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Heroes

Are cats a liquid? Why do old men have big ears? The Ig Nobel Prizes have the answers.

We did it, humans. We finally know the answer to the ultimate question: Are cats a liquid or a solid?

Though it seems like the answer would be straightforward, it most definitely isn't. And whoever figured it out just won a major prize. No, not the Nobel Prize — the Ig Nobel Prize.

Since 1991, the Ig Nobel Prizes have honored 10 of the most imaginative, thought-provoking, and frankly oddball pieces of research each year. Past prizes have been awarded to polyester rat pants, the economic value of pet rocks, and answering the age-old question, can frogs levitate? (Yes.)


On Sept. 14, this year's winners were announced. The lucky writers, scientists, and artists were invited to Harvard University, where they were greeted by contests, a bespoke mini-opera, and an awards ceremony. (This year's theme? Uncertainty. When asked why they chose this theme, founder Marc Abrahams replied: "I'm not sure.")

Among the winners was research into how touching a live crocodile affects people's willingness to gamble.

[rebelmouse-image 19529301 dam="1" original_size="750x505" caption="Two men hold a crocodile in Australia in 2003. Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images." expand=1]Two men hold a crocodile in Australia in 2003. Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images.

It all depends on whether crocodile-touching excites you, according to Matthew Rockloff and Nancy Greer from Central Queensland University. Scaredy-cats tended to become more cautious while playing video poker immediately after holding a meter-long saltwater crocodile. Croc buffs, on the other hand, bet more.

Playing the didgeridoo might help with sleep apnea and snoring.

David Little plays the didgeridoo in Sydney, Australia, in 2006. Photo by Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images.

According to a study in the British Medical Journal, regular training for a couple months might help strengthen the airways.

And, of course, can a cat be both a solid and a liquid? Yes, it can.

In a feat that was part science, part philosophy, and all feline, researcher Marc-Antoine Fardin argued that cats should technically be considered liquids. After all, if the definition of a liquid is "takes the form of any container they're in," well, we've got photographic proof of that.

[rebelmouse-image 19529303 dam="1" original_size="750x561" caption="Photo via Jim/Flickr. (I don't know how Jim knew the internet needed this picture, but I'm glad it's here.)" expand=1]Photo via Jim/Flickr. (I don't know how Jim knew the internet needed this picture, but I'm glad it's here.)

Other winners included answering questions such as can identical twins tell themselves apart in old family photos? (no); why do some people hate cheese? (it's in their brains); and why do old men have such big ears? (gravity pulls them down over time).

The full list of winners is available on the contest's website.

In the end, it's not about who's the most groundbreaking or clever or weird. Instead, the contest is about making people laugh and then think.

We take things very seriously most of the time, but the truth is that good, important, life-changing work can be funny. And bad, terrible work can be funny too. The contest invites people to look deeper and make up their minds on their own.

"Your quick opinion about something might change — drastically — if you look at the details. Then again, it might not," Abrahams says.

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

The sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldog.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog, but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000.

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Jason K. Pargin shares his controversial theory on lobster.

Novelist Jason K. Pargin has inspired an online food fight after his video about lobster received over 500,000 views on Tiktok and nearly 6 million on Twitter. Pargin believes that we’ve all been tricked into liking lobster and that people only like it because it’s considered high class.

Pargin is the author of the “John Dies at the End” and “Zoey Ashe” series and the former editor of Cracked.com.

"I don't think anyone actually enjoys eating lobster. I think they've just been convinced that it's a high-class food for a really specific reason,” Pargin says in his controversial video. He then describes how just a few centuries ago lobster was once used as prisoners' food and ground into fertilizer.

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Joy

An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel— written by "Dillon His Self"—captured the hearts of his local librarians and their patrons.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel captured the hearts of his local librarians.

Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.

But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.

Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children's section.

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Pop Culture

This 1940s guide on 'how to be pretty' for teen girls has some surprisingly modern suggestions

In a resurfaced video from the 1940s, Mary Stuyvesant, a Ponds beauty consultant, spoke to a group of high school girls about "how to be pretty."

1940s guide on "how to be pretty" is surprisingly modern.

Often, when we think of the 1940s and the messaging that was sent to women and girls back then, we tend to imagine lessons about how to get and keep a husband. But it turns out that all messaging wasn't the same and some girls were receiving a much more progressive message about their appearance.

In a resurfaced video from the 1940s, Mary Stuyvesant, a Ponds beauty consultant, spoke to a group of high school girls about "how to be pretty." Surprisingly, the advice is rather timeless and not at all focused on becoming the best wife and mother you can be, but on learning to care for yourself. Stuyvesant refers to your physical appearance as icing on a cake and that good icing tastes nice but the cake is the most important part.

She goes on to explain to the girls that who they are as people is the cake and that's the part that needs the most attention.

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Weatherman rescues a chicken in a blizzard and now they're friends.

There's a little-known saying that every weatherman needs a chicken. OK, it's little known because I totally just made it up, but you have to admit, it's just random enough to make you wonder if you missed out on a weird colloquialism. But in this case, it may be a new saying because weatherman David Neal found a stray chicken while reporting on a blizzard, and they've somehow become best friends.

The chicken, now named Penelope, was running around in the snowstorm while Neal was filming, so he tried to catch her so he could make sure she was warm. Penelope had other plans and gave Neal a literal run for his money. Eventually, with the help of a bystander who was likely as confused as the chicken, Neal was able to get Penny in his arms.

Of course, he had some explaining to do once the cameras were rolling again, and he handled it like the pro he is, holding a live chicken.

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Today Info/Youtube

Taylor Swift "diving" below the stage of her Eras Tour concert

The highly anticipated, Ticketmaster-bustingTaylor Swift Eras Tour has officially begun. And it’s looking like the pop star is pulling out all the stops to deliver a heap of spectacle.

Case in point—a video from the “Anti-Hero” pop star's kick-off concert that’s making quite the splash online.

In a mesmerizing blend of live performance and hologram wizardry, audiences saw Swift, clad in a flowy red dress, dive into a pool built into the stage. She then swam across to emerge through waves in a shimmery jumpsuit, just before climbing a ladder and disappearing into a cloud.

Basically, it was like a romantic fairy tale brought to life.

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