The 'mutant pigeon' is actually real and people can't believe it
Pigeons aren’t known for sparking social media frenzies, probably because most of us view them as annoying, flying rats. But one TikTok channel dedicated to the pavement-lurking birds has prompted a flutter of interest after it shared a pretty jaw-dropping video. The clip, which is accompanied by suitably jaunty music, shows a staggeringly proportioned pigeon, with a fit-to-busting chest, skinny white legs and giant feathers for claws, apparently. The man behind Pigeons TV posted the footage early last month and it has since racked up more than 18.6 million views and 1.6 million likes. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Stunned commentators have pointed out that it looks like some sort of chicken/pigeon hybrid, with a number suggesting the “mutant” bird must be a hoax. @pigeonstv English Pouter pigeons #pigeonstv #pigeon “What in the A.I. generated pigeon is that?” one asked. “Y’'all better not [be] gaslight me into thinking this is real,” wrote another. “If I were 5 years old and you told me to draw a picture of a bird, this is what it would look like,” joked a third. “Bro came out [of] a Dr Suess Book,” added a fourth. And a fifth said: “I don’t know much about birds but these are obviously two birds wearing a pigeon suit.” However, it turns out they’re all wrong. And this Frankenstein’s Monster of a feathered friend is simply an example of one of the many varieties of pigeons that exist in the world. The English Pouter is believed to have originated in England more than 400 years ago as the result of cross-breeding among a number of other old pigeon types. It’s best known for its bulbous breast, which it can puff up and hold in position for hours on end, according to the AviCulture blog. Indeed, the bird is so famed for its interesting looks that Charles Darwin himself commented on its appearance in his 1868 book ‘The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication’, branding it: “Perhaps the most distinct of all domesticated pigeons”. The Poulter’s full chest also apparently influenced fashion back in the early 20th Century, inspiring a “poulter pigeon’ dress”, which puffed above the waist. Who knew that pigeons were true OG fashionistas? Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-06-20 15:46
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Scientists found the oldest water on the planet and drank it
If you found water that was more than two billion years old, would your first instinct be to drink it? One scientist did exactly that after finding the oldest water ever discovered on the planet. A team from the University of Toronto, led by Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, came across an incredible find while studying a Canadian mine in 2016. Tests showed that the water source they unearthed was between 1.5 billion and 2.64 billion years old. Given that it was completely isolated, it marked the oldest ever found on Earth. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Remarkably, the tests also uncovered that there was once life present in the water. Speaking to BBC News, professor Sherwood Lollar said: “When people think about this water they assume it must be some tiny amount of water trapped within the rock. “But in fact it’s very much bubbling right up out at you. These things are flowing at rates of litres per minute – the volume of the water is much larger than anyone anticipated.” Discussing the presence of life in the water, Sherwood Lollar added: “By looking at the sulphate in the water, we were able to see a fingerprint that’s indicative of the presence of life. And we were able to indicate that the signal we are seeing in the fluids has to have been produced by microbiology - and most importantly has to have been produced over a very long time scale. “The microbes that produced this signature couldn’t have done it overnight. This has to be an indication that organisms have been present in these fluids on a geological timescale.” The professor also revealed that she tried the water for herself – but how did it taste? “If you’re a geologist who works with rocks, you’ve probably licked a lot of rocks,” Sherwood Lollar told CNN. She revealed that the water was "very salty and bitter" and "much saltier than seawater." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-06-20 14:56
Stock market today: Asian shares mostly slip after US markets were closed for a national holiday
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