Dovi’s Digest Volume 96
A weekly newsletter for all your intellectual, spiritual, and physical needs
Hello hello!! Welcome to Volume 96 of Dovi’s Digest.
There are some days that I sit down to write the digest and the words just flow. And there are some days where I reverse engineer the digest from an article. And there are other days when I just stare at a blinking cursor for ages, not sure how to move forward. Today is one of those days. So, in lieu of an opening, here’s a cool infographic about Elon Musk’s Twitter. What he’s tweeted about most, what hashtags he’s used, and all of it put into a very cool chart with a timeline. I found it fascinating, I hope you do too.
I will say that I have put my favourite article this week at the top. The Northern Lights are high up on my bucket list, and as soon as I have the opportunity, I’m heading as far north as I can so I can (hopefully) just stare up at the sky for hours. After seeing these photos, I’m sure many of you will be as mesmerised as I am, and will come with me to fall asleep in a glass igloo with nothing but the clear, cold air and the aurora above us.
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!
Once again, I neglected to Mention Daniel Rabinovitch as a correct answer to last week’s riddle. Second time in a row. I’m so sorry. Please know I have performed self-flagellation as penance. There were THREE correct answers to last week’s brainteaser. Well done to Ariel Subotzky, Ori Tobias, and Josh Hazan. The answer and this week’s riddle are below.
If you don’t like Musk (and lord knows many people don’t), there are many other articles to peruse. This week you can see some insane photos of the northern lights, learn about common maths equations that will (and have) changed your life, how deep learning is showing the gender bias in our language, a super luxe, super-fast, super cool train, a town that climbed a hill, tips for perfect pasta, and ones man’s crazy journey with hallucinogens.
Keep those articles (and everything else) coming,
Have a great week,
Dovi
And now, the articles:
The 2021 Northern Lights Photographer of The Year
Photographing the Northern Lights is an otherworldly experience. There aren’t many events as moving as seeing the aurora borealis dance and illuminate the night sky with mesmerizing movements and vibrant colours.
5 Math Equations That Change the Way You See the World
Trying to make math cool is like trying to make "not holding your breath for five minutes" cool: It already is, and anyone thinking otherwise struggles through life with significantly reduced mental abilities.
The Gender Bias Inside GPT-3
(Courtesy of Yisroel Greenberg)
The 2022 theme for International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias. With that in mind, I decided to do a little experiment to see what GPT-3 can show us about the gender bias that’s built into our language.
Japan’s Ferrari-Designed Luxury Sleeper Train Takes Its Maiden Voyage
Japan’s champagne-coloured fancy sleeper train, the train suite Shiki-Shima, has been dubbed the world’s most luxurious mode of public transport.
The Illinois Town That Got Up And Left
The US town of Valmeyer relocated decades ago after devastating floods. It may have lessons for communities forced to consider a managed retreat from climate impacts today.
How To Tell If Your Spaghetti Is Perfectly Done Using Just a Simple Ruler
(Courtesy of Dovi Joel)
You can still go with the time-honoured tradition of throwing a strand against the wall.
The Curious Life and Mind-Altering Death of Justin Clark
It’s rare to become addicted to esoteric hallucinogens. But it’s not impossible.
Quote of the Week:
“Patience is not passive, on the contrary, it is concentrated strength.” ― Bruce Lee
Facts of the Week:
One of the pilgrims on the Mayflower sailed with 139 pairs of shoes.
First names of pilgrims on the Mayflower included Remember, Resolve, Humility, Truelove, and Wrestling.
When the royal family changed its name in 1917 because it was too German, new names considered included Guelf, Wipper, Wettin, Tudor-Stuart, and England.
The Royal family is named after Windsor Castle.
A man in Rio has lived in a sandcastle since 1996.
Saturn's moon Titan has electrostatic sand that would be perfect for sandcastles.
The world’s largest sandcastle was built in Germany, 180 km from the coast.
You can be fined €1000 for taking sand from Sardinia.
Cartoon of the Week:
Tweet of the Week:
Special Ides of March Themed Headline of the Week:
Brainteaser of the Week:
Your friend chooses at random a card from a standard deck of 52 cards, and keeps this card concealed. You have to guess which of the 52 cards it is.
Before your guess, you can ask your friend one of the following three questions:
is the card red?
is the card a face card? (Jack, Queen or King)
is the card the ace of spades?
Your friend will answer truthfully. What question would you ask that gives you the best chance of guessing the correct card?
Last Week’s Brainteaser and Answer:
A car covers its outward journey at 66 mph.
It returns, over exactly the same distance, at 33 mph.
What is the car’s average speed over the entire journey?
Answer:
44 mph (or 70.811kph).
When ducks sleep in a row, the ones at either end sleep with their outside eyes open, looking for predators.
Fish swim faster in city rivers than in country rivers.
The first English reference to fish and chip shops called them “a considerable source of nuisance”.
Shops sell more clothes if their mannequins have heads.
Shrews’ heads are 20% bigger in the summer than in winter.
The pen-tailed tree shrew’s entire diet is fermented nectar containing up to 3.8% alcohol.
Alcohol helps you speak foreign languages better.
The International Bartenders Association recognises only 77 cocktails.