I promise you, nobody wants you to make this.
The “Not quiet news” I found this week. Let’s start off with some weird holiday news.
Unique ways Americans celebrate the holidays, from skiing Santas to Festivus feats
And across the country, many people will be celebrating with less conventional — but no less beloved — local traditions, from lighting lobster trap trees in New England to caroling in caves in Wisconsin to watching Santa surf in California.
In Denver, people keep their Christmas lights on until the National Western Stock Show ends in late January. (When to put them up, however, is both a matter of personal preference and widespread debate.) In St. Louis, costumed Santas perform flash mobs in busy streets and swim with aquarium sharks. Kansas City holds an annual mass trombone concert at its historic Union Station.
Advent calendars, explained: Where they came from and why they’re everywhere now
Advent calendars have their roots in the 19th century, when German Protestants started taking creative steps to mark the days leading up to Christmas, like ticking off chalk marks on walls or doors, lighting candles and placing straws in a Nativity crib.
UK spy agency GCHQ reveals its Christmas challenge for children. Can you solve it?
This year’s challenge is the “toughest” one yet, the organization said in a statement Thursday, with 11- to 18-year-olds facing a series of seven “complex puzzles” masterminded by the agency’s puzzlers to uncover the final festive message.
Finding joy in the darkness in Sweden
Lucia wears a crown of light in her hair, either real — or now equally commonly, electric — candles in a wreath atop her head as she leads the procession. She is attended by another group of wreath-wearers also carrying a candle, and a group of “star boys” carrying stars on sticks and wearing paper hats. Christmas “elves” carrying lanterns are also often part of the spectacle.
These are some Christmas traditions around the world, from fistfights to KFC
Looking for honey? This African bird will heed your call and take you there
A wild African bird that will famously lead people to trees filled with honeycomb seems to somehow learn the distinct whistles and calls of the human foragers who live near them. Scientists have long puzzled over this unusual cooperative relationship between humans and a wild animal. This bird species, the Greater Honeyguide, is not domesticated at all, and no one trains them.
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It found that birds were far more likely to appear and lead a person to honey when they heard recordings of the kind of call made by their usual human partners, compared to the sounds made by honey hunters from a different country.
Massive whale emerges yards from shore, thrilling beachgoers
9 News Perth reported early Sunday that swimmers were asked to exit the water during the 50-foot whale’s appearance.
Boaters witness ‘incredible’ moment 17 predators hunt creature in rare encounter
After receiving a report of three to four orcas in Monterey Bay, a boat of tourists headed to get a glimpse of the creatures. The spectators ended up with a front row seat to something much more “incredible.” A group of approximately 17 killer whales, from various matrilines, hunted a minke whale, according to a Dec. 10 Facebook post from Monterey Bay Whale Watch.
From pickleball to Cat’lympics, these are your favorite hobbies of the year
Something Unearthly Could Switch Train Signals From Red to Green
Some train track circuits are at the mercy of distant storms on the Sun’s surface, researchers found, which could cause train signals to jump from red to green and vice versa as a result of extreme space weather.
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Solar superstorms—whenever they happen—have the capacity to knock out important electronics on Earth, from GPS systems to, yes, train signals. Previous research by a team including Patterson found that signaling failures (and reversals) could happen in the other direction, turning green train signals to red. These “right side” failures, as the team calls them, could cause significant delays in a rail network, as trains that are supposed to be moving instead lurch to an unexpected stop. But the newly suggested scenarios—“wrong side” failure—are obviously much more worrisome.
Doritos thinks we want nacho cheese-flavored booze
The PepsiCo-owned brand is releasing a new spirit based off of Doritos’ nacho cheese flavor that “tastes just like the real thing,” according to a press release. The chip maker partnered with Empirical, a Danish company known for making custom spirits with creative flavors.
Venice gondola capsizes after tourists refuse to sit down and stop taking selfies
A group of tourists fell into a murky, cold canal in Venice when the gondola in which they were travelling capsized after they failed to heed an order to stop taking selfies and sit down.
Electric eel zaps do more than just stun — they can alter the DNA of their victims, study suggests
When scientists attempt to transfer genetic material into an organism, they often use an electric field, a technique called “electroporation,” that makes cell walls more permeable. This sophisticated form of genetic engineering is thought to be something restricted to laboratory equipment, not nature. Yet a recent study published in the journal PeerJ reveals that electric eels — which produce an electric organ discharge (EOD) that can reach up to 860 volts — may be able to transfer genetic material through their infamous jolts.
Red Alert: Scientists Have Discovered a Dolphin With Thumbs
Here’s some news you probably didn’t expect to hear today: Scientists examining a unique society of mixed-species dolphins in Greece recently discovered a unique specimen… with thumbs.
Dolphins are intelligent. But a major advantage we humans have, besides being able to walk on land, is our opposable thumbs. This particular dolphin’s thumbs are apparently not moveable (thankfully, for our species), and resemble a pair of bottle openers embedded in its flippers.
These songbirds sing for hours a day to keep their vocal muscles in shape
In a new study published in the journal Nature Communications, Adam and her colleagues offer a new explanation for why birds take that risk. They suggest that songbirds may not have much choice. They may have to sing a lot every day to give their vocal muscles the regular exercise they need to produce top-quality song.
An Author Review Bombed Books on Goodreads. Then Her Debut Book Was Dropped
On Monday, U.S. publisher Del Rey Books announced it was dropping Crown of Starlight by first-time author Cait Corrain from its 2024 slate after several writers and readers said that she “review bombed” other authors by leaving negative reviews on their books. Corrain’s agent also said she would no longer work with the author.
In a TikTok, the author Xiran Jay Zhao detailed Corrain’s monthslong pattern of leaving one-star reviews through fake Goodreads accounts, mostly on the debut works of first-time writers of color, while leaving positive reviews on her own forthcoming book.
Tourist accused of sexually molesting statue of a beloved Florida manatee, cops say
A rowdy tourist is accused of sexually molesting a statue in one of Florida’s Gulf Coast vacation hubs, investigators say.
The Rise of ‘Giantess’ Kink, 2023’s Most-Searched Fetish
Beginning in late 2022, a TikTok trend emerged using a play in perspective. Throughout the year, hundreds of videos with several million views each showed someone picking up what appeared to be a large version of an object and handing it upward to a much bigger person off-screen. The camera would then turn, revealing said much bigger person, usually a woman, holding a miniature version of that same object. The effect was this: We, the viewer, felt like we were looking at a giant woman. A giantess, if you will.
A Man Escaped Prison After Botched Penis Enlargement
Prison officials announced his capture on Sunday, about 28 hours later, on the roof of a nearby building. Mayod reportedly told police that after fleeing the hospital, he ran into the nearby forest and threw the pliers away. He then climbed a nearby power pole onto the roof of the hospital psychiatry ward only roughly 70 feet from where he escaped. He stayed there, hiding under a black bag reportedly in agonizing pain, until he was discovered.
‘Ghost’-like creature with ‘ample’ genitalia found at power plant. It’s a new species
In the archives, researchers found 20 similar-looking ghost spiders, the study said. Taking a closer look at the animals, the scientists realized they’d discovered a new species: Otoniela lupercioi, or Lupercioi’s ghost spider. Lupercioi’s ghost spiders can reach about a quarter of an inch in length, the study said. They have eight legs, eight eyes and a brown body. Photos show the male and female spider.
Colorado thieves ask for lesser charge because items they stole were on sale
Most notably, defense lawyers for the two men “suggested to a jury that their clients should only face a lesser misdemeanor charge because some of the items they stole were being offered ‘on sale’”, according to the district attorney’s office presiding over the case. The argument was focused on the Colorado law which stipulates theft under $2,000 is a misdemeanor offense, with theft between $2,000 to $5,000 classified as a class 6 felony. The documented value of the stolen items from Kohl’s was $2,094.98.
Thanks for joining me for the crazy this week! Come back next Saturday for more!
News Headlines | Trojan Horse News 