The Mindbender takes you for a ride
November 8, 2024
I’d intended to do a Mindbender Club meetup this afternoon for subscribers in the Denver area, but Mother Nature hasn’t really cooperated.
There’s a chance we can try it this Monday. Trying to make the schedule work.
Stay tuned.
Let's get on with the countdown.
Along with today's Mindbender you get these bonus stories:
Could you fix your car?
Cameras making a comeback
Newz For Nerdz
But first, today's Mindbender:
Four percent of ride share drivers say someone has accidentally left their (blank) in the car.
I'll have a clue coming up.
Could you fix your car?
How confident are you that you could handle some minor car repairs or maintenance?
Well, over the last few years, the number of people who think they could do it has gone up, and rather significantly.
Change a flat tire? Ten years ago 52% said they could. Today it’s 65%.
Change your oil? It was 45%, and now it’s 58%
Change a spark plug? It went from 39% to 50%
Of course, 45% say they’d still probably pay a mechanic to do this stuff, but they think they COULD do it if needed.
Clearly one of the benefits of YouTube.
Cameras making a comeback
Some people get nostalgic over the technology that has drifted away. Sometimes the tech sticks around, though. Like vinyl records, which are popular again.
Now we can add cameras to the list. And I don’t mean the one on your phone. I mean actual cameras.
Yes, people are having fun with film again.
Even the old disposable ones are staging a little bit of a comeback. You know, the ones that were always sitting on tables at wedding receptions.
Gen Zers say they like the “lo-fi” look of the photos.
I just hope they have a spare shoe box to keep them in.
Here's a clue for the Mindbender:
Maybe it’s a consequence of peeing on the carpet one too many times.
Newz For Nerdz
Fun science stories from this week
In space news:
Poor little Pluto is still not a planet. But there might be an undiscovered “Planet Nine” lurking out there in the Kuiper Belt, way beyond the orbit of Neptune.
Researchers say they’ve uncovered more evidence it exists. And it could be three times larger than Earth.
* * *
In space news, part 2:
The world’s first satellite made from wood—yes, I said wood—has arrived at the Space Station.
They’ll drop it into orbit soon to see how it holds up in the vacuum of space. If it does well, it could be the future of ALL satellites someday.
Being made of wood, they’re more eco-friendly when they burn up on reentry, and they don’t damage the ozone layer.
* * *
In bathroom news:
London may become the latest city to use heat from their sewers to power the heating systems in some of their buildings.
They don’t use the actual air, just the energy generated by the heat coming off the waste. So, no smell.
And now, the answer to today's Mindbender:
What have these people left in the car?
Their pet.
Instead of bottled water and granola bars, the drivers are gonna have to start keeping a supply of Milk-Bones.
That'll do it for today's Mindbender. Thank you for being part of The Club.
Enjoy your day!
Dom
Chevy didn't make a 327 in '55. The 327 didn't come out till '62. And it wasn't offered in the Bel Air with a four-barrel carb till '64. However, in 1964, the correct ignition timing would be four degrees before top-dead-center.
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