A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Hello all! Welcome to Volume 171 of Dovi’s Digest.
I’ve read that the secret to a happy life is finding joy in the small things. That looks different to everyone. It can be smelling a rose, seeing a dog, or getting a wadded-up ball of paper in the bin. Or perhaps it’s your favourite song coming on the radio, the sound of birds chirping, that feeling when you’re sitting inside and watching a storm, any one of a number of things that when viewed without the goggles of habit can help you live vibrantly.
One of the easiest ways to do this is while eating, and for me opening a tube of Pringles is right up there. The subtle “pop” is great, but the real star of the show is taking out the first one, and popping it into my mouth, letting the salt make its way through, immediately followed by the crunch that makes them so delicious to me. This first one is swiftly followed by a handful as I see how many I can fit in my mouth at once, which itself is followed by either pride or shame, depending on the outcome. (A quick aside: the shape of a Pringle is called a hyperbolic parabolid, and while it was initially invented to protect them during transport [an arch is an extraordinarily strong shape], it has since been posited that it also contributes to the quick and intense flavour distribution. End of aside.)
Turns out, that not only am I not alone in loving this crunch, but there is an entire industry devoted to making food as perfectly crispy as possible. The crispy and sweet or salty combo makes the neurons in our caveman brains go wild, the ding ding ding of a slot machine on steroids – and manufacturers exploit this. Each year, millions of dollars in R and D costs go towards making this feeling linger, making us want to go back for a second bite, in short making the food more more-ish. Read all about it, and what companies are doing to keep us flavourfully entertained in this week’s headline article.
In this week’s added extras: A few weeks ago, both Europe and the US were in the grips of fearsome heatwaves, which some people didn’t take too seriously. To make them realise the dangers, The staff at Zion National Park in Utah baked cookies in a car left in the sun. Watch the video here. Moving on from something scary to something horrific, take a look at the finalists from the kids’ category at the mullet championships (please do not try this at home, it constitutes child abuse. That being said, the Baby Joe Dirt, the B-Rock n Rolls, and the Thunderdome are my favourites). Finally, swapping one type of scary for another, watch Red Bull athlete Jan Roose complete a slackline walk between two buildings nearly 200m above the ground (he was 200m above the ground, not the buildings).
The social pages have been quiet the last few weeks as I’ve been away. From next week we’ll be back on track with exclusive content not seen in the Digest itself. Check them out at the links below 👇
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 FIVE correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. Well done Steven Kaplan, Myer Brom, Ariel Raff, Ariel Subotzky, and Chaim Ehrlich! The answer and this week’s puzzle are below.
The quest for the perfect crunch doesn’t tickle your tastebuds? No worries, there’s tons more for you to dig your teeth into. Find out how the kids (but really adults) show came to be, enlighten yourself how Edison duped the world into believing he created the first lightbulb, put on some lead lined gloves to read the story of the stray radioactive capsule that tore apart a family, cool yourself down with the story of how pink lemonade came to be, chew on an article about how child labour is alive and well in New York through the children of immigrants, and finally read the story of the teenage couple who hitchhiked to a music fest and then just disappeared. Enjoy!
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great weekend,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
There’s an Entire Industry Dedicated to Making Foods Crispy, and It Is WILD
Ever wonder why are we so drawn to the snap of a potato chip or the crackle of fried chicken? Biology, psychology, and an incredible amount of engineering.
The Inside Story of ‘Animaniacs’: How We Got Yakko, Wakko and Dot
Steven Spielberg might have produced the zany kids’ show, but it was creator Tom Ruegger’s three kids who gave the Animaniacs life.
How Thomas Edison Tricked the Press into Believing He’d Invented the Light Bulb
A year before he developed a working bulb, the “Wizard of Menlo Park” created the illusion that his prototype burned for more than a few minutes at a time.
The Tragic Story of a Boy Who Found a Radioactive Capsule and Brought It Inside the House
The first thing the family noticed was odd was when their glass tumblers turned black.
Pink Lemonade’s Origin Story
It begins with a disgruntled circus clown.
The Candy Sellers
The lives and livelihoods of some of the city’s newest migrant children.
Two Teens Hitchhiked to a Concert. 50 Years Later, They Haven’t Come Home
Mitchel Weiser and Bonnie Bickwit were never heard from again after leaving for 1973’s historic Summer Jam at Watkins Glen. Five decades on, their family and friends still want answers.
Quote of the Week:
“Fifteen years ago, the internet was an escape from the real world. Now, the real world is an escape from the internet.” – Economist Noah Smith
Facts of the Week:
When a very large star quietly turns into a black hole it is called a “massive fail”.
If the earth had the density of a black hole, it would be the size of a peanut.
Alzheimer's patients lose the ability to smell peanut butter.
Tortilla chips can spontaneously combust.
Australian black kites collect smouldering sticks from wildfires and use them to start new fires to smoke out prey.
South American scorpions shed their tales to escape predators, in the process losing their anus so they can't poo anymore.
Newborn lily beetles cover themselves in their parents’ excrement so they look like bird droppings.
In the 19th century, snake excrement was taken for lung complaints.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
(Courtesy of Isaac Lipschitz)
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
Just a heads up, this one’s a bit gory. But it’s a nice puzzle nonetheless. Here goes…
One hundred people are standing in a circle in order from 1 to 100.
No. 1 has a sword. He smites the next person (No. 2) and passes the sword to the next (No. 3).
All people do the same until only one remains.
Which number is the last remaining person?
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
Today’s puzzle is all about the sound “zh” and the many English letters that can represent it.
The “g” in beige
The “s” in measure
The “z” in azure
But, there is only one word in the English language in which the “zh” sound is spelled with a “t.” Can you name it?
Answer:
Equation
(Source: Puzzle a Day)
Thanks for reading Dovi’s Digest!