Winona State University is now home to “Medusa,” which might be a dinosaur mummy, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. Medusa appears to be “the remains of an Edmontosaurus [dinosaur] about 66 million years old that researchers believe contains a significant amount of skin and tendon tissue.” There are only about a dozen such specimens in the world — and researchers aren’t sure what they’ll ultimately find. Via MinnPost
https://www.startribune.com/rare-dinosaur-mummy-winona-state-university/601537755

In the midst of yesterday’s cold snap, “hundreds of people just outside Alexandria have gone without heat on Thursday following a car crash that lead to a natural gas leak,” according to Bring Me The News. A suspected drunk driver took out a natural gas pipe. Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/gas-outage-loss-of-heat-to-hundreds-of-homes-near-alexandria-at-worst-possible-time

Baby fur seal wanders into a bar in New Zealand
The surprise visitor waddled around the pub during what’s known as ‘silly season’ where seals pop up in unexpected places
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/05/baby-fur-seal-wanders-into-bar-in-new-zealand

60,000 African penguins starved to death after sardine numbers collapsed – study
Climate crisis and overfishing contributed to loss of 95% of penguins in two breeding colonies in South Africa, research finds
Phoebe Weston
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/05/african-penguins-starve-to-death-south-africa-sardine-population-aoe

Patient police say they have recovered Fabergé pendant from man accused of swallowing it
Six days after alleged incident, evidence emerges without requiring medical intervention, New Zealand police say
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/05/police-say-recovered-faberge-pendant-after-new-zealand-man-allegedly-swallowed-it

‘Three sheets to the wind’: how everyday phrases blew in from the sea
David Hambling
From ‘all at sea’ to ‘by and large’, windy weather has had quite an impact on the English language
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/dec/05/weather-watch-everyday-phrases-nautical-expressions-wind-language

Review
Five of the best science fiction books of 2025
An eco-masterpiece, icy intrigue, cyberpunkish cyborgs, memory-eating aliens and super-fast travel sends the world spinning out of control
Adam Roberts
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/05/best-science-fiction-books-2025-ej-swift-jacek-dukaj-silvia-park

Review
The best poetry books of 2025
From Seamus Heaney’s collected poems and Simon Armitage’s animal spirits, to prizewinners Karen Solie and Vidyan Ravinthiran
Rishi Dastidar
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/05/the-best-poetry-books-of-2025

Review
The best memoirs and biographies of 2025
Anthony Hopkins and Kathy Burke on acting, Jacinda Ardern and Nicola Sturgeon on politics, plus Margaret Atwood on a life well lived
Fiona Sturges
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/04/best-memoirs-biographies-2025-anthony-hopkins-kathy-burke-margaret-atwood-josephine-baker

Review
Five of the best young adult books of 2025
Space-travelling telepaths, LGBTQ+ activism, a war-torn Britain, online alter egos and feminist trailblazers
Imogen Russell Williams
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/04/five-of-the-best-young-adult-books-of-2025-kate-mosse-nathanael-lessore-moira-buffini-david-roberts

Review
The five best romance books of 2025
A tricky age gap, a dose of wedding day drama, literary love affairs, office rivals and the sexy side of Brexit
Jenny Colgan
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/dec/04/five-best-romance-books-2025-ali-hazelwood-bolu-babalola-jessica-stanley

Sinners to One Battle After Another: The 25 best films of 2025
Nicholas Barber and Caryn James
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20250423-the-best-films-of-2025