Interesting & funny news from around the world, Интересные и забавные новости со всего мира

Airlines Are Covering Jets With Fake Shark Skin To Cut Emissions

While automakers are happy to switch their lineups to hybrid and electric power to cut global emissions, it’s much harder for airlines to slash their carbon footprints. Electric planes may be in the works and sustainable fuels are being trialed, but three European airlines are testing a new way to cut their fuel use: fake shark skin fitted to their planes.

German carrier Lufthansa and its subsidiaries have been evaluating a new material on the exterior of its planes to help cut carbon emissions from air travel. The trial saw it fit 17 aircraft with a material that mimics the rough surface of shark skin, catchily named AeroSHARK. The coating reduces drag on the planes meaning that they can fly more efficiently, reports Futurism.

So far, the material has been fitted to Lufthansa and Swiss Airlines planes, which have logged more than 100,000 flight hours. Over that time, they have cut more than 6,000 tons of fuel and cut more than 19,000 tons of carbon emissions from their flights.

Indian student builds world’s smallest vacuum cleaner using a pen

23-year-old student Tapala Nadamuni (India) has hoovered up a Guinness World Records title by creating the world’s smallest vacuum cleaner.

Measuring just 0.65 cm (0.25 in) – less than the width of an average pinkie fingernail – it is 0.2 cm smaller than the previous record set in 2022.

The vacuum is measured by the shortest axis of its body, meaning the handle and power cord dimensions are excluded from the final measurement.

Tapala, who formerly held this record in 2020 with a 1.76-cm vacuum, has spent the past two years trying to win it back, including two rejected attempts.

He revealed that he “came with a completely new design” this time around, preparing over 50 schematic diagrams to ensure his creation met the required standards.

His vacuum is made mostly from a refillable ballpoint pen, with the addition of some small bits of plastic and metal.

Inside the vacuum is a tiny rotating fan powered by a four-volt vibration motor, creating suction.

When connected to a power source, the vacuum makes a whirring sound and is able to suck up dust particles, which can be emptied out afterwards.

Lost cat turns up 2,000 miles from home after nearly 3 years

A cat who went missing from his family's Texas home nearly three years ago was reunited with his owners after turning up in Massachusetts.

The Dakin Humane Society said on social media that "a skinny stray cat" was recently brought in by a member of the public and "staff members were left in disbelief" when his microchip identified him as Shoto, a pet reported missing in Texas in January 2022.

Shoto's owner, Karla, said she was initially suspicious when a Massachusetts area code came up on her phone, but she decided to answer it and was shocked to learn Shoto had been found 2,000 miles from home.

"No one except for Shoto will ever know how he got to Massachusetts, what he experienced, or who he met along the way. That adventure will forever remain his secret," the post said.

Karla made the 26-hour drive to Dakin to be reunited with Shoto and bring her beloved pet home.

"We were honored to have reunited this family after such a long time apart, thanks to the amazing power of a microchip," the shelter said.

The largest string cheese ball breaks the world record, weighing 636 kilograms

Guinness World Records revealed a video showing the creation of a giant string cheese ball, made from over 10,000 litres of milk, weighing 636.2 kilograms.
Gobierno del Estado de Oaxaca and Municipio Reyes Etla, hailing from Mexico have set the Guinness World Record for making the largest string cheese ball weighing 636.2 kilograms.

Guinness World Records (GWR) recently shared a video of the steps that were involved in making this string cheese ball. The participants used more than 10,000 litres of milk to make this from scratch. Numerous strings of cheese were used and wrapped around each other, together until a giant cheese ball was made. It was produced on July 19, 2024, and the video shared by GWR showcases the tireless efforts of the participants that went into crafting this cheese ball.

This record surpassed the previous record of the cheese ball made by 80 workers in Pijijiapan, Chiapas, last year. The earlier record holder was made with 6,000 litres of milk and weighed approximately 558 kilograms.

Sumatran tiger cub born at San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced the birth of a baby Sumatran tiger cub at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

The alliance said first-time mother Jillian gave birth to a cub Aug. 23 in the park's Tull Family Tiger Trail habitat.

Care specialists said Jillian quickly bonded with the newborn and has been displaying the expected maternal behaviors.

"We are thrilled at the birth of this very special tiger cub at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park," said Lisa Peterson, senior vice president and executive director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. "This birth adds Jillian's incredibly important genes into the pool of the population, furthering the genetic diversity and health of the Sumatran tiger species."

Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangered, with only 400-600 of the big cats believed to live in the wild.

Officials said the mother and cub will remain in their den for the next few weeks while specialists continue to monitor the duo and their milestones.

The Biggest Snail In The World Is A Nearly Meter-Long Australian Trumpet

Wade out into the waters of western and northern Australia and, if you’re lucky, you might just stumble across the biggest snail in the world. The Australian trumpet doesn’t live on land but has endured to become a voracious marine predator that hunts on the sea floor, comparable in size to a Border Collie.

The Australian trumpet, Syrinx aruanus, is the biggest snail in the world and the largest living shelled gastropod on the planet. With a vibrant yellow foot, it drags around a massive shell that can be up to 91 centimeters (2.95 feet) long. At a whopping 18 kilograms (40 pounds), picking one of these babies up would feel like lifting a tire.

Field observations and fecal analyses from the Australian trumpet have revealed it enjoys a diet of large polychaete worms like Polyodontes, Loimia, and Diopatra. The munching snails were observed on the muddy sand flats of Withnell Bay in Western Australia in 2000, and once spotted, they were accosted.

Visitor to Georgia island finds third-grader's message in a bottle

A Florida woman's birthday wish came true when she found a message in a bottle while visiting a barrier island in Georgia.

Jacksonville resident Rebecca Bowling said she and her boyfriend took a camping trip to the Cumberland Island National Seashore to celebrate her Sept. 3 birthday.

The couple took a walk around the shoreline and Bowling shared her birthday wish.

"I was talking with my boyfriend, and I was like, 'You know what would be so cool? I've never found a message in a bottle,'" Bowling told The Post and Courier newspaper. "We were laughing about it, because that seems like such an antiquated thing. Does that even exist anymore?"

Bowling said her wish came true after just 10 minutes of walking.

"I was just stunned," Bowling said. "I know it might sound silly now, but I had said that I wanted to do it, and it was my birthday trip. I was like, 'This is a dream come true.'"

The glass bottle, sealed with a cork, contained a note dated Aug. 4, 2024, just one month before its discovery.

The note reads: "Hi, everyone. I am a girl. I love the sea so I thought I could write a message. Love, Parker."

Parker wrote she was from Charleston, S.C.

Bowling posted a photo of the note on Facebook in an attempt to find the sender.

"I would love to tell Parker I am also a girl who loves the sea and this is the best birthday present," Bowling wrote.

The post soon came to the attention of Parker's mother, Kate Early, who showed it to 8-year-old Parker and her father, Matt Early.

Matt Early said Parker launched the bottle while riding in the family's boat in the Charleston Harbor, near Fort Sumter.

"She really likes the water and the sea itself," Matt Early said. "She really does have this kind of affinity for the outdoors."

Bowling, a third-grade science teacher, said Parker has inspired her to assign her students to write their own message in a bottle-style letters.

Hotels reveal most unusual lost and found items, room service requests

Hotels.com revealed some of the most unusual items left behind at its partner hotels around the world, including a pet lizard, as well as some of the most bizarre room service requests.

The website's annual Hotel Room Innsights Report, based on data from more than 400 hotels across the globe, revealed the most common items left behind by guests include phone chargers, dirty laundry, power adapters, makeup and toiletries.

The report said 10% of hotels reported finding dentures left by guests.

Some of the most unusual items left behind in rooms include a Rolex watch, another watch worth $6 million, a Hermes Birkin bag, keys and documents for a luxury car, a car tire, an engagement ring, a tooth, two full-leg casts, stacks of cash, a pet lizard and a chick.

Hotels.com said the lizard and chick were safely reunited with their owners.

The report also detailed some of the most unusual room service requests at the hotels, including an Evian-filled tub for a child's bath, a customized allergen menu for a pet, burnt toast, a caviar hot dog, fresh goat milk, 4 pounds of bananas and a high five from a team member "to ensure their room service request was read."

Neolithic people moved Stonehenge’s mysterious Altar Stone over hundreds of miles

When archaeologists sift through layers of dirt to tell stories of the past, sometimes their discoveries capture stirring traces of humanity.

And new revelations about an iconic Neolithic monument may shed light on the people who built it.

Mysteries still swirl around Stonehenge thousands of years after its massive stones were erected in what’s now southern England. But a new study of the Altar Stone, which lies at the heart of the horseshoe-shaped monument, suggests that it traveled a great distance to get there.

A mineral analysis found that the stone likely originated from 435 miles (700 kilometers) away in current-day northeast Scotland, rather than Wales, overturning a century-old theory.

“This is the longest recorded journey for any stone used in a monument at that period,” said Nick Pearce, a professor of geography and Earth sciences at Aberystwyth University in Wales.

Researchers believe the stone may have been transported over open water, which suggests that ancient Britain and its citizens were much more advanced 5,000 years ago than previously believed.

New Guinness World Records book features dog tricks, giant toothbrush

Guinness World Records released its annual book Tuesday, and along with it a slew of new records including dog tricks, magic tricks, skateboarding feats and the world's largest electric toothbrush.

The record-keeping organization released Guinness World Records 2025 in stores and online Tuesday, and the tome contains information on 2,115 world records, including several titles from newly-minted record-breakers.

A pair of British dogs named Bonnie and Simba set the record for the fastest time to complete 10 side leapfrog jumps by two dogs, 16.78 seconds.

Human Britons Ruth Amos and Shawn Brown constructed the world's largest electric toothbrush, measuring 6 feet and 7 inches tall.

American cosplay enthusiast Thomas DePetrillo set multiple records, including the tallest cosplay Gundam, standing at 10 feet and 3 inches tall.

Eric Kilburn Jr., 16, of Michigan, broke two records: largest hands on a teenager (male), 9.13 inches; and largest feet on a teenager (male), 13.5 inches.

Another teenager, Cillian O'Connor, 15, broke the record for the most magic tricks performed in one minute (under 16), 28.

Japanese skateboarding prodigy Ema Kawakami broke the record for the most backside 540 tricks in one minute, 13.

The new records also featured collections such as the 1,528 Squishmallows owned by Illinois resident Sabrina Dausman, 27; and the 57 "wacky" vehicles housed at the Sudha Cars Museum in India.