Happy holidays, everyone! I watched a movie called The Holdovers on Christmas Day, and it was terrific. It's a holiday movie I would recommend it to all my friends.
This holiday season, I prepared a long content album with interesting stories, books and podcasts, movies and music. Whether you are staying at home for fun or on a trip, you can take out your phone from time to time to watch or listen to it. I call this episode Holiday Brain Treats.
News stories
1.As the year draws to a close, various reviews and summaries are essential. Every year, I will read the book lists recommended by major media outlets: The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Financial Times, and The Economist. I will also check out the movie, TV show, and music charts: The New Yorker Music Chart, The New Yorker Movie Chart, and The New Yorker TV Chart.
By the way, when it comes to book recommendations, it is definitely impossible to bypass TikTok now. The influence of BookTok is far beyond imagination. They also have a list: The 10 Best Books of 2023. I will write my own recommendations when I have time. First of all, my favorite movies are Afire and The Holdovers. I will release a Spotify playlist for music if I have the chance.
2.Not long ago, a plane powered by sugar and fat successfully crossed the Atlantic Ocean, with carbon emissions directly reduced by 70%; What happens when a horse breaks free on a plane?
3.Oxford University Press said that the word of the year for 2023 is rizz. You may be unfamiliar with this word. It means: defined as style, charm, or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.
4.The US military provides slot machines for soldiers serving overseas. Over 3,000 slot machines generate $100 million in revenue for the US military each year. (Wow! Directly recover the salary paid out.)
5.A menu signed by Mao Zedong sold for $250,000 at an auction.
6.A famous corn chip manufacturer is no longer satisfied with producing chips, so they made a cheese-flavored wine.
7.It is said that Taylor Swift ran wildly every day to prepare for her 3-hour world tour, while singing wildly. A fan tried her workout and said she couldn't handle it as a ultra-runner.
8.If you had to choose one drug that made a breakthrough in 2023, it would definitely be Ozempic, known as the "weight loss wonder drug."
9.Scientists have discovered that this bird is truly hermaphroditic (half male and half female); Scientists have begun to teach parrots to make video calls to other parrots. (Wait a minute, can't our close relatives chimpanzees make video calls?)
10.Let's look at some technological advances: as we all know, one of the important reasons for the development of VR or AR glasses is the battery. Scientists recently invented a battery as thin as the human cornea that can be powered by tears. In the future, it may be possible to display information on invisible glasses;
Scientists are also developing transparent wood. If you ask what it is for, it is mainly for building;
Scientists have successfully cultivated some brain tissue and connected it to electronic devices. The prototype of the biological computer has been born;
A laser camera using AI can read human heart rate features from a distance, so doctors don't need a stethoscope.
11.In China, the number of branded coffee shops has now exceeded that of the United States;
Many people don't know that before humans really started drinking coffee, they mainly used coffee to wash their hands. (I feel so extravagant after just buying expensive coffee beans.)
12.At Yale University, everyone can get an A grade now. Is this a good thing?
13.Laughter is a universal language, but different languages have different ways of expressing laughter in online communication. Some languages use hhhhhh, some use kkkkkk, and some use wwwwww. Please see: How people laugh online.
14.Why are Americans getting shorter and shorter?
15.At the end of the year, many people will sigh that time flies. In fact, the perception of time is largely influenced by the language you use. Many multilingual users will find that the perception of the flow of time is not the same when using different languages.
16.A survey found that every day, 11 million US dollars in change is given to TikTok broadcasters around the world.
Random Thoughts
1.The man who finds his homeland sweet is still a tender beginner; he to whom every soil is as his native one is already strong; but he is perfect to whom the entire world is as a foreign land. - Hugo of Saint Victor 把家乡当作故乡的人童稚初开;把天下当作故乡的人心灵强大;但把天下当作异乡的人,他是完美的。
2.People often overlook what they already have, but become incredibly concerned with what they've just lost, even if it's just a tiny part.
3.You don’t rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems. -James Clear
4.Truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it. Ignorance may deride it. Malice may distort it. But there it is. - Winston Churchill
5.Emotions are thorny visitors offering insight and wisdom.
6.Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest. - Maya Angelou
7.You’re always making the best choice based on your current understanding. Don’t try to change the choice - change the understanding. - Naval
Happy Hour
1.24 Places Worth Visiting in 2024.
2.Two Camera Stories. The first one is about an edible camera made of gingerbread that can take instant photos;
The second one is the story behind the development of a LEGO Polaroid camera model.
3.Why are fashionistas around the world starting to wear ballet flats?
4.The ten strangest Guinness World Records of 2023 worldwide.
5.Picture Talk: Which car holds its value the best in the used car market?
6.It is well known that public transportation promotes green travel and drives urban economic development. Should public transportation be free? Listen to this podcast to find out.
7.Why do humans have wisdom teeth?
8.Penguins are true masters of sleep, sleeping thousands of times a day, with each sleep lasting only a few seconds. (Doesn't that count as napping at most?)
9.When Boston Dynamics released their robotic dog, people weren't impressed with its cold appearance. Now, this artist is attempting to teach the robot dog to paint, and some of the artwork is surprisingly good.
10.We all know Bitcoin is a virtual currency, and recently, this artist designed what Bitcoin banknotes could look like.
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Happy holiday.