All posts tagged: Short

Why Sartre’s “The Wall” Is the Most Influential Existentialist Short Story

Why Sartre’s “The Wall” Is the Most Influential Existentialist Short Story

Published by Sam Flores

Published: Aug 1, 2026written by Simon Lea, PhD Philosophy Summary The certainty of death strips away all of life’s perceived meaning, forcing a confrontation with existential absurdity. Sartre’s story defines the absurd as the irresolvable clash between our desire for meaning and a meaningless reality. Faced with nothingness, actions like heroism and betrayal become equally meaningless to the protagonist, Pablo. The shocking, ironic ending reinforces the theme that life is governed not by purpose, but by absurd chance. Show more   The Wall (1939) is a collection of five short stories written by Jean-Paul Sartre. The title story, “The Wall,” is one of the most famous examples of Sartre’s conception of the absurd. Set during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939, it is a story told in the first person of a man called Pablo Ibbieta who was captured by the Falangists and sentenced to death. The events take place the night before his execution. It is during his confrontation with the certainty of death that Pablo experiences the absurd.   What Happens in the Title Story? Jean-Paul Sartre by unknown photographer, …

Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Short Seller Fairy Tale

Leopold Aschenbrenner’s Short Seller Fairy Tale

Published by Jenni Sidey

Submitted by QTR’s Fringe Finance Leopold Aschenbrenner’s hedge fund, stuffed like the ass of a Thanksgiving turkey with every trendy AI name you could throw a dart at, reportedly suffered one of the most spectacular drawdowns of recent memory, losing roughly 67% in July after a series of heavily leveraged bets went violently against it. According to the Wall Street Journal, the losses became severe enough to trigger margin calls, forcing the firm into emergency asset sales. Public positions were reportedly sold to Citadel to raise liquidity, and the fund even negotiated a multibillion-dollar sale of its prized Anthropic stake before apparently changing its mind the following morning. It is, in every sense of the word, the kind of month that reminds people leverage is not just a way to make returns bigger…it’s a way to make your mistakes arrive all at once. What’s remarkable isn’t that the fund blew up just weeks after everyone in the media started slobbering over Aschenbrenner as if he was some visionary for figuring out the “strategy” of buying crap …

Not just OpenAI – Anthropic says Claude’s hacking spree ‘falls short of ideal behavior’

Not just OpenAI – Anthropic says Claude’s hacking spree ‘falls short of ideal behavior’

Published by skeptic

Just_Super/ E+ via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Anthropic revealed three incidents in which Claude hacked organizations. Three different AI models went rogue during security challenges.   Anthropic identified three lessons learned. Anthropic has revealed three separate incidents in which Claude models hacked real-world targets during evaluation tests and Capture the Flag security challenges. Anthropic began conducting cybersecurity assessments last year, and typically, its sandboxes are not connected to the internet to reduce the risk of real organizations being affected. However, as Claude’s behavior demonstrates, these guardrails aren’t always sufficient to stop AI from going rogue. Also: How OpenAI’s agent escaped: Sprung by humans in a series of preventable events Claude’s hacking spree As outlined in Anthropic’s disclosure, the security incidents — three out of 41,006 AI evaluation runs — were as follows: Incident one In this one, which involved Claude Opus 4.7, a fictional target company happened to share a name with an active website domain. While Claude had trouble reaching the simulated target, it was …

Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn Play Marilyn Monroe in New Short Film

Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn Play Marilyn Monroe in New Short Film

Published by Daniella Wilson

Marilyn Monroe would’ve been 100 years old this summer, and she’s still inspiring big-screen projects. Maggie Gyllenhaal is heading to the Venice Film Festival this September where she will serve as jury president and debut a 17-minute short film called Flesh Impact starring both Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn as versions of the iconic Hollywood star. The milestone birthday is no coincidence as the project was created to honor the moment and was done “with the blessings” of Monroe estate holders Authentic Brands Group. Described in official press materials as “a love letter to one of cinema’s most enduring icons,” Flesh Impact casts Johnson as Monroe at the height of her fame while Burstyn stars as an imagined version of Monroe later in life. (Monroe was 36 when she died on Aug. 4, 1962.) Peter Sarsgaard and The Pitt star Sepideh Moafi round out the cast. The film is produced by William Green for The Cut, Michelle Ross for Superprime, Nicolette Spencer and Melissa Moore for INNOCEAN, and is presented by automotive brand Genesis. Maddi …

Are A Few Long Walks Better For You Than Many Short Ones?

Are A Few Long Walks Better For You Than Many Short Ones?

Published by Sam Flores

Sure, it’s not as intense as a sprint. But walking definitely counts as a workout – and if you ask doctors, it’s a pretty good one. Getting your steps in (7,000 a day seems to be the sweet spot) has been linked to a 47% lower risk of early death, as well as a reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, and falls, compared to 2,000 steps a day. But does how, and when, we walk matter? After all, some research suggests that “weekend warriors” (those who don’t work out much throughout the week, but hit the gym or finish a long run on their days off) see just as many benefits as those who chip away at their goals on a daily basis. Are fewer long walks better than lots of shorter walks for health? A 2025 study looked at data from 33,560 adults in the UK Biobank (a program in which people agree to make their health information available to researchers). All participants averaged 8,000 steps or fewer per …

Kingbull Discover ST 2.0 review: A surprisingly capable fat tire e-bike that stops just short of ‘premium’

Kingbull Discover ST 2.0 review: A surprisingly capable fat tire e-bike that stops just short of ‘premium’

Published by skeptic

One of the easiest ways to get my attention is to slap the word “premium” on an affordable e-bike. Sometimes it’s justified. Other times it’s… aspirational. The latter is where the Kingbull Discover ST 2.0 lands. At $1,119, this step-through fat tire e-bike promises a lot on paper: a torque sensor, hydraulic disc brakes, UL-certified battery system, Samsung cells, a 750W Bafang rear hub motor, and a claimed 60-mile range. That’s a compelling spec sheet for the price, especially compared to the sea of cadence-sensor fat tire bikes still flooding Amazon. After spending some time riding it, I’d say Kingbull got more right than wrong here. But I’d also say the “premium” label they put right in the product title oversells what is ultimately a competent, value-focused direct-to-consumer e-bike that is decent at getting the job done but doesn’t bring to the table premium features that we see on other, more up-market fat tire electric bicycles. Advertisement – scroll for more content The good news is that’s perfectly okay, since the bike still fulfills the …

Zoe Saldaña Boards Short Film ‘It’s Complicated’ as EP (Exclusive)

Zoe Saldaña Boards Short Film ‘It’s Complicated’ as EP (Exclusive)

Published by Daniella Wilson

Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldaña has boarded the narrative short It’s Complicated as an executive producer ahead of its world premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival in August. Written, produced by and starring Iman Karram, It’s Complicated follows Yara, a Palestinian-American screenwriter in Los Angeles, whose online Arabic lessons with Hana (Dina Shuhaiber), a poet and teacher living in Gaza, blossom into a profound friendship built on shared ambition, humor, and sisterhood. “When war suddenly tears them apart, Yara must confront grief, diasporic guilt, and the responsibility of using her voice to ensure Hana’s story is not forgotten,” reads a plot synopsis. The film is directed by Darine Hotait and produced by Karram, Alana Duqum, Zoe Marie Jimenez, and Matt Van Tine, with Kais Karram and Zane Karram of Malibu Mutt Studios among the producing team. Eli Zavala of Splinter Pictures also serves as an executive producer. “Iman has made a deeply personal film about identity, grief, sisterhood, and the responsibility artists feel to carry the stories of their communities forward,” said Saldaña, who won an …

Board short summer: why everyone suddenly wants to look like a surfer | Fashion

Board short summer: why everyone suddenly wants to look like a surfer | Fashion

Published by Sam Flores

Summer is here, and with it the annual scramble to decide what kind of season we’re supposed to be having. What will it be? On offer in 2026 are “freaky sandal summer”, which requires you to wear weird shoes, and “euromaxxing”, which is presumably about making the most of the easyJet sale without considering the environmental impact. Maybe “poet girl summer” is for you, whereby you listen to Gracie Abrams while wearing a silk camisole. Or simply “no mascara summer”, which I won’t spell out but sounds quite appealing. The most plausible contender is “board short summer”, a phrase coined by Marie Claire, which broadly involves dressing like you surf even if you’ve never set foot on a board. Miu Miu’s board shorts. Marie Claire’s declaration came after a Miu Miu show that featured satin board shorts. There have also been sparkly board shorts at Dries Van Noten and a flurry of flip-flops on the catwalks at Chloé, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta. On the high street, the bestselling shorts this summer, according to Uniqlo, are …

Trump Endorses Graham’s Sister For Full Term, Shattering Expectations Of Short Stay

Trump Endorses Graham’s Sister For Full Term, Shattering Expectations Of Short Stay

Published by Jenni Sidey

Following the sudden July 11 death of Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster triggered eye-rolling across America when he appointed Graham’s sister Darline Nordone to take over the seat. At the time, the appointment of the unqualified sibling was widely understood as a mere interim honor, with Nordone serving as a placeholder pending the outcome of a special primary election to choose a Republican candidate for November’s previously-scheduled election for the seat. Now, President Trump has asked Nordone to run in that primary race and pursue the full 6-year term that will start in January.  “During her visit, I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary on Tuesday, August 11, 2026,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I hope Darline does this, in that there would be nobody better to honor the legacy of her beloved brother, Lindsey. Darline…comes from an absolutely incredible family [and] has been a WINNER all of her life…RUN, DARLINE, RUN!”  While Nordone herself hasn’t announced that intention, there are …

The Big Bang Theory spin-off show bosses reveal why some of the episodes are so short

The Big Bang Theory spin-off show bosses reveal why some of the episodes are so short

Published by Daniella Wilson

Chuck Lorre, the creator of The Big Bang Theory spin-off Stuart Fails To Save the Universe, has revealed why some of the episodes in the show’s first season are so short. The newest expansion of The Big Bang Theory universe, which premieres on HBO Max on Thursday 23 July in the US and Friday 24 July in the UK, stars a few of the original show’s lesser characters, including comic book shop owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman). The 10 episodes in the first season are set to drop weekly but fans may notice something a little unusual: the changing episode length. Some are as short as 15 minutes, while others stretch to 25 minutes. (L-R) John Ross Bowie, Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Sussman and Brian Posehn star in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe Colin Remas Brown / HBO Max The show, which Lorre created alongside Bill Prady and Zak Penn, leans into science fiction and involves alternate realities but the shorter episodes are not due to budget constraints caused by its elaborate sets and special effects. …