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The Now I Know Week in Review

Monday: The Unheard Words of the Star Trek Theme Song: I considered making some sort of snarky comment about how Star Trek: Enterprise's theme song actually has lyrics. That's not what the story is about, for better or for worse. (Probably for better.)

Tuesday: The Odd History (Perhaps?) of the Malaysian National Anthem: I've gotten a few notes from readers who are either in Malaysia or who know people there. A couple told me that this is a well-known story in Malaysia, which is nice to hear because as I said in the preamble to this story, I had a hard time finding definitive sources to establish the history here. One hadn't heard of it at all, which was also nice to hear because I like surprising people with stuff they don't know. And one reader, Calogero C., forwarded the email to a friend, who said that there's another song that uses the same melody -- which gives DJs a great opportunity for some levity. Per the friend, the similar song is "sometimes played in nightclubs or other public places as a prank because everyone thinks the national anthem is being played and would stop what they're doing as a sign of respect." Love it!

Wednesday: The 21-Year-Old Irish Woman That Saved D-Day: The weather played a HUGE role in the D-Day invasion. There's even an entire (and extensive) Wikipedia entry dedicated to weather forecasting around the operation. This story is one about an unlikely participant with a crucial role in that effort, even though she didn't know it.

Also, this email hit your inboxes with the subject line "Now I Know: TK."  As seen in the screenshot here (via reader Álvaro A. -- thanks!), this isn't the first time I've made that mistake. And it won't be the last. The good news is that I can explain what it means pretty easily -- because I did about a year ago! You can read that explanation here. (Unfortunately, the giveaway for the Peloton, as also discussed in that email, has long lapsed).

Thursday: Why Two Nobel Prize Winners Melted Their Medals:  This is a re-run from 2011 but I came up with a new bonus fact (that isn't on the archived version yet) because the one I had isn't so great. In updating that bonus fact, I mentioned a Russian oligarch named Alisher Usmanov and how he did a good thing by buying a Nobel Prize medal and then gifting it back to its original owner. As readers Matt M. and Nick S. pointed out, I shouldn't be sharing Usmanov in a positive light without also mentioning his darker side. He's been sanctioned by both the United States and EU due to allegations of rampant corruption, and I agree with Matt and Nick -- I should have made that clear, and probably even forgone sharing this bonus fact as it helps whitewash Usmanov's reputation.

And some other things you should check out: