Circle game

Tops had already been around for thousands of years by the time you got your hands on one of these beauties. You probably tormented your siblings by spinning that thing into a frenzy while everyone else was trying to watch TV. Classic 😅

Even if it’s been a few years since you spent an afternoon spinning tops, the earth’s been spinning everyday. While its rotation tends to be uniform, there are a few occasions coming up where the earth will spin so fast, some days will be shorter.

Like a record, baby ;)

(Love nostalgia? Play today’s trivia below for a chance to win a $25 eGift Card!)

WHAT UP WEDNESDAYS

Do turtles hold the secret to curing cancer?

A new global study of turtles conducted by researchers at the University of Nottingham found just 1% of turtles—and reptiles in general—get cancer, considerably less than birds and mammals.

Published in BioScience, the study analyzed hundreds of turtles that lived in zoos and their medical records and autopsies revealed a strikingly low rate of cancer, considering how long turtles tend to live and the likelihood of cell malfunction in old age.

"Turtles, especially iconic species like Galapagos and Aldabra giant tortoises, are famous for living long lives and growing to tremendous sizes,” said Dr Ylenia Chiari from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Nottingham

"You'd expect that to mean more cancer, but our study, which combines decades of zoo records with previous research, shows how incredibly rare cancer is in these animals. It highlights turtles as an untapped model for understanding cancer resistance and healthy ageing."

Dr. Chiari says the study suggests turtles may be more equipped to prevent cancer from forming due to slower metabolism (which reduces cellular stress), and genetic proclivities to evade the formation of cancers.

She says further investigation into these defenses could be useful in treating or preventing cancer in humans.

TRAVEL

Don’t throw away those tags

When you pick up your luggage from the carousel after a flight, you may be inclined to tear off the tags and throw them away. According to a Delta employee posting on Reddit, it’s important to keep those tags until you get home.

Identity thieves "can steal enough information from [bag tags] to use your travel itinerary to get paid," according to the self-identified "Delta baggage claims manager."

By accessing the bag tag, a fraudster could get access to your name, flight number, and the luggage tag number itself, which is potentially enough information to convince an airline that someone filing a complaint about lost luggage is doing so authentically.

Some have questioned the likelihood of success in this regard, given how meticulous airlines are with tracking luggage. The tag gets scanned at every checkpoint, including when it gets delivered onto the carousel.

On the other hand, a bad actor could say something from inside the bag went missing, and use your name to fraudulently claim losses.

On top of that, a hacker scanning your boarding pass would reveal plenty more information required to convincingly make a claim in your name, which is why it’s important to keep all such documents in your possession until you’ve arrived home, before disposing of them.

CURIOSITIES

Cheese auction sets record

A cheese was just sold by the Regulatory Council DOP Cabrales in Asturias, Spain for US$42,232 after it was labeled “Mejor Queso del Certamen,” meaning “best cheese of the competition” at the 52nd annual auction that proceeds after a prestigious jury decides which cheese is indeed the best of the year.

The cheese was crafted by the Ángel Díaz Herrero cheese factory, which included aging it in a cave 5,000 feet above sea level for 10 months before it was presented and auctioned off in Asturias, where competing for cheese supremacy is a storied tradition.

The Regulatory Council DOP Cabrales has now claimed the Guinness Record three times for the most money ever spent on an individual portion of cheese at an auction, having previously secured winning bids of $22,787 in 2019, and $2874.67 in 2018.

Bidding started at $3,481 this year and included 40 separate bids before it was won by El Llagar de Colloto, whose owner, Iván Suárez, raised the bid to $42,232.

MUSIC

Nikki Sixx calls working with Dolly Parton a “career high”

In a recent interview with Forbes, Motley Crue bassist and songwriter Nikki Sixx recalled the surreal experience of collaborating with Dolly Parton to reimagine Motley’s groundbreaking ballad, Home Sweet Home.

Dolly put out her famous Rockstar album in 2023 after she was bizarrely named as an inductee into the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame the year before. She initially turned down the honor, but came around under the self-imposed condition of actually putting out a rock album, which consisted of a few original songs, but mostly collaborative covers.

Sixx talked about the process of working with Dolly, and how much of a (perhaps surprising) dream come true it was. He also discussed being blown away by Dolly’s affinity for the song and her take on the lyrics.

“Dolly looked at me and said, ‘I really love these lyrics’ …and she goes, in her very sweet southern accent, ‘When you’re young, you want to get as far away from home as possible. You want to chase those dreams. You want to chase whatever you want to do. And then once you get there, it’s the journey getting back to your roots.’

“I was like, ‘No one’s ever explained my lyrics to me that clear.’ That just touched me on so many levels.” He reflected: “You write a song and it means something to you…[then] once the song is released…it becomes other people’s.”

STAKE TRIVIA

Vile villains

Everyone loves a good hero, but when a villain is done right they can often be one of the most memorable parts of a movie 😏 

Take a walk on the dark side and see how well you know your movie villains with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 eGift Card ;)

Winner will be notified tomorrow afternoon—keep an eye on your inbox!*

Have a great day ahead Staker!

Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.


*SEE FULL STAKE TRIVIA CONTEST RULES HERE.