How Algospeak Changed the Way We Talk to Each Other Online
The overuse of algospeak turns users into guardians of a platform’s brand safety rules at their own expense.
Does AI Get the Kiki Bouba Effect?
There are some things AI excels at, like scratching highly specific, nerdy language itches.
The Harry Potter Fanfic Behind Silicon Valley’s Weirdest Philosophical Movement
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality is to fanfiction what Huel is to eating.
Cute Winter Boots: Explaining TikTok’s Latest Viral Trend
TikTok’s latest viral buzzword leans into young netizens’ fears that even their favourite social platforms can’t be trusted..
What’s in A Character’s Name? A Lot, As It Turns out
A nerdy case study on how tighter editing and research would have benefitted the characters in So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison.
Why Are the Rich Obsessed with Stewardship?
Here's what stewardship isn’t: having the kind of wealth human brains weren’t built to understand and using it to buy land so you can cosplay as a farmer.
Lessons from Google Trends about the American Psyche
I believe Google Trends can tell us a lot about a country’s mental state. And the data from the US shows a nation grappling with serious issues.
Sad Girl Lit Crit Is Just Another Way to Dunk on Women
It’s one thing to be tired of the sad girl novel; entirely another to lambast its authors. Especially when that criticism is inspired by one of the most vitriolic, misogynistic essays ever published by a woman writer.