Caviar nuggets go viral in France

When Burger King France launched chicken nuggets with caviar on April 1, many thought it was an April Fool’s joke. But the meal, seven nuggets, mayo and 10g of Chinese Astana-brand caviar — sold quickly, fuelled by social media buzz.

The campaign aimed to make caviar more accessible and went viral in French media, reflecting a shift in caviar’s luxury image. Celebrities like Rihanna and chef David Chang have popularised pairing caviar with fast food, a trend that began in elite restaurants and gained traction online.

Man feels cold as hot and hot as cold!

Aidan McManus, 22, from Australia, suffers from a rare condition that causes reversed temperature sensations — cold feels burning hot and heat feels freezing. His symptoms began at 17 with numb, swollen feet and intense pain while walking. Later, his hands also began misinterpreting temperature.

Doctors ran extensive tests and diagnosed him with axonal peripheral neuropathy, a nerve disorder affecting signal transmission. Despite the diagnosis, Australia’s National Disability Insurance Agency denied his support request, citing untried treatments. His neurologist insists there is no cure and that Aidan’s condition is progressive and disabling.

NZ snail laid eggs from neck

Scientists in New Zealand have captured rare footage of a Mount Augustus snail laying an egg from its neck — a behaviour never before filmed in this species. The critically endangered, meat-eating snail has been under conservation care since being relocated nearly 20 years ago due to coal mining threats.

Conservation ranger Lisa Flanagan was astonished to witness the event while weighing the snail. Though such reproduction is known in other land snails, it had never been observed in this one.

These long-lived snails can grow to golf ball size and feed on earthworms, which they consume ‘like spaghetti.’ Their eggs take over a year to hatch. A 2011 equipment failure killed 800 snails, but fewer than 2,000 remain in captivity today, with some reintroduced into the wild.

Humanoid robot staff at car dealership

China’s Chery Automobile has launched Mornine, a humanoid robot now serving customers at a dealership in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Originally a digital character aimed at younger audiences, Mornine evolved into a real-world assistant using advanced sensors, bionic motion systems and Deepseek’s language models to interact naturally with people.

Unveiled in 2023 and showcased in 2024, 2025 marks Mornine’s first commercial use. She now explains vehicle features, answers questions and assists with test drives. Despite her robotic appearance and voice, Chery plans to expand her role to malls, cinemas and exhibitions as a customer service agent.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 31st, 2025