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Never Listless
The Top 3 of almost Everything

Hello

Some said we’d never make it to the 3rd edition of the 3ology newsletter but, given that 3 is our magic number, we felt it an important landmark to reach.

So this week I bring you grandmothers, sporting mediocrity, artificial superintelligence, meteorite craters and Barbra Streisand.

Plus with Celebrity Traitors starting again on Thursday, I’ll help you spot a liar.

Welcome to Never Listless #3

Andrew Weaver
https//3ology.fun

(Personal)
My Weekly Top 3

1. The Food of Love

Daughter turned 13 this weekend with one non-negotiable request:
I had to provide copious portions of my delicious caramel shortbread.

IMO this is the food of love, introduced to me by a doting Scottish grandmother, whom I saw too rarely but who always provided mountains of the magical stuff.

Which means that making it triggers two rather lovely emotions;

the joy of now and the memory of then.

Anything you cook, that triggers similar emotions?

2. Padel Evangelist

I’m one of those irritating converts to Padel who talks of little else.

The reassuring news is I’ve reached the same level of sporting mediocrity with Padel as every other sport I’ve ever tried, which suggests impressive inconsistency and/or worrying sports psychology?

Alas it is rare for me to emerge from the court without some form of physical malfunction. This week, a small victory was blemished by another small injury that left me hobbling off court. Again.

I highly recommend it.

3. AI Extension Cable

I ain’t no DIY guru.

Most of my attempts result in failure, a Stan Laurel head scratch and “We might need Taskrabbit” to rectify.

So I felt a sympathy this week upon discovering that Britain’s ambition to become an AI superpower has encountered much the same problem.

Construction of the country’s largest AI supercomputer has been delayed because the electricity grid can’t provide enough power.

We’ll be racing towards artificial superintelligence — as soon as someone finds the extension cable. Can I suggest Taskrabbit?

(Travel)
Top 3 Accidental Discoveries

I get disproportionately excited with the surprise find of a 50p down the back of the sofa, so imagine going off camping only to discover a 390-million-year-old meteorite crater.

That’s what happened to an amateur geologist studying satellite images of Quebec, when he spotted a strange circular formation while searching for somewhere to camp. Scientists believe it’s evidence of an enormous ancient impact.

Puts my loose change into perspective and got me wondering about some of history’s other accidental discoveries…

Here’s my Top 3.

1. Penicillin — The Mouldy Petri Dish

1928 and Alexander Fleming returns to his laboratory to discover that mould has contaminated one of his culture plates and that the bacteria immediately surrounding it aren't growing.

Fleming investigates further and discovers that the mould is producing something capable of killing certain bacteria.

Penicillin.

It took a while to turn that observation into a practical medicine, but one of medicine’s greatest breakthroughs began with something most people would have thrown away.

Don’t tell my daughter but sometimes it pays not to tidy up.

2. Microwave — The Melting Chocolate

In 1945, American engineer Percy Spencer was working on radar technology when he noticed something else. The chocolate bar in his pocket had melted.

Whilst mourning his loss, he started experimenting.

Popcorn placed near the equipment began popping.
An egg reportedly exploded over an unfortunate colleague.

Spencer realised that microwaves could be harnessed to heat food.

From which emerged the microwave oven.

3. Velcro — Burrs on the Dog

Serendipity and engineers were a popular combination in the 1940s because Swiss engineer George de Mestral returned from an outing to find burrs stubbornly attached to his clothes and his dog’s fur.

Most of us would have pulled them off and carried on with our day.

Not our George.

He put them under a microscope and discovered tiny hooks on the burrs catching onto loops in fabric and fur.

He spent years trying to reproduce the mechanism artificially.

The eventual result: Velcro.

Nature had already invented it.
He was just curious enough to look.

(TV)
Top 3 ways to spot a Liar

We loved Season #1 of Celebrity Traitors and excited about the start of Season #2 this coming Thursday.

As we’re likely to spend the next few weeks screaming at the TV…“HOW CAN YOU NOT SEE THEY’RE LYING?” …I thought it worth a deeper dive into the subject.

But forget the classics about eye contact, excessive detail and deflection.

Instead, I’m drawing on decades of entirely unqualified experience dealing with other human beings, to give you my Top 3 Ways To Spot a Liar

1. Unnecessary use of your name

The classic sales guy smooze to accelerate a sense of familiarity.

We’ve all read the same book but I’m not buying it, or that SaaS tool I don’t need.

“Andrew, I completely understand.”

“Andrew, just circling back ”

That’s my name, don’t wear it out.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the person you barely know, who calls you mate.
In fact, don’t get me started on anyone who calls you mate.

2. Unnecessary backstory

You ask a simple question.

“Why were you late?”

And suddenly you’re three minutes into a story involving roadworks, broken traffic lights and ponderous lollipop ladies.

I didn’t ask for the director’s cut.

The more unnecessary detail they introduce, the more suspicious you become.

3. Unnecessary hyperbole

“I swear on my mother’s life.”

Steady on.
I only asked if you’d finished the chocolate hob nobs.

There is always a direct relationship between the triviality of the accusation
and the importance of the relative being offered as collateral.

“I didn’t take your parking space.” Fine.

“I swear on the lives of my children.” Traitor and possibly a murderer.

We won again …

We often take a Busmans’ holiday and this week we came home victorious from a local quiz night.

Supported by aforementioned daugher (strong on the Hobbit), co-founder Alan (bringing Fibonacci to the party), and Simon (overall egghead) we stormed home to a very narrow victory that had to be decided by this tie breaker …

How old is Barbara Streisand? (82 if interested)

To purchase copies of 3ology and/or find out more about our Pub Quiz win …

check out the new 3ology website

You can also read our earlier newsletters

Never Listless #2
Top 3 Reasons I Love About The Dutch
Top 3 Surprise About The Autumn Equinox

Never Listless #1
Top 3 AI Features You Might Find Useful
Top 3 Tom Hanks Films Selected by Tom Hanks

Never ListlessThe Top 3 of almost Everything

Scottish Shortbread, Accidential Discoveries, Ways To Spot a Liar