Covid is the only virus that has an adequate availability of tests—other infectious diseases remain dangerously lacking in diagnostics. / Financial Times
In the first year after the end of affirmative action, colleges' diversity numbers are already dwindling, and many are looking at ways to reverse the trend. / Inside Higher Ed
Anti-abortionists are using states' single-subject requirements for initiatives to keep abortion rights—which address two subjects, the fetus and the mother—off ballots. / Slate
“Like trends in fashion, the dominant style of social media oscillates between aestheticized perfection and aestheticized mess.” The desperation of the Instagram photo dump. / The New Yorker
In South Korea, sales of strollers for dogs outpace those for human babies. / The Wall Street Journal [+]
When it comes to grocery chains, Texans' fervor for San Antonio-based H-E-B is so intense that once stores move into a region, national competitors can't keep up. / Sherwood
See also: In Marathon, Texas (pop. 410), a local grocery store helped bring a community together—before disagreements and legal battles tore it apart. / Texas Monthly
In Victorian Britain, temperance advocates published “drink maps” of various cities in attempts to convince authorities there were too many places to buy alcohol. / Atlas Obscura
Americans can now drive to France—via a ferry that connects Newfoundland to Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the last French territory in North America. / Thrillist
A search for the photographer whose everyday images of occupied Paris delighted in trolling Nazis. / Le Monde
“The attempt to hide ambition with a sunset on a mountainside may be the internet's greatest trick.” Gonzales regrets how the neoclassical genre he popularized became the algorithm's favorite. / The Quietus
AI chatbots are proving remarkably effective in persuading conspiracy theorists to doubt their beliefs, by tailoring counter-arguments to the individual. / Ars Technica
See also: At least for now, the next generation of Wikipedia editors is keenly aware of the existential threat AI's errors pose for the site. / The Guardian
xAI's supercomputer caught Memphis by surprise, skirting regulations in favor of becoming operational as fast as possible—even the city council was kept in the dark. / NPR
A startup wants to create the first space-based cellular broadband network, and is launching massive, sky-obscuring satellites to do it. / Gizmodo
“Have you ever been drifting off to sleep, only to be jerked awake by the sound of a bomb going off inside your head?” On exploding head syndrome. / The Conversation
Zone out to a mountain biker doing flips on a moving train. / Instagram