Interesting Links for 11-06-2024

[andrewducker]

1. 4,000 years ago a mutation in horses made them easier to ride. Within 300 years we had spread them everywhere.

(tags:horses europe prehistory genetics )

2. No physics? No problem. AI weather forecasting is already making huge strides.

(tags:weather ai )

3. China Miéville Writes a Secret Novel With the Internet's Boyfriend (It's Keanu Reeves)

(tags:KeanuReeves ChinaMieville writing )

4. How Norway's calm, cushy prisons put Britain's model to shame

(tags:prison norway )

5. The Conservatives have overseen a 400% increase in sexual orientation hate crimes and a 1,400% increase in transphobic ones

(tags:bigotry UK crime LGBT )

6. Here's a frankly great political manifesto

(tags:politics UK libdem )

7. A possible direct exposure of the Earth to the cold dense interstellar medium 2-3 Myr ago

(tags:sun solarsystem space )

8. I am currently earwormed by the song my children brushed their teeth to this morning. I would like to not be.

(tags:music teeth video )

9. UN Security Council votes in favour of Gaza ceasefire resolution

(tags:UnitedNations gaza palestine israel )

10. What's happened the previous times the Conservative Party have imploded?

(tags:Conservatives history politics uk )

11. Ed Davey says Lib Dems would fight for UK to rejoin EU single market and eventually overturn Brexit

(tags:libdem uk europe politics )

12. Before 'Fans,' There Were 'Kranks,' 'Longhairs,' and 'Lions'

(tags:fandom history )

13. Inside the Lib Dem election stunt factory: 'We had to make Ed look very silly'

(tags:libdem politics )

Comments

[calimac]

10) Well, yes, the main point is absolutely true that the Conservatives have returned after every time they've imploded. But some of the instances are off:

The only reason they returned to office in 1834 is because the king fired their Whig opponents. (Peel, their leader, was so not expecting this that he was off on vacation in Italy at the time. Pre-telegraph and pre-railroads it took 3 weeks to fetch him back, and an awkward interregnum intervened.) Despite calling an election, he was unable to obtain a majority, and within months gave up and the Whigs resumed office. That was the last time the monarch tried dismissing a government, unless you count governor-generals in Canada in 1926 and Australia in 1975.

The Conservative government in 1852 likewise was only formed because everyone else had had a try, and only lasted a few months without a majority. It didn't help that their inexperienced Chancellor, Benjamin Disraeli, had no idea what he was doing. His budget was demolished by the opposition spokesman, William Gladstone, and a 30-year feud took off.

The reason the Conservatives returned to office in 1915 (not 1916) is because the Liberal government decided it was better to pursue World War I with a national coalition. It was rather like the situation when Labour returned to office for similar reasons in 1940.

[cmcmck]

The Romans had reds,blues and greens (chariot racing fans) who caused all manner of trouble.

3. Keanu Reeves

[snippy]

I don't want him as a boyfriend, I want him as a cousin or nephew. Brother would be okay, too.