In this edition: the jaws of history; war and piece(s); the last day of camp; stay a while; picture me rollin’.
competition
Between the Sheets at the College Excel Championships
“One of the most unusual — and fun — events in college sports is a high-stakes spreadsheeting competition in Las Vegas.”
Inside the World of “The Great British Bake Off”
“The show captures disastrous custard-making, quintessentially British faux-modesty, and the blistering hubris of bakers—including me.”
Spreadsheet Superstars
“An elite handful of analysts, actuaries, and accountants have mastered Excel, arguably the most important software in the business world. So what do they do in Vegas? They open a spreadsheet.”
The Unbearable Greatness of Djokovic
“Novak Djokovic may be the greatest tennis player ever—and I can’t stand him.”
Against Winning
“What I am qualified to say—what I am saying: what links the evils of the modern Olympics to literary criticism, to literary prizes and to A-to-F classroom grades—is that I’m tired of losing and tired of winning, and that we all lose when we focus so often on prizes, grades, and final scores.”
Defrauding the Competition
As competitors prank each other into account suspensions, the business of reinstating Amazon Marketplace businesses is booming.
24-Hour Competitive Rock Climbing: Finger Tips as Rough as Rhino Skin
Why would anyone want to find out how many rock climbs they can do in a 24-hour period? For fun, of course.
Why the Uber and Lyft Battle Turned So Ugly
Uber’s aggressive tactics reflect the fact that ridesharing is largely a zero-sum game: a driver picking up an Uber customer can’t simultaneously pick up a Lyft customer. (Drivers are allowed to drive for both services, though the companies discourage the practice.) Having more active drivers on the road creates a virtuous circle that improves geographical […]
