Hello there, clever clogs!

Would you want to live in an abandoned Disney castle? Have you ever committed Bikeshedding? Do you know how your phone is trying to kill you?

These may be some unforgivably click-baity titles, but they also happen to be a few of the genuinely interesting weekend reads we have in store for you today!

Grab a cuppa, and please enjoy 😇

Big love,
Chris & the 42courses team x 

• What went wrong with Turkey's Disney ghost town: There is an abandoned development of literal miniature Disney Castles in Turkey. What happened to this dream and why is it not filled with princesses? Find out here.
   
• Say it strange: The wonderful Richard Shotton shared this short, sweet post on why some memorable brands (like Apple, heard of them?) have used grammatically incorrect ways to say what they mean.
   
• Bikeshedding - the art of being petty: Have you ever noticed how committees spend far more time discussing trivial things than important ones? This is known as Bikeshedding, and you do it too!
   
• Cars vs phones: A story about progress from Dan Ariely where he reveals how cars work for you while phones just try to bring you down, man.
   
• What happens when you play German music in a wine bar: In 60 seconds Rory Sutherland explains the concept of framing and its effects on our decisions.

• 532 - Chariot racing supporters in Constantinople, representing the Greens and Blues, escape execution, sparking the Nika revolt—an unexpected prison break that spirals into chaos. 🏇
   
• 738 - A new ceremonial ballcourt is inaugurated at the Maya city of Copán under the reign of 18 Rabbit, marking a significant sporting and cultural milestone. ⚽
   
• 1839 - The first tea made from indigenous plants of Assam, India, arrives in the United Kingdom, beginning Britain’s enduring love affair with tea. 🍵
   
• 1840 - The Uniform Penny Post mail system starts across the United Kingdom, making communication affordable for the masses. ✉️
   
• 1863 - The world’s first underground railway, the London Tube, opens, revolutionising urban transport. 🚇
   
• 1897 - Ukrainian bacteriologist Waldemar Haffkine conducts the first human trial for a plague vaccine on himself, a daring step in medical history. 💉
   
• 1901 - Oil is discovered at Spindletop, Beaumont, marking the start of the Texas oil boom and America’s obsession with petroleum. 🛢️
   
• 1946 - The US Army bounces the first radar signal off the Moon from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, a breakthrough in space exploration. 🌕
   
• 1949 - RCA introduces the 45 RPM record, revolutionising music consumption with the compact single. 🎶