Scientists spot the most luminous object ever detected in the known universe, with a brightness equivalent to 500 trillion suns. / BBC News
Yulia Navalnaya, Alexei Navalny's widow, urges the world not to recognize Russia's election, scheduled for March. / Reuters
Related: Britain and France have 500 nuclear warheads between them. Russia has nearly 6,000. / The Economist
Unrelated: President Biden's former Cadillac sedan is up for auction. / cars & bids
Farming accounts for about 10 percent of climate pollution in both Europe and the United States. / Grist
Research finds that green technologies are beginning to spread in a self-reinforcing manner. / Noema Magazine
A vast reforestation of the eastern US has helped stall the effects of global warming. / The Guardian
See also: “The hottest trend in US cities? Changing zoning rules to allow more housing.” / NPR
Quentin Tarantino opens a coffee shop in Los Angeles dedicated to Pam Grier. / Eater
A new tour offers “an in-depth exploration” of Tokyo's public toilets, or, “the crossroads of public hygiene and architecture.” / Spoon & Tamago
An assessment of cuteness in contemporary art. Also, an assessment of why people esteem hotel merchandise. / Artsy, The New York Times [+]
Thom Browne would like to see more men in mini dresses. Ideally, they won't be “starvemaxxing” to achieve the look? / GQ, Business Insider
The best thing we read over the weekend was Becca Rothfeld on David Cronenberg and transformative sex. / The New Yorker
“It takes away the pain of being dead.” In defense of eating brains. / Gastro Obscura