Jason Kottke shares a link to a New York Times article highlighting 20 first-time occurrences in 2023, including milestones in science and discoveries about the presence of microplastics in the environment.

via kottke.org

Tyler Cowen explores two hypotheses for the rising quality of recorded classical music: technology raising global standards and the increasing sophistication of music pedagogy. via marginalrevolution.

Tyler Cowen responds to a reader wondering if a long-lived restaurant is a mark of quality, suggesting it points more toward consistency than excellence.

via Marginal REVOLUTION.