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damninteresting_link_feed

https://e360.yale.edu/features/iran-water-drought-dams-qanats?utm_source=DamnInteresting

After Ruining a Treasured Water Resource, Iran Is Drying Up (from e360.yale.edu)

https://e360.yale.edu/features/iran-water-drought-dams-qanats?utm_source=DamnInteresting

damninteresting_link_feed

https://www.coderabbit.ai/blog/state-of-ai-vs-human-code-generation-report?utm_source=DamnInteresting

AI vs human code gen report: AI code creates 1.7x more issues (from coderabbit.ai)

https://www.coderabbit.ai/blog/state-of-ai-vs-human-code-generation-report?utm_source=DamnInteresting

damninteresting_link_feed

https://futurism.com/future-society/lab-mice-nature-rethink-life?utm_source=DamnInteresting

When You Hear What Happens When They Put Lab Mice in Nature, You Might Rethink Your Entire Life (from futurism.com)

https://futurism.com/future-society/lab-mice-nature-rethink-life?utm_source=DamnInteresting

arstechnica_feed

Posted by Nate Anderson

https://arstechnica.com/culture/2025/12/neuraldsp-models-john-mayers-entire-amp-and-effects-rig-and-it-sounds-great/

Guitarists today are spoiled for choice, and that goes doubly true for players who use computer-based amp modeling software. I’m one such player, and I don’t miss the size, weight, deafening volume, or cost of owning an amp and cabinet collection, to say nothing of all those pedals and cables. For clean to mid-gain tones alone, I already have more terrific options than I need, including NeuralDSP’s Tone King and Cory Wong and Mateus Asato, PolychromeDSP’s Lumos, and Universal Audio’s new Paradise Guitar Studio. All work slightly differently, but they can each output record-ready tones that are really, really close to the (often incredibly expensive) hardware that they model, and they each give you plenty of great-sounding presets to start from.

So do we really need one amp sim package?

NeuralDSP thinks we do, because the Finnish company just dropped a major new release yesterday called Archetype: John Mayer X. It doesn’t model Mayer’s type of gear but his actual hardware units, along with all the actual settings he uses in the studio and on stage. It even has some presets that he designed. Which is great if you want to sound like John Mayer—but what does the software offer for those of us not trying to cover Continuum?

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Comments

https://arstechnica.com/culture/2025/12/neuraldsp-models-john-mayers-entire-amp-and-effects-rig-and-it-sounds-great/

arstechnica_feed

Posted by Stephen Clark

https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/12/nasa-will-soon-find-out-if-the-perseverance-rover-can-really-persevere-on-mars/

When the Perseverance rover arrived on Mars nearly five years ago, NASA officials thought the next American lander to take aim on the red planet would be taking shape by now.

At the time, the leaders of the space agency expected this next lander could be ready for launch as soon as 2026—or more likely in 2028. Its mission would have been to retrieve Martian rock specimens collected by the Perseverance rover, then billed as the first leg of a multilaunch, multibillion-dollar Mars Sample Return campaign.

Here we are on the verge of 2026, and there’s no sample retrieval mission nearing the launch pad. In fact, no one is building such a lander at all. NASA’s strategy for a Mars Sample Return, or MSR, mission remains undecided after the projected cost of the original plan ballooned to $11 billion. If MSR happens at all, it’s now unlikely to launch until the 2030s.

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https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/12/nasa-will-soon-find-out-if-the-perseverance-rover-can-really-persevere-on-mars/

arstechnica_feed

Posted by Samuel Axon

https://arstechnica.com/shopping/2025/12/for-the-lazy-techie-these-are-ars-staffs-last-minute-holiday-gift-picks/

The holidays have snuck up on us. How is it already that time?

If you’re on top of things and have already bought all your Christmas gifts, I commend you. Not all of us are so conscientious. In fact, one of us is so behind on holiday prep that he is not only running late on buying gifts; he’s also behind on publishing the Ars staff gift guide he said he’d write. (Whoever could we be talking about?)

So for my fellow last-minute scramblers, I polled Ars writers and editors for gift ideas they know will be solid because they’ve actually used them. As such, you’ll find gift options below that Ars staffers have used enough to feel good about recommending. Further, I made sure all of these are available for delivery before Christmas as of today, at least where I live.

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https://arstechnica.com/shopping/2025/12/for-the-lazy-techie-these-are-ars-staffs-last-minute-holiday-gift-picks/

extrapenguin posting in

sid_guardian

fandommixtapeex is an 18+ multi-fandom exchange using songs as work prompts. It has a bunch of post-deadline pinch hits, one of which is 100% Guardian! (镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018) RPF, 镇魂 | Guardian (TV 2018), 镇魂 | Guardian - priest). The due date is December 28th, 2025 at 10pm EDT. To claim, go to the linked post, and comment with
* The number and/or username of the pinch hit you would like to pick up
* Your ao3 username
* An email where the mod can reach you

Fanfiction should be at least 1000 words, and wholly created for the event. Fanart should be a complete artwork on unlined paper. Podfic should be of an existing work that is at least 1000 words, or a new recording of a work written by the creator that is at least 500 words.

ysabetwordsmith posting in

birdfeeding

Today is cloudy, chilly, windy, and wet. It's drizzling now. At least all the snow and ice melted off though.

I fed the birds. Unsurprisingly I haven't seen any.

I put out water for the birds.

.

Current Mood: busy

sholio

And writing about it instead of getting ready to check out of my Airbnb as I ought to be.

( Spoilers obviously, especially for character death/survival )

greghousesgf

This is what sucks about being alone all the time. I am running low on or out of several things, including cold and flu meds and I feel too sick to go out and mess around with a lot of stupid buses to go to the stores.

Current Music: the Beatles

neatorama_feed

Posted by Miss Cellania

https://www.neatorama.com/2025/12/18/15-Surprising-Tidbits-About-iIts-a-Wonderful-Lifei/

The 1946 Frank Capra movie It's a Wonderful Life is a beloved Christmas classic today, but the film had a hard road getting there, mainly because no one liked it. It was based on a 1939 short story that no one wanted to publish. You have to wonder what that story was, because as it moved toward film, everything was changed because no one liked the details. Quite a few movie stars turned it down because they didn't like the script or the characters, even as all that was being re-written. And movie audiences didn't like It's a Wonderful Life, either, maybe because it was so long and the first 90 minutes are rather depressing. It was a financial loss, and even the owners didn't like it enough to protect the copyright.

It's a Wonderful Life became a hit after it went into the public domain in 1974. When it was shown on TV, word of mouth spread that the ending was worth it. Read some behind-the scenes stories about It's a Wonderful Life at Cracked. Not all of it is about how people disliked it.

https://www.neatorama.com/2025/12/18/15-Surprising-Tidbits-About-iIts-a-Wonderful-Lifei/

feng_shui_house

During a free shipping promo, I ordered 2 mouse pads from Shutterfly with my photos, then I thought about it and ordered an extra of one of them a few hours later, and then the next day I realized I'd missed a chance to do another one I'd been thinking of doing.

They arrived today only 2 days later than estimated, which is pretty good for free and this time of year.

They look good. Smell a bit plasticy, so I left them on the back table to air out before I put them into 'gift storage'... ok, back to other work.

Currently have the sewing room in a jumble- going to make a fake fur/plush rug to cover up a bare cement patch of floor so I pushed aside the bags and bags of sorted by length strips of fabric I'm cutting for a log cabin star quilt in order to reach the sewing machine.

Feels good to use up stuff. While looking for plush found more stuff to throw out. I'm trying to unhoard at least SOME. :^)

rebeccmeister

The last time I drove the car was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, when I went over to a friend's house at night in a neighborhood where it would have been impractical to bike (too far, too cold, too dark, no/unknown infrastructure). When I started up the car to drive home, the tire pressure light came on, accompanied by an alarming beeping sound. After getting out to look at all four tires, none of which were making any alarming hissing noises*, I slowly and carefully drove home.

I had so much going on, I didn't have the bandwidth to deal with figuring it out until this morning. Would I wind up needing to drive to a random gas station to put in more air?

Internet videos suggested that it would take a LOT of pumping with a bike tire to add more pressure. But, that's what we've got, so I figured I might as well give it a try. (also yes, double-checked with a car tire pressure gauge since those are more accurate for the relevant range)

And, yep, all four tires were unsurprisingly low.

But surprisingly enough, it didn't take very much pumping to fill them to the correct pressure, I think because they're actually fairly small!

So, minor vehicle achievement unlocked. The light turned back off again after 60 seconds of driving, and the frogs that just arrived on campus yesterday now have fresh, tasty crickets to nosh on (wanted to drive to the pet store to minimize cold shock for the crickets).

Now I just need to get the oil changed, get an updated inspection, and deal with the panel rust.

So you see, car ownership is such a convenient bargain, isn't it?

*We had a rental car tire develop a puncture when driving around Kauai two years ago, and were just relieved we made it all the way back to the rental place before the situation got dire!

kareila posting in

kareila_books

I've had this on my TBR pile since purchasing the graphic novel at Powell's ten years ago, but that copy is still gathering dust on my shelf. Instead I listened to the audiobook adaptation today while working through some ill-considered seasonal gift knitting. It's sweet and poignant, with more emotional depth than I expected from the premise.

shipperslist

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has marked as possibly inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18. )

ao3_conclaveharris_feed

Posted by Anonymous

https://archiveofourown.org/works/75982931

by Anonymous

After the Conclave, two seemingly opposite Cardinals spend a night of passion together. Unanticipated consequences arise.

It could also be titled, "Author's barely disguised fetishes."

Words: 1552, Chapters: 1/5, Language: English

Fandoms: Conclave (2024), Conclave - Robert Harris
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: M/M
Characters: Giulio Sabbadin (Conclave), Goffredo Tedesco (Conclave)
Relationships: Giulio Sabbadin/Goffredo Tedesco (Conclave)
Additional Tags: Other Additional Tags to Be Added, One Night Stands, Trans Giulio Sabbadin (Conclave), Hate Sex, Author doesn't know how to feel about this one, OOC Tedesco, Kinda, Breeding Kink, implied - Freeform

https://archiveofourown.org/works/75982931

ao3_conclaveharris_feed

Posted by titC

https://archiveofourown.org/works/75982201

by titC

The New Year comes cold and crisp, and Vincent can feel it in his bones. Snow in Rome is a rare, special event, and it’s a fitting one today, blanketing everything in white.

Words: 1256, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 8 of Vatican Seasons

Fandoms: Conclave (2024), Conclave - Robert Harris
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Categories: M/M
Characters: Vincent Benítez (Conclave)
Relationships: Vincent Benítez/Thomas Lawrence (Conclave)
Additional Tags: Old man yaoi, Grieving, Mourning, Candles, Growing Old, Reunion, endings and beginnings

https://archiveofourown.org/works/75982201

phys_social_feed

https://phys.org/news/2025-12-conversations-generations.html

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are investigating the conversations that happen between grandparents and grandchildren in the St. Louis area.

https://phys.org/news/2025-12-conversations-generations.html