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PICKLEBALL CONFIDENTIAL

Friday, May 17, 2024

In today’s newsletter, we weigh the benefits of America’s fastest-growing sport, uncover rare fireflies in an unlikely place … and meet a Bridgerton-era icon (Do you know who she was married to? Scroll down to take the quiz.) Also, what’s so special in finding shipwrecks in this icy sea?

Pickleball players on a rooftop pickleball court in downtown Austin.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRANDON BELL, GETTY IMAGES

It seems like the only people who don’t like America’s fastest growing sport are tennis players who are seeing their courts invaded by throngs of pickleball players—and maybe neighbors annoyed at the constant “thwok! thwok! thwok!” of the hollow plastic ball.

Beyond the trendiness and the sociability, we want to know: Is pickleball actually good for your health? (Above, a match in Austin.)

HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND

Related: How did pickleball even begin?
Also: Why swimming is the best exercise
Also: An e-bike can jumpstart your health, too, but consider these things first
And: 15 gifts for pickleball lovers

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

A dark forest with trees and thousands of small, short, yellow streaks representing fireflies.

PHOTOGRAPH BY HOXIANG YANG, GETTY IMAGES

How this state park’s ‘dark journey’ led to the discovery of rare fireflies (above)

Beyond the King Charles III hubbub: From Lincoln to Anne of Cleves, these 5 official portraits created quite a stir

Now we know: Why Egypt’s pyramids sit in a desolate desert

Do you really need 10,000 steps a day? Here’s what the science says.

How did Rasputin really die?

The power of dopamine and why it makes you take the hard way out

Why ovaries are crucial to women’s longevity

These are the weird and wonderful reasons octopuses change shape and color

Why trigger points cause so much pain—and how you can relieve them

How hot is too hot? This new tool helps you gauge your safety in a heatwave.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT (AGAIN)

The queen stands, hand placed on crown, affixed on the viewer.

IMAGE VIA ART COLLECTION/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Popular again: Britain’s Queen Charlotte, the 18th century monarch who surprisingly carries a lot of pull in today’s TV streaming wars, had her name given to a North Carolina metropolis and the city that is home to the University of Virginia. Who was she married to?

A. Andrew
B. Charles
C. Edward
D. George

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT

Related: The real rules of courtship in England’s Bridgerton era
Also: Think Bridgerton and Saltburn are scandalous? Here’s the sordid history behind these English country homes.

LAST GLIMPSE

An Ottoman shipwreck on the bottom of the Black Sea

PHOTOGRAPH BY EEF, BLACK SEA MAP

A unique find … shipwrecks? Specifically, in the Black Sea. For the first time, remote-controlled cameras offer glimpses of the many shipwrecks that lie in the icy waters off the coast of Bulgaria. See them here.

SEEING SHIPWRECKS

Related: Why were these shipwrecks found so far from the sea?

Today’s soundtrack: L’oeuf (theme from Challengers), Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Tommorow: Catch our Top 10 stories of the week—and a tribute to an unassuming citizen.

Stay safe this weekend! This newsletter has been curated and edited by Nancy San Martín, Nishita Naga, and David Beard. Know someone who might want our newsletter? Here’s the signup.

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