Nerd Culture Blog: Gaming, Sci-Fi & Internet Lore

Name	Category	Origin	Purpose	Storage Duration
act	Required	.facebook.com	Used to distinguish between two Facebook sessions for the same user, created at different times.	Session
c_user	Required	.facebook.com	The Facebook user ID of the currently logged-in user.	90 days
fblo_	Required	nerdspot.events	Used to log in users via Facebook.	6 months
fbm_	Required	nerdspot.events	Used to log in users via Facebook.	3 months
user-is-logged-in	Required	nerdspot.events	Saves that the user is/was logged in.	31536000 seconds
LF9x	Required	nerdspot.events	Unique ID that identifies the user's session.	14000 seconds
datr	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used to identify the web browser used to connect to Facebook regardless of the user logged in.	2 years
_fbp	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used by Facebook to display a range of advertising products, such as real-time bids from third party advertisers.	3 months
fr	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used to show and measure ads and improve the relevance of ads (including measurement of conversions). Determines the relevance of ads based on site behavior and/or current search queries.	3 months
sb	Marketing	.facebook.com	Used to show and measure ads and improve the relevance of ads (including measurement of conversions). Determines the relevance of ads based on site behavior and/or current search queries.	2 years
spin	Marketing	.facebook.com	Set by Facebook at login - exact usage unknown.	25 hours
	Marketing	nerdspot.events	Used to collect consent for tracking the user ID in Matomo. No cookie is set.
	Marketing	nerdspot.events	Used to collect consent for tracking the user email in Matomo. No cookie is set.
wd	Statistics	.facebook.com	This cookie stores the dimensions of the browser window and is used by Facebook to optimize the display of the page.	7 days
_GRECAPTCHA	Statistics	https://www.google.com	Cookie set by Google reCAPTCHA to protect the site from spam by bots.	180 days
mtm_consent	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to remember that consent was given by the user.	Unlimited
_pk_cvar.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to temporarily store data for the visit.	30 minutes
_pk_hsr.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to temporarily store data for the visit.	30 minutes
_pk_id.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to store details about the user (e.g. a unique visitor ID)	13 months
matomo_ignore	Statistics	stats.pcsg-server.de	Flags the user as ignored from tracking.	Unlimited
_pk_ref.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to store the attribution information (e.g. the referrer initially used to visit the website).	6 months
_pk_ses.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to temporarily store data for the visit.	30 minutes
MATOMO_SESSID	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Created when opt-out feature is used. Helps prevent CSRF security issues.	Temporary
_pk_testcookie.*	Statistics	nerdspot.events	Used to check whether the visitor’s browser supports cookies.	1 second
xs	Preferences	.facebook.com	This cookie contains several pieces of information about the user’s session.	3 months

Pixel art of a white model sailing ship and an open book in a retro bedroom, with a harbour departure on a CRT television.

The Grey Havens: Frodo’s Farewell on September 29

9/29/26

The white ship offers hope without promising eternal life. A closer reading of Tolkien’s ending separates the victory from the fate of its hero.

Pixel art of a girl comparing an intact and a crushed drink can on a model sorting line in a retro bedroom.

Crush a Can Day 2026: Read First, Crush Later

9/27/26

The can keeps its shape until the machine has finished reading it. Follow the sequence that separates an eligible return from a useful piece of metal.

Pixel art of a boy watching a physics sitcom on a CRT in a retro bedroom, beside a whiteboard and an atom model.

The Big Bang Theory at 19: The Science Behind the Laughs

9/24/26

A physicist checked what the characters said—and what their whiteboards meant. For the show’s 19th anniversary, discover where real science meets sitcom craft.

Pixel art of hands holding an upright smartphone in a dark retro bedroom with a glowing CRT, cassettes and a rainy window.

Android at 18: Three Dates That Built a Platform

9/23/26

The SDK, the source code and the first phone did not arrive together. Android’s staggered beginning reveals what it takes to open a platform.

Pixel-art model of a grassy hill house with a round green door, birthday gifts, a book and a gold ring in a dark retro bedroom.

Hobbit Day 2026: The Gift Bilbo Could Barely Give

9/22/26

Bilbo’s birthday is a festival of giving. The one possession he can barely surrender reveals why the party matters to the whole story.

Pixel-art typewriter, books and a red toy car in a dark retro bedroom, with a hand-shaped shadow and a school corridor on a CRT television.

Stephen King at 79: When Familiar Things Turn Against Us

9/21/26

A school, a first car, a room to recover in: King gives ordinary promises a frightening second meaning. Three novels reveal how the trap closes.

Pixel-art retro bedroom seen through a doorway, with the Serenity spaceship on a CRT television and two VHS tapes on a chest

Firefly at 24: Two Ways to Trust a Space Cowboy

9/20/26

Firefly reached US television with its second episode. Its two beginnings offer a revealing experiment in how stories earn our trust.

Pixel-art children recording a pirate radio play beside a model sailing ship and a glowing CRT in a retro bedroom

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2026: The Voice We Borrowed

9/19/26

The familiar pirate voice has a surprisingly traceable screen history. Follow its journey from a film performance to a holiday built for imitation.

Pixel-art teenager reading an e-reader on a window seat in a dark retro bedroom, surrounded by books and old computers

Read an Ebook Day 2026: A Book That Fits Its Reader

9/18/26

A bigger font can move every page break without changing a single sentence. Discover the design decision that makes an e-book adapt to you.

Welcome to the rabbit hole.