Imagine going on a flight and leaving the airplane with being gifted free plane rides for the rest of your life. Now, that’s a memorable traveling experience! 

Ikechi Chima Apakama boarded a flight with PLAY Airlines in Liverpool, bound for Keflavik International Airport in Iceland with his two friends. As they took off, the crew began giving gift bags, prosecco, and cake, celebrating the fact that the flight was carrying the company’s one-millionth passenger. 

Unbeknownst to him and his friends, the person the crew was referring to was Apakama. PLAY Airlines announced during the flight that they would be giving the person (who was unnamed at that time) free flights for life. He only knew when he landed, as he was surprised with a party, and was told that he was the lucky passenger. 

Apakama was given the pass displaying he received free PLAY flights for life, a coat, and a hat from Cintamani, an Icelandic band.

Image credit: PLAY Airlines 

Was it from space? 

Residents and visitors were surprised to see a 4.9-foot metal sphere randomly rolling on Enshuhama beach in Hamamatsu City, Japan. Initially spotted by a passerby, the authorities were then called into the location to inspect what this object was. Thankfully, it didn’t start mutating or transforming into some alien tech, but it was run under an X-ray to check if there was something inside. 

To the officers’ surprise, the ball was hollow. A bomb squad was also called to investigate. At the moment, no one knows what it is or its purpose. Theories range from a buoy to lost marine equipment to an experimental device and to space debris. The beach remains closed to the public until the investigation is over. 

Check out NHK World’s coverage of the mysterious sphere here.

Image screenshot via NHK World 

Thanks to drones, the Hiwassee Dam Fire Department was able to ascertain the location of a missing boy in North Carolina. The devices were equipped with infrared technology, which was able to detect the boy’s body heat even in darkness. 

According to the department, one of their drones picked up a heat signature during its rounds. They then decided to zoom in and saw a body lying in the fetal position. The GPS coordinates were marked and rescue personnel was sent to the location, and they found the missing boy. 

After the success of the rescue, the fire department shared that it wouldn’t be possible if they didn’t have drone cameras. Without them, they wouldn’t be able to locate the child within hours. 

Additionally, Hiwassee Dam Fire Department Chief Chad McNabb shared that the technology they used helped them cover more ground without using too much manpower. “I knew the technology existed, I’d never been exposed to it to this extent. But now that I’ve seen it — highly impressed. I think everyone on the scene was impressed with it as well,” he said. 

Image credit: Twitter/@westonwamp.

After years of being undiscovered, a family member has finally found the treasure buried by his relatives during the Second World War. The Glazewskis buried their silver in eastern Poland when the Russians invaded their country. 

The head of the family remained to fight them off but failed. He narrowly escaped from being executed and was chased out of his home. His sons never returned home, but they carried the legend of their family treasure for decades. Now, 80 years later, a grandson was able to discover the treasure. 

The man, Jan, was able to follow the path laid out by a treasure map drawn by his father, Gustaw. “My father was getting old and I kind of nagged him, I said ‘please draw me a map – one day I might be able to go to the estate and look for it,” he shared. 

The 69-year-old got emotional when he read the map and felt motivated to fulfill his father’s dreams of finding the family’s silver and hunting guns. He began his search in 2019 and was assisted by his niece and two Ukrainian metal detectorists. We’re glad that one of the family members found the treasure, and it was not salvaged!

Image credit: Pen News

Madeleine McCann was a 3-year-old girl who disappeared from her bed in an apartment in Praia de Luz, Portugal, on May 3, 2007. People have been doing search operations for years but nobody was able to find her. Her case is one of the most heavily reported missing person cases in history. 

More than a decade after her disappearance, a woman on social media is now claiming that she is that missing person. A woman with the Instagram name “I am Madeleine McCann” appeared last February 14 and rekindled people’s attention to McCann’s case. The Instagram user does not call herself as Madeleine, though– she introduces herself as Julia. 

What’s interesting is that this lady actually states her goal: to have her story heard, and be given a DNA test to prove her identity. "Police investigators from UK and Poland try to ignore me. I will tell my story in posts here,” her bio read. “Help me, I need to talk with Kate and Gerry McCann.”

Julia uploaded posts where she explains multiple reasons why she’s the missing girl. From sharing her earliest memory being a holiday in a hot country with white apartments to having the same hazel mark in her eye that Madeleine has. “I want to prove that I’m real and honest and I really think that I could be Madeleine,” she said. She insists on taking a DNA test so she can also be 100% sure. 

As of the moment, she has managed to speak with the McCanns and will be getting a DNA test to prove her identity. 

Image screenshot via iammadelinemacann/Instagram

The USS Albacore was a submarine from World War II that was used by the United States. Unfortunately, the sea craft disappeared almost 80 years ago after managing to sink ten enemy vessels during the war. 

The submarine– the wreckage of it, at least, was found by the University of Tokyo's Tamaki Ura off the shore in Japan. According to the country’s records, it likely struck a mine off the shore in 1944. 

The wreckage of a U.S. submarine from World War II was found off the coast of Hokkaido in northern Japan — after disappearing almost 80 years ago. The USS Albacore was positively identified by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) after its initial discovery. 

Archaeologists employed by the NHHC utilized the underwater imagery provided by Ura’s team to confirm the remains of the submarine. 

Image credit: Naval History and Heritage Command

Foreigners and residents in Portugal are no longer allowed to purchase homes and use them as Airbnbs in the country. In a series of laws passed, the government has limited the number of these hotel-like places in their country. 

This decision came after an influx of foreigners decided to purchase expensive homes and turned them into these kinds of establishments, which lead to the country’s housing market rising up and managing to drive away the local population. “The great appeal of our cities is not to turn [us] into some sort of Disneyland,” Prime Minister Antonio Costa, said at a press conference. “There is no city that can remain authentic if it isn’t able to maintain its residents.”

Aside from limiting the Airbnbs in Portugal, the country will also no longer hand out “Golden Visas,” which are passes that allow people to have an easier and streamlined process to become residents of Portugal as long as they promise to invest in the country. 

Image credit: Carlos Machado

The narwhal is considered to be one of the world’s most bizarre marine mammals. For starters, it has this one tusk sticking out from the top of its skull. Some scientists compare the tusk to a jousting knight’s lance, as it can extend from six to nine feet straight from its head. 

Scientists have their own theories as to how and why these mammals developed their unicorn-like horns, but no one is sure how it evolved. Only male narwhals grow a single tusk, which can suggest that it has a function in reproduction. A possible theory is that females judge their mates by the size of their tusks, but this has not been proven. 

This unique feature has intrigued experts for so long. This is because no other animal has anything like it. According to the curator of marine mammals at the Smithsonian, Michael McGowen, the tusk is a giant tooth. “The tusk grows out the front of the narwhal’s head, protruding horizontally through the animal’s upper lip. They have no other erupted teeth except for this single tusk,” he explained.

image via wikimedia commons

Researchers from the University of Queensland discovered a type of mushroom that can magically regrow new brain cells. In new research done by Frederic Meunier and his team, they’ve found out that the edible “lion’s mane” mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus) were highly effective in helping to forge new connections within the human brain. 

These fungi have been used in traditional medicine in Asia for millennia, and their efficacy goes beyond– as proven by the lab testing done by Meunier and his team. “We wanted to scientifically determine their potential effect on brain cells,” the scientist explained. His team initially did the test to determine if the hype around the fungi were real or just folklore. 

The initial phase of their research found them on a more positive side in regards to the mushroom’s efficacy. “Pre-clinical testing found the lion’s mane mushroom had a significant impact on the growth of brain cells and improving memory,” Meunier stated. Further testing will be done to fully determine just how beneficial these mushrooms would be on the human body. 

Regardless, the scientists behind the new study believe that these lion mushrooms hold promise for treating brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and other brain conditions. 

Image credit: wikimedia commons

Okay, we know how this sounds. It’s kind of stupid. But, it also sort of makes sense. Especially if you’re the type of person to easily forget something, especially if you get easily distracted or overwhelmed while traveling. 

A flight attendant and TikTok creator shared her simple hack that allows people to not forget their essentials while traveling (especially if they’re in a rush). In a video, @esthersturrus suggests using the hotel’s safe as a place to put your essentials in. To not forget what’s inside, she puts one of her shoes in the safe. “Worried about forgetting something from your locker?” Esther wrote in the caption of the viral video. “Put your heel/shoes in it and you won’t forget it!” 

It makes sense, doesn’t it? Since we won’t forget the other pair of our shoes, by extension, we also won’t leave other items stored along it. We’re not sure however if there are any suggestions on what to do if your shoes are too dirty to be stored in a safe. Our recommendation would be to always keep a checklist of your belongings before leaving your hotel room!

Image credit: wikimedia commons 

It’s not all secretive as it seems to be, unfortunately. 

We all use the browsing mode if we want our history to be untracked, not recorded on our computers. The incognito mode functions essentially like a new computer– no cookies to help your browser, no recorded logins, and passwords. You will have to input all of your details all over again. When you exit the mode and open it again, it won’t save any of your past sessions at all. 

In your computer, there’s no recorded trace of all the open tabs and activities in your incognito browser. However, if you ask the question of whether you’re not tracked in this mode, well… not exactly. See, your computer has to connect to the Internet. For it to do so, it has to go through your router— which monitors all web addresses you visit. 

Additionally, your digital footprints will still be all over the Web when you’re using incognito. This is because the website you’ve visited will be able to identify you, and your activities will be tracked. Even if you’re not logging into any site while in this mode, you are still tracked via your computer’s IP address. 

If you want to hide your tracks, the best way so far is to use a virtual private network (VPN). This is because it will encrypt your connection and hide your IP address. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Check this piece on Science Focus to learn how to have a more private browsing session on the Internet!

Image credit: Nothing Ahead/Pexels 

It looks like Florida’s raking in the positions on this list. In a travel survey done nationwide, people have put their bets in the deadliest bodies of water in America. Out of all the ten entries, seven of them can be found in Florida. 

These include New Smyrna Beach (ranked 1st), Cocoa Beach (ranked 2nd), Ormond Beach (ranked 3rd), Panama City Beach (ranked 4th), Melbourne Beach (ranked 6th), Jacksonville Beach (ranked 7th), and Fort Lauderdale (ranked 10th). 

As to why these places made it in the rankings, the survey took note of shark attacks, surf fatalities, and hurricanes. For example, Fort Lauderdale actually had three instances of surf fatalities, and two shark attacks. It also got hit by 120 hurricanes from 1851 to 2020. Learn more about the survey here. 

Image credit: Gagan Kaur 

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t something that people should be really worried about. A video has resurfaced on the Internet showing a 'disturbing' black ring over Disneyland. Now, this footage was old. Taken in 2016 by Kyle Hawkins, the footage displays a gigantic smoke ring above the crowds in the California theme park. 

While other Internet users speculate about what it could be (some even say that it’s like an alien portal), or some joke about the park vaping itself, the explanation behind this phenomenon is quite simple. The ring is from the fire blast during the World of Color show at California Adventure. "I know this because I work there," the Redditor said. "I used to lmfao at people freaking out over this."

Image screenshot via Kyle Hawkins/YouTube

We love imagining the future. Whether it comes in tech, setting, or even culture, we love showing off our different takes on how mankind will survive in the coming years. From utopian and dystopian fiction shows and novels to how architects and engineers build cities right now, there is no shortage of how we envision our daily lives in the future. 

In recent years, we’ve noticed a trend of announcements from different firms as they launch new projects that showcase their new take on metropolitan areas. AD has listed their picks for the most interesting projects and proposals for futuristic cities. 

From Mexico’s Smart Forest City to Saudi Arabia’s 100-mile-long linear city called The Line, these areas, once fully built, will definitely be super cool to visit!

Image credit: Stefano Boeri 

Anyone who got flashed with a car’s high beams knows that they are so bright to the point that you can be blinded. We do need them to see dark places, though. 

These blinding headlights are a big reason why people have a hard time seeing clearly while driving at night. Because people keep buying taller vehicles, the headlights will continue to get higher.

Following the taller vehicles are how headlights will be placed. According to Matt Brumbelow, a senior research engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, these fixtures can be misaligned. “There’s no testing to make sure that it’s still aimed properly or that it’s putting out enough light on the road and it’s not glaring other drivers,” he stated.

If we add the height of new vehicles being sold in the market, and how their headlights are placed, then there’s a big chance that these lights can cause more harm than necessary, and can make driving difficult at night. 

A solution is now being pushed to solve this problem. America’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has required automakers to sell vehicles that have adaptive driving beam headlights. These new lights can adjust the intensity of their brightness to avoid blinding people.

Image credit: Eliel Frances Etruiste