Sydney's Sunday Reads: #17
Happy Sunday, friends!!
Sydney's Sunday Reads is a weekly blog series that highlights some of my favorite stories, articles, think-pieces, and more from around the Internet.
Pop & Lock for gold! - As if the Olympic games weren’t exciting enough, this week, members of the Olympic committee announced a new sport set to debut at the 2024 Paris games: breakdancing! Officially called “Breaking,” this event will feature 16 athletes in the men’s and women’s categories competing for the gold, silver, and bronze medals. Other new sports to get excited about? Skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing (very excited to see how Paris is going to pull off that last one!). (New York Post)
The vaccine of the future. - Here are two things you probably never expected to think of together: the COVID-19 vaccine, and Dippin’ Dots. If you’re unfamiliar with Dippin’ Dots (i.e. have never visited a national sporting event or overpriced amusement park), they are tiny beads of ice cream invented by microbiologist Curt Jones in 1988. They are the self-proclaimed “Ice Cream of the Future,” and I’ve got to tell you, even as an adult in my late twenties, if I see Dippin’ Dots (particularly the banana split combination), I get them no matter the time of day - they’re THAT fun to eat. You’re probably wondering though, what on earth ice cream and a vaccine have in common. The answer is the temperature. In order for Dippin’ Dots to maintain their bead-form, the ice cream must be kept at -49 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. Slipping even a few degrees below that temperature results in immediate melting, ruined product, and money lost. Similarly, the COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by Pfizer and BioNTech and approved by the FDA this week, must be kept at -94 degrees Fahrenheit at all times, or else important components of the vaccine could degrade. In order to ensure the vaccine constantly stays at its required temperature while being shipped nationwide, manufacturers are adopting the “cold chain” method that Dippin’ Dots has been successfully using for decades. Read the article, it’s fascinating! (Popular Science)
Christmas, 1918. - What was Christmas like in 1918, the last time a pandemic ran rampant worldwide? Turns out, much like now! Though America had seen the worst of its second wave by Christmas of 1918 while we’re still seeing a consistent surge in cases in 2020, some things are eerily the same: stores feared supply chain issues while also spending serious ad dollars to get people through the doors, folks didn’t want to wear their masks, staying home for the holiday season was strongly encouraged by public health officials, and pandemic fatigue was a real thing that was widely experienced and documented. Talk about history repeating itself, huh? (Smithsonian Magazine)
A place to chill.- Every year, more than 700,000 people travel to Sweden to visit the world-famous Icehotel, made almost entirely from snow and ice that’s formed when the Torne River freezes over. Though 2020 has obviously put a wrench in all of our plans, you don’t have to travel (or pack extra layers!) to enjoy this year’s 21 stunning new art suites. Check out the Icehotel’s augmented-reality experience on Instagram! (Travel + Leisure)
A Christmas feast for $100 - it can be done! - Delish’s June Xie is back with another episode of Budget Eats, and this time, she’s making a 10-course meal for four people in New York City with a $100 budget. Fair warning: the duration of this video is over an hour, but Xie’s talent and creativity makes it both fun and informative to watch (as always)! (Delish via Youtube)