The Gyermekvasút (Children’s Railway) is a 7-mile-long rail line in Budapest that’s operated by children aged 10-14 (aside from the train’s driver). Children’s Railway, Budapest is one of Budapest’s most unique attractions. Like any other railway, it has ticket offices, diesel locomotives, signals, switches and a timetable. Unlike other railways though, this one is run by children. The line stretches among the Buda hills from Széchenyihegy to Hűvösvölgy, crossing the Cogwheel Railway and serving Normafa as well as the highest point of Budapest: Jánoshegy. The project, then called the Pioneer ..read more

An Open Letter to Wyna Liu, the New York Times’ Connections Editor. “But on those days when I don’t solve it… well, let’s just say those are dark days. I don’t sleep properly anymore. I can’t eat.” ? Join the discussion on kottke.org ..read more

Kurzgesagt is back with another video about black holes; it has the innocuous-seeming title of The Easiest Way To Build a Black Hole. But the main topic of the video is the speculation that universes (like ours!) might exist within black holes. Black holes might create infinite universes while destroying time and space. Everything in existence could be black holes, all the way down. We might live inside a black hole that is inside a black hole, that is inside a black hole. But let’s start at the beginning and build a black hole out of air. This one is a bit of a brain-bender. From the show ..read more

Joss Fong and Adam Cole introduce their new YouTube channel Howtown, where they will “dig into the evidence behind commonly held facts and claims in the news”. I am excited for this one! ? Join the discussion on kottke.org ..read more

From Becca Rothfeld’s All Things Are Too Small, an amazing quote on consumer brands’ solution to mass production: “The ideal product was therefore something that a person would go on wanting even when she had it.” ? Join the discussion on kottke.org ..read more

This video about how not to get screwed buying a used car crams an astounding amount of good information into three minutes. Update: Bold claim by Robin Sloan on Twitter: The calm density of this video is way more “future of visual communication” than 99% of claimants to that title I agree. That video contained more information than a 44-minute episode of Mythbusters but the pace and energy were more relaxed. [This is a vintage post originally from May 2016.] Tags: cars · how to · Robin Sloan · timeless posts · video ..read more

Every Sample from Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys. Plus playlists and downloadable files of all the sampled songs. ? Join the discussion on kottke.org ..read more

Love this: an old mid-century TV cabinet from Zenith, retrofitted with a contemporary smart TV. ? Join the discussion on kottke.org ..read more

A Massachusetts “millionaire’s tax” (extra 4% tax on $1M+ incomes) has earned the state more than $1.8 billion in income for fiscal 2023. That’s about double the estimates and the funds will be spent on education and transportation. ? Join the discussion on kottke.org ..read more

The true story behind the kid who went 1940s viral for his week at the cinemas in San Francisco. “Richard said he had spent $20 on 16 movies, 15 comic books, six games, 150 candy bars, and a large number of hot dogs.” ? Join the discussion on kottke.org ..read more