Lords of Dyscrasia by S. E. Lindberg (IGNIS Publishing, July 7, 2011). Cover by S. E. Lindberg One of the most unique voices working in Sword & Sorcery today is S. E. Lindberg. I met Seth a few years back and we’ve corresponded frequently as well as running into each other here at Black Gate, where he is the Managing Editor, and at Goodreads.
You can find beauty in the oddest of places. WSL9x runs a modern Linux kernel (6.19 at time of writing) cooperatively inside the Windows 9x kernel, enabling users to take advantage of the full suite of capabilities of both operating systems at the same time, including paging, memory protection, and pre-emptive scheduling.
Despite years of apparent stagnation and reported mass layoffs, it seems the Solaris team at Oracle has found somewhat of a renewed stride recently. Both branches of Solaris – the one for paying customers (SRU) and the free one for enthusiasts (CBE) – are receiving regular updates again, and there seems to be a more concerted effort to let the outside world know, too.
I'll be hosting a Zoom call with subscribers on April 24 at 12 pm PDT / 3 pm EDT
The food industry has made big promises to reduce emissions and become more sustainable, but a review concludes that many of the pledges are not backed up by evidence
Executive Summary:
- Internal documents reveal Microsoft’s planned rollout for token-based billing for all GitHub Copilot customers starting in June.
- Copilot Business Customers will pay $19 per-user-per-month and receive $30 of pooled AI credits.
- Copilot Enterprise customers will pay $39 per-user-per-month and receive $70 of pooled AI credits.
The rise of a new generation of radiotherapies means we will soon need much greater quantities of radioactive atoms. That's why companies are scrambling to refine them from all manner of radioactive waste
A robot built by Sony AI is rapidly learning how to beat the world's very best table tennis players
Exercise has been touted as a tool for managing and treating long covid, but much of the evidence has neglected one of its most debilitating symptoms: post-exertional malaise
We got the third issue of RevERBerate, a fanzine devoted to Edgar Rice Burroughs, in January 2026. Like the previous ones, this one is again 48 pages, printed on high-quality, glossy stock, perfect-bound with color cardstock covers.
Simon Singh's exploration of mathematical proof – in particular Pierre de Fermat's last theorem – remains an absolute treasure, almost three decades after it was first published
A final-stage trial has started of an mRNA vaccine against the bird flu strain infecting many animals – and occasionally people – worldwide
Executive Summary:
- In the later afternoon of April 21 2026, Anthropic removed access to Claude Code for its $20-a-month "Pro" Plans on various pricing pages.
"It's the right thing to do"
I'll be hosting a Zoom call with paid subscribers on Friday 24 April at 12 PDT / 3 EDT
Most of Titan’s surface is oddly flat and smooth, and it may be because it is coated by as much as a metre of fluffy organic material that snowed down from the icy moon’s thick atmosphere
If you liked this piece, please subscribe to my premium newsletter. It’s $70 a year, or $7 a month, and in return you get a weekly newsletter that’s usually anywhere from 5,000 to 18,000 words, including vast, detailed analyses of NVIDIA, Anthropic and OpenAI&
Some seemingly simple sequences of multiplication and addition grow so quickly that they question the very foundations of mathematics. In doing so, they demand a whole new level of logic
Some seemingly simple sequences of multiplication and addition grow so quickly that they question the very foundations of mathematics. In doing so, they demand a whole new level of logic
The ongoing conflict around the Strait of Hormuz has become a situation in game theory known as a war of attrition. The maths behind it can help explain what's going on, says Petros Sekeris
Excalibur (141 minutes; 1981) Written by Rospo Pallenberg and John Boorman. Directed by John Boorman. Loosely based on Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory. What is it? A classic telling of the story of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the magical sword Excalibur.
Kiwi Farms is a web forum that facilitates the discussion and harassment of online figures and communities. Their targets are often subject to organized group trolling and stalking, as well as doxing and real-life harassment.
Only took me like half a year to notice that the default port for Navidrome is 4533. As in 45 and 33 rounds per minute vinyl. Now that I have seen it, I cannot help thinking ‘that's so clever!’ every time I open Navidrome.
I need to post about this because if I don’t, people will get mad. Cook will continue on as Apple CEO through the summer, with Ternus set to join Apple’s Board of Directors and take over as CEO on September 1, 2026.
Have you ever tried clicking the back button in your browser, only to realise the website you’re on somehow doesn’t allow that? Out of all the millions of annoyances on the web, Google has decided to finally address this one: they’re going to punish the search rankings of websites that use this back button hijacking.
Experiment with nanodiamonds reveals that they are less rigid than other diamonds, adding to our understanding of how they could be used in new technologies
LXQt, the desktop environment which is effectively to KDE what Xfce is to GNOME, has released version 2.4.0. Quite a few changes in this release are further refinements and fixes related to LXQt’s adoption of Wayland, but there are also a ton of small fixes, improvements, and small new features that have nothing to do with Wayland at all.
Filtering a protein that may cause sepsis out from the blood has shown promising signs for improving survival
Executive Summary:
- Internal documents reveal that Microsoft plans to temporarily suspend individual account signups to its GitHub Copilot coding product, as it transitions from requests (single interactions with Copilot) towards token-based billing.
- The documents reveal that the weekly cost of running Github Copilot has doubled since the start
An injured kea with just half a beak has used what's left as a weapon that gives him dominance over a captive colony of the birds
A traditional vaccine primes the immune system to build better defences. Researchers think we can do something similar to increase our resilience to the pressures and worries of life
Stress is linked to many of our biggest killers, but a growing body of research suggests that certain types can sharpen the mind and strengthen the body. Here’s how to find your perfect dose
I picked up the first of a new annual journal from Belanger Books, done in conjunction with the Arthur Conan Doyle Society: Steel True, Blade Straight 2022 Annual. It is subtitled “A Journal of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle-Inspired Stories, Poems, and Scholarship.” At this time, there are annuals for 2023, 2024-25, and 2025-26.
“I’m stressed” is a phrase that many of us use, but now there are ways to shed light on how stressed you actually are
Pushing against years of scepticism, an analysis suggests quantum computers may offer real advantages for running machine learning and similar algorithms in the near future
I reinstalled Elder Scrolls Online, which is a rabbit hole I jump down periodically. I usually do side, and zone, quests. But when I decide to follow some of the main storyline, I am delighted to come across John Cleese’s Sir Cadwell.
Most hospital patients don't brush their teeth regularly, but doing so could cut their risk of developing pneumonia during their stay
Most hospital patients don't brush their teeth regularly, but doing so could cut their risk of developing pneumonia during their stay
The Barbarian Swordsmen (Star, 1981). Cover by Gino D’Achille The Barbarian Swordsmen, edited by Sean Richards, Star publishers, a British press, 1981, cool cover by Gino D’Achille. A collection of Sword & Sorcery (S&S) tales that likely wouldn’t exist except for Robert E.
Rishabh in Old newspaper like blog design:
I also added another category of posts, i.e., workout, whose design is copied from Lars‑Christian's website. Thanks to Lars for the guidance.
Stumbling across this in my feed reader put a huge smile on my face! Risabh's workout log looks great, and it's so cool to have provided a little inspiration for someone else to take control of their data and share workouts on their personal website.
Another great implementation is by Zak, who created a dedicated site on a subdomain for his workouts.
Of course, I encourage both to create dedicated feeds for the workouts. That way, I can truly recreate the good parts of Strava (with none of the many drawbacks) by building a ‘workouts’ folder in my feed reader to draw inspiration when people get the work done.
Hopefully many people will join us in sharing their workouts on their own websites like this, and this is just the beginning of the workout log revolution!
After what seems like strange aeons of dreaming about it, Mark Finn, Jason Waltz, and I (Adrian Simmons) have pulled the trigger on running an in-person Sword & Sorcery writing workshop. Added bonus, we’re holding it in the heart of S&S history, Cross Plains Texas, Robert E.
The texts, ideas, and debates shaping the seminar
Electric vehicles could store renewable energy when there is excess supply and give it back to the grid when demand peaks, but car companies disagree on the best way to do that
A few years ago, I made the mistake of filling out a form to look into a business loan, one that I never ended up getting. Since then I receive no less than three texts a day offering me lines of credit ranging from $150,000 to as much as
As a follow-up to my prior posting on the Hellboy-related comics, here are the comics that have come out so far in 2026 and those I am aware are coming. All are from Dark Horse Comics under Mike Mignola‘s new imprint: Curious Objects.
Customs union is a distraction. Only full membership offers a compelling vision of Britain's future.
The most important debate happens now, within the pro-European movement.
Austin Hall was born on July 27, 1880. While working as a cowboy, Hall was asked to write a story. This led to his career as an author, writing westerns, science fiction and fantasy stories, with westerns forming the majority of his published work.
Changing your opinion can be difficult, and it’s sometimes even seen as a flaw. But research shows being open-minded has a host of benefits. Columnist David Robson finds there are a few simple ways to encourage yourself to withstand the discomfort that gets in the way of mental flexibility
Cyclic cosmology, or the big bounce, is the idea that the universe will eventually crunch back together and then go through another big bang. Columnist Leah Crane finds that, appropriately, it’s coming back
Tam Lin (Tor Books paperback reprint edition, April 1982). Cover by Thomas Canty There’s been a lot of genre fiction set at schools. Hogwarts is an obvious example, but such settings were around long before Harry Potter; Heinlein’s Space Cadet, The Uncanny X-Men, and Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea were all there first.
The title of my article on age verification in Linux and other operating systems had a “for now” added for a reason, and here we are, with two members of the US Congress introducing a bill to add age verification to operating systems.
Terminally ill people are commonly reunited with lost loved ones in their dreams and have visions of doors, stairways and light, which are said to help them accept the dying process
The Lyrid meteor shower will soon hit its peak. Here's how to spot it, including by using the New Scientist stargazing companion
Tribblix, the Illumos distribution focused on giving you a classic UNIX-style experience, doesn’t only support x86. It also has a branch for SPARC, which tends to run behind its x86 counterpart a little bit and has a few other limitations related to the fact SPARC is effectively no longer being developed.
Patients are requesting that blood transfusions come from people who they know have not been vaccinated against covid-19, which can cause dangerous delays
Patients are requesting that blood transfusions come from people who they know have not been vaccinated against covid-19, which can cause dangerous delays
Monkeys with around 300 electrodes implanted in their brain were able to steer avatars around different virtual environments
An imaginative and compelling book reveals how radio waves help us tune in to our universe – and even search for alien civilisations, says Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week
Feedback discovers that a conspiracy theory has formed that various celebrities have been replaced by clones, and sees just a few small problems with the idea
A film about the quest for “ghost elephants” is as much about not knowing and asking the right questions as about exploration, finds Davide Abbatescianni
From huge geese to flying cars, these photographs from a new exhibition at the Rijksmuseum reveal how we have been manipulating images for over a century
Forty years after the world’s biggest nuclear disaster, the safety of Chernobyl hangs in the balance – though not because of the radiation risk
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has finished the most detailed survey of the universe to date, and the resulting map will help researchers understand an apparent weakening of dark energy
A detailed analysis of the best-preserved Neanderthal infant skeleton ever found suggests that our ancient relatives grew much faster as young children
Another Haiku monthly activity report, but this time around, there’s actually a big ticket item. Haiku has been in a pretty solid and stable state for a while now, so the activity reports have been dominated by fairly small, obscure changes, but during March a major milestone was reached for the ARM64 port.
I discovered a new collection of pulp-style short stories in Honor Among Rogues by Logan D. Whitney. This small volume, 4- by 7-inches size, has six short stories set around the world from the 1890s to the 1940s in several genres: Western, aviation, action-adventure, and more.
The editor in chief of this blog was born in 2004. She uses the 1997 window manager, Enlightenment E16, daily. In this article, I describe the process of fixing a show-stopping, rare bug that dates back to 2006 in the codebase.
Modern laptops promise a kind of magic. Shut the lid or press the sleep button, toss it in a backpack, and hours, days, or weeks later, it should wake up as if nothing happened with little to no battery drain.
The Mighty Barbarians: Great Sword and Sorcery Heroes, edited by Hans Stefan Santesson (Lancer Books, 1969). Cover by Jim Steranko Hans Stefan Santesson (1914 – 1975) was born in France and lived in Sweden with his parents until 1923 when his mother immigrated to the US.
A few weeks ago, Microsoft made some concrete promises about fixing and improving Windows, and among them was removing useless “AI” integrations. Applications like Notepad, Snipping Tool, and others would see their “AI” features removed.
We might miss it once it's gone
A planet-warming El Niño climate phase is now developing, and some models predict it could turn out to be the strongest on record
The protein craze is in full swing and beef consumption is on the rise, particularly in the US, where health agencies are promoting red meat as part of an optimum diet. So, how much beef should we really be eating, and how does it impact our well-being?
The gap between genetics and archaeology leaves us with an unclear picture of where the Neanderthals originated. Columnist Michael Marshall details a surprising new hypothesis that suggests they may have come from us
How do you portray momentum in space accurately? Columnist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein takes a look at the origins of our understanding of motion, which runs from Isaac Newton back to the Zhou dynasty a millennia ago
A win for Hungary, Ukraine, Europe and small-d democrats everywhere
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L-ergothioneine, an antioxidant found in certain mushrooms, is thought to neutralise damaging molecules in uterine cells that may contribute to period pain
Antibodies mistakenly attacking the brain are linked with conditions including schizophrenia, dementia and OCD, prompting a revolution in how we think about mental health conditions
The day when a quantum computer manages to break common encryption, or Q-Day, is fast approaching, and the world is not close to being ready
A study of more than 10 million siblings suggests that firstborns are more likely to be autistic and have allergies, while conditions like migraine and shingles tend to affect their younger sibling
Goodafterevenmorn, Readers! I had an interaction online that took me aback a little bit, and I really need to talk about it. I realise that I’m largely preaching to the choir here, but I am feeling a little like I need a sympathetic ear, so apologies.
Removing CO2 from the atmosphere by capturing the carbon from burning biomass is supposed to save the planet, but it looks like the flagship project will never happen
Removing CO2 from the atmosphere by capturing the carbon from burning biomass is supposed to save the planet, but it looks like the flagship project will never happen
Some gut bacteria recycle discarded sex hormones, like oestrogens, back into the body. The level of these bacteria seems to be higher in industrialised societies, which could have big implications for our health
