Space Force, Full Moon Discovery, Killer AI and More Mysterious News Briefly — January 29, 2021

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Mysterious News Briefly — January 29, 2021

A new Canadian study found that some cannabis strains developed in a lab help reduce a specific type of inflammatory distress called a “cytokine storm” that precedes severe cases of acute respiratory distress due to Covid-19. If you’ve got Covid-19, you won’t be able to taste the brownies, but who cares?

Trillions of cicadas are set to emerge across 15 U.S. states this spring after ending their 17-year-long underground hibernation and entering a brief life of molting, flying, mating and incredibly loud chirping. This would be a good time to invest in companies that make earplugs and heavy-duty windshield wipers.

Newly released documents detailing experiments by the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) include a patent for “Spacetime Modification Weapon (SMW)” which can generate extremely high energy levels to produce a High Energy Electromagnetic Field Generator (HEEMFG) effect that “can make the Hydrogen bomb seem more like a firecracker, in comparison).” Not the kind of device you want to be working on when your lab partner comes in sneezing.

Sleep scientists have discovered that sleep cycles in people oscillate during the 29.5-day lunar cycle, culminating with most going to bed later on nights with a full moon and sleeping for shorter periods of time. If this news makes your mate howl, start booking a hotel room on full moon nights.

President Biden may be cutting other programs, but indications are that he plans to keep the Space Force intact and expand its ranks from 2,400 active-duty ‘guardians’ to 6,400 by the end of this year. To grow that fast, they no longer require new recruits to learn the Vulcan salute.

A male chimpanzee escaped from the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, went for a walkabout, looked around and then returned on its own to its exhibit. That’s the answer to the question, “Is 2021 better than 2020 or worse?”

Japan’s Kubota Pharmaceutical Holdings has developed a unique pair of glasses it claims can cure nearsightedness (myopia) without the need for surgery. They’re not responsible for any problems that occur when you can finally see your Tinder dates.

Researchers in northern Madagascar have discovered a tiny chameleon named Brookesia nana that is the world’s smallest chameleon (total length with tail 21.6 mm or .8 in) and may be the world’s smallest reptile species, but despite its diminutive size sports a huge male sex organ that is roughly 18.5 percent of its body size. Look for videos soon under its porn name, Cam Eleon.

A new study found that colonies of naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) each have their own unique dialect that distinguishes their chirps from other colonies. Do the southern ones speak slower and end their chirps with “y’all”?

A panel called the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, led by former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, appeared before the U.S. Congress and begged it to allow for the development and usage of killer autonomous weapons powered by artificial intelligence (AI) software. Good grief! What does Google want to stop us from googling?

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Paul Seaburn