May 31, 2022

We reviewed your thousands of guesses, ranging from the Washington Monument to the Krusty Krab, and are excited to announce the winners of the very first Roca Treasure Hunt: Malcolm from Los Angeles, Scott from New York, and Erik from Baltimore. The correct answer was *drum roll* Christ of the Ozarks. Get the breakdown of the clues in today's Wrap.

The next Roca Treasure Hunt begins... TODAY! Invite your friends to play with their unique link and win that extra Thursday hint. More details below. 

In today's edition:

• Teleportation achieved
• Treasure Hunt Clue 1
• Christ of the Ozarks, clues explained

 Treasure Hunt Champs

The Winner's Circle

Malcolm, Scott, and Erik were the 3 winners from last week's treasure hunt – each of them correctly guessed the answer: Christ of the Ozarks, a monument located near Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Malcolm lives in LA, Scott in NYC, and Erik in Baltimore. The trio will be splitting the $10,000 pot. Congrats, guys!

The explanation of the clues is in the Wrap below, and the next treasure hunt begins today. Find the first clue below, and may the best treasure hunter win!
 

 Key Stories

Its Time to Teleport

Dutch researchers teleported (instantly transferred) data between indirectly-connected nodes, a major breakthrough for quantum internet

• Once developed, quantum internet will allow the rapid and secure transport of information between nodes on a system. It will be vastly faster and more secure than the existing internet
• Researchers were able to transport data between 2 unconnected nodes via a 3rd node. Before, data had only been moved between directly-connected nodes
• The research confirms nodes and their relationships can be turned into a full quantum internet system

• Per one of the researchers, “The key feature of quantum teleportation is that the quantum information itself is actually teleported: it does not travel through space or fiber." So the data wasn't simply sent to another spot – it relocated itself

Hepatitis Strawberries?

The US FDA is investigating organic strawberries as the source of a Hepatitis A outbreak

• Hepatitis A is a contagious virus, which, in severe cases, can cause liver disease. The current outbreak has hospitalized 12+ people
• Most of the patients reported eating FreshKampo or H-E-B brand organic strawberries, which had been sold by stores including Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Safeway, and Aldi between March 5 and April 25
• This outbreak appears unrelated to another hepatitis outbreak, which has sickened 200+ children and whose cause is unknown

UK Calls for CL Final Investigation

The UK wants an investigation into the treatment of fans at Saturday’s Champions League final, where Spain’s Real Madrid beat England’s Liverpool 1-0

• The match, held in France, was delayed 35 minutes over a conflict at the gates, during which security used pepper spray and tear gas on Liverpool fans
• The French gov’t accused English Liverpool fans of behaving inappropriately and using fake tickets
• The UK culture secretary called the treatment of English fans “disturbing”; France’s interior minister blamed “thousands” of English fans for trying to storm the stadium. There were 105 arrests

• UEFA, the Champions League governing body, said, “In the lead-up to the game, the turnstiles at the Liverpool end became blocked by thousands of fans who had purchased fake tickets, which did not work in the turnstiles. This created a build-up of fans trying to get in. As a result, the kick-off was delayed by 35 minutes to allow as many fans as possible with genuine tickets to gain access. As numbers outside the stadium continued to build up after kick-off, the police dispersed them with tear gas and forced them away from the stadium"

Nuclear Waste/Cancer Breakthrough

UK scientists identified a way to use nuclear waste to treat cancer

• At present, radiotherapy is a relatively effective way to treat cancer. It uses radioactive compounds to target tumors without harming healthy tissue
• The necessary radioactive compounds are difficult to produce or store, however, so there is a shortage of ingredients and limited use of the treatment
• The scientists identified a way to isolate a radioactive compound — Lead-212 — from nuclear waste. They believe it will ensure a steady supply and wider use of the treatment

• The scientists likened the extraction to a "water filter," through which radioactive waste is run, producing Lead-212 – which can be used in radiotherapy

• The first person to send a Google Street View screenshot of the correct place wins $2,000, second wins $300, third wins $200 
• No in-person photos will be accepted. This is an entirely virtual game
• You have only 1 guess and it can not be changed
• You can guess at any time by replying to a newsletter, which goes out at 11:00 AM ET daily 
• Winners will be announced on June 6
• Full rules are at the bottom of this email!

• No heat for this curry: The Boston Celtics knocked out the Miami Heat, booking a date with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals
• Star is disguised: Bradley Cooper looks nearly unrecognizable as famous composer Leonard Bernstein in his upcoming biopic Maestro
• Let her eat cake: A protestor pretending to be handicapped hid a pastry and then threw it at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre as an apparent protest

 What do you think?

See yesterday's results below the Wrap!

 Roca Wrap

Day 1 clue: A lot of land for $15M...
 
The location was within the Louisiana Purchase territory, which runs from modern-day Montana to Louisiana and which the US purchased for $15M in 1803
 
Day 2 clue: Beantown, Springfield, and Salem - but not in Massachusetts.
 
These are all cities in Massachusetts – and also the names of ridges in the Ozarks Mountains, a mountain range in the Louisiana Purchase territory that contains our location
 
Day 3 clue: A blind man trips and falls into a spring. He sips and sees. It’s magic...
 
The location is near Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a spring renowned for its supposed healing powers, which allegedly once helped a blind regain his sight.
 
Day 4 clue: The dinosaur looked confused. “Smith,” he said, sitting in the bathtub, “how do I know if my non-gold crown is pure?”
 
The Greek scientist Archimedes exclaimed “Eureka” after discovering that the king’s “gold” crown wasn’t pure while sitting in a bathtub – another reference to Eureka Springs. “Smith” is a reference to the man who commissioned the building of our landmark, Gerald L. K. Smith, and the dinosaur is a reference to Emmett Sullivan, the sculptor who designed our landmark and was also known for his dinosaur sculptures.
 
Day 4 bonus: Are you a true detective?
 
The theme to Season 3 of True Detective includes our landmark in its montage. (1:08-1:09)
 
Day 5: You know my twin better, way down yonder
 
Our location bears a striking resemblance to Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. Both statues feature Jesus posing in the shape of a cross.
 
Our location was….the Christ of the Ozarks!
 
***
 
The Christ of the Ozarks was conceived by Gerald L. K. Smith, a politician and American Evangelical preacher born in 1898. Smith was highly controversial, known for his anti-Semitic and racist views, as well as Nazi sympathies. Smith’s notable activities included founding the “America First Party,” an isolationist political party under which he ran for president – and received 0% of the vote – in 1944. 
 
When Smith retired, he and his wife settled in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where he wanted to build a religious theme park. After reportedly raising over $1M, he commissioned the Christ of the Ozarks statue. The lead sculptor was Emmet Sullivan, who contributed to the construction of Mount Rushmore as well as the nearby Dinosaur World theme park.
 
Christ of the Ozarks became the centerpiece of Smith’s park, which featured recreations of Bethlehem and other Middle Eastern towns from the time of Jesus. It also contained an amphitheater, which draws thousands of viewers to witness the story of Jesus each summer. That performance, the Great Passion Play, continues to this day. 
 
Smith died in 1976, but his vision lives on – both in the continuing renditions of the play, as well as the Christ of the Ozarks. The 65.5 ft (20 m) tall statue continues to stand over Magnetic Mountain, just outside Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

 Roca Clubhouse

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 Final Thoughts