2013 第 43 周趣闻

On June 4, meteorologists in Huntsville, Ala., noticed a "blob" on their radar screen that looked like a strong thunderstorm, despite the fact the sun was shining and not a drop of rain could be found within a few hundred miles. After some sleuthing, and several wacky explanations, the scientists have identified the culprit.

"Our operational meteorologist spotted it on radar immediately and initially thought he was caught off-guard by a pop-up thunderstorm that wasn't in the forecast," Matthew Havin, data services manager at weather technology company Baron Services, told LiveScience in an email. "Soon after that point we had numerous people from around Huntsville (and even other meteorologists from other states) calling and e-mailing us trying to determine what was going on at the time."

Full Story: Mystery Radar Blob Reveals Odd Man-Made Phenomenon

A 57-year-old woman in Italy who went to the doctor with inflamed sinuses and facial pain had an unusual diagnosis: a dental implant in the sinus.

The woman had undergone oral surgery about two years before to place an implant — a 2-centimeter long (0.79 inch) metal screw designed to hold in place a replacement for a missing tooth — in her upper jaw. But surprisingly, an inspection of her mouth revealed the implant was not there. Instead, the gums covering the area of her missing tooth were healed, and her remaining teeth were healthy.

Full Story: Ouch! Dental Implant Ends Up in Woman's Sinus

A lead curse tablet, dating back around 1,700 years and likely written by a magician, has been discovered in a collapsed Roman mansion in Jerusalem, archaeologists report.

The mansion, which is being excavated by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Givati Parking Lot, is located in what is known as the "City of David," an area that holds at least 6,000 years of human occupation. The mansion itself covers at least 2,000 square meters (about half an acre) and contains two large open courtyards adjacent to each other. It was in use between the late third century and A.D. 363, when it was destroyed in a series of earthquakes on May 18 or 19.

Full Story: Ancient Magician's Curse Tablet Discovered in Jerusalem

The sting of the Arizona bark scorpion is so fierce that humans say the pain is like being hit by a hammer. But the tiny grasshopper mouse shakes off the sting like it's nothing.

Now, researchers have found for the mouse, the sting really is nothing. Instead of causing pain, the scorpion venom blocks it, a fact that could lead to the development of new pain-blocking drugs for people.

Full Story: Scorpion-Eating Mice Feel No Sting

Trees may turn golden for reasons that have nothing to do with the onset of autumn: Eucalyptus trees can hold grains of gold, potentially helping reveal buried treasure, scientists now find.

Many plants root deep into the Earth, drawing up nutrients and minerals they need for life. Researchers hope this fact could one day help miners unearth gold, especially since discoveries of new deposits of the precious metal have dropped 45 percent over the last 10 years.

Full Story: There's Gold in Them Thar Trees

A dinosaur skeleton discovered by an eagle-eyed high-school student turns out to be the smallest, youngest and most complete duck-billed dinosaur of its kind ever found.

This Cretaceous-era herbivore, Parasaurolophus, walked the Earth some 75 million years ago. The dinosaurs in this genus are best known for their impressive tube-shaped head crests, which may have been used for display or perhaps to amplify the animals' calls. The little specimen, dubbed "Joe," was so young that its crest was a mere bump on its head.

Full Story: High-School Student Finds Bumpy-Headed Baby Dino

Just two decades after first spotting planets orbiting a star other than our own sun, astronomers have notched a big milestone — the 1,000th alien planet.

Two of the five main databases that catalog exoplanet discoveries list 1,010 confirmed alien worlds as of today (Oct. 23). That's a lot of progress since 1992, when researchers found the first-ever exoplanets orbiting a spinning neutron star, or pulsar.

Full Story: Alien Planet Count Passes 1,000 Worlds, a Milestone

Finding a giant oarfish washed up on the beach is a rare occurrence, since the fish is a deepwater species that's rarely seen at all. So when a second oarfish was found just five days later, the rumor mill kicked into high gear.

An 18-foot-long (5.5 meters) oarfish carcass discovered on Oct. 13 was considered a once-in-a-lifetime event for beachgoers on Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. But that event was followed five days later by a second oarfish, measuring 14 feet (4.3 m), found on a beach in San Diego County.

Full Story: Can Oarfish Predict Earthquakes?

How can you make roads safer for drivers? One company, known as Pro-Teq, is testing glow-in-the-dark material that can be sprayed onto roadways to help illuminate the way for night drivers.

The U.K.-based company developed a waterproof photoluminescent coating, called Starpath, which absorbs light during the day and gives off an ethereal glow at night, according to Treehugger. The coating is non-reflective and has anti-slip properties, which could reduce the number of accidents on motorways, reported Treehugger. Starpath-covered roads could also help communities save money and energy, since they are bright enough without street lamps.

Full Story: Glow-in-the-Dark Spray Could Make Night Driving Safer

A Mississippi baby born with HIV and treated in the early hours of her life remains free of the infection three years later, despite being off of medications for 18 months, according to a new report.

Full Story: Baby 'Cured' of HIV Still Infection-Free After 3 Years