A UCLA study finds that humans might be able to find some transportation inspiration from another creature that moves around in large numbers: the ant. Plus: a dude in Germany has built a remote control "trash train" that moves his waste bins to the curb on garbage day and brings them back to the house after they've been emptied.

Could insights from ants help people build better transportation networks? (University of California) 

Middle-Aged Men Only Want One Thing, And It's Disgusting (Jalopnik)

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This month in 1915, the ancient site known as Stonehenge went up for sale at auction. It's almost unthinkable today, but it happened - what took place after that auction was pretty mind-boggling too. Plus: a worker in New Zealand brings a "support clown" with him to a layoff meeting.

Stonehenge sold for £6,600 a hundred years ago today (English Heritage)

New Zealand: Man brings clown to redundancy meeting (BBC)

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This week in 1917, the birthday of Joyce Chen, restaurateur, cookbook author, TV host and one of the biggest reasons why Chinese food became a big hit in the United States. Plus: starting tomorrow in Valliant, Oklahoma, it’s the Valliant Watermelon Festival. 

Joyce Chen (National Women's History Museum)

Valliant Watermelon Festival (Travel Oklahoma)

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Today in 1848, a workplace accident caused an iron bar to go through the skull and brain of railroad worker Phineas Gage. Somehow, he lived, and ended up changing science forever. Plus: starting tomorrow in Nevada, it’s the Silver State Classic Challenge, a road race from Las Vegas to Ely that is, by some accounts, the fastest in the world.

The Improbable Tale of Phineas Gage (Harvard Brain Tour)

The fastest road race in the world takes place in one of the most desolate parts of the U.S.

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Today in 1952, a group of people in Flatwoods, West Virginia encountered... something. The locals refer to it as, among other names, the Flatwoods Monster. Plus: this weekend in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, it's The Great Sand Castle Contest.

The Flatwoods Monster (Braxton County, WV) 

The Great Sand Castle Contest

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It’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, so we thought we'd talk about one truck driver who added bigger and bigger parts to his pickup and ended up creating monster trucks. Plus: this weekend in Fort Wayne, Indiana, it's the Johnny Appleseed Festival. 

'Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!' A Crushing History of Monster Trucks (Mental Floss)  

Bigfoot Creator Bob Chandler: What I'd Do Differently (Car and Driver) 

Johnny Appleseed Festival 

Today in 1664, the city previously known as New Amsterdam came under English control and was promptly renamed New York. So we're celebrating an NYC classic, the egg cream. Plus: the US Postal Service has an interesting new set of stamps featuring close-ups of really, really tiny stuff.

The Origins of NYC’s Famous Egg Cream and Where to Find One (Untapped New York) 

A New USPS Collection Enlarges the World’s Tiniest Lifeforms to the Size of a Postage Stamp (Colossal)

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If part of your morning routine involves caffeine in a cup, you may be interested to know about a new research project that uses coffee grounds to improve concrete. Plus: the new web game Clone-a-Lisa gives you a blank canvas, a set of colors, and 60 seconds to create your own version of La Gioconda.

Scientists strengthen concrete by 30 percent with used coffee grounds (Engadget) 

Can You Reproduce da Vinci’s Masterpiece in Under 60 Seconds? Try With Clone-a-Lisa (Colossal)

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We have smart glasses already, and soon there could be smart contact lenses powered by a method that might make your eyes water. Plus: today in Northfield, Minnesota, the start of the annual Defeat of Jesse James Days festival. 

NTU Singapore scientists invent micrometres-thin battery charged by saline solution that could power smart contact lenses (Nanyang Technological University Singapore)    

Defeat of Jesse James Days

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A new project using smart cameras could help keep our neighborhoods in proper working order, and it’s all based around garbage trucks. Plus: a less than helpful encounter at a bakery.

Smart Garbage Trucks Help With Street Maintenance (Hackaday)

Mishap leaves two-year-old Missouri girl with cake saying ‘Happy Birthday, Loser’ (FOX2Now)

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