS resupply missions.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.52 · keep 0.56 · score -8

#45 · curiosity Jun 10, 2026

The Space Launch System: NASA's most powerful rocket ever

The Space Launch System is intended to be the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA. Possible missions include returning to the moon and perhaps even reaching Mars. This speculative and mostly silent video uses animation to explore the inner workings of the SLS, showing it launching and in space flight.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.51 · keep 0.66 · score -9

#46 · experiences Jun 30, 2026

How paleos dig up dinosaurs

Follow Kelsie Abrams and the dig team from the field to the lab, as they unravel mysteries from the end of the age of dinosaurs.

etc See rendering of anatomically bizarre, newly discovered dinosaur. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.80 · score -13

#47 · curiosity Mar 24, 2026

Read the academic article explaining how ancient smells can be dissected and recreated

This paper explores how biomolecular data on past scents can be teased out and then transformed into olfactory museum experiences, adding another component to our understanding of archaeology.

etc How old is scratch-and-sniff? sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.28 · score -2

#48 · curiosity Mar 24, 2026

Humans may be able to distinguish more than one trillion scents

That's according to one estimate published in 2014. This figure far exceeds earlier estimates of a human smelling ceiling around 10,000 odors. The newer figure is derived from experiments in which volunteers agreed to sniff varying scents. Researchers mixed odor components and had volunteers sniff the brews to detect subtle scent differences.

etc How old is scratch-and-sniff? own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.55 · score -3

#49 · news-in-context Jan 7, 2026

Visualizing the AI investment wave

This data visualization from Reuters shows how massive AI investment has become by December 2025—revealing that, in today's dollars, spending has surpassed the combined total of the Apollo program and the Manhattan Project.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.35 · score -16

#50 · explainers Apr 24, 2026

Nvidia controls more than four-fifths of the GPU market—but isn't considered a monopoly

Semiconductor company Nvidia has a commanding market share when it comes to graphics processing units. Its competitors include Advanced Micro Devices and Intel, which together account for less than a fifth of the GPU market.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback own · sim 0.44 · keep 0.28 · score -8

#51 · explainers Jul 16, 2025

Some opponents of Title IX wanted exemptions for revenue-producing sports

One of the main arguments against Title IX was that it would unfairly punish revenue-generating sports like football and men’s basketball. Senator John Tower (R-TX) proposed exempting those sports from Title IX’s reach. His amendment failed, but the push for a similar modification to the law continued through the decades.

itk Senate passes bipartisan college sports bill to regulate payments and restrict transfers, own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.20 · score -2

#52 · curiosity May 1, 2026

SpaceShipOne was the first privately built spacecraft to reach the boundary of space

The rocket-powered aircraft was built by Richard Branson's company Virgin Galactic. The English business magnate has described being inspired to go to space since he was a child watching NASA's moon landings.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.51 · keep 0.58 · score -10

#53 · curiosity Apr 16, 2026

SpaceX was built to achieve Elon Musk's vision of making humans an interplanetary species.

Founded by Elon Musk in 2002, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is a Texas-based company that pioneered the development of reusable rockets.

Learning quickly from early Falcon rocket failures and clashes with vendors and safety regulators, the company has focused on reusability as a first step to reaching Mars.
It's also been backed by NASA funding to do so.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.51 · keep 0.19 · score -11

#54 · experiences Oct 25, 2023

Recreating ancient faces: where art meets archaeology

Artistic renderings and reconstructions of ancient people are one way to bring the past to life, providing viewers with insights into and empathy for those who came before. This article details how modern artists and archaeologists work together to...

etc See rendering of anatomically bizarre, newly discovered dinosaur. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.56 · score -17

#55 · curiosity May 24, 2022

The best restaurant tasting experiences in every state

Looking for the best tasting experiences that are a must-try in your home state or anywhere you may be traveling? Here are your options.

etc ... and ranking the US' best-smelling cities. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.66 · score -9

#56 · curiosity Aug 9, 2022

Huge tyrannosaur wore a fuzzy coat

It’s not your dad’s tyrannosaur: Yutyrannus huali, a newly discovered ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex, was covered from head to tail in downy feathers.

etc See rendering of anatomically bizarre, newly discovered dinosaur. sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.61 · score -6

#57 · curiosity Jan 25, 2026

President Trump tore down the East Wing in October 2025 to build a new ballroom

In October 2025, Donald Trump commenced demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House to clear space for a privately funded, 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The project drew criticism from preservationists and public officials.

lead Steeling Up in Iowa any_band · sim 0.40 · keep 0.17 · score -2

#58 · explainers Jun 30, 2026

Nvidia entered its AI era after learning that its chips could be used in industries beyond gaming

Its semiconductor chips were used in the automotive industry, for data centers, and by crypto miners. And starting in 2006, Nvidia took steps that would ultimately transform it into the AI company it's known as today. This podcast is the second part of a three-part series diving deep into Nvidia's company evolution.

lead Nvidia's Big Buyback own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.41 · score -10

#59 · explainers May 29, 2026

A primer on SpaceX's primary rockets and spacecraft

SpaceX has developed several lines of rockets, from its workhorse Falcon 9 to the visionary Super Heavy rocket of the company's Starship designed for massive payloads. Each iteration costs millions of dollars and came with scientific and economic challenges and several are no longer in development. Learn more about the company's roster of rockets and craft here.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.19 · score -7

#60 · curiosity Jul 13, 2026

Major milestones of the Space Shuttle program's 135 missions included the launches of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the first American woman and African-American astronauts in space.

The inaugural space shuttle flight in 1981 was the first use of solid rocket engines to propel a spacecraft into orbit, as well as the first runway landing of a spacecraft.

The 1983 STS-7 saw Sally Ride become the first American woman in space, and STS-8 later that year saw Guion Bluford become the first African-American in space, with both milestones taking place aboard Challenger.
A year later, Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart conducted the first untethered spacewalks using a robotic backpack with its own thrusters.
In 1995, STS-71 saw the Atlantis space shuttle dock with the Russian space station Mir—a predecessor to the collaboration that would establish the International Space Station.
STS-51L and STS-107—the 1986 Challenger and 2003 Columbia disasters—contributed to sweeping changes at NASA and the Space Shuttle program, including a shuttle safety overhaul and the eventual retirement of the fleet.

itk SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NA sibling · sim 0.50 · keep 0.25 · score -12

Mega Steel Mill, Nvidia Buyback, and a Slang Test