Happy Friday! If you're new to Now I Know, you'll notice that today's format differs from the rest of the week. On Fridays, I pause to write the "Weekender," my  "week in review" type of thing, or to share something else I think you may find interesting. Thanks for reading! — Dan

How To Share A Story Idea With Me

Hi!

One of the most common questions I get about Now I Know is “where do you find all these stories?” The answer, at this point, is that I have no idea — I’m insatiably curious and collect things as I come across them, and I’ve built up a huge backlog of potential stories that I tap into regularly. But that said, one of my biggest sources is you, my readers. If you see something that could be a good Now I Know story or a Friday longread, please share it with me. It’s easy! Here’s how:

Send me an email.

That’s it! 🙂 

I read every single email that comes into my dan@nowiknow.com mailbox. I don’t reply to most — the volume of replies I get is overwhelming sometimes — and I must admit that I don’t check that inbox more than once or twice a week, max. But rest assured, I’m reading what you send.

I don’t have much else to say today, so keep the ideas coming! Let’s jump to the Week in Review. (Or some words from today’s sponsors, if you’re not a regular contributor to my tip jar.) Thanks!

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The Now I Know Week In Review

Monday: The World's Most Expensive Vending Machine?: Buy and drive. Literally.

Tuesday: Forcing Beer into Star Wars: You’ll get the jingle stuck in your head.

Wednesday: A Mushroom Grows in Moscow: Vladimir Lenin, fun guy? Nah.

Thursday: A Miner Revolt: They were told not to take a holiday off. So they created their own micronation.

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And thanks! — Dan

Long Reads and Other Things

Here are a few things you may want to check out over the weekend:

1) “My Quest to Find the Owner of a Mysterious WWII Japanese Sword” (Outside, 34 minutes, February 2025). The subhead: “When I was a kid, I was fascinated by a traditional katana my grandfather had brought home from Japan in 1945. Years later, I decided it was time to find the heirloom’s rightful owner.” Thanks to reader Michael B. for the suggestion!

2) “Magnet fishing is supposed to be a wholesome hobby. Why all the beef?” (The Glasgow Bell, 11 minutes, March 2025). I hadn’t heard of magnet fishing before reading this. It’s more akin to treasure hunting than fishing — magnet fishers use neodymium magnets attached to cords, drop their “lure” into rivers and the like, hoping to pull up some coins or other valuables. But they’re just as likely to grab dangerous items like knives or guns or, on rare occasions, bombs. So maybe that’s where all the beef is?

3) “Inside the Biggest Live Game of ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Ever Played” (Rolling Stone, 13 minutes, March 2025). The game was at Madison Square Garden in New York. Roughly 20,000 people were there — and lots of 20-sided dice. Rolling Dice.. I mean, Rolling Stone sometimes has a paywall; if you get stuck behind it, sorry about that. This one was accessible for free for me.

Have a great weekend!

Dan