Happy Friday! If you're new to Now I Know, you'll notice that today's format differs from the rest of the week. On Fridays, I pause to write the "Weekender," my "week in review" type of thing, or to share something else I think you may find interesting. Thanks for reading! — Dan
Thanks Again For Your Support!
Hi!
Last week, I kicked off my spring fundraising drive. (Which is weird to say, because it’s pretty cold out today — definitely not spring-like here in the NYC suburbs.) My realistic goal this time of year is to add 25 new supporters or the equivalent, and I’m thrilled to share that I hit 22. That’s 88% of the way there!
So, let’s make this fundraising drive end today?
👉 Become a monthly supporter
I send about 20 editions a month. A $5 monthly contribution works out to just 25 cents per email. For a quarter a day, you’re helping make sure thousands of curious people keep learning something new each morning.
$5/month gets you an ad-free version of the newsletter (like today’s!)
$10/month gets you the same ad-free version, with a little extra generosity — and I count your contribution as covering two people on my way to 50!
👉 Make a one-time contribution
Not comfortable with recurring support? Or want to make a REALLY BIG one-time gift? That’s great! Every dollar counts — $5, $50, or more.
A big thank you to the new supporters who’ve already signed on. If you’ve been meaning to support the newsletter but haven’t yet, now’s the perfect time to help me hit that 50 supporter milestone.
— Dan
The Now I Know Week In Review
Monday: The Conspiracy That Led to the End of the World: Literally!
Tuesday: Because Not Everyone Can Be a Burger King: I really liked this one because the idea of a fake restaurant amuses me.
Wednesday: The Problem With Invisible Stone Boogers: I messed up the subject line on this one — sorry about that!
Thursday: The Painkiller That Killed Half a Million People: A story of unintended consequences.
Long Reads and Other Things
Here are a few things you may want to check out over the weekend:
1) “In Search of Banksy” (Reuters, 27 minutes, March 2026). The subhead: “The British street artist’s identity has been debated, and closely guarded, for decades. A quest to solve the riddle took Reuters from a bombed-out Ukrainian village to London and downtown Manhattan — and uncovered much more than a name.”
2) “Teacher v chatbot: my journey into the classroom in the age of AI” (The Guardian, 22 minutes, March 2026). I think a lot — a lot — about how AI is impacting how we think, learn, and more. Reading on-the-ground stories like this help shape that thinking. There’s no manual here — we’re figuring this all out in real time — and I think there’s going to be a lot of chaos.
3) “‘Their Power Feels Like Mine’: A Dog Sled Racer Says Goodbye to Her Pack” (New York Times/gift link, 22 minutes, March 2026). This is bittersweet, as the subhead elucidates: “After years of racing, I wanted to take my sled dogs back into the wilderness.”
Have a great weekend!
Dan