Dovi’s Digest Volume 82
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
What’s good y’all? Welcome to Volume 82 of Dovi’s Digest.
This week marked the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the oft quoted “day that will live in infamy”. The attack drew the United States into WWII and hastened the downfall of the third Reich and its allies (there is a whole separate article on why Hitler decided to side with the Japanese, and why it was dumb, but that’s for another edition). Whether the US actually won the war for the allies is also contentious, and one that I won’t go into here (that being said, the tide had turned in Africa, the Battle of Britain had been won, and the allies [read Britain and her colonies] were on the front foot, so draw your own conclusions).
For those who don’t know, the attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise raid by the Japanese Air Force on the US Navy’s Pacific shipyard, where many of the battleships and aircraft carriers were housed. The raid caught the US completely off guard (hence the word surprise), and 18 ships, as well as 2400 servicemen and women died. The US then declared war on Japan, who had allied herself with Nazi Germany.
Many of the dead were on the ships when they sunk, and their remains were either not recovered or not identifiable. These were buried in unmarked graves. However in 2015 the military got permission to disinter the bodies, and begin the process of trying to identify them via DNA, so each could have a proper burial. This week’s headline article is about that process.
For the first time, I’ve included media (in the form of a short 15-minute podcast) in this week’s articles. It’s the story of the deadliest lake, and because it’s bite sized, it’s easy to listen to.
I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the passing of Stephen Sondheim, one of the true giants of musical theatre. He did an in depth interview just a few days before he died, which is below.
There were TWO correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. Well done to Liron Gordon and Gila Brill!!! The answer and this week’s riddle are below.
In other news, there is an article on why South Africa is more prone to dangerous mutations, and how it’s trying to nip them in the bud, one on the mountain that you’re not allowed to climb, the art of butter knives, and how after its takeover by the Taliban, Afghanistan is on the edge.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming,
Have a great week,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
How DNA Solved One of the Final Mysteries of Pearl Harbor
Nearly half the crew of the USS Oklahoma was buried in unknown graves — until the military found a pioneering way to decipher a forensic puzzle.
The Variant Hunters: Inside South Africa’s Effort to Stanch Dangerous Mutations
Scientists in a cutting-edge laboratory do part of the work. Local health workers on foot do the rest.
The Deadliest Lake
In 1986 an unknown natural disaster left more than 1,700 people dead in one night—and puzzled scientists. We learn how they solved the mystery.
The Himalayan Peak Off Limits To Climbers
Climbing Machhapuchhare is forbidden, a rarity in a country like Nepal that has embraced mountain tourism so enthusiastically that even the world's highest point gets overcrowded.
Analyzing the Design of Unusual Japanese Butter Tableware
And I'm putting the "anal" in analysing.
Days Before Dying, Stephen Sondheim Reflected: “I’ve Been Lucky”
In an interview on Sunday, the revered composer and lyricist, 91, contentedly discussed his shows running on Broadway and off, as well as a new movie about to be released.
Where the Taliban Rule
The conquering militants govern by fear. Poverty deepens, and behind closed doors journalists are beaten and rumours of executions spread. A portrait of a country on the edge.
Quote of the Week:
“Every sensitive person carries in himself old cities enclosed by ancient walls.” – Robert Walser
Facts of the Week:
4000 children under the age of two are listed as owners of British companies.
The average child has the aerobic fitness of a triathlete.
Harrods used to sell pet leopards.
The first pet cemetery opened in Paris in 1899, after introduction of a law that banned throwing dead dogs into the Seine.
The first St Bernard was called Barry.
Right-pawed dogs are more cheerful than left-pawed dogs.
It's easier to understand sign language if the signer is right-handed.
Scientists can tell whether early humans were left- or right-handed by looking at their fossilised teeth.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
A man walks south for 3 miles
Then east for 4 miles
Then north for 4 miles
Then west for 2 miles
Then south for 1 mile
In which direction and for how far should he walk to return to his starting point?
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
What number comes next in this sequence?
7 8 5 5 3 4 4 ?
Answer:
6. The sequence is the number of letters in the name of the months. August has six letters.