Leading off this week: arise, Scrabble nerds! In defense of Scrabble: One family’s 30-year long game and the unavoidable meanings of words.
From Jonathon W., and these are wonderful pictures: Photographs of Staten Island and New York Harbor in 1973.
From Wally, and these look terrific: The U.S. Postal Service to Issue NASA Sun Science Forever Stamps. I feel like this is one of those games that is more fun to read about: Blaseball showcases the power of a healthy fandom. This is both terrific reporting and super depressing; The Amazon That Customers Don’t See. This is a lovely story: Rolls-Royce completes restoration of its most special vehicle. Okay, this robot's fingers are better than mine: GPR-1 Hand Control. It seems unlikely, but I like that they're trying: DuckDuckGo’s Quest to Prove Online Privacy Is Possible.
From C. Lee, and it's a fascinating possibility: Is Poe the most influential American writer? A new book offers evidence. An excellent read: It’s Hard Work to Restore Rio’s Christ the Redeemer, but the Views Are Amazing. This is fantastic: Brighter daylight window design inspired by Morpho butterfly. This is an incredible and inspiring story: Seaweed farmer, 60, opens for famed pianist with Liszt piece. This is surprising, and what a classic book: Eric Carle’s ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ was hatched in Japan. Got a lot going on here: A Shark, Eating a Squid, Eating a Lobster, in One Fossil. Wait, what? New Historical Evidence Shows People Once Played Video Games for Fun.