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
Would You Be Interested in Joining Me on a Zoom Call?
Hi!
I want to do more with the Now I Know community. I’ve done a few Reddit “Ask Me Anything” interviews and was thinking about doing another, but maybe a video chat would be more fun? Here’s what I’m thinking:
It’d probably be a weekday night, likely after 8p Eastern Time (New York Time), maybe even 9p or a bit later.
I’d use Microsoft Teams — I’m used to that platform. (So, yeah, not technically a “Zoom” call.)
I’d be limited to 100 simultaneous participants because that’s what the free version gives you.
And I’d be limited to an hour for the same reason.
It’d be an open-ended conversation — I’d field questions from you all, town hall-style, and see where it goes from there. I’d keep it simple.
Sound like something you’d want to do? Or not at all? Let me know by responding to the poll below. If I get enough interest, I just may do this!
(And if you have a better way to do this, reply to this email to let me know.)
That’s all I have for now. Let me know, and again, feel free to reply to send deeper thoughts 🙂 Until then, let’s jump to the Week in Review!
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The Now I Know Week In Review
Monday: The Fashion Accessory That Prevents False Alarms?: Bracelets, but not for good reasons.
Tuesday: The Childhood Terror That Turned Kind Of Nice: Brussels sprouts became good, apparently. (I’m a fan. I wasn’t growing up. But that’s only one data point.)
Wednesday: Why Do Escalators Have Those Brushes Along the Edge?: Safety first, even if it’s subconsciously created.
Thursday: Maybe There Is an "I" in "Team"?: Meet Bonnie Richardson, the one-woman team.
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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) “On Queuing: The Cognitive Logic Behind Lines” (MIT Press, 8 minutes, February 2025). The subhead: “The seemingly simple act of waiting in line is guided by unwritten rules and visual signals that shape how we navigate social space.”
2) “Inside Sotheby’s $6 million sale of a banana” (Washington Post/gift link, 8 minutes, November 2024). I considered using this for a regular Now I Know story but the title is so inviting, I wanted to share it as-is.
3) “The legend of the Fenway Pizza Chucker” (ESPN, 14 minutes, April 2022). I’m pretty sure I’ve shared this before, but that’s okay because it’s great. If you don’t know what it’s about before clicking, you might want to watch the video of the incident first.
And a bonus: “George Bell, Considered the Tallest Man in America, Dies at 67” (New York Times/gift link, 3 minutes, April 2025). I rarely share obituarties, but this one seemed more randomly interesting than most.
Have a great weekend!
Dan