💬 Quoted: “The selection judges and public will have some tough decisions this year.”

If you happen to catch a glimpse of Woody and Jessie out shopping on Rodeo Drive, it's because the toy event of the year is coming up. Yesterday, the Strong National Museum of Play announced the 12 finalists for induction into its Toy Hall of Fame – including first-time contenders like balloons, trampolines, and the party game Apples to Apples.

The full list of finalists also features:

• Transformers
• Choose Your Own Adventure gamebooks
• Remote-controlled (R/C) vehicles
• Hess Toy Trucks
• Stick horses
• My Little Pony
• Sequence
• Phase 10
• The Pokémon Trading Card Game

The process: The museum received 2,400 nominations for 382 different toys over the past year, before narrowing the list down to 12 finalists who best meet the criteria for induction. Toys must have longevity, be recognizable, and have great “play value” – meaning they encourage things like creativity and socialization.

👀 Looking ahead... A panel of expert judges and the public will vote on which of the finalists will be inducted in November. (You can participate here.)

🦴🧱 Stat of the Day: Princeton researchers recently developed a cement-based material that’s 5.6x stronger than conventional construction materials such as mortar and concrete – all thanks to its design based on human bones. The material’s architecture incorporates a series of hollow tubes inspired by the structure of human cortical bone, which is the dense outer shell of human femurs that provides strength and helps resist fracture.

🤔 Did You Know? Throughout history, there has only been one recorded instance of a submarine sinking another submarine while both vessels were submerged.

📰 Worth a Read: How Lord of the Flies was rescued from the reject pile → (BBC Culture)