Over-the-Counter Birth Control, Tardigrades, Making Wine from Mountain Dew, etc.

In which I keep this short.

🌉 Had a birthday in Detroit and spent the rest of the week in San Francisco, so not much read this week.

🏀 This happened just a few hours after I sent last week’s newsletter, but in case ya didn’t know, Caitlin Clark is now the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball, man or woman, passing the legendary “Pistol” Pete Maravich. Love watching Clark play and was heartbroken for her after last year’s national championship.

💊 The first over-the-counter birth control pill will be available in stores later this month, allowing contraceptive medication to be as easily purchased as aspirin. “A one-month supply will cost about $20 and a three-month supply will cost around $50, according to the company’s suggested retail price.”

📱 One of the three biggest music publishers is cutting loose with their TikTok license, effective May 1st.

🧐 How good are television characters at their jobs? Professionals weigh in on the fictional folks in their respective fields, including a priest on Fleabag, a chef on The Bear, a doctor on Scrubs and a therapist on Dr. Katz.

🎼 A look at the legacy of composer John Williams, who is looking to win his sixth Oscar this evening. “It’s his 54th nomination, which is the most ever for someone not named Walt Disney, and thus the biggest tally for any living person — and any nonproducer, period.”

🌕 In 2019, an unmanned spacecraft crashed landed on the moon, its remains scattered almost 100 meters on the moon’s surface. Amongst its payload were tardigrades, renowned for “their ability to survive in even the harshest climates.” Did they survive and colonize the moon?

🍷 And, as promised, a video on making wine from Mountain Dew.

✌️ Until next time, remember to keep the Hoping Machine running.

Love,

Luke