Giant phallus-shaped iceberg floating in Conception Bay surprises residents of Dildo, Canada

By Stephanie Pappas

 published 1 day ago

A phallus-shaped iceberg hovered off the coast of Dildo, Newfoundland in Conception Bay before collapsing.

A penis-shaped iceberg floated by the town of Dildo, Canada, which isn't too far from the city of Spread Eagle and the town of Placentia. (Image credit: Ken Pretty)

It doesn't get any more apt than this: A photographer from the Newfoundland town of Dildo has captured images of a penis-shaped iceberg off the Canadian coast. 

The suggestive 'berg consists of a column with a domed head protruding up from two oval rafts of ice. Photographer Ken Pretty captured a shot of the ice formation by drone near the town of Harbour Grace, which sits along — the puns keep adding up — Conception Bay. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the "dickie berg," as locals are calling it, has attracted international attention, with Pretty sharing news stories from as far away as Thailand and Taiwan on his Facebook page. 

"I knew I'd get a lot of comments, but I didn't expect this much," Pretty told the news agency Saltwire

(opens in new tabon Friday (April 28). 

Related: What the heck is the deal with this weird, square iceberg?

Locals are calling the phallic iceberg the "dickie berg." (Image credit: Ken Pretty)

Alas, the iceberg lacked staying power: Pretty photographed the 30-foot (9.1 meter) phallic structure on Thursday, April 27. It collapsed the next day. 

According to the CBC(opens in new tab), it's a strong iceberg season in Newfoundland and Labrador, with more than 200 off the coasts of the two provinces. 

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"Onshore winds brought in both the pack ice and the bergs," Diane Davis, who runs a Facebook group for iceberg hunters, told the CBC. "If the trend holds up, we should see them for May and June, too. Mother Nature only gave us a handful last year."

Mother Nature has provided more than a handful of phallic shapes to giggle about. In 2021, a man went viral for his photographs of a penis-shaped rock tower in Arches National Park(opens in new tab). Cambodian authorities have had to beg people to stop picking the carnivorous plant Nepenthes bokorensis, which just so happens to look like a penis. And don't even ask about California's plague of penis fish, which washed ashore on Drakes Beach in 2019. (They were actually marine worms, which have a long and storied history of looking phallic.)

Photographers dive into fundraising for ocean conservation

Jason Gulley captured this photograph, "Hope," of a manatee mother and her calf lazing in eelgrass, which is an important food source for manatees. Jason Gulley/100 for the Ocean

Published 4th May 2023

Written by  Flo Cornall, CNN

Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.

Apicture of a manatee and her calf relaxing in Florida's eelgrass and an image of seahorses feasting on plankton late at night are just two of the limited-edition prints that will go on sale this month, as part of an initiative that unites 100 renowned photographers to raise money for ocean conservation.

Set up by photographers Paul Nicklen, Cristina Mittermeier and Chase Teron, 100 for the Ocean will run throughout the month of May, selling prints starting at $100.

The three co-founders believe that art has the unique ability to "bring the world together and give voice to the creatures who depend on the ocean for survival."

"Photography can provide a window into this mysterious world, showcasing the extraordinary diversity of life and habitat that rely on a healthy ocean," Teron said.

He hopes that the sale will raise at least $1 million. "With the 100 photographers we have on our team and our community of ocean lovers, we think this is very doable, but it's not an easy feat," he added.

In this image, captured by 100 for the Ocean co-founder Paul Nicklen, an emperor penguin propels itself out of Antartica's icy waters. Credit: Paul Nicklen/100 for the Ocean

Net proceeds go to Sea Legacy Canada Foundation, which will use the money to expand its own conservation efforts, and support other ocean-focused organizations through media connections and documentary storytelling opportunities, according to a press release. SeaLegacy was started by Nicklen and Mittermeier to use storytelling to protect the ocean.

According to a paper published in 2020, investments of $175 billion per year will be needed to conserve and ensure sustainable use of the ocean, to meet United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 -- "Life Below Water."

"As a small group of photographers, we're just going to raise a drop of that," Mittermeier said in a press release. "The hope, however, is that we're going to shine a spotlight on the ocean."

"Ensuring our own survival"

The ocean faces many problems; more than 17 million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2021, a figure that is projected to double or triple by 2040, according to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022. It also faces threats from warming, overfishing, and acidification.

Marine life in the world's oceans can recover to healthy levels by 2050, researchers say
"The health of our ocean determines the health of our planet. When we protect the sea, we are not only safeguarding the countless species that call it home, but we are also ensuring our own survival," said Teron.

Curated by Kathy Moran, former National Geographic deputy director of photography, 100 for the Ocean features prints from world-renowned photographers including Steve McCurry, Jimmy Chin and Joel Sartore.

Teron added that the purpose of 100 for the Ocean resonated with many photographers, who saw it as an opportunity to create a lasting impact through their art.

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100 For the Ocean was co-founded by photographers Paul Nicklen, Cristina Mittermeier and Chase Teron. The project is a collaboration between 100 renowned photographers to raise money for ocean conservation. 


Five wild animal facts discovered in 2023

Gorillas enjoy feeling dizzy, while moths are more efficient pollinators than bees, scientists have discovered this year

THE WEEK STAFF
4 MAY 2023

New scientific discoveries about animals been made this year, helping scientists understand their behaviour, abilities, and interactions with the environment.

From uncovering the tool-making abilities of Goffin's cockatoos to revealing the fatal consequences of breeding season for male northern quolls, these revelations have expanded our knowledge of the natural world.

Here are some of the most interesting new findings in 2023.

1

Wassilios Aswestopoulos/NurPhoto via Getty Image

Moths work hard at night

Bees tend to be regarded as among the more “hardworking” pollinators, and they have been the focus of much of the research into declining insect populations. But according to a recent study, night-flying moths are the more efficient pollinators. A team from the University of Sussex used camera traps to monitor ten bramble patches in the southeast of England in July 2021. They found that 83% of insect visits to bramble flowers were made during the day, and that in these short summer nights, night-flying moths notched up only 15% of the visits. However, the moths pollinated the flowers more efficiently, and were therefore making a significant contribution in the hours of darkness. “Bees are undoubtedly important, but our work has shown that moths pollinate flowers faster than day-flying insects,” said study co-author Prof Fiona Mathews. “Sadly, many moths are in serious decline in Britain, affecting not just pollination but also food supplies for many other species, ranging from bats to birds.” She added that the study also highlighted the importance of bramble patches – which are often regarded as unsightly and cleared away – as a source of food for moths and as critical for night-time pollinators.


2

Gerald Anderson/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Are loners more innovative?

Loners could be better at problem solving, a study of animals has suggested. The researchers looked at 13 species of hoofed mammal (or ungulate), including horses, sheep, deer and giraffes, living in captivity in zoos in Europe, and observed each of them to work out their social hierarchies and the levels of integration in the groups. They also gauged their fear of new objects by placing colourful bowls next to their feeding spots. They then left closed containers full of the animals’ favourite foods around their enclosures, and watched to see how they responded. They found that with all the species, it was the animals who were less well-integrated – and less fearful of the new – who were most adept at getting into the boxes to get the treats. The authors of the study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, told The New Scientist that there could be two explanations for this. It could be that socially isolated individuals cannot count on others in the group to provide support and assistance, so they have to learn to be more innovative. However, it could also be that loners are not actually outcasts, but have opted to live on the margins because they can figure things out on their own, and so don’t need others.


3

Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Apes whirl around to get ‘high’

Gorillas spin themselves around in circles, because they enjoy feeling dizzy, a study has found. Psychologists at the University of Warwick and University of Birmingham became intrigued by a viral video of an ape spinning around in a pool, and decided to investigate further. It turned out that the behaviour is relatively common: they found numerous videos of apes using ropes or vines to rotate at speeds similar to that of human circus performers. The behaviour is clearly deliberate, and since there is a long history of humans spinning around to achieve an altered mental state, it’s likely that apes do it for the same reason, team leader Dr Adriano Lameira told The Daily Telegraph. Potentially, our prehistoric ancestors also span around to get “high”, he added. If it’s not the original high, then it is “at least one of the oldest that predate substance-induced highs”.


4

Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The cockatoo’s toolkit

Until recently, humans and chimpanzees were thought to be the only species that use “toolsets”: a collection of different tools used to achieve specific tasks. But in 2021, scientists in Indonesia observed wild Goffin’s cockatoos using three types of tools to extract seeds from fruit. Now new research has shown how effectively the birds are able to use toolsets. In the journal Current Biology, scientists at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna describe how they presented to ten Goffin’s cockatoos a box containing a cashew nut that could only be accessed using two different tools: a rigid stick to pierce and tear a membrane between a window and the nut; and a longer, flexible tool to fish the nut out. Seven figured out the need to use both tools, with two solving the task on their first try. The team says that the findings provide the first controlled evidence that Goffin’s cockatoos can spontaneously begin to use a novel toolset, without help from others. The study also provided the first clear evidence that birds can carry a set of tools they will need for a future task: in a more complex trial requiring tools to be brought to a raised platform, four out of the five birds tested learnt to carry both correct tools.


5

DeAgostini/Getty Images

A marsupial’s fatal attraction

The male northern quoll – an Australian marsupial that is about a foot long – tends only to survive one breeding season, whereas females usually live for four. Now researchers have found out why: in its determination to mate, the animal exhausts itself to death. Using sensors to track northern quolls, the team observed that the males travelled more than six miles in a night in search of a partner, resting for only 8% of the time. The males had more parasites than females, probably because they prioritised seeking a mate over grooming, and were not as vigilant about searching for food and avoiding predators. “By the end of the breeding season, these quolls just look terrible,” said study co-author Dr Christofer Clemente, of the University of the Sunshine Coast.

 Erdogan rival promises 'freedom and democracy' for Turkey 

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of Republican People's Party, CHP, delivers a speech during a Democracy and Martyrs' Rally in Istanbul, Turkey,

 

By Sudesh Baniya  •  Updated: 04/05/2023 - 10:23

In just 10 days, Kemal Kilicdaroglu will face the Turkish president in seismic elections.

Turkey’s main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has promised to re-instate "democracy" after years of what some call the authoritarianism of the current leadership.

The 72-year-old is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s biggest threat as the country heads to the ballot box on 14 May. 

Polls suggest the election will be tight, with Kılıçdaroğlu narrowly leading so far. But all is still to play for and many analysts predict the vote will be put to a second round. 

Sensing growing anti-Erdoğan sentiment amongst some young Turks, Kılıçdaroğlu has constantly maintained he will guarantee freedom of speech and the qualities of a “civilized world” - if elected.

“The youth want democracy," he told the BBC. "They don't want the police to come to their doors early in the morning just because they tweeted.

Kılıçdaroğlu is the head of the CHP party, which represents secularism and other principles of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who founded modern Turkey. 

Popular among religious-conservative voters, Erdoğan is widely seen as moving Turkey in a more Islamist, anti-democratic direction, with many of his laws - especially those criminalising "insulting the president" - blasted as undermining freedom.  

The 69-year-old president, who has been in power for two decades, has previously mocked his rival, saying Kılıçdaroğlu "couldn't even herd a sheep". 

Kılıçdaroğlu’s campaign, backed by six opposition parties, has focused heavily on promoting human rights and the rule of law - aiming to “make everything beautiful”, as he has said in the past.

However, the plans do not end there for the leader of the ‘Table of Six’.

Kılıçdaroğlu has called on Erdoğan to retire, adding he won't be put off from fulfilling his promises, despite some concerns for his safety. 

"Being in politics in Turkey means choosing a life with risks," he told the BBC. "I will walk my path whatever Erdogan and his allies do. They can't put me off. They can't scare me. I made a promise to this nation."

Kılıçdaroğlu has controversially pledged to send the 3.5 million Syrian refugees living inside the country back. 

Last year, Turkey introduced laws intended to curb "misleading information" on social media. Critics said the bill was an attempt to censor opposition voices and restrict independent media. 

"We want free media and complete judicial independence. Erdogan does not think that way. The difference between us and Erdogan is the difference between black and white," Kılıçdaroğlu said at a rally in Izmir.

The secular opposition leader has also openly expressed his desire to align with the West instead of Russia, in an effort to re-orient the nation.

Erdoğan has refused to acknowledge Kılıçdaroğlu’s challenge so far, dismissing his over his age. 

The Turkish president's supporters, including Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, consider Kılıçdaroğlu’s candidacy a Western ploy. 

They are expected to contest results if Erdogan fails to be re-elected.

China calls for ‘high vigilance’ over NATO’s ‘eastward expansion’ in Asia


A man walks past the NATO logo during the meeting of the NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest, Romania, on November 30, 2022. (Reuters)

Reuters
Published: 04 May ,2023: 

China said on Thursday “high vigilance” was needed in the face of NATO's “eastward expansion” following a media report the alliance is planning to set up an office in Japan to facilitate consultations with allies in the region.

NATO is planning to open its first liaison office in Asia, in Japan, to facilitate talks with security partners such as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, with geopolitical challenges from China and Russia in mind, the Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday, citing Japanese and NATO officials.

Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said Asia was a “promising land for cooperation and development and should not be a battle arena for geopolitics.”

“NATO’s continual eastward expansion in the Asia-Pacific, interference in regional affairs, attempts to destroy regional peace and stability, and push for bloc confrontation calls for high vigilance from countries in the region,” Mao told a regular press conference.

The Nikkei Asia said the proposed office was due to open next year in Tokyo.

Asked about the Nikkei Asia report, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said earlier the alliance would not go into details of NATO allies’ deliberations.

“NATO has offices and liaison arrangements with a number of international organizations and partner countries, and allies regularly assess those liaison arrangements to ensure that they best serve the needs of both NATO and our partners,” she said.

Lungescu said NATO has a close partnership with Japan that continued to grow.

IAEA Task Force Issues New Report on Regulatory Aspects of Water Discharge at Fukushima Daiichi


Vienna, Austria


The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Task Force assessing the safety of Japan’s planned discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station issued its latest report today.

The report – fifth in the series to be released under the IAEA’s multi-year safety review of the proposed Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water discharge – is focused on Japan’s domestic regulatory review of the water release. It covers the observations of the Task Force mission to assess Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) activities related to the discharge in Tokyo from 16 to 20 January 2023.

Japan’s planned discharge of the water, scheduled for this year, is subject to final regulatory approval from NRA.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi appointed the Task Force of independent experts and IAEA staff to review the safety of Japan’s plan for the water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi plant against international safety standards. The standards constitute the worldwide reference for protecting the public and the environment from harmful effects of ionizing radiation.

The review of regulatory aspects is one component of the international Task Force’s three-pronged review, the other two being the review of technical aspects and conducting independent sampling and analysis.

The Task Force noted a number of key outcomes from the January mission, such as:The NRA agreed to require Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to review optimisation of protection for the discharge of ALPS treated water based on operational experience and associated monitoring following the start of the discharges. The NRA further agreed to establish a framework for revisiting discharge limits, operating limits, and conditions to reflect the optimization of protection, in a similar manner, if needed.

The Task Force acknowledged that the NRA has conducted a review to determine that sufficient evidence exists that the source term contains all the radiologically significant radionuclides and that it does not exclude, in the assessment, any radionuclides that could be significant contributors to the dose to the public or to flora and fauna.

That NRA’s approach to enforce controls on the occupational exposure of TEPCO’s employees is sufficient for compliance with international safety standards.
The Task Force acknowledged that the NRA has focused on involving the public in the regulatory review process. The Task Force will continue to review how public consultations and the involvement of interested parties are handled by the NRA as the regulatory process continues.

“The Task Force has seen that the NRA serves as the independent regulatory body within Japan and holds the responsibility for assessing the safety of the proposed discharge of ALPS treated water,” said Gustavo Caruso, Director, IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, and Chair of the Task Force. “However, we will continue to review how the NRA conducts its regulatory process leading up to, and after, the proposed discharges of treated water.”

The Task Force’s safety review continues. One more report will be issued on independent sampling and analysis aspects, before the final comprehensive report detailing the collected findings and conclusions of the Task Force is issued. Japan intends to start discharging the ALPS treated water in 2023, pending TEPCO’s completion of necessary domestic regulatory actions.

The report is available here.

Additional information such as frequently asked questions and a timeline of activities can be found on the IAEA’s dedicated Fukushima Daiichi ALPS Treated Water Discharge webpage.

Art historian claims to have solved mystery of bridge depicted in the Mona Lisa

The Tuscan landscape claimed to be the area depicted in the painting (right). 

Photo: La Rocca Cultural Association
Nick Squires

Telegraph.co.uk

The mystery behind a stone bridge depicted in the Mona Lisa has finally been solved, with an art historian identifying it as a crumbling ruin on the banks of a Tuscany river.

Drones and detective work were used to match the bridge featured in the background of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting to a real one spanning the Arno River near the village of Laterina.

All that remains of the Romito bridge today is a single arch, after it was badly damaged, probably by flooding, in the 18th century.

A digital reconstruction has shown it would have had four arches, just like the one in the portrait.

On the opposite side of the riverbank, the foundations of what would have been the fourth arch can still be seen in the undergrowth.

The findings could transform the fortunes of tiny Laterina, where the bridge crosses the River Arno.

Simona Neri, the local mayor, hopes the discovery – if confirmed – could encourage tourism.

The claim about the bridge was made by Silvano Vinceti, a historian who has written several books about Da Vinci. He found a document belonging to the Medici family in the state archives of Florence, which attests to the fact that the bridge at Laterina was intact and in frequent use when the painter was alive.

“We know he travelled through this part of Tuscany in the early 1500s – there is no doubt about that,” Mr Vinceti told a press conference in Rome.

The bridge was positioned on a road that connected Florence to the north with the busy market town of Arezzo in the south.

In the past, it was suggested that Da Vinci modelled the bridge in the Mona Lisa on either a bridge near the village of Bobbio or another in Buriano, both in Tuscany.

But Mr Vinceti pointed out that as those bridges had more than four arches, they did not match the one in the painting. They also spanned flat ground, whereas the Romito was built between two cliffs, corresponding closely to the bridge painted in the Mona Lisa.

The curve of the river in the painting also matched the curve of the Arno at the point where it was spanned by the bridge at Laterina.

“We have all the elements that point to this being the bridge portrayed in the Mona Lisa,” said Mr Vinceti.

He also dismissed suggestions that the bridge in the oil painting could have been a fictitious one, saying: “He was well known for drawing very realistically. The bridge is real. It was not conjured from his imagination.”