☕ Spice it up

BYD plots world domination... Presented by [Boka]( [March 03, 2024]( | [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( | [Shop]( [rench skipper Charles Caudrelier on Maxi trimaran Edmond de Rothschild - Gitana 17 is pictured taking first place of the Arkea Ultim Challenge Brest] The winner of an around-the-world boat race. Vincent Curutchet/ALeA/Getty Images  BROWSING  [Classifieds banner image]( The wackiest headlines from the week as they would appear in a Classifieds section. Careers BARTENDER W/ GOOD BALANCE: An 18th-century pub famous for its slanted stature in the English village of Himley burned down last year. The town’s city council said it can be [rebuilt]( long as its structure stays wonky. DAIRY DETECTIVE: Chocolate chip ice cream is slowly falling out of the [top ice creams]( in the US. The simple vanilla plus chocolate frozen treat was supplanted by consumers’ love of “premium” flavors like cookie dough and salted caramel. Personal SNAKE-ATION: Every spring, the Italian village of Cocullo hosts the [festival of the snake catchers]( where people carry a statue of San Domenico covered in snakes through the streets. SEEKING NAKED GUYS: After reportedly taking place for 1,000 years, this was the [final year]( of Japan’s Somin-sai festival, otherwise known as the naked man festival. The event involves a horde of dudes wearing only loincloths and socks participating in various rituals, like running through freezing water. What killed this millennium-old tradition, you ask? Not enough young people to undress and participate. For sale IMMERSIVE SCARE: The Paranormal Activity franchise is getting a [video game](. Just do not stream yourself playing it—you’re asking for something to pop up behind you. SMART CANDLE: GameScent will [sell]( a device that uses AI to release scents that match the video game you’re playing. You’re all going to think twice about trapping your Sims in boxes now. BOUND FANFIC: Etsy sellers have ripped fanfiction from sites like Archive of Our Own and are [selling]( them as physical books. Some copies are going for over $100, which seems low for the joy of a story about everyone in My Chemical Romance kissing. NEW HUBBA BUBBA: For the first time in 36 years, the iconic bubblegum brand is [innovating](. Its big idea to enter the 21st century of chewables is...tinier pieces. And flavors like Skittles.—MM  PRESENTED BY BOKA See what your mouth’s missing [Boka]( Here’s a fun fact from the Huberman Lab podcast: Oral health is directly linked to overall mental and physical health. Yep, your chompers are doing some heavy lifting for your well-being. As the [No. 1 toothpaste brand on Amazon]( Boka knows all about providing quality oral care. Fluoride-free, [Boka toothpaste]( is powered by n-Ha, a scientifically proven ingredient that remineralizes teeth, mimics tooth composition, and supports a healthy microbiome. This level of oral care doesn’t just benefit your mouth, it’s designed to benefit your whole body. Get [15% off your first purchase]( with code 15MBREW2 by April 1.  SNAPSHOTS  [Photo of the week](#) [People racing on jet suits]Anadolu/Getty Images For all the technological innovations we enjoy today—driverless cars, humanoid robots, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos—people still wonder why we don’t have jetpacks. However, the future appears to be getting closer. A [seven-person race]( of pilots wearing jetpacks that can reach top speeds of 80 mph took place in Dubai this week, which organizers called the first of its kind. Competitors navigated obstacles above the Dubai Marina, a setting chosen to allow for high speeds. There was only one crash among the Iron Man cosplayers—Ahmed al-Shehhi hit the water feet-first but sprang back into the air and offered a thumbs-up to rescuers.—DL  SCIENCE  [Dept. of Progress](#) [Dexter from Dexter's lab saying ]Dexter’s Laboratory/Warner Bros. Domestic Television via Giphy Here are some illuminating scientific discoveries from the week to help you live better and maybe even curse less. Concerts move us in a way recordings just can’t. Bumping your favorite song in the car can’t compare to hearing it live in a crowd of jubilant strangers, and there’s a scientific reason why. A group of researchers at the University of Zurich had professional pianists play for 27 different nonmusicians in MRI scanners. The live recitals [stimulated listeners’ brains]( more than when they just listened to recordings—specifically in the amygdala, the brain’s emotional center. The researchers pointed out that in live performances, musicians can riff on their songs to engage directly with the audience, which creates a feedback loop that you can’t get with recordings. This tiny fish is as loud as a gunshot. A fingernail-sized swimmer is challenging the notion that fish are quiet pets—though you’ll probably never get this one at Petco. The Danionella cerebrum, a half-inch fish found in Myanmar, can make sounds surpassing 140 decibels, aka as loud as an ambulance or jackhammer. Scientists recorded the fish [sounding like]( a swarm of underwater cicadas due to a rib in its body rapidly drumming against cartilage. Only males have a rib that’s hard enough to produce the sound, which they may do to navigate or threaten competition. 🥱 A bad night’s sleep could explain your potty mouth. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed actually does make you curse more, according to new research linking sleep quality to profanity. In a survey of 309 undergraduates, students who didn’t sleep well [cursed more frequently]( and used significantly more self-defeating humor than their well-rested classmates. Just like your friends who crack a joke to hide that they’ve had a bad day, poorly rested people curse and make themselves the butt of jokes to overcompensate for how they feel.—ML  TOGETHER WITH MONEYLION [MoneyLion]( How well do you know your money? Leveling up your financial literacy doesn’t have to be a snoozefest. Case in point: the [Know Money YouTube series]( from MoneyLion. Join Wharton graduate and NFL veteran Brandon Copeland for entertaining intros to budgeting, taxes, investing, and real estate. [Watch it on YouTube]( or [the MoneyLion app](.  NEWS ANALYSIS  [Are Chinese EVs poised for world domination?]( [BYD cargo ship]( Images People have been predicting flying cars for the past century, but what no one had on their bingo card was China making cars that foreigners actually want to buy. Chinese automakers traditionally sold most of their vehicles at home, struggling to compete overseas with the likes of Ford, Volkswagen, and Toyota. But as more drivers go electric, budget-friendly cars from Chinese EV-makers are becoming a common sight on roads worldwide. The country grew its EV exports by 851% in the past three years, with surging shipments to Europe, per the NYT. Meanwhile, internationally established auto brands selling pricier EVs are beginning to feel like they’re getting cut off at an intersection. Tesla’s nightmare The splashiest Chinese EV brand is the Warren Buffett-backed BYD, which has experienced a meteoric rise that was unthinkable just a few years ago: - In 2011, Elon Musk [laughed out loud]( when a Bloomberg reporter asked him to share his thoughts on the company, responding, “Have you seen their car?” - Fast forward 13 years and Musk is no longer giggling: BYD surpassed Tesla in the final quarter of 2023 as the world’s largest EV seller. - Musk recently warned Tesla investors that Chinese carmakers will “demolish” their foreign competitors unless countries establish trade barriers. Tesla is now scrambling to compete by cutting prices and aiming to release what it says will be its cheapest model sometime next year. But in a mirror move, BYD, seemingly after Tesla’s luxury market, introduced a [swagged-out]( $233,000 Lamborghini-style supercar and an SUV that floats in water and rotates 360 degrees. It’s not just Tesla losing sleep: BYD also took Volkswagen’s No. 1 spot as the best-selling car brand in China last year, and it plans to set up shop in the German carmaker’s backyard with its first factory in Europe. Western governments are worried, too Last week, President Biden directed the Commerce Department to investigate what threats Chinese EVs may pose to Americans’ data. But while Biden likened modern cars to “smartphones on wheels,” a Chinese EV tracking how much time you spend at the McD’s drive-through is probably not the only concern. With the president up for reelection, the move is widely seen as a first step to prevent an American automakers’ apocalypse on their home turf. Biden said he thinks China is trying to dominate the world’s auto market using “unfair practices.’’ He’s likely referring to generous government subsidies that allowed its carmakers to offer sticker prices that make rival EVs look like a Maserati-level purchase. The EU is already investigating whether these subsidies abide by trade rules and is considering imposing additional tariffs on Chinese cars. So, why aren’t they on your local roads? The short answer is trade barriers: The US has a 25% tariff on Chinese EV imports (in addition to the 2.5% duty on all imported cars), and the Biden administration is considering raising it even further, per the WSJ. However, BYD’s plan to build factories in Mexico has some US lawmakers concerned it might be an attempt to bypass tariffs. The company denies this, saying last week that it does not plan to send the cars it builds there north of the border. Looking ahead…even if Chinese EVs end up on US car lots, they might not be the next big thing. They have “extremely low” brand awareness among Americans, and their “durability and safety is middling,” Spencer Imel of consumer insights company Langston told Reuters.—SK  BREW'S BEST  # [To-do list graphic] Cook: Make your next breakfast sammie on [cheddar chive biscuits](. Watch: Fans of historical drama, check out [Shogun]( streaming on Hulu. Learn: An Irish farmer will teach you how to [herd sheep with dogs](. Listen: A podcast for history buffs obsessed with [royal families](. Art rec: Don’t use a hook to hold your keys. Use a [magnetic goose](. Coffee art: A look inside a $4,000 coffee grinder from an [espresso aficionado](. Intensify intimacy: Presenting MysteryVibe’s Crescendo 2, a doctor-recommended, FDA-registered vibrator. Clinically proven to improve arousal and alleviate dryness, it bends to your needs and brings home awards. [Here’s 20% off—you’re welcome]( *A message from our sponsor.  DESTINATIONS  [Place to be: The planet Arrakis](#) [Still from 'Dune']Dune/Warner Bros. It’s a big world out there. In this section, we’ll teleport you to an interesting location—and hopefully give you travel ideas in the process. Dune: Part 2, the second installment in the futuristic space saga, opened in theaters this weekend. As is the case with many movies and TV shows, the popularity of Dune is turning Arrakis into a popular travel destination. Allow us to help you prepare for your trip by answering some FAQs. Should I go if I have a sand allergy? It’s a desert planet, so consider packing some Claritin. What if I have a worm phobia? Strike two. Arrakis is inhabited by 1,200-foot sandworms, although this could be the perfect opportunity to face your fears. What if I only speak English? Even though Galach is the official language of Arrakis, everyone is either speaking English or subtitled. Fluency in Arabic may have helped in the past, but the current version of Arrakis has [all but erased it](. Is it true this planet is best known for a drug? Yes. It’s called melange, street name “the spice.” What does it do? It heightens your mental awareness and gives some the ability to see into the future. So it’s like a Four Loko? Yes, but with fewer flavors. How do I get to Arrakis? You’ll need the spice, as its powers allow high-speed interspace travel by showing you obstructions to avoid well in advance, and a spaceship. So check Facebook Marketplace. Any touristy things to do? Arrakeen, the capital city, has everything to make other travel influencers jealous, from ostentatious buildings to mysterious caves. OK, I’m in. How long does it take to get there? You must travel across galaxies, so it will be a protracted journey, but it won’t feel as long as the first movie.—DL  COMMUNITY  [Crowd work](#) Last week, we asked: “Instead of a flag, what should the US leave on the moon to signify our visit?” Here are our favorite answers: - “A Chili’s. We won’t wait so long to go back to the moon if we know we can get a Triple Dipper dinner.”—Nick from Boston, MA - “Maybe it’s fresh on my mind from the special edition of the Brew, but a Reserved parking spot.”—Tom from Pittsburgh, PA - “A table with a Monopoly game board in mid-play with a note saying ‘your turn.’”—William from Clarks Summit, PA - “1,776 McRibs.”—Collin from Seattle, WA - “Snoopy in his American Sopwith Camel.”—Suzanne from Pennsylvania This week’s question A Reddit post [claimed]( “After the first $2 million or $3 million, a paid-off home, and a good car, there is no difference in the quality of life between you and Jeff Bezos.” Agree or disagree? 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