Reading today:

• the Montgolfier brothers invented the world's first hot-air balloon.

  Since the animals [from the previous test on 1783-09-19] survived, the king allowed flights with humans. Again in collaboration with Réveillon, Étienne built a 60,000-cubic-foot (1,700 m3) balloon [...] It was about 23 m (75 feet) tall and about 15 m (50 feet) in diameter. Réveillon supplied rich decorative touches of gold figures on a deep blue background, including fleur-de-lis, signs of the zodiac, and suns with Louis XVI's face in the center interlaced with the royal monogram in the central section. Red and blue drapery and golden eagles were at the base of the balloon.

  Wikipedia

• Dominic Cummings's article on just how outmoded political decision-making methods are.

  Summary: "Critical governance decisions in the UK and elsewhere are made without even simple technologies like checklists, let alone modern computers. Data with which to make informed decisions is woefully absent."