A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Hello everybody! Welcome to (a one day early) Volume 158 of Dovi’s Digest.
I remember the very first time I was stung by a bee quite well. I was about five and was in a bakery. Seeing as most of their products were pastries, there were a ton of bees. There was pain, tears, and a free coke to soothe the swelling. Since then, I’ve been stung another 10 or so times (mostly from walking in the garden barefoot). I’ve also had lots of red ant bites, a couple termites, a few wasp stings, a hornet, and some spider bites. I’m unsure if it’s because I attract bugs (maybe pheromones?), or just because I blunder around, sticking my hands into places they shouldn’t be (more likely the latter, I was an inquisitive child who apparently didn’t learn).
Despite me being relatively well acquainted with the venom of creepy crawlies, it is absolutely nothing compared to the exploits and trials of entomologist Justin Schmidt, who died in February. I first came across Professor Schmidt when looking up what a tarantula hawk was. He went out of his way to be stung by all manners of insects, and developed what is now known as the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, a ranking of one through four, with four being the most painful. A sweat bee is a one on the index, with the aforementioned tarantula hawk at four. (For reference the western honeybee, which is the bee pretty much all of us know, is ranked as a two.) The King of Sting was also quite poetic when describing his various trials. The two species mentioned above are described as “light and ephemeral, almost fruity” and “blinding, fierce, shockingly electric. A running hairdryer has been dropped into your bubble bath. A bolt out of the heavens. Lie down and scream”. I’ll let you work out which is which.
He didn’t do it just for the giggles but used it for research into the medical implications and biochemistry of the venom. This week’s headline article is about this fantastic scientist whose unique way of bringing science to the wider public will be long remembered.
For those of you who are curious, the only two other insects ranked as a four are the bullet ant "pure, intense, brilliant pain...like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch nail embedded in your heel" and the warrior wasp, describing it as "Torture. You are chained in the flow of an active volcano. Why did I start this list?"
I didn’t really understand what this pain was like, until I stumbled across this video of Australian duo Hamish and Andy being stung by bullet ants. I very quickly noped out of being stung. It’s scary viewing.
In Volume 145, one of the articles was about the Codex Sassoon, the oldest and most complete Hebrew bible, which was to be auctioned off for what could be a world record sum. Well, last week the manuscript was sold for $38m, making it the most expensive text sold at auction. It was bought by a lawyer from Washington D.C. who quickly donated it to a museum in Tel Aviv so that it could be enjoyed by the general public. Here’s the original article I posted, and here’s one about the sale itself.
Your first added extra this week is about user interfaces, all you have to do is fill in the form as quickly as possible. I managed just under three minutes.
Once you’re done with what I can only describe as one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve had over the last few months, take a look at these very soothingly and beautifully painted manhole covers that you can find all over Japan.
The Dovi’s Digest Facebook and Twitter pages will keep you sated between editions, with all new content (plus some from the archives). Check it out at the links below (or scan the insta code, which is also clickable):
Do you enjoy the Digest? Would you like it to get better? Then please consider sharing it, as the more articles I’m sent, the better it is. It only takes a few seconds, and all you need to do is click here 👇. Thank you!!
There were THREE correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. Well done to Daniel Rab, Ariel Raff, and Ayelet Garber! The answer and this week’s puzzle are below.
If the thought of even a mosquito bite turns you off, why don’t you read something else? There’s the man who is trying to become the first birder to see 10,000 species of birds (a much more sedate pastime), find out why giving up on your dreams is good for you, learn about the free (not feral) dogs of India who live happy and untethered lives, read about the one beautiful photo of Earth that may have sparked the environmental movement, discover where all the Disney villains have gone (and why this is a bad thing), and finally, a follow up on the article about illegal gold mining in South Africa: the gangs who risk their lives stealing copper cabling (which is a big reason why I’m currently writing this in the dark.) Enjoy!
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great weekend,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
Ranking the Pain of Stinging Insects, From ‘Spicy’ to ‘Shockingly Electric’
Remembering one passionate entomologist who poetically described and classified more than 70 species’ painful stings.
What It Takes to See 10,000 Bird Species
Peter Kaestner has travelled the world on an adventure-filled quest to become the first birder to hit 10,000. Ornithologist Jessie Williamson hitched a ride on a rollicking South American mission that involved land, sea, and (you guessed it) air.
Why You Should Give Up on Your Dreams
How dream bankruptcy can help you move forward in life and work.
The Free Dogs of India
These canines have independent, peaceful, happy lives without a pet’s constraints. Why are they being persecuted and culled?
“Earthrise”: The Photo That Sparked an Environmental Movement
More than 50 years after it was shot, Earthrise continues to be seen as one of the most iconic environmental photographs ever taken.
Where Have All the Disney Villains Gone?
The live-action Little Mermaid is a reminder of what movies like Encanto and Frozen II don’t have: a bad guy.
Life Inside the South African Gangs Risking Everything for Copper
Demand is so high that thieves risk their lives to supply cartels with scrap metal.
Quote of the Week:
“Death helps. Death gives us something to do. Because it’s a full time job looking the other way.” – Author Martin Amis who died last week aged 73.
Facts of the Week:
The research that led to the founding of Google was funded by grants from the CIA.
The CIA stages fake conferences to lure professors they want to recruit.
In 2013, a stolen prosthetic arm was found in a second-hand shop in Bournemouth.
Mary Shelley is buried in Bournemouth.
Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde in Bournemouth.
Cumberland Clark, the Bard of Bournemouth, is widely considered to be the second worst poet in the English language.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
Think of a fruit that is spelled in one word with 11 letters. Remove the last two letters of its name. When you anagram the remaining nine letters, you can find the names of two other fruits: one with four letters and the other with five. What are the three fruits?
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
This town has seven bridges (shown in red), and your task is to devise a route that crosses each of those bridges once and only once.
Can you do it?
Answer:
This is a classic known as “Seven Bridges of Königsberg.” Apologies if you spent a lot of time on this, but the answer is…no path crosses each bridge only once. Here’s the explanation, first put forth by the famous mathematician Leonard Euler in 1735.