This week: Fanfiction of Pete Buttigieg / Flavors of tamarind / NASA’s war on naked women / Smart napping / The mystery of quipus
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1. Inside the Extremely Vanilla World of Pete Buttigieg Fanfiction
By Ashley Reese | Jezebel | February 2020
“I’ve read several Pete/Chasten fanfics over the last couple of weeks, and save one particularly intense Pete/Chasten/Beto O’Rourke fetish fic I stumbled upon, they are overwhelmingly vanilla, with an emphasis on how much the two men love and adore one another. They’re soulmates who will brave any storm, even that of a raucous political campaign.”
2. Tamarind delivers a double punch of sweet and sour
By Niki Segnit | 1843 :: The Economist | February / March 2020
“The ginger-colored pods taste like the sweet of your dreams — until you notice the enamel-like seeds rattling around in your mouth”
3. NASA’s fight to protect aliens from naked ladies
By Mark Hay | OZY | February 2020
“It is not clear why the Pioneer plaque omitted external female genitalia, but not male genitalia. Sagan once claimed it was a stylistic choice, emulating ancient Greek statuary.”
4. Post-‘Radiolab,’ Robert Krulwich plans many more experiments with storytelling
By Joe Kalish | Current | February 2020
“For the 72-year-old broadcast news legend, retirement means moving on to a slew of eclectic and ambitious projects that will apply his talents to complex topics in new mediums.”
5. How Long Should a Nap Be?
By Charlotte Cowles | The Cut :: New York Magazine | February 2020
“Interestingly, a 30-minute nap produced about the same benefits as a 10-minute one, but only after subjects managed to push through a period of post-snooze grogginess.”
6. The mystery of quipus — Incan knot records
The Economist | February 2020
“In a small Peruvian town, the Incas’ method of record-keeping survives”
7. Dog Tales
NOVA :: PBS | February 2020
“Follow the epic journey of dog domestication and see what science says about dogs’ love.”
8. Why Don’t People Care That More Men Don’t Choose Caregiving Professions?
By Scott Barry Kaufman | Beautiful Minds :: Scientific American | February 2020
“People attribute the lack of women in STEM fields to external factors but attribute the lack of men in helping professions to internal factors.”
9. Creating a buzz: Turkish beekeepers risk life and limb to make mad honey
By Bethan McKernan | The Guardian | January 2020
“History is littered with stories of the psychoactive properties of deli bal, still produced today in the Kaçkar mountains”
10. Life and Death on the Rig
By Christian Wallace | Boomtown :: Texas Monthly | December 2019
“Working in the oil patch is incredibly dangerous. But March 10, 2015, brought unimaginable tragedy for one Andrews family.”
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stillness of heart 