“Guilin, 1993” and “Inner Mongolia, 2000,” photographs by Yoshihiko Ueda from his book Dream Always, which was published by AKAAKA and Jiazazhi Press © The artist
A Dionysian megalograph newly discovered in Pompeii shares similarities with the Villa of the Mysteries. Researchers determined that the Mosasaurus fossil purportedly unearthed by workers at the Sidi Chennane phosphate mines was likely a fake. Records describing the dangers of a new nuclear-waste repository will be printed on ceramic tablets and placed in an old salt mine in an Austrian mountain. Fish and mollusks were prevalent in the funerary practices of Ur. The mummy of the Mysterious Lady was not pregnant, and Egyptian mummies smell spicy, sweet, and woody. Rats can distinguish between Riesling and sauvignon blanc. Male mice born later than their siblings appear to exhibit an increased likelihood of homosexual behavior that echoes the fraternal birth-order effect seen among men. Butterfly populations in the United States declined by a fifth in the first two decades of this century, and the number of unprovoked shark attacks fell steeply last year. Astronauts’ immune systems may benefit from a dirtier International Space Station. Air pollution and biothermal stress may be lengthening human pregnancies, and between 2016 and 2024, the brains of dead humans exhibited a 50 percent increase in microplastic levels. Danes with higher sperm counts live longer. A man presented to a Vietnamese hospital with cellulitis from a child bite.
A literature review enumerated cases of envenomation by dead snakes, including those of a Chinese chef killed by the severed head of a spitting cobra, a child in Minnesota injured by a freeze-dried prairie-rattlesnake head worn as a tie tack, and two drunk Indians hospitalized after they chewed on the head of a dead krait. Melanism in snakes follows Gloger’s rule. A limited overlap in niches enables the coexistence of multiple snake species on Sado Island. Women with borderline personality disorder are roughly twice as likely to practice BDSM as those without. Polish doctors urged further investigation into compulsive frotteurs. A direct correlation was detected between the level of sexual excitement in those with paraphilic interests and the tendency to act on those interests. Male Turkana warriors with and without apparent PTSD have the same levels of cortisol, but those with PTSD wake up with lower testosterone levels.
Chemists grew gold in total darkness. Microarousals are necessary for healthy sleep. Dormancy may have been essential for the persistence of life on Earth. The selection of species for de-extinction appears to be biased by candidate animals’ charisma and capacity to fascinate humans. Having unveiled its woolly mice, an American startup promised to reintroduce woolly mammoths by the end of 2028. In India, a drunk elephant attacked a watchtower, while in China the supply of humanoid robots struggled to keep pace with rental demand. Scottish hen parties were deemed to contain ritualistic profanation. Drunk Britons were judged to make bad eyewitnesses. Regret is stronger when one goes against one’s instincts. Americans with open personalities are less likely to express end-of-life regret about how much they spent on food, whereas agreeable people are disposed to regret spending money on food, clothing, leisure, and financial help to others. Five zebra fish per liter of tank water can be collectively euthanized by electric shock. Pet-shop tanks are usually too small for Siamese fighting fish.
