When I was in Japan last month, we went to an okonomiyaki restaurant in Fukuoka, Japan. It was called Denko Sekka, in Canal City Hakata, a shopping center. (Denko Sekka means "lightning fast.")

Okonomiyaki is basically a kind of pancake or crepe cooked on a griddle. — Read the rest

The post A Fukuoka okonomiyaki shop will give you its 10-pound pancake for free, if you can finish it in 40 minutes appeared first on Boing Boing.

Loud noises and bright lights from fireworks can cause animals stress, especially those sensitive to noise. Bonfires also pose a threat to wildlife such as mice and hedgehogs, which hide within log piles to seek shelter or to hibernate. Fires and fireworks release carbon and chemicals into the atmosphere, and often litter is left behind.

The Trust encourages people to attend organised displays where possible to reduce the numbers of individual households contributing to these problems.

If people choose to celebrate at home, they are urged to take the following precautions:

1.  Prepare or move your bonfire on the day you are planning to burn it, so animals do not have the opportunity to take shelter within. You can also place chicken wire around the bottom to prevent animals entering.
2. Consider a bonfire alternative such as a raised fire pit. 
3. If you find a hedgehog in your bonfire, put on a pair of gloves and carefully remove it, taking with you as much of the vegetation as possible. You can keep it in a cardboard box with ventilation holes until after the displays and then release it into a vegetated area.
4. Light the bonfire from one corner to give animals the chance to escape, and ensure the bonfire is completely put out once finished.
5. Aim to use environmentally friendly fireworks and avoid using them near trees and hedges to help protect nesting birds from disturbance.
6. Make sure to pick up your litter following the celebrations.

Andrew Armstrong, Senior Ranger for Essex Wildlife Trust, says: "As we approach the fireworks season, please be mindful to protect wildlife. For example, when moving pallets or pieces of wood, please do check for hedgehogs or small mammals sheltering under the wood. If possible, please relocate these animals to a safe area.

"Also, please consider alternatives to candle-lit sky lanterns. These lanterns can descend and cause fires on local nature reserves."

Darren Tansley, Wilder Rivers and Protected Species Manager for Essex Wildlife Trust, says: "Hedgehogs and dormice have been killed in Essex whilst sleeping in woodpiles created for bonfires so it is best to restack your fire on the day and to check for any animals.

"We would recommend attending an organised display to contain the effects to fewer locations. Everyone wants to enjoy Bonfire Night and keeping both ourselves and our wildlife safe is possible if we just take a few precautions."

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The post Remember, remember… to keep wild animals safe this Bonfire Night first appeared on East Anglia Bylines.

The money incinerator is just getting up to speed. Anthropic's amended IPO filing says the company now has $895.4 billion in purchase commitments and lease agreements; almost all of it is for compute and infrastructure. AI datacenter builders rejoice!

Anthropic hopes to hold 3.5GW of capacity by the end of the year and double that volume next year, the report added, citing sources with knowledge of the situation.

— Read the rest

The post Keeping Claude running apparently requires nearly a trillion dollars appeared first on Boing Boing.

The United States will stop providing $4 billion in annual aid to Israel starting next year, President Donald Trump claimed in an Election Day interview. While the U.S. will continue to sell arms to its closest Middle East ally, Trump's announcement — should it actually hold true — could represent a seismic shift in American foreign policy.

Still questions remain and experts are dubious that the claim is what it seems.

Trump told Fox News during a phone call on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had approached him with the idea years ago. He did not state specifically why he waited to announce the decision in the midst of a midterm vote in which his party is expected to lose its lock on Congress, but noted that U.S. aid to Israel has become a Democratic talking point, singling out Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. "The left uses the $4 billion payment — that everybody knows about, it's no secret — as a signal of unfairness," said Trump.

An August 2026 Fox News poll found 55 percent of Michigan voters oppose continued military assistance to Israel, including 70 percent of Democrats, 66 percent of Independents, and 35 percent of Republicans. 

U.S. public support for Israel has fallen since the Gaza war began in 2023, particularly among ​Democrats, as Netanyahu's government has slaughtered civilians with impunity. Almost 75,000 Gazans have been killed and nearly 176,000 wounded, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. A recent U.N. report said, "Israeli authorities and forces continue to commit genocidal acts with the genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians in Gaza."

Amid the slaughter, sympathy for Israel among all Americans fell from roughly 50 percent to 36, while sympathy for Palestinians rose to 41 percent, according to a February Gallup poll. Among Democrats, support for Israel plummeted from more than 50 percent in 2001 to roughly 17 percent this year. October 2026 polling from the Institute for Middle East Understanding's D.C.-based IMEU Policy Project and YouGov found a majority of voters in six key swing states — Georgia, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas — support halting the transfer of bombs to Israel.

"You can consider it barter. You can consider military aid or cash," Trump said. "Look, we give them $4 billion of things and money, and they don't need it. And I was approached by Bibi Netanyahu, and we've been talking about it for a couple of years because it's a lot of money."

Experts cautioned not to take Trump at his word, especially as his administration pushes a pending $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act that would embed Israeli technology within the Pentagon's programs and supply chain.

Related Congress Is Trying to Permanently Integrate U.S. and Israeli Defense Tech

"President Trump is a serial liar who has announced over $20 billion in weapons giveaways to Israel since taking office and launched a war at Israel's request that has already cost every U.S. household over $2,000 — the equivalent of $262 billion," said Hamid Bendaas, IMEU Policy Project's communications director. "He and other politicians realize our taxpayer funding for Israel is a liability. That's why he and his allies in Congress are at this very moment trying to advance legislation to conceal support for Israel by integrating Israeli weapons companies into the Pentagon. This is a bait and switch that would result in Americans funding Israeli weapons makers in record amounts."

"This is a bait and switch that would result in Americans funding Israeli weapons makers in record amounts."

Others expressed skepticism about Trump's claim of an immediate end of annual aid in 2027. "It's not plausible there will be a total cut-off starting January 1," said Josh Paul, who spent more than 11 years as the director of congressional and public affairs at the State Department bureau that oversees arms transfers to foreign nations before resigning in 2023 over U.S. military assistance to Israel, noting that funding is baked into existing and pending legislation. "My guess is that he was speaking off the cuff with the next 10-year memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Israel in mind, but did so in a way that is at best inaccurate or imprecise."

A decade ago, President Barack Obama signed an unprecedented MOU with Israel to give its military $38 billion between 2019 and 2028, amounting to almost $4 billion a year.                                              

Paul was hopeful, however that Trump's statement would allow Republicans license to join Democratic colleagues in paring down future funding. He said it was a recognition of the bipartisan demand by the American people for an end to that military aid.

Trump's announcement did not address the proposal in the National Defense Authorization Act, which would inextricably link the U.S. armed forces and the Israeli military, giving Israel leverage over the Pentagon.

Related Democrats Are Split Over What It Means to Block Israel Weapons Deals

"Initial reporting on Trump's statement omits a crucial fact: that the National Defense Authorization Act contains a provision intended to protect U.S. tax dollars flowing to Israel from the massive shift in U.S. public opinion against funding Israeli aggression," Annelle Sheline, who served as a foreign affairs officer in the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, told The Intercept. "The provision would move U.S. funding out of security assistance under the purview of the State Department — which carries legal provisions like the Leahy Laws, transparency requirements, and an annual congressional vote — into the Pentagon procurement process, which has none of these."

Sheline added, "Insulated from public opinion and away from public visibility, U.S. funding to Israel is likely to grow exponentially."

With his popularity in free fall in the U.S., Trump teased the possibility of decamping for Israel and taking Netanyahu's job as the Israeli prime minister battles for his political life after an inconclusive election last week. "In fact, if people ever got tired of me in the U.S., I'll move to Israel, become prime minister," Trump declared during his Fox appearance.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for further details.

The post Trump Scrambles to Halt Military Aid to Israel to Deprive El-Sayed of a Talking Point appeared first on The Intercept.

The Frontier debugger now works in Atlantis, the version of Frontier that runs on modern systems, the one I have been using for everyday work for a month or so.

I write software in the debugger, testing each addition after writing it, to see that the input produces the expected output. I also use it to see why code that has worked for 10 years now doesn't produce the expected result, ie debugging.

Announcing Team Canada to Valencia

The Canadian Motorcycle Association is pleased to announce that Canada will be fielding a team at the 2026 FIM MotoMini World Championship in Valencia, Spain, November 23 - 26, 2026.

Team Manager and series representative for the event is Toni Sharpless. Since connecting Canada to the World Championship in 2023, Toni continues to build the first steps of the Canadian pathway to MotoGP. Assisting with the team this year will be Advisor Colin Fraser and Coach Tomas Casas. The qualified riders on Team Canada are 160cc Champion Tommy Molnar from BC, and runner-up Martina Cardenas, also from BC. Representing in the 190cc division is our Champion Stefan Tanasic and runner-up Jäger Stockill, both from Ontario.

The FIM MotoMini World Championship is for riders on Ohvale 4 stroke motorcycles with 10″ and 12″ wheels. The minimum age for the 160cc class rider is 10 years old, and the maximum age is 14, while the maximum age for the 190cc rider is 16.

Canadian riders who wish to compete in the Canadian series for a chance to qualify to the 2027 World final can enquire about the cost involved by emailing toni@supersonicschool.com.

You can find more information at RoadRaceCanada.ca

The post Team Canada Named for 2026 MotoMini World Championship appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

NEW HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPRINT 440 MOTORCYCLE IS AN INVITATION TO JOYRIDE

Lightweight Single-Cylinder Model Debuts at EICMA Show and Ships to Global Dealers

The new Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 motorcycle is an invitation to experience the freedom and fun of motorcycling - to make every ride a JOYRIDE. The lightweight Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 model combines a narrow profile and low seat height, a spirited single-cylinder engine and modern rider technology that makes every ride more accessible and every mile more fun.

The Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 motorcycle makes its public debut at the EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan, Italy, November 5-8 and is available through participating Harley-Davidson dealerships globally, with launch timing and availability varying by market. The Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 motorcycle is designed and engineered by Harley-Davidson in partnership with Hero MotoCorp, a leading manufacturer of medium-displacement motorcycles.

For the United States market, the Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 motorcycle will be available in Spring 2027, with final assembly at the Harley-Davidson® Vehicle Operations in York, Pennsylvania.

"The new Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 model is our invitation to ride," said Artie Starrs, Harley-Davidson President & Chief Executive Officer. "It's an ideal motorcycle for a variety of riders — the new rider who wants to build skills and confidence, but also a great option for returning riders who want to get back on the road or as an uncomplicated and fun ride for experienced riders. The sensation of riding a motorcycle is like flying without leaving the ground, and the Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 model welcomes everyone to share in this experience."

The Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 model is a mid-size motorcycle with the distinctive look, sound and feel of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

"The fork rake, suspension height, wheel and tire sizes combine to present a cruiser stance that is pure Harley-Davidson," said Harley-Davidson Head of Design Bjorn Shuster. "The suspended headlamp, fuel tank shape, bobbed rear fender and fastback saddle are familiar Harley-Davidson design elements. The level of detail is what you'd expect from any Harley-Davidson model. The machined highlights on the engine and cast aluminum wheels, the tapered shape of the muffler, even the Harley logo in the center of the headlamp, all contrast this model's very accessible price point."

Color options include Dark Billiard Gray (base), Vivid Black, and Teal Thunder. All colors feature an orange slashing tank graphic with a warped checkered center and Harley-Davidson script. A side cover graphic features the new "Harley Hare" character representing the quickness, agility and fun riders will experience on the Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 motorcycle. Graphics may vary by market.

Sized Right

The Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 model offers a rider position designed to promote comfort, control and confidence. The laden seat height of 26.4 inches (671mm) contributes to a lower center of gravity with the rider aboard and increases the likelihood that the rider can be flat-footed with both feet on the ground at a stop. A narrow profile and tapered seat also help reduce the leg reach to the ground. Available Reach® and Tallboy® accessory seats from Genuine Harley-Davidson® Motor Parts & Accessories can be used to achieve an ideal fit for riders of any stature. Hand controls place switches in logical and easy-to-use locations. The assist function of the clutch reduces required spring pressure, resulting in a lighter lever pull for the rider. A ready-to-ride weight of only 412 pounds (187 kg) further enhances rider confidence and all elements of performance.

Fine Tuned Performance

The Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 model is powered by a single-cylinder, air/oil-cooled engine displacing 440cc (26.9 cubic inches) designed to minimize weight and complexity and to be easy to own and maintain while delivering fuel economy up to 80 mpg (34km/l / 2.9L/100km) combined city/highway fuel economy. Fuel capacity is 2.4 gallons (9.0 liters). Actual mileage will vary depending on riding habits, vehicle maintenance, road/weather conditions, rider weight, cargo and test methodology, which may vary by market.

Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 Single Engine Specifications

Displacement: 440cc (26.9 cubic inches) Bore x Stroke: 79.6mm x 88.4mm (3.13″ x 3.48″)

Compression Ratio: 9.65:1 Fuel Octane Recommendation: 91 octane

Torque: 28 lb. ft. (38 Nm) at 4000 RPM

Horsepower: 27 horsepower (20 kW) at 6000 RPM

The engine has a single overhead camshaft and two valves (one exhaust and one intake). Electronic fuel injection (EFI) delivers reliable starts, smooth throttle response and self-adjusts to maintain performance for changing environmental conditions. A gear-driven counter-balancer quells primary engine vibration at all speeds. The engine has a long piston stroke which delivers the sensation of satisfying, torquey performance at lower RPM for authentic Harley-Davidson character. This dynamic performance at the bottom of the rev range is ideal for easy acceleration from a stop and for navigating urban traffic. The single muffler is designed to issue a stirring, deep-and-rich exhaust tone that further communicates the feeling of confident performance.

A six-speed transmission features overdrive ratios in fifth and sixth gear to enhance fuel economy and lower engine rpm for relaxed cruising at highway speeds. The clutch features assist-and-slip functionality to reduce required lever pressure and to aid in matching available traction during deceleration or aggressive down shifts.

Brakes and suspension components are designed to offer the rider a comfortable ride and confident control. Braking control is provided by a single front and rear disc system. The front brake utilizes a 320mm diameter disc and two-piston caliper, while the rear brake has a 240mm diameter disc and single-piston caliper. Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) is standard equipment.

Rear suspension features piggyback coil-over shocks with seven-step mechanical preload adjustment for load and rider preference. Vertical rear wheel travel is 3.0 inches (76 mm). Front suspension features 43mm dual-cartridge inverted forks with 5.1 inches (130mm) of travel.

Lightweight cast aluminum wheels feature a new 10-spoke design. Wheel diameter is 19 inches front and 17 inches rear. Tire size is 100/90-19 front and 150/60ZR17 rear.

Technology Features

The Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 model is equipped with technical features essential to a modern motorcycle. A color TFT Display is presented in a 3.5-inch diameter round instrument housing located above the handlebar, maintaining a classic look. The screen displays a digital speedometer, tachometer, odometer and trip meter plus indicators and warning symbols.

All LED Lighting is designed to deliver style, outstanding lighting performance, and conspicuity to other motorists. A 5-volt USB-C charging port located above the headlamp can be used to charge a personal device.

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) is standard equipment. ABS is designed to prevent the wheels from locking under braking and helps the rider maintain control when braking in a straight-line, urgent situation.

Harley-Davidson Sprint 440 Accessories

Genuine Harley-Davidson® Motor Parts & Accessories is offering the following with additional accessories available soon:

Throw-Over Saddlebags in black textile material have combined capacity of 427 cubic inches (7 liters) and a weight capacity of 6 pounds (2.7 kg) per bag.
Sissy Bar Upright and Backrest Pad offers a solution for passenger comfort and confidence, and for carrying luggage.

Tallboy® Seat helps a tall rider sit comfortably during a long day in the saddle. Designed to move the rider approximately 2 inches higher and 2.5 inches rearward from the stock seat and effectively places the body for a natural arm and leg reach to the controls.

Reach® Seat moves a rider of shorter stature to a comfortable position closer to the handlebar and foot controls, approximately 1 inch forward from the stock seat. It features a stepped profile that keeps the rider from sliding back during acceleration.
Brawler Solo Seat for a rider focused on a solo experience and style.
Willie G Skull Accessory Collection includes footpegs, bar-end mirrors and hand grips.
Moto Handlebar with a flatter bend than the stock handlebar for a more-aggressive look.

Engine Guard of tubular steel helps protect the motorcycle from cosmetic damage in the event of a stationary or low-speed tip-over. Its black finish matches the motorcycle chassis and it bolts onto existing mounting points for clean style and easy installation.
Clear Windshield deflects wind and insects at highway speeds and is quickly detachable.

The post Harley-Davidson Launches New Sprint 440 appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

While tequila serves as the base for shaken summer staples like Margaritas and Palomas, the agave spirit tends to be overlooked when it comes to colder-weather, stirred cocktails. But from smoky Boulevardier riffs to lighter aperitifs, tequila adds earthy and herbaceous dimension to a variety of cozy drinks.

Here are our favorite stirred recipes that showcase a different side of tequila.

Applications are now open for Princeton University's Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP) 2027-28 Fellows Program.

The deadline for full consideration is December 7, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EST. Applications received after December 7, 2026 will only be reviewed if the positions have not been filled. Unfortunately, are unable to respond to individual emails regarding the deadline or the status of available positions.

The applications are open now (links are available below according to track) and applicants may apply for more than one track. The Center is seeking candidates for the following three Fellows tracks:

• Postdoctoral Research Associate (1 - 2 years) - list of advisors to come.
• Visiting Research Scholar (Visiting Professional) (1 academic year)
• Microsoft Visiting Research Scholar (Visiting Professor) (1 academic year)

The Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP) is a cross-disciplinary center of researchers whose expertise in technology, engineering, public policy, and the social sciences focuses on the relationship between developing technologies and its implications in our society. CITP's research falls into the following three areas: 

• Platforms and digital infrastructure
• Data science, AI and society
• Privacy and security

The Fellows Program is a competitive, fully-funded, in-person program located in Princeton, New Jersey, that supports scholars and practitioners in research and policy work tied to the Center's mission. Fellows accepted into this program conduct research with members of the Center's community — including faculty, scholars, students, and other fellows — across disciplines, and engage in our public programs, such as workshops, seminars, and conferences. 

Both CITP and Princeton University place high value on in-person collaborations and interactions. As such, candidates are expected to participate in-person at CITP on the Princeton University campus in Princeton, New Jersey.

The postdoctoral track is for people who have recently received or are about to receive a Ph.D. or doctorate degree, and work on understanding and improving the relationship between technology and society. Selected candidates will be appointed at the postdoctoral research associate or more senior research rank. These are typically 12-month appointments, commencing on or about September 1, and can be renewed for a second year, contingent on performance and funding. Fellows in the postdoctoral track have the option of teaching, subject to sufficient course enrollments and the approval of the Dean of the Faculty.

Most postdocs are matched to a specific faculty adviser. A list of CITP Associated Faculty and the areas in which they are looking for postdocs will be published at a later date.

Eamon Duede, Visiting Research Scholar: Eamon Duede is assistant professor of philosophy at Purdue University with a joint appointment in the Data Science and Learning division at Argonne National Laboratory. He is an epistemologist of science whose theoretical work in the philosophy of science focuses on the epistemology of emerging technologies, principally artificial intelligence (AI).

Alia ElKattan, Postdoctoral Research Associate: Alia ElKattan is a researcher who examines the sociopolitical implications of online platforms and emerging technologies. She obtained her Ph.D. at NYU Politics, where her research focused on how the design of technology mediates the acquisition of political information, and how to motivate and safeguard responsible, healthy, and critical engagement with emerging technologies such as large language models and conversational agents. 

Eve Fleisig, Postdoctoral Research Associate: Eve Fleisig is a computer scientist whose work combines natural language processing (NLP) and AI ethics. She develops methods to ensure that language models benefit all users, when those users have diverse perspectives and varied needs. She holds a Ph.D. from Berkeley EECS, where she was advised by Dan Klein in the Berkeley NLP group; previously, she received a B.S.E. in computer science from Princeton University.

Rose Guingrich, Postdoctoral Research Associate: Rose E. Guingrich is a researcher with expertise in the cognitive, relational, and broader societal impacts of human-AI interaction. She is presently working with Arvind Narayanan on building prosocial AI systems. Rose is the founder of Ethicom, an initiative that provides both public digital literacy resources and specialized business and policy consulting for human-centered AI. Her affiliations include All Tech is Human, Young People's Alliance, and the Institute for Humane Robotics. Rose was an NSF Fellow and earned her joint Ph.D. in psychology and social policy from Princeton University.

Angel Hwang, Visiting Research Scholar: Angel Hsing-Chi Hwang (she/her) is an assistant professor of communication and computer science at University of Southern California and a human-AI interaction (HAII) researcher. Her research explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on social interaction in both professional and personal settings, as well as its downstream influences on people's mental health, wellbeing, and work practices. Her work aims to inform the design of more responsible and human-centered AI systems for the future of work and social life.

Blossom Metevier, Postdoctoral Research Associate: Blossom Metevier studies how machine learning systems can be designed to act responsibly in dynamic environments. Her research focuses on improving the reliability of sequential learning methods, including those used in large language models. She is also interested in designing general methods with provable safety and fairness guarantees for high-stakes applications. Metevier completed her Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Helen Nissenbaum, Microsoft Visiting Professor: Helen Nissenbaum is the Andrew H. and Ann R. Tisch Professor of information science at Cornell Tech and the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science. She is also the director of the Digital Life Initiative, which was launched in 2017 at Cornell Tech to explore societal perspectives surrounding the development and application of digital technology, focusing on ethics, policy, politics, and quality of life.

Seyi Olojo, Postdoctoral Research Associate: Seyi Olojo is a critical information studies scholar who studies epistemic cultures in computing. Her work situates natural language processing as a sociotechnical practice that mediates hierarchies of power within a global political economy of AI. Seyi's dissertation investigated the politics of digitizing and mechanizing African languages, where African language communities hold visions for language revitalization and cultural preservation.

The post 2027-28 Fellows Applications are Now Open! appeared first on CITP Blog.

MOS: Selected Works
by Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample
Princeton Architectural Press
2016, 288 pages, 6.2 x 8.5 x 1 inches

Buy on Amazon

If the enormous hairy solar chimneys that these architects once built in the middle of Long Island City don't make you smile, then your sense of play might need renovation. The fun-loving, aggressively eccentric work of MOS Architects includes some recurring motifs: canopies, unusual materials, solar chimneys, shaft lighting, and buildings that look like blocks tumbled to earth. Engaging for architects and non-architects alike, this is a book that I keep picking up: to look through the illustrations, to wonder at, to think about how to work creatively, to show something weird and wild to a friend. While there is some discussion of theory in the included essays, this is a book refreshingly light on architectural jargon.

The architectural historian Lucia Allais suggests in an included essay that one of the primary questions that the work of MOS poses is, "Is this simple or complex?" While the works presented are often simple, the reactions they provoked for me were complex, ranging from confusion to glee to disbelief. Crammed with 300 images, the just-released MOS: Selected Works demonstrates the firm's unusual range of having produced buildings, installations, furniture, software, films, and pavilions, along with smaller works (like this book).

MOS, as a firm, is on a very serious mission to advance the limits of architecture, but without taking themselves too seriously. Their hilarious office manual is included in the book and will inspire glee in anyone who has ever worked in a corporate office, advising, "You will arrive at the Office when you are awake and ready to work. We ask that you not come to work resembling a "bad version of yourself" (or someone else for that matter; however a good version of someone else is acceptable under § 2.1)…" While the MOS office manual insists that their work merely "mumbles, if anything," I hope they keep mumbling in my ear for a while. - Brent Garland

The Art of Zootopia
by Jessica Julius (foreward by Byron Howard and Rich Moore; preface by John Lasseter)
Chronicle Books
2016, 160 pages, 9.5 x 11.5 x 1 inches

Buy on Amazon

I got my hands on a copy of The Art of Zootopia last week, days before the movie opened, and was so enamored with the fresh yet classic Disney-inspired art that I was already set on reviewing the book. Then over the weekend I watched the movie with my 12-year-old daughter and friends, and wow! What a brilliantly humorous and moving winner of a movie it was. Bravo to directors Byron Howard and Rich Moore! But this is Wink, so back to the book…

The Art of Zootopia is such a treat in the way that it not only revisits the movie's delightfully heartwarming characters and fantastic art, but gives us an engaging look at what went into the making of Zootopia. The book starts with author Jessica Julius describing the movie's original story pitch - a 1960s spy story - and how it evolved over four years into the modern day tale of underdogs, prejudice, and fighting for justice for all. She gives us the scoop on how the characters were developed (balancing a feminine yet tough, naïve yet sharp, optimistic yet challenged bunny cop isn't so easy!), shows us amazing "sets" I don't even remember in the fast-moving film, and she lets us in on all kinds of fun details, like the fact that it took eight months to get the various animals' fur just right (color, texture, and direction of fur growth takes more contemplation than I realized). We are also privy to many sketches and scenes that were eventually cut from the film.

Just released today, The Art of Zootopia is both a captivating companion book to the movie, as well as a stand-alone coffee table book that doesn't need any knowledge of the movie to be appreciated. - Carla Sinclair

Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

California startup Voya Energy announced a $35 million financing round in August 2026 for generators that use prepared scrap aluminum, air and water to produce electricity without combustion. Its immediate opportunity includes replacing diesel backup equipment at data centres, where exhaust, noise and permitting can be genuine obstacles. The company ... [continued]

The post Aluminum-Air Generators for Data Centres Face a Metal Logistics Test appeared first on CleanTechnica.

A 3,000-year-old geography puzzle hides inside the Odyssey. YouTuber Honor Cargill-Martin examines an odd twist in the search for Homer's Ithaca: he may never actually have described Ithaca as an island at all.

Researchers spent decades, longer than Odysseus's trip home, looking for an island. — Read the rest

The post Homer may never have said Ithaca was an island appeared first on Boing Boing.

A couple of Georgia Tech computer science students recently demonstrated a system that converts tongue and mouth movements into text. It uses eyeglasses that beam a radio signal into the user's head to measure changes inside the closed mouth. They say it's good for silently talking to AI chatbots in offices, libraries, and co-working spaces. — Read the rest

The post These glasses turn silent mouth movements into text appeared first on Boing Boing.

The state of Iowa rubber stamps religious groups' requests to hold events on the Capitol grounds. But for the last three years it has rejected the Satanic Temple's request to hold an event with caroling, coloring pages, making ornaments, and a Krampus costume contest. — Read the rest

The post Iowa can't keep Krampus out of its Capitol, judge rules appeared first on Boing Boing.

Convicted felon and perpetual grifter Donald Trump has offered Americans an exit strategy I think we can all agree on. "If people ever got tired of me in the U.S., I'll move to Israel and become prime minister," he said Tuesday during a Fox & Friends call-in. — Read the rest

The post Next year in Jerusalem, asshole! appeared first on Boing Boing.

RNC Chairman Joe Gruters responds to questions about the economy with a statement that his party is running against "communism." Republican leadership has not shown an understanding of communism, socialism, or really any economic model other than "grift."

Asked about the claim that Republicans are out of touch, RNC chairman Joe Gruters didn't respond by arguing that the economy is doing great. — Read the rest

The post The RNC's closing economic argument: however bad things are, Democrats are worse appeared first on Boing Boing.

The GSMA wants governments and regulators to work more closely with mobile operators to help protect networks against growing risks from extreme weather.

As the global body representing the mobile network industry, the GSMA claims that severe storms and floods already cost operators $1.7 billion annually to repair damage to cell radio sites, and it believes that figure could nearly double to more than $3 billion a year by 2050, under the climate conditions expected then.

The GSMA sets out its findings in a six-part research series, Futureproofing Connectivity: Climate Risk and Resilience in Telecommunications, alongside a separate document outlining its Policy Principles for Mobile Network Resilience.

The report identifies weather-related risks that can affect telecoms networks, along with the associated restoration costs. Towers, masts, and rooftop sites are particularly exposed to wind and storms or lightning, for example, while ground-level equipment at mobile sites can be inundated in flooding incidents.

High temperatures can cause radio equipment to overheat, while heavy rain can degrade wireless signal strength, and infrastructure in coastal locations may be exposed to storm surges.

However, the report fingers the electricity supply as the biggest vulnerability. If that gets knocked out, the network could go offline once any backup power is exhausted, which may take anywhere from a few hours to considerably longer, depending on the site.

Under current climate conditions, the cost of damage to cell sites is estimated at $1 billion associated with severe storms, while river and coastal floods account for $577 million and $124 million, respectively.

Based on projected mid-century climate conditions, the GSMA expects costs due to severe storms to rise significantly to about $2.37 billion, accounting for three-quarters of all damage.

The report asserts that cell network resilience requires a whole ecosystem approach, pointing out that if severe weather impacts power networks, then that also affects the telecoms infrastructure.

The GSMA says that network firms have traditionally managed the operational risks that may affect network availability, but claims they face barriers in conducting full assessments of those associated with climate change.

Some of these barriers are internal, such as lack of shared information between departments. Other barriers are in the different regulatory reporting frameworks, with infrastructure rules tending to focus on service continuity, while climate disclosure frameworks focus on governance, financial exposure, and reporting for investors and other stakeholders.

The report lists separate recommendations for network firms and for policymakers and regulators.

Operators are advised to embed resilience by design, using modeled projections for severe weather and future risk scenarios. They are also told to plan and test resilience across the wider ecosystem, engaging with others such as public authorities.

When it comes to policymakers and regulators, the report asks for resilience frameworks to be developed through consultation with the operators. It also advises coordination among mobile operators, electricity and fuel providers, and emergency services to help maintain vital communications during major disruptions.

And as if that isn't enough to chew over, the separate policy document sets out five principles for governments and regulators. These include avoiding prescriptive regulations and instead promoting outcome-based policies, encouraging dialog and consultation between governments, regulators, and operators, and developing resilience as a cross-sector responsibility.

"Mobile connectivity is essential infrastructure," says GSMA Foundation president and chief regulatory officer John Giusti.

"Whether responding to extreme weather, power failures or other major disruptions, people, businesses and emergency services depend heavily on mobile networks," he added.

"Severe weather is already costing the industry billions of dollars, and those costs are set to rise substantially. Building resilience will require a coordinated effort amongst operators, governments and the wider ecosystem." ®

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a method to make asteroid deflection modeling faster and more detailed. Their simulations also demonstrated just how much asteroid shape and orientation can complicate efforts to deflect a threatening space rock.

Sandia researchers, led by staff physicist Nathan Moore, were looking for a way to better model how X-rays from a nuclear detonation near an asteroid can change its trajectory, as explained in a recently published research paper.

"Before, the calculations were so time-consuming, one could not do very many of them," Moore told The Register. "So it was very difficult to explore different scenarios, different asteroids, or different mission concepts."

The complexity of those calculations forced earlier researchers to make compromises, often modeling asteroids as spheres or simplifying the physics involved.

Perfectly spherical asteroids are rare, and their irregular shapes present an additional challenge for those keeping an eye on the skies to avert a potential asteroid apocalypse.

To overcome the computational problem and enable better modeling of irregular asteroid shapes, Moore and his team combined two high-fidelity simulation codes already in use at Sandia: ALEGRA, which models radiation heating and high-energy material dynamics, and SPARTA, which simulates the behavior of low-density gases.

As Moore explained to us in an email, both codes are good at one particular part of asteroid impact modeling, but bad at the other.

"ALEGRA … can very accurately simulate the vaporization of the rocky surface, but the calculation becomes more inefficient for matter at low densities," Moore told us. "This is a problem for asteroid deflection simulations, because as the gas expands around the asteroid, the calculation time goes up."

Earlier asteroid simulations using ALEGRA typically modeled asteroids as spheres to reduce calculation times.

"SPARTA is more efficient at low gas densities," Moore said. "The problem is, conversely, SPARTA gets more difficult to run at high gas densities. So the key here was using both codes."

In Moore's model, ALEGRA handles regions of high gas density, while SPARTA tackles the more dilute regions of an irregular shape. The result is two codes handling the parts of the problem they're best suited to solve, reducing the overall computational burden.

The combined approach is more than 1,600 times faster than earlier methods, Moore said in a Sandia press release, while retaining sufficient accuracy to predict deflection in irregularly shaped asteroids.

The improved simulations reveal just how much asteroid shape and orientation can complicate attempts to calculate the outcome of a nuclear deflection.

"We expected aim to matter," Moore said. "What surprised us was how much."

Deflection simulations using detailed models of three well-studied asteroids - Golevka, Bennu, and Itokawa - found that irradiating different sides of the same asteroid with X-rays from a nearby nuclear detonation could produce as much as a fivefold difference in the resulting velocity change. Bennu, the most symmetrical of the three, still showed nearly twofold differences in deflection velocity depending on which side faced the blast.

In other words, we need to be incredibly precise about where we detonate a nuclear device near an asteroid, or we risk giving it a much smaller shove than intended.

With that in mind, the paper points out that we might know little about an incoming asteroid, and might not have enough time to get a good picture of it before attempting to deflect it and prevent life as we know it from ending in a planet-wide conflagration. We also can't be quite sure an asteroid's orientation will cooperate once our deflecto-bomb arrives. The team also pointed out that it's tricky to get an accurate prediction without knowing the composition and internal structure of an asteroid.

One small step for asteroid deflection, one giant heap of new things to worry about, in other words. But hey - at least we're no longer limited to deflection models that treat asteroids as perfect spheres, even though the real threats are likely to be considerably lumpier.

Let's just hope we spot an asteroid threat from far enough away that we get a chance to study it first. ®