Mysterious blue snow in Russia

In a bizarre phenomenon captured on video, coloured snow landed on St Petersburg in Russia.

The residents were shocked at the incident and became worried that could have been due to toxic chemicals in the atmosphere.

Some believed the snow was a result of the demolition of the city’s chemical-pharmaceutical research institute. According to local media, experts said the colours could have been caused by cobalt, a metallic element, or methylene blue, a substance used in some medical treatments.

Samples were taken to a laboratory for analysis and an investigation into the incident has been launched.

In February 2015, blue snow also occurred in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, some 1,500 miles to the east of St Petersburg. The investigation revealed that the blue colour was due to food colouring used in Easter eggs. The dye had got into the ventilation system of a factory and spread all over the area.

Working Rubik’s cube from ice

A British Rubik’s cube enthusiast paid tribute to his favourite toy by making a working model of the puzzle out of ice cubes.

Tony Fisher shared a video showing him twisting and turning a Rubik’s cube composed of ice cubes after he used silicone rubber moulds to make ice that was the correct shape.

He attached the cubes to a twisting mechanism from inside a cube. Fisher’s video ends with him melting down his creation to show off its inner workings.

Dinosaur-like creature discovered with flesh still on its bones

The discovery of a mysterious creature resembling a dinosaur with flesh still on its bones, has left scientists baffled. The partially-preserved corpse was uncovered by an electrician cleaning out a sub-station left untouched for 35 years.

The creature — which was found in Jaspur, a small city in Uttarakhand, India — has now been sent for analysis, including carbon dating, which will reveal its age. Experts say that although it looks like a small dinosaur that could be near impossible as flightless dinosaurs have been extinct for 65 million years.

Dr Parag Madhukar Dhakate, a Conservator with the Indian Forest Service, said that the creature would remain an enigma until scientific analysis had been completed. One initial suggestion is that it could be a genetically distorted animal foetus from within the goat family, but for now the mystery remains unsolved.

When Niagara Falls froze

Recently America experienced one of the coldest weekends of the year as Niagara Falls froze over and sharks were freezing to death in the Atlantic. The US is currently gripped by an arctic blast of air that has kept temperatures below freezing and brought record cold to some spots.

A huge swathe of the country is facing numbing cold as forecasters warn New Year’s revellers from Memphis to Maine, to expect freezing conditions. As far south as Charleston, South Carolina, freezing rain coated the city’s landmark church steeples, while brutally cold weather has iced plans for scores of events in the Northeast. While in Boston, the weather cracked railway tracks, causing chaos for commuters.

Forecasters were warning people to be wary of hypothermia and frostbite from the arctic blast that was gripping a large swath from the Midwest to the Northeast.

Published in Dawn, Young World, January 6th, 2018