odd look at news on the web
Death on the cliffs: The Ancient hanging coffins of Asia
28 December 2025 @ 6:03 am
High on the sheer limestone cliffs in southwest China, ancient wooden coffins remain wedged into rock faces hundreds of feet above the ground. Long treated as archaeological curiosities, these dramatic burials are now being re-examined using ancient DNA, and they point to a broader practice where separate cultures across Asia all paid their respects to the dead at similar "sky graveyards."Continue ReadingCategory: Cyclone streetfighter is an outright Ducati Diavel incarnate
28 December 2025 @ 12:28 am
Four years ago, when the RA9 concept was first introduced by the Chinese-origin Cyclone, a part of the bigger Zongshen group, it became one of the most advanced bikes to come out of China. That’s because in 2021, the idea of a liter-class Chinese bike was still fairly unexplored.Continue ReadingCategory: Motorcycles, TransportTags: Superbike, China's 435 mph maglev test reveals what caution is costing the West
28 December 2025 @ 12:01 am
Researchers at China's National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) have accelerated a one-ton vehicle from a dead stop to 435 mph (700 km/h) in under two seconds – then back to zero mph on about a 1/4 mile (1,312 ft / 400 meter) magnetic levitation test track. It's not just fast – it's absurd. That makes it the quickest superconducting maglev acceleration ever demonstrated.Continue ReadingCategory: TransportTags: Mosquitoes' stabby suckers may find use in high-res 3D printers
27 December 2025 @ 10:30 pm
In order to 3D-print really intricate items, you need a really fine print nozzle. Scientists have discovered that instead of going to the time and trouble of building one, you can simply repurpose a mosquito's existing blood-sucking proboscis.Continue ReadingCategory: 3D Printing, Manufacturing, TechnologyTags: 10 bicycle innovations that forged new trails in 2025
27 December 2025 @ 9:03 pm
If you like quirky bicycle-related inventions, then this list is definitely for you. Yes, it's time once again to present our Top 10 bike products from the past year, that really "did things differently from the rest."Continue ReadingCategory: Bicycles, TransportTags: CyclingReview: 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE delivers the goods, minus the pretense
27 December 2025 @ 5:30 pm
If SUVs were cocktails, the 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE would be an old-fashioned. The bartender won’t raise an eyebrow and you’ll get what you expected without any bougie pretense.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, TransportTags: Mercedes-Benz, SUV, ReviewsAI rings are coming: will you wear one on your finger next year?
27 December 2025 @ 5:03 pm
Over the last few years, smart rings have entered the wearables space to offer an alternative form factor for health tracking and other connected functionality alongside fitness trackers and smartwatches. From the sound of recent announcements, it looks like a new type of digital jewelry will grace your finger: the ultra-compact AI ring.Continue ReadingCategory: Wearables, Game-day crime rises up to 70% after sports betting goes legal
27 December 2025 @ 3:03 am
Tensions always run high between sports fans of rival teams on game day. But a new study shows that the rise of legalized sports betting in the US is turning those tensions into something far darker.Continue ReadingCategory: LifestyleTags: gambling, Sports, Rice University, Bold, bizarre, brilliant: 2025's top architectural oddities
26 December 2025 @ 9:03 pm
2025 has been a big year for wild ideas and we've decided it's high time to look back and highlight the best. From building a skyscraper in a rural Alpine village, to massive animal-like power line pylons, here's our favorite examples of unusual architecture.Continue ReadingCategory: Architecture, TechnologyTags: Best of 2025, Tesla makes the least reliable used cars… but which carmaker ranks first?
26 December 2025 @ 12:03 pm
If you’re shopping for a used car, you know just how instrumental the smallest details are. Price, brand, mileage, condition… you’re probably juggling everything at once, trying to find the perfect car that offers a mix of all these attributes. But here’s the most important factor you’re probably missing: reliability.Continue ReadingCategory: Automotive, Transport