DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
• Scandinavian furniture chain IKEA is searching for a “happiness hunter” to find out what makes a home a happy one. The winning candidate will spend two weeks living in a temporary home in the Danish capital of Copenhagen where they will get “close and personal” with Danes in days filled with “home visits, guided tours, talks and dinners”, all in a bid to uncover the keys to a happy home which will then be shared with the world. The preferred candidate will be paid a token salary during their stay and receive free meatballs at the IKEA restaurant. They need to be over 18, non-Danish, and, as well as loving travel, be of the “curious kind, perhaps even born with a magnifying glass in your hand”. Applications close on 1st July.
PICTURE: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
• Trekies have been getting excited over some images taken on Mars. A NASA spacecraft has spotted some rather familiar chevron-shaped formations on Mars which resemble the Starfleet logo from the Star Trek TV and film series. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter used a High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera (HiRISE) to capture images of the mysterious shaped formations as it passed over the Hella Planitia region. Scientists sadly say the formations were created by forces such as wind, lava and dunes and are not a sign left Captain Kirk or Mr Spock. “Enterprising viewers will make the discovery that these features look conspicuously like a famous logo: and you’d be right, but it’s only a coincidence,” they said in a statement.
• And, finally, a warning about the dangers of filters on social media. A Pakistani politician learnt a harsh lesson this week while briefing journalists at a press conference which was being live-streamed on Facebook after a cat filter was switched on. Shaukat Yousafzai was shown speaking with whiskers and pink ears on his face as were other officials who were sitting nearby. The incident was blamed on human error. Lesson learned.