Notes for August 10, 2026

Mark Twain wrote a story in 1898 that describes the internet

In the story the device gets wired into the telephone systems of the whole world, and after that, Twain writes, the daily doings of the globe are "made visible to everybody, and audibly discussable too, by witnesses separated by any number of leagues."

TIL Mark Twain predicted doomscrolling in 1898.

'Shattered': the most torturous reality show of the 2000s

Man, the UK really took reality shows to the max in the 2000s. Shattered was a show on Channel 4 where the contestants had to make it a week with no sleep to win $100,000. I'm a wreck if I don't get eight hours every night. Living in Tweaker City, Ohio, I've seen people stay up for three days and start believing their family are aliens and the radio is giving them encoded messages on how to get back to their home world. Seven days is absolutely nuts. That said, I would totally watch this if it was on today 🤷

80s treasures we considered luxurious but weren't worth the hype - MediaFeed

Car phones, shoulder-mount video cameras, waterbeds, even the brick phone; I get it. They were dumb and short-lived. But I would kill for a pristine Members Only jacket from the 80s.

Earth had Saturn-like rings 466 million years ago, new study suggests

The researchers estimate that the ring-spawning asteroid would be about 7.7 miles (12.5 kilometers) wide if it were a "rubble pile," or slightly smaller if it were a solid body. Once it shattered after nearing Earth's vicinity, its fragments would have "jostled around" before settling into a debris ring orbiting Earth's equator, Tomkins said.

If You Sleep In The 'T. Rex Position,' We've Got Some Bad News For You

All the good things are bad for you 😞

The Outlaw Chemist Teaching People How to Make Drugs From Scratch

This is my favorite story of the day: some sketchy guy online tells you how to make LSD and DMT, for a Patreon subscription fee. I remember when my ex’s brother was trying to make acid on the stove at 3am one night. It was pink for some reason. And then his mom woke up and promptly beat the shit out of him lmao probably best to leave mind-altering chemicals up to the chemists.