2026-10-10 -- control

#1 · curiosity Sep 28, 2026

The Nobel Peace Prize has been criticized for sometimes honoring individuals who embody certain ideals, rather than those with recognizable achievements.

President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," despite being less than a year into his presidency.

The 1973 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Henry Kissinger and Lê Đức Thọ "for jointly having negotiated a ceasefire in Vietnam," despite the former being accused of war crimes.
Lê Đức Thọ declined the prize, open war resumed in Vietnam two months after the ceasefire was signed, and two members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee resigned in protest.
With no suitable living recipient recognized by the Nobel Committee after the death of Mahatma Gandhi days before the nomination deadline, no Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in 1948.

lead Nobel Peace Prize any_band · sim 0.54 · keep 0.51 · score -1

#2 · curiosity Jun 30, 2026

Hundreds of individuals are nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize each year, and nominees have included controversial figures like Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler.

An exclusive list of individuals, including certain academics and heads of state, can submit nominations for the award, but the honoree is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

The five members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee are appointed by the Norwegian legislature for a six-year term, though they can be reappointed.
Once nominations are submitted by January, months of research are conducted to evaluate each candidate and provide reports to the committee before an honoree is selected.
Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, which can each be awarded to no more than three people, the Nobel Peace Prize can be awarded to up to three organizations—each comprised of many individuals.

lead Nobel Peace Prize any_band · sim 0.50 · keep 0.54 · score -2

#3 · curiosity Sep 28, 2026

Nominations for each Nobel Prize in science are submitted by an invitation-only group of thousands of people, which includes leading academics and former Nobel laureates.

From the nomination period to the awards ceremony, the Nobel Prize cycle lasts about 16 months.

Individuals invited to submit nominations for Nobel Prizes cannot nominate themselves, and their nominations are kept confidential for 50 years.
From the nominations received, each Nobel Committee creates a shortlist of finalists, which is evaluated and put to a vote before the new laureates are announced in October.
The committees for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize in literature welcome nominations from certain "qualified" individuals, such as directors of peace research institutes and presidents of national literary societies, respectively.
Swedish organizations select the winners of every Nobel Prize, except the Nobel Peace Prize, which is decided by a five-person committee chosen by the Norwegian Parliament, as Alfred Nobel specified.

lead Nobel Peace Prize any_band · sim 0.40 · keep 0.62 · score -3

#4 · explainers Jun 25, 2026

Earthquakes of identical magnitudes are unlikely to cause equal damage because magnitude only measures energy released, and earthquake severity depends on environmental factors, such as local architecture and geological conditions.

These include the presence of water-saturated soil, which behaves like quicksand, and the depth of the earthquake.

Secondary effects, such as landslides, floods, and fires, may also cause significant additional damage.

itk Panama is struck by two powerful earthquakes. sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.50 · score -3

#5 · curiosity Jan 14, 2026

In 2025, thieves stole roughly $100M of jewels from the Louvre

The robbery of the world's most visited museum took less than ten minutes and resulted in worldwide shock. The thieves used a ladder to break into the building and steal eight pieces of French crown jewels, and then escaped on motorbikes.

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. sibling · sim 0.50 · keep 0.06 · score -1

#6 · curiosity Jan 2, 2026

In 2013, a lone bandit stole $136M in jewels from a luxury hotel in just 30 seconds

The robbery took place in broad daylight. Without any armed security guards present, the thief quickly stuffed a duffel bag with 72 precious items. They remain at large. The heist drew particular attention for its location—the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel in Cannes, which was prominently featured as a setting in Hitchcock's 1955 film "To Catch a Thief" about a reformed cat burglar.

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. sibling · sim 0.50 · keep 0.49 · score -2

#7 · experiences Jun 30, 2026

A deep dive into A24's top ten films

The film studio has released over 100 films since it's founding in 2012, so where should a newcomer begin? This extended video breaks down ten of the best of the studio's productions, showcasing its quality and variety. (Note: The video contains...

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. own · sim 0.46 · keep 0.72 · score -4

#8 · curiosity Oct 9, 2026

Blood can be blue, green, magenta, or transparent due to differences in the oxygen-carrying molecules they contain.

In humans, the binding of oxygen to the iron in hemoglobin alters its electron configuration, causing it to absorb blue and green light and giving blood its red color.

The blood of earthworms and leeches is green because of a respiratory pigment called chlorocruorin, while the blue blood of crabs and octopuses comes from hemocyanin, which features copper.
Lampshell blood is purple-pink due to hemerythrin, whereas some lizards, such as skinks, have high concentrations of biliverdin, a green bile pigment that masks the red color of their hemoglobin.
Fish that live in extremely oxygen-rich waters, such as the icefish of the Southern Ocean, extract oxygen from their surroundings naturally and don't need pigments, which makes their blood transparent.

etc Why do octopuses have blue blood? (w/video) own · sim 0.62 · keep 0.88 · score -1

#9 · curiosity Apr 28, 2026

Every city has a song: Music writers identify one tune that represents their hometown, from Chicago to Buenos Aires

Staffers from SPIN magazine wade into the contentious waters of official anthems, making the case for their chosen track, from Chicago's "Tonight, Tonight" by the Smashing Pumpkins to the Bobby Bare rendition of "The Streets of Baltimore."

etc Can you match the college football team to its stadium song? own · sim 0.46 · keep 0.60 · score -2

#10 · explainers Oct 1, 2026

The Federal Open Market Committee is a 12-member voting body that sits within the Fed

The committee meets every six weeks to decide whether to maintain, raise, or lower the federal funds rate, which determines all lending costs in the US. It consists of the seven permanent central board members, the president of the New York Fed, and four rotating heads of the other 11 regional banks.

itk President Donald Trump establishes committee to investigate Fed's Lisa Cook. own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.14 · score -1

#11 · curiosity Jul 24, 2026

See the 17 most expensive wines ever sold, including a 6-liter bottle of wine that sold for $1M.

Some fine wines are considered alternative investments that could grow in value over time.

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.68 · score -7

#12 · curiosity Mar 4, 2026

Tombaroli steal precious items from ancient people's tombs in central Italy

The tombaroli, or tomb-robbers, raid ancient Etruscan tombs in the dark hours of the night to recover vases, statuettes, mirrors, ornaments, jewellery, and other objects in gold, bronze, and terracotta. Read a firsthand account of a tombarolo who made a living handing stolen items to middlemen who sold them to wealthy buyers abroad. The lives and practices of tombaroli are also explored in the 2023 film "La Chimera."

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.44 · score -8

#13 · experiences Mar 13, 2025

51 must-see attractions in Barcelona

Planning a trip to Barcelona? Check out this comprehensive list of the city’s most iconic sites. It’s organized from most well-known to least, so if you’re pressed for time, the authors recommend concentrating on the top of the list.

etc Bilbao, Spain, tops list of best-value destinations. sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.66 · score -1

#14 · curiosity Jul 9, 2026

While robots tend to become more appealing the more humanlike they appear, beyond a certain point, humans have exhibited uneasiness and fear—a phenomenon known as the uncanny valley.

Hypothesized by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970, the negative reaction may result from sensory conflicts in the brain, such as a mismatch between a robot's lifelike appearance and its mechanical movements.

These conflicts can be intentionally used by creators to instill a sense of discomfort, as in a horror film, or to help inform animators and roboticists on how to best create characters that will be embraced by audiences.

etc This AI-generated Rumpelstiltskin meme is freaking people out. (w/video) sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.52 · score -1

#15 · curiosity Mar 23, 2026

Understanding 'YouTube Face,' the platform's pervasive thumbnail style

It's an image that's rampant across the web's premier video platform: open mouths, astonished eyes. It looks cheesy and cheap, yet its practitioners are some of YouTube's most popular personalities. The Ringer's Nate Rogers digs into the history of the phenomenon to learn why it's had such staying power.

etc This AI-generated Rumpelstiltskin meme is freaking people out. (w/video) sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.57 · score -2

#16 · explainers Mar 4, 2026

Art theft is the third-largest source of criminal revenues worldwide.

The market value of art can be largely subjective, allowing paintings to be worth millions while also being lightweight and easy to smuggle.

Most successful heists are the result of luck and often lack a plan for resale, as holding famous works can easily be seen as an admission of guilt. Stolen art is often ransomed instead of resold.
The simplest option for robbers is typically to nab a less famous painting, which is easier to sell than the Mona Lisa.

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.60 · score -5

#17 · curiosity Oct 6, 2026

Seventeen strange historical heists

High-dollar chocolate and cheese robberies to art thefts and audacious train robberies. Explore history's most peculiar stories of stealing with this list of seventeen tales of burglaries.

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. own · sim 0.43 · keep 0.79 · score -10

#18 · curiosity Jul 1, 2025

Picasso was on trial for the theft of the 'Mona Lisa'

On August 22, 1911, the world was stunned by the theft of the "Mona Lisa" from the Louvre in Paris. As an international investigation searched for the culprit, a young Picasso was suspected to be part of a group of its thieves. While innocent in the disappearance of the Mona Lisa, he found himself on trial with reasonable suspicion: He was in possession of two Iberian statues that were the property of the same museum.

itk Separately, French authorities recovered two Renoir paintings stolen from a museum last mo own · sim 0.52 · keep 0.58 · score -4

#19 · experiences Mar 5, 2025

The world’s most beautiful cinemas

Oakland, Madrid, and Mexico City are home to some of the most beautiful movie theaters in the world according to this extensive list. This resource compiles photos and interesting tidbits from 50 stunning cinemas, located in historic buildings and glistening modern structures.

etc Bilbao, Spain, tops list of best-value destinations. own · sim 0.40 · keep 0.74 · score -2

#20 · curiosity Dec 16, 2022

Teaching a robot to laugh

Researchers have designed a shared-laughter AI system that responds to human laughter in order to build a sense of empathy into dialogue. Learn how they did it with this explainer.

etc This AI-generated Rumpelstiltskin meme is freaking people out. (w/video) own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.59 · score -8

#21 · curiosity Feb 17, 2026

Americans only became intolerant of body odor in the last century.

Daily bathing only became a societal norm in the last century.

Today, Americans routinely bathe and buy more deodorant than any other country, spending roughly $6B annually on odor-reducing products.
The rise of industrialized soaps, deodorants, and antiperspirants—and extensive marketing around them—stimulated this demand.

etc Americans pay 62% more for water than they did a decade ago. sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.65 · score -3

#22 · explainers Feb 27, 2026

Couple welcomes rare quadruplet daughters who are actually a set of twins

The four healthy girls were delivered by cesarean section and joined a larger family that includes their parents and a 2-year-old older brother. Without the use of fertility drugs, quadruplet births are rare, but the chances are even slimmer that they'll be sets of identical twins. Medical professionals say the odds are around one in a million.

itk Triplets and twins who received care in the same NICU become best friends and raise more t sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.40 · score -1

#23 · curiosity Jan 31, 2023

Meet a 90-year-old who built his own hobbit-inspired house

A retired carpenter built himself a kind-of Hobbit house, and is living comfortably off the grid at 90 years old, tourists notwithstanding. Learn how he did it with this video.

itk Malibu homeowner finds inspiration to rebuild after discovering her late husband's basketb sibling · sim 0.40 · keep 0.72 · score -1

#24 · curiosity May 10, 2025

Explaining the 1985 Chicago Bears defense, the greatest ever

Led by coach Mike Ditka, the Bears' 1985 defensive unit led the league in total points allowed, yards allowed, and total takeaways. Throughout the season, the team maintained an average of 12.4 points per game, and during its last three playoff games, it only allowed ten points. Few teams have come close to such a defensive display.

itk Former Chicago Bears coach and Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka dies at age 86. sibling · sim 0.48 · keep 0.31 · score -1

#25 · experiences Jan 3, 2023

Visual deep dive into the collapse of insects

The most diverse group of organisms on the planet are in trouble, with recent research suggesting insect populations are declining at an unprecedented rate. Explore this visual interactive on the issue from Reuters Graphics.

etc You've never seen insects in this much color. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.48 · score -1

#26 · curiosity May 22, 2026

Bottled water started as a 19th-century wellness trend

Selling drinking water in America began at resorts in New York and West Virginia, where tourists were encouraged to take the regenerative mineral water back to their homes.

etc Americans pay 62% more for water than they did a decade ago. sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.56 · score -10

#27 · curiosity Jun 30, 2026

What is the rarest color in nature?

Plants, animals, or minerals found in nature bear almost every color imaginable. There are two factors that influence what hues you see in the wild: physics and evolution. So, which colors are you least likely to see in the natural world? Victoria Hwang explores one of nature's rarest spectacles.

etc You've never seen insects in this much color. sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.88 · score -2

#28 · explainers Jul 31, 2026

See all 16 former Fed Chairs ranked by stock market performance—from the Fed's first leader, Charles Hamlin, to Jerome Powell.

itk President Donald Trump establishes committee to investigate Fed's Lisa Cook. sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.48 · score -2

#29 · curiosity Mar 10, 2026

In 1910, riots swept Champagne over unfairness in the winemaking industry

The French are well known for protesting, and their winegrowers are no exception. After years of disastrous harvests caused by bad weather, disease, and deceptive practices by large Champagne houses, smaller vintners fought back.

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.41 · score -12

#30 · curiosity Jan 2, 2026

In 1911, a solo thief stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, propelling the painting to a new level of celebrity.

Thanks to the minimal museum security at the time, a former Louvre employee carried out the crime with relative ease. He hid in a storage closet and swiped the painting the following morning.

The disappearance caused a national stir, with people paying just to come see the empty spot on the wall. The Leonardo Da Vinci painting was eventually returned in 1914, and hundreds of thousands of people went to see it in the first two days of its retrieval.
The thief, an Italian immigrant, claimed to have stolen the "Mona Lisa" due to national pride and the belief that the work had been looted from his home country. In reality, Da Vinci brought the painting to France in 1516, and it was later legally purchased by King Francois I.

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.65 · score -13

#31 · experiences Apr 15, 2025

Keep track of how many of the '100 best films' you've seen

This list from the AFI, a nonprofit dedicated to the cinematic arts, ranks the 100 best films of the past 100 years. A jury of 1,500 film experts compiled the list and includes movies from nearly every genre. It’s also an interactive checklist, allowing you to keep track of how many of the films you’ve seen.

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.71 · score -6

#32 · curiosity May 24, 2022

The New York Public Library reveals its 10 most checked-out books of all time

In the library’s 125-year existence, these were the 10 most popular books — and one book that isn’t on the list, but should be.

etc The bestselling book the year you were born. own · sim 0.44 · keep 0.23 · score -1

#33 · curiosity Aug 14, 2025

The 25 most important stunt scenes of the 21st Century

The Academy Awards will finally recognize stunt design at its 2028 ceremony, leading one writer to gather the best stunt sequences from the century, highlighting jaw-dropping scenes from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "The Matrix," and more.

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. sibling · sim 0.49 · keep 0.58 · score -1

#34 · explainers Jun 29, 2026

The central bank was designed to operate free of short-term political influence to prevent the Fed from making disastrous policy decisions

Although the Fed Chair and the six other Governors of the Board are appointed by the US president and approved by Congress, the Fed is not funded by congressional appropriation, and its board members are appointed to lengthy 14-year terms.

itk President Donald Trump establishes committee to investigate Fed's Lisa Cook. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.25 · score -3

#35 · curiosity Aug 11, 2026

A root lice infestation, transported from the East Coast, once destroyed around 70% of Napa's vines.

In the late 1860s, an infestation of Phylloxera nearly destroyed the global wine industry.

Historians believe the pests traveled to California from the East Coast alongside the many people leaving the area in search of new opportunities on the West Coast.
European rootstock, planted across multiple continents, including the Napa Valley, had no natural defenses against the pests that infected the vines.
Around 70% of Napa’s vines were destroyed by 1900; It took decades for the industry to recover.

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. sibling · sim 0.40 · keep 0.49 · score -16

#36 · curiosity Aug 11, 2026

Napa Valley became a player on the international stage in the mid 1970s, when judges in a blind taste test deemed its wine superior to France's.

In 1976, a British wine merchant invited nine French wine experts to judge a mix of French and Californian wines.

The exhibition was a blind tasting, meaning the tasters would not know the wines' origins as they sampled.
Unexpectedly, Napa Valley’s wines dominated the tasting, something that was considered an upset: France was known for producing the world's best wines, while vintages from California were seen as second-rate.
The upset victory, called the Judgment of Paris, was the catalyst for California being taken seriously by the global wine community.

itk Thieves steal 30,000 bottles in Italy's largest-ever wine heist. sibling · sim 0.40 · keep 0.49 · score -17

#37 · experiences Mar 23, 2026

The 100 greatest cinemas in the world

Sure, it's convenient to stream a movie at home, but we believe there's no better way to see a great film than at a great theater. This extensive list explores the best of the best, featuring profiles of a Pennsylvania drive-in, an Icelandic arthouse, and many other amazing venues.

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. own · sim 0.45 · keep 0.68 · score -8

#38 · curiosity Sep 25, 2026

Named after the Ancient Greek term for 'eight-footed,' octopuses have eight, suction-filled arms, not tentacles—the latter only feature suckers at their tips.

About two-thirds of an octopus's neurons are found in its arms, each of which contains a "mini-brain"—the ganglia—that enables localized control of actions and sensing of the environment.

Of all invertebrates, the octopus has the largest brain-to-body ratio, contributing to its intelligence, tool use, and ability to recognize people.
Octopuses have three hearts: two responsible for pumping blood along gills to absorb dissolved oxygen, and one that circulates blood throughout their bodies.
Unlike human blood, which contains an iron-rich protein that carries oxygen and gives blood its red hue, octopus blood contains hemocyanin, which turns blue once its copper binds to oxygen.

etc Why do octopuses have blue blood? (w/video) own · sim 0.57 · keep 0.57 · score -2

#39 · curiosity Aug 18, 2026

College football bowl games boast some of sports' most absurd names

From the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to the Pop-Tarts Bowl, college football's postseason is filled with quirky, sponsor-driven names.

etc Can you match the college football team to its stadium song? own · sim 0.42 · keep 0.70 · score -3

#40 · explainers Mar 4, 2026

Stolen art is often ransomed rather than resold because it is too risky for collectors to purchase.

Thieves take advantage of museums, insurance companies, and private owners, blackmailing them into paying millions for the safe return of their belongings.

The practice, called "artnapping," occurs because stolen art is too dangerous for collectors to purchase without legal consequences.
The perpetrators often have little interest in holding onto pieces, but museums are desperate to retrieve these valuable historic and cultural treasures.

itk Separately, French authorities recovered two Renoir paintings stolen from a museum last mo sibling · sim 0.47 · keep 0.76 · score -10

#41 · curiosity Feb 11, 2026

The Mona Lisa's celebrity status and repeated restorations have obscured what made the painting so revolutionary for its time

Da Vinci's artistic technique, known as sfumato, or "gone up in smoke." The style lends his works a soft and atmospheric aesthetic

Frequent restorations have contributed to the loss of fine details, but researchers and historians have used advanced imaging techniques like infrared and X-rays to reveal lost details
The painting was stolen in 1911—an event widely credited with amplifying its popularity with the general public and making it one of the most well-known artworks in the world
The thief was a Louvre handyman who simply took the painting and tucked it under his overcoat and walked out of the museum
The celebrity of the Mona Lisa has overshadowed how it exemplifies Da Vinci's mastery, including the positioning of her body and the design of her eyes. The style was revolutionary at the beginning of the 16th century
Finally, while it's estimated the painting would go for $1B at auction, the Mona Lisa is owned by the public via French law and is legally unsellable.

itk Separately, French authorities recovered two Renoir paintings stolen from a museum last mo sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.71 · score -13

#42 · curiosity Feb 19, 2026

The Louvre in Paris has its own particle accelerator for art analysis

The Accélérateur Grand Louvre d'analyse élémentaire serves as a noninvasive tool for identifying and quantifying trace elements present in artworks by analyzing how particles backscatter off targets. This information can help detect forgeries and determine a piece's provenance.

itk Separately, French authorities recovered two Renoir paintings stolen from a museum last mo sibling · sim 0.40 · keep 0.48 · score -14

#43 · experiences May 31, 2022

Test your ability to identify AI-generated images

This interactive project from MIT challenges users to distinguish between AI-generated images and real ones.

etc This AI-generated Rumpelstiltskin meme is freaking people out. (w/video) sibling · sim 0.42 · keep 0.77 · score -6

#44 · curiosity Feb 12, 2025

Why this artist staged a satirical romance with Mark Zuckerberg

Internet performance artist Harriet Richardson is using AI and Meta's social media tools to make it appear as though she's in a serious romantic relationship with Mark Zuckerberg. While the images generate laughs, Richardson also says they're part of a larger satirical project aiming to highlight the larger societal impact of Meta's decision to discontinue fact-checking content across its platforms.

etc This AI-generated Rumpelstiltskin meme is freaking people out. (w/video) sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.25 · score -9

#45 · curiosity Jul 1, 2026

At any given time, there are an estimated 10 quintillion individual insects alive on Earth.

Across the planet, about 900,000 species of living insects have been identified, with 91,000 described in the US.

The total number of living species has been conservatively estimated at 2 million, but may be as high as 30 million.

etc You've never seen insects in this much color. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.57 · score -3

#46 · explainers May 6, 2026

See a ranking of the best (and worst) Federal Reserve Chairs since 1914 out of the 16 men and women who have held the office since.

itk President Donald Trump establishes committee to investigate Fed's Lisa Cook. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.68 · score -4

#47 · curiosity Jun 18, 2026

Across the animal kingdom, parenting can include adults carrying their young, providing their bodies for sustenance, searching for food and shelter for their children, and separating siblings who may eat one another.

Opossums carry an entire row of babies on their backs, and gorillas carry around babies clinging to their chests.

While mammals make milk for their young, spider hatchlings eat their mother's body, and salamander babies eat their mother's skin.
Meerkats, birds, marmosets, and other species rely on groups of caretakers to raise their young together.
Killer whales, which have matriarchal groups, see elder females that are no longer fertile leading families and finding food.
Some poison frog species are cannibalistic, and tadpoles are placed in separate pools of water to prevent them from eating one another.

itk Man frees a baby swan caught in a fishing line while keeping its protective parents calm. sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.63 · score -1

#48 · curiosity May 31, 2022

River dolphins manhandle an unlucky anaconda

The natural world around us is endlessly inspiring, and fascinating, and often very odd too: like when researchers snapped a photo of Bolivian river dolphins swimming around with a Beni anaconda snake in their mouths, for example.

itk Man frees a baby swan caught in a fishing line while keeping its protective parents calm. own · sim 0.41 · keep 0.66 · score -2

#49 · curiosity Mar 12, 2026

A round up of the best Oscar-snubbed films of 2026

This year's snubs include Eva Victor's "Sorry, Baby", Bong Joon Ho's "Mickey 17," and Richard Linklater's "Blue Moon", all without nominations despite strong critical recognition and awards-circuit momentum. At the time of writing, these were also available to stream.

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.42 · score -5

#50 · curiosity Jun 9, 2025

The 100 most significant sports moments between 2000 and 2025

This list ranks the 100 most significant sports moments of the first 25 years of the 21st century. The editors compiled the collection based on a list of factors, including the "collective joy" factor, whether it made you curse in disbelief, and how much it transcended the sport and entered the broader culture. The top moment: The improbable "helmet catch" during the Super Bowl in 2008.

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.67 · score -7

#51 · explainers Feb 20, 2026

No institution wields more power in US finance than the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the US—but opinion polls indicate that most Americans don't know what it does.

Despite its independence—that is, its ability to operate without requiring government approval—the Fed is often a political lightning rod due to its significant impact on both national and household economies.

Although Congress delegated its power to regulate currency to the Fed in 1913, some critics argue this was unconstitutional and advocate for more Fed oversight.
In recent decades, Fed chairs have sought to increase transparency at the bank via regular reports to Congress and the public.
The Fed controls the supply of money in circulation by adjusting the interest rate it pays banks to deposit their reserve funds with it.

itk President Donald Trump establishes committee to investigate Fed's Lisa Cook. sibling · sim 0.41 · keep 0.66 · score -6

#52 · explainers Apr 3, 2025

A guide to gig-worker taxes and the new Venmo rule

Tax laws are catching up to modern freelancers. Starting with income made in 2024, gig workers will have to report the earnings they receive via apps like Venmo and PayPal differently. The main change: workers will have to detail all app earnings above $5,000 (previously, it was $20,000), and that’ll eventually drop to $600. This guide explains what that’ll mean and answers common questions about the new rule.

etc When is it OK to nudge your friends on Venmo? (w/audio) any_band · sim 0.43 · keep 0.14 · score -1

#53 · curiosity Oct 6, 2026

The 31 best science fiction films ever

This list refreshingly starts off with the best first—1968's "2001: A Space Odyssey," Stanley Kubrick's cerebral, futuristic icon. Coming in at 31st is Disney's "Wall-E."

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. sibling · sim 0.45 · keep 0.71 · score -9

#54 · curiosity Aug 14, 2026

Ray Bradbury said Steven Spielberg was 'one of the most incredible young talents that's ever come into the world.'

In 1978, Ray Bradbury called Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" the most important movie of the past 20 years, noting that it elevated the science-fiction film genre to a philosophical level.

"This film could play in every major city of the world and be understood," he told Merv Griffin.
Bradbury recognized his work in science fiction as having an impact on Spielberg, remarking, "I feel as if he's my son in a way."

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.67 · score -11

#55 · news-in-context Jun 9, 2026

View the 10 largest earthquakes ever recorded as of 2025, led by a 1960 magnitude 9.5 earthquake in Chile, which left about 2 million people homeless.

Two of the largest earthquakes in history occurred in back-to-back years in Alaska, with 9.2- and 8.7-magnitude quakes that generated tsunamis in 1964 and 1965, respectively.

itk Panama is struck by two powerful earthquakes. any_band · sim 0.46 · keep 0.70 · score -1

#56 · curiosity Jul 13, 2026

Letterboxd, the social media app for movie reviews, was named one of Time's 100 most influential companies of 2026.

Founded in 2011, Letterboxd has garnered a reputation for helping its young user base (more than half its users are under the age of 35) discover films.

When the 2024 film "The Brutalist" was released, for instance, almost half its opening-weekend audience had reportedly heard about it on Letterboxd.
In 2025 alone, Letterboxd users published more than 143 million reviews on the app.
As of April 2026, Letterboxd had about 28 million users across more than 190 countries.

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. sibling · sim 0.44 · keep 0.16 · score -13

#57 · curiosity Mar 9, 2026

Cult classics are often defined by their polarization

Films that reach cult status are far from universally beloved. In fact, fans of cult movies often become such passionate supporters because a title has been lambasted by mainstream audiences. Stat Significant breaks down some of the most polarizing films of all time based on the data behind audience scores. It should come as no surprise that many in the top 10 are considered cult franchises.

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. sibling · sim 0.43 · keep 0.59 · score -16

#58 · news-in-context Mar 18, 2022

Breaking down Europe's reliance on Russian energy (preinvasion)

One side effect of the Russian-Ukraine conflict is how it underscored European dependence on Russian natural gas and oil. This article, published days before the Russian attacks, outlines and illustrated how much gas and oil flows from Russia to Europe and the potential for either side to use sanctions to get what they want.

itk Trump administration strikes deal to obtain diesel from Russia. any_band · sim 0.40 · keep 0.11 · score -1

#59 · longform Apr 23, 2026

The idea for the Federal Reserve was conceived in secret in 1910—with bankers donning duck hunt gear for disguise while traveling to a remote country club on Georgia's Jekyll Island

Before their meeting, U.S. banks couldn't expand the money supply during crises because notes had to be backed by fixed government bonds

The men who attended denied the meeting for 20 years—until one participant published a memoir claiming all the credit, breaking the silence
The final Federal Reserve Act—enacted in 1913—was nearly word-for-word the secret plan—just with a more democratic-looking governance structure

itk President Donald Trump establishes committee to investigate Fed's Lisa Cook. any_band · sim 0.42 · keep 0.68 · score -5

#60 · explainers Feb 11, 2026

The 2022 best picture winner, 'CODA,' was an Apple+ original

Streaming has changed more than how we watch movies—it's changed the way we recognize them during awards season. When movie theaters shut down during the early days of the pandemic, studios had no choice but to release their films on streaming. Once the shift occurred, there was no going back.

etc The 2020s' most influential movies to date. any_band · sim 0.48 · keep 0.28 · score -2

Nobel Peace Prize, Wine Heist, and a Rumpelstiltskin Meme