38. Junk Mail

The background noises you hear in film and TV — from footsteps to zombie guts — are produced in specialized studios by professionals known as Foley artists. Zachary Crockett makes some noise. SOURCE:Gregg Barbanell, foley artist at Universal Studios. RESOURCES:"The Weird, Analog Delights of Foley Sound Effects," by Anna Wiener (The New Yorker, 2022)."The Strangest Foley Sounds in Cinema," by Amber Gibson (ACMI, 2021)."The Man Who Makes Hollywood’s Smallest Sounds," by Zachary Crockett (Priceonomics, 2015). EXTRA:"No Hollywood Ending for the Visual Effects Industry," by Freakonomics Radio (2017).

Those letters at the end of web addresses can mean big bucks — and, for some small countries, a substantial part of the national budget. Zachary Crockett follows the links. SOURCES:Vince Cate, technical contact for the .ai domain in Anguilla.Kim Davies, Vice President of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority Services and President of Public Technical Identifiers at ICANN.Tianyu Fang, contributing editor at Reboot. RESOURCES:"The Two-Decade Fight for Two Letters on the Internet," by Jacob Judah (The New York Times, 2024)."Whose Domain Is It?" by Tianyu Fang (Reboot, 2023)."How a Tiny Pacific Island Became the Global Capital of Cybercrime," by Jacob Judah (MIT Technology Review, 2023)."The Tropical Island With the Hot Domain Name," by Rachel Metz (Bloomberg, 2023)."The Never-ending ccTLD Story," by Peter K. Yu (SSRN, 2003).

The verdant lawns promise everlasting rest — but what does it mean to sign a lease for all eternity? Zachary Crockett finds out where the bodies are buried. SOURCES:Terry Arellano, co-founder and president of Cemetery Property Resales, Inc.Jeff Lindeman, C.E.O. and General Manager of Mountain View Cemetery.Tanya Marsh, professor of law at Wake Forest University.Maureen Walton, founder and president of The Cemetery Exchange. RESOURCES:"Los Angeles Burial Crypt Near Marilyn Monroe, Hugh Hefner on Sale for $2 Million," by Stephanie Nolasco (Fox 10 Phoenix, 2023)."Why the Brooklyn-Queens Border Is Full of Dead People," by Keith Williams (The New York Times, 2017)."Death in the City: What Happens When All Our Cemeteries Are Full?" by Ana Naomi de Sousa (The Guardian, 2015)."Our First Public Parks: The Forgotten History of Cemeteries," by Rebecca Greenfield (The Atlantic, 2011)."Selling a Burial Plot is a Grave Decision," by Erin Peterson (Kiplinger, 2010). EXTRAS:"How to Be Better at Death," by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

Relocating halfway across the world is hard enough for humans. For pets it can require a specialist. Zachary Crockett waits at the airport, holding a sign saying "Fluffy." SOURCES:Amelia Barklow, owner of two pet ducks, Wobbles and Bean.Mike Gays, managing director of Global Pet Relocation.Gemma Tappin, pet relocation consultant team leader at Global Pet Relocation. RESOURCES:"Service Dogs Are Allowed on Planes, but There Are Some Requirements to Get Them There," by Zach Wichter (USA Today, 2023)."More Dogs Die on United Than on Any Other Airline. Here’s Why," by Martine Powers (The Washington Post, 2018)."Emotional support peacock denied flight by United Airlines," by Daniella Silva (NBC News, 2018)."Banned by Many Airlines, These Bulldogs Fly Private," by Christine Haughney (The New York Times, 2011).Pet Travel information, by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. EXTRAS:"Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).

More and more Americans rely on prostheses. They’re custom-fitted, highly personal, and extremely expensive. Zachary Crockett investigates. SOURCES:Jordan Beckwith, YouTuber and advocate.Eric Neufeld, owner and medical director of Agile Orthopedics. RESOURCES:"Medicare Coverage of Durable Medical Equipment & Other Devices," by Medicare (2024)."Limb Loss in the U.S.," infographic by the Amputee Coalition (2022)."A Robot Hand Helps Amputees 'Feel' Again," by Jeffery Delviscio (Scientific American, 2019)."Differences in Myoelectric and Body-Powered Upper-Limb Prostheses: Systematic Literature Review," by Stephanie L. Carey, Derek J. Lura, and Jason Highsmith (Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 2015)."Local Coverage Determination: Lower Limb Prostheses," from the Medicare Coverage Database (effective 2015)."Variation in the Care of Surgical Conditions: Diabetes and Peripheral Arterial Disease," by Philip P. Goodney, Nino Dzebisashvili, David C. Goodman, and Kristen K. Bronner (Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care Series, 2014)."Estimating the Prevalence of Limb Loss in the United States: 2005 to 2050," by Kathryn Ziegler-Graham, Ellen J. MacKenzie, Patti L. Ephraim, Thomas G. Travison, and Ron Brookmeyer (Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2008).

Interest in houseplants has exploded in recent years. But what causes floral trends, and prices, to grow? Zachary Crockett sows a few seeds. SOURCES:Justin Hancock, director of research and development at Costa Farms.Brian Williams, co-owner of Brian's Botanicals.Sarah Williams, co-owner Brian's Botanicals. RESOURCES:"Bidding Wars and $1,000 Succulents: The Wild World of Rare Houseplants," by Hannah Holland (The Washington Post, 2023)."Houseplants Boomed During the Pandemic. Gen Z and Millennials Say the Popularity Is Here to Stay," by Lucia Starbuck (KUNR, 2022)."The Most Iconic Houseplant Trends Through the Decades," by Wretched Flowers (Architectural Digest, 2021)."Meet the Plantfluencers," by Penelope Green (The New York Times, 2018).

Once America’s favorite recreational activity, bowling has been in the gutter for decades. But some surviving alleys are resetting the pins. Zachary Crockett laces up. SOURCES:Mike Leong, owner of Bel Mateo Bowl.Devon Stewart, head coach of Florida State University bowling team, C.E.O. of Bowl Connect, and consultant with the Hansell Group. RESOURCES:"Cornhole and Bowling Are the Sports Most Americans Played Last Year," by Mallory Newall, Johnny Sawyer, Charlie Rollason, and Tyler Ivey (Ipsos, 2023)."Overview of the Bowling Industry," by The Hansell Group (2022)."How Bowling Alleys Made a Comeback," by Justin Fox (Bloomberg, 2019)."New Look Keeps Bel Mateo Bowl Thriving," by Curtis Driscoll (The Daily Journal, 2017)."Inside the Ugly Road Bowlmor Took to Make Bowling Cool," by Gabrielle Fonrouge (New York Post, 2017)."The (Short) History of the National Bowling League," by Bob Johnson (United States Bowling Congress News, 2015). EXTRAS:"Is It Harder to Make Friends as an Adult?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).

Why does the mailman bring us so many catalogs, credit card offers, and pizza coupons? Because his job depends on it. Zachary Crockett checks the mailbox. SOURCES:Brett Chamberlin, program manager at Catalog Choice.Aaron Gordon, journalist.Mike Gunderson, president of Gunderson Direct. RESOURCES:"U.S. Postal Service Reports Fiscal Year 2023 Results," by the U.S. Postal Service (2023)."How We Ended Up With All This Junk Mail," by Aaron Gordon (Vice, 2020)."Here Are the Data Brokers Quietly Buying and Selling Your Personal Information," by Steven Melendez and Alex Pasternack (Fast Company, 2019)."How to Stop Junk Mail and Save Trees — and Your Sanity," by Elisabeth Leamy (The Washington Post, 2018)."How The Post Office Sells Your Address Update To Anyone Who Pays (And The Little-Known Loophole To Opt Out)," by Adam Tanner (Forbes, 2013).The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. EXTRAS:"Is It Worth It for Charities to Harass Their Donors?" by No Stupid Questions (2022).

If you can make it through three years of law school, you too might end up on a billboard.  Zachary Crockett makes the case. SOURCES:Jason Abraham, managing partner of Hupy & Abraham.Nora Engstrom, professor at Stanford Law School.Kyle Hebenstreit, C.E.O. of Practice Made Perfect. RESOURCES:“Personal Injury Settlement Amounts Examples (2024 Guide),” by Jeffrey Johnson (Forbes Advisor, 2022).“Low Ball: An Insider’s Look at How Some Insurers Can Manipulate Computerized Systems to Broadly Underpay Injury Claims,” by Mark Romano and J. Robert Hunter (Consumer Federation of America, 2012).“A Century of Change in Personal Injury Law,” by Stephen D. Sugarman (UC Berkeley Public Law Research Paper, 2000).Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, in the Supreme Court of Arizona (1977).

Why do you have to pay $4 to get $40 cash at a bar? And who does it go to? Zachary Crockett checks his balance. SOURCES:Bernardo Batiz-Lazo, professor in the Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University.Patricia Tuz, president of New York ATM.Jon Weilbaker, general manager of New York ATM.Sasha Weilbaker, freelance writer and daughter of Patricia and Jon. RESOURCES:"The Number of ATMs Has Declined as People Rely Less on Cash," by Jim Carlton (The Wall Street Journal, 2023)."Survey: ATM Fees Hit Record High While Overdraft and NSF Fees Fell Sharply," by Karen Bennett and Matthew Goldberg (Bankrate, 2023)."More Americans Are Joining the ‘Cashless’ Economy," by Michelle Faverio (Pew Research Center, 2022)."Thieves Target ATMs Flush With Cash During Covid-19," by Scott Calvert (The Wall Street Journal, 2021),"Locational Study of ATMs in the US by Ownership," by Lian An, Christopher Baynard, Chriadip Chatterjee, and Chun-Ping A Loh (2018)."A Brief History of the ATM," by Bernardo Bátiz-Lazo (The Atlantic, 2015). EXTRA:"Why Are We Still Using Cash?" Freakonomics Radio (2016).