Romania sets Guinness record with miles-long table, raises funds for pediatric psychiatry hospital
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Thousands of people have gathered in Romania’s capital to set a Guinness World Record with a miles-long table made of recycled materials. The event, held on Saturday, raises money for what organizers call the country's first purpose-built pediatric psychiatry hospital. The 3.3-mile “Uniting Table” stretched along Unirii Boulevard in Bucharest. Bloom The World, the Romania-based organizers, received a certificate for the “longest table made from recycled materials.” The new children’s psychiatry facility will be located within the Obregia Hospital complex. The project addresses a growing need for mental health services for children in Romania. Construction is scheduled to finish by 2027.
Well-preserved tooth from Pacific mastodon found in a creek in San Francisco Bay Area
Brigid Lynch was working along a wooded creek in a mountainous part of the San Francisco Bay Area on a habitat restoration project when something that didn’t look like the rocks she’d been studying caught her eye. It turned out to be the fossilized tooth of a Pacific mastodon. Lynch, a geomorphologist at Balance Hydrologics, made the discovery earlier this year. She spotted the fossil while working on a project to protect the threatened California red-legged frog in a preserve in San Mateo County. The public land management agency announced the find this week, and that it has been donated to Stanford University.
Girl Scouts' first cookies for dogs will go on sale in January
Man’s best friend is getting some love from the Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts of the USA says its first cookies for dogs will go on sale in January. The blueberry muffin-flavored cookies were developed with Bark, a New York-based seller of dog treats and toys. The cookies, dubbed Patch Pals, will only be sold online. Also joining the Girl Scout cookie lineup in January are Sparkables, the organization’s first allergy-friendly cookie. The crunchy oatmeal cookie, which has chocolate chips and colored sprinkles, is made in a facility designed to avoid nine major allergens, including eggs, dairy, peanuts and wheat. Sparkables will also be sold online only.
Even snakes have to audition for the opera at the Met. Princess the boa constrictor got the part
NEW YORK (AP) — The Metropolitan Opera in New York requires auditions for everyone on stage. Even the snake in its adaptation of Mozart's "Così fan tutte." Zoe Ziegfeld is the snake handler in the performance. The carnival performer-turned-opera actor auditions each snake to ensure they're comfortable on stage. A boa constrictor named Princess won the role, and another named Nala was chosen as understudy. This is Ziegfeld's third time as the snake charmer in this production. The Met's version of Mozart's opera about love, fidelity and deception is set at a 1950s Coney Island carnival instead of Naples, Italy.
Competitors dig deep in Hungarian grave-digging contest
NYERGESUJFALU, Hungary (AP) — A grave-digging contest in a Hungarian cemetery showcases the skills of the trade and aims to shake off death-related taboos. The Hungarian Association of Cemetery Maintainers and Operators organized the event which took place Saturday in Nyergesújfalu in northern Hungary. Thirty-eight competitors formed 19 two-man teams to dig graves in the dry and summer-baked soil. Róbert Nagy and László Kiss won by digging a grave in one hour and 21 minutes. They followed contest specifications for depth, length and width. The winners shared a cash prize of 200,000 Hungarian forints or about $640.
Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose-blowing win Ig Nobel prizes for quirky science
Researchers have been honored for their quirky, imaginative contributions to science at the 36th annual Ig Nobel Prizes. Thursday's ceremony was held for the first time outside the U.S. Ten teams were honored for things such as studying cockroach milk, analyzing soil health using underwear and the science of nose-blowing. The show was hosted in Switzerland and organized by a digital magazine called the Annals of Improbable Research. The venue changed to Europe this year over concerns about attendees being able to get visas. The event has no link to the Nobel Prizes, which will be announced early next month.
In Chile, injured penguins sport copper vests to help them heal
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Researchers in Chile have designed special vests for penguins to help them recover during El Nino. These snug red vests, threaded with copper and zinc, aim to speed up healing from injuries. Veterinarians have previously used similar bodysuits for dogs and cats. They are now adapting the technology for Humboldt penguins, a vulnerable species native to Chile and Peru. The penguin population has declined due to threats like fishing nets and plastic pollution. El Nino is worsening these pressures by making food scarce. The vests help inhibit bacteria and fungi growth, promoting faster healing for injured penguins.
British police try to track down theft of 70,000 pints worth of Guinness stout
LONDON (AP) — British police are working to recover 70,000 pints of stolen Guinness. The Cheshire Constabulary said Thursday that two trailer truckloads of the beer, worth $155,000, were taken from a depot near Liverpool. The heist happened Monday night when two men hauled away the trailers containing about 800 barrels of stout. The trailers themselves are valued at $67,000. This incident follows a recent beer heist in the United States, where 34,000 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon were stolen. The company offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to their recovery.
Pabst Blue Ribbon offers $20,000 reward to help find its missing beer
Pabst Blue Ribbon wants its beer back, and it’s offering a reward to help that happen. Greig DeBow, the CEO of Pabst Brewing Co., said Wednesday that the company will pay up to $20,000 to anyone who provides new information that leads to the recovery of 1,602 stolen cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon and non-alcoholic Old Milwaukee beer. The beer went missing Aug. 17 in Southern California. Police in Montclair, California, said the beer was stolen from a warehouse in two separate incidents on the same day. DeBow said the company wants the beer returned by Sept. 9. Anyone with information is asked to email hotline@pabst.com.
'Aura farming' trend inspired by video games is sweeping Latin America
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Young people across Latin America are gathering on beaches, parks and other public spaces to take part in "aura battles," a trend that has moved from the internet to the real world. Participants dress as comic characters and perform dance moves to earn applause and improve their "aura." The trend, rooted in video games and social media, started in Brazil and has spread to cities like Mexico City and Buenos Aires. Participants aim to generate good vibes without physical contact or insults. Some events face resistance, like in Lima, where officials canceled a battle due to permit issues. Despite some criticism, the trend provides a fun way for young people to express themselves.
