Dovi's Digest Volume 211
Running up that hill 🏃♂️⛰🥇
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Hello all! Welcome to Volume 211 of Dovi’s Digest.
As I’ve written before, I enjoy running. I find it a good way to spend time with people (as we can trauma bond) or, when I run alone, it can be almost meditative. There are of course the physical benefits but it’s good for my mental health as well.
I’m a semi-serious runner, having run a marathon, as well as multiple halves (halfs?). Anywhere else in the world this would qualify me as a “real” runner, but in South Africa this isn’t the case - because here, you can’t call yourself a runner unless you’ve run the Comrades Marathon.
For the uninitiated, Comrades is the world’s largest ultra-marathon with more than 16,000 participants each year. It’s more than twice the distance of a regular marathon, normally clocking in at about 90km/55 miles. It’s run between two cities in South Africa with the start alternating between them. It’s almost a rite of passage for runners here, with many people having completed the race multiple times (editor and intermittent contributor Tanya’s dad has completed more than 10. Although the record is 45). People come from all over the world and all walks of life to run Comrades, whether it’s to prove something, mark a milestone, or just for the vibe, and with the average finish time being 10+ hours, there’s lots of time to make friends on the way.
As Comrades is taking place on Sunday, of course this week’s headline article is about the race, and what it takes to complete it.
Do you know a word you think others should know about? Submit it here!
In this week’s added extras:
This video explains the most common errors your brain makes.
Say goodbye to Walter (my late grandfather’s name): The baby names that were at risk of going extinct this year.
A man who makes portraits out of pets using musical notation and then plays them. (courtesy of Yisroel G)
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 TWO correct answers to last week’s brainteaser, well done to Ariel S and Chaim E!! The answer and this week’s puzzle are below.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great weekend,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
The Famous Comrades Marathon
Fifty-five brutal miles. Five torturous climbs. A ruthless clock. The Comrades Marathon may be the world's greatest race. But not because it's easy.
One Of The Most Unusual Heists In America Seems To Be Unfolding At Taco Bell
“They made it sound like they were talking about the Mona Lisa”.
Why Do Some People Feel Tired All the Time?
For some people, no matter how much sleep they get, they still feel tired and low in energy. Why?
Spots, Stripes, and More: Working Out the Logic of Animal Patterns
More than 70 years ago, mathematician Alan Turing proposed a mechanism that explained how patterns could emerge from bland uniformity. Scientists are still using his model — and adding new twists — to gain a deeper understanding of animal markings.
What If You Could Reverse Gray Hair?
You might be able to preserve your natural hair colour longer than you thought.
Their Diplomas Came With Envelopes of Cash, and a Catch
The billionaire Rob Hale gave the 1,200 graduates of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth a gift, and asked them to give, too.
How to Use Your Freezer as a Cooking Tool
A freezer can be used to transform the texture and flavour of food: This guide explains some of the best ways to use the power of ice beyond mere preservation.
Quote of the Week:
“All human wisdom is contained in these two words – wait and hope.” – Alexandre Dumas
Word of the Week:
(Courtesy of Betty M)
Innocuous
Uh·no·kyoo·uhs /ɪˈnɒkjʊəs/
Adjective
not likely to give offence or to arouse strong feelings or hostility.
"It was an innocuous question"
Facts of the Week:
In 1952, a US Air Force Lieutenant accidentally shot down his own plane.
In 1943, a US destroyer accidentally torpedoed a ship that was carrying President Roosevelt.
The US Navy uses Xbox controllers to operate periscopes.
The US director of the International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame is called Jack Dagger.
Winston Churchill trained his pet budgie to walk up and down his dining room table carrying a salt spoon.
When Danish explorer Peter Freuchen was buried by an avalanche at the North Pole, he hacked his way out with a tool made of his own frozen poo.
A butcher in Totnes who got trapped in his freezer in 2018 had to batter his way out with the frozen black pudding.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
(Courtesy of Tanya P)
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
Below are the names of five countries with alternating letters missing. What are the five countries?
1. *E*A*
2. *I*H*A*I*
3. *N*O*E*I*
4. *I*B*B*E
5. *I*A*A*U*
Last week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
Two elements in the periodic table can be spelled using the chemical symbols of three other elements.
One of them is silver: Si (silicon) + Lv (livermorium) + Er (erbium).
What is the other?
Answer:
Iron – Ir (iridium) + O (oxygen) + N (nitrogen)