Glass Wings Blog

The Glass Wings mailing list and blog is for general idle chit-chat about things we find interesting, especially humor, animation or other subjects relevant to the Glass Wings web site at glasswings.com.au. Subscribe at https://glasswings.com.au/subscribe.html

Every machine you've ever loved greeted you first. With a sound.

Wed, 20 May 2026 23:55:41 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

https://sheets.works/data-viz/power-on

"Brian Eno wrote one. Ryuichi Sakamoto wrote another. Jim Reekes slipped his
into the Mac's ROM when nobody was watching. Drag through the devices below.
Tap Power on. Hear it boot."

5 reasons Stephen Colbert is one of the most important satirists in American history

Wed, 20 May 2026 23:54:58 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-stephen-colbert-is-one-of-the-most-important-satirists-in-american-history-282564>

"Stephen Colbert’s final episode as host of “The Late Show” on May 21, 2026,
won’t mark the end of his career.

Signs of ‘feeding’ ritual at dingo burial site shed new light on bond between First Nations people and canines

Wed, 20 May 2026 23:54:07 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/19/dingo-burial-site-first-nations-people-relationship-to-animals>

"The discovery of a millennium-old dingo burial site in western New South
Wales, including evidence of a “feeding” ritual never before documented
archaeologically, has shed new light on the longstanding relationship between

Brain implants allow us to move and talk. But they could also be hacked

Wed, 20 May 2026 23:52:55 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/brain-implants-allow-us-to-move-and-talk-but-they-could-also-be-hacked-281114>

"The human brain is remarkably complex, with trillions of connections that
control how you move, think and feel.

“The Sheep Detectives” cloaks an urgent message in woolly clothing

Wed, 20 May 2026 23:52:18 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.salon.com/2026/05/17/the-sheep-detectives-cloaks-an-urgent-message-in-woolly-clothing/>

"In any coziness competition, if such contests exist, fleece is tough to beat.
It offers a fluffy kind of camouflage when you want to hide from the world’s
troubles. That should make the allure of “The Sheep Detectives” obvious at

The new Helen of Troy is Black — and that’s upsetting racists

Wed, 20 May 2026 23:50:37 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.salon.com/2026/05/16/the-new-helen-of-troy-is-black-and-thats-upsetting-racists/>

"The backlash surrounding Lupita Nyong’o’s casting as Helen of Troy — and her
sister Clytemnestra — in the upcoming epic “The Odyssey” has quickly evolved
into another online culture-war battle over race, beauty and representation in

Coal pollution is significantly reducing the output of solar panels, major study finds

Tue, 19 May 2026 23:55:07 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://reneweconomy.com.au/coal-pollution-is-significantly-reducing-the-output-of-solar-panels-leading-study-finds/>

"A new study has revealed that coal pollution is significantly reducing the
energy output of solar PV installations, particularly where they are located
side by side, in yet another of the never-ending cascade of problems with

Nature is good for business – and we now have numbers to show it

Tue, 19 May 2026 23:54:17 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/nature-is-good-for-business-and-we-now-have-numbers-to-show-it-283052>

"When rivers degrade, pests spread or drought hits crops, nature sends a bill.

Yet it’s one rarely itemised on any balance sheet, because nature’s

What is Ebola and why is WHO treating outbreak as global health emergency?

Tue, 19 May 2026 23:52:54 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/17/what-is-ebola-why-who-says-drc-uganda-outbreak-global-health-emergency>

"Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda are
trying to contain an outbreak of Ebola involving – so far – 246 suspected cases
and 88 deaths.

Foreign‑trained doctors sustain NZ’s health system – we weren’t always so welcoming

Tue, 19 May 2026 23:52:19 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

<https://theconversation.com/foreign-trained-doctors-sustain-nzs-health-system-we-werent-always-so-welcoming-282471>

"Without immigrant doctors, one expert quoted in a recent report said, New
Zealand’s health system “would be more on our knees than we already are”.