Lifted from this, obviously

Human chimeras, how to light the dark months, and how long will I live?

Hello! I can’t wait to feel a sense of duty toward cleaning my future cat’s blackheads in the bath. I like it when people understand cat hygiene to such an extreme degree, like why not throw 12 million years of evolution out the window? What an incredible hobby.

1. Starfish is all head, no butt, finds research.

2. After two years alone, Fiona, the world's loneliest sheep, was rescued from a Scottish cliff.

3. Sat through approximately four videos of Der Knochenknacker (The Bone Cracker), a chiropractor who adjusts the tiny skeletal systems of animals. The thought of cracking sounds coming from deep within the body gives me goosebumps but all the animals looked genuinely happy afterwards. I recommend the meerkat.

4. Cats blink, lick, and move their ears, noses, mouths, and whiskers in at least 276 distinct combinations. Researchers found that nearly half (46%) of their expressions are deemed friendly, 37% are considered aggressive, and 17% are unclear. They also found that backward-flattened ears can suggest discontent, and upright, forward-leaning whiskers and ears can indicate happiness.

5. Giant ground sloths up to four meters long once roamed the earth. Someone described them as hamsters the size of an elephant, which, cool. Scientists recently concluded that, alongside other megafauna such as giant armadillos, they made a series of paleoburrows or underground tunnels with only their claws. They developed such absurd strength in their arms that they were able to cut through rock and tough sediments that even a pickaxe would struggle to pierce.

6. Boston Dynamics put a moustache and a tiny hat on its terrifying dog robot and turned it into a fancy butler, which can apparently talk now?

7. Trees are so diverse, we all really should be paying more attention. The Wikipedia page for Superlative Trees is a great place to start. Go visit your local big tree.

8. I enjoyed this post from

Katherine May

on “How to light the dark months”, specifically the point about living as if it were summer and the word “apricity” which is something I felt this week and it really threw me off my axis.

Prioritize going outside when it is still light. Don't resist the change of lifestyle or live as if it is summer. Notice the transition points from day to night. Co-exist with darkness rather than trying to eradicate it. Revel in "apricity", the juicy warmth of the winter sun, even if you feel it through a car windscreen. Make the use of candles ordinary, to contrast with harsh winter daylight.

9. Important information about the composition and uses of superglue. Especially the advice on what not to do. Never start gluing without the "appropriate chemical debonder" on hand in case you stick your fingers together. And don't put super glue on most fabrics – it will start smoking.

10. A man gave himself fecal transplants using his mom's feces to treat his debilitating Crohn's. Then he started experiencing her menopause symptoms. Lol, sorry.

11. I’ll never fully know English but this list of Common Errors makes me feel less alone about it.

12. What's my place in the world population? How long will I live? Great questions. So relieved to finally have answers. Apparently I’m older than 53% of the world’s population, which doesn't make me feel great. Gonna live to 90.1 years old though!

13. Bamboozled by ‘human chimeras’: a human being composed of genetically distinct cells. Natural human chimeras are formed when the zygotes of non-identical twins fuse or exchange cells during gestation; one person is born with two sets of genes. So a chimeric mother may also be her own child's aunt. Only 100 cases of natural chimerism are documented, but around 36 percent of twin pregnancies involve a "vanishing twin", so many more cases may exist.

14. It seems that scientists have discovered a new organ in our body, that we missed, not because it was invisible, but because they thought it was just collagen. Now, we know it’s a new organ. The interstitium is a sponge-like layer that lies just beneath the skin, where fluid rushes through. It’s "a fractal, honeycombed network" that supports musculature and carries cells and information around the body. It can be seen with the naked eye during surgery but was overlooked by a scientific approach that preferred isolated objects to systems. Give it up for allopathic medicine.

15. Experience: I invented the lickable TV – the BBC described it as Netlicks. Click for an adorable photo of Homei Miyashita, then come right back!

16. Volcanic eruption ‘imminent’ in the town of Grindavik, Iceland. If you’re a twisted cat, there’s a Grindavík livecam on YouTube, where you can livestream the town’s impending collapse.

17. Tetris tournament is peak nerd but this match is inspiring.

18. What Is My Cookie Cutter?