Dovi’s Digest Volume 230
Is it hot in here? Or is it just me?☀️ 🌡🥵
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Hello all! Welcome to Volume 230 of Dovi’s Digest!
When DD Volume 229 hit your inbox on Tuesday, we were all waiting with bated breath for the outcome of one of the most hotly contested political battles ever. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long for a winner to be announced. It wasn’t the candidate everyone wanted, but after a tight finish, Boone the Bluetick Coonhound (pictured below) was elected as mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky.
Hey everybody. I had the rest of intro written about the start of summer, the beauty of it, and then segueing into what real heat is. But to be perfectly frank, I don’t think it was a good piece of writing. It’s currently 1am, and the edits aren’t flowing.
I will say that there were mentions of purple Jacaranda flowers carpeting the roads (and the popping sounds they make when being driven on), sparkling blue pools that are still cold enough to be refreshing, and the inimitable smell of a Braai on a Sunday afternoon. I’d rather not publish something I’m not happy with, and be honest with you about where the rest of the intro is. For now it will sit in my drafts, but I hope during the week it’ll all come together and you’ll get the well crafted column you deserve. - Dovi
In this week’s added extras:
This quiz will tell you whether you spend money like a Gen Zer, millennial, or boomer. And this one shows whether you’re up on Gen Alpha slang.
The diminutive winners of Nikon’s annual microscope photography contest.
A map of the countries that swear the most.
Let Dire Straits’ legendary performance of “Sultans of Swing” take you into the weekend.
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 FOUR correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. Well done to Chaim E, Josh H, Yoni S, and Hazel L! 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:
I Went to Death Valley to Experience 129 Degrees
Sweating through one of the hottest days in history.
Making A Snickers Bar Is A Complex Science
A candy engineer explains how to build the airy nougat and chewy caramel of this Halloween favourite.
20 Paradoxes That Will Boggle Your Mind
If you’re in the mood to narrow your brow at seemingly irreconcilable facts, have we got a list for you.
The US Island Ruled By Alien Snakes and Spiders
Guam has 40 times more spiders than neighbouring islands – and a population of invasive snakes so voracious, they have emptied the forests of every bird.
How NASA Astronauts Vote from Space Aboard International Space Station
Inventing the Perfect College Applicant
For $120,000 a year, Christopher Rim promises to turn any student into Ivy bait.
The Burgeoning Science of Search and Rescue
By analysing reports of people who got off-track, researchers are advancing the science of “lost person behaviour.”
Quote of the Week:
“The tragedy of old age is not that one is old, but that one is young.” – Oscar Wilde
Word of the Week:
(Courtesy of Don S)
Preternatural
pree·tuh·nach·ruhl
Adjective
beyond what is normal or natural.
"autumn had arrived with preternatural speed"
Do you know a word you think others should know about? Submit it here!
Facts of the Week:
French people are 19 times less likely to wait for the green man than Japanese people.
Hitchhikers in Sweden wait longest for a ride; those in Iraq wait shortest.
According to research by North Korea, the world's second happiest country is North Korea.
The Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea is home to 5,097 different species.
Insects make up 72% of all animals, but only 2% of endangered species.
Until the 19th century, Primrose Hill in London was inhabited by wolves.
New York City controls its rat problem by giving them the menopause.
In 1902, after the French colonial government in Hanoi offered one cent for every rat’s tail, Enterprising Vietnamese started rat farms to earn the bounty.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
(Courtesy of David G)
Headline of the Week:
(Courtesy of Naftali G)
Brainteaser of the Week:
Write down the name of a famous singer whose first name contains six letters and whose last name contains four letters. Remove from the singer’s name the first, third, fifth, seventh, and tenth letters. The remaining five letters in the singer’s name will, in order, spell out the repeating part of a well-known song. Who is the singer and what is the song?
Last week’s brainteaser and answer:
Last week was International Caps Lock Day (yes, it’s a thing, yes, it’s insane), here’s trivia on capitonyms, or words that change their meaning when they’re capitalized. For example: Turkey and turkey.
We’ll give you clues to the capitalized version and the lowercase version—you have to identify the word.
1. Hailing from the western region of the Czech Republic / socially unconventional
2. Shakespeare tragedy / a small settlement
3. Dialect spoken by nearly 1 billion people / a small citrus
4. City in southern France / pleasant
5. Summer month (in the northern hemisphere) / majestic
6. Italian automaker / a decree
Answer:
1. Bohemian
2. Hamlet
3. Mandarin
4. Nice
5. August
6. Fiat