Odessa’s Oddities & Curiosities | Week of 8/5/2024

Dear friends,

The Goldshlain Family are now proud subscribers to Peacock, where I’ve been glued to Olympics coverage. And while I don’t enjoy watching sports generally, the Olympics captivate me. In particular, The Olympics are so damn schmaltzy — all the hopes and dreams and heartbreak. Goddamn, I love it.

The other part I’m obsessed with is Peacock Gold Zone. It’s very easy to feel FOMO when watching the Games, because there’s simply so much going on at once, but Peacock Gold Zone feels like I’m being cradled from one event to the next. Plus, I feel so deliciously up to date on everything. Oh, yes I did catch the Gymnastics All-Round, and Simone winning gold on Vault. Of course, I caught the final rounds of Judo. And slalom kayak. And France vs Japan basketball. And badminton. And beach volleyball. One could say that I’m a gold-medal-level Olympics viewer.

Along with a recommendation to tune into Peacock Gold Zone, I have two more pieces of commentary on the Games.

The science of six Olympics sports! Gives you a whole deeper appreciation.

A meditation on the true spirit of the Olympics. My favorite lines: “The magic of the Games, regardless of the event, has always been exactly this: watching humans chase excellence down some narrow, hyperspecialized channel of skill. And this is the beauty of a new sport. It shows us how many channels human excellence can surge down. Which turn out to be almost infinite.”

Also another much slower race: Snail Racing!

Olympics aside, Danya and I have had such a joyful time as roommates this summer. She possesses one of my favorite qualities in other people: she announces when she’s happy or excited. Cue enthusiasm loop. I just love how much we can delight at being in the moment, whether that’s swinging by the grocery store and securing muffins (and frozen pitted cherries!), being glued to her laptop screen watching Love Island or The Mole (more on that in a second), and enjoying delicious food.

Danya and I have learned that we have complementary strategies regarding things we enjoy. Danya goes all in. She is eating the last muffin. Diving in the last episode. Whereas I tend to leave just a little at the end that I never actually end up finishing…Danya noted that there was one singular York Patty left in the freezer, one slice of babka left, 3 or 4 chips left in the bag. And I take months to savor a show I love (still on episode six of My Lady Jane). But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed going all in on our obsessions in this summer.

First, Love Island USA. Then The Mole. Love Island I don’t necessarily recommend the show — if you love it, you’re already watching it. But also note, Love Island USA had 450 producers!!! But The Mole. The Mole is ridiculously good. A reality TV show where 12 people start competing in escape-room-like challenges (but on a whole other level!!!), but one person (the eponymous Mole) tries to sabotage each mission. The challenges are so so fun. The locale is incredible (Season 2 is in Malaysia). And the level of suspicion and overthinking and masterminding is superb. We were up until 2 am finishing the last episode.

Our other obsession this summer has been trivia. Trivia nights. Trivial Pursuit. We have become what this essayist calls “quizzers” — a fantastic dive into the world of trivia and the glory of curiosity. All my time in YouTube Rabbitholes is really paying off. Trivia on Tuesday nights at Rudy’s were a highlight of my summer.

My new GRE vocab words as promised:

splenetic — grumpy or spiteful. Merriam-Webster informed me that splenetic comes from the word spleen, based on the old belief that anger occurs when the proportion of humors in your body is out of wack. When too much “black bile” was excreted by your spleen, you got angry. Now, I know if I’m angry, I’m usually hungry (or tired).

Raillery — good-natured teasing.

Palaver (my first thought was indeed paladin from The Stormlight Archives) — which means to talk needlessly at length — one of my biggest pet peeves.

(Also! Want to know the etymology of the word: pickle? Read here!)

Some fascinating new research:

The smell of human stress changes the decision-making of dogs.

What happens in the brain when we dance.

Can anesthesia-induced dreams help with PTSD? “Anesthsia-induced dreams” sounds like a band name (albeit a wordy one).

Why is ChatGPT bad at math?

There’s a new phytocannabinoid in town: cannabigerol (CBG). A new paper in Nature examined the acute effects of CBG and found a reduction in stress & anxiety. But this was all self-reported…time to examine their physiology!

I highly recommend this podcast on the history of light (and Yale) from Planet Money. Also from Planet Money, I’ve been obsessed with their Summer School series on the history of economics. Listen here for the story of the very first stock.

You all should know that I’ve finally succumbed and purchased an emotional support water bottle (thank you Prime Day!). She is purple, and I adore her, and my bladder is overwhelmed by all this water intake. Currently on the lookout for stickers for her.

Feeling especially grateful that Joni Mitchell is back on Spotify so I can blast “California” while I pack.

California, I’m coming home.

With love & curiosity,

Odessa