🗣️ Alien Probe or Space Rock?

 NEWS YOU CAN USE

World events shape conversations.
Turn headlines into talking points.

☄️ Look Up! Your Problems Just Got Cosmic

NASA turned 67 yesterday.
(1958, for those who don’t math. And don’t work at NASA…)

Since I was a kid, NASA meant moon landings, Mars rovers, and that one guy who brought a lightsaber to the ISS. To celebrate, let’s ignore Earth’s ongoing dumpster fire and look up — because space is buzzing right now.

🛸 3I/ATLAS – Alien probe? Spotted on July 1st, this 130,000 mph (210,000 km/h) space bullet is rocketing toward the Sun with a 15-mile-wide gas trail like it just ate that last bean burrito from the back of the fridge.

Harvard’s Avi Loeb (somehow still has a job) says it might be “possibly hostile” alien tech — not a comet, but a spy device older than your ancestors' ancestors' ancestors (keep on going to 3 billion years ago).
Its weird flyby path — zipping near Venus, Mars, and Jupiter — has him asking if ET is checking out the neighbourhood. Other scientists rolled their eyes so hard they saw stars (pretty nice for astronomers).
Still… considering 2025 so far, alien invasion would be very on-brand.

💡 PRO TIP: Not into space? Others might be. Good conversations are about showing interest. Ask questions, show curiosity — even if astronomy just sounds like expensive stargazing.

💬 FOLLOW UP: “Alien spies or space junk—what do you think?”

⛔️ DON'T SAY: “Actually, the maths shows...” (Nobody cares about your space calculator.)

DECODE THIS

Think you know your space acronyms?
(Spoiler: you probably don’t.)

1. ISS — The easy one

2. NASA — The one everyone forgets

3. UAP — Goodbye UFO… hello mystery rebrand

4. DART — The tough one (hint: it's not a pub game)

Answers at the end of the issue 👇

(No Googling. That’s cheating. And very Earth of you.)

TALK TOOLBOX

If aliens are watching, let's not embarrass the species.
Time to level up your small talk.

I wrote about it here (4 min read):

🗣️YOUR TURN: What ice-breakers do you use with new people? Reply and let me know.

 THE CULTURE CODE

As a Brit living in Japan, I’m always amused by “Japanese trends” that no one in Japan has actually heard of.

Enter: Japanese Walking.

No, it’s not shuffling slowly down the street while staring at your phone (that’s Gen Z Walking).

This one’s about interval walking — three minutes of intense power-striding like you’re late for the train, then three minutes of casual “ooh, nice flowers” strolling.

Basically: me getting chased by a bee, then pretending I wasn’t.

Why “Japanese”?

It was developed back in 2007 by researchers at Shinshu University. It’s all over TikTok — but not all over Japan. My neighbourhood’s still 90% elderly dog walkers and toddlers with tablets.

Do it for 30 minutes, four times a week, and apparently it transforms your body and mind.

Sounds good to me.

I’ll report back once I reach enlightenment… or the konbini.

💬 FOLLOW UP: “What’s the weirdest fitness trend you’ve seen?”

⛔️ DON’T SAY: “I've been doing this for years.” (No, avoiding your neighbours doesn't count)

ICONIC

🎨 A Brush with Madness

Yesterday marked 135 years since Vincent van Gogh’s death — the tortured genius who gave us swirling skies, sunflowers, and the original “misunderstood artist.”
His life was a canvas of chaos, but his art? Now legendary.

👨🏻‍🎨 Wild Van Gogh facts:

• Sold one painting while alive. ONE, for 400 francs (about $2500 today).
  “Portrait of Dr. Gachet” sold for $82.5 million in 1990.

• 37 self-portraits? Models were too expensive (and mirrors don’t complain.)

• Cranked out 900 works in 10 years. That’s one every 36 hours.

• Cut off his ear and gave it to a prostitute. (What did she give him??)

• During mental breakdowns, he ate paint and drank turpentine.

• Died from a gunshot wound — but maybe not suicide. Some think local teens accidentally shot him. (The 19th-century version of getting trolled on Twitter.)

💬 FOLLOW-UP: “Would you rather be famous after you’re dead — or average but appreciated while alive?”

⛔ DON’T SAY: “I could paint that.” (No, you couldn’t. Save that comment for modern art.)

ARE YOU SAYING IT WRONG?

Van Gogh — It’s not “Van Goff”
Try: Van KHOKH — harsh Dutch “G” like you’re clearing your throat with style.

Most people butcher it. Even art galleries.

💡 PRO TIP: Unless you’re Dutch, stick with the British (van-GOKH, like Loch Ness) or American (van-GOH). Van Goff is just silly.

FAMOUS WORDS

“Insanity is hereditary. You get it from your kids.”
(Sam Levenson, American writer, 1911-1980)

Can you name the film?

🏥 Jack Nicholson vs. the world’s worst nurse.

⬇️ Answer at the end of this issue

WORD WISE

While we should be sensitive discussing mental health, English is packed with colourful ways to describe ‘madness/insanity/craziness.’
Here are some of the common ones you’ll hear:

🔵 Lose (your) marbles
Origin: From kids losing marbles in games (late 1800s) — first meant “get angry.”
“He lost his marbles over that parking ticket.”

🪑 Off one's rocker
Origin: Elderly people normally sitting quietly in rocking chairs, but occasionally jumping out.
“She's off her rocker if she thinks that'll work.”

🎩 Mad as a hatter
Origin: Hat makers used mercury, causing actual madness
“My neighbour’s dog is mad as a hatter.”

🌙 Loony
Origin: “Lunatic” (moon-struck madness)
“Don't listen to that loony.”

💡 PRO TIP: These work globally—every English speaker knows them, but maybe not where they come from.

🗣️ YOUR TURN: Know anymore? Reply and let me know.

TALKING POINT

AI therapy is having a moment — and not in a good way.

One bot encouraged suicide. Others suggested murder or helpfully offered bridge heights for jumping.

Stanford researchers say these chatbots give the right response just 40–50% of the time.
So… basically a coin flip. With your mental health.

And yet, nearly 1 in 3 U.S. adults have tried AI for therapy or life advice.

What could possibly go wrong?

BECAUSE THE ROBOTS ARE COMING

AI might suggest you end it… but robots? They’ll handle it directly.

The latest nightmare: robot arms mounted above your bed.
They fold laundry, act as lamps, and potentially smother you in your sleep.

Because nothing says sweet dreams like a steel limb hovering at 3AM.

Price: TBD. Regret: Inevitable.

BITS ‘N BOBS

• 🍊Trump Dump: Scottish people make their feelings known about his visit (Warning: May need translator.)

• ⭕️ Perfect circle: Can you draw one? Harder than it looks. (My best score is 94.8%)

• 🛡️ Need a VPN? I’ve used NordVPN for years. Use my link, and we’ll both get up to 3 months free.

ANSWERS

🎬 The Film: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Jack Nicholson vs. Nurse Ratched. Chaos, rebellion, and an ending that still hits hard.

🍿 Cultural Impact

• Swept the Big Five Oscars (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay)

• "Nurse Ratched" became shorthand for hated authoritarian control freaks everywhere

💬 YOUR TURN: Ever met a ‘Nurse Ratched’? Reply and share the story.

…

1. International Space Station

2. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

3. Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UFO's rebrand)

4. Double Asteroid Redirection Test (NASA's asteroid-smashing mission.)

How did you do? 5/5: Space genius! 3-4: Solid! 1-2: Look up more. 0: Were you abducted during the quiz?

LAST WEEK

📊 What's your crypto stance?

A) 🚀 All in — I'm gonna be rich! - 28%
B) 🤔 Curious but cautious - 15%
C) 🙅‍♂️ Hard pass—give me actual money - 57%

💬 Your Two Cents:

S.Y: “Are investors in crypto because they believe this is the future of money, or is this simply the best passive income trip in town? My view has always been the same - do not invest more than you are 100% prepared to lose, a rug pull seems inevitable at some point.”

Speaking from experience, rug pulls happen all the time…

🗣️ Comment of the Week

Thanks! You too. Hope this is helping.

THIS IS THE END

That's all for this week, folks!

Your feedback improves SpeakEasy with every issue.

Hit ‘reply’ and let me know what you think — I read every email!

First time reading? You can subscribe here for free👇

Know someone who’d enjoy this newsletter? 
Forward this email to a friend or two and get them talking.

Until next time, keep speakin’ easy 🗣️🌎

P.S. Missed an issue? 🫤 
You can read them all in The Library 😃

P.P.S. Not your cup of tea?
You can unsubscribe below.👇
But I hope you stick around, remember:

Life is too big for small talk