eznews.in
The _Decaisnea fargesii_ shrub, often overlooked for its ordinary leaves and flowers, surprises observers in autumn with its peculiar fruit, nicknamed "dead men’s fingers." These gray-blue, chunky pods, resembling fingers with creases and pointed tips, were first documented in 1892 by French botanist Adrien René Franchet, who initially likened them to large blue caterpillars. The plant, named after missionary Paul Guillaume Farges, thrives in the temperate climates of Sichuan, Tibet, and Nepal, ripening just in time for Halloween. While the fruit, also known as blue sausage fruit, contains edible pulp surrounding black seeds, its taste is described as bland, akin to jelly, though some, like seed morphologist Wolfgang Stuppy, find it pleasantly sweet with hints of melon. Despite its eerie appearance, the fruit invites curiosity about its flavor, leaving many to ponder whether they would dare to taste "dead men’s fingers." 
Published: Oct 15 2025, 11 ameznews.inWednesday, May 30, marks World Otter Day, a celebration often filled with adorable images of otters engaging in playful antics. However, beneath their charming exterior lies a darker reality, as otters exhibit aggressive and violent behaviors. Sea otters, for instance, are known for their brutal mating practices, where males can drown females and even attack pups. Disturbingly, they have also been documented engaging in forced copulation with baby harbor seals, leading to severe injuries or death. Additionally, instances of necrophilia have been observed, with males copulating with deceased females. The giant otter of South America, a formidable predator, further exemplifies the species' ferocity, hunting in packs and consuming a carnivorous diet. While violent encounters with humans are rare, otters can transmit diseases like Valley Fever, posing a hidden threat. As World Otter Day approaches, it’s essential to recognize the complex and often troubling nature of these creatures.
Published: Oct 15 2025, 7 pmeznews.inScientists are exploring the concept of a "sixth sense," with interoception—a sense of the body's internal state—emerging as a leading candidate. Researchers at Scripps Research and the Allen Institute have been awarded a $14.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to investigate this complex sensory system, which monitors physiological signals related to hunger, pain, and other bodily functions. Led by Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian, the team aims to create the first comprehensive atlas of interoception, mapping how sensory neurons connect to internal organs. This research is crucial, as dysregulation of interoception is linked to various health issues, including autoimmune disorders and chronic pain. By better understanding body-brain communication, the researchers hope to develop new treatment approaches and shed light on how the brain maintains bodily balance, a largely unexplored area in neuroscience.
Published: Oct 15 2025, 6 pmeznews.inA recent exploration into Earth's geography reveals a striking imbalance in the distribution of landmasses, primarily concentrated on one side of the planet. While maps suggest a more even spread, a closer look at a globe shows that the vast Pacific Ocean dominates the opposite side, leaving continents like Africa, Europe, and Asia clustered together. This phenomenon can be traced back to the ancient supercontinent Pangea, which existed from 336 to 175 million years ago. The ongoing process of continental drift continues to shape our planet, with the Atlantic Ocean widening and pushing the Americas away from Europe and Africa. Over the next several million years, continents will gradually shift, potentially leading to the formation of a new supercontinent. For now, the Pacific remains a colossal expanse, illustrating Earth's dynamic geological history and the forces that continue to mold its surface.
Published: Oct 10 2025, 10 pmeznews.inA newborn Spix’s macaw hatchling at Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium is igniting hope for the species, which was declared extinct in the wild around 2018, following the last sighting in 2000. The Spix’s macaw, known for its vibrant blue plumage and inspiration for the animated film *Rio*, has been the focus of international breeding programs, with the recent hatching marking a significant milestone after 100 previous eggs failed to fertilize. Bird keepers attribute this success to a dietary change, and the chick is currently being hand-fed every two hours by specialists. Although it will not be reintroduced into the wild, the hatchling is expected to contribute to breeding efforts aimed at creating a genetically diverse population. Despite a previous reintroduction program in Brazil being halted, there remains cautious optimism that this new addition could help stabilize the future of the critically endangered species.
Published: Oct 14 2025, 9 pmeznews.inPublished on May 3, 2016, a new interactive quiz invites users to explore the fascinating yet often perplexing microscopic world. The quiz, hosted on Playbuzz, challenges participants to identify various objects based solely on their appearances under a microscope, highlighting the strange and intricate details that are typically invisible to the naked eye. Senior journalist Tom Hale, who specializes in a range of topics from archaeology to technology, emphasizes the disconnect between our everyday experiences and the microscopic realm. While the article provides a glimpse into this captivating subject, full access to the content is restricted behind a paywall, encouraging readers to subscribe for more in-depth exploration. The quiz serves as an engaging way to bridge the gap between the familiar and the extraordinary, inviting curiosity about the unseen elements of our world.
Published: Oct 15 2025, 12 pmeznews.inDuring a recent expedition by the E/V Nautilus in the uncharted deep-sea regions of the Cook Islands, researchers encountered a peculiar species of cusk eel, _Typhlonus nasus_, which resembles a giant, faceless tadpole. This bizarre creature, spotted swimming at depths of up to 5,100 meters, has drastically reduced facial features, leading to its eerie appearance. Despite its lack of visible eyes, juveniles possess tiny eyes hidden beneath the skin, an adaptation to the dark abyssal zone where sunlight does not penetrate. The Nautilus team expressed their excitement over the sighting, as these elusive fish are rarely observed, with the last significant sighting in Australian waters occurring in 2017 after a long absence since 1873. The expedition, which runs until October 21, aims to uncover more of the ocean's strange inhabitants, promising further discoveries in the deep sea.
Published: Oct 15 2025, 6 ameznews.inOrganisms that inhabit caves, known as troglobites, thrive in the dark, damp environments that also foster the formation of remarkable geological structures like stalagmites and stalactites. Stalagmites grow from the cave floor as mineral-rich water drips down, while stalactites hang from the ceiling, resembling icicles. These formations, classified as speleothems, can take thousands of years to develop, with some stalagmites in Oklahoma's Richards Spur cave system dating back an astonishing 289 million years, making them the oldest directly dated speleothems. This site, rich in well-preserved fossils from the Paleozoic era, offers insights into ancient ecosystems and may prompt a reevaluation of the timeline for early vertebrate evolution. Meanwhile, Lehman Caves in Nevada boasts stalagmites that are 2.2 million years old, showcasing the enduring nature of these fragile yet significant geological features.
Published: Oct 14 2025, 10 pmeznews.inA new study by David Kipping, an associate professor of astronomy at Columbia University, delves into the "red sky paradox," which questions why intelligent life has emerged on Earth so early in the universe's Stelliferous Era, despite the abundance of M-dwarf stars, which make up 60-70% of stars in our galaxy. Using Bayesian statistics, Kipping evaluates several hypotheses, including the "desolate M-dwarf hypothesis," which posits that lower-mass stars do not produce intelligent observers, and the "truncated window hypothesis," suggesting a limited timeframe for observer emergence. Kipping dismisses the luck hypothesis as statistically improbable, with a Bayes factor of 1,600. His findings indicate that stars below 0.34 solar masses are unlikely to develop observers, implying that the universe may be largely devoid of intelligent life, although life could still exist around these stars. The study is available on the preprint server arXiv.
Published: Oct 14 2025, 8 pmeznews.inIn a bizarre case from 1928, documented in The Indian Medical Gazette, Dr. Kubab treated a 36-year-old man bitten by a cobra using an unconventional method involving live chickens. The patient, who initially showed no symptoms beyond numbness, faced a dire situation as the doctor lacked antivenom. Instead, he resorted to an old folk remedy from the Ratnagiri district, applying the anuses of 96 chickens to the snake bite. Over three hours, 74 chickens died, while the patient reported feeling suction from the 42nd chicken. Despite the gruesome treatment, experts later questioned its efficacy, noting that the venom likely resided deeper in the tissue than could be reached. Modern medical advice strongly discourages such practices, emphasizing that they can cause more harm than good by delaying proper treatment and risking further injury.
Published: Oct 15 2025, 8 amFor the fastest, latest, not so wokest news, 'experts say' you need to visit Eznews
India
World
Economy
Science
Health
Showbiz
Contact