Links

Accordion wars in Lesotho

Famo originated from “wayfarers’ hymns” accompanied by concertina or accordion.

· Link post  #history
China's experiment in Hainan to compete with Singapore

Hainan offers duty-free import on most products, and adds a 30% local value requirement for tariff-free access to mainland China.

· Link post  #china
Paul Graham on why you shouldn’t write with AI

People used to gain strength naturally through physical work.

· Link post  #ai
Has Chinese-Cambodian illicit money corrupted Thailand's ruling class?

Hostilities between Cambodia and Thailand are linked to Chinese-Cambodian funds that have corrupted Thailand’s elite.

· Link post  #china
Life in a secret Chinese nuclear city

In 1958, thousands were mobilised to build a secret city called 404 in the Gobi Desert, enduring brutal sandstorms and living in makeshift shelters.

· Link post  #history #china
Porfirio Rubirosa

He was a Dominican diplomat, race car driver, soldier, and polo player, and a supporter of Rafael Trujillo.

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Why are successful start-ups still struggling to raise capital despite record venture funding?

Most venture capital is flowing to a small handful of massive firms, with four companies taking 65% of global funding in Q1 2026.

· Link post  #startups
Many Victorian cities grew tenfold in a century

Populations in many nineteenth-century cities expanded at extraordinary rates, often far outstripping the growth seen since 2010.

· Link post  #history
Inference in sales and marketing

High inference costs can justify themselves if they drive a compelling product experience that sells itself, making sales and marketing almost unnecessary.

· Link post  #startups
Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference

Western civilisation overcame a communist threat but was misled by the belief that history had ended, leading to unfettered trade, loss of productive capacity, and threats to cultural cohesion.

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Spanish requirement of 1513

Declares the Spanish monarchy’s divine right to claim and govern lands in the Americas.

· Link post  #history
Law of triviality

Argues that people in an organisation often focus too much on trivial details.

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Is One Nation now the most popular party?

Labor’s primary vote stands at 31%, One Nation at 27%, Coalition at 22% and Greens at 13%

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Hatta Yoichi: Japanese engineer who became a Taiwanese deity

Hatta Yoichi, a Japanese engineer, oversaw the construction of a major reservoir in southern Taiwan in 1930 and is celebrated there today.

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How AI will affect jobs in America

AI was once expected to replace many entry-level positions, yet hiring for software engineers and new graduates has increased.

· Link post  #ai
Physicists are divided on most issues

A large survey of 1,675 physicists (plus 85 in Copenhagen) finds a strong consensus that the Big Bang describes a hot, dense state, not necessarily a beginning of time, challenging the Kalam cosmological argument.

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Hockney–Falco thesis

Proposes that Western art’s increasing realism from the early Renaissance resulted mainly from optical aids, such as the camera obscura and curved mirrors

· Link post  #art #history
Jason Lemkin on the state of venture capital

A company standing at US$130m ARR, growing 40%, and is cash flow positive, yet venture capitalists have largely moved on.

· Link post  #startups
Excluding OpenAI, venture capital is down by 28.9%

US startups secured US$19.06 billion across 630 deals in March 2026, indicating market normalisation.

· Link post  #startups
What is ahead for start-ups and VCs in 2026?

Investors increasingly demand founders show proven results, unique distribution, and deep industry expertise. Capital alone is no longer a moat.

· Link post  #startups
Henry Luce

Founded major publications, including Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, shaping American journalism and pioneering a multimedia corporation.

· Link post  #history #communism #china
Travis Jordan on Labor's proposed university reforms

Postcode-based subsidies are criticised as misdirected, risking the denial of opportunities to poorer families in higher-SES areas while subsidising wealthier families in lower-SES areas.

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The New Orleans tradition of pinning money to your shirt

Birthday celebrants in New Orleans pin dollar bills to their clothing to invite well-wishes and contributions.

· Link post  #history
A letter to Karl Marx from his dad

· Link post  #communism #history
Marx thought he had disproven derivatives

· Link post  #communism