'These parasites had it coming'

'Abuse of authority'

Last year GNN reported on two Louisiana high schoolers who used trigonometry to properly demonstrate Pythagoras’ Theorum, a mathematical concept that remained unsolved for more than 2,000 years. Ne’Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson made national headlines, won their school a large grant, and were invited to publish papers on their discovery after making it. On […] The post UPDATE: High Schoolers Who Found ‘Impossible’ Proof of Pythagorean Theorem Discover 9 More Solutions to it appeared first on Good News Network.

Featured Essays Best of 2024 Some of Reactor’s Best Articles About Fiction, Reading, and Writing in 2024 We’re looking back at some of our favorite non-fiction articles from the past year, highlighting book-centric essays. By Reactor | Published on December 11, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share It’s time once again to look back at some of our favorite non-fiction articles from the past year! Today, we’re highlighting many of our favorite essays about books, reading, writing, and storytelling—there will be a separate list of articles discussing TV, movies, and other media coming soon. While our end-of-year lists are focused on standalone essays and articles, we’re also incredibly proud of our lineup of regular columns, along with the amazing array of fiction recommendations and discussion provided by our many wonderful contributors. This year saw the end of our Elantris Reread and the beginning of our Wind and Truth Read-Along with Sanderson experts Paige Vest, Lyndsey Luther, and Drew McCaffery. Emmet Asher-Perrin recently wrapped up their excellent Terry Pratchett Book Club, while Alex Brown kicked off The Martha Wells Book Club. The indefatigable Keith R.A. DeCandido reached the end (for now) of his comprehensive Star Trek rewatch with the Enterprise Rewatch… and then immediately embarked on the Babylon 5 Rewatch! We’ve also been excited to launch Leah Thomas’ fun and fascinating Anime Spotlight column, and Kali Wallace’s weekly Science Fiction Film Club series, a brilliant exploration of the many different facets of sci fi moviedom! There’s so much more to come in 2025—for now we hope that you enjoy the selections below, and since these are just some of our favorite book-centric essays from the last twelve months or so—we couldn’t possibly include all the things we love—please feel free to tell us about the articles, columns, and discussions that have stuck with you this year! Iconic Books and the Future of SFF The Most Iconic Speculative Fiction Books of the 21st Century by Christina Orlando We surveyed some of our favorite writers and asked them to share their choices for the most iconic books of the 21st century (so far). Readers Pick the Most Iconic Speculative Fiction Books of the 21st Century by Christina Orlando We asked, you answered! Here are the most iconic books of the century so far—as chosen by you, the readers! On Selecting the Top Ten Genre Books of the First Quarter of the Century by Jo Walton What criteria do you use to pick a Top Ten? Where do you start, and what do you cut? It’s not easy… Eighteen Authors, Two Big Questions: What Is the Best Thing Happening in SFF Right Now, and What Do We Need More Of? by Christina Orlando What do some of the biggest names in SFF have to say about current bookish trends, or what the future might hold? Exploring Political and Social Questions Tools for Thinking About Censorship by Ada Palmer One price of free speech is eternal humility, recognizing that none of us is immune to becoming a tool of censorship if we fail to recognize its manipulative tactics. All Insurrections Are Not Created Equal: On Writing Resistance After January 6th by Micaiah Johnson On the limits of dystopian science fiction as a model for direct action. Unimaginable Wealth, Decadence, Decline: Scaling the Walled Gardens of J.G. Ballard by Ryan Berger Ballard’s fiction is filled with spoiled elites, hoarded luxuries, and class warfare, but no easy answers or predictable outcomes… Beyond the Workplace Novel: Speculative Fiction and the Horrors of Capitalism by Tobias Carroll A look at four contemporary workplace novels that dive into the world of speculative and surreal fiction How Peter Gillis’ “What If Captain America Were Not Revived Until Today?” Speaks to Readers in 2024 by Paul Morton It takes Captain America—greatest of all soldiers, man of violence, blonde-haired and blue-eyed beneath the mask—to describe so plainly the threat of American nationalism. Probing the Limits of Genre Let’s Start a Fight: Are Science Fiction and Fantasy the Same? by Kristen Patterson What are the differences that separate sci-fi and fantasy into different genres? Do they really hold up, and are they important? Defining Our Terms: What Do We Mean by “Hard SF”? by James Davis Nicoll Hard SF has never been a unified subgenre. Here are five overlapping varieties of story to which the label applies… Unlimited Flow: Beyond the Horizons of Genre by 墨客hunxi Death games, omniscient gods, and limitless possibilities: A deep dive into a sub-genre of SFF practically unknown to English readers. What Exactly Makes a Romantasy by R. Nassor Let’s look at the key aspects of this wildly popular new subgenre, and discuss some of the best romantasy books and series around… The Evolving, Living Art of Books by Abi Walton There’s something timeless about holding a novel in your hands, feeling the weight of its pages, and getting lost in its world. Personal Reflections and Storytelling Motherhood: A Fairy Tale by Roshani Chokshi Once upon a time, a couple longed for a child… The Horrors of a Starter Home by M.L. Rio Broken pipes, rodent infestations, and the many domestic horrors that can haunt a home… Many Worlds and the Queer Imaginary by Emet North Imagine three possible futures for yourself. Let your future selves be bold… How Trigun Taught Me the Importance of Storytelling and Love by Tara Sim Trigun—a space-western that promises “future gun action”—is a masterpiece in character, motivation, theme, and tragedy. Deep Dives and Literary Criticism Octavia Butler, Audre Lorde, and the Power of Pleasure by Logan Dreher In three of her stranger works, Butler asks us to interrogate the nature of pleasure, and the relationships and connections made possible through desire. How Brandon Sanderson’s Yumi and the Nightmare Painter Captures the Artist’s Need to Create and Share by Ratika Deshpande The story of two artists discovering that art doesn’t need to serve a practical purpose to be deeply meaningful. Why Compassion Is a Common Theme in Space Opera by Yume Kitasei In the cold vastness of space, we paradoxically find cozy stories of found family, empathy, and hope that reason and love will win the day. Grief Is the Thing Worth Feeling: On Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story by Sarah McCarry Bastian’s journey offers lessons on grief, despair, and how to reshape the Nothing. Wilson’s Iliad and Le Guin’s Battle Between Good and Evil, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Sword by Kristen Patterson On translating Homeric epics, Ursula Le Guin’s thoughts on fantasy war, and scrutinizing our commonly held notions about the past. Thoughts on Adaptations and Retellings The Comfort (and Discomfort) of Retellings by Wen-yi Lee There’s comfort in returning to familiar worlds—but there can be power in the discomfort of certain retellings, as well… How to Fight a Fairy Tale: Retellings in the Age of Romantasy by Jenny Hamilton The trouble with structuring a book around a fairy tale is that fairy tales make no sense—but books have to. Tolkien’s Precious Words and the Rise of Canon Gatekeeping by Curtis A. Weyant With apologies to overzealous fans, there is no One Canon to rule them all… Author Spotlights Arkady Martine in Singapore: On Sci-Fi City Planning and What Makes a “City of the Future” by Alexis Ong A discussion of futuristic cities and architecture as inspiration for science fiction. Cults, Covens, and Childhood Goddesses: A Conversation With Author Melissa Albert by Natalie Zutter How bestselling author Melissa Albert shifted from writing fairy tale noir to suburban fantasy. Myth, Fantasy, and Lives Shaped by Stories in the Work of A.S. Byatt by Jonathan Thornton The fantastical elements are always there in Byatt’s fiction, underpinning the fabric of the story and guiding the fates of her characters… Asking the Tough Questions… But Do They F*** The Dragon? An Oral History of Dragon Romance by Bree Bridges Whether you like historicals or futuristics, our world or another, sweet or spicy, cozy or dark—someone has already written the dragon romance of your dreams. Mark as Read Molly Templeton’s Mark as Read column gives readers a place to talk about all the things that connect us (and occasionally frustrate us) as lovers of books. Over the past year, the column has examined the language we use to talk about reading, asking Why Are We Talking About Books Like This?, and ruminated on Bookish Death Cleaning, the idea that you may never get to read all the books on your shelves, and why we hold on to the books we choose to keep, year after year. There’s been discussion of books that answer the question “What Happens After the World Gets Saved?” and thoughts on Coming to Terms With “Cozy” Fiction,  and what the label “cozy” really means. And in case you missed it, Molly recently shared some ideas about how to keep literature and the book community alive: It’s a Really Good Time to Get Loud About the Books You Love. You can find the full list of columns (and the conversations they’ve inspired) at the series page, here. That’s all for now, but keep an eye out for the second half of our 2024 highlights, where we’ll be talking all about old and new movies, TV series, and other pop culture favorites. In the meantime, if you’re feeling nostalgic, you can always check out our “Some of the Best…” article round-ups from previous years. Happy reading![end-mark] The post Some of Reactor’s Best Articles About Fiction, Reading, and Writing in 2024 appeared first on Reactor.

“Birthright citizenship” may sound benign, but thanks to an overreaching Supreme Court decision 126 years ago, it’s the biggest legal hole in our border. Trump has the opportunity to seal it, but it won’t be easy. When the Supreme Court handed down its United States v. Wong Kim Ark decision, illegal immigration was nothing like the crisis it is now. And the subject of that case, Wong Kim Ark, was the son of legal immigrants—permanent residents, in fact. But in the 21st century, liberal legal experts insist the court’s 1898 ruling today means any child born on American soil is automatically a citizen. Convicts fleeing across our borders? Tren de Aragua killers? Terrorists sneaking into the country? Their kids all become Americans if they’re born on our soil. It’s an outrageous, absurd situation, and Trump has vowed to stop it. He renewed that vow on “Meet the Press” Sunday. “We’re going to end that because it’s ridiculous,” he told host Kristen Welker. Birthright citizenship at present is so ridiculous it even gives children of illegal immigrants rights that naturalized citizens—and some Americans born to citizen parents—don’t have. For example, it allows them to be elected president. “No Person except a natural born Citizen” can hold that office, according to the Constitution. That excludes everyone who’s come from another country and explicitly pledged his or her loyalty to this country, and it even excludes children of American citizens who are born outside the United States or its territories. But according to the crackpot interpretation of birthright citizenship progressives have pressed into service in our day, the children of illegal aliens with no loyalty to this country—or worse, actual hostility to this country—are “natural born citizens.” If Mohamed Atta or another 9/11 hijacker had a son while in this country, that boy would have top-tier U.S. citizenship. Foreign elites routinely take advantage of this loophole to acquire all the rights, privileges, and immunities of being American for their offspring. All an official of, say, Communist China has to do is fly his pregnant wife to the United States and have her give birth here. A “birth tourism” industry caters to this scam in China and elsewhere. It shows the dangers of birthright citizenship are about more than just illegal immigration: Holders of valid tourist visas, who don’t have any intention of becoming Americans, can arrive pregnant and depart with a newly minted U.S. citizen added to the family. It’s a threat to national security and sovereignty itself. So what can Trump do about it? His advisers are crafting language for an executive order to be implemented his first day back in office. But the weakest version of such an order would only curtail birth tourism by restricting visas for travel to the states—which wouldn’t do a thing about illegal immigrants who take advantage of birthright citizenship. Trump said on the campaign trail he wants to issue an order that restricts automatic citizenship to people with at least one parent who’s already a citizen or legal permanent resident—a test Wong Kim Ark, who set the Supreme Court’s precedent, would have passed. But does that mean the justices today will uphold the president’s action? The policy’s supporters don’t take it for granted. Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, for one, tells the Wall Street Journal, “I think they’ll probably uphold the current interpretation of the 14th amendment,” yet he still wants the administration to make the effort. After all, it’s not as if the justices can hand down a ruling any more absurd than what Wong Kim Ark means now. The dissenting justices 126 years ago looked to the Civil Rights Act of 1866—passed just two months before Congress took up the 14th Amendment—to explain what the amendment meant by “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States …” (emphasis added). Pointing to the statute’s language, they argued that “subject to the jurisdiction of the United States” meant, among other things, “not subject to any foreign power.” That was how Congress viewed birthright citizenship then—and it’s a commonsense interpretation that would exclude illegal aliens and birth tourists today. Trump is trying to restore us to the understanding of citizenship held by the framers of the amendment that guaranteed equal protection for all Americans. Yet progressives say nothing less than another amendment can change the present policy, which awards citizenship even to the offspring of foreign criminals, so long as they’re born here. It’s a battle Trump must fight, all the way to the Supreme Court, and America can’t afford to lose. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Birthright Citizenship Is a Breach in the Border appeared first on The Daily Signal.

UK: When the Winds of December Turn Gnarly

Less than a year after Ingenuity's final flight, NASA has finally released what happened.

More than two meteors a minute will be visible but beware the almost full Moon!

Ever felt awkward at a party? This could come in handy.

Over at CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, AKA “The Thunderdome”, Scott Jennings delivered a dose of brutal truth to the panel discussing coverage of all manner of things related to the alleged shooter of the CEO of UnitedHealthCare. Some shooters are covered differently than others, and reasonable people may wonder whether there is a (D)ifference in how they are covered. Watch as Jennings lays bare the hypocrisy behind the selective publication and coverage of shooter manifestos: CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP 12/10/24 10:09 PM SCOTT JENNINGS: Do you think they should release this manifesto?  GERALDO RIVERA: Yeah, I don't mind… JENNINGS: Because some of the other shootings we've had in this country and other places- we still don't know anything about the person who shot at Trump.  AUDIE CORNISH: So why now? JENNINGS: We still don't know much about the person who committed that atrocity at the Christian school in Nashville. There's a lot of shootings… MADISON GESIOTTO: The Las Vegas mass shooting…we know nothing about. JENNINGS: There's a lot of things we- are hidden from us. And then this guy, Geraldo, shoots- and we know more in five minutes about him than we know about all these other people, and I wonder why that is. It is important to recall that the respective manifestos of the Buffalo and El Paso shooters were published very quickly, because they were racists. Racism, when linked to opposition to gun control, makes for a very easy narrative for the media to push.  Not so much, however, in the case of the Nashville shooting. The shooter’s trannifesto was never published through official channels, and it took a year and a half to get out. In the case of the Las Vegas shooter, much remains unknown. Likewise, how is it that we know close to nothing about the 20-year-old who almost killed President-Elect Donald Trump in Butler, PA? That story, combined with the many intelligence failures that fateful day, would’ve drawn top billing if it served a narrative agenda. But it doesn’t, so it didn’t.  Despite efforts from more reasonable individuals across the media spectrum, the CEO shooter is being lionized, sexualized, and fawned over in a manner not seen since the Boston Bomber got put on the cover of Rolling Stone.  As is often the case, Scott Jennings stands as an island of reason in a sea of madness at CNN.