Buzz
As we approach the end of the week, it's the perfect time to revisit some interesting stories you may have missed. Click here to catch up on the important highlights.
Alternatively, continue reading for a dose of fun, offbeat weirdness. This week, we uncover fresh facts about planets, animals, and a few intriguing individuals.
10. The Aroma of Uranus
This week, researchers from the Gemini Observatory in Hawaii confirmed what many of us suspected for quite some time—Uranus is one of the smelliest objects in the solar system.
There, we’ve cleared up the necessary joke. Using a powerful instrument known as the Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS), scientists analyzed sunlight reflected off the planet’s atmosphere. They discovered the chemical signature of hydrogen sulfide, a compound with a foul odor commonly found in rotten eggs and farts on Earth.
Until now, scientists weren’t certain if Uranus’s atmosphere was dominated by hydrogen sulfide or ammonia, the latter of which is found on Jupiter and Saturn. The presence of hydrogen sulfide gives us useful insights into Uranus’s formation and position.
It has long been speculated that the planet originated closer to the Sun and then drifted outward. However, the absence of ammonia suggests that resources were limited, and Uranus (and likely Neptune) didn’t possess the hydrogen and helium needed to become a true gas giant like Jupiter and Saturn. This points to the possibility that Uranus formed farther out and migrated inward.
9. Snake, Shark, And Bear
Dylan McWilliams from Grand Junction, Colorado, might just be the unluckiest or luckiest individual alive, depending on how you see life. Over the past few years, he has been attacked by a snake, a bear, and a shark, surviving all three encounters with moderate injuries.
It all began three years ago. McWilliams, a passionate outdoor enthusiast, was hiking through Utah when he was bitten by a rattlesnake. At the time, the 17-year-old thought it was a dry bite, so he didn’t seek medical attention. However, he was mistaken. The snake did inject venom, but the amount was small enough that he only felt sick for a few days.
The following summer, the young adventurer was back outdoors, this time camping with friends in Colorado. One night, he was startled awake by a black bear biting into his skull. He managed to poke the bear in the eye, causing it to flee. McWilliams required nine staples in his head and left with a few scars.
This brings us to last weekend, when Dylan completed the ultimate animal attack trifecta while surfing in Hawaii. A large shark, likely a tiger shark, bit into his leg. McWilliams kicked the shark a few times and made his way to shore, where he received seven stitches for the wound in his leg.
8. Shyte Chocolate
A Canadian chocolate brand has gone viral, especially in the UK, thanks to the bold name of its product—Shyte Premium Protein Chocolate.
Master chocolatier Kevin Richards launched the company late last year. He says the name started off as a joke, but then he realized it could work as an acronym, which is why SHYTE stands for “Seriously Helps You To Energize.” This led to the rather cheeky slogan “Eat Shyte.”
Interest in the product spiked over the last few days as word about Shyte Chocolate spread throughout the United Kingdom, where the term “shyte” is a common variation of “sh—t.”
Some have called Richards’s antics a lighthearted joke, while others have hailed him as a marketing genius. Since going viral, his product has completely sold out at all locations. The master chocolatier says he gets calls every few minutes—whether for orders, inquiries, or just people asking if Shyte Chocolate is actually real.
7. The Monkey Selfie
The notorious monkey selfie lawsuit has finally reached its conclusion, with San Francisco’s appeals court ruling that nonhumans cannot hold copyrights.
The saga began in 2011, when nature photographer David Slater ventured to the Tangkoko reserve in Indonesia to photograph monkeys. While there, a mischievous Celebes crested macaque named Naruto snatched his camera and accidentally took two selfies. This sparked an ongoing debate about who truly owned the photos.
Slater contended that, although the monkey took the photos, he orchestrated the entire situation, meaning he owned the copyright. The United States Copyright Office disagreed and, in 2014, ruled that works created by nonhumans could not be copyrighted.
In 2015, the case took a new twist when Slater was sued by PETA for using Naruto’s pictures in his book. They aimed to establish a legal precedent, designating the macaque as the copyright holder, with their organization managing the profits as a “friend” of Naruto.
A judge ruled against PETA in 2016, leading the organization to appeal. Recently, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the original decision, even going as far as to issue a statement criticizing PETA for failing to fulfill the role of “friend” to the monkey.
6. The Trip To Bali
Most kids head to their rooms after a disagreement with their parents. But that wasn’t the case for a young Australian boy, known only as “Drew.” Instead of retreating to his room, he decided to head to Bali.
After a family dispute, Drew stole his parents' credit card and convinced his grandmother to give him his passport. Despite being only 12 years old, he somehow managed to book a flight and reserve a hotel room in Indonesia.
On Monday morning, he left his Sydney home on his scooter. His parents believed he was heading to school, but Drew was actually on his way to the train station to catch a ride to the airport. From there, he flew to Perth, where he boarded a flight to Bali. He had researched airlines that allowed unaccompanied 12-year-olds and used a self-service kiosk to avoid interacting with staff.
Upon arrival in Bali, Drew checked into the All Seasons Hotel. When registering, he told the staff he was traveling with his older sister, who was supposedly running late.
Back in Australia, Drew’s family discovered his adventure after the school reported his absence. His mother, Emma, flew to Bali to bring him back home.
5. The Colossal Egg
Curators at the Buffalo Museum of Science in New York made an accidental discovery of one of the largest bird eggs in history. While reviewing their extensive collection, one researcher stumbled upon an object labeled as a replica of an elephant bird egg. However, a closer look revealed that the egg was, in fact, genuine.
The elephant bird was a massive ratite from Madagascar that became extinct in the 17th century. As its name suggests, the creature was enormous, weighing up to 500 kilograms (1,100 lbs) and reaching over 3 meters (10 ft) in height. The egg discovered in the museum weighed 1.4 kilograms (3 lbs) and measured 30 centimeters (12 inches) in length. By volume, it was 150 times larger than a chicken egg.
Museum staff were thrilled with the find, as only about 40 such eggs are housed in public collections, and many of those are less complete than this one. A radiograph confirmed the authenticity of the egg and even revealed that it had been fertilized.
The team then set out to determine how long the egg had been stored away in a locked cabinet. As they continued their search, they uncovered the actual replica and discovered records showing that the museum had purchased an elephant bird egg from a London dealer back in 1939.
4. The Jellyfish Solution
The world’s oceans are facing a perplexing new issue—there are simply too many jellyfish. Marine scientists are still unclear on what’s driving this surge in jellyfish populations, particularly whether it's a natural cycle or the result of human activity. These creatures have disrupted both tourism and fishing industries, and in Sweden, they even led to a power plant shutdown by clogging the cooling pipes.
A team of scientists decided to take a positive spin on the situation and began exploring ways to benefit from the jellyfish explosion. This led to an international collaboration called GoJelly, with researchers from eight countries working together to develop new products derived from jellyfish.
Some of the potential uses for jellyfish include: collagen for anti-wrinkle creams, jelly-based fertilizers and fish feed, and even jellyfish snack chips for human consumption.
Perhaps the most exciting research is happening in Israel, where scientists are looking at jellyfish mucus as a means to combat microplastic pollution. Microplastics, as the name suggests, are tiny particles that slip past conventional sewage treatment systems and end up in our oceans. However, jellyfish mucus has the ability to bind to these particles, so GoJelly is working on creating water filters made from this mucus to capture even the smallest plastic fragments.
3. The End Of The World
If you’re reading this, it means the world probably didn’t meet its end on April 23, despite all the dramatic predictions. In a familiar twist, yet another doomsday forecast has turned out to be nothing more than hype.
Had the world ended, it would have been the fault of Nibiru, the infamous Planet X supposedly on a collision course with Earth. Since 1995, Nibiru has been blamed for multiple apocalyptic predictions, the most notable being the 2012 scare tied to the Mayan calendar. Despite all these failed predictions, true believers remain steadfast, convinced that Nibiru is still on its way.
In an odd twist, the doomsday prophecy was even denounced by its own creator, conspiracy theorist David Meade, just before it was proven to be false. While many outlets claimed Meade had predicted the world would end on April 23, he quickly dismissed these reports as “fake news.” According to Meade, the rapture will instead occur sometime between May and December this year, though he refuses to give a specific date.
2. The Giant Robot
Transformers are no longer just a fictional concept, thanks to the Japanese company Brave Robotics. They recently shared a teaser video revealing their first prototype: a robot that can transform into a fully functional two-door sports car.
This robot, named J-deite RIDE, stands at 3.7 meters (12 feet) tall. Brave Robotics CEO Kenji Ishida mentions that the design and color scheme are inspired by the anime Transformers from his youth. The transformation takes about a minute, after which the robot turns into an electric car that can seat two people.
While Ishida acknowledges that the robot is currently more of an expensive toy than anything practical, he hopes it will spark others’ imaginations. The company has no intention of making it street-legal. Instead, they see the technology being used in entertainment, such as amusement parks or parades.
1. The Dark Planet
Researchers from Keele University in England have discovered one of the darkest planets ever recorded. This planet, named WASP-104b, absorbs between 97 and 99 percent of the light that reaches it.
WASP-104b is classified as a hot Jupiter, a type of gas giant similar in mass to our Jupiter, but located very close to its star, making it extremely hot. The star it orbits is a yellow dwarf situated 466 light-years away in the Leo constellation.
Hot Jupiters are typically darker than other planets, absorbing about 60 percent of incoming starlight. Last year, researchers discovered the exoplanet WASP-12b, which absorbed 94 percent of light. However, WASP-104b surpasses even this. Still, scientists are uncertain about the exact cause of these planets' unusually dark characteristics.
The leading theory attributes this darkness to the planet's proximity to its star. WASP-104b is tidally locked, meaning one side always faces the star, with its rotation period matching its orbital period. The planet's extreme heat prevents the formation of reflective clouds, and scientists believe its thick atmosphere, rich in atomic sodium and potassium, further absorbs light.
