Thursday, June 18, 2026
ArchiveSeven Perfect Shuffles Randomize a Deck of Cards. But How Many Sloppy Ones?
You've heard 'seven shuffles.' But that assumes you cut the deck like a Vegas dealer. A new proof tackles what happens when the rest of us fumble through it.
The 14-point US-Iran peace plan, annotated (CNN)
The actual ceasefire text is under 800 words. CNN walks through all 14 points, flagging what's binding, what's vague, and what could fall apart first.
If AI Is Sentient Then So Is ‘Age of Empires II’
A new paper applies popular AI sentience tests to a 1999 strategy game — and it passes. The best reductio ad absurdum of the AI consciousness debate so far.
The Shingles Vaccine Reduces Dementia
Three new studies confirm it: the shingles vaccine meaningfully cuts dementia risk. The implication — that a common virus may cause some dementia — is staggering.
Ada Palmer – Machiavelli is the most misunderstood thinker of all time
He dedicated his masterwork to the man who tortured him. Ada Palmer reconstructs who Machiavelli actually was, and it's nothing like the caricature.