TIL Swiss German has no standard spelling. People write phonetically based on their dialect, so texts vary widely. Speakers can often tell someone's village by their accent or word choice. [source, comments]

Quelle: srf.ch

Die Schweizer Bankkonten der syrischen Clans: Assads Tante wollte ihre Millionen abziehen https://www.watson.ch/!473383165

Der Coronaskeptiker Daniel Stricker lud in St. Gallen zu einer Veranstaltung mit Andreas Glarner. Dort zeigte sich, wie Verschwörungsgläubige den Anschluss an die Rechte suchen. https://www.woz.ch/!3DT90KQBJZ0M

As Turkish proxy forces prepare to invade northeastern Syria in order to carry out ethnic cleansing targeting the Kurdish population, it's important to understand the roots of Turkish fascism.

https://crimethinc.com/TurkishFascism

A Cool Guide to Christmas Tradition Origins
https://redd.it/1hedbm0
@coolguides

https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/12/10/1108354/we-saw-a-demo-of-the-new-ai-system-powering-andurils-vision-for-war

Yes, OpenAI is a military company now too.

Good Idea: Human values over economic growth

The image starkly contrasts the size of companies founded in the U.S. and Europe over the past 50 years. On the left, America is represented by a vast array of companies worth $10B or more, while Europe’s contribution on the right looks tiny in comparison. This seems to confirm the belief that Europe is in decline.

But this comparison misses the bigger picture. Europe's focus has not been on spawning massive corporations like the U.S. Instead, European mid-sized companies that focus on often prioritize long-term stability, craftsmanship and employee well-being over scaling fast.
The very regulations that slow down rapid tech innovation have helped create some of the world’s most liveable cities and ensure a balanced way of life. So, while Europe may not compete in sheer company size, it thrives in fostering a society that values life over the endless pursuit of growth.

The continent isn't in decline; it's simply optimizing for a different kind of success.

Good idea: Give it a try. Go vegan this January 💚

You can use this guide to give it a try. It's not that hard. A small change can have a huge impact. Navigating this journey with your loved ones can be rewarding, too.

In the guide below you can subscribe to the Veganuary campaign by email! Recipes and helpful tips will be emailed to you, including a cookbook, nutritional meal plans, and more.

https://veganuary.com/try-vegan/

And do not hesitate to ask here if you have any question about going vegan. Or give tips to newcomers 💚

🙏to our minister @nvrwalkalone

TIL that the majority of psychological research has been found to have a “WEIRD bias,” meaning that test subjects were from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies. As much as 96% of data comes from countries with only 12% of the world's population. [source, comments]