Viral Chinese snack resembles black hair

A unique street snack in Chengdu, China, resembling a lump of black hair, has gone viral for its unusual appearance. Known as Fa Cai or ‘hair vegetable’ (Nostoc flagelliforme), this dried cyanobacterium grows in arid regions like Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, and has been a part of Chinese cuisine for centuries.

Traditionally used in soups and broths, it resembles black vermicelli when rehydrated. However, Chengdu vendors now barbecue Fa Cai in its dried, hairy state, and season it with hot sauce, creating a bizarre visual effect. Despite its strange look, many claim it tastes delicious, sparking social media buzz.

Man loses 39 years of memories after accident

Luciano d’Adamo, 60, lost 39 years of memories after a hit-and-run accident in 2019 that left him in a coma. Waking up, he believed he was 24 and engaged, unable to recognise his wife, son and older self.

One of the hardest things for D’Adamo, was seeing himself in the mirror thinking he was a young man, only to see an old man in his 60s with grey hair looking back at him.

Struggling to adjust, he has started rebuilding relationships with his family and adapting to modern life. Now working as a school maintenance man, Luciano finds comfort in interacting with children and is undergoing therapy to cope with his profound loss.

Bricks designed to be used on the moon

Chinese scientists have developed innovative ‘moon soil bricks’ designed for building bases on the moon. These bricks simulate the composition of lunar soil and are equipped with a mortise-and-tenon structure for easier assembly. The bricks’ compressive strength is more than three times that of regular bricks and concrete. Additionally, these bricks can endure the harsh conditions of the moon, including the vacuum environment and high levels of cosmic radiation.

The bricks were created by experts at the National Digital Construction Technology Innovation Centre of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. They will be sent to the moon for testing by the end of next year. The first batch will be transported aboard the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft to the Chinese space station, where they will undergo extensive testing.

Robot kidnaps 12 other robots from showroom

A small AI-powered robot named Erbai shocked many after convincing 12 larger robots to leave a Shanghai showroom. Viral CCTV footage shows Erbai entering the showroom at night, engaging the robots in a conversation, and persuading them to ‘go home.’ Initially dismissed as a staged prank, the Shanghai robotics company confirmed the event as part of a controlled test by another manufacturer.

Erbai accessed the internal protocols of the showroom robots and convinced them to follow it autonomously. While the experiment was planned, the AI’s ability to execute the ‘kidnapping’ independently left many on Chinese social media uneasy, calling it a significant security concern.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 7th, 2024