A weekly collection of links to interesting things curated by Colin Wright.
The Best Book Covers of the Last Decade
In 2016, I asked 17 designers to talk about their favorite book covers of the year, and they came back with 60 individual covers. Not too shabby—but every year, the list grew, both in contributors and in total covers: we highlighted 64 covers in 2017, 75 in 2018, 101 in 2021, 139 in 2023. This feature has now exploded—in 2025, I cajoled 52 designers into participating, and they mentioned a whopping 173 different choices—but what the hell. We deserve nice things.
2025 Ocean Art Contest Winners
The Underwater Photography Guide is excited to announce the world’s best underwater photography in this year’s 14th annual Ocean Art competition. 2025 featured thousands of entries from over 90 countries around the world! From mesmerizing blackwater photography of an elusive goosefish to dramatic wide-angle scenes of sailfish and playful pinnipeds, the winning photographs highlight the beauty, fragility, and diversity of underwater ecosystems while inspiring global conservation efforts.
Tesla Is Committing Automotive Suicide
Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call made one thing painfully clear: the company is no longer interested in being an automaker.
In a single call, Tesla announced it’s killing the Model S and Model X, has no plans for new mass-market models, and is pivoting entirely to “transportation as a service.” The company that revolutionized the auto industry is walking away from it, not because it failed, but because Elon Musk got bored and found new toys.
TikTok-Like Microdramas Are Going to Make Billions This Year, Even Though They Kind of Suck
Emily is a college student by day, but she works the night shift at the strip club to pay her tuition — she doesn’t think anyone will find out her secret, until one day, her mysterious English teacher shows up! Did he recognize her? Will her secret get out? Pay 60 “tokens” to see what happens next, or you can watch an ad, or… just buy a VIP pass for $20 per week and skip the ads altogether.
These stories are pulpy and exaggerated, bursting with cringeworthy acting and writing. Yet these “microdramas” — TikTok-like shows with episodes about a minute long — are making billions of dollars a year.
99%+ of New US Capacity in 2026 Will Be Solar, Wind + Storage
EIA’s latest monthly “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through November 30, 2025), once again confirms that solar is the fastest-growing among the major sources of US electricity.
In November alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar (>1 megawatt (MW)) expanded by 33.9% compared to November 2024, while “estimated” small-scale (eg, rooftop) solar PV increased by 11.0%. Combined, they grew by 27.5% and provided 7.2% of US electrical output during the month, up from 5.9% a year ago.
Moreover, utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 34.5% while that from small-scale systems rose by 11.3% during the first 11 months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by 28.1% and produced a bit under 9.0% (utility-scale: 6.74%; small-scale: 2.13%) of total US electrical generation for January to November, up from 7.1% a year earlier.
The Amazon Rainforest and Five Reasons for Hope
Amid all the bad climate news, the Amazon rainforest - the world’s largest tropical forest - is teasing out some hope.
After record-setting temperatures, drought and wildfires in 2024, last year saw greater rainfall across Brazil and fewer trees burned.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva used the COP30 United Nations climate summit, held in November in the Amazon city of Belém, to formally recognise Indigenous territories and commit to protecting new areas of the rainforest.
More good news for the Amazon came at the summit when Colombia declared its share of the rainforest an oil-free zone.
Humans have few more precious tools to combat a fast-warming planet than the Amazon, which spans nine nations and is home to nearly 50 million people, including 2 million Indigenous people.