You Can Tell When War Is Breaking Out Because the Pentagon's Pizza Orders Spike Drastically
A flurry of activity at pizza delivery outlets near the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, is a surprisingly accurate predictor of war, as hungry military leadership hunkers down to monitor unfolding military activities.
As painstakingly documented by X account Pentagon Pizza Report, a "busier than usual" indicator on the Google Maps profile of the Domino's in Arlington has been associated with major acts of war taking place around the world.
Most recently, the franchise received an onslaught of orders just before closing last night — almost perfectly coinciding with Israel's devastating attack on Iran.
Even long before the advent of live, GPS-based customer tracking on Google Maps, famished Pentagon workers have long given away that there's something much darker going on by ordering copious numbers of pies.
"The Pentagon Pizza Index has been a surprisingly reliable predictor of seismic global events — from coups to wars — since the 1980s," The Economist's head of data journalism Alex Selby-Boothroyd wrote in a LinkedIn post.
"On the night of August 1st 1990, for example, the CIA ordered 21 pizzas in a single night just before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (a new record)," he added. "Who says pie charts aren't useful?"
And it's not just Domino's. As Euronews reported last week, the Papa John's close to the Pentagon has also been found to be "busier than usual" during the days leading up to Iran launching drones into Israeli territory in April 2024.
A separate event chronicled by Pentagon Pizza Report also predicted military activity on June 1, followed just hours later by an escalation between Israel and Iran.
Of course, making any definitive statements about any correlation would be foolish. But it's an intriguing sign that even the most secretive parts of the US government can easily show their cards without meaning to.
"Bottom line for journalists," Wolf Blitzer told CNN in 1990. "Always monitor the pizzas."
More on pizza: Chef Admits His Smash Hit Pizza Was Invented by ChatGPT
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The Pixel 9 Pro Fold features .5x, 1x, 2x and 5x optical zoom, while the Find N5 has .6x, 1x, 2x, 3x and 6x optical zoom (zoom levels achieved partly thanks to sensor cropping). Again, the Find N5 tends to brighten up shots and reduce shadows, and I appreciate having a 3x zoom option for when you want to get close, but not too close. Here's how the Pixel 9 Pro Fold performs at each zoom level: 0.5x on Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 1x on Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 2x on Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 5x on Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET And here's how the Oppo Find N5 performs -- the 6x zoom shot is my favorite because of how bold and vibrant the petals are: 0.6x on Oppo Find N5. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 1x on Oppo Find N5. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 2x on Oppo Find N5. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 3x on Oppo Find N5. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET 6x on Oppo Find N5. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Lastly, selfies were taken on the cover screen cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Oppo Find N5, respectively. The biggest thing that stands out is how much more the wood door's staining is amplified in the Find N5 shot, which is a bit excessive for me. You'll also notice the pink flowers on my jumpsuit pop more. Both phones do a good job depicting my skin tone and adding a nice overall smoothness to my features. But again, I think the color balance throughout the Pixel 9 Pro Fold image puts it on top. A selfie shot on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET A selfie shot on the Oppo Find N5. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Final thoughts Celso Bulgatti/CNET Camera comparisons are equal parts critique and personal preference. I like how the Oppo Find N5 brightens up some shots, but generally, I prefer the more true-to-life and even tones served up by the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, especially with images of people. 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