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StrangeSights: Printing a house; six more weeks of winter and, settling the question of body odour

Punxsutawney Phil 2021

DAVID ADAMS reports on the odder side of life…

A house advertised as the “first 3D printed home in the United States” has gone on the market in the state of New York with an asking price of $US299,999. The three bedroom, two bathroom property, listed on website Zillow, was made by company SQ4D using its “autonomous robotic construction system” that includes locating a giant printer on the site to print each piece of the home. “Built with concrete, this home will deliver strength and durability that conventional wood-frame construction cannot match,” the company said in a statement on their website.

Punxsutawney Phil 2021

PICTURE: Screenshot via Punxsutawney Phil

It wasn’t good news for those hoping for an early spring. Punxsutawney Phil, that delightful groundhog made famous through the Bill Murray film, Groundhog Day, emerged from his burrow at dawn on Tuesday and apparently spotted his shadow. In an event dating back to 1887, Phil (or versions of him, we presume) have been emerging from their burrow in Gobbler’s Knob, north-east of Pittsburgh, to show observers whether spring will come early. According to folklore, if Phil sees his shadow as he did this year, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, it’s an early spring. This year’s event was captured on a livestream.

Worried about body odour? A Japanese entrepreneur has started a new company, Oderate, which promises to get to the bottom of whether you smell or not. The customer simply wears a white T-shirt enhanced with odour-absorbing activated charcoal for 24 hours which is then mailed in for analysis. The customer then receives a print-out containing details of their “smell profile” and whether it fits within the normal range. A more low-tech “sniff test” can also be carried out. Founder Shota Ishida told CBS News that for some people, “Getting the facts is a huge relief for them”.

 

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