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• Hacker News1They Thought They Were Free (1955)A German philologist describes how the Nazi regime gradually separated government from people through continuous crises and bureaucratic demands that consumed citizens' energy and prevented critical thinking. Each small step toward authoritarianism seemed insignificant, well-explained, or patriotic, making the overall transformation imperceptible until it was too late to resist.Book content and interpretation:Readers found the book genuinely interesting but noted problematic aspects like questionable passages about "national character" that are often quoted out of context. The book offers no simple answers about how ordinary people become complicit in authoritarianism.Historical parallels to current events:Commenters drew connections between the book's themes and contemporary politics, particularly in the US, with discussions about executive orders, authoritarianism, and whether current events mirror historical patterns of democratic decline.The ordinariness of perpetrators:A key insight emerged that the Germans described in the book were "just like us" - ordinary people rather than uniquely evil individuals, challenging romanticized notions that such events could never happen again.
• Reddit science1Using scented products indoors changes the chemistry of the air, producing as much air pollution as car exhaust does outside, according to a new study. Researchers say that breathing in these nanosized particles could have serious health implications.Using scented products indoors, such as flame-free candles and wax melts, can create significant indoor air pollution comparable to car exhaust. Research by Purdue University found these products release nanosized particles that can penetrate deep into lungs and potentially enter the bloodstream, posing serious respiratory health risks.Misleading title scope:Discussion about how study only focused on wax melts but title suggests all scented products, with debate about whether findings could logically extend to other scented itemsHealth concerns from chemist:A chemist's perspective against using scented products leads to sharing of personal health impact stories, from COPD to cancer cases, and debate about necessity of artificial scentsAir purification solutions:Discussion of HEPA filters and other air purification methods as solutions, with debate about effectiveness against different types of pollutants like VOCs and nanoparticles
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