A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Surprise! Welcome to an earlier than expected Volume 151 of Dovi’s Digest.
As Pesach/Passover starts this evening, I won’t be able to publish at the normal time. So, you’re getting your fix two whole days earlier than expected. Lucky you!
After any sports match, one can turn to twitter and find dissenting opinions from all sides. Players are marked as villains if they play badly or are lauded as heroes and saviours if they play well. Fans’ memories tend to be short, and heroes become villains, villains become saviours many times in a season, and sometimes even within the same week.
The only person on the field who is pretty much never singled out for praise is the match referee. No matter what, one set of fans will be baying for his blood by the final whistle. It’s easy to criticise a decision when we see it in slow motion from multiple angles, but to make it in a split second from distance is slightly more challenging. This criticism has only become more pronounced with the introduction of technology. On the one hand, the tech makes it easier to spot a clear and obvious error. On the other however, 50/50 calls will sometimes go the wrong way, with goals ruled out because of millimetres. Referees have to put up with abuse from fans, pundits, and players, which begs the question, why do they do what they do? Find out in this week’s headline article.
Seeing as April fools’ day was last Saturday, your added extra this week is this list of articles about the greatest pranks of all time. You can also visit the Instagram page of a man who makes some of the most beautiful and intricate origami you’ve ever seen.
The Dovi’s Digest Facebook and Twitter pages will keep you sated between editions, with all new content. Check it out at the links below:
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There were ZERO correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. Well done to no one! I’ll leave it up for another week as this edition came early. This week’s puzzle is below.
If you’re not interested in sport, there’s plenty more to read. Find out about soviet Passover Seders which used the breaking of the matzah to symbolise the breaking away of the means of production, some pictures of libraries that’ll make you feel warm and cosy, an explanation for why ASMR (which stands for autonomous sensory meridian response; a term used to describe a tingling, static-like, or goosebumps sensation in response to specific triggering audio or visual stimuli) makes us feel like that, learn how to handle very old books (and why you shouldn’t use gloves), read about Alice in Wonderland syndrome (which makes you feel bigger or smaller), and what wellness means when you’re faced with a life changing, incurable condition.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great week,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
The Impossible Job: Inside the World of Premier League Referees
Players, pundits, and fans complain bitterly that referees are getting worse each season – but is that fair?
The Soviet ‘Red Passovers’ Where Jews Gave Thanks for Communism
Instead of celebrating freedom from Egypt, people celebrated liberation from capitalism.
Beautiful Libraries Around the World Every Booklover Should Visit
From Baroque, bat-filled halls to modern meeting places, these picturesque spaces are a bibliophile's dream.
What Does ASMR Do to Your Brain? Watch These Videos and Find Out.
ASMR videos, which can leave people feeling tingly and blissful, are surging in popularity. Here’s a look at the science behind the experience.
For Rare Book Librarians, It’s Gloves Off. Seriously.
When handling rare books, experts say that bare, just-cleaned hands are best. Why won’t the public believe them?
The Mystery of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
A surprising number of people experience symptoms of this curious condition, which is named after Lewis Carroll's heroine, who changed size after eating and drinking.
What Does Wellness Mean When You're Living with an Incurable Disease?
I've written about health and nutrition for years. But when I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, staying healthy took on a new meaning.
Quote of the Week:
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost
Facts of the Week:
The software in new cars can contain up to 100 million lines of code.
The mysterious green code that begins all the Matrix movies is in fact recipes for sushi.
Matrix is Latin for woo.
Japan's oldest porn movie actress retired at the age of 80.
The skull of the “world’s oldest Dutchwoman” has been carbon dated at 13,000 years old.
5000 years ago, the most popular tattoo was a sheep.
Mentioning The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on your dating profile increases your replies by one-third.
George V had a dragon tattoo.
It's illegal in Indiana to tattoo your eyeballs.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
I’ll give you five words and five definitions. Each word can be anagrammed into a two-word phrase that matches one of the definitions. Then, you have to assign each definition to its corresponding word.
Example: Given the word “cobalt,” you could rearrange it to “cat lob” and match the definition “to hit a feline in a high arc.”
Words
Chameleon, medium, physical, president, tungsten
Definitions
a boat constructed of thick mud-like soil
a cozy canvas shelter
a device for trapping tarantulas
a not-too-bright bird
a tidy house
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
Name a branch of scientific study. Drop the last letter. Then rearrange the remaining letters to name two subjects of that study. What branch of science is it?
Answer:
Not yet you don’t