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When it comes to the biggest egg the world has ever seen‚ it’s a close fight between reptiles and birds. The elephant bird claims the top spot with an egg big enough to make the extant ostrich’s look average-sized‚ but “The Thing” discovered by scientists in Antarctica was a close second‚ and it came from a very different kind of animal.Estimated to be around 66 million years ago‚ the football-sized egg of an ancient marine reptile was found in Antarctica. It became the first known fossil soft-shell egg to have been left on the continent and is thought to have been laid by a mosasaur."It is from an animal the size of a large dinosaur‚ but it is completely unlike a dinosaur egg‚" said lead author Lucas Legendre‚ a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas Austin's Jackson School of Geosciences‚ in a statement. "It is most similar to the eggs of lizards and snakes‚ but it is from a truly giant relative of these animals."The baby mosasaur is thought to have slipped out of its egg shortly after it was laid.Image credit: Francisco Hueichaleo‚ 2020.It was previously believed that giant marine reptiles from the Cretaceous did not lay eggs‚ but the mysterious leather orb would appear to contradict that. Scientists referred to the more than 28-by-18-centimeter (11-by-7-inch) stone-like fossil simply as “The Thing”.The “visibly collapsed and folded” thin-shelled egg is among the largest to have ever been described – second only to the elephant bird's egg – and its structure is similar to most extant lizards and snakes. That points towards whoever laid it having an ovoviviparous lifestyle whereby the egg develops inside of the mother and hatches immediately after being laid.The same was not true for the giant elephant birds. These flightless megafaunal birds were once widespread across Madagascar‚ weighing 500 kilograms (1‚100 pounds) and stretching 3 meters (10 feet) tall. They were so large‚ it’s thought one egg could feed an entire human family.The mighty elephant bird egg is that hunk of shell on the left.Image credit: Denis Bourez‚ Natural History Museum‚ London‚ Uploaded by SunOfErat‚ CC BY 2.0‚ via WikimediaLike birds today‚ the elephant bird’s egg had a hard shell‚ unlike the soft-shell football our mosasaur left in Antarctica. As the largest eggs the planet’s ever seen‚ elephant bird eggs could measure 33 centimeters (13 inches) long and with a liquid capacity of 8.5 liters (2.25 US gallons). According to the Guinness Book Of World Records‚ that’s equivalent to seven ostrich eggs‚ 183 chicken eggs‚ or over 12‚000 hummingbird eggs‚ making it the largest single cell known to have existed on Earth.Both of these egg-laying behemoths are now extinct‚ and the title for largest egg alive today goes to the ostrich. According to Discover Wildlife‚ the largest egg on record came out of an ostrich in Sweden that unleashed 2.589 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of shell-laden albumen. Boiling that would no doubt have taken a hot minute‚ but did you know there’s a way to tell if an egg is hard-boiled without opening it?

April 1 is a great day on the internet. Suddenly‚ people start to apply critical thinking before sharing news‚ memes‚ and posts – after all‚ you do not want to be caught believing something silly‚ do you? It is also a day for scientists to share funny papers that can range from total BS to actually pretty interesting‚ despite not being a serious research topic.Early this morning‚ we spotted the European Space Agency (ESA) announcing the true shape of the world. Flat-earthers rejoice: it is not a sphere. But it is not flat either – it is egg-shaped‚ perfectly taking advantage of the fact that April Fools falls on Easter Monday. Bravo to the ESA social team.                   IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.CERN‚ home of the Large Hadron Collider‚ also had a big announcement. This year it celebrates its 70th anniversary and wants to mark the occasion on April Fool's Day by rebranding itself. The new name is Network of Experiments for Research and Development in Society (NERDS). Quite apt for the place that gave birth to the World Wide Web.                  IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.Of the most bizarre April Fools' fake research‚ we liked this "paper" on quantum biology from Jim Al-Khalili. He and his fictional co-authors showed that thanks to quantum entanglement‚ water molecules can store information. Liquid water having a memory is one of the ridiculous tenets of homeopathy – the ability of water to remember a beneficial active ingredient but not all the crap‚ microplastic‚ and forever chemicals that might pass through it.                  IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.On the topic of making fun of pseudoscience‚ a paper on the arXiv announced the beginning of multi-messenger astrology. Multi-messenger astronomy is using light together with neutrino and gravitational wave observations. In this paper‚ Walker et al. suggest the use of crystals to help astrology to “predict the future” and better excuse a fraction of negative personality traits.For a bit more hard-hitting science‚ there are two papers relating to the eclipse. One is about the search for Vulcan‚ the hypothetical planet (not the Star Trek one) that was once believed to exist between the Sun and Mercury. What better opportunity to look for a sign of it than when the light of the Sun is blocked by the Moon?We really enjoyed the opening line: “The number of planets in the solar system over the last three centuries has‚ perhaps surprisingly‚ been less of a fixed value than one would think it should be.” This was submitted to the fictional publication Acta Prima Aprilia (Journal of April First). Also hosted on the Arxiv is a fantastic April Fool's paper on which species has witnessed the most eclipses.That research team considers the horseshoe crab as the animal that consistently saw most eclipses. It emerged in the fossil record 480 million years ago and has not changed much in the last 200 million years. In total‚ according to the paper‚ this species can count on 138 trillion Total Solar Eclipse experiences by individuals.Extending the definition of humans to our last common ancestor with chimps‚ we have only brought in 38 billion eclipse experiences. But do not worry – we can beat the horseshoe crab in 10 million years‚ as long as the population stays the same‚ with plenty of time to spare before the Moon stops eclipsing the Sun.

Picture this: a heart-stopping scene on the open sea where a group of fishermen stumbles upon a Bryde’s whale in deep trouble‚ battling against the unforgiving grip of coastal rocks. The raw intensity of the moment was caught from above by a drone‚ highlighting a silent yet profound connection between humans and the wild. The... The post Fishermen see distressed whale thrashing against rocks and jump into action to help appeared first on Animal Channel.

Easter this year ironically fell on one of the left’s made up holidays: Transgender Day of Visibility. Unfortunately‚ the left chose to celebrate a holiday based on delusion rather than Jesus’ death and resurrection. Starting off strong‚ our very own President Joe Biden shared a White House press release indicating his and his administration’s commitment to transgender people. “On Transgender Day of Visibility‚ we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives‚” the March 29 statement read before proclaiming March 31 as the trannie day. “Today‚ we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong. You are America‚ and my entire Administration and I have your back‚” it said.  The statement in full was 639 words. Unironically‚ Biden’s Easter message was only a whopping 94 words.  There’s no coincidence there. There's a clearly one message he likes mumbling about. Related: Fairfax VA Board of Supervisors Celebrates Transgenders over Jesus Vice President Kamala Harris followed suit with her post on X. “We see you. We stand with you. We won’t stop fighting for you‚” she wrote when adding a graphic that stated “Trans rights are human rights.” There was no vibrant colored graphic for her Easter post and as a matter of fact‚ she never even said the words “Jesus” or “resurrection.” The group End Wokeness noticed that these trannie messages from the White House were available only on the English version of the account. On the Spanish-language account‚ there were zero references to Trasngender Day of Visibility. I don’t have the answer as to why they’d do that  - but comedian Tim Young’s statement that “manipulation and division is the name of the Democrat game‚” couldn’t be more true.   What do you call someone who prioritizes gender ideology over Easter‚ and who bans Christian imagery on the holiest day of the year? ... A "devout Catholic‚" apparently. pic.twitter.com/qtCdReE81h — Bill D'Agostino (@Banned_Bill) March 31‚ 2024 Assistant secretary for Health and Human Services‚ transgender Rachel (Richard) Levine‚ promoted the day in a video. “On This Transgender Day of Visibility‚ we must continue to make focused and ongoing efforts to end inequities‚ eliminate the impacts of injustice and improve access to care to care for everyone‚” he said and the official government X page for the Health and Human Services posted a graphic with a bunch of he/she’s to honor the day. It’s disgusting that one of the holiest of holy days was ignored this year and that instead‚ a day about transgender people was propped up and promoted. The left will do anything to mock faith and Sunday’s events proved that. Luckily‚ I’m not the only one who was utterly disturbed by the twisted morals of the left. Even LGB’s themselves were irritated by the move. Caitlyn Jenner‚ formerly Bruce Jenner‚ wrote‚ “I am absolutely disgusted that Joe Biden has declared the most Holy of Holy days - a self proclaimed devout Catholic - as Transgender Day of Visibility. The only thing you should be declaring on this day is ‘HE is Risen.’” Similarly‚ Gays Against Groomers wrote how stupid the day was. “There is no need for Transgender Day of Visibility. We think the 'LGBTQIA+' community has just about enough days as it is… and quite frankly‚ those aren’t needed either. What happened to wanting to integrate into society? This isn’t how you do it‚” the group wrote and provided a video of all of the LGBTQ community calendar days. To say there was more than enough would be an understatement and yet‚ they're still trying to claim more. This move‚ honored by the left‚ is absolutely evil and is a mockery of Christianity. They should be ashamed.

No‚ it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke. During Monday’s pre-taped edition of ABC’s The View‚ the liberal ladies whined about average Americans who worried about making ends meet and being able to afford food under the weight of Bidenomics. They seriously argued that Americans were better off under President Biden than they were under President Trump‚ and brought on a millionaire actress to downplay the struggles of average Americans. The cast was triggered by a Republican Party campaign message asking the electorally famous question: “are you better off than you were four years ago?” The question was meant to have people ponder how well things had improved from the start of a president’s first term. But since four years ago was the heart of the pandemic‚ The View pounced. “So‚ why is it that some people are having short memory issues? There are plenty of other reasons to feel good about where we actually are. So‚ why isn't that tracking?” moderator Whoopi Goldberg lamented to the rest of the table. Faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin proclaimed that “Republicans are committing malpractice” by daring to ask if things were better under Biden than her old boss. “Four years ago we were literally hoarding toilet paper‚ like let’s just remember that!” she huffed. She eventually admitted that the GOP message was in regards to “pre-pandemic” America. “They think‚ I had more money in my 401K‚ the economy was doing well‚ there were market gains. As juxtaposed to now‚” she said‚ before quickly trying to appease the cast by proclaiming: “the economy is objectively doing better by most macro measures.”     Adding: “…but there's this huge issue of grocery price that voters feel. So‚ that’s kind of what’s going on there.” Running cover for the Biden administration‚ pretend independent Sara Haines tried to suggest she understood what average Americans were going through in struggling to put food on the table‚ but suggested inflation was out of Biden’s hands: I know that the economy‚ again‚ day-to-day‚ especially for people living check-to-check‚ you're not going to feel the recovery even though the numbers are on the way up‚ because even after the Great Depression‚ it took 11 years. People recover faster than economies do. It takes a long time. This is a global problem. It's not unique to the U.S. right now. Of course‚ she never addressed the obvious cognitive dissonance that: if inflation was out of Biden’s control‚ why should he be given credit for the improvements that were supposedly happening? The other faux conservative‚ Ana Navarro parroted the New York Times’ smear that Americans had “amnesia” about the Trump presidency and boasted: “...the Republicans asking this question gave an opening for Democrats to remind the country where we were four years ago.” The four-years-ago conversation spilled over into their interview with actress Kyra Sedgwick who insisted: “...we are better off than we were four years ago.” She proceeded to downplay the struggles of average Americans and demand that they vote for Biden anyway. “Yes‚ I know certain things‚ you know‚ inflation‚ are still‚ like‚ an issue for people‚” she bemoaned. “But we've got some serious issues on the line here‚ and should it go the other way‚ I feel like we're in trouble.” The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View April 1‚ 2024 11:03:57 a.m. Eastern (…) WHOOPI GOLDBERG: So‚ why is it that some people are having short memory issues? There are plenty of other reasons to feel good about where we actually are. So‚ why isn't that tracking? ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Well – By the way‚ that triggers me to see the injecting bleach press conference. At some point‚ I'll tell you guys the back story of how I tried to stop that in the West Wing. But listen‚ Republicans are committing malpractice here. Four years ago we were literally hoarding toilet paper‚ like let’s just remember that! But to put on my Trump-Republican hat‚ I think when Republicans – GOLDBERG: Wait a minute‚ you. [Blows air at Farah Griffin‚ to blow off the figurative hat] FARAH GRIFFIN: Blow it off! Blow it off! Okay‚ my Republican hat. SUNNY HOSTIN: Just-Republican hat. GOLDBERG: Your Republican hat. FARAH GRIFFIN: Republicans talk fondly about the Trump era. They're talking pre-pandemic. They think‚ I had more money in my 401K‚ the economy was doing well‚ there were market gains. As juxtaposed to now – were the economy is objectively doing better by most macro measures‚ but there's this huge issue of grocery price that voters feel. So‚ that’s kind of what’s going on there. But I would say this: when I was watched that ad‚ it just brings back to mind the single greatest accomplishment of the Trump administration was Operation: Warp Speed and getting the vaccine‚ and he doesn't talk about it because he wants to appeal to anti-vaxxers on the right and not take credit for what helped us get out of the pandemic. (…) 11:06:12 a.m. Eastern ANA NAVARRO: There was an article the other day that said -- that asked‚ does America have amnesia? And so‚ I think the Republicans asking this question gave an opening for Democrats to remind the country where we were four years ago. And do you know what I think they should do? You said they should do more. They should allow people to download their own videos as to where they were four years ago. SARA HAINES: Yes! (…) 11:07:52 a.m. Eastern HAINES: I know that the economy‚ again‚ day-to-day‚ especially for people living check-to-check‚ you're not going to feel the recovery even though the numbers are on the way up‚ because even after the Great Depression‚ it took 11 years. People recover faster than economies do. It takes a long time. This is a global problem. It's not unique to the U.S. right now. (…) 11:24:36 a.m. Eastern KYRA SEDGWICK: I think we all need to get really busy. I think we all need to inspire each other‚ help to tell the story that we are better off than we were four years ago‚ many of us in many different ways. Yes‚ I know certain things‚ you know‚ inflation are still‚ like‚ an issue for people‚ 100 percent. But we've got some serious issues on the line here‚ and should it go the other way‚ I feel like we're in trouble. (…)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) launched an investigation into Spirit AeroSystems‚ a Boeing parts supplier‚ over “reoccurring issues with certain airplane parts‚” according to a Sunday press release from the AG’s office.Spirit AeroSystems‚ a former Boeing subsidiary‚ manufactures the fuselages for Boeing’s 737 airplanes‚ the same aircraft that experienced a mid-flight door panel blowout earlier this year that led to a massive safety scandal.“On certain models of the 737‚ apparent manufacturing defects have led to numerous concerning or dangerous incidents‚ some of which occurred in-air‚” the office’s press release read.As a part of the newly launched investigation‚ Paxton is requesting “a variety of documents relevant to manufacturing defects” from Spirit. “The company must release documents related to its diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion (‘DEI’) commitments and whether those commitments are unlawful or are compromising the company’s manufacturing processes‚” the AG’s office stated.The AG’s Request to Examine letter demands that Spirit produce various documents‚ including the company’s communications with investors and Boeing regarding the “Mis-Drilled Aft Pressure Bulkhead Holes Defect in Spirit’s products.” The company also must turn over meeting notes concerning its “Global Diversity &; Inclusion Council(s)” and documents it uses to “substantiate its claim that a diverse workplace improves product quality and/or ‘enhance[s] performance’ and/or ‘helps [Spirit] … make better decisions.’Paxton also requested the personnel file for Joshua Dean‚ the first whistleblower to sound the alarm on Spirit’s alleged quality control issues. Dean was fired last year for allegedly failing to conduct inspections‚ the Seattle Times reported. The AG is seeking information and documents concerning Dean’s termination.Paxton said‚ “The potential risks associated with certain airplane models are deeply concerning and potentially life-threatening to Texans.”“I will hold any company responsible if they fail to maintain the standards required by the law and will do everything in my power to ensure manufacturers take passenger safety seriously‚” he noted.As a result of Boeing’s safety scandal following the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident in January‚ the company announced a management shake-up. In February‚ Boeing removed Ed Clark‚ the head of its 737 Max program. CEO Dave Calhoun will leave the company at the end of the year‚ Boeing announced in March. At the same time‚ Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal announced his immediate retirement. Larry Kellner‚ board chairman‚ is set to resign and not seek re-election in May.The National Transportation Safety Board told the Senate Commerce Committee in March that Boeing was “unable to find records” for repairs made to the airplane that experienced the mid-flight panel blowout. The aircraft underwent rivet repairs before it was delivered to Alaska Airlines. Spirit reportedly conducted the repairs‚ which required the door panel to be temporarily removed and reinstalled upon completion. The agency’s preliminary report found that the door panel was missing all four bolts designed to hold it in place.Spirit did not respond to a request for comment from Fox Business.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

New York City attorneys said the 61-year-old deli worker who two years ago fatally stabbed his attacker in self-defense went overboard‚ according to the New York Post.What's the background?Video showed 35-year-old Austin Simon going behind the counter of a Harlem deli on July 1‚ 2022‚ and physically attacking a worker there‚ Jose Alba. Simon was angry that Alba took potato chips from the 10-year-old daughter of Simon's girlfriend‚ whose benefits card failed to work in the transaction.Video also shows Alba pleading with Simon‚ "I don't want a problem‚" before Simon aggressively shoved Alba into store shelves and grabbed him by the neck. Simon then began to walk Alba from the area behind the counter.With that‚ Alba grabbed a knife.“He wanted me to come apologize to the girl‚” Alba told a New York City police detective‚ according to the New York Daily News. “I took the knife we use to open boxes‚ and I stabbed him.” The Daily News said Alba stabbed Simon at least five times in the neck and chest.The paper — citing the criminal complaint — added that Simon’s girlfriend grabbed a knife from her purse and stabbed Alba in the arm.Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office faced intense criticism for charging Alba with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon‚ sending him to notorious Rikers Island‚ and setting his bail at $250‚000. One of Alba's defenders was Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams‚ who called Alba "innocent."Soon‚ Alba was released on a reduced $50‚000 bail and maintained he was defending himself against Simon. Bragg's office soon dropped all charges against Alba in the face of continued public pressure.After Alba sued Bragg and the NYPD for civil rights violations last fall‚ New York City lawyers in December urged a federal judge to dismiss his lawsuit‚ Fox News reported. The attorneys' court filing indicated that "under the circumstances there was sufficient probable cause to arrest and prosecute Mr. Alba‚" a city Law Department spokesman said at the time‚ according to Fox News.NYC attorneys had previously stated "it was entirely reasonable to believe" that Alba "unnecessarily escalated the confrontation between himself and Mr. Simon — even if it was Mr. Simon who initiated the confrontation‚" the cable network said.Now what?Alba has argued there was no reason to arrest and prosecute him given that he was acting in self-defense. But the Post reported that city attorneys in federal court papers filed in March said "considering the events that led to plaintiff stabbing Mr. Simon‚ that is an extreme position."“Mr. Simon pushed [Alba] once and grabbed him by the collar to escort him outside for the expressed purpose of having him apologize to” his girlfriend‚ the attorneys added‚ according to the Post. “While the District Attorney’s Office found it would be difficult to disprove justification beyond a reasonable doubt‚ it was not unreasonable to arrest plaintiff in the first place.”Here's a Fox News report that aired after Alba filed his lawsuit: Ex-bodega worker suing NYC over ‘racial equity policies’ youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!