World’s fastest drone

A father-and-son duo, Luke Bell and his father Mike, of Western Cape, South Africa, created the world’s fastest drone, with an average top speed of 298.47 mph.

Dubbed Peregreen 2, the quadcopter is 3D-printed carbon fibre, battery-operated and remote-controlled. The duo tapped aerothermal engineer Chris Rosser for help controlling it. To nab the record, they flew the drone in two runs in opposite directions, demonstrating its ability to navigate tail or headwinds. They clocked an actual top speed of 317 mph and an average of 298.47 mph.

The Bells created the device over months, troubleshooting problems, including electrical fires caused by overheating wires and batteries.

Mike Bell is an architect who designed the Mbombela Stadium, where the 2010 FIFA World Cup took place. His son is a content creator and ambassador to Sony, specialising in reviewing drones and cameras.

Zoo can’t make obese leopard lose weight

A Chinese zoo has abandoned efforts to help an overweight leopard lose weight after two months of no progress. The Panzhihua Park Zoo’s leopard is dubbed ‘China’s Officer Clawhauser’ after a character from Disney’s Zootopia.

Concerns about the leopard’s health prompted the zoo to attempt weight loss measures. However, the 16-year-old leopard, equivalent to 60-70 human years, showed no improvement despite a strict diet and increased space for exercise. The zoo announced it would stop the weight loss efforts, emphasising that the leopard, though obese, is healthy and happy.

Woman gets her master’s at the age of 105

Virginia Hislop, who left school during World War II, received her master’s degree in education 83 years later at age 105. She earned her bachelor’s from Stanford in 1940 and then began her master’s. She left when her fiancé was called to serve, postponing her thesis. Hislop continued working in education, serving on school boards and helping to start Heritage University.

Hislop returned to Stanford after 83 years to accept her master’s degree at the age of 105. She walked across the stage at the GSE Diploma ceremony and was handed her diploma by Dean Daniel Schwartz.

“My goodness,” Hislop said. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”

Mysterious monolith removed

Authorities in the Las Vegas area removed a mysterious monolith out of concerns about the damage tourists could do to the natural landscape.

The 77-inch-tall structure, constructed out of sheet metal and secured with rebar and concrete, was spotted last month about 20 miles north of Las Vegas in the Gass Peak region.

The unusual object “is being stored at an undisclosed location while public authorities determine the most appropriate way to dispose of or store the item,” the department said. It remains unknown how the item got to its location or who might be responsible.

However, an anonymous art collective called The Most Famous Artist later took credit for several of the US-based monoliths.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 20th, 2024