Calf with three eyes and four nostrils

A unique calf, with four nostrils and three eyes, was born on a farm in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, India. The calf is moving, feeding normally, and weighs around 30lbs.

Locals are queuing up to visit the ‘sacred animal’ as they believe it will bring villagers good luck and prosperity, with many showering the animal with gifts. Although calf is not destined for slaughter, its future is still uncertain, as one livestock department official believes the animal will not survive for long.

Private practitioner, Madan Anand, said: “The birth of a calf is just another case of deformity. It has nothing to do with the superstitions or even faith. The local veterinarians should hold awareness campaigns to avoid such practices.”

DNA test to confirm world’s largest potato

A sliver of what could be the world’s largest potato, has been sent for DNA testing to have it declared a Guinness World Record.

Colin and Donna Craig-Brown, a New Zealand couple, found the titanic tuber in their Waikato garden in the fall. Dubbed “Dug the Spud”, it weighed more than 17 pounds, dwarfing the current Guinness record of 10 pounds, 14 ounces.

The couple submitted photos, video and a statement of verification from an agronomist, but Guinness has now requested a DNA test to confirm Dug’s species. However, Dug has lost some weight as a result of liquid loss, and is being kept frozen until they get official word from Guinness.

A black diamond from outer space

Auction house Sotheby’s Dubai has unveiled a diamond that’s literally from out of this world. Sotheby’s calls the 555.55-carat black diamond — believed to have come from outer space — “The Enigma.” The rare gem was shown off to journalists as part of a tour in Dubai and Los Angeles, before it is due to be auctioned off in February in London. It is expected to be sold for at least five million British pounds ($6.8 million).

Sophie Stevens, a jewellery specialist at Sotheby’s Dubai, said: “The shape of the diamond is based on the Middle-Eastern palm symbol of the Khamsa, which stands for strength and protection. There’s a nice theme of the number five running throughout the diamond.” Khamsa, in Arabic, means five.

Black diamonds, also known as carbonado, are extremely rare, and are found naturally only in Brazil and Central Africa. The cosmic origin theory is based on their carbon isotopes and high hydrogen content.

Blindfolded puzzle cube speed record

A teenager, participating in a Florida competition, broke his own Guinness World Record for fastest time to solve a rotating puzzle cube while blindfolded.

Tommy Cherry solved a 3x3x3 cube in 14.67 seconds at the World Cubing Association’s Florida Fall 2021 competition in December, shaving .6 second off his previous record set in August 2021.

“It was such a great moment when all the time and effort I’ve put in over the years finally paid off the first time I broke the world record,” Cherry told Guinness after breaking his own record. Cherry said he thinks he can break the record again.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 29th, 2022