Wednesday 12 August, 2026

Ludwig’s ghost Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge. In a nice coincidence, Frank Ramsey, the young genius who, as a teenager, first translated Wittgenstein’s Tractatus, is buried nearby. Quote of the Day ”When you become famous, being famous becomes your profession.” James Carville Musical alternative to the morning’s radio news Scott Joplin | Solace | performed by Phillip Dyson Link Not a piece I knew. Glad I found it. Long Read of the Day AI is destroying books to stop chatbots choking on their own slop Last week’s Observer column. Some months ago, online booksellers began to notice a dramatic uptick in business. Books published before 2022 were suddenly in demand. One seller interviewed by the 404 Media website went from selling maybe 20 books in a good week to suddenly selling hundreds. He was puzzled and slightly suspicious about this bonanza. The books he usually sold tended to be specialised and bought by schools and libraries. And his bulk orders in the past were inclined to…