Things I Learned - September 2025
Hello and Happy October (+ shanah tovah to those celebrating recently). Here is a (slightly belated) Things I Learned from September.
Things I Learned
In the US there are more private equity funds (19,000) than there are McDonalds (14,000).2 (source)
The word “sniper” originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India in reference to shooting a type of bird called a snipe, which was considered extremely challenging to hunt due to its alertness, camouflaging color, and erratic flight behavior. (source)
Ronald Reagan’s chief of staff was named Donald Regan. (source)
The modern baseball lasts an average of 2.5 pitches before being taken out of play. (source)
The stethoscope was created in 1816 because its inventor, Rene Laennec, felt uncomfortable placing his ear directly on a woman’s chest. (source)
In the first half of 2025, OpenAI spent more on marketing and equity options for its employees than it made in revenue ($4.5 bn vs $4.3 bn). (source)
The word “meander” comes from the river Maeander in southwestern turkey, that was celebrated in antiquity for its numerous windings. (source)
Americans consume 103 lbs of chicken per capita, triple the amount they consumed in 1965. (source)
Afghanistan is the world’s only state not to have any elections whatsoever.3 (source)
Harrods, the London department store, was the first commercial establishment to have an escalator. (source)
In 1965, a 25 year old American woman had a 80% chance of being married. In 2025, a 25 year old American woman had a 20% chance of being married. (source)
October is the only month that features games from all major sports leagues (MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA).
Secret ballots — i.e. voting privately — did not exist in the US before 1872. (source)
According to the main founding legend of Korea, its history began when a deity told a bear and a tiger to spend 100 days in a cave eating only garlic and mugwort, a herb. The tiger quit. The bear lasted and the god turned her into a woman as a reward. She bore him a son, Dangun, who founded Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, in 2333BC. (source)
40% of all electricity consumption in Virginia comes from data centers. (source)
The Philadelphia City Hall was the world tallest (inhabitable) building from its construction until 1908. (source)
34% of American families take home more than $150,000 each year, compared to just 3% of British households. (source)
Things I Liked
This twitter thread with “words that are poetic when you think about them”, including: skyscraper, spellbound, bullseye, firefighter, motherland, adorable, etc.
Kurt Vonnegut on buying an envelope.
The wikipedia page on transpositional puns.
Lemony Snicket’s advice on writing thank you notes.
These pictures of the 7 train in Queens when it was first built.
Gael Monfils’s retirement note to the tennis community.4
Postscript
The only big news for me this month is that I officially started a new job,5 and am now in NYC full time. I unexpectedly find myself missing London. Unfortunately that also means I’m no longer writing articles for The Economist , but I will do my best to make it up with facts and such.
In 1377, to be exact.
This fact I’ve had a bit of a tough time auditing. Apparently Eritrea doesn’t have elections, but I think its constitution makes allowances for them? I’m not 100% sure.
Those of you who know me well know he has been my favorite player since ~2004 (he and Robinson Cano were the only two athletes whose posters graced my high school bedroom). Many people will remember him for showmanship and athleticism — here’s a classic — but his longevity is also remarkable. Among active players, it’s basically Djokovic, him and Wawrinka (see a graph I made here). I think he’s also the only player to face a full match against the 6’ 11” Ivo Karlovic without being aced.
I always love learning the many wonderful random facts you teach us. Thanks!