Category: article
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Deadly Men
Why men die earlier than women → https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-men-often-die-earlier-than-women-201602199137 “Men die earlier than women” is one of those things we all learn as a kid, and I always thought it was just a genetic thing. It turns out this is only partially true — it’s actually mainly behavioral, and this article does a nice job of…
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Olympic Feeding
What it takes to provide food for the Olympics → https://www.eater.com/24172073/paris-2024-olympics-athlete-food-summer-games With all the research & testing that has gone into figuring out what the best foods for athletes should be, the lowly banana remains the favorite, no matter where in the world people are from.
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Dentist Visits
You don’t really need to visit the dentist every 6 months → https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/05/do-you-need-a-dentist-visit-every-6-months-that-filling-the-data-is-weak/ The more you read about dentists, the more you realize that much of dental care isn’t based upon evidence. We assume that all medical professionals are all talented, but the reality is that they’re just human, so their skills probably conform to…
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Coin Ridges
Why some coins have ridges on their edges → https://nowiknow.com/why-some-coins-have-ridges/ I can’t remember the last time I used paper cash, let alone a coin. It’s all how just numbers moving from one account to another to another.
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Chile Length
Why the country of Chile is so long → https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/why-is-chile-so-long I think we all know Chile is really long, but I had no idea it would run from San Antonio to the far North of Canada. I’ve never felt a burning desire to visit there, but I now feel the urge to travel all of…
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Dew Point
The Dew Point is all that matters when you want to know how hot it is → https://www.vox.com/culture/23352672/dew-point-humidity-weather-apps-explained And memorize this scale to translate:
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GPS Explainer
How GPS works & what its future looks like → https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/02/world/gps-threats.html I thought most folks in the US would be off work today, but I’ve never seen more people working in our common areas. I guess they all get to work from home today. From all appearances, the work they’re actually doing is pure appearance.…
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Best Dogs
Ranking of the best supermarket hot dogs → https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/07/02/best-hot-dog-brands-taste-test/ Just got back from the market & this is clearly the start of hot dog season here in the US: Every brand was on sale, as were rolls, and everybody was buying them. Including me. Also: This is my third link in three days from The…
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Forecasting Accuracy
See how accurate the weather forecast normally is around the US → https://wapo.st/4eM3VuO I think weather forecasting has come so far, and am amazed how accurate they mostly are, sometimes even a week out. I still learned a lot from this article, though, and was surprised that the middle of the country is the hardest…
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Religious Map
US maps showing religions distributions → https://wapo.st/3VPcxbC I expected to see more religions, more diversity, on the main map — there’s essentially only five main groups. Later in the article you see maps showing all the smaller religions, and it’s there you realize how much smaller they really are, and how those populations tend to…
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Unsolved Mysteries
17 scientific mysteries that researchers still can’t solve → https://www.vox.com/unexplainable/24094267/17-scientific-mysteries-unsolved-dark-matter-life The scientific method has been so powerful at uncovering the world/universe we live, and how it works. But the emphasis should be on “method”, as discovering the truth is clearly sometimes a long, long slog, almost unending for some of the fundamental questions. Folks who…
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Avocado Country
Avocados are now a staple food in the US → https://tastecooking.com/the-united-states-of-avocado/ I know things change –I love that things change!– but it’s still crazy to me that a food I didn’t even know existed when I was growing up is now standard is most US homes, and eaten by pretty much everyone.
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Pet Ownership
Having a pet might not be the 100% positive thing you’ve been led to believe → https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/06/is-having-a-pet-good-for-you-the-fuzzy-science-of-pet-ownership/ In the end, I don’t think there’s strong/much evidence that owning a pet isn’t good for you. Rather, I liked this “debunking” article because it got into the details of how studies are funded & done, and that…
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Breath Work
Our breathing changes when we’re working on the computer → https://www.npr.org/2024/06/10/1247296780/screen-apnea-why-screens-cause-shallow-breathing We all think that breathing just happens without thinking. This is true, but that doesn’t always mean it’s good breathing, and you notice this once you start paying attention to it. I’ve read the book mentioned in this article, and it’s fascinating (eg. improper…
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Ouija Boards
A good explanation of what’s really going on with Ouija boards → https://www.vox.com/2016/10/29/13301590/how-ouija-boards-work-debunked-ideomotor-effect Folks don’t seem to talk about Ouija boards like they did back in the day (maybe kids still do?), but I couldn’t resist posting this debunking. I especially like it because it goes deep into what’s really going, even proposing that there…
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Warm Spice
The warmer the country, the spicier the food → https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/spiciest-food-in-world Having spent lots of time traveling in hot countries, I can confirm that eating spicy food there does actually help you cool you down. However, what they don’t tell you is that the cool-down isn’t necessarily comfortable: The reason you cool down is that the…
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Sunscreen Use
How to apply & use sunscreen correctly → https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240607-are-you-using-suncream-correctly Another post about sunscreen? Yep. Summer is here, and I’m terrified of getting too much sun, so I pay an unusual amount of attention to this topic. There are worse things to obsess over.
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Jesus Story
Scholars are one step closer to piecing together the story of the story Jesus → https://wapo.st/4cowgWl I’m an atheist, so this has nothing to do with religious faith for me. Rather, I love history, so am very interested in learning more about how he became the most influential person in history. This new text was…
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Coffee Bank
Why banks are becoming like coffee shops → https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-10/chase-citibank-bofa-take-bank-branch-design-cues-from-starbucks-aesop At the same time, coffee shops seem to be becoming more like banks, where there is not much seating, so you’re merely there to stand in line to place your order, or just lingering to wait for your takeout drink.
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Tongue Taste
Your tongue is not divided into taste zones → https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/29/science/taste-buds-tongue-map.html I have anosmia, so this taste thing is now mostly foreign to me most of the time (I love Prednisone!), but I’m always looking for & interested in debunking beliefs lots of us have always had.
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Drake Equation
The equation that predicts the probability of alien life might need to be updated to include planetary plate tectonics → https://gizmodo.com/drake-equation-update-fermi-paradox-intelligent-life-1851503974 I specifically remember first learning about plate tectonics in science class back in the day. I also remember the teacher saying that the hypothesis was controversial and still needed more data to be proved…
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Lunch Time
A detailed description & history of Lunch around the world → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch Three statements that I’ll not explain nor defend:
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Deadly Selfies
Selfies are more deadly than sharks → https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024/01/16/selfies-are-more-lethal-than-shark-attacks-should-more-tourist-destinations-ban-them Just something to keep in mind as summer begins & we’re heading to the beach: The danger lies not in the ocean, but in your hand.
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Carrot Myth
WWII propaganda is what led us to believe that eating carrots helps you see better in the dark → https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-wwii-propaganda-campaign-popularized-the-myth-that-carrots-help-you-see-in-the-dark-28812484/ I love starting off the week with a good historical debunking. That said, do kids today still believe this? I feel like I haven’t heard anybody say this in years & years.
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Pink Noise
Pink noise might be better for you to sleep to than white noise → https://wapo.st/3R5t4GT It sure is for me. I started listening to night noise back in the day by falling asleep to a cooling fan every night. Now I need it, especially living in a noisy part of DC. I’ve tried all the…
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Sunscreen Ingredients
Europeans have better sunscreens because of better ingredients because of better regulations → https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/sunscreen-united-states-fda-ingredients-rcna153526 I’m terrified of the sun & skin cancer, so have put sunscreen on my face daily for many years. I was only able to do this because I found a cream that protects well & is easy to apply. That last…
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War Production
The US industrial output during WW2 was incredible, and doubled in just four years → https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-war/war-production/ So many interesting facts in this one: There was a cost to all this, of course, and going to a relative’s funeral earlier this week at Arlington Nation Cemetery was a good reminder of this. It’s Memorial Day weekend…
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Human Cockroaches
An explainer of why cockroaches only exist & survive because of humans → https://wapo.st/3UQ3Flt We like to think that cockroaches will outlast humans, but the truth is they’re only here because of us. They need us as much as a past startup I worked for needed me — I was the official office cockroach stomper,…
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X Twitter
The Twitter URL is now X.com → https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/17/23829098/twitter-x-com-url-links-switch Obviously you know Twitter, and that they’ve changed their name to X. But several times I’ve said that I won’t start calling it X until they change their URL. Welp, they did, so hello X 👋 Want to receive an instant, daily, or weekly email for all…
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Killer Worms
For years, the US & Panama have been at war keeping flesh-eating worms out of North America → https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/05/flesh-eating-worms-disease-containment-america-panama/611026/ I feel like this is one of those stories you don’t have to be convinced to read — the title & subject alone sell it. Two fun facts related to article:
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Texas Trash
The origin story for “Don’t Mess with Texas” isn’t what you think it is → https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/trashy-beginnings-dont-mess-texas-180962490/ I like Texas, and have spent lots of time there, but their self-love is as big as the state. I’ve known the truth about this slogan for years, and have tried to explain it to folks. But they just…
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Bidet Converts
The pandemic converted folks into bidet users → https://wapo.st/3QFaZis It makes me happy that The Washington Post keeps posting articles about bidets, and even happier that they use such fun photos/GIFs for them. What makes me happiest, however, are bidets. You see, I am one of pandemic converts. After tiring of buying one precious roll…
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Beethoven’s Lead
Beethoven’s deafness & ailments were likely caused by lead → https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/health/beethoven-deaf-lead-hair.html I love that science can detect this after so many years (and that scientists are still trying to learn more about Beethoven’s issues & death). The article also gives lots of good little info nuggets about his 9th Symphony, including: “He set the poem…
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Persistent Superstition
Some potential reasons why humans are, still, superstitious → https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-we-still-superstitious/ In a world where 84% of people are, still, religious, I’m not surprised that superstition remains. I’m also not surprised that it’s somewhat related to our old friend, Placebo. Science can advance as much as it wants, but it will never fully defeat the human…
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Continental Divide
Short animation that explains why 80% of US folks live in the Eastern half of the country → https://twitter.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1787467244554834373 Geographical determinism will forever be fascinating, and this animation does a great job showing how it’s impacted settlement in the US.
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Iodized Salt
Most salt in the US has iodine added to it because of geographical-based deficiencies → https://wapo.st/4aXfBZz I’ve heard of the “rust belt” in the US, but never the “goiter belt”. Also the following quote could have only come from world before the industrialization and globalization of food & trade: “the soil there didn’t have much…
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Bad Sofas
The reason so many of the new-type couches are so uncomfortable → https://www.dwell.com/article/dtc-sofa-crisis-32304b9e My fancy apartment building has the most uncomfortable couches throughout all the common areas. They look amazing, and that’s all they do — to sit in them is to not want to sit in them. So, I was hoping this article would…
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Writing Jokes
A step-by-step article on how Taylor Tomlinson wrote a joke, including performance video snippets as she workshopped it over time → https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/02/13/arts/television/taylor-tomlinson-have-it-all-netflix.html Such a well done NYT piece showing how much work & iteration goes into writing & performing a joke, and how specific & detailed it can get, eg. one syllable names are “funnier”.…
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Fear Science
An article on the science of “fear”, including identifying the only two innate human fears → https://www.cnn.com/2015/10/29/health/science-of-fear/index.html I mean, it’s crazy to think we might only have been born with two fears. That means that pretty much everything we’re afraid is learned, and just in our heads. This sorta aligns with my belief that fear…
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Spelling Bee
The history of the spelling bee in the US → https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/history-spelling-bee-180971916 That these exist might be the long term effect of the Puritans & bible is pretty amazing. Also amazing, and of course it’s true, but there wasn’t set spelling for words prior to the first dictionary coming out in the 17th century. Turns out…
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Recycling Guide
A helpful, picture-based guide to what trash can be recycled → https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/recycling-guide-arlington-fairfax-mclean-falls-church-virginia/ This is for Arlington, Virginia, but much of it applies to anywhere in the US. That said, I don’t think I realized that glass isn’t really recycled along with other stuff anymore, in some places. I sure hope my (continuing) ignorance doesn’t mean…
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Food Origins
A map of where the world’s 151 staple crops originated → https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/food-origins-map Like it or not, you’re a globalist. Bon appetite!
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Don’t Rinse
You’re not supposed to rinse your mouth after you brush your teeth → https://wapo.st/43ZTUW0 I like when we learn this stuff we were all ignorant of. However, that’s the most insidious thing about ignorance — what other basic things are we all messing up right now without knowing it‽ Speaking of that word, I wish…
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Eclipse Tourism
US Cities that saw just the biggest tourism increases because of the recent eclipse → https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-04-11/the-us-cities-that-saw-the-biggest-solar-eclipse-tourism-boost-citylab-daily The Rust Belt should organize eclipses much more often. Also interesting to think about how important the weather forecast was in feeding into this, and just how good weather forecasting has become. Early on, most folks read about/knew who…
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YouTube Rules
YouTube is the US’s most popular social media site, music destination, and one of the country’s largest cable TV providers → https://wapo.st/4aAohoE Everybody with kids knows their kids log tons of time on YouTube, but I don’t think they understand how big & important YouTube really is to ALL people. I’d say 80% of my…
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Checked Bag$
Why airlines charge so much for checked bags → https://theconversation.com/why-do-airlines-charge-so-much-for-checked-bags-this-obscure-rule-helps-explain-why-225857 I finished doing my taxes today (yep, you still gotta pay taxes, even when you haven’t had a standard, paying job in 15+ months), so this is a great, bitter day to post this article. Economists will tell you incentives are everything, and the US…
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Eclipse Path
An in-depth, map-based look at the areas & terrain the solar eclipse totality will be following across the US on Monday 8-Apr-2024 → https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2024/map-totality-solar-eclipse-locations/ Most of the US won’t actually be able to see the total eclipse, so this scroll-through article is perhaps a better way to experience it.
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AllTrails App
A good summary article on the great AllTrails hiking app → https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/31/style/alltrails.html I’ve used the AllTrails app many, many times, and can vouch for how great it is for both planning, and for when you’re actually on the trail. If you hike lots in remote areas, it’s also worth it to pay for AllTrails+ so…
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Swearing Trends
This history & current state of profanity → https://www.vox.com/culture/24098830/holy-shit-brief-history-profanity-melissa-mohr-what-the-f-benjamin-bergen-praise-michael-adams I don’t think I swear that much, and I definitely still notice when I do. I don’t think I’ll ever change much in either of these regards. I also don’t think I’ve noticed my friends & colleagues swearing more than they used to. So, I’m going…
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Red Bull
A history of Red Bull & the Red Bull Vodka drink → https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/a60309606/red-bull-vodka Cheers!
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Chasing Productivity
An article that examines our current obsession with productivity → https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a60268078/productivity-journey-review I admit it: I’m constantly thinking about productivity, and have read many of the books out there. I think it’s one of the costs of trying to build my own tiny business. But I also don’t particularly mind that I’m chasing it, and there’s…
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State Names
A map of the US showing what each State’s name translates to in the language it came from → https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/american-state-names-translation-map One of the things you quickly realize when researching the history of US place names is how many of them were influenced by what American Indians called them. Which makes it even sadder that they…
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Chinese Restaurants
US immigration law is behind why there are so many Chinese food restaurants in the US → https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/22/467113401/lo-mein-loophole-how-u-s-immigration-law-fueled-a-chinese-restaurant-boom My post about Thai restaurants got me thinking about all the Chinese ones, and turns out there’s an interesting story there as well. One of my favorite things to learn about is unintended consequences (I even have…
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Thai Restaurants
The Thai government is behind why there are so many Thai food restaurants in the US → https://www.vice.com/en/article/paxadz/the-surprising-reason-that-there-are-so-many-thai-restaurants-in-america Culinary Diplomacy is a thing. Related: Pad Thai was invented by the government to do exactly what it did. Supply-induced demand is a thing! You can read a much deeper take on this topic, and Thailand, in…
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Pub Names
Why so many Irish Pubs seem to have similar names → https://wapo.st/3TzoGBA This article could really just be a social media post with “The tradition of Irish pubs including surnames can be traced back to, well, Ireland. An 1872 law required all pubs to display the owner’s name above the door.” Still an interesting read,…
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Changed Names
Family names were not changed at Ellis Island → https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2024/01/no-ones-name-was-changed-at-ellis-island.html I was listening to an episode of one of my favorite podcasts today and a discussion of this came up. It turns out that we all believed that family names were changed because some of the family members used to actually say this. They figured…
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App Monetization
A new report shows that most subscription mobile apps don’t make money → https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/12/most-subscription-mobile-apps-dont-make-money-new-report-shows/ “Seeing the actual monetization figures could be a shock to those who think they have what it takes to beat the odds.” Yep. Yep, indeed.
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Nocebo Effects
A Nocebo is the opposite of a Placebo → https://quillette.com/2024/03/11/the-placebo-effects-evil-twin The most powerful drug or treatment ever invented is the Placebo, so to learn of its evil twin was a thrill. Expectations in humans are some of the greatest moments we have, so of course there is a dark side to them. Time-traveling can be…
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Circle Slash
The history of the red circle with a slash ‘Do Not’ symbol → https://tedium.co/2024/03/09/red-circle-slash-no-symbol-history What a journey we’re taken on here: The League of Nations; who invented stoplights; World War II; Ghostbusters. The article also triggered a memory for me: When I was traveling in Europe last year, I finally realized that all the Stop…
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Daylight Savings
Daylight savings time is worse for your body than standard time → https://wapo.st/4375XjW I think I read every article they throw at me during these switch-over times a year, but this animation/interactive article is the best way I’ve seen to get the info across. I had no idea the proposed move to always daylight time…
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Healthy Sitting
You don’t have to do much to counteract the effects of sitting for long periods → https://arnoldspumpclub.com/blogs/newsletter/stay-healthy-sit-day Don’t laugh at who’s site this is — he’s/it’s actually pretty great. It’s super positive, and full of helpful info & advice. Subscribing to his daily newsletter is worth the added Inbox clutter. That said, all health, nutrition,…
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Paris Invader
Paris has their own Banksy-like guerilla artist, Invader → https://apnews.com/article/paris-olympics-invader-street-art-banksy-f6c2821e22d33bfdd9f86f378dc82d8c One year ago today I was actually wrapping up a week in Paris. On one of my first days there I took a group walking/metro tour of the city, and the guide pointed out an Invader 👾 to us, but didn’t really explain the whole…
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Unneeded Stretching
Stretching science shows that stretching has almost no measurable benefits → https://www.painscience.com/articles/stretching.php Well, this is surprising, no? Almost as surprising is that the author himself still stretches. This is a supremely comprehensive article, so I’m inclined to believe the premise, even though is seems almost too contrary. One of the cool things about running a…
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Map Secrets
Those rascally Swiss map makers have slipped some Easter eggs into their maps over the years → https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/swiss-map-secrets Although probably easier to create, I imagine our move to online maps has probably increased the ability of the un-fun bosses to catch hijinx like this before they get published, which is just shame.
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Miracle Chips
An interactive article that shows you how microchips are made & just how small they are → https://ig.ft.com/microchips/ Look, I know this article, like chips, is dense. I had to read a few sections a few times to understand them. You can still learn lots just by scrolling through the whole thing. Do that, though,…
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Longer Life
Live a longer life by following these “Power 9” rules → https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/blue-zones-power-9 If you’re human, and on the internet, I’m sure you’ve consumed many, many things that tell you how live a longer and/or better life (including from me, last week!) Yes, this is yet another. But I also think it’s a good distillation of…
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Moist Hate
The science behind why people hate the word Moist → https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64984/science-behind-why-people-hate-word-moist I agree with the hate for this word. Also terrible: Slacks & Fanny. My favorite word is Subtle — I mean, how great is that is has the subtly silent b in it‽
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Surnames Map
A map of the most popular last name in every country → https://www.netcredit.com/blog/most-common-name-country/ This is endlessly fascinating, and not just because it’s a map. I especially like the Key/colors that detail the origin category for each name — so many questions! (also interesting this map/page was created by a bank that seems to now be…
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Bidet Health
Bidets are good for your health, the environment, and your bank account → https://wapo.st/3SJLQDz I will never stop talking about bidets and how great they are. As this article shows, it’s not just me that thinks that, that knows that. We also now know we’re cleaner than you; healthier than you; happier than you. Heathens.…
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Geography Facts
19 facts about geography that are surprising and/or counter-intuitive → https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/geography-facts-change-your-perspective It’s been awhile since I posted a listicle, and there is never enough geography & map knowledge to learn. Is my love of maps related to why I like traveling so much? Perhaps, but I don’t think it’s a direct connection. Once you’ve traveled…
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Body Temp
Men & women really do need the room to be different temperatures → https://wapo.st/3OHGB63 Cold rooms are better than hot rooms. That I think this is not my fault. Science wins again.
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Latchkey Incontinence
Having to pee more the closer you get to a bathroom is a real thing → https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/why-do-you-have-pee-closer-you-get-bathroom You always hear that folks who have a mystery medical issues feel so relieved when the specific ailment they have is identified, even though nothing has really changed except their knowledge. That’s what this article does to me.…
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Heat Pumps
Article that explains & interactively visualizes how heat pumps work → https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2023/dec/23/heat-pumps-science-visualised We hear about them more & more these days, but I had no idea how they worked before reading this. File this one in the “boring, yet strangely interesting” category (which is just fine after yesterday’s emotion).
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Reggaeton Beats
An informative, interactive, and fun way to learn learn about reggaeton → https://wapo.st/49CBQmD If you’ve heard music playing in the background at all in the past few years, you’ve heard these beats, especially the dembow. Trust me, you have, it’s everywhere: out of apartment windows; from cars; blasting from that bicyclist who has taken the time…
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Greenland Ice
Ice harvested in Greenland is shipped & sold to exclusive bars in the UAE → https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/09/greenland-startup-shipping-glacier-ice-cocktail-bars-uae-arctic-ice At first glance this seems extraordinarily wasteful & stupid. But the article slightly makes the case that this ice trade is not as wasteful as you think. Luxury ice is still stupid, of course, but at least the shipping…
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Literary Math
A 3rd century poet discovered & popularized in the 18th century is proven to be fraudulent in the 21st century, using math → https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/ossian-literary-hoax-james-macpherson-fingal-mathematics-social-network-study-a7371806.html I think it’s fascinating they used mathematical techniques to expose a literary hoax. That said, was it a hoax? I mean, if people (Thomas Jefferson! Napoleon!) enjoyed the poetry, does it…
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Guyana Oil
Guyana has the highest per-capita oil reserves in the world, and is thus now embarking on ambitious development plans → https://americasquarterly.org/article/can-guyana-beat-the-resource-curse/ It’s going to be fascinating to watch this modern-day natural experiment testing if the resource curse is inevitable. Time for all of us to learn where Guyana is on the map.
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Work Loyalty
Our relationship with work has changed a lot over the past few years → https://www.businessinsider.com/loyalty-employee-employer-job-security-broken-work-companies-bosses-2024-1 I think there’s way too much emotion, and perceived grievances, embedded within this article, but it’s still an interesting read that helps you better understand the workplace of today. One things it, surprisingly, doesn’t mention is the diabolical notion that…
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Food Trends
The US is trending away from Italy & towards Latin America → https://www.axios.com/2023/04/14/food-trends-us-restaurant-menu-tacos I think on board with pretty much all these trends. I’ve been background-craving Tex-Mex a lot in the last months, and haven’t really given in to it much. So, I hereby declare my return to it in 2024. Expect to hear about…
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PB&J NBA
Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches secretly fuel the NBA → https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/presents18931717/the-nba-secret-addiction It seems NBA players mostly agree with my pick here. And I love that this article is on ESPN, and not on some food site like Eater or Epicurious.
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Drive-Thrus
Drive-thrus now account for 70% of sales for some fast-food joints, and cities don’t like them → https://cnn.com/2023/06/24/business/drive-thru-fast-food-chick-fil-a-urban-planning/index.html I’ve never liked drive-thrus. I don’t have a car, and I live in the city, so it’s not really a choice I ever have to make, but still. I know they make sense when you have kids,…
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Crime Interest
Interest rates and crime rates are related → https://thecrimereport.org/2016/12/06/the-startling-link-between-low-interest-rates-and-low-crime/ So many articles have been, and will be, written about what causes crime. That’s why I think this article is refreshing — it uses economic stats to help identify a potential reason. It’s a pretty simple progression and it seems to make sense: Societal instability →…
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House Differences
19 differences between British & American houses → https://theportablewife.com/living-abroad/moving-to-london/british-vs-american-houses-differences/ So much history is embedded in these differences. That history is stuff we Americans don’t even know we don’t know — the definition of ignorant. It’s also great insight in the different cultures, different geographies, and differing philosophies of government. What a great article.
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American Toilets
Toilets, and toilet culture, in the US is different than anywhere else → https://brightlightsofamerica.com/2016/03/americas-weird-toilets/ It’d been so long since I’d posted about toilets, I figured it was time. It turns out our American toilets & toilet habits are weird. As it posting about bathrooms on your blog all the time…
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Big Alaska
A way-too-detailed article on why Alaska is so big → https://isolatedtraveller.com/how-big-is-alaska/ We forget about good ol’ 49, but we shouldn’t. It’s big. One thing I think about is the long-term impacts of climate change on it — will we benefit it in terms of access to usable land & valuable deposits? Or will we lose…
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Helmet Stickers
An explainer of the stickers the Michigan football team has on their helmets → https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2024/01/08/michigan-football-helmet-stickers-explained-wolverines-decals/72098779007/ I’ve always assumed those stickers were all the same and had to do with specific accomplishments, eg. a sack or TD catch. Turns out they’re much more creative, inspiring, & goofy. Little kids obviously like stickers, but if we’re being…
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Drop Bears
Australians invented an unique, indigenous animal just for tourists → https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/drop-bear/ I’m a seasoned traveler, right? So, no way I’d fall for this, right? But I did, back in 2009, when I was taking a tour of the areas around Uluru. The guides really played it up, and it wasn’t until we “found” one in…
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Detox Detoxing
Detoxes are unneeded & don’t do anything your body doesn’t already do naturally → https://slate.com/technology/2023/12/holiday-detox-you-dont-need-to-heres-why.html One of my great joys continues to be finding articles that de-bunk commonly-held “beliefs”. And this detox myth is one of the things that always bugs me most at the start of each new year. That said, I’ve learned it’s…
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Book Flood
Books are the most popular Christmas gift in Iceland → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Christmas_book_flood Yet another reason to love Iceland, and Icelanders. The Jólabókaflóðið is one of the things that Icelanders are most proud of, and make sure to tell all tourists. Pretty sure I heard about it four or five times when I was there.
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Global Laughter
How different languages laugh online → https://restofworld.org/2023/how-people-laugh-online/ Super interesting the way that some languages play with their alphabets and how characters look & sound, what’s possible on modern keyboards, and how history is embedded within all. Also a very cool of way of presenting the information. гггг!
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Lemming Myth
Lemmings don’t actually commit mass suicide → https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=56 Not sure any of us thought that Disney would be the bad guy, and Lemmings the victim, with this (mis)belief.
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Airplane Contrails
Airplane contrails have more climate warming impact than burning jet fuel does → https://wapo.st/3v6a2rK It turns out that those cool parallel lines we see in the sky are doing some damage. I hope they figure out how to fix this, as I still think flying is magic, and no part of me wants to do…
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Santa Belief
The average age kids stop believing in Santa, by State → https://todayshomeowner.com/blog/guides/not-believing-in-santa-by-state/ Once again Mississippi is an outlier, and not in a good way. Which is consistent with their normal education performance. It’s especially amazing because two of their neighbors have some of the youngest “reveal” ages. This probably means the neighbors don’t go to…
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Flying Rules
52 rules that all sane, considerate people should abide by when flying → https://wapo.st/3v1PPTR Curiously, I agree with every single one of these, including “No reclining. No exceptions.” (LOL they list exceptions). I can’t remember the last time I read a judgmental list like this in which I agreed with everything. I’m worried I might…
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Viking Helmets
Viking helmets never had horns → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_helmet#Popular_association_with_Vikings Yep, that means the Minnesota Viking helmets & mascot are totally wrong. The article doesn’t explain it, but the reason that some folks thought the Viking helmets did have horns is that they found Viking drinking horns (which they used for…drinking) next to the helmets, and just assumed…
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Secret Math
A physicist came up with a formula to determine how long a conspiracy theory “secret” can be kept “true” for → https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/math-formula-charts-the-lifespan-of-hoaxes We’re now awash in conspiracy theories, and then books, articles, and posts debunking them & explaining why humans love believing them so much. So it was refreshing to see this article address it…
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Cold Exposure
A detailed, science-based explanation of what cold water bathing does & why it’s good for you → https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter/the-science-and-use-of-cold-exposure-for-health-and-performance I fell in love with cold water plunging & soaking in Iceland, so it’s nice to know there’s a reason it felt so good. I’ve tried re-creating it with some cold showers from time to time, but…
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Periodic Chart
Interesting way of showing how we use, in real life, each of the elements in the periodic chart → https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/502751/illustrated-periodic-table-shows-how-we-regularly-interact-each-element I was going to make it a tool theme here this week, but maybe it’s now transmuted into periodic chart week. You can even buy a poster of today’s chart here. I think I once…
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Leftover Shelf-life
Here’s how long each of the Thanksgiving leftover dishes are safe to eat → https://www.verywellhealth.com/thanksgiving-leftovers-food-safety-8404592 Food week is still going. I love leftovers, and really base my whole diet around them: Cook one big batch of something on Monday and then eat the leftovers for the rest of the week. So, it’s good to have…
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