SearchResearch Challenge (6/25/25): Mysteries in Zürich?
Dan Russell
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
SearchResearch Challenge (6/25/25): Mysteries in Zürich?
One of the best parts of traveling...
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| St. Peterskirche, Zürich |
... is the chance to see the world in new ways. Every time I travel, I always see anew and come across wondrous things that rattle around in my brainpan for months afterward.
As one might say, in a turn of phrase widely attributed to Issac Asimov,
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” (I found it!) but “That’s funny…”
As you know, I've just returned to Silicon Valley from my sojourn in Zürich. It was a wonderful time, full of fascinating places, cultural traditions, and an immersion in a culture that is not my own, but marvelous to behold.
But, as you might expect, I noticed a few funny things that drew my attention--things that I need to share with you as SRS Challenges.
Can you figure these out? (I don't think they're that hard, but they ARE incredibly interesting.)
1. In the picture of St. Peterskirche (above) there's something about the clock tower that struck my eye and made me say, "That's funny..." Does it strike your eye too? Can you find an explanation for it? (No, it's not leaning.)
2. All around Zürich I kept running across places that had this logo (below). They always seem to be centered around a coffee shop / diner of some kind, but they seem to be much more than just another coffee shop. What are these places? Why would one go there?
3. I was lucky enough to see one of these wee beasties flying over a clump of flowers and sipping nectar, looking for all the world like a hummingbird. But it's NOT a hummingbird! What is it? (I wish this image was mine, but none of my shots turned out. This is from Wikipedia.)
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| A mysterious flying critter. What is it? P/C Wikimedia (details next week) |
4. You know the quote above that's reputedly by Asimov? I have my doubts. Can you figure out where it actually comes from?
As always, please tell us your findings in the comments below. BE SURE to tell us what you did to find your answers.
