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DAILY PHOTO: A Conspicuous Absence
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PROMPT: Best Purchase
I can’t claim I’ve ever done as well as Peter Minuit (buying Manhattan for $24) or Thomas Jefferson (picking up the Louisiana Territory at $0.04 / acre,) or the USG (acquiring Alaska for $0.02 / acre.)
I once bought a nice stick (which still have,) but it was not a tremendous bargain.
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BOOK: “What If? 2” by Randall Monroe
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall MunroeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Author site
The Venn Diagram intersect of “hilarious” and “educational” tends to be sparsely occupied territory, but it’s where Randall Monroe lives. This sequel continues the approach set in the original volume, take a completely absurd question that can be answered with science and do just that with frequent interjections of sarcasm. Some examples of the questions addressed are: How many pigeons would it take to fly a person to the top of a skyscraper? Can all the world’s bananas fit in all the world’s churches? How much real dinosaur is in a plastic toy dinosaur? How many people worth of dead skin cells does a person consume and inhale over a lifetime?
The book uses many stick figure cartoons and other line drawings to both clarify the material and for the sake of humor. While it might seem like these questions could be answered hastily (as a dad might by saying, “You’re an idiot. Go away!”) most take several pages of elaboration because Monroe considers the many complexities of the question and of finding a scientific answer. There are sections throughout called “Short Answers” which include many a question so ridiculous or intuitive that being dismissive seems like the right approach.
If you’re interested in science but still find it goes down better with chortles and chuckles, I’d highly recommend this book.
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DAILY PHOTO: Closeups of Earth
Strange Planet
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SHADOW DANCE
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DAILY PHOTO: Arabia Mountain
PROMPT: Feel Bad
Daily writing prompt
What app eats up most of your screen time — and do you even feel bad about it?
Kindle Reader. Do people engage in habitual activities that they feel bad about? I understand the occasional excessive pile of ice cream or hedonistic cheeseburger, but continually doing something one feels bad about seems self-rectifying.
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Bolete [Haiku]
soggy forest floor:
bolete stands in the mulch
with crimson cap.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 