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
Some Spooky-ish Trivia
Hi!
Happy Halloween! Today’s Halloween, so I’m going to share links to old Now I Know stories about Halloween and candy. But two things first. A big thank you to Inkwell Games for sponsoring this week of Now I Know — if you haven’t tried their games yet, you should! (But start with Monday’s game — today’s pair too challenging for a beginner!) And second, if you’re in most of the U.S., don’t forget to change your clocks back Saturday night. Daylight Saving Time is done. In fact, that’s a great segue into my Halloween trivia list!
Pumpkin Saving Time: Halloween comes, and then Daylight Saving Time ends. That’s not a coincidence — it’s the power of the candy lobby.
Charlie Brown’s Halloween Miracle: People are so nice to kids in need. Even fictional ones.
Where Did the Fear of Poisoned Halloween Candy Come From?: It’s mostly a myth, but the origins of the myth are very dark.
Unwrapping a Halloween Mystery: Dum-dums, the lollipops, come in a lot of different flavors, including a “mystery flavor.” What’s the mystery? You’ll see.
The Recursive Candy Bar: What’s the stuff inside Kit-Kats? More Kit-Kats.
The Halloween Costume You Can’t Buy: Only you can prevent forest fires, but you can’t be Smokey the Bear.
These Aren’t The Tootsie Rolls You’re Looking For: Tootsie Rolls are gross, but useful in war.
The Candy Desk: If you’re a U.S. Senator, there’s probably an easy way to get yourself some candy. (Or at least, there was, once; I wonder if this still exists.)
Candy Barred: The battle over Baby Ruth (and Babe Ruth)
Why Reese's Are Usually Taxed But Kit Kats Aren't: Flour is all that matters, apparently.
Enjoy, and happy Halloween!
Sharpen Your Mind — One Puzzle at a Time
Inkwell Games delivers fresh, bite-sized logic puzzles every day that are fun, challenging, and totally free.
🌾 Play Fields, where you paint colorful regions that can’t touch — logic meets art.
⭐ Try Stars, where you place stars strategically across the grid without letting them touch.
Fair warning: the end of week puzzles are genuinely tough. If you've been playing all week, you've built up to this. If you're jumping in fresh today, don't be discouraged if it takes a few tries—the learning curve is part of what makes these so satisfying once they click.
sponsored
The Now I Know Week In Review
Monday: The Island That Wouldn't Stay Put: And the people who pushed it away.
Tuesday: A Documentary, 80 Days Too Late: While writing this, I came across this article about a fashion brand that created a jacket that makes you look like a baked potato, and I have to admit, I double-checked the publish date on that article. (And I still wonder if it was delayed six months or so.)
Wednesday: When the Jazz Didn't Stop Playing: The last line or so of this was cut off when I sent this; it’s corrected here.
Thursday: The Island of Creepy Dolls: I’ll pass on visiting this place.
A Few Dollars = A Big Difference
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And thanks! — Dan
Long Reads and Other Things
Here are a few things you may want to check out over the weekend:
1) “The Evolutionary Reasons We Are Drawn to Horror Movies and Haunted Houses” (Scientific American, 13 minutes, November 2023). I do not like horror movies or haunted houses, so maybe I’m not all that evolved?
2) “The Man Who Held His Breath for 24 Minutes” (Outside, 23 minutes, October 2025). Don’t try this.
3) “The Neurodivergent Genius Who Invented Formula 1 For Marbles” (Great Big Story/YouTube, 8 minutes, December 2023). If you’re not familiar with Jelle’s Marble Runs, you probably should be. It’s a YouTube channel filled with Formula One-style races, with marbles instead of cars/drivers as the racers. It’s been going on for more than six years, with more than 700 videos delighting over a million subscribers. This is a mini-documentary behind the racing marble videos.
Have a great weekend!
Dan