Wang noticed that the cicada noises became noticeably louder around noon, but he remained in the forest until evening, when he began experiencing tinnitus and a sensation of fullness in his ears. As the cicadas started going silent, he noticed that he couldn’t hear the chirping of birds, or even the notification sounds of his phone.

Terrified that he could lose his hearing completely, Wang went straight to the hospital, where a quick checkup revealed that both his ears were swollen. He was prescribed medicine to bring down the swelling and advised to avoid loud noises for at least 14 days. Luckily, after two weeks, the teenage boy healed completely.

“Many people mistakenly think that the sounds of nature are harmless to the ears,” Li Ji, a senior doctor in the otorhinolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat) department of Ningbo University No 1 Affiliated Hospital, explained.

Cicadas are recognized as the world’s loudest insects, but one single cicada can’t really cause and hearing damage, as its clicking rarely surpassed 70 decibels. The problem is that a choir of cicadas can exceed 85 decibels, the threshold past which hearing damage occurs.

“The hair cells in the cochlea can develop oedema due to the irritation from loud noises for a relatively short duration. They typically recover after avoiding the noisy environment and resting for 1-2 weeks,” Dr. Li explained. “However, if the hair cells become necrotic, they cannot regenerate. The resulting hearing impairment is permanent and irreversible, forcing the patient to rely on hearing aids for auditory assistance.”

Ever since the Russia-Ukraine war began, Russian media have been reporting about so-called ‘black widows,’ women who approach and trick men into marriage just so they can then send them off to war and cash their compensation check as soon as they get killed.

CNN recently sat down with Maria, a 37-year-old woman from St. Petersburg whose father had recently been shot on the front lines in Ukraine. She didn’t even know that her father had enlisted in the Russian army, nor that he had married a woman 22 years his junior, who apparently had no problem seeing him off to war just two days into their marriage. That same woman, whom Maria has never even met, conveniently cashed the handsome compensation following her husband’s death.

“I’m still in shock and still can’t accept what happened,” Maria said. “At first, it felt like a dream. Even now, I sometimes wake up thinking I must have just dreamt it all. But it is really happening. I’ve never even spoken to this woman. I don’t know what to say to her because I immediately suspected it was a scam.”

The black widow phenomenon is no secret in Russia. It is discussed openly online, even though the Government frowns upon those making claims they can’t prove. For example, in a viral clip, a female real estate agent talks about women who marry men going off to war just so they can cash in the compensation upon their deaths and buy a home.

“It’s simple,” real estate agent Marina Orlova said with a laugh. “Find a man who’s serving in the Special Military Operation, and when he gets killed, you get 8 million rubles ($102,000). Lots of women are buying cheap apartments like that these days. It’s business.” 

The real estate agent’s shocking remarks sparked outrage and eventually attracted the attention of Russian authorities. She was prosecuted, issued a suspended prison sentence and forced to apologize to the soldiers fighting in the war and their wives.

In some instances, members of the Russian army were allegedly involved in black widow schemes, conspiring with them to send their newly recruited husbands on dangerous missions in exchange for a cut of the compensation package when they got killed in action.

In an investigation in Primorsky Krai, a warrant officer, a sergeant, and a military accountant were suspected of recruiting vulnerable men, arranging marriages for them, and then sending them to the front line of the war where they were more likely to be killed.

According to experts, a smaller bust can favor the formation of a kind of “air pocket” at the level of the cyclist’s abdomen, which marginally increases the drag coefficient. For example, Bert Blocken, professor of aerodynamics at Heriot-Watt University (Scotland), told the British newspaper The Telegraph that chest fairing could provide a reduction of up to 3.6% in drag.

That small percentage might not sound like a lot, but in a sport where even the slightest edge can make a huge difference, chest fairing is considered an unfair advantage.

Originally reported last month by Dutch newspaper “WielerFlits,” the chest fairing trend caused quite a scandal on the women’s cycling circuit, and on August 4th, the cyclists taking part in this year’s Tour de France underwent an additional check of their clothing. It’s unclear if the checks uncovered the use of breast padding, but it’s clear that organizers aim to discourage the practice.

“Special attention will be given to compliance with article 1.3.032 of the UCI regulations, including non-essential elements and clothing or other items/accessories used by the cyclist (including, but not limited to, helmets, glasses, shoes or communication devices during the race) that may modify the cyclists’ morphology,” an official statement put out by the Tour de France read.

The HercShirt V5.0 was designed to stay fresh for over a month without washing. It sounds preporsterous, especially in the summer, when most of us sweat a lot more under the scorching sun, but HercLeon claims that this alchemy they came up with is real!

To keep the newest HercShirt odorless for such a long period of time, the American clothing brand used seven special ingredients – copper, silver, zinc, gold, volcanic ash, and two secret ingredients – all of which were woven into the fabric, rather than simply applied on the surface. Copper, for example, inhibits odor-causing bacteria, while zinc neutralizes harsh sulfur compounds produced by active sweating. Volcanic ash absorbs moisture and external odors, acting like a porous inner sponge.

According to HercLeon’s Kickstarter pitch, the HercShirt V5.0 stays fresh for over a month, even under heavy use. And because it only rarely requires washing, it lasts a lot longer than conventional t-shirts. It may cost $79, but ti’s suppose to last you longer than 7 regular t-shirts, so it should be worth the investment.

When it becomes avaulable for shipment in early November, the HercShirt V5.0 will only be available in black, but HercLeon has already announced plans to sell navy blue, burgundy, and dark green versions.

If you feel $79 is just too much to spend on a t-shirt, even one that remains odorless for so long, you can opt for the budget option ($39), which remains fresh for 3 days of heavy use, or the standard version, which doesn’t require washing for up to 14 days.

Motivated by his own fear of blood and needles, Cipher X CEO Ferdinand Cole founded the company with the declared goal of fundamentally changing the centuries-old process of skin tattooing. He focused on microneedling technology, which was already used in cosmetology for some time, and came up with a tattooing process that he claims is virtually painless.

“What began as a personal question has evolved into a much larger exploration of how tattoos can be reimagined through modern engineering, manufacturing, and human-centered design,” Cole wrote in a recent press release.

The revolutionary tattooing process developed by Cipher X involves the use of patches covered in microscopic structures that carry a pigment and introduce it into the upper layers of the skin. The patch is applied using a specially-designed applicator and must be left in place for around 15 minutes for the pigment to be fully released.

The design first appears only faintly on the skin, but as the pigment settles into the skin, it darkens and becomes very visible within 24 to 48 hours. The process may sound similar to that of applying a temporary tattoo patch, but these are permanent tattoo stickers, so you will need a laser machine to have them removed, just like old-fashioned tattoos.

The appeal of a no-pain tattoo is obvious, but the technology developed by Cipher X has some serious limitations. For one, the designs are really small, because they need to fit inside a circular canvas measuring only 15mm across. The company currently offers a number of available designs, like hearts and emojis, but it has also announced plans to work with various tattoo artists to offer custom designs as well. Another notable limitation is that you are currently limited to black as a pigment color, and it’s unclear if Cipher X will ever introduce other pigments.

So you won’t be able to get a painless sleeve tattoo anytime soon, but if you’re looking for something small to start you off on your tattoo journey, or if you’ve always wanted to get some work done but couldn’t overcome your fear of needles, Cipher X’s new technology may be the solution you’ve been looking for. The bad news is that it’s currently limited to the company’s location in London for the time being.

The woman, referred to as ‘Victim A’ by the press, reportedly told doctors that she wanted a 2mm micro-correction of the jaw, but after the procedure, her jaw was instead pushed outward by 13mm, resulting in severe facial deformation. To make matters worse, during the procedure, a tooth root was punctured by a metal needle, and the nasal septum was twisted, which made breathing through the nose difficult.

Although experts agreed that, instead of a ‘2mm retraction of the mandible,’ a complete reverse procedure was performed, pushing the mandible outward by more than 13mm, the lead surgeon who performed the surgery claimed that the woman’s face had “become more Western and stylish than before.”

Victim A reportedly paid over $55,000 for the botched cosmetic surgery, but experts estimate that fixing her jaw will take at least five years and cost over $200,000. They also pointed out that this incident goes beyond a simple surgical error, as the woman’s minor defect could have easily been resolved with orthodontic therapy alone.

After Victim A’s story went viral, the hospital where the cosmetic procedure was carried out agreed to refund the cost of the surgery, but the relevant health authorities have since launched an investigation, and the situation is expected to escalate into a legal battle. 

“What I’m doing, people half my age can’t do,” 71-year-old Terry Burrows told The Independent newspaper. You don’t just do this, you train to do this!”

Burrows, who still competes in the World Window Cleaning World Cup, is considered the Usain Bolt of window cleaning. In 2009, he set a world record, flawlessly cleaning three 45” x 45” windows in just 9.14 seconds, a feat that has yet to be equalled or surpassed.

The rules of the World Window Cleaning World Cup are fairly straightforward. Participants are provided with a standard 12” or 300 mm Squeegee with fixed handle, standard 14” or 350 mm applicator (T.Bar) with a fixed handle, a standard 14” Applicator cover, a bucket of water, window cleaning detergent, and one scrim. They have to use these tools to clean three 45” x 45” windows as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

Under the careful eyes of three judges, participants move their hands in S patterns, guiding the Squeegee across the glass, and following up with the scrim to make sure they leave no streaks. When they are done, they are supposed to shout “Stop!” to stop the timer.

Speed is very important in this competition, but participants must actually clean the windows to win. Every streak, drip, or line on the three windows is penalized by 0.5 seconds, and leaving particularly thick streaks on the glass is penalized by 1 second. The three judges are trained to watch for even the slightest imperfections, so every little mistake is penalized.

The winner of the World Window Cleaning World Cup is rewarded with a £1,000 ($1,350) cash prize, but the true prize is the right to brag among their fellow cleaning professionals.

The main highlight of this year’s “Firefly Comic Con” held in Guangzhou, China, from July 17 to 20 was the lemon-flavored foot bath water and cola foot bath water sold by a number of female cosplayers outside the venue. Priced at 50 yuan ($7.50) per plastic cup, the disgusting concoction could not satisfy demand, as dozens of thirsty men lined up to try it.

Photos and clips featuring female cosplayers soaking their feet in plastic containers filled with lemonade and cola outside the exhibition hall and holding up signs to attract people interested in buying the “foot juice” have been doing the rounds of Chinese social media for the last couple of weeks.

Reportedly inspired by the “feet juice” trend sparked at Fanime Con in San Jose earlier this year, China’s version proved just as popular among young men, with video evidence showing them scooping the feet-steeped drinks straight from the containers and drinking them to the cheers of a crowd of onlookers.

Some videos show thirsty patrons holding the cosplayers’feet up so that the feet juice could drip straight into their mouths, or even licking the liquid straight off of their feet. The disturbing scenes sent shockwaves through Chinese society, with many people condemning it as a corruption of Chinese values.

In response to the public outcry, the organizers of the Firefly Comic Con stated that the cosplayers involved had been expelled from the venue and that such vulgar booths would be explicitly prohibited from reappearing in the future. Judging by the popularity of the “product” and the attention this “feet juice” trend continues to attract, our bet is that we’ll be seeing more of it in the future.

AheadForm, a startup founded in 2024 by Yuhang Hu, an engineer who trained at Columbia University’s renowned Creative Machines Lab in New York, with the stated goal to “break down the barrier” between human and machine, recently unveiled its latest creation, a robot head capable of reproducing human movements and expressions.

The Origin M1 robotic head is designed to replicate human micro-expressions, including furrowed eyebrows, slight smiles, blinking and eye movements. In a video that has been doing the rounds on Chinese social media, the motor-powered head can be seen executing a range of very human-like movements that have been creeping some people out.

Underneath the silicone interior, the Origin M1 is powered by 25 to 42 brushless micro-motors that contract and release every artificial muscle to reproduce human expressions. These tiny, ultra-quiet motors have been described as marvels of precision mechanics. The realistic head also features cameras concealed in its pupils, allowing it to scan the environment and track objects, as well as microphones and speakers that enable voice-interaction.

Because of the cutting-edge technology used to create it, the Origin M1 robotic head is extremely expensive, with the most advanced version priced arround $150,000. That’s a lot for what is essentially a robotic prop that you can only place on your desk to marvel at, for now.

The future looks promising for ultra-realistic humanoid robots, as AheadForm aims to improve the Origin M1 in the near future. The Chinese company is already working on lip synching, and hopes to soon connect its robots to large language models so that they understand not only what you say, but also how you say it, and respond with the right tone and facial expression.

While out on bail, Si decided that the risk of being issued a prison sentence was too great, so he came up with an extreme plan to avoid any legal consequences for his drunk driving. He convinced his family to assist him in faking his death and funeral, so he could run away without the fear of police looking for him.

In June of last year, Si and his family set their daring plan in motion. First, they bought a coffin, and then Si set the scene of his death. He scattered empty medicine bottles throughout his home, practiced holding his breath for long periods of time, and even used cooling equipment to keep his body cold, all in an effort to make it look like he had succumbed to a drug overdose.

Photo: Unsplash

Even though some neighbors later told police that they had seen Si’s body, his mother and grandmother covered his face with a cloth, claiming that the drugs had deformed his face. The funeral was carried out that same day, but while the coffin was being lowered into the ground, Si was already on his way to Yunnan Province.

Unfortunately for our protagonist, this story did not end with his fake death. There were some loose ends that police quickly picked up, like the fact that Si’s coffin had been purchased before his death, and the fact that his family never called an ambulance or alerted the police about his untimely death.

Police later learned that there had been no death certificate issued for Si, nor a record of his cremation. The fact that none of the neighbors had seen his face before his burial only added to their suspicions. Surveillance footage and bank records later confirmed that SI was still alive, and police launched a manhunt to find him.

Si was apprehended in April of this year and quickly sentenced to five months of criminal detention and a 20,000 yuan ($3,000) fine. A separate criminal investigation is now gathering evidence against his mother and grandmother for assisting and harboring an offender.