💡10 things I learned last week (Issue 001)
Hey, folks! Let’s try something new: each week, I’ll share a list of interesting facts and tidbits I’ve come across recently. No particular topic or order—just something to spark your curiosity.
Here’s my inaugural selection:
During the English Civil War, Shakespeare’s sonnets were repurposed as propaganda. A newly discovered version, with a changed opening, ending, and seven extra lines, emphasises political loyalty over romance.
Just 36 fossil fuel companies, including Saudi Aramco, Coal India, ExxonMobil, Shell, and several Chinese firms, produced half of the world’s climate-heating carbon emissions.
With each degree of warming, wildfires increase by nearly 14 per cent.
The global economy could lose 50 per cent of GDP between 2070 and 2090 due to climate change unless leaders act urgently to cut emissions and restore nature.
Almost 96 per cent of new cars registered in Norway in January were electric.
When Philadelphia upgraded streetlights to LEDs across one-third of its streets, nighttime crime fell by 15 per cent and gun violence by 21 per cent.
Money likely began as a tool for long-distance trade, not to replace barter. Evidence from early societies suggests it emerged to facilitate exchange between strangers, rather than within local communities.
Patients who have surgery before the weekend face a slightly higher risk of complications, death, and readmission than those treated after.
London Underground mosquitoes evolved from a Middle Eastern species over thousands of years. Once believed to have adapted to tunnels after their construction, they’ve likely been in Europe since early agriculture.
Smarter monarchs led stronger states. Researchers used royal inbreeding to estimate intelligence, finding that lower ability hurt state performance. However, a ruler’s ability didn’t matter as much in places where parliaments limited royal power. In Northern Europe, strong parliaments may have helped offset the negative effects of royal inbreeding.
What I’ve been reading
“How the biggest crypto heist in history went down”: To steal $1.5 billion in cryptocurrencies, the hackers exploited a simple flaw in Bybit’s security: reliance on a free software product.
“Twenty lessons on fighting tyranny from the 20th century”: Do not obey in advance, defend institutions, beware the one-party state, be kind to our language, believe in truth, make eye contact and small talk, be calm when the unthinkable arrives, etc.
“Saving one screen at a time”: In the early 1980s, companies like Memorex and Decision Data advertised automatic dimming to maintain display quality in their terminals.
That’s it for today! Thanks for reading, and if you like my newsletter, please share it with a friend or ten.
Elia Kabanov is a science writer covering the past, present and future of technology (@metkere)
Illustration: Elia Kabanov feat. MidJourney.