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☆ Can groundhogs or other animals predict the weather?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Punxatawney Phil, the central character of the annual rite of winter known as Groundhog’s Day, isn’t great at his job. Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty ImagesThe Old Farmer’s Almanac has aggregated a couple dozen adages about insects, animals and their ability to predict weather patterns. Researchers in Germany also looked into whether various species of animals could detect an oncoming earthquake. Fact vs. folkloreOther tropes about animals’ ability to predict seasonal conditions, however, are wrong. But in reality, the “caterpillar’s coloring is based on how long (the) caterpillar has been feeding, its age, and species,” according to the National Weather Service.

Persons: CNN —, Phil, isn’t, Theresa Crimmins, phenology, ” Crimmins, “, ”, it’s, Max, Gordon Miller, ” Miller, Crimmins, Miller, Rachel Carson Organizations: CNN, National Phenology, United States —, USA National Phenology Network, University of Wisconsin -, Max Planck Society, Dolbear’s, Oceanic, Administration, Seattle University, National Weather Service Locations: United States, Germany, University of Wisconsin - Madison, North America, Mendota Heights , Minnesota, Tennessee

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring Friday at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania, the scene of the country’s largest and best known Groundhog Day celebration in the United States. Just after sunrise Friday, the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced Phil did not see his shadow, which will usher in early springlike weather. A bundled-up crowd, some wearing groundhog-themed hats, watched musical performances and fireworks as they waited for sunrise and the appearance of Punxsutawney Phil. Phil predicts more winter far more often than he sees an early spring, not a bad bet for February and March in western Pennsylvania. The 1993 blockbuster film “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray, fueled interest in Punxsutawney Phil and inspired informal observations far and wide.

Persons: —, Phil, Tom Dunkel, ese, ”, Dan McGinley, “, Punxsutawney Phil, Josh Shapiro, Punxsutawney, Shapiro, “ Punxsutawney, ” Shapiro, Bill Murray, he's, wasn’t Organizations: Groundhog Locations: Pa, Pennsylvania, United States, Punxsutawney, U.S, Canadian

“We know this is silly; we know this is fun,” said Marcy Galando, executive director of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Members of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, organized in 1899, care for Phil at a customized space beside Punxsutawney Memorial Library — where there's a window with a view into the creature's burrow. The Punxsutawney groundhog makes predictions but he's not always predictable. In 1998, a groundhog club leader wearing a $4,000 groundhog suit reported being assaulted by a half-dozen young men. Intended to preserve Pennsylvania German culture and traditions, clubs would sometimes fine those who were caught speaking anything but their Pennsylvania Dutch language at meetings.

Persons: Phil, there'll, Bill Murray, ”, there's, Marcy Galando, Joseph, Jesus, Don Yoder, Yoder, he's, didn't, PHIL, Charlie Hart, Hart, Orphie, “ Octoraro Orphie, It's, Travis Lau, ” Lau, groundhogs, William W, Donner, ” Donner Organizations: Historians, University of Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, University, National Centers for Environmental, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S Locations: Pa, Pennsylvania, U.S, Canadian, Europe, Jerusalem, United States, Morgantown , Pennsylvania, —, Pittsburgh, Punxsutawney, Quarryville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania's

☆ Longevity runs in my family. Here are 4 common traits I noticed that seemed to help them live longer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-06 | by ( Courtenay Rudzinski | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

My two grandmothers, my aunts, and my mom lived full, active lives into their late 80s and beyond. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The women in my family — both grandmas, my aunts, and my mom — had no intention of planning their days around doctor visits. Embrace each dayThe women in my family tended to rise early, make their beds every morning, and fix their faces and hair. AdvertisementMy fraternal grandmother came to the United States as a child with her family, who didn't speak the language and had little money in their pockets.

Persons: —, Ralph Waldo, Henry David —, he'd, I've Organizations: Service, Energy Locations: United States, who'd

☆ Drivers slowed by rogue reptiles in Singapore F1 practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Big lizards are a familiar sight in equatorial Singapore but they startled Red Bull's double world champion Max Verstappen and other drivers after straying onto the Formula One racetrack during practice on Friday. "It's going to be a brave marshal to go out and pick one of those up," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told Sky Sports television. Local fauna are not uncommon company, with drivers used to groundhogs and foxes on Canada's Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal. Friday's lizard incursion recalled the 2016 Singapore race when Verstappen was surprised on track by a big one that his engineer dubbed "Godzilla". They are also diurnal, meaning they sleep at night, and will hopefully pose no further difficulty for drivers preparing for Sunday's night race.

Persons: Red, Max Verstappen, Christian Horner, Canada's Gilles Villeneuve, Verstappen, Gianpiero, Max, Horner, Tom Westbrook, Ken Ferris Organizations: Sky Sports, Singapore's, Parks ' Board, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore, Montreal, Malaysia

☆ The death of hobbies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Eve Upton-Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Research has found that hobbies can reduce stress, result in less severe disease outcomes, and even lead to a longer life. Baker believes that the replacement of hobbies with hustles stems from the way work changed when the pandemic sent everyone home. "If you're already on all the time, then why not try to get some money from that hobby," Baker said. But, she added, "One con is that you just don't have hobbies anymore because you've monetized them." And studies show that without hobbies, people are more likely to feel burned out and more stressed.

Persons: Tommy Wylde, Wylde, it's, I've, " Wylde, Wylde —, —, Erik Baker, Audrey Tang, Bankrate, Zers, Baker, Millennials, Gen Zers, Gen Xers, Grace Jicha Torres, Torres, Slack, you'll, Tang, he's, Eve Upton, Clark Organizations: eBay, Harvard, Bank of England Locations: Silicon Valley

☆ Verstappen took chequered flag with dead bird on board
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MONTREAL, June 19 (Reuters) - Red Bull's advertising slogan is 'gives you wings' but Max Verstappen had the whole bird on board when he won Sunday's Canadian Formula One Grand Prix. Red Bull's double world champion reported a bird strike early in the 70 lap race at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and team boss Christian Horner provided more details. "I think the biggest moment he had was hitting a bird that did half the race behind the front right brake duct," he told reporters. Verstappen told Sky Sports television: "It was still stuck on my car when I came in, it didn't look great. Red Bull have won every race this season, Verstappen victorious in six of them, and are on course to smash records.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Christian Horner, Verstappen, Red, Sergio Perez, Bull, Alan Baldwin, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Montreal's Circuit, Sky Sports, Formula, Miami, Prix, Thomson Locations: MONTREAL, St Lawrence, London

☆ I said cat, not cut; Leclerc clarifies radio confusion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Asked whether there had been any recurrence of what had sounded like an engine cutout, Leclerc told reporters: "Absolutely not. "There was a cat in the middle of the road and the safety car had to stop, but I think I was probably the only one who saw that. "In the exit of Turn One there was a cat and the safety car braked." Mexican Sergio Perez, the winner for Red Bull who was following Leclerc at the time, said he had not been aware of the cat. Viewers of the Canadian Grand Prix are also used to seeing groundhogs making a dash for safety at Montreal's island Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

☆ A gold miner found a mysterious grapefruit-sized fur ball. It turned out to be a 'perfectly preserved' 30,000-year-old squirrel.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But X-ray scans have revealed this grapefruit-sized lump is actually a 30,000-year-old mummified ground squirrel from the Ice Age. A ground squirrel for the agesAn illustration of the mummified ground squirrel curled up in its burrow during hibernation. "I study bones all the time and they're exciting, they're really neat. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images"Some people get really, really excited when they find that giant woolly mammoth leg or, you know, the big tusks or the big skulls. But for me, the Arctic ground squirrel fossils, the nests, and now this mummified squirrel, are really the coolest things that we do have.

☆ Canadian groundhog Fred la marmotte found dead before Groundhog Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - A beloved Canadian groundhog, Fred la marmotte, was found dead before he could complete a North American tradition of predicting the onset of spring on Groundhog Day on Thursday. "In life, the only thing that's certain is that nothing is certain," Blondin said at la Jour de Fred, or Fred's day, event. In North American folklore, if the solitary rodent sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, then frigid, winter weather will persist for six weeks. Groundhog Day, which falls on Feb. 2, evolved from an ancient ritual brought to the United States by German immigrants who settled in what is now the state of Pennsylvania. The first official celebration of Groundhog Day was in 1886, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club.

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