Hundreds of crocodiles in Australia were recently sent into a sex frenzy when a low-flying Chinook helicopter passed overhead. Ranchers from the Koorana Crocodile Farm in Queensland, which houses more than 3,000 crocodiles, said many of their residents became aroused after the flyby. John Lever, owner of the farm, said pilots use it as a marker point in their flights. When a pilot flew low so their passengers could take a picture of the crocodiles, the reptiles were whipped up into a frenzy. He said: “All of the big males got up and roared and bellowed up at the sky, and then after the helicopters left they mated like mad. “There's something about the sonic waves that really gets them stirred up.” As it turns out, thunderstorms regularly act as an aphrodisiac to crocodiles. If the reptiles mate during storm season, their babies are more likely to hatch in a non-thunderstorm season, meaning they don’t drown in flood water. “The crocodiles start vocalising to each other [when a storm is coming],” Lever said. “They don't have a very sophisticated voice box, but they vibrate their windpipes to send messages through the water.” That may explain why the helicopter caused such an aroused response – they thought it was a megastorm. Herpetologist Mark O'Shea from the University of Wolverhampton told LiveScience: “Chinooks may artificially recreate the sound of the start of a thunderstorm.” Another possible explanation is that the movements in the water or downward wind caused by the choppers could trick them into thinking there is a change of atmospheric pressure, like when a storm is approaching. “I imagine that the downdraft from a large, heavy helicopter would create a change in pressure that the [sensory organs] on crocodile skin can detect. “Dropping barometric pressure from a downdraft may resemble the change in pressure from a storm.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Scientists in Mexico have given their verdict on the supposed 'aliens' that were presented to the country's congress last week. Much controversy existed around the aliens who were presented by a man named Jaime Maussan who has previously been accused of using the mummified beings, apparently found in Peru, as part of an elaborate hoax. Despite spawning dozens of memes, the aliens are apparently being treated seriously enough that they have now been studied by scientists who have said that the figures are ‘single skeletons’ and also have 'eggs' inside of them. The two aliens have been named Clara and Mauricio and have reportedly been studied in a lab at the Noor Clinic in Mexico. Lead researcher Dr Jose de Jesus Zalce Benitez, a former navy forensics doctor, who added that as well as being "a single skeleton" the aliens are also a "complete organic being." He also denied that the aliens were part of a hoax and even said that Clara was "alive, was intact, was biological and was in gestation." However, much like the alien bodies themselves, the research has been clouded in controversy and scepticism as the research has yet to be officially verified, with Nasa scientist Dr David Spergel questioning why the findings haven't been made public, as per the BBC. Spergel said: "He said: "If you have something strange, make samples available to the world scientific community and we'll see what's there." Benitez did add in his address at the press conference: "We are facing the paradigm of describing a new species or given the opportunity to accept that there has been contact with other beings, non-humans, that were drawn and marked in the past by diverse cultures throughout the world." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

By Sharon Bernstein Florida's public university system is poised to authorize a new entrance exam that emphasizes classical

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Thousands of 'Penis Fish' have been found on a beach… giving locals the willies. The rude-looking marine creatures appeared after a heavy storm. The pink wrigglers were about 10 inches in length. They freaked out locals in Río Grande, southern Argentina, on the afternoon of 17 July. The species are called Urechis Unicinctus, but they are also dubbed the 'Penis Fish' due to their phallic appearance. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Despite their nickname, the creatures are actually a type of spoonworm. Their other nickname is 'The Fat Innkeeper Worm'. They create U-shaped burrows in sand or mud that are then left for other animals to move into, hence the use of ‘innkeeper’ in its moniker. They are eaten by sharks and seagulls. They usually live underground but are brought to the surface during strong storms, leaving them exposed to predators. Evidence of their U-shaped burrows dates back over 300 million years. The worms, which can live up to 25 years, are a common delicacy in countries such as South Korea, Japan and China where they are eaten raw or cooked in a variety of different styles. They are said to have a chewy texture and are surprisingly sweet, often served with a savoury sauce made from sesame oil or vinegar with gochujang. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

South Africa’s cabinet said that the Netherlands and Denmark have joined the Just Energy Transition Partnership, a landmark