Horse Poo: A New Crystal Ball for Racing Predictions
LoL Newsletter Issue 112
As a reminder, I'm Frank Xu, a curious person. This is my newsletter called Lord of Light (LoL). I've started this newsletter this year, offering what I describe as "Bespoke observations on news stories, random thoughts and a sip of happy hour". It is 70% fat-free, though the perceived fat ratio may vary depending on your taste in the topics I write about. Enjoy your reading.
Welcome to the 112th issue of free Lord of Light newsletter. You can also join the membership to enjoy weekly exclusive long-form content. Recent articles include:
Childhood Education of Extraordinary People
Perfect Days： fleeting moments of Komorebi
How to Cheer Yourself Up When You Feel Stuck
News Stories
1. Those who have lived in the UK for a while know that all swans belong to the royal family, as they are all, more or less, descendants of William I. Every year, a mysterious ceremony is held to count the number of swans on the Thames. While this ritual may seem foolish to outsiders, it's actually a legitimate ecological study. Recently, it was discovered that the number of swans on the Thames has been declining year after year, partly due to gasoline pollution in the river and partly due to air rifle hunting.
2. Recently, the famous graffiti artist Banksy has become active again. His latest works feature various animal murals. What exactly is he trying to express?
3. Controlled hydrogen fusion is crucial for future clean energy, but the challenge lies in the "controlled" part. Plasma and other elements need to be studied under high temperature and pressure conditions, which is inconvenient for laboratories. However, the mayonnaise you eat every day can be experimented with at room temperature and pressure.
4. Scientists have finally invented a non-invasive method that allows you to measure the needs of any part of your body in real-time, anytime, anywhere. The blood pressure monitors we usually use can only measure the arm and only a few times, but this new technology doesn't require any of that. Perhaps in a few years, smartwatches will be able to measure blood pressure too.
5. China also wants to create its own Starlink, and recently launched the first satellite of its Thousand Star Plan.
6. Do you know what the most complex word in English is? It doesn't need to have difficult spelling or pronunciation. It only has three letters, but it has 645 meanings.
7. I don't understand horse racing, but the method of studying horses using historical data and statistical methods is being challenged by brand new research methods. For example, biologists have discovered that studying the bacteria in horse poo can actually predict a horse's future race performance. (You are what you eat)
8. The Paris Olympics have ended, and we're looking at an event from the ancient Olympics - poetry writing. It existed as a competitive event for 40 years. Now, some are calling for poetry writing to be brought into the modern Olympics, pursuing harmony in both physical and mental growth. (I just ask: What language would you require contestants to compete in?)
9. Cats are generally considered to be among the more aloof pets, but animal behaviorists have found that if a dog or any pet in the house dies, cats will mourn alone.
10. Scientists have also discovered that trees in forests don't like forest fires and thick smoke either. They close their stomata, trying to hold their breath to protect their leaves and branches.
Random Thoughts
1.While avoiding pain, one also reduces the ability to recognize happiness. - Wen Qi
2.A person's level of ability is always directly proportional to their degree of patience.
3.Art would not be important if life were not important, and life is important. - James Baldwin
4.Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow it beyond the point of discomfort.
5.What happens when a hypothesis is dismissed because it lacks evidence, but evidence cannot be tested because the hypothesis has been dismissed?
Happy Hours
1. This person rowing across the Atlantic Ocean encountered a group of whales traveling alongside him. (It reminds me of friends in Sydney who paid to go whale watching but didn't see any whales after 4 hours.)
2. Lego is really pushing boundaries now. A functional Lego camera has already been released, and a working Lego vinyl record player is coming soon. You can even use it for DJing.
3. This enormous 3D printer is working autonomously, constructing a community of 100 homes in Texas. (3D printing for the win!)
4. Creating anime characters using flowers.
5. Earth was once like Mars, but then underwent a dramatic change. Why did this happen?
6. UNESCO has announced 24 new World Heritage Sites for 2024.
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