Dovi’s Digest Volume 224
The millennial JFK moment
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Hello all! Welcome to Volume 224 of Dovi’s Digest!
Most generations have some sort of “JFK moment”. That second in time in which we know that something has happened that has fundamentally changed the world, but we’re not sure how. The sort of thing that we know exactly where we were when we heard the news. For the silent generation, it was the Pearl Harbor attack. For the boomers, the aforementioned JFK assassination or the Moon landing. For gen X it was the fall of the Berlin Wall.
However, for millennials (of which I, and many of you are a part), it is undoubtedly the September 11 attacks.
I can tell you exactly where I was and how I felt. My family was at the Royal Airforce Museum in London. In fact, I can even tell you which exhibit I was in. The Flying Boat. I remember my father getting a call on his cell, him telling us that we need to leave, and me being very annoyed as we hadn’t got to the Spitfires yet. We watched the north tower fall whilst sitting on the edge of the hotel bed and were glued to the TV the rest of the day, watching an endless loop of the planes crashing into the towers, a damaged Pentagon, and a smoking field in Pennsylvania.
The reason I’m telling you this is that this week marked the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, and boy did we have no idea what we were in for. A few wars, entire governments built on national security, and worst of all, having to take our shoes off at airports.
So of course, this week’s headline article is about that world-changing event. And more pointedly, the women who saw it coming, but were brushed off purely because of their gender (good thing misogyny has been totally abolished today, and there definitely isn’t a gender pay gap, a glass ceiling, or any sort of inequality at all!) I also recommend reading the article “The Falling Man”, which was included in Volume 18 of the Digest, and still makes me wonder.
In this week’s added extras:
Play: Test your geometry senses with this addicting “eyeballing” game.
The longest flipbook animation ever.
This robotic night lamp guides you to the bathroom at night…but it looks like a spider.
The fastest Wordle winning strategy.
Guess the daily graphs dataset! ie: work out what the graph is showing you. (Courtesy of Josh F)
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 was ONE correct answers to last week’s brainteaser, Well done to Avi F! 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:
The Women Who Saw 9/11 Coming
Many of the CIA analysts who spotted the earliest signs of al-Qaeda’s rise were female. They had trouble getting their warnings heard.
Without a Trace: How to Take Your Phone Off the Grid
A guide on anonymizing your phone, so you can use it without it using you.
In Defence of Eating Brains
While some in the West are squeamish, globally, it’s more common than not.
Gen Z Is Bringing a Whole New Vibe to The Workplace: Anxiety
Gen Z workers entered the workplace at an unprecedented time — and for many, it's causing a lot of anxiety.
Companies Brought in Robots. Now They Need Human “Robot Wranglers”
Lost and confused automatons create work for people. Bots wander off “like a child” and irritate workers by following them or “trying to get under their desk.”
Planes, Trains and Monster Diggers: The Vehicles Pushing the Limits of Electric Power
How much energy you can pack into a battery is one limit on how big an EV can get – but meet the EVs ditching batteries altogether to attain mammoth proportions.
Why You’ve Never Been in a Plane Crash
The United States leads the world in airline safety. That’s because of the way they assign blame when accidents do happen.
Quote of the Week:
“One sign that determination matters more than talent: there are lots of talented people who never achieve anything, but not that many determined people who don't.” — Paul Graham
Word of the Week:
(Courtesy of Rachel M)
Alacrity
uh·la·kruh·tee/əˈlakrɪti/
Noun
brisk and cheerful readiness.
"she accepted the invitation with alacrity"
Do you know a word you think others should know about? Submit it here!
Facts of the Week:
Pope Francis’s watch cost less than a paperback Bible.
Pope Benedict the 16th commission to special eu de cologne for himself that smelled like the grotto at Lourdes.
After the gunpowder plot, English Catholics were banned from voting, practising law, or serving as offices in the army or Navy until 1829.
The word “conspire” comes from the Latin conspirare, meaning “to breathe together”.
Hvalreki is Icelandic for “windfall” and “beached whale”.
The Latin for panpipes was the same as the word for whales blowhole.
Bowhead Wales rub up against rocks to exfoliate their skin.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
In today’s puzzle, you’re going to click on this link and you’ll see an illustration. Your job is to find the 54 cliches depicted in the image (or as many as you can). Good luck!
Last week’s brainteaser and answer:
Rank the following mammals according to their average lifespan, from shortest to longest. (no Googling!!!)
Wolverine
Weasel
Bowhead whale
Humans (1950)
Humans (2022)
Elephant
Brown bear
Western gorilla
Answer:
1. Weasel (1 to 2 years)
2. Wolverine (12)
3. Brown bear (25)
4. Western gorilla (35)
5. Humans in 1950 (47)
6. Elephant (56)
7. Humans in 2022 (72)
8. Bowhead whale (200)