A Day in the Life of a Pythagorean Disciple Classical Wisdom (Micael T)
Life Inside Icelandic Turf Houses JSTOR
What age does intelligence peak? Aporia (Micael T)
DNA on the Shroud of Turin reveals centuries of hidden history Science Daily (Kevin W)
Alan Hajek’s Destruction of Finite Frequentism Bentham’s Bulldog (Micael T)
In Memory of My Wife, Elise Cawley (1961–2026), with Thanks for 36 Wonderful Years Stephan Wolfram (Micael T)
#COVID-19/Pandemics
Ebola has killed 1,700 in eastern Congo as the fastest-growing outbreak surges ABC
Aluminum-Adsorbed Vaccines and Chronic Diseases in Childhood Annals of Internal Medicine (Robin K). Study pop >1 million. Money quote: “Cumulative aluminum exposure from vaccination during the first 2 years of life was not associated with increased rates of any of the 50 disorders assessed. “
Climate/Environment
It’s 90 degrees in the Arctic right now Scientific American
Too darn f*****g hot Hybrid Economics (resilc)
‘Stop all outdoor activities’: South Korea records its highest ever temperature Guardian
MIDDLE EAST HEAT WAVEBrutal conditions with over 50C daytime and over 35C nightime continues.Widespread records allover the area.Some of the most extreme MINIMUMS tonight in the EMIRATES:38.5 Swiehan36.8 Al Ain
Next days,we might see some MINIMUMS of 40C.Absolutely brutal pic.twitter.com/HAT32cZ38r
— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) August 4, 2026
Wildfires still burning in France and Spain amid fears of more to come Aljazeera
Rhine falls to record low levels as drought strains Europe’s rivers BBC
Insurers are turning to catastrophe bonds to pass on historic levels of wildfire risk to the capital markets Claims Journal
Climate policy may crowd out green values and what to do about it VoxEU
China?
China hits back at US with barrage of sanctions, drone industry curbs South China Morning Post (guurst)
This is a huge story: Samsung and SK Hynix, both massive South Korean tech conglomerates, are studying replacing U.S. chip-making machinery with Chinese equivalents in their China factories, because they’re worried the U.S. might tighten export controls in a way that’d render… https://t.co/fJaXJ6b4N4
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) August 5, 2026
China warns of crop risks as heatwave sweeps agricultural regions Business Times
China launches global tax hunt going back decades Financial Times
Exclusive: China’s newest Antarctic station achieves green energy breakthrough as 50% power supplied by renewables during polar night: station director Global Times
Japan
If Anyone Needs an Intervention, It’s the BOJ John Authers, Bloomberg. Very good.
Yen intervention will not change fundamentals Disciplined Systematic Global Macro Views
‘Security for the future’: Inside Japan’s multi-trillion-yen push to strengthen its defence industry Straits Times
Africa
How white farmers still dominate land ownership in South Africa in spite of land reform – new research The Conversation
O Canada
Trump says he’s decided on a punishment for Canada over wildfire smoke blanketing the US: ‘You’ll find out’ Independent
As Climate-Fuelled Wildfires Rage, Mark Carney Cuts Emergency Response and Funds Fossil Fuels DeSmogBlog
South of the Border
US sends more intel assets to Cuba Politico
A Murder Spree Without End Daniel Larison
European Disunion
Italy plays down Schengen retaliation against Spain at EU crisis meeting Euractiv
Spain: positive development thanks to successful economic policy Sozialismus via machine translation (Micael T)
Republic’s new €53m government jet bought without Israeli-made landing system required for fog Irish Times (PlutoniumKun)
There are many low-talented people here Aftonbladet via machine translation. Micael T: “It hurts reading this. From the most equal society in the world before Olof Palme was killed by the CIA to this.”
Old Blighty
Europe’s Lure for Labour American Conservative (resilc)
Israel v. The Resistance
Emigration From Israel Remained at a Record High in 2025, Study Finds Haaretz (resilc)
The collapse of national sovereignty in the Middle East Responsible Statecraft (resilc)
Iran War
Tehran and Trump have Trapped us in a Forever War based on Fabulism Juan Cole
The Pentagon Found a New Way to Undercount U.S. Casualties in Iran Intercept
Ukrainian Long Range Missile Producer Threatens Flamingo Cruise Missile Strike on Iran Military Watch. The second paragraph makes clear this is vaporware.
Trump’s West Asia Off-Ramp Karen Kwaitkowski (Ben Panga)
New Not-So-Cold War
Russian ballistic missile attack on Kyiv.
At least 20 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles, 5 Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, and 2 Kn-23 ballistic missiles were launched from Bryansk, Kursk, Voronezh, and Rostov Oblasts.
Every single missile impacted. Not a single Patriot… pic.twitter.com/vXUKsehk4s
— AMK Mapping 🇳🇿 (@AMK_Mapping_) August 5, 2026
Last night, Russia launched another large-scale, combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine.
Missiles launched:
~20 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles launched from OTRK installations northwest of Klintsy, Bryansk Oblast.
~8 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles launched… pic.twitter.com/TrWkc5XnhQ
— AMK Mapping 🇳🇿 (@AMK_Mapping_) August 5, 2026
NASA FIRMS data shows a large fire at Novus or Nova Poshta terminal 114 in southwestern Kyiv after overnight Russian Iskander-M/Zircon strikes. Novus was hit in November too, signaling a logistics campaign. #Kyiv pic.twitter.com/wtOm5R7N3B
— WW3 Watchtower (@WW3Watchtower) August 5, 2026
Black Sea now the ‘most dangerous commercial shipping environment in the world’ Lloyd’s List. Per Alexander Mercouris, Russia has sunk or severely damaged 80 ships near Odessa alone, which is way more than the number of Iran hits in the Strait of Hormuz.
The West is Winning the Information War While Russia Prevails on the Battlefield Larry Johnson
It’s Premature For Russia’s Supporters To Celebrate The Coalition Of The Willing’s “Slow Death” Andrew Korybko
Those willing to die for the Baltics are being sought throughout Europe Vzglayd via machine translation (Micael T)
Ukraine’s calculus of death: Patriot missile and KIA numbers don’t add up BNE
>Decoding Nord Stream II Events in Ukraine
Big Brother is Watching You Watch
How rogue officers turned a nationwide camera network into a tool for stalking Washington Post
Apple Launches Legal Challenge Against UK Demand To Access Encrypted User Data Guardian (resilc)
The SEC Bought Airline Data to Monitor Flights Worldwide 404 Media
Imperial Collapse Watch
Iran Will Recover, But Trump’s Damage To US Diplomacy Could Last A Generation. Brian McGlinchey. resilc cites: “We’ve convinced the entire world that we don’t know what we’re doing and can’t be trusted”
Fuel, Terror, Rare Earths, and Frameworks of Insecurity Olivier Boyd-Barrett
The American Believability Crisis American Conservative (resilc)
Trump 2.0
This Is What Military-Coup Preparation Looks Like WA Lawrence. She is not a hair-on-fire sort.
Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts are coming back to burn America MS Now
Judiciary Committee advances stalled Blanche nomination for attorney general The Hill
But: Collins will oppose Blanche, narrowing nominee’s path to confirmation The Hill
Let’s Talk About the Massive Parking Garage Trump Wants to Build at Dulles NOTUS (Kevin W)
Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Graham Was Allegedly This Trans Sex Worker’s Client. Now, She’s Speaking Out [WATCH] Uncloseted Media. She could have saved a lot of lives if she told all while Graham was alive.
This has been making the rounds, but in case you missed it: Julian REACTS to the Lindsey Graham HOT MIC Phone Call with Bibi YouTube (Li)
Police State Watch
It Appears That the US Military Accidentally Killed Everybody on Board a Civilian Medevac Flight in New Mexico< Futurism (Paul R, Robin K)
A veteran was detained by the National Guard in her front yard. Now she’s suing NPR (Kevin W)
National Guard deployment to Washington, DC will cost US roughly $1.4bn Aljazeera (resilc)
AI
The AI Demand Bubble Ed Zitron
The AI Boom Is Yet Another High-Tech Hog Cycle Real Clear Markets
AI Data Center Construction Spending Goes Exponential (But in Business, Exponential Curves Can’t Last) Wolf Richter
What Are Companies Getting for All That A.I. Spending? New York Times
An AI-supervised remote exam went so badly that 58,000 students must retake it ars technica
Frontlines of the Future: AI Data Centers Move in Next Door Cedar Rapids Gazette (Robin K)
The Bezzle
Big Tech’s Hidden Debt Problem YouTube (resilc)
New York sues Kalshi as “illegal gambling operation” BoingBoing (resilc)
How SpaceX crashed to earth Caleb Ecarna
Guillotine Watch
The Oligarchs are Doubling Down on Republicans Paul Krugman
The House of Ellison is on the Brink Mike Brock
Class Warfare
On the ownership of assets Chris Dillow. FIFA and the exercise of economic power.
Part I: Technocrats Called for Dictatorship and Technocracy In 1932 Chris Wood (Micael T)
Monetary Policy and Capitalism Monthly Review (Anthony L)
Antidote du jour (via):
And a bonus:
Bunny said no phone.. 😂 pic.twitter.com/bvdGoOJxa6
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) July 18, 2026
A second bonus:
A hiker unexpectedly comes across one of the UK’s rarest animals pic.twitter.com/kdUveAQ1Kk
— Antidepressant Content (@depressionlesss) July 25, 2026
And a third:
Moments when a cat mimics a dog just to grab its owner’s attention. 😄 pic.twitter.com/mTfSUTxaXQ
— The Figen (@TheFigen_) July 27, 2026
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
