Highlights of the week of October 9-15
Dangerous insects are terrorizing the French, Yoko Ono's last gift to her husband has been found in Switzerland, and beer lovers can forget about its original taste in the near future.
Bedbugs are destroying French people
Since last week, numerous photos and videos have appeared online of streets littered with mattresses, couches, beds, and other furniture. Many of the items bear the distinctive marks of bedbugs — clusters of black spots. The problem has gotten so bad that in less than a month it has become a top news story.
Witnesses claim to have seen bedbugs in public transportation, airports, and trains. Transportation companies say they regularly treat seats but still remove potentially infested vehicles from service.
Bedbugs, last seen in such numbers in the 50s, have become a political scandal. France is now preparing to host the 2024 Olympics, and it is clear that the problem of bedbugs needs to be solved on a national level as soon as possible.
Beer can lose flavor due to heat
Recent research suggests that one of the most important ingredients in beer, hops, may have changing alpha acid levels. These components give beer its unique bitterness and aroma from the hop cones.
Between 1970 and 2023, temperatures rose by an average of 1.4°C, and precipitation fell by 24 mm. These are the data for Germany, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia, which cover 90% of the hop-growing area. As a result of global climate change, the ripening of hops starts 20 days earlier, and the amount of acids changes.
Growers are forced to adapt their plantations to survive in these new conditions, including droughts and heat waves. However, these measures cannot solve the problem completely. Yields of high-quality hops continue to fall. These are the very plants that are needed to produce world-famous, high-quality beer.
John Lennon's watch was found in Geneva
The Patek Philippe accessory was given to the legendary singer by his wife Yoko Ono. In 1980, the watch was worth a few thousand dollars. Today, it is valued at several million dollars, and given its history, perhaps it has no price at all.
After Lennon's death, Yoko Ono kept the gift in a locked room in her house. No one but her personal driver had access to it. He is suspected of having stolen the watch and several other items from the artist. He then sold them in Turkey.
The legendary watch was still found. In 2014, one of the collectors gave it to a company in Geneva to assess its authenticity and value. Now the case is pending. It is necessary to determine the degree of guilt of the participants if it will be proven.
The court is on the widow's side, arguing that the original resale of the jewelry was illegal. Therefore, the current owner does not have the right to appeal to the decisions on the statute of limitations of the crime.
