Offbeat

Offbeat

This man's blood could unlock universal antivenom

Tim Friede, a Wisconsin resident with a long-standing fascination for venomous creatures, has endured hundreds of snake bites, many self-inflicted, in a quest to build immunity

3m ago

Offbeat / This banana could sell for over $1 million

At the international arthouse Sotheby’s, Maurizio Cattelan’s famous artwork 'Comedian' is about to hit the auction block for an estimated price between $1 million to $1.5 million. But... why?

8m ago

ChatGPT helps 89-year-old Japanese app developer learn programming

89-year-old Japanese Tomoji Suzuki took up coding in his retirement, developing apps specifically for the elderly Japanese population. As per a recent interview with AFP, he has credited ChatGPT as a "great teacher" and "programming mentor" in his coding journey.

1y ago

Offbeat / Biden hiring a 'meme manager'; will pay up to $85,000

The role, which offers a salary of up to $85,000, involves collaborating with podcasters, digital-media companies, and popular social-media meme pages, reports Business Insider. Successful candidates will need to relocate to Wilmington, Delaware, where the campaign is based

1y ago

4 Tejgaon College friends reunite 32 years later via Facebook

The last time they all spent quality time together was at a friend's wedding in 1991

1y ago

KFC launches perfume Eau De BBQ

Finger sniffin’ good?

1y ago

Did you know an Indian startup 3D-printed a house in 21 days?

On April 27, 2021, Tvasta, a startup founded by alumni from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, completed the construction of India's first 3D-printed house - in only 21 days. Modules for this 500 sq. ft. house were printed in the startup's facility in Chennai and assembled at the site, as per the company's official website.

1y ago

Storm in a teacup: US, UK banter over the perfect 'cuppa'

The "special relationship" between Britain and the United States came under pressure this week when a US academic had the cheek to suggest adding salt to tea, sparking a flurry of diplomatic banter

1y ago

Amazon to offer help for customers who search about suicide

Amazon.com Inc plans to promote helpline phone numbers to customers who query its site about suicide, the company tells Reuters, after searches on its site suggested users search for nooses and other potentially harmful products.

5y ago

New Zealand parliament speaker soothes baby as debate rages

The man who presides over New Zealand’s parliament has been called a baby whisperer.

5y ago

Cash for trash: Indonesia village banks on waste recycling

Indonesia’s crackdown on imported foreign waste has upset the village of Bangun, where residents say they earn more money sorting through piles of garbage than growing rice in once-lush paddy fields.

5y ago

Bear falls on Northern California patrol car

A patrol car is struck by a falling bear in Northern California.

5y ago

Small plane lands on Washington state road, shocking drivers

Authorities say a small plane landed on a busy stretch of road in Washington state, stunning drivers but hurting no one.

6y ago

Forget ‘manmade’: Berkeley bans gender-specific words

There will be no manholes in Berkeley, California. City workers will drop into “maintenance holes” instead. Nothing will be manmade in the liberal city but “human-made.” And students at the University of California, Berkeley, will join “collegiate Greek system residences” rather than fraternities and sororities.

6y ago

Nepal's tourism campaign mistakenly promotes Thai photo in London

Earlier this week, a series of posters promoting the upcoming ‘Visit Nepal 2020’ appeared in the Underground (Tube) stations in London.

6y ago

Chinese tourists break into eco park, strip it of all its lotus flowers

The Longqiao Cultural and Ecological Park in Sichuan, China, was due to reopen soon, but is now forced to stay closed for the remainder of the year after Chinese tourists picked all of its lotus flowers.

6y ago

UK study shows seal singing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’

Researchers in Scotland say gray seals can copy the sounds of human words and songs including “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

6y ago

PIA passenger opens emergency exit door thinking it’s toilet door

Over three dozen passengers aboard a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight were offloaded after one of them mistakenly opened the emergency door of the aircraft on the runway at Manchester airport, the carrier says.

6y ago