DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
Loch Ness and the remains of Urquhart Castle in Scotland. PICTURE: Ramon Vloon/Unsplash
• The largest search for the ‘Loch Ness monster’ in 50 years is set to take place in Scotland this weekend. Enthusiasts from around the world are expected to descend on the site for the hunt after Loch Ness Exploration, an independent voluntary research team, put a call-out on its Facebook page. “If you believe that the Loch Ness Monster exists then we invite you to join the search, we equally invite you to support the study of the Loch and the natural behaviour of the elements that may be the root cause of these strange reports from Loch Ness.” The search – which will take place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th August – will be the largest since 1972 and will, according to organisers, draw on equipment never used on the loch before including thermal drones and a hydrophone. – DAVID ADAMS
PICTURE: Video screenshot via Reuters TV
• Step inside Gaza’s first cat cafe. Naeema Mea’bed opened the MEOW Cat Cafe, hoping to bring cat lovers joy and boost awareness about raising pets. “The project is simple and its concept is simple,” says Naeema Mea’bed. “I was inspired by my lifelong passion for cats since I was a child. I wanted to share this passion with people, especially because there are many individuals like me who love cats but can’t have them at home or can’t find time to enjoy them. So I created this place for them, a place where they can come even for five minutes during the day, to feel happy, release negative energy, and return home happy and with positive energy.” The cafe is home to 14 cats, including Persian, Turkish angora and hybrid felines. Visitor Hala Maghaseeb said she had “always been a cat lover” but added that her mother “never allowed me to bring cats home because it’s difficult to raise them in residential apartments, as they need care and cleanliness”. “I was very happy when this project started in the same building I live in, it’s really nice, we come here to release energy and I really love cats and I always come here to play with cats.” – Reuters TV
The question mark seen in part of an image which depicts a tightly bound pair of actively forming stars, known as Herbig-Haro 46/47. PICTURE: NASA, ESA, CSA, J DePasquale (STScI)
• Who’s asking the question? A new image from the James Webb Space Telescope appears to show a fiery question mark floating in space. The image – which is actually a composite of several images – went viral on the web and led some to jump to the conclusion that it was a message from aliens. But scientists at the European Space Agency – which told Deutsche Welle the image is not a hoax – added that it is likely to show two or three galaxies coming together – a finding which was also confirmed by scientists outside the organisation. Mystery solved? The truth is out there. – DAVID ADAMS
