Fun News — Lighter Headlines From Science, Sports & Entertainment

7 Box Office Flops That Later Won Oscars

Not every Oscar winner is a hit in theaters. Discover seven films that flopped at the box office yet triumphed at the Academy Awards.

Viral Doomsday Report Lays Bare Wall Street's Deep Anxiety About AI Future

A 7,000-word "doomsday" thought experiment from Citrini Research helped trigger an 800-point drop in the Dow, "painting a dark portrait of a future in which technological change inspires a race to the bottom in white-collar knowledge work," reports the Wall Street Journal. From the report: Concerns

Psychology suggests making a shopping list is a sign of sharper thinking

Article URL: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/still-making-a-shopping-list-psychology-suggests-its-a-sign-of-sharper-thinking/articleshow/127796018.cms?from=mdr Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47131219 Points: 5 # Comments: 1

Supreme Court will decide if pot smokers can own guns

The NRA and NORML don't agree on much, but both want the justices to invalidate the federal ban on gun ownership by marijuana users. Oral arguments in United States v. Hemani are set for March 2. The statute — 18 USC 922(g)(3) — bars gun possession by anyone who is an "unlawful user of or addicted t

Over 18,000 bots amplified Nicki Minaj's pro-Trump posts on X

On December 26, more than half the accounts commenting on Nicki Minaj's political posts on X were fake. A 24-page analysis by Cyabra, an Israeli disinformation detection firm, found over 18,000 coordinated bot accounts amplifying the rapper's conservative content between November and late December,

Epstein files show Lutnick and pedophile co-invested in ad-tech firm in 2018

Three years after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says he severed his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, someone using the initials "HWL" — Lutnick's middle name is William — emailed the pedophile on May 28, 2018, to discuss the revenue prospects of a shared investment. — Read the rest The post E

Trump's 'Board of Peace' Explores Stablecoin For Gaza

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Financial Times: Officials working with Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" are exploring setting up a stablecoin for Gaza as part of efforts to reshape the devastated Palestinian enclave's economy, according to five people familiar with the discussions. The

Dolly Parton is the ideal nihilist

Dolly Parton was stuck in a hotel room on a liquid diet, miserable, listening to her band have fun in the restaurant below. She couldn't eat. She couldn't just sit there feeling sorry for herself. So she wrote two hit songs instead. — Read the rest The post Dolly Parton is the ideal nihilist appear

Your brain can crack a new language's patterns in three days. Fluency takes 64 weeks.

A journalist with no Portuguese spent 30 minutes a day matching spoken words to animated scenes on a screen. By day three, she was scoring above 90 percent. Lancaster University linguist Patrick Rebuschat says the brain does this through cross-situational learning — a statistical trick it's been run

"Very, very, very worrying" — teen cannabis use doubles psychosis risk, study finds

A study tracking 460,000 teenagers in Kaiser Permanente's Northern California system until age 25 found that cannabis users faced double the odds of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder or a psychotic disorder like schizophrenia. The JAMA Health Forum study was designed to address the chicken-and-e

Artemis mission to the moon, briefly back on schedule, delayed again

The Artemis II mission has been delayed again, just days after a successful test put the launch back on track. The mission to send astronauts around the moon has already been delayed twice — first by weather, then by hydrogen leaks that scrubbed a planned February 8th launch. — Read the rest The po

OpenAI Calls In the Consultants For Its Enterprise Push

OpenAI has formed a multi-year "Frontier Alliance" with four consulting heavyweights to accelerate enterprise adoption of its no-code AI agent platform, OpenAI Frontier. TechCrunch reports: The alliance includes multi-year partnerships between OpenAI and four major consulting firms, Boston Consultin

Chemist James Schlatter licked powder off his finger in 1965, accidentally discovering aspartame.

Aspartame, the ubiquitous and controversial sugar substitute, was discovered by accident. Chemist James Schlatter was researching possible ulcer medications in 1965 when he accidentally tasted the compound he was working on. According to Nautilus, While testing compounds for this medication, he lic

How Copyright Litigation Over Anne Frank’s Diary Could Impact The Fate Of VPNs In The EU

“The Diary of a Young Girl” is a Dutch language diary written by the young Jewish writer Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Although the diary and Anne Frank’s death in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp are well known, f

Your Bridgerton Character Based on Your Zodiac Sign

Are you the diamond of the season, an anonymous author, a meddling mama, or the head of the monarchy?

AI Added 'Basically Zero' to US Economic Growth Last Year, Goldman Sachs Says

Article URL: https://gizmodo.com/ai-added-basically-zero-to-us-economic-growth-last-year-goldman-sachs-says-2000725380 Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47130208 Points: 110 # Comments: 67

Panasonic Will No Longer Make Its Own TVs

Panasonic is handing over the manufacturing, marketing, and sales of its TVs to Shenzhen-based Skyworth, effectively exiting in-house TV production. Ars Technica reports: Skyworth is a Shenzhen-headquartered TV brand. The company claims to be "a top three global provider of the Android TV platform."

Pentagon buyer: We're happy with our launch industry, but payloads are lagging

"The point is to get missions out the door as fast as possible. Two to three years is too slow."

Making Wolfram Tech Available as a Foundation Tool for LLM Systems

Article URL: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2026/02/making-wolfram-tech-available-as-a-foundation-tool-for-llm-systems/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47129727 Points: 26 # Comments: 15

You are not supposed to install OpenClaw on your personal computer

Article URL: https://twitter.com/i/status/2025987544853188836 Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47129647 Points: 58 # Comments: 24

In uncertain times don't pay monthly for Office 365

TL;DR: Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is available for $39.97 (MSRP $219.99), giving you the complete desktop suite with a one-time purchase. When everything feels unpredictable, the last thing most people want is another recurring charge quietly hitting their account. — Read the res

ASML Unveils EUV Light Source Advance That Could Yield 50% More Chips By 2030

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Researchers at ASML Holding say they have found a way to boost the power of the light source in a key chip making machine to turn out up to 50% more chips by decade's end, to help retain the Dutch company's edge over emerging U.S. and Chinese rivals.

Data center builders thought farmers would willingly sell land, learn otherwise

Even in a fragile farm economy, million-dollar offers can't sway dedicated farmers.

AI-powered reverse-engineering of Rosetta 2 (for Linux VM)

Article URL: https://github.com/Inokinoki/attesor Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47129415 Points: 32 # Comments: 10

FreeBSD doesn't have Wi-Fi driver for my old MacBook. AI build one for me

Article URL: https://vladimir.varank.in/notes/2026/02/freebsd-brcmfmac/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47129361 Points: 210 # Comments: 162

Panasonic, the former plasma king, will no longer make its own TVs

Panasonic was one of the last Japanese companies still manufacturing TVs.

IBM Shares Crater 13% After Anthropic Says Claude Code Can Tackle COBOL Modernization

IBM shares plunged nearly 13% on Monday after Anthropic published a blog post arguing that its Claude Code tool could automate much of the complex analysis work involved in modernizing COBOL, the decades-old programming language that still underpins an estimated 95% of ATM transactions in the United

Report: Trump Just One More Assassination Attempt Away From A Free Third Term

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With an alleged third assassination attempt in the books, President Trump is reportedly one step closer to a free third term.

SIM (YC X25) Is Hiring the Best Engineers in San Francisco

Article URL: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/sim/jobs/Rj8TVRM-software-engineer-platform Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47128740 Points: 0 # Comments: 0

Green Mountain Falls Skyspace in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado

James Turrell’s first public artwork located in the mountains,  offers other worldly sunset and sunrise shows. The installation, much like all of his work, plays with out perfection of light and the sky. On rainy and snowy days the roof closes and a closed roof show takes its place. A unique and bea

5-Letter Words Ending in ‘Er’ to Help You Improve Your Wordle Skills

Boost your Wordle game with these 5-letter words ending in “er.” Perfect for tricky guesses and strategy.

Yes, Section 230 Should Apply Equally To Algorithmic Recommendations

If you’ve spent any time in my Section 230 myth-debunking guide, you know that most bad takes on the law come from people who haven’t read it. But lately I keep running into a different kind of bad take—one that often comes from people who have read the law, understand the basics passably well, and

Episcopalian Once Again Gives Up Reading Bible For Lent

CAMBRIDGE, MA — Local Episcopalian Myrtle Smith has once again elected to undergo an enormous sacrifice by giving up reading her Bible again this Lent.

The challenges of porting Shufflepuck Cafe to the 8 bits Apple II

Article URL: https://www.colino.net/wordpress/archives/2026/02/23/the-challenges-of-porting-shufflepuck-cafe-to-the-8-bits-apple-ii/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47128631 Points: 36 # Comments: 7

Show HN: Babyshark – Wireshark made easy (terminal UI for PCAPs)

Hey all, I built babyshark, a terminal UI for PCAPs aimed at people who find Wireshark powerful but overwhelming. The goal is “PCAPs for humans”: Overview dashboard answers what’s happening + what to click next Domains view (hostnames first) → select a domain → jump straight to relevant flows (works

Gavin Newsom Wows Black Audience By Putting Some Hot Sauce In His Purple Drank

ATLANTA, GA — While speaking at the Rialto Center for the Arts as part of promotion for his new memoir, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, California Governor Gavin Newsom wowed a black audience by putting some hot sauce into his purple drank.

Cheer Up, Canada: Here Are 7 Things You're Still Better At Than America

After a tough stretch at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Canadians are understandably feeling a little down. But it's not all that bad, Canada. There are still reasons to feel good about yourselves.

Please do not poop on LA DOT buses

The City of Los Angeles released a video, and then rapidly retracted it, asking riders to report on fellow passengers who defecate on the bus. CBS asked the city how often people really make this sort of a mess on public transportation, and the videos were then quickly deleted. — Read the rest T

Grandpa Pudding Brains remembers the good old days of Aqua Net

Not satisfied to just be bringing back fuel inefficient cars and maybe someday getting rid of seat belts, convicted felon and frontotemporal dementia poster boy Donald Trump gripes that hairspray has been so put on by environmental regulations. Trump failed to detail any policy, and local officials

Cybertruck's fatality rate reportedly far surpasses the legendary Ford Pinto

This social media missive reminds us the Ford Pinto was orders of magnitude safer than the now-discounted Cybertruck. The Pinto was so widely derided that it became a joke in movies and on tv. It was even more derided than the quirky AMC Gremlin or the disaster waiting to happen Chevy Corvair. — R

UNIX99, a UNIX-like OS for the TI-99/4A

Article URL: https://forums.atariage.com/topic/380883-unix99-a-unix-like-os-for-the-ti-994a/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47127986 Points: 135 # Comments: 44

9 Animals From Prehistoric Times That Are Still Around Today

From horseshoe crabs to crocodiles, some of these creatures have looked about the same for hundreds of millions of years.

U.S. Populace Appoints Designated Survivor

The post U.S. Populace Appoints Designated Survivor appeared first on The Onion.

Linus Torvalds: Someone 'More Competent Who Isn't Afraid of Numbers Past the Teens' Will Take Over Linux One Day

Linus Torvalds has pondered his professional mortality in a self-deprecating post to mark the release of the first release candidate for version 7.0 of the Linux kernel. From a report: "You all know the drill by now: two weeks have passed, and the kernel merge window is closed," he wrote in the post

Binance fired employees who found $1.7B in crypto was sent to Iran

Article URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/technology/binance-employees-iran-firings.html Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47127396 Points: 384 # Comments: 162

U.S. Tourists Advised To Temporarily Avoid Shootouts With Mexican Drug Cartels

WASHINGTON—In an effort to protect visitors to the violently contested territories south of the U.S. border, the State Department advised American tourists on Monday to temporarily avoid shootouts with Mexican drug cartels. “While at this time, we see no need for American travelers to cancel their v

Americans are destroying Flock surveillance cameras

Article URL: https://techcrunch.com/2026/02/23/americans-are-destroying-flock-surveillance-cameras/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47127081 Points: 548 # Comments: 364

1990s game got a rave review thanks to LSD in office coffee pot

In the 1990s, American video game players had it made for supplemental reading. Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, and Nintendo's flagship Nintendo Power were the premier choices, but there were plenty of smaller monthlies too. One of them, Game Fan, was eager to premiere Atari's new 64-bit console

Sembawang Hot Springs in Singapore, Singapore

A small island, situated on the equator, with temperatures averaging nearly 30°C; the last thing on most people’s minds? A hot spring. To the surprise of tourists and even locals, hidden in the northern jungles of Singapore is Sembawang Hot Spring Park. In its prime, it was known for its “mystic” po

Ring’s Super Bowl Ad Generates So Much Backlash It Has Ended Its Partnership With Flock Safety

Eight million ways to die. According to AdWeek, the price for a 30-second commercial during Super Bowl LX has soared to $8 million, after NBC opened in the summer by offering spots for $7 million. As AdWeek notes, “due to demand, the company has already reached its cap for the number of spots that w

Daily Deal: The 2026 Ultimate Project Managers Training Bundle

The 2026 Ultimate Project Managers Training Bundle will help you learn how to efficiently manage small- and large-scale complex projects. With 9 courses focused on Asana, Jira, Agile, Microsoft Project, and more, you’ll be introduced to various ways to organize and manage teams, and to various tools

'How Many AIs Does It Take To Read a PDF?'

Despite AI's progress in building complex software, the ubiquitous PDF remains something of a grand challenge -- a format Adobe developed in the early 1990s to preserve the precise visual appearance of documents. PDFs consist of character codes, coordinates, and rendering instructions rather than lo

Dad Enters Crossword Era

SOUTH BEND, IN — According to sources, local husband and father Glenn Riverton has reportedly entered the crossword era of his life.

Epstein associate Lord Mandelson arrested in U.K.

Last week, the former prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office after the Epstein Files implied that he had shared privileged information with billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein. Earlier today, Lord Mandelson was taken into custody under the same suspicion. — Read the

Olympic Curlers Give Final Salute As They Are Lowered Into Carbon-Freezing Chamber Until Next Winter Games

MILANO — As the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics came to a close, athletes from various nations participated in the traditional send-offs for their respective sports, with the Olympic curlers being lowered into the carbon-freezing chamber until the next winter games.

Trump Invites Caucasian Half Of Alysa Liu To Visit White House

The post Trump Invites Caucasian Half Of Alysa Liu To Visit White House appeared first on The Onion.

Anthropic Accuses Chinese Companies of Siphoning Data From Claude

U.S. artificial-intelligence startup Anthropic said three Chinese AI companies set up more than 24,000 fraudulent accounts with its Claude AI model to help their own systems catch up. From a report: The three companies -- DeepSeek, Moonshot AI and MiniMax -- prompted Claude more than 16 million time

A 21-year-old Trump fan shot dead at Mar-a-Lago and unsearched Epstein storage units

A 21-year-old Trump supporter was shot dead by Secret Service agents at Mar-a-Lago after showing up with a shotgun and a gas canister around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Austin Tucker Martin of Moore County, North Carolina, raised his weapon when ordered to put it down. — Read the rest The post A 21-year-old

Distant Lights and Fairy Rings: 9 Superstitions About Fairies

It's okay to give fairies certain gifts, but you'd better not accept one from them.

Hot Streak: The mascot racing game that turns betting into bedlam

We played a family game recently that I suspect will become a house staple. Hot Streak (CMYK Games, $45, 2-9+, Ages 6+) is a fast, chaotic betting and racing game that leans hard into slapstick silliness. The theme is a race of the world's worst sports mascots. — Read the rest The post Hot Streak:

DOGE accessed millions of Americans' data with no stated reason

DOGE staffers showed up to federal agencies carrying what a whistleblower described as "backpacks full of laptops," each pre-loaded with access to databases holding the Social Security numbers, tax returns, biometric data, and background checks of millions of Americans. Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Massachus

New Microsoft gaming chief has "no tolerance for bad AI"

But Asha Sharma faces scrutiny for lack of gaming experience.

Woman abandons fake service dog at airline gate, gets arrested, dog gets better family

A woman was arrested after abandoning her dog at a ticket counter at Reid Airport in Las Vegas. The woman had attempted to bring her dog on the plane as a service dog, but had no documentation. In surveillance footage on 8newsnow, the dog can be seen wandering around the ticket area, dragging its le

The Media Still Can’t Figure Out That Trump Says Things That Aren’t True

Debates on how the media should be covering what Donald Trump says have been going on for over a decade now. A few months ago, we wrote about the regularity with which the mainstream media “sanewashes” his more ridiculous statements, taking the incoherent ramblings of a madman and pretending to tran

The Rise of Eyes Began with Just One

Article URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/science/evolution-vertebrate-eye.html Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47125484 Points: 5 # Comments: 1

Say Goodbye to the Undersea Cable That Made the Global Internet Possible

The first fiber-optic cable ever laid across an ocean -- TAT-8, a nearly 6,000-kilometer line between the United States, United Kingdom, and France that carried its first traffic on December 14, 1988 -- is now being pulled off the Atlantic seabed after more than two decades of sitting dormant, bound

Fossilized puke from before the dinosaurs contains 41 tiny bones

Forty-one tiny bones from three different species, jumbled together in a single clump and preserved in stone for 290 million years. That's the contents of the world's oldest known terrestrial regurgitalite — science-talk for fossilized puke — unearthed at the Bromacker fossil site in Thuringia, Germ

ASML unveils EUV light source advance that could yield 50% more chips by 2030

Article URL: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/asml-unveils-euv-light-source-advance-that-could-yield-50-more-chips-by-2030-2026-02-23/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47125349 Points: 245 # Comments: 64

This ghost galaxy is 99% dark matter with only four star clusters

CDG-2 (short for Candidate Dark Galaxy-2) has so few stars that it's basically invisible. The only reason anyone noticed it at all is that four globular clusters were hanging out together about 300 million light-years from Earth, deep inside the Perseus cluster, with no obvious host galaxy in sight.

ICE agents keep shooting themselves

Trump's rootin' tootin' secret police keep "accidentally shooting themselves," reports Newsweek, with three blasting themselves in the leg within two days during "training exercises." A fourth shot himself with a taser, inside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. No one was killed in the i

U.S. Hockey Team Melts Down Gold Medals to Replace Missing Teeth

MILAN, ITALY — Following their victory over Canada, the US Olympic Hockey Team has continued celebrating by melting down their gold medals to replace all their missing teeth.

Hadrius (YC W23) Is Hiring Designers Who Code

Article URL: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/hadrius/jobs/ObynDF9-senior-product-designer Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47125026 Points: 0 # Comments: 0

The 2026 Mazda CX-5, driven: It got bigger; plus, radical tech upgrade

Starting at $29,990, there's a lot to like about the all-new Mazda, but it's not perfect.

Hamburger SV Fan Burial Ground in Hamburg, Germany

Despite the name’s culinary connotations, Hamburger SV is one of Germany’s most storied football (or soccer) clubs. Just steps from its home stadium, the Volksparkstadion, it has a dedicated fan burial ground. The site grew out of repeated requests from supporters who wanted their ashes scattered on

PayPal Attracts Takeover Interest After Stock Slump

An anonymous reader shares a report: PayPal, the digital payments pioneer, is attracting takeover interest from potential buyers after a stock slide wiped out almost half of its value, according to people familiar with the matter. The San Jose, California-based company has fielded meetings with ba

What To Know About The SAVE America Act

If passed into law, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act will create new barriers to voting in federal elections by requiring documentation of citizenship to register and imposing strict photo-identification rules at polling places. The Onion shares everything you need to know about the SAVE

Climate Physicists Face the Ghosts in Their Machines: Clouds

Climate scientists trying to predict how much hotter the planet will get have long grappled with a surprisingly stubborn problem -- clouds, which both reflect sunlight and trap heat, account for more than half the variation between climate predictions and are the main reason warming projections for

A simple web we own

Article URL: https://rsdoiel.github.io/blog/2026/02/21/a_simple_web_we_own.html Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47124149 Points: 174 # Comments: 118

Show HN: Sowbot – open-hardware agricultural robot (ROS2, RTK GPS)

Sowbot is an open-hardware agricultural robot designed to close the "prototype gap" that kills most agri-robotics startups and research projects — the 18+ months spent on drivers, networking, safety watchdogs, and UI before you can even start on the thing you actually care about. The hardware is bui

AIs can generate near-verbatim copies of novels from training data

LLMs memorize more training data than previously thought.

Show HN: PgDog – Scale Postgres without changing the app

Hey HN! Lev and Justin here, authors of PgDog (https://pgdog.dev/), a connection pooler, load balancer and database sharder for PostgreSQL. If you build apps with a lot of traffic, you know the first thing to break is the database. We are solving this with a network proxy that works without requirin

Stressful People in Your Life Could Be Adding Months To Your Biological Age

A study published last week in PNAS found that people who regularly cause problems or make life difficult -- whom the researchers call "hasslers" -- are associated with measurably faster biological aging in those around them, at a rate of roughly 1.5% per additional hassler and about nine months of

Cartel violence engulfs Mexico after military kills El Mencho

Mexican special forces killed Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes — the cartel boss known as "El Mencho" — on Saturday in a firefight in Tapalpa, Jalisco. He was 59. The US had put a $15 million bounty on his head. El Mencho ran the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which the FBI considers Mexico's

20 Hilarious Southern Sayings to Incorporate into Your Daily Life

There's a colorful Southern saying for pretty much every scenario life might throw at you.

BBC edits out "Free Palestine" at BAFTAs, leaves in racial slur from man with Tourette Syndrome

The BBC did people with Tourette Syndrome no favors by broadcasting a racial slur at the BAFTA awards. That they could have spared audiences was evident from the two-hour tape delay and the editing out of Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr's cry of "Free Palestine!" — Read the rest The post BBC e

Sam Altman Would Like To Remind You That Humans Use a Lot of Energy, Too

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is pushing back on growing concerns about AI's environmental footprint, dismissing claims about ChatGPT's water consumption as "totally fake" and arguing that the fairer way to measure AI's energy use is to compare it against humans. In an interview with Indian Express, Altma

The peculiar case of Japanese web design (2022)

Article URL: https://sabrinas.space Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47122789 Points: 220 # Comments: 101

The Age Verification Trap: Verifying age undermines everyone's data protection

Article URL: https://spectrum.ieee.org/age-verification Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47122715 Points: 1174 # Comments: 948

RFK Jr. Claims Anti-Protein Extremists Left Head Of Lettuce On His Doorstep

WASHINGTON—Saying his advocacy for consuming animal products had painted a target on his back, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed Monday that anti-protein extremists had left a head of lettuce on his doorstep. “Yesterday morning when my wife went out to get the paper,

NHL Launches $800 Marketing Campaign In Major Push To Attract New Fans

NEW YORK—In an unprecedented effort to “pour gas on the fire” and grow the popularity of the league, NHL officials announced Monday that it was launching a new $800 marketing campaign in a major push to attract new fans. “Move over, NFL and NBA, because we are pulling out all the stops to make the [

God Admits He No Longer Loves Humanity But Is Too Afraid To Leave

THE HEAVENS—Admitting He felt torn between His true feelings and His fear of the unknown, the Lord God Almighty announced Monday that He no longer loved humanity but was too afraid to leave. “Any affection I ever had for the human race is long gone, but I’m just terrified at the thought of walking a

Mexico To Deploy Robotic Police Dogs For 2026 FIFA World Cup

Mexico introduced tactical robot dogs as part of security preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with officials claiming the robotic units will assist police with surveillance, monitoring, and intervention operations during the international soccer tournament. What do you think? The post Mexico T

Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley Calculate AI's Contribution To U.S. Growth May Be Basically Zero

The narrative that AI spending has been singlehandedly propping up the U.S. economy -- a claim that captivated Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Washington over the past year -- is facing serious pushback from economists [non-paywalled source] at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, all o

Gamers need Windows 11 Pro — Now $13 instead of $199

TL;DR: Upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for $12.97 (MSRP $199) through 3/22 at 11:59 PM and keep your PC current without overspending. We know you're out there — the gamer who dropped serious cash on a GPU, upgraded the RAM, maybe even built the rig from scratch… but still hasn't upgraded to Windows 11 Pro

Review: Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brings back that Westeros magic

Prequel series is just great storytelling, reminding GoT fans why they loved the original so much.

Activists hang instantly-famous photo of arrested Andrew in Louvre

The striking photo of freshly-arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, facing charges of public misconduct after allegedly sharing secret info with billionaire sex trafficker pal Jeffrey Epstein, was an instant classic. It belongs in an art gallery, people said. How about the Louvre? — Read the rest Th

Who Knew? Mindless And Corrupt Deregulation Apparently Kills People

You might recall that a central pillar of the Trump administration during the last election season was that a second Trump term would “take aim at big tech,” protect the little guy, rein in corporate power, and even “continue the legacy of antitrust enforcers like Lina Khan.” The press was filled wi

Kid Rock: God will "cut down" media reporting his $5,000 tour tickets

Kid Rock, an upper-crust car dealership scion who grew up in a 22-room mansion on 6 acres, has spent his adult life posing as a working-class rough. But you'll need real money to buy the $5,000 "first class" tickets for his shows, a fact he evidently does not want accurately reported. — Read the res

Quiz: Can You Name These ‘80s Movies From Their Taglines?

From 'The Shining' to 'The Breakfast Club,' the 1980s had some of the best movies. How well do you remember them based on the taglines?

Under new ownership, Arcade1Up plans comeback

Arcade1Up, famed for its mini arcade cabinets, went boots up last fall. But it was bought by the company that makes Lite Brites and it has plans to revive the brand. "The dream of home arcades isn't dead," writes Kyle Barr, "and neither is Arcade1Up" Kredi wasn't shy about detailing the acquired co

The first cars bold enough to drive themselves

Quevedo's telekino of 1904 was the first step on the road to autonomous Waymos.

Xteink's X4: a $69 e-ink reader that magsafes to your wallet

Xteink's X4 is a tiny, rinky dink e-ink gadget that didn't get much attention when it launched, but the street found its uses and it's now a cult hit. It's a tiny, hackable e-reader that magsafes to the back of phones, lasts a week on a charge with daily use, and costs $69 in black or white. — Read

William H. Macy Insists Way More People Would Have Died on 9/11 if He Had Been on That Plane

LOS ANGELES — Actor William H. Macy insisted that, unlike his “Boogie Nights” costar Mark Wahlberg, had he been aboard one of... Continue reading this gem The post William H. Macy Insists Way More People Would Have Died on 9/11 if He Had Been on That Plane appeared first on HARDTIMES.

Brave! Man Struggles To Sing Both Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell Parts of “Hunger Strike”

Seattle may have been the grunge capital of the world back in the ‘90s, but this Tuesday morning, Rockford, Illinois resident Carl... Continue this tale The post Brave! Man Struggles To Sing Both Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell Parts of “Hunger Strike” appeared first on HARDTIMES.

Aging Punk Woman Solemnly Vows to Reject the Siren’s Call of Rockabilly

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Nearly 40-year-old punk woman Allie Gerard recently made a solemn vow to resist the urge to become rockabilly, sources... Read the full masterpiece The post Aging Punk Woman Solemnly Vows to Reject the Siren’s Call of Rockabilly appeared first on HARDTIMES.

The History of 'the Ton' in Regency England and What 'Bridgerton' Gets Right

Discover the real history of the ton in Regency England, what the term meant, and how accurately 'Bridgerton' portrays London’s high society.

Don't miss out on the last chance to get a refurbished MacBook for $470

TL;DR: From now until Feb. 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT, get an Apple MacBook Pro (2020) 13″ i7 2.3GHz Touchbar 16GB RAM 512GB SSD Space Gray (Refurbished) for $469.99 (MSRP $1,999). Seamless performance from Apple without the high price tag? It's possible with a Grade A refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2020)

Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt

This week, our first place winner on the insightful side is MrWilson (who racked up a lot of wins this week) with a comment about the Twitter Files crew staying quiet when there are real attacks on free speech: “Free speech absolutists”: “You’re absolutely free to shut up and listen to my speech. Al

Olympians Showered With Mortadella Confetti During Milan Closing Ceremonies

The post Olympians Showered With Mortadella Confetti During Milan Closing Ceremonies appeared first on The Onion.

9 Charming Small Towns in the U.S. You Must See in 2026

From mountain outposts to coastal villages, these nine gems call you to discover the charm of small-town America.

Canada Now Officially An American Province

U.S. - After defeating Canada at the only thing it was supposedly good at, the entire territory of Canada has been officially declared an American province.

12 Walkable Cities in Europe That Feel Like a Movie Set

Some scenic cities feel like you’ve walked onto the set of the latest European romance movie. Here are 12 to add to your travel list!

Communists Once Again Suck At Hockey

Optimize your AI experience with specially made prompts

TL;DR: Create detailed prompts customized for all the major LLMs with the AI Prompt Engineer, PromptBuilder for $199 (MSRP $3,564). AI is supposed to promote efficiency, but it can be frustrating when your prompts aren't yielding what you're looking for. To get what you need out of large language mo

5 Maritime Mysteries That Have Actually Been Solved

From underwater crop circles to the Bermuda Triangle, these deep sea mysteries actually have pretty logical explanations.

The Symbolism and History of Angel Number 222

If you're seeing 222 everywhere you look, here's what that might mean—and a little information about where angel numbers came from in the first place.

Quiz: Only English Majors Can Identify These Jane Austen Lines

Do you know which Jane Austen books these lines are from?

Study shows how rocket launches pollute the atmosphere

Is the global atmospheric commons destined to be an industrial waste dumping ground?

Experts Say Newly Discovered French Cave Etching Is Likely the First Known Ragebait

BORDEAUX, France — Archaeologists at Les Cavernes de la Haute-Vézère discovered what experts believe may be the first known example of ragebait... Get the full story The post Experts Say Newly Discovered French Cave Etching Is Likely the First Known Ragebait appeared first on HARDTIMES.

How To Determine Your Self-Worth by Checking How Many of Your Instagram Friends Are Tied to Semi-Well-Known Public Figures

You’ve been doing everything right. You’re hitting the gym. Eating better. Getting outside for walks with the dog. You’re cold-plunging, occasionally. You’re... Continue this tale The post How To Determine Your Self-Worth by Checking How Many of Your Instagram Friends Are Tied to Semi-Well-Known Pub

Five Finger Death Punch Slated To Play University of Phoenix Commencement Ceremony

PHOENIX — American metal band Five Finger Death Punch is tapped to perform at this year’s commencement ceremony at the University of... Read more nonsense The post Five Finger Death Punch Slated To Play University of Phoenix Commencement Ceremony appeared first on HARDTIMES.

From "POS" to “GTFO,” Breaking Down the Meaning of Insult Abbreviations

From "NPC" to "SOB," these insults should be used with care.

NASA says it needs to haul the Artemis II rocket back to the hangar for repairs

"Accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB."

5 NYC Restaurants Guy Fieri Recommends

From Williamsburg's Pies n' Thighs to Red Hook's Defonte's Sandwiches, Guy Fieri loves these five NYC restaurants.

6 English Countryside Towns Straight Out of a Period Drama

Wander charming towns where cottages, castles, and cobblestone streets bring your favorite period piece to life.

Quiz: Can You Name These Disney Movies From Their Horror-Style Descriptions?

How fast can you identify these classic Disney movies, reimagined for the horror genre?

This Week In Techdirt History: February 15th – 21st

Five Years Ago This week in 2021, we looked at how state laws around community broadband were harming communities during the pandemic, just as one Congressional representative introduced a new such law to do so nationwide. Minneapolis joined the list of cities banning facial recognition tech, while

5 Great Books That Almost Became Movies (But Didn’t)

Not every bestseller makes it to Hollywood. Discover five famous novels that never made it to the big screen.

The Best 'Pride and Prejudice' Adaptation of All Time, According to Rotten Tomatoes

After decades of debate, Rotten Tomatoes has finally crowned a winner.

9 Overnight Train Routes in Europe With Incredible Views

See some of the most beautiful views in Europe from the window seat of these overnight trains.

Dinosaur eggshells can reveal the age of other fossils

Like rocks, egg shells can trap isotopes, allowing us to use them to date samples.

Quiz: Can You Match the Pixar Parent to Their Movie?

How well do you know your Disney Pixar families? Take our trivia quiz to find out!

Have we leapt into commercial genetic testing without understanding it?

A new book argues that tests might reshape human diversity even if they don't work.

Major government research lab appears to be squeezing out foreign scientists

"Noncitizens" lost after-hours access to a NIST lab last month.

Millennial in Midlife Crisis Looks Into Getting Healthcare

NEW YORK — Local 41-year-old Brooklyn resident Teri Kraft entered what her friends are calling a “midlife crisis” after requesting information on... Read more nonsense The post Millennial in Midlife Crisis Looks Into Getting Healthcare appeared first on HARDTIMES.

Opinion: When I Said I Wanted No More Division in America, I Meant Get Rid of Math

As a public servant, I am no stranger to minsunderstantiations. Lord knows I’ve had my fair share of them over the years.... Continue this tale The post Opinion: When I Said I Wanted No More Division in America, I Meant Get Rid of Math appeared first on HARDTIMES.

Incel Guitarist Doesn’t Believe G Chord Exists

GALLATIN, Tenn. — Local 23-year-old guitarist Brandon Hanish stunned his bandmates this week when he announced, unprompted, that he does not believe... Continue this tale The post Incel Guitarist Doesn’t Believe G Chord Exists appeared first on HARDTIMES.

Court Orders Slavery Exhibit At George Washington’s House Restored After Trump Admin Pulled It Down

The Trump administration’s project for erasing the parts of American history they find inconvenient continues unabated. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hit the occasional roadblock. In January, the administration removed portions of an exhibit at the former Philadelphia home of George Washington th

Money on Your Mind? These Are the Best and Worst Cities for Budgeters in 2026

Discover which U.S. cities are the best—and worst—at budgeting in 2026. WalletHub’s latest study ranks cities based on residents’ financial habits, spending, and saving skills.

After fueling test, optimism grows for March launch of Artemis II to the Moon

“We’re now targeting March 6 as our earliest launch attempt ... there is still pending work."

Open Letter To Tech Companies: Protect Your Users From Lawless DHS Subpoenas

We are calling on technology companies like Meta and Google to stand up for their users by resisting the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) lawless administrative subpoenas for user data.  In the past year, DHS has consistently targeted people engaged in First Amendment activity. Among other th

Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer steps down after 38 years with company

Microsoft CoreAI exec Asha Sharma will take over in surprise executive shake-up.

MAHA moms threaten to turn this car around as RFK Jr. flips on pesticide

MAHA members call movement a "sham" after Kennedy supports glyphosate order.

Don’t Miss the Blood Moon Eclipse Lighting Up North America This March

A rare blood moon eclipse will light up skies across North America this March. Here’s when to watch and how to see the lunar spectacle at its best.

Fury over Discord’s age checks explodes after shady Persona test in UK

Persona confirmed all age-check data from Discord's UK test was deleted.

FCC asks stations for "pro-America" programming, like daily Pledge of Allegiance

Brendan Carr wants "patriotic" shows for Trump's yearlong America 250 celebration.

Meta's flagship metaverse service leaves VR behind

The company asserts it will continue to make VR headsets, though.

Potomac River Flooded With 240 Million Gallons Of Sewage

The Potomac River, a waterway that winds through the nation’s capital, is in the midst of an ecological crisis after one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history, with over 240 million gallons of raw human waste threatening the health of the river and the safety of those who depend on it. What d

6 Authors Who Hated Their Most Popular Books

From Agatha Christie to Franz Kafka, these authors disliked their most popular books, stories, and characters.

The ‘Union County Giant’ House in Marysville, Ohio

Colonel Noah Orr was born on September 19, 1836, in Union County. His claim to fame was his incredible height of 7 feet and 8 inches tall and weight of 500 pounds. He toured with the circus around the country and performed as a “giant” from the 1850s to the 1880s. This building would be his final ho

Controversial NIH director now in charge of CDC, too, in RFK Jr. shake-up

The unusual dual role has renewed criticism of Bhattacharya's lack of leadership.

Alysa Liu Uses Gold Medal To Gauge Ear

The post Alysa Liu Uses Gold Medal To Gauge Ear appeared first on The Onion.

Madonna of the Trail in Richmond, Indiana

There is already an excellent report on the Madonna of the Trail site in Bethesda, Maryland, posted on Atlas Obscura. This new entry reports on the Madonna in Richmond, Indiana, which is the second Atlas Obscura site submitted, the fifth of the twelve geographically from east to west, and the ninth

All 4 'Bridgerton' Seasons, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

'Bridgerton' fans are divided over Rotten Tomatoes' ranking of the best seasons.

Trump Suffers Setback Unrelated To Child Rape

The post Trump Suffers Setback Unrelated To Child Rape appeared first on The Onion.

The Surprising Reason So Many Movie Credits List an “Alan Smithee”

The director, Alan Smithee, doesn't actually exist. So, why is he listed in the credits of so many films?

How La Mexicana Became a Kissimmee Institution

Though Odilia Alvarado is responsible for 80 employees, the first people she attends to in the mornings are her children. Every day by 8:00 a.m., she drops her 8-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son off at school. Then it’s off to La Mexicana Restaurant, or the nearby affiliated bakery, for breakfa

Warped Tour Releases 2026 Lineup With Redacted Names To Protect Victims

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The eagerly anticipated 2026 lineup for Warped Tour was released with a number of the band names redacted... Get the full story The post Warped Tour Releases 2026 Lineup With Redacted Names To Protect Victims appeared first on HARDTIMES.

Hope Cathedral in Fredrikstad, Norway

These days, it is easy to be pessimistic about palpable issues facing the world such as ocean plastic pollution. However, artist Solveig Egeland, distressed by the plastics frequently washing up along the shores of her hometown Fredrikstad, was determined to make a local difference. She began partne

7 Beautiful Hotel Spas in North America for Pure Uninterrupted Relaxation

Craving a true reset? These seven hotel spas across North America pair dreamy settings with massages, saunas, and total tranquility.

Quiz: How Fast Can You Identify These One-Hit Wonders?

You'd probably recognize these one-hit wonders if you heard them, but how fast can you name them?

6 Abandoned Places You Can Actually Visit

From Japan's Hashima Island to France's Oradour-sur-Glane, these moss-covered and dilapidated places house tragic and complicated histories.

The Murky History of 'Rock-a-bye Baby'

Uncover the hidden history of the nursery rhyme parents have sung to their children for generations.

The 5 Best U.S. National Parks For First-Time Visitors

America’s national parks offer access to a huge variety of stunning natural wonders. From desert vistas to richly colorful geothermal hot springs and sparse mou

The Trip That Changed Me: How Antarctica Shattered Daniela Hernandez’s Sense of Self

What happens when a place is so vast, so remote, that it strips away the story you’ve been telling about yourself? For science journalist Daniela Hernandez, two reporting trips to Antarctica didn’t just expand her worldview — they dismantled it. Armed with a PhD in neuroscience from Columbia and y

8 Best Sandwich Shops in the U.S., According to Guy Fieri

One bite proves why these stacked sandwiches get a thumbs-up from the Mayor of Flavortown.

Elektrownia Powiśle in Warsaw, Poland

Elektrownia Powiśle boasts a vibrant atmosphere, thanks to its range of trendy shops and its cosmopolitan food hall. But throughout the 20th century, the mall was alive with a very different kind of energy, as it was a powerplant generating electricity for the majority of the city. The spot mainta

Why Do Bagels Have Holes?

That iconic bagel hole isn’t just for looks. Here’s the surprisingly practical reason bagels are baked with a hole in the middle.

Playa de Güigüí in Tasartico, Spain

Playa de Güigüi on Gran Canaria is a beach you can’t reach by car. To get there, most people hike for hours in the sun. The trail goes up and down over dry hills and loose rocks. The walk back is the hardest part, because it’s mostly uphill when you’re already tired. That's why the beach is often em

10 Scenic Ferry Rides Around the World Worth Taking Once

Think ferries are just transportation? These scenic ferry rides—from Norway’s dramatic fjords to the Caribbean blues of Belize—turn the journey into the main event.

Petermännchen Statue at Schwerin Castle in Schwerin, Germany

In the courtyard of Schwerin’s former ducal palace stands a sandstone statue of a diminutive man with a heavy moustache and pointed beard. Dressed in Renaissance-era court attire, he wears a short tunic, a millstone collar, and a feathered hat. Created around 1856 by local sculptor Heinrich Petters,

7 Forgotten Maritime Disasters Worse Than the Titanic

These seven nautical tragedies surpassed the horror of the RMS Titanic, yet few people know their names.

Cecil Rhodes Plinth in Cape Town, South Africa

South Africa has had to deal with colonization and subjugation under several European forces for many hundreds of years. Understandably, this has left its mark on the countries history, the aftermath of which is still being dealt with today. Perhaps one of the most controversial figures in the more

Quiz: Only Millennials Can Finish These 2000s Disney Quotes

Think you know all the Disney movies from the 2000s? Test your knowledge by finishing these 10 quotes.

What Happened at the First-Ever Oscars?

The first-ever Academy Awards took just 15 minutes. Here's how the Oscars began, who won at the first ceremony, and more.

9 Surprising Facts About JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s Romance

From candlelit weddings to secret neighborhood dining spots, uncover nine surprising facts about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s real-life romance.

Absolute Zero discovery point in Glasgow, Scotland

On this spot on a chilly winter's night in 1845, while returning from an evening drinking in a local pub, William Thomson, who would later go on to become Lord Kelvin, one of the greatest scientists ever to study at Glasgow University, tripped and fell into the river below. In doing so, he instantly

New Study Ranks All 50 States by Grocery Spending—See Where Yours Lands

The states you’d expect to spend the least on groceries are actually spending the most.

Old Palmer Lake Cemetery in Larkspur, Colorado

Tucked away in a copse of scrub oak in the Greenland Open Space is a solitary gravesite, surrounded by an imposing wrought-iron fence, sitting right off the side of Kipps Loop, a trail wandered by hikers and cyclists alike. This is what remains of the old Palmer Lake Cemetery, also known as Greenm

7 Oscar Winners Who Almost Quit Acting

These Oscar winners nearly quit acting at various points in their careers. Discover how they overcame doubt and went on to Hollywood glory.

What Do Ashes Symbolize on Ash Wednesday?

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in Western Christianity. Here's what ash means on Ash Wednesday as well as the history of how this tradition came to be.

Quiz: Can You Guess the Beatles Song from the First 5 Lyrics?

Twist and Shout your way through this challenge by guessing the Beatles track before the chorus hits!

Settling Down in 2026? These Are the Best and Worst States for Property Owners

A new ranking reveals which states are the most and least taxing for property owners in 2026, comparing real estate and vehicle taxes across the country.

Quiz: Can You Name the Classic Rom-Com by Its Opening Line?

You have to be a rom-com expert to match the first line with the right movie!

8 of the Most Controversial Moments in 'America's Next Top Model' History

The modeling competition repeatedly sparked debates about ethics and image, which are highlighted in these moments and in the new Netflix docuseries 'Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model.'

8 Seafood Restaurants Guy Fieri Says Are Worth the Trip

If you're craving crawfish cheesecake or Kung Pao-style calamari, look no further than these eight seafood restaurants Guy Fieri recommends.

5 Rare Deep-Sea Creatures You Won’t Believe Exist

Dive into the depths of the ocean to discover seven rare deep-sea creatures so strange and elusive, you won’t believe they exist.

8 European Forests Straight Out of a Fantasy Novel

From Ireland's Dark Hedges to the French forest that inspired the Arthurian legends, these forests have inspired countless tales of magic, hauntings, and heroism.

16 Oscar Winners Who Starred on Soap Operas

Before they won Oscars, these actors honed their craft on daytime soap operas, proving that daytime drama can be a stepping stone to Hollywood’s biggest award.

Where to Experience the Best of Nevada’s Public Lands

Nevada is packed with rugged and remote landscapes that call explorers to venture into the unknown and see what’s out there. Thankfully, the vast majority of the state is stewarded by the federal government—mainly the Bureau of Land Management. Not only does this ensure public lands continue to be p

Quiz: How Fast Can You Name the Movie by Its Famous Plot Twist?

How many of these iconic movie twists can you get right?