Hwæt! moai! and a Cool S.
26th January 2026
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Hello!
I'm still desperate not to tempt fate with the new series I'm working on, but I got the first cuts back from the edit team this week, and... well, I think they're good, and I'm hoping the audience does too when they're eventually released. But until then! In this week's Lateral, it's the return of the chaotic trio of Iszi Lawrence, Abby Cox, and Matt Gray, with questions about rhythmic rumbles, solo Soviets and nonsense navigation.
I'm still desperate not to tempt fate with the new series I'm working on, but I got the first cuts back from the edit team this week, and... well, I think they're good, and I'm hoping the audience does too when they're eventually released. But until then! In this week's Lateral, it's the return of the chaotic trio of Iszi Lawrence, Abby Cox, and Matt Gray, with questions about rhythmic rumbles, solo Soviets and nonsense navigation.
This week, readers and I found and recommended these videos on YouTube:
- Historical linguist
Graham Scheper summarises new research on the "most horribly mistranslated word in Old English", hwæt. I thought I knew what this meant. Most scholars thought they knew what this meant, but they may have been wrong... and what a convincing argument Graham makes. (Thanks to Santiago for the suggestion!)
- A fascinating one-hour deep-dive conversation between Stefan Milo and anthropologist Carl Lipo about the mind-blowing scale of moai building. This is an expert talking about their research and knowledge, prompted by good questions from a well-read
interviewer.
- Thanks to reader Charlie for sending in Zach Wally's video on recreating Disney's most convincing illusion. Charlie said it "feels pretty basic at first", and they're right. I was about to write the whole video off, and I suspect you might too... but keep watching, because there's a brilliant gag in here. (Also, I've been on that ride twice, and I had no idea the effect was even there.)
And three shorter links than usual around the rest of the web:
- Drama at the Ilkeston NatWest Hole.
- Fifteen years after a Kickstarter, Detroit finally has its statue of Robocop.
- And another web-toy from the ever-interesting Matt Round: can you draw a Cool S? (Easier on mobile than desktop.)
And finally, on TikTok: a story about nothing. (Needs sound; alternate link for desktop.)
All the best,
— Tom
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