Every morning, we scour the Internet and vet what we believe are the five things you absolutely need to know for the day. Join this mailing list to receive 5 things you absolutely must know today every morning, Monday to Friday.
***
Canadian tourist killed after grey whale lands on boat
A Canadian tourist in Mexico, 35–year-old women believed to be from Calgary, was killed after a grey whale jumped from the water and landed on a tourist boat less than two kilometres from shore, near the Cabo San Lucas resort. Two other tourists were injured in the bizarre incident. [Source: National Post]
Two police officers shot in Ferguson demonstration
Two U.S. police officers in have been shot, one in the face, the other in the shoulder, after protests outside the Ferguson, Missouri police headquarters escalated. The demonstration began after the resignation of the community’s police chief, which came after a damming report from the federal government revealing racial bias in Ferguson’s force. The report was commissioned after a white police officer shot and killed an unarmed, black teenager. The latest reports said the officers were seriously injured but conscious. [Source: BBC]
Neanderthals wore eagle talons as jewelry
Neanderthals hunted eagles to make jewelry from their talons. Is that not a great sentence? Is ‘talons’ not a fantastic word? The talons of white-tailed eagles discovered at an archaeological site in Croatia show patterns of wear consistent with their use as jewellery, according to a report published on March 12 in the science journal PLoS ONE. The preserved talons were discovered at the site over 100 years ago, and are believed to be 130,000 years old. The white-tailed eagle has a wingspan of up to two metres. “They’re very powerful birds. It takes a certain amount of bravery and foolishness, even, to catch one of these things,” David Frayer, a palaeoanthropologist at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, said in the report.” [Source: Nature]
Journalist mugged during live report
South African journalist Vuyu Mvoko was mugged while reporting live for network SABC in Johannesburg. The brazen robbers appeared to be okay with the idea that their actions were being recorded. Mvoko was at first nonplussed, then aware, then accepting of what was going on. Police are offering a reward of $8,200USD for the capture of the people involved. The robbers stole laptops and cellphones. [Source: BBC]
Scientists attempt to determine date humans began destroying the world
Okay, a couple things: first, University of Michigan biologist Eugene Stoerme, and Nobel prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen have determined that this age – the age we’re currently living in – including today – is called the Anthropocene Epoch. The name is meant to categorize humanity’s current domination. Second, geologists and other researchers are trying to determine when this epoch began, attempting to put a date to when we, humans, started destroying the world. It’s either 1610, putting blame on colonialism, coal, and global trade, or 1964, which throws the nuclear bomb under the bus. [Source: Sydney Morning Herald]
***
Follow Toban Dyck at @tobandyck.
For more interesting stuff, follow @spectatortrib on Twitter. And find us on Instagram, too: @spectatortribune.
Follow this link to subscribe to 5 things you absolutely must know today: http://eepurl.com/5LBjD