New deep-sea worm named after scientist

The Judiworm, official name Lamellibrachia judigobini, is a new species of deep-sea worm named after a marine scientist from Trinidad and Tobago.

Judith Gobin is a marine ecologist and a professor at the University of the West Indies and the name honours her discoveries and efforts to protect marine life in the region. The new species was collected during exploratory missions from 2012 to 2014.

The worm lives near hydrothermal vents and cold seeps across the Gulf of Mexico, and around Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago at depths up to more than 10,800 feet. The vents can reach temperatures of more than 700 degrees Fahrenheit (370 degrees Celsius), while cold seeps are only slightly warmer than the surrounding freezing water in the deep sea.

Man breaks moustache record

A South Carolina man’s two-foot, one-inch whiskers earned him the Guinness World Record for the Longest Moustache on a Living Person.

Paul Slosar’s moustache length was verified at the National Beard and Moustache Championships in Casper, Wyo., and the measurement submitted to Guinness World Records for official verification.

Slosar’s English-style moustache is defined by the World Beard and Moustache Championships as: “Slender, beginning from the middle of the upper lip with the hairs extremely long and pulled to the side. Tips may be lifted slightly.”

He has sported a moustache for about 30 years and has been entering the World Beard and Moustache Championships since 2017.

Ramen shop bans smartphone usage while dining

A ramen noodle eatery owner in Japan is banning customers from using their phones while dining. Kota Kai, owner and operator of Tokyo eatery Debu-chan, noticed the customers who waited the longest to dig into their bowls of ramen noodles tended to be watching videos on their phones.

Kai was concerned not only about customers tying up valuable seating space during peak hours, but also about the way thin Hakata ramen noodles are ruined after too many minutes in the soup.

He first pitched the idea on Twitter, and positive responses led to his enacting the policy. Kai hasn’t posted any signs, but speaks to customers individually about keeping their phones put away during mealtime.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 22nd, 2023