Pop culture and fashion trends have come to find they’re not original. Baggy jeans? Done before. Low rise? Done before. Indie, coming-of-age music? Done before. But that’s okay! When stuff works it should be reused. Duh. Recently, one of the most notable fashion returns has been claw clips. These simple devices have taken over hair and dominated social media. Some accounts, such as @goddess.ca and @bethanyysimko on TikTok, have made claw clip styles and reviews their primary source of content. Once seen on shows like Ally McBeal and Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 90s, the claw clip makes an effortless return to even more effortless hairstyles.

A New York Times article published by reporter Veronique Greenwood on Sept. 6 did offer an odd, yet fascinating discovery on an always-perplexing ocean animal. A species of jellyfish known as Turritopsis dohrnii has also received the title as the ‘immortal jellyfish.’ This minuscule Mediterranean Cnidaria has found a cheat code for death and is able to regain physical youth and discard the effects of age. According to a study published Sept. 5 in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, these teeny tiny creatures contain a gene hidden in DNA storage that will resurface to deconstruct and rejuvenate T. dohrnii’s aging body. Recovering this information, however, was not for the weak. Due to the size of T. dohrnii, the scientists involved in this study, like Shin Kubota at Japan’s Kyoto University, had to go the extra mile to cultivate, support, and sample these little buggers. Despite all their work, the scientists covering this eternal species elaborate that the T. dohrnii are not a cure for human mortality, but instead just another example of the Mother Nature’s ability to design magical and entirely differing organisms.

Last week began with another animal adventure, this one however, pertained to the land. On Monday, Chichi, a 10-year-old chimpanzee at Ukraine’s Kharkiv Zoo, escaped her enclosure and spent two glorious hours gallivanting about the central square and park. The first attempts at retrieving Chichi were unsuccessful, but once it started raining, the chimpanzee raced into the arms of her keeper Victoria Kozyreva. Chichi was then transported back to her humble abode perched on a bike, directed by the zoo staff. Despite Chichi’s hilarious and adorable story, it is far more meaningful than one would believe as it offered the zoo, Kharkiv, and Ukraine an uplifting story in the midst of disheartening times.

The second week of September also offered new products from two sperate companies. Doritos has just released three new flavors: Spicy Mustard, Ketchup, and Tangy Tamarind. And Girl Scouts has just revealed the Raspberry Rally, a Thin Mint-esque cookie for their upcoming season. So far, none of these new products have surpassed the originals, like Nacho Cheese or Thin Mints. But they do offer new snacking opportunities. The Dorito flavors have been described as “interesting-but-not-addictive” by New York Times reviewer Emily Heil. Unfortunately, The Rally Raspberries, a chocolate coated raspberry cookie, have received a less positive review. “Ya know, just stick with the Thin Mints,” Heil also wrote in her New York Times review of the dessert. Although the Dorito flavors are currently available, the general public will have to wait until 2023 to try Rally Raspberries for themselves.

That’s all for the updates you never needed! See you next week.

Sources:

Doritos: Washington Post I

Girl Scout Cookies: Washington Post II

Immortal Jellyfish: New York Times I and PNAS

Claw Clips: New York Times II

Chichi <33: New York Times III