Dovi’s Digest Volume 47
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual and physical needs
Hello everybody! Welcome to Volume 47 of Dovi’s Digest.
Over the last month or so, there have been many pieces of news that have affected all of us in one way or another. From a ship as long as the empire state building is tall blocking one of the main shipping lanes, to an uprising in Myanmar, to a murder trial in Minneapolis. However, the one which has really caught my eye happened this week.
I am of course talking of Forbes dropping their annual billionaires list. A few things were noteworthy. The combined net worth of the world’s richest individuals nearly doubled, the number of billionaires reached a record high, and for the first time, Beijing took the title of city with the most billionaires, pipping New York to the post by 1 (100 vs 99). The most interesting tidbit for me was that Kim Kardashian (she has dropped the “West” since filing for divorce from Kanye) was one of the 660 new entrants. If a woman who got her start as a stylist for Paris Hilton/adult actress can become a billionaire, then there’s nothing stopping you. All you need is a very savvy mom, money, and apparently plastic surgery.
Last week, I posted an article about how the mRNA vaccines were developed (Reverse Engineering the Source Code of the Biontech/Pfizer Vaccine). Many of you enjoyed the article, but wanted to know how the vaccine works in practice. So here’s a TikTok which explains it brilliantly and made me smile.
My favourite article this week is the last one (The Fate of the Fact), because frankly my entire social standing is predicated on the idea that rattling off the most random and bizarre facts makes one indispensable on a pub quiz team. The Long, Sweaty History of Working Out runs as a close second. There are also articles about the looming ketchup packet shortage (prices are up 13%!), cute dinosaurs, and tweed (one of the best words to say in a Scottish brogue), among others.
There were SIX correct answers to last week’s riddle, well done to Josh Todes, Adam Frame, Hazel Levine, Ivor Berger, Daniel Rabinovitch and David Flax! This week’s riddle is below.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming,
All the best
Dovi
And now, the articles:
THE LONG, SWEATY HISTORY OF WORKING OUT
For as long as people have existed, people have got BUFF as HELL.
How Tweed Became A Symbol of Scottish Culture
(Courtesy of Eli Berkow)
In Scotland’s hills and islands, textile traditions touch on sustainability and local pride while making a mark in high fashion.
What Did Dinosaurs Look Like? An Unlikely Team Is Debunking Beliefs
A paleoartist from Bristol, was in the process of creating the world’s most realistic model dinosaur when he realized it was absolutely adorable.
The Wannabe Food Influencer Who's Wanted by the FBI
When a man calling himself Gavin Ambani tried to make his mark on the London food scene, the story of a fraud hunt stretching from Hollywood to Indonesia followed in his wake.
The New Shortage: Ketchup Can’t Catch Up
(Courtesy of Elliot Djebreel)
(You may need to sign in for this one, but a subscription is not required)
The pandemic turned restaurants into takeout specialists, boosting demand for the condiment; “Everyone out there is grabbing for ketchup”.
A Rebel Physicist Has an Elegant Solution To A Quantum Mystery
The theories we have to describe the nature of the Universe are completely incompatible. Enter an eccentric Polish physicist with a possible solution to the biggest of conundrums.
Wikipedia, “Jeopardy!,” and the Fate of the Fact
In the Internet age, it can seem as if there’s no reason to remember anything. But information doesn’t always amount to knowledge.
Quote of the Week:
“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” – Henry James
Facts of the Week:
Season seven of Game of Thrones was pirated more than a billion times.
Michael bond, creator of Paddington Bear, was a camera operator on Blue Peter.
Paddington Bear wears a hat when swimming because Michael Bond's father always did in case he needed to raise it politely.
The etiquette experts Debrett’s run classes for five-year-olds on learning how to navigate to dinner parties.
Alumnesia is the failure to remember the name of a former classmate.
Scurryfunge is to tidy up quickly before visitors arrive.
Cacozelia is the use of foreign words to make one appear un peu plus cultivé.
Treppenwitz is German for the witty riposte that occurs to you too late.
Headline of the Week:
(Courtesy of Ori Tobias)
Cartoon of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
This one is a little different from the norm. I’m going to give you a letter in English, and you’re going to tell me whether it more frequently appears as the first letter of a word or the last letter.
1. S
2. K
3. B
4. N
5. D
6. R
Last week’s Brainteaser and answer:
Amber has four times as many Easter eggs as Billy has.
Dhillon has four more than Billy and Carly has one less than Dhillon.
Carly has five Easter eggs.
How many eggs do the four have between them?
Answer:
21 eggs.
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