Dovi’s Digest Volume 265

Waka waka waka 👾🕹🏆

Jul 11, 2025

A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs

Hello all! Welcome to Volume 265 of Dovi’s Digest!

One of my favourite novels of the last 15 years is Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One. Set in the not-too-distant dystopian future, the novel follows the protagonist’s worldwide virtual reality hunt for a treasure that would lead him to inherit not only the creator’s vast fortune, but the game itself. All the challenges are set around 80s pop culture, with varying difficulties and intricacies. Spoiler alert (not a real spoiler, but whatever), one of tasks Wade Watts completes is playing a perfect game of Pac-Man.

Now a perfect game doesn’t seem that difficult in abstract. Sure, there’s a learning curve, but once you get past that, it can’t be too hard right? I’m here to tell you you’re oh so wrong. There are 256 levels, all of which need to be executed perfectly. That means not only clearing each board, getting all the powerups, and eating all the ghosts when they turn blue, BUT doing it all without losing a life. Crazy stuff. Things that seem to be the realm of sci-fi novels. Not even sci-fi in fact, but fantasy. Well, I’m happy to tell you that not only was this feat achieved, but there’s an article all about it, and the man who did it, someone who could arguably be called the greatest video gamer of all time. Read more in this week’s headline article.

As Wimbledon concludes this week, there’s not one, but two bits from arguably its greatest player, Roger Federer (whose name is basically 50% “er”s, which is ironic as he’s so well spoken). His commencement speech in the added extras is a must watch for everyone, and his quote on talent is something you should keep top of your head - consistency is key. Small things done over and over again will always take you somewhere great.

In this week’s added extras:

Tennis legend Roger Federer’s well-received commencement address at Dartmouth.

In When They Died, players are shown five influential figures who snuffed it between 1950 and today. You have to guess which year each of them popped their clogs, with points awarded for how close you get. Give it a go here.

Is it harder to run on an inclined treadmill or on a real hill?

An astrophotographer’s 20-day adventure under the darkest skies in the world.

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!

Refer a friend

There were THREE correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. Well done to Ariel S, David D, and Jeff C! 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:

Quote of the Week:

“Yes, talent matters. I’m not going to stand here and tell you it doesn’t.
But talent has a broad definition.
Most of the time, it’s not about having a gift. It’s about having grit. In tennis, like in life, discipline is also a talent. And so is patience.
Trusting yourself is a talent. Embracing the process—loving the process—is a talent. Managing your life, managing yourself.
These can be talents, too. Some people are born with them. Everybody has to work at them.” – Roger Federer on the kind of talent you can practice

Word of the Week:

(Courtesy of Josh H)

Susurration

soo-suh-RAY-shuhn/ˌs(j)uːsəˈreɪʃn/

whispering or rustling.

"The susurration of the river"

Do you know a word you think others should know about? Submit it here!

Facts of the Week:

The Americans most likely to use fonts that look like handwriting are Nevadans.
Comic Sans is based on lettering from the Watchmen comics.
In graphic design, the use of too many mismatched fonts is called “the ransom note effect”.
The 'third-person effect' is the belief that advertising only convinces other people.
The “bystander effect” is where a person does nothing in a crisis because they think someone else will.
New members of the British royal family undergo hostage simulation training.
The Royal Navy is half the size it was in 1990.
During the Cold War, to plan for a nuclear meltdown Russia, Sweden and Finland dusted off their old steam locomotives.