Author: Lisa Mungovan

The Annals of Improbable Research held their annual Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony virtually. The Materials Science Prize went to researchers who made a knife out of poop. Another team won the Acoustics Prize, for their study of an alligator’s voice on helium. Indian and Pakistani diplomats won the Peace Prize, for playing Ding-Dong Ditch.

Satellite technology may be a useful tool, to fight wildfires. The California Forest Observatory is using a new satellite imaging program, to map every single tree in the state. It will help wildfire authorities predict where fires are starting, and which direction they’ll spread. Wildfires are still raging throughout the US West Coast.

If you went to the beach this summer, did you see any trash? Whether it was left by rude beachgoers, scattered out of trashcans by the wind, or carried in on the waves, trash needs to be picked up by humans. Hit the beach with a garbage bag today, for Coastal Cleanup Day.

It’s International Eat An Apple Day! If there’s an apple orchard near you, go pick your own, because they’re ripe now. It’s also International Red Panda Day. Over 100 zoos worldwide will be celebrating, by creating Red Panda Rangers: children who spread the word about endangered red pandas. They are more like raccoons than pandas.

R! It’s me favorite day matey! It’s Talk Like A Pirate Day! Repeat all your favorite pirate phrases, and make sure you use a gruff, sea-weathered voice all day long! Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! Except make that a bottle of butterscotch pudding, since it’s also Butterscotch Pudding Day. Now whar’s me pudding!

Transportation officials in the UK, had to remind people that wearing a snakeskin mask is unacceptable, when it’s attached to a live snake. A man on a Manchester bus, had a snake wrapped around his neck and mouth. It may not have protected him from COVID-19, but it certainly made people keep their distance!

A 10-year-old drummer challenged Dave Grohl to a drum battle. The drummer of Nirvana, and frontman for the Foo Fighters accepted, and was surprised to see Nandi Bushell hold her own! He was so impressed, he wrote a song for her, describing Nandi as the “best drummer in the world”, “always right on time.”

Does your dog or cat like to play with a laser pointer? Your parents have probably warned you, that it’s dangerous to shine it in anyone’s eyes. A teenager found out the hard way, after looking into a laser for a few seconds. He permanently damaged his retina, and lost part of his sight.

Someone left permanent footprints, in the Saudi Arabian desert. They were created around a lake 120,000 years ago, when the area was green and humid. Among the camel, buffalo, and huge elephant tracks, researchers also found human footprints. They were likely Homo sapiens, like us, visiting the watering hole, while traveling between Africa and Eurasia.

Today is Hug A Greeting Card Writer Day. It might be hard to find one, so maybe just show your appreciation, by sending someone a greeting card instead! It’s also Reed An Ebook Day. The public library has lots of ebooks you can check out from home, to read on a phone or tablet!