good morning Read these incredibly good stories published this week. I’m Emma Ellsworthy.
1. ‘A Link to a Small Corner of the Internet’
Caitlin Cassidy Visited 50 Payphones in a day to play the Pokémon Go-inspired game that created “a strange sense of connection in a small corner of the Internet.” Our intrepid reporter encountered a dirty high chair, a broken manicured nail and pigeons feasting … no matter.
But there was something about how PayphoneGo encourages exploration and community. And the voicemails — some of which can be heard in the story — can be oddly poignant. “People talk about their favorite local areas, people talk about what they can see,” says Brisbane student and creator Kris Norris. “Sometimes people go out and people sing.”
Notable Quote: “In my trance, I start seeing the same payphones twice, sometimes three times. Despite their location on the map, I pass by without noticing the others.”
How long does it take to read: Five minutes
Read More: An AI model trained on data collected from users of the Pokémon Go game can help military drones locate themselves in war zones.
2. One Hundred ‘Impossible Objects’ That Reveal History
During a hunting trip in Mississippi in 1902, Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear and was cornered and tied to a tree by others. He told his crew to shoot it instead. Oddly enough, the public loved the story, and a line of teddy bears was released. Although many tried, including Billy Possum, no other stuffed toy came close to its popularity.
It was one of 100 items that Roman Mars shortlisted for America, a screw thread and a coin that triggered the Gold Crisis. Mars also picked up a failed time capsule – an attempt to contain “stuff that tells the story of our country”. Instead, as he puts it, “completely random and meaningless material fell out”. How meta.
Notable Quote: “It’s a humbling story about how difficult it is to tell our own story and the impossible challenge of choosing objects that represent our history.”
How long does it take to read: Five minutes
Read More: A very distinctly North American – Sasquatch “sighting” has reignited interest and skepticism about the ape-like beast.
3. Dementia as a diagnosis for ‘creative potential’
When George Rook was diagnosed with dementia, he received three pieces of advice: “First, don’t take risks. Second, don’t give up. Third, prepare.” What he wished he had been told: “Socialize, be active, learn new things, volunteer”. People with dementia – Australia’s leading cause of death – are routinely advised to withdraw and prepare to die, writes Ann Corp.
But a group of four dementia activists are taking on age and potential by helping people see “hopeful, creative possibilities” after diagnosis. It’s an exciting read about a debilitating disease with a simple idea that drives people with disabilities: “How can we empower and enable people to live as well as possible, with as much autonomy and independence as possible?”
Notable Quote: “We underestimate what is possible because of the perception that the person is already dead.”
How long does it take to read: Five minutes
Read More: In this fun April story about 12 ways to stay sharp in the mind-numbing world, Joel Snape It motivates us to prevent brain decay!
4. ‘A cross between a ballerina and Janis Joplin’
In the 90s, Kate Moss stepped out for a martini and caused a “crash” of 200 male photographers. Greg Brennan says Lauren Cochrane. There were fewer photographers then – perhaps because the work was so different. Brennan would shoot celebrities at night, develop the photos until dawn, and leave them on the photo desks of glossy magazines at 6 a.m.
He had photographed Moss many times, but little did he know that a photograph of him leaving a play would become his most famous. It has “a certain angelic quality about it,” she says, and it fits the media narrative: the quintessential party girl, pictured crouching on the stairs in a fur. But Brennan has a complicated relationship with the iconic photograph: the hype “couldn’t be further from the truth”.
Notable Quote: “She saw me and she recognized me because I’ve been photographing her for years. I started taking pictures. She didn’t react, didn’t say anything.”
How long does it take to read: Three minutes
Read More: Before-and-after photos of Donald Trump’s $14.2 million makeover show … a blue pool.
5. ‘My eyes felt like razor blades’
“Programs that release powder designed to burn eyes and throats. Flashbang grenades. Tear gas. Launchers resembling semi-automatic rifles.” These are some of the “less dangerous” weapons that Australian police use on crowds with little vetting. But “all these weapons kill people,” says Rohini Har, a medical doctor who has studied the health effects of protesters around the world.
Immerse yourself in this incredible interactive story from Guardian Australia’s investigative team, which explores the shocking effects of these weapons on crowds and exposes how “police are deliberately hiding the details of these weapons behind closed doors”.
Notable Quote: “They’re taking their kids, these police are all lined up with guns and grenades and have to explain what’s going on. It’s the new normal.”
How long does it take to read: 10 minutes
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