Dear friends,

This letter, despite being sent on 9/11, contains no 9/11 content. (Although it would be a good day to recommend reading Matt Ruff's amazing alternate-history novel The Mirage.)

Trying to figure out how many things of type X exist when you have a random sample of things with sequential serial numbers is called the German tank problem (👈 that page has a lot of math). (Every time I run across something that I find both mathy and interesting it turns out to be some flavor of probability or statistics. I keep looking for an intro guide along the lines of the I Hate To Cook cookbook: a book for people who like to figure things out, but don't particularly like to roll around in a big pile of equations.)

I don't understand why there isn't a series of architecture-themed mystery novels featuring an architect/detective named Oriel Chambers. 

Speaking of windows, shoutout to my awesome co-worker @amcasari for introducing me to the witch windows of Vermont. 

And speaking of names, the best one I ran across in the past month is Bumbomachides Clytomestoridysarchides (“Mr Roaring-Fighter-Famous-Adviser-Rubbish-Ruler-son”), a character in a play by Plautus.

The Gorramooloch is a mysterious sea monster of Ireland (or, more likely, a humpback whale).

Enchrony is the concept of 'conversational time'. If a speaker uses 'um',  the delay before fluent speech resumes is as much as three times as long as when 'uh' is used.

Stay well!

Your friend,

Erin