Observed this week: big data and social networks in the Gaza war, a geek-friendly coding font, Robert Plant's latest, and a monkey selfie copyright battle.
Reading: Israel, Gaza, War & Data
Data scientist Gilad Lotan has turned his attention to the current war in Gaza, with an analysis of social media activity. His network graphs of billions of tweets, hashtags, likes and follows show how we interact within a filter bubble that amplifies and reinforces our opinions rather than exposing us to challenging alternative views. It's a fascinating, pertinent and thought-provoking read.
Typography: Input font by David Jonathan Ross
David Jonathan Ross (previously) has released a new font system for code formatting. Not only is it packed with features for easier and more beautiful coding, but you can also customise it with the features you prefer and download it free for use in your own coding and writing apps.
Audio: Robert Plant's new single, Rainbow
Robert Plant recently released a new single, Rainbow. It's a good rock track, with driving bass and mesmerising falsettoes.
Reading: Photographer's copyright battle against the monkey that took the shot
There's gotta be a joke here about monkeys and typewriters. Photographer David Slater earned his 15 minutes a couple years ago with the spectacular self-portraits a macaque shot after grabbing his camera in Indonesia. Now he's stuck in a dispute with Wikipedia over editors' insistence that the photos aren't his, because the monkey pressed the button.