[BLOG] Some Saturday links

[rfmcdonald]

• Bad Astronomy notes a push by astronomers to enlist help for giving trans-Neptunian object 2007-OR10 a name.


• Centauri Dreams reflects on M87*, the supermassive black hole at the heart of M87 recently imaged, with its implications for galactic habitability.


• Crooked Timber is right to note that Kirstjen Nielsen, architect of the cruel border policies of Trump, should not be allowed to resume a normal professional life.


• The Crux looks at the Event Horizon Telescope Project that imaged M87*.


• D-Brief notes that one-quarter of Japanese in their 20s and 30s have remained virgins, and explains why this might be the case.


• Far Outliers notes the process of the writing of U.S. Grant's acclaimed memoirs.


• Mark Graham highlights a BBC documentary, one he contributed to, asking if artificial intelligence will kill global development.


• Gizmodo explains why the image of black hole M87* does not look exactly like the fictional one from the scientifically-grounded Interstellar.


• Hornet Stories explains the joys of Hawai'i in fall.


• io9 notes that the new Deep Space Nine anniversary documentary is scheduled for a one-day theatrical release. (Will it be in Toronto?)


• JSTOR Daily makes the point that mass enfranchisement is the best way to ensure security for all.


• Language Hat looks at the kitabs, the books written in Afrikaans using its original Arabic script kept by Cape Malays.


• Language Log notes, with examples, some of the uses of the words "black" and "evil" in contemporary China.


• Lawyers, Guns and Money makes the point that having a non-octogenarian president is a good idea.


• Marginal Revolution shares the thoughts of Samir Varma on the new technologies--better computers, faster travel, artificial life--that may change the world in the near future.


• The NYR Daily explores the subversive fairy tales of 19th century Frenchman Édouard Laboulaye.


• The Planetary Society Blog notes the sad crash of the Beresheet probe on the surface of the Moon.


• Drew Rowsome engages with the body of work of out horror writer John Saul.


• Peter Rukavina maps out where Islanders will be voting, and the distances they will travel, in this month's election.


• Starts With A Bang's Ethan Siegel engages with the possibility that we might be alone. What next? (Myself, I think the idea of humanity as an elder race is fascinating.)


• Arnold Zwicky looks at the sort of humour that involves ambiguous adverbs.