Dovi’s Digest Volume 223
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Hello all! Welcome to Volume 223 of Dovi’s Digest!
Before I begin, it was pointed out to me that last week, although I went on about using my phone for astrophotography, I didn’t share any of the pics. So here’s one:
(I don’t have any photo editing software, but if you know of someone who can enhance the galaxy going from left to right above the tree, I’d be grateful.)
I used to quip that I don’t have a fear of heights, I have a fear of falling from heights. Despite this, when faced with a large drop, I have to go to the edge and look down. It’s a bit of a morbid fascination, as often the first thought that will go through my mind will be “yep, I’d probably break a leg/my back/die if I fell now” – so as quickly as I look over I scuttle backwards. I’d like to think this is a normal human response to dizzying heights.
So whenever I see videos of rooftoppers my stomach does a somersault, and my head will swim. Rooftopping is the “sport” (and I don’t add those scare quotes lightly, see V220 for my thoughts on the Olympics) of climbing very tall buildings without the use of any safety equipment. It’s absolute madness seeing someone on a 30cm ledge, 500m+ above the ground, skipping and jumping. There are even videos of people who ride unicycles, do handstands, or just hang over the precipice. I’ll never understand it, but thankfully I don’t have to, as this week’s headline article is all about these daredevils.
In this week’s added extras:
Test your wildlife knowledge with this animal guessing game.
Here’s why “Jeff” is on a list of nuclear superpowers that includes the US and Russia.
The obsolete mechanism that powers some of the world’s most expensive watches.
This video maps out Wikipedia, identifying the strangest parts of a site you probably use on the regular.
How to view the supermoon and other upcoming astronomical phenomena.
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 Jeff C and Ariel S!! The answer and this week’s riddle are below.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming.
Have a great weekend,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
“Rooftopping Is My Art Form”: The Death-Defying Couple Who Climb the World's Tallest Skyscrapers
Skywalkers, a jaw-dropping Netflix documentary featuring Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, follows the "rooftoppers" as they risk their lives for art atop the world's tallest buildings.
Your Appendix Is Not, In Fact, Useless.
An anatomy professor explains how it plays a hidden role in gut health.
A Brief History of Superyachts
And how they explain the world.
Why a Grape Turns into a Fireball in a Microwave
Nuking a grape produces sparks of plasma, as plenty of YouTube videos document. Now physicists think they can explain how that energy builds up.
The Man Who Owes Nintendo $14m: Gary Bowser and Gaming’s Most Infamous Piracy Case
The hacker whose involvement with anti-piracy software ended in a jail sentence has emerged from prison struggling to make rent as he starts paying his fine. ‘It could be worse,’ he says.
Steroid to Heaven
The wide world of anabolics.
Miracle in the Jungle
The race to find four children who survived a plane crash deep in the Amazon.
Quote of the Week:
“If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.” – Katharine Hepburn
Word of the Week:
Moribund
mo·ruh·buhnd/ˈmɒrɪbʌnd/
Adjective
(of a person) at the point of death.
"on examination she was moribund and dehydrated"
2. (of a thing) in terminal decline; lacking vitality or vigour.
"the moribund commercial property market"
Do you know a word you think others should know about? Submit it here!
Facts of the Week:
To quomodocunquize is to make money in any way possible.
A lanspresado is a 17th century word for the friend who never seems to have any money with them.
A tunklehead is Maine slang for an “idiot”.
Euneirophrenia is the peaceful feeling experienced on emerging from a nice dream.
Birds sing in their dreams.
Dogs only make sad faces if there's a person watching.
A complete set of 2-inch-square cotton Pantone colour swatches costs $7,395.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
Rank the following mammals according to their average lifespan, from shortest to longest. I can’t believe I have to say this, but don’t Google it.
Wolverine
Weasel
Bowhead whale
Humans (1950)
Humans (2022)
Elephant
Brown bear
Western gorilla
Last week’s brainteaser and answer:
This intricate puzzle should help you stay stimulated during a slow Friday at work.
The following two 4x4 grids each contain a 12-letter word. Each word is formed by a chain of letters. A word can begin with any of the letters in the grid. The second letter of a word is adjacent (either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) to the first letter, the third letter is adjacent to the second, and so on. No letter can be used more than once. Four letters in each grid will be unused. Can you find the words?
Answer:
The word in the first grid is “kindergarten” and the second grid contains “longitudinal.”