Dovi’s Digest Volume 38
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual and physical needs
Hey all, and welcome to Volume 38 of Dovi’s Digest.
On Tuesday, the national ban on selling alcohol was lifted, and in lieu of an intro, I have written a haiku as a tribute to the liquor gods.
I don’t care if it’s
vodka, gin, beer or whisky,
I’ll have a double.
Fin.
Have a wonderful week.
There was one correct answer to last week’s riddle, well done to Ariel Raff, who in his words used “an obscene amount of paper”. Last week I left out Natasha Salant from the list of winners for DD36, I apologise for the oversight, and well done Natasha!! This week’s riddle is below.
Below you’ll find out about a geriatric gamer, squirrel birth control, and how monopoly is actually anti-capitalist. I hope you enjoy them all!
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming,
All the best
Dovi
And now, the articles:
COVID-19 rarely spreads through surfaces. So why are we still deep cleaning?
(Courtesy of Dr Stanley Wolberg)
The coronavirus behind the pandemic can linger on doorknobs and other surfaces, but these aren’t a major source of infection.
This 84-Year-Old Gamer Has More Than 900,000 “Grandkids”
Shirley Curry has cultivated a following on YouTube with her charming videos of journeys through The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
UK Government Backs Birth Control for Grey Squirrels
(Courtesy of Elliot Djebreel)
The UK government has given its support to a project to use oral contraceptives to control grey squirrel populations.
The End of Credits: Why Doesn't Netflix Want Us to Watch Them?
The end credits are an unsexy but important part of the experience – but streaming platforms seem to be interested only in getting us to the next piece of content.
The Hidden World of Monopoly and Its Anti-Capitalist Roots
(Courtesy of Eli Berkow)
To mark the board game's 85th anniversary this month, writer Sean Cole investigates Monopoly's socialist origins and the fierce tournament scene keeping the game alive today.
Can You Tell an Author’s Identity by Looking at Punctuation Alone? A Study Just Found Out
A book without words can tell us a surprising amount.
The Astronomer Who Believed There Was an Alien Utopia on Mars
Percival Lowell’s dogged belief helped bring Mars science to 19th century America.
Quote of the Week:
“If you can do what you do best and be happy, you’re further along in life than most people.” — Leonardo DiCaprio
Facts of the Week:
80% of the “Close Door’ buttons in lifts are just for show: the doors are on a timer.
In 1986, 12 jurors got stuck on an Otis elevator in a courthouse on their way to hear a lawsuit against the Otis Elevator company.
It is illegal to swim in the River Seine in Paris.
In professional swimming, it’s against the rules to wear two swimming costumes.
In public pools in New York City, you’re not allowed to hold your breath.
In 2017, 70 students in Maryland drank so much alcohol at a party that the air in the house registered positive on a breathalyser.
New Year’s Day is the official birthday of everyone in Bhutan.
Tweet of the Week:
Cartoon of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week: (Courtesy of Zev Gluckmann)
You have 12 balls identical in size and appearance but one is either heavier or lighter than all the others.
You have only 3 chances to find which ball is the odd one and if it's heavier or lighter than the rest.
How do you do it?
Last week’s Brainteaser and answer:
You have two very hungry termites and two sticks of wood. One stick of wood is 12 inches long and the other is 16 inches long. One termite can eat sticks at the rate of 1 inch every 3 minutes. The other termite can eat 1 inch in 4 minutes. How would you use the termites and sticks to measure 61 minutes?
Answer:
Start the slow termite eating the longer stick. It will take the slow termite 16 minutes to eat the 4 inches that will make the sticks the same size. When the sticks are the same size, start the fast termite on the other stick. This termite will finish his 12 inch stick in 36 minutes. That's 52 minutes elapsed so far and the slow termite still has 3 inches left on his stick. Remove the slow termite and let the fast termite finish off the 3 inches in 9 minutes for a total of 61 minutes.
DD35 Brainteaser (with Bitcoin up for grabs!)
Using only the common +, -, x, ÷ (no shtick or funny business), you have to use each number exactly once, and end up with final total of 24.
For example: 1,1,3,9
The answers could be (9+3)x(1+1), or ((9-1)x3)/1
(This is an honours system, so no internet or programming cheating. Pencil and paper at most.)
Peppadew: 2,2,2,7
Jalapeño: 5,6,6,9
Cayenne: 3,3,7,7
Habanero: 1,4,5,6
Carolina Reaper: 3,3,8,8
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