Hi gang, and thanks for coming to the Wednesday Cipher!
Here is your test of courage: There's a picture of two spiders further down. But you can handle it. I know you can.
-Lauren |
A Bocce Loser’s Guide To Losing At Bocce
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For Wondery And SiriusXM, Spending Big Isn’t The Same As Thinking Big
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Naomi Osaka Found The Joy
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Three Things We Liked On The Internet Today:
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Creature Drops: A New Tarantula From The Sky Islands of Arizona |
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The land between southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico is peppered with sky islands: a range of forested mountains isolated from each other by low-lying deserts and grasslands. These Madrean Sky Islands, as they’re called, fomented an incredible amount of biodiversity, as populations of animals unable to commute from one island to another instead evolved into distinct species. In the past, researchers made little mention of the tarantulas that crawled around the Madrean Sky Islands. For a long time, the only reports existed in two unpublished master’s theses from decades ago. In 2015, a group of researchers described four species of tarantulas in five mountain ranges. Now, scientists have identified a new species of tarantula from the Chiricahua Mountains, Aphonopelma jacobii, which they recently described in ZooKeys.
A. jacobii is small, black, and gray, with Dorito-colored hairs on its abdomen. It looks, in other words, very much like a tarantula. The researchers discovered them in their burrows, which they built in meadows or exposed patches of soil, which might offer them more time in the sun to stay warm at such altitudes. It bears mentioning that the paper includes photos of this tarantula’s habitat, which are some of the most beautiful photos I’ve ever seen. The fiery sunset over the Chiricahua Mountains makes me want to go wander around the realm of this tarantula–respectfully, of course!
But of course, I shan’t. The researchers raise the concern that tarantula collectors might use this new paper as a “treasure map” to collect these new, rare spiders, noting that the tarantulas’ habitat is nearby a popular spot for smuggling twin-spotted rattlesnakes. So if you are thinking of doing either of these things, I urge you, reconsider! The world is full of much kinder hobbies and wild tarantulas are best encountered at a distance, or, even more ideally, online.
-Sabrina Imbler
Image: Michael A. Jacobi |
Letter Of Recommendation: The Armstrong Night Doubleheader |
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I am not a year-round watcher of tennis, but I always have a blast at the U.S. Open, and it's an experience I recommend to any sports fan. Roughly speaking, there are three potential ways to do the early rounds:
- Buy a (nosebleed) ticket for Arthur Ashe Stadium to see the biggest stars on the biggest stage. (You should go here at least once.)
- Buy a day pass, which gets you everywhere except Ashe, and devour 12 hours or more of single-elimination action. (Worth it if you have the stamina and aren't just there to eat and drink.)
- Buy one of the assigned seats in the lower bowl of Louis Armstrong Stadium—specifically a night session
It's that third option that I've done for opening night three years in a row, and it's become a favorite tradition of mine. Particularly if you buy a few months out, it's usually the cheapest option, because the ticket won't let you in until 6 p.m.. But even without the same star power of Ashe or the overload of getting there early, the night doubleheaders at Armstrong are still a lovely time at the courts. For one, the seats on offer all have amazing views. (Those with day passes are limited to the first-come, first-served upper deck.) For two, the matches generally offer more intrigue than Ashe, presenting as they do the second tier of the sport's superstars, who are a little more vulnerable to upsets and challenges. If you've ever been to early-round NCAA tournament action where you live, it's a similar format—a couple of high-stakes games that you may not necessarily have a personal interest in, but can hook you with a ton of drama and/or athletic impressiveness. You'll likely get home very late if you opt for these tickets, but they're the perfect blend of accessibility and gravitas.
Here's my other Armstrong tip: Between the two matches, there's likely going to be a huge line for ice cream in the concourse. Just walk up and grab a milkshake from the hamburger place next door. They're out of this world.
-Lauren |
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