Fill in the blanks

At the top of the game show pyramid in the ‘70s was—you guessed it— The Pyramid. You had mystery words, celebrity guests, and of course, Dick Clark. His sign off was so consistent, you could have the TV on mute and know exactly what he was saying and how he said it based on that hand salute 😂

It’s wild how you can see one thing, and fill in the blanks to figure out its meaning. For instance, did you know you cn rd wrds without vowels? It’s remarkable, but our brains are simply predictive pattern recognition machines! 

Vowels need not apply ;)

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

WEEKLY POLL

What are we thinking?

IN THE NEWS

Job openings rise in April

According to data published by the Labor Department, job openings rose to 7.4 million in April, jumping from 7.2 million in March and outpacing economist forecasts of 7.1 million.

The higher-than-anticipated number suggests the American jobs market is more resilient than expected, given the economic turbulence currently rocking markets as a consequence of President Donald Trump’s trade war.

However, other signs still point to vulnerabilities, including the statistic that there’s currently only one job opening for every one unemployed American, down from two for one in December of 2022.

In other words, there are positives and negatives, with the broader trajectory of the labor market straddling the line as companies remain in a holding pattern to see how federal trade policies will pan out long-term.

“Once companies are more certain that bad times are coming, they will start to shed workers,” said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics. “However, the economy is still near full employment. We suspect companies are still hoarding workers until they are very, very sure about an economic downturn.″

THIRSTY THURSDAYS

Jalapeños and Sauvignon Blanc

From the Negroni to the Aperol Spritz, nearly every year we get the summer of a certain drink, driven largely by content creators and influencers on social media.

This summer, it looks like the early frontrunner is a glass of Sauvignon Blanc with a few jalapeño peppers dropped in.

Does it sound strange or even gross? Maybe to some, but some of the creators making splashes in the TikTok and Instagram trendlines swear by it, saying the combination brings out an enhanced refreshing, crispy, and citrusy flavor from the grape with “a little bit of spice.”

Part of the reason some say this match made in limbo actually works may be due to the aroma and flavor compounds known as pyrazines, which are found both in green bell peppers and in wines of the Bordeaux family, which is home to Sauvignon Blanc.

On the other hand, some say the pairing is just unique and curious, but doesn’t actually result in some chemical reaction that makes the wine any better than it already was before adding the jalapeños.

Care to try yourself? Slice up some jalapeños, freeze ‘em, pour yourself a glass, drop the peppers in, and give it a shot.

SCIENCE

Your moral compass might take cues from your physical self

A new study suggests those who are more in tune with their bodies tend to be guided by their physical reactions when confronting a moral dilemma.

Most people have a conscience, but the way conscientiousness manifests isn’t necessarily the same for everyone. For example, someone may know intellectually not to carry out a certain action in a given situation, but others will also physically feel it with a heart rate change or perhaps an anxiety-like adrenaline rush, amplifying their propensity to avoid taking such action.

The authors presented participants with moral dilemmas, in which they had to choose between a “utilitarian” action and a “deontological” action—either to minimize the harm to most people, or act based on standard norms, respectively. Some were then instructed to pay attention to their heartbeat when assessing the situation.

The researchers found those who were more in tune with their bodies tended to choose the same option as most of the rest of the group, regardless of which one that was in a given scenario (they weren’t aware of what other participants chose). This suggests their bodies were aiding the assessment of how that decision may affect the world around them.

"The idea is that feeling that anxiety is going to make you notice that you did something to cause that anxiety, and then make you try to avoid doing those things in the future," said Jordan Theriault, a psychologist and biologist at Northeastern University. "You feel that feedback from your body, and then you learn not to do that again in the future.”

CURIOSITIES

London’s new spy museum

Earlier this year, Stake reported on the conversion of the World War 2 era London tunnels into a tourist attraction, allowing visitors to explore the caverns that inspired Ian Fleming to write the James Bond novels after working there with British intelligence during the war.

More has developed on plans for the attraction, including the intuitive decision by the London Tunnels company to collaborate with the Military Intelligence Museum to turn a section of the tunnels into a museum of espionage.

It will include “the world’s most authoritative permanent exhibition of military intelligence,” said Gen Sir Jim Hockenhull, the commander of Strategic Command and colonel commandant of the Intelligence Corps. “The tunnels will provide a dramatic and historic backdrop for an exciting new approach to telling the story of the past, present and future of military intelligence.”

The London Tunnels company says construction is planned to begin in 2027 with the aim of opening the museum in 2028. The goal is to attract 3 million visitors per year, and is intended to funnel renewed foot traffic into areas of London that haven’t fully recovered since the COVID-era lockdowns.

MUSIC

Record labels settle piracy case

While the days of Metallica suing Napster are a distant memory, all music is now digitized, meaning record labels are more diligent than ever to make sure their copyrighted content isn’t being pirated.

That’s why Sony Music, Warner Music, and Universal Music Group filed a lawsuit four years ago against Frontier Communications in an effort to force it to cut off internet access to customers knowingly using it to pirate music.

According to Ars Technica, the suit was recently settled ahead of a trial, though the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

The record labels sued Frontier for continuing to provide internet access to “known repeat infringers with continued access to and use of its network” rather than shutting down their accounts.

The suit followed a separate claim successfully made against Cox Communications by the same labels, who were awarded $1 billion in damages. That decision was successfully appealed by Cox, however, and is expected to make its way to the Supreme Court, where major precedent could be set for the future handling of copyright claims against ISPs.

STAKE TRIVIA

Extra cheese

We’ve seen a lot of cheeseball characters over the years—case in point, Ralph Malph 😂 

But that’s only the beginning! From Arnold Horshack to Max Smart, we’ll be quizzin’ you on all the cheesy characters with today’s trivia! Complete the game and earn a shot at a $25 Amazon 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.