I’m always wowed by this Sagan prediction

The West, or perhaps only the Anglosphere, is the historically unique idea that individuals exist not for the sake of their ruler, their class, their society, their ancestors, their gods, or any other such superstition, but for their own sake.

On January 8, 1888, 19-year-old Kate Kampen gave birth to her son, Henry Royal Kampen, alone in a freezing sod cabin on the Dakota prairie. Her husband, Wilhelm, had left the previous day to travel 23 miles to Parker for coal and food, unaware that their baby would arrive while he was gone. With their supplies nearly exhausted, the coal bin empty, and no doctor or midwife nearby, Kate faced an unimaginable situation. She wrapped her newborn in every scrap of cloth she could find, climbed into bed, and held him against her bare skin, using her own body heat to keep him alive. She had no way of knowing that an even greater danger was approaching. On January 12, the devastating Children’s Blizzard swept across the Great Plains, bringing ferocious winds, blinding snow, and temperatures plunging far below zero. Hundreds of people were caught in the storm, and 235 lives were lost. Wilhelm was stranded in the open prairie when the blizzard struck. After his horses collapsed, he stumbled toward shelter and eventually crawled into a barn, where he survived for three days by huddling among pigs for warmth. Meanwhile, Kate remained in the cabin, holding Henry close through the freezing nights, with no fire, no help, and no certainty that her husband would ever return. For days, her own warmth and determination became her newborn’s only protection against the deadly cold. When the storm finally passed, Wilhelm made his way home, frostbitten and barely able to stand, but alive. He built a fire, and the cabin slowly warmed again. Kate and Henry had survived against extraordinary odds. The couple went on to raise seven children, build a life on the prairie, and Kate lived into her nineties. Her story is a powerful reminder that courage does not always announce itself with grand gestures. Sometimes, it is a frightened young mother lying in the darkness, refusing to let go of her child. The world may never know the names of countless ordinary heroes, but their extraordinary acts of love and survival deserve to be remembered.

🛡️Defend the West Conference🛡️ WHEN: 1/13/2027 WHERE: Online Over 300 people have registered so far. Speakers include: @DavidM_Friedman @sapinker @SRCHicks @yaronbrook @alananewhouse @johanknorberg @DeirdreMcClosk @michaelshermer @ToKTeacher @jasoncrawford Nadine Strossen Save your spot (link below)

A senior at Harvard observes “a narrative emerging among young people that more than just consent is required to make a sex act ethical.” “In the Cornell Daily Sun, a student says fraternities function as ‘a market, where women are seen as commodities.’” “A Dartmouth contributor lambasts frat culture where brothers ‘humiliate and degrade’ and that teaches ‘men to treat women and each other like subhuman objects.’” “The emerging picture is of a sexual ethic that cannot be satisfied simply by one liberal-autonomous agent assenting to the action of another. The new ethic requires upholding the dignity and respect of the human being involved. Respecting women is incompatible with drug-fueled orgies where the ‘shop’ is ‘open,’ regardless of how consensual said orgy may or may not be.”

We announced an agreement to acquire a nationwide low-band spectrum license portfolio that will pave the way for @Starlink to become a major mobile carrier in the US. With this new spectrum and our Gen2 constellation, Starlink Mobile can ensure Americans have access to high-speed mobile broadband no matter where they are → spacex.com/updates#starlink-…

Oct 7 was clarifying for me. As @DouglasKMurray said it was like a flare went up and you could see where everyone was standing.

Conjecture Institute Update Cofounder @DKedmey explains applied optimism and our four pillars — Conjecture Forum, Conjecture University, Conjecture Press, and Conjecture Studios — and shares our plans for 2027. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: Applied Optimism 00:47 Thank you to Zcash 01:17 The four pillars of Conjecture Institute 01:54 Conjecture Forum and conferences 02:34 Conjecture University and courses 04:22 Research, Fellows, and Spotlight Articles 05:56 Conjecture Press and Studios 06:59 Plans for 2027 07:20 Vision for a modern Institute for Advanced Studies 07:49 Thanks to the donors and team 08:23 The West can win

People who have seen The Odyssey on film, how does it rank compared to the book and the minivan?

All of us in the free world benefit from Israelis' bravery and resolve in the fight against jihadism. We should be grateful, inspired and forthright in our support.

when i was a teen i was a little emo, and i think it was because i felt like i didnt control anything important about my life. looking back with knowledge now, there were a nearly infinite number of higher agency paths i could have taken. my life was always more free than i knew

A passenger on the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight recounts: “We are currently in Saudi Arabia. One of the crew members attacked the pilot with a knife and disabled the aircraft’s systems. Yaniv (pictured?) and another passenger stormed the cockpit and subdued the attacker. Luckily, there were two more pilots on board. They were the ones who managed to land the plane.” Well, yes. Overall, the probability that a plane full of Israelis will contain a trained assault team, two additional pilots, and, statistically, at least one cardiac surgeon, psychologist, lawyer, and diamond dealer is substantially higher than 50%.

💔 “Why should my child be the one that’s rescued?” 💔 Why should I love my child more than I love every stranger’s child? Why should I try to do the best I can for my children even though there are parents who want to but can’t—and parents like NHJ who can but don’t want to?