More than half of the world's lakes have shrunk in the past 30 years.

Since the early 1990s, approximately 53% of the world's lakes have shrunk due to industrialization, the climate crisis, population growth and the construction of waterworks. This can lead to problems with drinking water and water supply for agriculture and energy facilities. The world's lakes were losing water at a rate of 22 gigatonnes per year. Reservoirs in Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as in Finland, Canada, Australia, and Brazil suffered the most.

Cobain's broken guitar was sold at auction for nearly $600,000.

Kurt Cobain's guitar was sold at Julien's Auctions for $595,000. The Nirvana frontman crashed a black Fender Stratocaster on stage at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City. The instrument was restored, but it can no longer be played.

Nearly half of animal species are declining.

According to a new study, 48% of animal species on Earth are currently experiencing population decline. This means a serious threat to biodiversity. The study looked at population densities of over 70,000 animals. Scientists explain that the evolution and even extinction of species is normal in itself, but now they are happening 100-1000 times faster than before. Researchers warn that humans could be causing the "sixth mass extinction" on Earth. The biodiversity crisis threatens the ecosystems on which life depends, the spread of disease and the stability of the global economy.

The brain prefers pleasant sounds on the left.

Neuroscientists in Switzerland have discovered a feature in our perception of pleasant sounds. They cause stronger neural activity in the brain's auditory system when heard from the left side. Heightened sensitivity to certain sounds coming from certain directions may have important evolutionary implications. In past millennia, human survival depended on it.

Wine from a supermarket for 2.5 euros won a gold medal at an international competition.

Once named the best sommelier in Belgium, Eric Boschman and the On n'est pas des pigeons team took the cheapest wine they could find from a supermarket and entered it into the competition. The bottle was disguised as a premium product, naming it Chateau Colombier and creating a more attractive label. They also came up with the story of a wine allegedly made from grape varieties native to the Côte de Sambre and Meuse. Participants sent samples of another, higher quality wine to the laboratory competition. It turned out that the organizers do not double-check the results. The experts praised the "rich taste with clean, youthful aromas".

Bettongs have returned to the wild in Australia for the first time in 100 years.

They look like kangaroos the size of a rabbit. To restore the population, scientists gradually released 120 animals into the wild. They argue that the bettong play an important role in local ecological systems. The new monitoring shows that the animals are successfully surviving and breeding.

Japan has created the most expensive ice cream in the world.

A serving costs $6400. The ice cream contains two types of premium cheese, sake kasu pasta, a white truffle worth $14,500 per kilogram, and edible gold leaf. Byakuya is served slightly thawed and paired with sake or French white wine. Sounds amazing. How are you?

Ireland is the first country in the world to introduce a label about the dangers of alcohol.

The Irish authorities have decided to warn people about the dangers of alcohol through labeling on the labels of bottles and cans. Buyers will be informed about the high calorie content, the risk of cancer and liver disease, and the danger to pregnant women. Labeling on alcoholic products will appear in the spring of 2026. The same warning information will be posted in pubs and other places where alcohol is sold and consumed.

The watch of the last Chinese emperor sold at auction for a record $6.2 million.

In Hong Kong, a Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune watch, which belonged to Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, was sold at an auction for $6.2 million. The ruler gave them to his translator Grigory Permyakov when he was in a Soviet prison in 1945-50s. Patek Philippe Pu Yi became the most expensive imperial watch in history. For example, the Rolex of the last emperor of Vietnam, Dao Bai, was sold for $5 million in 2017.

In Japan, sales of the first personal quantum computers started.

Gemini Mini, 14 kg for 2 qubits, costs $8,700. The premium model The Triangulum weighs 40 kg and costs $43,000. According to the manufacturer, so far, the systems can only do simulations. However, they can also be used in scientific activities.

Chess board like in Harry Potter.

An Israeli startup has unveiled a GoChess chessboard that connects to a smartphone and moves pieces by itself - just like in Harry Potter. The device allows you to play remotely with friends or opponents from popular chess sites. The board costs $259 on pre-order.

Sam Altman intends to invest $100 million in the Worldcoin project.

The essence of the startup is to organize a personal identification system based on an eye scan. The system will distinguish a robot from a person when exchanging cryptocurrency. In addition, Worldcoin holders are promised start-up income to compensate for the loss of jobs due to the development of AI.

Transition to hydrogen fuel.

The four largest automakers in Japan - Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki, with the support of Toyota, have agreed to switch to hydrogen fuel. For now, we decided to start with motorcycles - manufacturers will develop infrastructure and engines together.

A record for the speed of data transfer in space has been set.

With the help of lasers, the TBIRD system transferred 3.6 terabytes in 6 minutes - that's about 200 gigabits per second. Such high-speed internet will help future missions to the moon stay connected.

The state of Montana will ban TikTok on January 1, 2024.

This is the first such ban in the US. After that, you will not be able to download the application in the App Store and Google Play. If the stores do not remove the service, then every day they will be fined 10 thousand dollars. There are no penalties for users.

Eggs for people with allergies.

Japanese scientists have created genetically modified egg-laying chickens suitable for people with allergies to egg white. Egg allergy is one of the most common allergies in children. For almost everyone, it goes away by age 16, but for some it persists into adulthood.

Elon Musk spoke about his dislike of remote work in an interview with CNBC.

He believes that remote work is counterproductive and unfair to people who are required to be at their workplace all the time. The billionaire had previously demanded that his subordinates work in offices for at least 40 hours a week, and offered those who disagreed to look for another job. Musk himself stated that he works seven days a week, sleeps six hours a night and takes two or three days off a year.

The oldest Hebrew Bible was sold at Sotheby's for $38.1 million.

This was one of the largest sums ever paid for a book or historical document. The Sassoon Code, which has gone under the hammer, includes all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, with the exception of the first 10 chapters of the Book of Genesis. The folio dates from the late ninth to early tenth century AD, making this Hebrew Bible the oldest in existence.

The debut trailer for Martin Scorsese's The Flower Moon Killers has been released.

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brendan Fraser. The plot will unfold in the 1920s and tell about the FBI investigation in the Osage Indian settlement. An oil deposit was found there, which enriched the locals, who later died. Premiere - 6 October.

4500 years ago, people also kissed - this was confirmed by an archaeological find.

Studying the clay tablets of Mesopotamian societies, archaeologists came to the conclusion that people in ancient times kissed everywhere and this did not depend on cultural traditions and customs. It is noteworthy that the kissing tablets were found in what is now Iraq and Syria. Before that, scientists found confirmation of kisses only a thousand years later - 3500 years ago.