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 (or ask for your help, like today). Thanks for reading! — Dan

Share Your Favorite Mini Games With Me!

Hi!

It’s been a crazy week on my end — nothing Now I Know related, just life being life! — so today’s Weekender is short. Oh, and it’s also mostly an ask. Let’s jump in.

Over the past year or so, a lot of publications have started sharing mini games with their readers. The New York Times bought Wordle to add to its Crossword and Mini Crosswords, and they’ve also added Strands and Connections to the mix. The Washington Post has Keyword. LinkedIn even added a trio of games. And there are a lot more out there — and I love it. I’m a big fan this trend.

In the Now I Know reader survey I shared a few weeks ago, I asked you about your favorite mini games — and I neglected to ask if you had any to add to the list. Some of you sent a few anyway, and thanks for that — I’m starting a collection. If you have one you really like, please share it. Or, for that matter, share any other game you play online that’s not a traditional “video game” — if you’ve found a great way to play backgammon, I want to know about it, for example. (Really, I do; I can’t find a good backgammon app.

I can’t promise I’ll get around to sharing all of the games you recommend, but it’ll go a long way to bringing me joy on my commute. So thanks in advance!

Let’s hop to the Week in Review.

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The Now I Know Week In Review

Monday: Please Be Quiet, We Can’t Hear the Martians: The Spock-related bonus item was something I’ve wanted to share for a long time.

Tuesday: A Spiteful (But Funny) Way to Deal With Telemarketers: The link to the audio broke after I scheduled this to send. You can listen to it here but again, you may want to turn down your speakers first! (If it breaks again, sorry; I’m not sure what’s going on.)

Wednesday: How a Seven Year Old Kid Convinced Us to Strangle Ourselves: Why we tie ties.

Thursday: The Weird Snack Chip Trick That May Get You Fired: It’s unclear to me if a greasy chip bag would harm your cell phone, but I don’t want to test it. (Please do not on my behalf, either.)

Long Reads and Other Things

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

1) “He Took His 68-Year-Old Secret to Court and Finally Confronted His Ghost” (New York Times, 12 minutes, August 2024). A warning — this isn’t a fun or easy story to read (although it ends on a good note, maybe?). It is a story about abuse, so it may not be for everyone. But if you’re interested, I’ve created a gift link — you don’t need a Times subscription to read it.

2) “The Insane Math Of Knot Theory” (Vertasium/YouTube, 35 minutes, September 2023). I’m sharing this because it ties into (heh) Wednesday’s story. Thanks to reader Keith K. for suggestion!

3) “Inside the Texas Crime Lab That’s Cracked Hundreds of Cold Cases”(Texas Monthly, 27 minutes, August 2024). I have a soft spot for anything involving an unsolved mystery, I guess.

Have a great weekend!

Dan