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

Hi!

Yep: Today, I’m asking you to financially support Now I Know

For 15 years, I’ve been writing Now I Know — a little story in your inbox most weekdays, sharing surprising, curious, and often weird bits of knowledge. I love doing it, and I’m grateful every single day that so many of you read along.

Right now, Now I Know brings in roughly $2,000 a month, most of which comes from recurring and one-time support from readers like you. That’s wonderful — but to keep the newsletter running at the level it deserves, my long-term goal is to reach $5,000 a month in total support.

(And just to be clear: Now I Know isn’t going anywhere. Your support doesn’t keep it alive — it helps make it stronger, more sustainable, and gives you the option to receive it ad-free.)

If you’d like to help, there are two easy ways:

I send about 20 editions a month. A $5 monthly contribution works out to just 25 cents per email — the cost of:

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Dan

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Monday: When an Olive Garden Review Became Internet Famous: This is an uplifting one, I think. The author did a solid job for her community, and the jokes at her expense turned positive — and ultimately, into something pretty cool.

Tuesday: The Man Who Made the Front Page Twice: First as someone helping out. And then… not so much!

Wednesday: Scrambled City: The Belgian city that’s partially in the Netherlands (or maybe the other way around).

Thursday: The Day It Rained Blobs of Goo: This is so gross, I’m kind of okay with the fact that it’s unsolved.

Here are a few things you may want to check out over the weekend:

1) “Thirty-six Thousand Feet Under the Sea” (New Yorker, 26 minutes, May 2020). The subhead: “The explorers who set one of the last meaningful records on earth.” Apologies if this is stuck behind a paywall — the New Yorker’s is fluky. It’s a great story, though, so I really wanted to make sure it was on your radar (or, sonar, I guess?).

2) “There are no psychopaths” (Aeon, 22 minutes, February 2026). The subhead: “Virtually everything you think you know about psychopathy has been thoroughly debunked. Why does this zombie idea live on?” I’d credit Silence of the Lambs for some of this, but that movie hasn’t been in the zeitgeist for a while, so I guess I’m just showing my age.

3) “The stranger secret: how to talk to anyone – and why you should” (The Guardian, 9 minutes, February 2026). This is a little more advocacy-forward than I’d like it to be, but as someone who leans toward introversion, it was food for thought.

Thanks again for your support, and have a great weekend!

Dan