Tolkien: Middle-earth Stories & Guides

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

Earthworm Day

Today, yes exactly today, we celebrate the day of the earthworm. For those of you who haven't been out in the wild for a while: These are small, slimy worms that burrow through the ground.

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Pixel-art illustration for “Sea-Monkeys Day”

Sea-Monkey Day

The little crawlers (or better said: swimmers) are definitely more exciting than it might seem at first sight!

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World Penguin Day

Let's face it: the penguin is one of the coolest animals ever. It is therefore not surprising that a complete day was dedicated to him on April 25th.

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Pixel-art illustration for “World Bee Day”

Nowadays, people are far less skeptical about bees than they were a few years ago. Many have realized how important these animals - which, by the way, actually only sting when they are attacked - are for the environment.

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Pixel-art 1990s bedroom with a teenager photographing a hanging banana bunch whose fruits curve upward

Banana Lovers Day 2026: Why Bananas Are Curved

Bananas do not begin life pointing upward. Follow a hanging flower cluster as each fruit turns against gravity—and discover why the familiar curve is not universal.

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A glass prism casts a spectrum across coloured threads beside a CRT showing an eye in a pixel-art bedroom

John Dalton at 260: The Colour Mystery He Left Behind

A flower, a candle and a disagreement about colour led Dalton to investigate his own vision. His explanation failed, but the evidence survived.

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Salami slices and a microscope on a round table in a pixel-art bedroom, with bacteria illustrated on a CRT

Salami Day 2026: The Microbial World Inside a Slice

A slice of salami carries the results of a microbial community at work. For September 7, follow the science from acid production to bacterial competition.

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Pixel art of a sleepy teenager sitting on the edge of a bed in a retro bedroom, with an analog alarm clock in the foreground and blue dawn light at the window.

Morning Grouch Day 2026: The Brain’s Slow Start

An alarm can end your sleep without ending the struggle to get going. Three different questions help explain what a difficult morning actually means.

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