If Someone Doesn't Record A Song Called 'Pink Platypus' To The Tune Of 'Pink Pony Club'

....then I've lost my faith in humanity.

Cody Stylianou thought he saw a huge trout. But, skimming just below the surface, it was moving differently than a fish would. The creature surfaced and, amazed, the Victorian fisher reached for his phone. Swimming in front of him was a pink platypus.

Here come the scientists to cast cold water on a charming concept, though: 

After Stylinaou shared footage of the monotreme, commenters online speculated that it could have been a rare albino platypus. But the biologist Jeff Williams says it is just lighter in colour than what most would expect. “Platypus do vary a lot in colour,” the director of the Australian Platypus Conservancy says. “And this one’s at the extreme end of the light ones. It’s not one that we consider should be added to the list of albino and leucistic ones.”

Oh Jeff, where's your soul...? 

Sounds About Right For This Government..

Crayfish, weevils and fungi are being released into the environment in order to tackle invasive species across Britain.

What? Which idiot is doing this? Didn't they learn what a bad idea it is? 

Scientists working for the government have been breeding species in labs to set them loose into the wild to take on Japanese knotweed, signal crayfish and Himalayan balsam, and other species that choke out native plants and wildlife.

I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, then, it dseems whrn you are a scientist who works for the government, the paycheck is everything... 

They are doing this, in part, to meet tough targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in its recently announced environmental improvement plan. Ministers have directed the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha) to reduce the establishment of invasive species by 50% by 2030.

And they immediately said: 'Cool! Let's import and release some more!' That's the calibre of 'scientist' we are talking about here.

The biosecurity minister and Labour peer Sue Hayman said: “With a changing climate we are constantly assessing for new risks and threats, including from invasive plants and animals, as well as managing the impacts of species already in this country. Invasive non-native species cost Britain’s economy nearly £2bn a year, and our environmental improvement plan sets out plans to reduce their establishment to protect native wildlife and farmers’ livelihoods.”

The idea that this wretched government cares about farmer's livelihoods is the most insane thing about this news item! 

Shouldn't Nature Get The Award?

Each year, the James Dyson Award celebrates the most creative inventions from around the world. This year's UK winner is a bizarre pinecone-shaped device which has been hailed as 'wonderful'. The oddly-shaped block has no moving parts, almost no metal, and is mainly made of charcoal and wax.

And did this 'invention' spring fully formed from the mind of the creator?  

While it might be hard to tell based on appearances, the Pyri device is designed to help prevent forest fires by providing an early warning system to local communities. Pyri's design was inspired by 'pyriscencent' pine trees which only drop their seeds when wildfires melt their resinous outer casings. Just like those pinecones, the device's outer casing is made of a wax which melts as the heat of a fire approaches 80°C (176°F). As the outer shell melts away it releases a saltwater solution whose electrolytes produce a small electrical current which powers a radio transmitter.That radio signal is strong enough to be detected by towers which can triangulate Pyri's signal over 50km (31 miles).That data can then be sent to local communities and firefighting services to provide an early warning against wildfires.

So that's a 'No'. All they've done is add the WIFI - so shouldn't mother nature get the award? 

The young inventors of Pyri are Richard Alexandre, Karina Gunadi, Blake Goodwyn and Tanghao Yu, who met while studying at Imperial College and the Royal College of Art in London.

They will be dubbed 'inventors' when really they are plagiarists. 

Why Is Science Bowing To Superstition?

'We know very little, practically nothing' about the creatures, Hannah Hendriks, marine technical adviser for the Department of Conservation, said. 'This is going to lead to some amazing science and world-first information.'

If the cetacean is confirmed to be the elusive spade-toothed whale, it would be the first specimen found in a state that would permit scientists to dissect it, allowing them to map the relationship of the whale to the few others of the species found, learn what it eats and perhaps lead to clues about where they live.

Some good news on the science front, at la...

Oh. Wait.  

This time, the beached whale was quickly transported to cold storage and researchers will work with local Maori iwi (tribes) to plan how it will be examined, the conservation agency said. New Zealand's Indigenous people consider whales a taonga - a sacred treasure - of cultural significance.

/facepalm 

In April, Pacific Indigenous leaders signed a treaty recognizing whales as 'legal persons,' although such a declaration is not reflected in the laws of participating nations.

Then why on earth is anyone consulting them on anything? What can they usefully add to this debate?  

Nothing is currently known about the whales' habitat.

And if science bows to superstition, we never will...