What do David Attenborough, RuPaul and a PlayStation 4 full of cockroaches have in common, you ask? Apart from being the most surreal dinner party guestlist of all time, they all feature in this week's round-up of our favourite news from across the web this week. That and Facebook mind reading, jewellery made of smog and more.
1. Social Media Mind Reading
Facebook has a team working on software that would be able to read your mind. Seeing as our main thoughts when we're on Facebook are 'which of our old school friends would we have sex with now?' This is worrying.
Luckily, as The Verge reported, it seems they are trying to create a way to type with your mind, but we're checking out privacy settings anyway.
2. David Attenborough Becomes Hologram
Whatever may divide us in the UK in this week of the snap election announcement, one thing unites us; we'd all like to be in the presence of David Attenborough. According to The Telegraph, this could be one step closer to you thanks to a new Natural History Museum VR app where you will be guided through the collection by a holographic version of the Planet Earth presenter.
3. Apple to Merge with Magic Kingdom?
The plot of 1984 could be even closer with Deadline speculating on the long-rumoured purchase of Disney by Apple, throwing us under the shadow of a corporation that controlled not only all our phones and laptops but Marvel, ESPN and, most terrifying of all, The Muppets. Although currently only speculation, there would worth bets than throwing your Disney Dollars on an eventual acquisition...
4. Time 100 2017 Released
It's that time again, when us mere mortals see who made it onto Time's annual list of the world's most influential people and despair about how we waste our own lives eating cereal for dinner and watching RuPaul's Drag Race. The presenter of which made the list, bringing vital glamour to a list that also includes Putin, Trump and Pope Francis. We'll skip that table at the gala and hang out with Samantha Bee, Cindy Sherman and Jordan Peele, thanks.
5. UK's First Coal Free Day
Climate change. Do you want the good news or the bad news? Good news? Well, the Guardian reported that today could be the first day where the UK has got none of its power from coal since the Industrial Revolution. 18 hour periods have been managed this year, but we could get our first 24 hour period where renewables have picked up the slack from coal burning. So better not light up a barbecue anywhere near the National Grid offices ...
6. Glaciers Go to Canada
The climate change bad news, however, comes form Mashable. Strong winds and a record hot Arctic season has seen glaciers floating free off the coast of Canada.
The glaciers, off the tiny town of Ferryland have caused huge traffic jams, with those cars causing even more of the issue that brought the glaciers there in the first place. On the plus side, though, selfies.
7. Peak Protest Picks
With Brexit and Trump, many of us are finding our need to protest rekindled. With that in mind, Vulture asked notable New York art world personalities to name their favourite protest art.
From Pop Art to an 8-bit poo Donald Trump, the results are fascinating and extensive, with the 22 picks managing to take in everything from William Hogarth paintings to pussyhats, reproductive rights to anti-war slogans.
Plus, Donald Trump as an 8-bit turd and a Victorian music hall act involving live kitten that is probably the dictionary definition of 'needs to be seen to be believed'
8. 420 Goes Up in Smoke
In dumb day news, meanwhile, this week saw 4/20, the day dedicated to the humble marijuana plant, or 'jazz cigarettes' as my Mum used to call them.
The Independent told you everything you need to know in an illuminating article, including why it's called 420 in the first place. Plus a slideshow of some very bearded people looking very happy and very relaxed, in and out of large green novelty glasses.
9. Smog Jewellery
A few Weekly Rewinds ago we shared an article about a team turning exhaust fumes into ink.
Now, Artsy has written about Daan Roosegaarde, who is using the carbon-rich smog extracted from his clean air tower in Beijing and turning it into jewellery, using what we like to call pearls of pollution.
10. PS4: The Perfect Cockroach Home
The PlayStation 4. Equally beloved of gamers looking for a VR-compatible gaming experience, and cockroaches, according to a pretty gross AV Club article. The big air vents and warmth of the power pack provides perfect conditions for everyone's favourite indestructible critters, and a repair shop a Kontaku writer visited had bin bags full of the things recently.
