Tosny Digest 57: Calumnious Comments

Oct 14, 2025

🐶 What did I do?

“The devil is an optimist if he thinks he can make people meaner.“

🗨️ Karl Kraus

A false statement maliciously made to injure another’s reputation.
Despite having no evidence, the political operative spread a vicious calumny about his opponent, hoping to destroy her reputation before the election.

Japan’s “Super Tangible” Tech Demo: Researchers at the University of Tokyo have publicised a new haptic technology called “Haptic Hook” that uses extendable rods attached to the fingertips. It can simulate the physical feeling of lifting heavy virtual objects or the resistance of pushing a button in mid-air, a significant step beyond simple vibration.
Portugal’s Scramble for Wild Boar: Following a new law banning wild boar hunting with packs of dogs, farmers in central Portugal are reporting a dramatic surge in the boar population. The animals are causing extensive damage to crops, leading to protests and demands for the government to revise the legislation.
Chile’s Atacama Desert Blooms Early: Unusual winter rains in the Atacama Desert, the driest non-polar place on Earth, have triggered a premature and sparse blooming of flowers. Scientists are studying whether this is a random weather event or a new pattern linked to larger climatic shifts affecting the Pacific.

New York, USA.
Tucked away in a small gorge in Western New York is a waterfall with a natural gas leak at its base, which allows for a small, constantly burning flame behind the curtain of water. The flame is so enduring that when it is extinguished by rain or wind, hikers often relight it, creating a mesmerising juxtaposition of the elements.

MyNoise.net: A highly customizable and generative soundscape engine. Instead of a simple looped track, it creates rich, evolving sound environments like “Japanese Garden,” “Abandoned Ship,” or “Cat Purr” by mixing dozens of individual sound layers that you can adjust to your personal preference.
Radiooooo: A fun and simple website where you click on a country and a decade (from 1900 to today) and it instantly plays music popular in that place and time. It’s a musical time machine perfect for discovering global hits you’d never otherwise hear.