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  “It Can Suck Down Earthworms Like Spaghetti”: The Mission To Save A Really Big Snail It’s hard not to feel jealous of New Zealand , home to some of the planet’s most spectacular organisms. They’ve got blue mushrooms and the world’s rarest and most eccentric birds (that aren’t easy to get sperm from , FYI). The most recent specimen to catch our eye? A snail whose worm slurping skills makes that spaghetti scene in Lady And The Tramp look amateur. If this is your first time hearing about the snail Powelliphanta hochstetteri, prepare to be impressed. For starters, these babies are massive. About the size of a lemon, they have beautiful brown shells and big black bodies. Becoming such a unit takes calories, which is why these snails have developed a taste for meat. “These snails are quite special because they’re carnivorous,” said science advisor and director of operations for Project Janszoon Ruth Bollongino to Justine Hausheer for The Nature Conservancy. “They’re not after the let...

  Stealing Baby Howler Monkeys Is Suddenly All The Rage Among Capuchins On Jicarón Island White-faced capuchin monkeys on Jicarón Island have started abducting baby howler monkeys, surprised scientists report. It’s possible this behavior comes in waves, but it had not been detected in the first five years scientists intensively studied the population, and now appears to be spreading widely. The reasons are still unknown, but the authors think adolescent male boredom may be at the heart of it. Jicarón Island lies in the Pacific off the coast of Panama and forms part of Coiba National Park. The island’s isolation from the mainland makes it a natural laboratory for scientists observing monkey behavior. That research attracted global attention when some white-faced capuchin monkeys there were observed to have “ entered the Stone Age ”, using stones to break open coconuts and crabs. The fact that this stone-cracking behavior seemed to be restricted to some of Jicarón’s capuchins, and no...

5 Surprising Facts About St. Patrick’s Day St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated on March 17 each year, is known for its parades, shamrocks, and a whole lot of green. It’s a day when people around the world embrace Irish culture — whether they have Irish heritage or not. But behind all the revelry, St. Patrick’s Day has a deep and fascinating history that goes far beyond the modern celebrations. Some of the traditions we associate with March 17th aren’t as old as you’d think, while others have surprising historical roots. Here are five intriguing facts about St. Patrick’s Day that might just change the way you see this beloved holiday. Credit: traveler1116/ DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images Pubs Were Closed on St. Patrick’s Day Long before it became a worldwide celebration filled with traditional food, music, and pints of Guinness, St. Patrick’s Day was a quiet and solemn religious feast day in Ireland. For centuries, March 17 was dedicated to honoring St. Patrick’s role in bringing Chris...

  World’s first robotic Exosuit Cuts Body Strain by 30%, Adds 10 Miles of Motion  Hypershell X’s AI MotionEngine uses sensors to adjust power in 0.03s, matching your gait for climbs, runs, or heavy loads. Chinese startup, Hypershell, is now retailing an AI-powered exoskeleton designed to enhance mobility, strength, and endurance for outdoor activities and daily tasks. Hypershell X exoskeleton is offered in models at different price points. Each features a compact, rechargeable battery pack mounted on the waistband, designed to stay unobtrusive during use. The system weighs as little as 3.9 pounds (1.7 kilograms), going up to 5.2 pounds (2.4 kilograms) for the base variant. All models are IP54 rated for dust and water splash resistance. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  Self-repairing buildings? Engineers make living concrete in construction breakthrough The fungus species Neurospora shows potential in creating building materials with intricate internal structures and diverse architectural forms. A team of researchers has developed a living building material composed of fungal mycelium and bacterial cells capable of self-repairing and surviving for extended periods. Unlike conventional construction materials, this bio-based composite remains viable for weeks, opening up new possibilities for regenerative architecture. The scientists behind the project, based at Montana State University in the USA, say the material is produced at low temperatures and relies on living cells, making it a potentially groundbreaking solution for reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry. Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

  5 Inventions That Started Out as Something Else  Innovation doesn’t always follow a straight line. Some of history’s most famous inventions, including the microwave, were  born from accidents . Others, though not strictly accidental, ended up serving a completely different purpose than originally intended — such as the blood pressure medication that ended up becoming a famous hair loss remedy.  Silly String Silly String may be a nostalgic party staple now, but it was originally a medical product. In the 1960s, chemist Robert P. Cox and inventor Leonard A. Fish set out to create an instant spray-on cast for broken bones. During their experiments, which included testing upward of  500  different spraying vessels, they discovered the material could be sprayed in long, sticky strands from a certain pressurized can.  Play-Doh Anyone who’s cleaned Play-Doh out of carpet or picked up all its little crumbs knows how messy it can be, so it may come as a surpr...