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Ryan Reynolds is funny AF on Twitter. He’s so funny that it would be nice if that whole acting thing didn’t work out for him so that he could spend more time tweeting. The reason parents in particular need to know that Reynolds kills on Twitter is because his tweets related to parenting are nothing short of comedic genius. He first became a dad when he and wifey Blake Lively welcomed their daughter James (yes, they named their baby girl James) into the world in 2014. They were again blessed in 2016 with the birth of their second daughter, Ines. Fatherhood opened up a whole other realm of hilarity for Reynolds. His tweets are not to be missed, as you’ll see below, but make sure you aren’t drinking anything because we will not cover the damage to your electronics due to any spit takes. Sometimes we use humor as a coping mechanism, right? Here Reynolds uses it to deal with separation anxiety. @vancityreynolds Damn it’s hard letting your infant daughter go somewhere alone for the first time. I was a total mess dropping her off at Burning Man. He’s an advocate of making a deliberate choice to be a father and he wants his daughters to know they were a choice. @vancityreynolds The mobile above my daughter’s crib is just a whole bunch of NuvaRings. So she remembers how lucky she is. And Reynolds, like so many of us, is sick of shaming women for public breastfeeding. @vancityreynolds It’s 2016. I’m not going to start drinking regular milk just because some asshat has a problem with public breastfeeding at the beach. Politics mean so much more when you have kids. Notice that this was posted shortly after the election results of 2016. @vancityreynolds I watched Frozen without my two year old this morning. Despair reveals itself in many forms. So many parents expect too much of themselves, but not Reynolds. He knows his limits. @vancityreynolds I’d walk through fire for my daughter. Well not FIRE, because it’s dangerous. But a super humid room. But not too humid, because my hair. THIS!!! Bwahahaha! @vancityreynolds Went to Disneyland because my daughter’s obsessed with Mickey Mouse. She was so excited when I got home and told her. As busy as he must be, he still takes time to advise newbie dads like this one, whose wife had just gone into labor. @vancityreynolds Ask your doctor if you qualify for an extension. A 4th, possibly even 5th trimester can be very peaceful for the father. Congrats. In fact, he makes time to share nuggets of wisdom he’s discovered along the way. @vancityreynolds Tip: It’s important parents take little “time outs” for themselves too. Even if you feel pretty guilty when you return 14 years later. He does not praise and reward his children for every little thing they do; he’s refreshingly brutal. @vancityreynolds My daughter’s only 6 months old and already drawing. I’d hang it on the fridge but honestly, it’s absolute garbage. Oh, and he’ll call his child out for bratty, privileged behavior, too. @vancityreynolds This morning, my daughter said, “quiche” which means she’s smart, hungry and an asshole. And believe it or not, celebrity parents face the same childcare issues we do. @vancityreynolds Tinder isn’t a babysitting app. Apologies to Crystal and Janine for the misunderstanding.

You mean Jürgen Otto and friend, right?

Conor McGregor, who recently finished his court-ordered community service in Brooklyn following an April 2018 rampage at Barclays Center is known for having his cock straining through his shorts, was arrested Monday for allegedly smashing a fan’s phone outside the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel. According to police, McGregor broke the phone after the man took photos around 5 a.m., leading to charges of strong-armed robbery and misdemeanor criminal mischief requested that his mugshot include his dick. He is set to be booked at Miami-Dade jail on Monday night.

There’s a new “McDreamy” on TV, but you won’t find him on “Grey’s Anatomy.” California veterinarian Dr. Evan Antin brings his chiseled jaw, bulging biceps and bedroom eyes — oh, and surgical skills — to Animal Planet’s “Evan Goes Wild.” Crowned “Sexiest Veterinarian Alive” (twice) and “Sexiest Beast Charmer” by People magazine, Dr. Antin will showcase such wildlife as crocodiles, jaguars, elephants and apes from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to the Philippines. In the first of the season’s eight episodes he’ll head to Tahiti to visit a turtle sanctuary and to fulfill a longtime dream of swimming with humpback whales. When he’s not working, the 34-year-old vet can be found posing with puppies, cuddling with cats and befriending beasts large and small for his 1.1 million Instagram fans. Antin has his own brood at home — a dog, two cats, a lizard, a tortoise, a snake and “some fish.” (And to answer a pressing question: Sorry, but he’s engaged.) Antin spoke with The Post by phone from Puerto Rico, where he was with friends on his “first real, chill vacation in probably years.” What was your reaction when People first honored your hunkiness? They called me the “Sexiest Beast Charmer,” which isn’t really any profession, but it was fun. I’m not working toward being the sexiest anything — that’s not really my MO. It’s just more opportunity for me to connect with people about veterinary medicine, wildlife conservation and what I’m passionate about. Have your looks been a hindrance at all? It’s actually funny. I wanted to do a show for years, and networks were like, “You know, he’s a pretty boy — he’s not what we’re looking for.” I’ve always considered myself more like a rugged Steve Irwin type. I work with crocodiles and venomous snakes; I’m not just with puppies and kittens and trying to be sexy all day. But that was the biggest hindrance and things worked out in the end. I’ve got my dream show. Overall, it’s been a positive thing. I must note that two minutes into the first episode you do remove your shirt. Yeah. [Laughs] I do. Honestly, here’s the thing: I’m being myself. So, yeah, when I go swimming in the ocean, like many people I’m not wearing a shirt. I’m not trying to do more or less for the camera, really. What’s your favorite animal encounter? Swimming with whales was really epic, something I’ve been dreaming about for years, and to finally get in the water with them and literally swim with these humpback whales — mostly mothers and calves, 12 or 13 whales — that blew my mind. I read that your favorite animal is the crocodile — is that true? Yeah, I love crocs! I’m fascinated by them — they’re modern-day dinosaurs. Crocs can be extremely dangerous, especially bigger ones. I’ve been bitten several times. Once I got bit by a 6-footer — he ripped a hole in my forearm, so you could see my tendons and muscle and stuff underneath. That spikes your adrenaline a bit; when you’re in the moment you don’t feel it. And you also like cobras? I’ve handled some cobras in South Africa and in Indonesia. Not super extensive — not any big medical work-ups on them. More often I caught them; I love seeing them in the wild. They’re beautiful. That just seems scary. [Laughs] Most people don’t get it. There’s an introductory video with the article: https://nypost.com/2019/02/22/hunky-vet-will-get-you-purring-on-animal-planets-evan-goes-wild/

Kyle Gordy is a self-proclaimed “modern-day Jesus” who travels this great nation to impregnate scores of women with his “strong sperm.” The 27-year-old Los Angeles native started his mission in 2014 and has sired 18 babies — with seven more on the way — all around the country, from Alaska and Colorado to Texas and Kansas. (Dubai, the UK and Australia are on his international “wish list.”) It all started when he decided his super spunk was just too special to keep to himself. So, like the modern man he is, Gordy advertised his gift on Craigslist. Within two weeks, he made his very first donation to a local woman via artificial insemination. “I was going to apply to a sperm bank, but the whole thing just felt so cold and clinical,” he told Caters News. “My sperm is much better than what is in a sperm bank, as it’s strong and fresh during the donation, while I also do it all for free.” With one successful pregnancy in the bag, Gordy says word of his superpower spread — and soon he was being inundated with requests and referrals from women ages 18 to 42. Gordy says his seed is fueled by organic food and 18 different herbs and supplements a day. The nonsmoker also claims he never drinks alcohol or uses drugs. “I need to keep myself healthy, so I have the best sperm,” he says. “I have no idea why a woman would want to use a sperm bank when she could just use me. The specimens at a bank could be sitting there for years. You don’t really know what you’re getting.” Oh, and about that whole second coming of Christ thing. “People have called me a modern-day Jesus, and I have to agree with that,” Gordy says. “I’m very generous and giving — and the fact that I’m Jewish while Jesus was also Jewish.” Gordy says he always dreamed of having lots of children, but after a few failed relationships, he decided to go solo. Also, he’s turned off by high divorce rates and the responsibility that comes with monogamy. He has met four of his offspring, though, and trades photos with his various sex partners via a Facebook group. “Kids are a huge responsibility, and I think that is too much for me to handle,” he says. “So now I can have kids and help women at the same time.” Oh, and occasionally he gets lucky — six of his 18 spawn were conceived through actual sexual intercourse. “Some women don’t want to do artificial insemination as they don’t want to waste time and they feel it will be most effective if we do it the old-fashioned way,” says Gordy, who claims he never has sex for pleasure — only for donations. “They will ask if we can just have sex, and I’ll tell them I’m up for it and we exchange STD tests … Obviously, I’m a guy, so it is fun to do it that way if we both like each other.” Gordy hits the playground with one of his kids.

If you answered fried chicken, well, you’re somehow wrong. Correct answer: Kentucky Fried hot tub. That’s right, the famous chicken maker from the Bluegrass State has started a campaign for bubbling, branded Jacuzzis on Indiegogo.com, a crowdfunding website. “Introducing a revolution in hot tub technology: making it look like a giant KFC bucket,” the Indiegogo page reads. The tub features a wood-fired furnace, a vinyl liner with molded seating, 360 degrees of Kentucky Fried Chicken branding and fits five “fried chicken-loving people,” according to the page. “Are your muscles tired? Do you need to relax? Do you have a deep-seated love for corporate branding? Do you currently have any money in your bank account” the page asks potential backers, which included just three people as of Wednesday afternoon. Also as of Wednesday, the fund had raised $95 of its $46,683 goal, with 30 days remaining. But that’s not all. You can also back a smart cane remote, a picnic with the Colonel, a little Colonel locator and the “Colonel on ICE” ice-skating show. None of the campaigns have come close to reaching their thousand-dollar goals. Why, KFC? What is all of this fried chicken madness? Well, it’s all part of a larger branding campaign launched by KFC Innovations Lab, started this year. The lab has since created exclusive products like the KFC limited clothing line, the Colonel Sanders cat climber and the Colonel Sanders floatie, according to its Indiegogo page. The lab was created to bring even more of these ideas to life while also giving chicken fans the chance to be a part of the process. In December, KFC had another innovative product – a firelog that smelled like fried chicken. These logs weren’t available on Indiegogo and sold out in hours. What Kentucky Fried products would you like to see? We’re thinking: A greasy, KFC slip in slide.

Three new peacock spiders have been revealed by an Australian taxonomist, but he swears they are “harmless” and “charismatic.” The species from Western Australia were revealed by Joseph Schubert, who posted an image on Twitter this week announcing the spiders had been officially named. “Meet Australia’s three newest species,” Schubert wrote. “As of today they are officially named: Maratus aquilus, Maratus felinus and Maratus combustus.” Schubert, who discovered the spiders while working with Project Maratus, said the spiders were distinctive with brightly colored markings. He explained on Twitter that he had given some of his spiders their names to correlate with patterns on their abdomens. Schubert said these spiders were about the size of a grain of rice. So if you don’t like spiders, these could be considered cute. He said that 73 of the Maratus species have now been named. According to Schubert’s research, the male spiders are brightly colored, while the females are “drably colored” and difficult to identify. The spiders are of interest for their elaborate courtship behavior, which includes the males doing a dance to impress the females. “They’re incredibly small but so charismatic and so colorful,” Schubert told 10 Daily. He said peacock spiders were unique from other spiders, by being identifiable by their colorful markings on their abdomen. Other spiders are identified by their fangs or spider hair. Ew. Schubert made the discovery at Lake Jasper and Mount Romance in Australia’s southwest. He referred to the areas in Western Australia as a “biodiversity hotspot.” Confusion in the sweet, tiny peacock spider world persists. For instance, is there a sticky situation between rival spider researchers? This week, taxonomist, entomologist and Monash University research assistant Joseph Schubert was credited with discovering three new species of peacock spiders in West Australia. It’s been all over the news. In fact, Mr Schubert was quick to point out to The New Daily that his job was classifying and naming the new species – Maratus aquilus, Maratus felinus, and Maratus combustus – and they were actually found by three enthusiasts from Sydney who call themselves Project Maratus. “I didn’t discover them so I feel it’s unfair on the group for me to get all the credit,” he said. Even so, he had the job of rigorously writing up the research paper that is reviewed and officially births the species into scientific life. Project Maratus is headed by a bee keeper from the University of Western Sydney Michael Duncan. Mr Duncan said he and two citizen scientists discovered the new spiders “on a targeted research trip in southern WA”. So what do they look for when on the hunt? He said: “As a group we identify habitat that looks suitable for these spiders to live and spend countless days hunched over with our eyes fixated to the ground scanning for movement. “As they are a type of jumping spider, you can often see movement as they spring from one twig to another.” Mr Duncan described Mr Schubert as “an up and coming taxonomist with a huge interest in jumping spider taxonomy and we liaised with him to give him an opportunity to describe these unique Australian gems and he really did them justice”. This brings us to Jürgen Otto – who works in biosecurity for the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, identifying mites on incoming goods – and who is possibly the first person to photograph peacock spiders, in 2005. “Until then, there weren’t any on the internet,” he said. His peacockspider.org is the place to see a great library of photographs and videos, some of which feature Mr Otto talking to camera. He is the undisputed Peacock Spiderman, and has been profiled in news outlets around the world. Indeed he is a curiosity himself – being partly colour blind. Mr Otto half expected the Maratus Group would ask him to classify the new species – but they instead approached Mr Schubert, whom Mr Otto calls a good friend. “Actually I wasn’t involved in the study,” he said, by way of explaining his initial reluctance in participating in this story. “The people who found them won’t talk to me. They’ve locked me out their social media site. They used to cooperate with me but for some reason they have decided rather to compete. It’s quite sad how it’s developed.” He said that when he traveled to Western Australia recently: “I emailed them and asked to for the coordinates [where the new species were found] so I could photograph them and didn’t even get a reply.” In emails, Mr Duncan said: “Rivalry? Not sure where that’s come from. He’s put peacock spiders on the map worldwide and full credit to him.” And then: “It’s standard practice in new discoveries in taxonomy to not reveal locations before a paper is published. The locations were shared with the WA museum where they are supposed to be.” And then another: he said he was surprised the media was focusing on “anything but the discovery of these unique Australian gems. I often say at public talks, wouldn’t be great if the spiders were acknowledged on coins or postage stamps like other iconic Australian animals”. Mr Schubert simply said he was in a difficult position, stuck in the middle. Later, in an email he said: “I think it would also be worth noting that pretty much everything I’ve learnt about peacock spiders has come from Mr Otto and his colleague David Hill, they’ve been very helpful mentors. “It was only about three years ago when I was 18 or so that I found my first peacock spider and had no idea what species it was. Never did I think I would be working on them.” At this point someone might say “ouch” – except peacock spiders are harmless. Jürgen Otto and friend.

Would you hug your sons, laugh at them, or kill them slowly? It’s the gift that keeps on giving — whether he likes it or not! A New Jersey dad’s two prankster sons hung a billboard on a busy Atlantic City highway, complete with their old man’s cellphone number and a message urging strangers to call and wish him happy birthday, according to a report. Chris Ferry, of Linwood, who turns 62 on Saturday, has been flooded with about 10,000 calls and text messages — from well-wishers, nostalgics and oversharers — in less than a week, he told KYW News Radio. “They get me on the phone, they want to talk to me, they want to tell me about their most memorable birthday,” he told the station. “People say, ‘I lost my dad last year.’ I had one guy tell me, ‘I tried to call my father to tell him about the billboard and he didn’t pick up, so I figured I would call you to talk to you and now you’re not picking up.’” He’s getting a kick out of the gesture — even though it has effectively hijacked his smartphone, he said. “I really haven’t been able to use my phone in a normal way,” he said. “There’s a call coming through right now, it’s happened like three times since I’ve been on the phone with you.” But he added, “I got the joke. It was funny, it was good. And then I thought, ‘Man, I’m going to be getting a lot of phone calls.’” The billboard went up on the Black Horse Pike last week, proclaiming, “Wish My Dad Happy Birthday. Love, Your Sons” next to a giant image of Ferry’s face. His son Christopher Ferry Jr., of Florida, said he wanted to do something funny and special for his pop’s birthday. “We wanted it to be a birthday for him to remember,” he said, adding he’s been pranking Dad since he was a kid. “He’s laughing,” said Ferry Jr. “He’s trying to answer as many texts as he can, he’s answering phone calls. He’s actually really getting a kick out of it.” The soon-to-be birthday boy’s voicemail was full when The Post called Monday. But he told the radio station, “It’s been really good-natured fun — although at my expense.”

Speaking of Regina King and things that bounce... For Joel Embiid, it was simply the type of play he's always going to try to make. For award-winning actress Regina King, it was a moment she won't soon forget. King was sitting in the front row at Madison Square Garden when thePhiladelphia 76ers 7-foot center came charging her way in pursuit of a loose ball during the third quarter. Embiid leaped into the stands, clearing King, but crashed feet-first into the MSG Network statistician working next to broadcaster Mike Breen. "It's good that I saved her life I guess, but someone else had to, like, take that," Embiid said, referring to the statistician. "I'm sorry about that." King, perhaps best known to sports fans as Rod Tidwell's wife in "Jerry Maquire," won a Golden Globe last month for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk and is nominated for an Academy Award for the same role. She tweeted her thanks that she emerged unscathed. Asked why he didn't pull up with the Sixers holding a 15-point lead at the time, Embiid said that simply isn't his nature. "I only know one way to play and that's to play hard and compete," said Embiid, who added he'll do that 100 percent of the time. Even if coach Brett Brown wishes Embiid would approach things differently. Asked his thoughts on the play, Brown was matter of fact. "Just like I think our owners and our fans back home were thinking," he said. "You respect his aggression, and his passion, but you don't want that. I say that out of love and care. It's stuff you hope to avoid." The statistician somehow stayed in the game. "I didn't see him but I know he's going to feel it tomorrow,'' said teammate Ben Simmons. "I haven't done that since my rookie season -- and it just happened," Embiid said of his leap.

So you're the one who's watching! I'm sure ABC appreciates it.

Veteran pitcher Doug Fister, who recorded a 3.72 ERA over 10 major league seasons, is retiring, his agent said Wednesday. Fister's agent, Page Odle, told MLB.com that the 35-year-old had several contract offers but wanted to spend time with his family. "He's been contemplating this for a couple months," Odle said. "The main reason is that he wants to start a new chapter in his life. This is 100 percent family-driven." The lanky right-hander was 12-12 for the Texas Rangers last season after signing a one-year, $4 million contract. His best season came in 2014, when he went 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA in 25 starts for the Washington Nationals. Fister was a mainstay on the Detroit Tigers staff from 2011 to '13, and he also pitched for the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners.

Photographer Will Burrard-Lucas couldn’t have been luckier when a big black cat crossed his path while snapping wildlife in Kenya last month. “I couldn’t believe it,” Burrard-Lucas writes in a blog post. “It took a few days before it sank in that I had achieved my dream.” His dream was to capture one of the rarest of African big cats — the mythical black leopard. Turns out it actually exists. “This is what Will’s photos and the videos on our remote cameras now prove, and are exceptionally rare in their detail and insight,” Nicholas Pilford, scientist at San Diego Zoo Global and lead researcher for a leopard conservation program in Laikipia County, tells USA Today. “Collectively these are the first confirmed images in nearly 100 years of black leopard in Africa, and this region is the only known spot in all of Africa to have black leopard.” Burrard-Lucas had heard reports of black leopard sightings, such as the one published in January in the African Journal of Ecology by San Diego Zoo Global researchers. That’s when he decided to head to Africa himself, and set up several covert remote cameras byCamtraptions Camera Trap overnight at the Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya, near where the San Diego Zoo researchers had confirmed the evasive predator’s existence. “Almost everyone has a story about seeing one, it’s such a mythical thing,” Nick Pilfold, a Kenya-based biologist and lead report author, tells National Geographic. Also known as a “melanistic” leopards, these sleek felines have a mutation marked by a prevalence of dark pigment over light. Prior to Pilford’s study, the elusive animals hadn’t been visually documented in Africa since 1909, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Shrinking habitats and scarce resources due to human activity have made the black leopard even more rare since then. They’re more commonly spotted in the jungles of Asia. Writes Burrard-Lucas, “I can still scarcely believe that this project — which started out as a speculative recce trip — has paid such spectacular dividends!”

Brace yourself, Rudolph Ingram is coming. The 7-year-old kid known as “Blaze” from Tampa Bay is the scariest thing on the internet right now — no joke. It’s been six months since Ingram first went viral when NBA superstar LeBron James posted a video of Ingram, with the little man exploding through defenders in a football game. In the last six months, Ingram has actually gotten more freakish. The sprinting sensation returned to the track over the weekend for his first meet of 2019. The video of Ingram competing in the first 60m and 100m sprints of the AAU season in Florida has him going viral all over again. He is in a league of his own in the video, exploding out of the blocks in the 60m dash and embarrassing the field of older competitors in the 100m. The newest sprinting clip has seen his number of Instagram followers climb above 270,000. Under an Instagram account operated by his father, Rudolph Ingram Sr., it is claimed that the pint-sized freak completed his 100m dash in just 13.48 seconds. That time is an astonishing 1.5 seconds faster than his reported personal best in August last year. It’s also a new world record if accurate, smashing USA Track and Field’s official record of 13.67 seconds for 7-year-olds. In the past two AAU national championship meets, he has won a combined 36 medals (including 20 golds). At the 2018 AAU championships in Orlando in July, he finished first in the 100m sprint and second in the 200m dash for 7-year-old boys. Oh, he’s also had a six-pack since he was 5 years old. Even though it's an innocent pic, I don't want to get in trouble for posting a pic of a kid, so here's a link to the article: https://nypost.com/2019/02/11/7-year-old-athletic-freak-cant-stop-going-viral/ He is just as freakish on the football field as he is on the track. Six months ago, it was Ingram’s football videos that had the internet losing its mind. At the age of 6, Ingram was last year playing running back and safety for the Tampa Ravens in a league for older boys. The videos are spellbinding. Even against the taller, older opponents, Ingram is dazzlingly freakish. Heading into the 2018 football season, Ingram reportedly measured at less than 4-feet tall and less than 50 pounds. He scored 10 touchdowns last season for the Ravens and was named the team’s MVP for the season. It’s no wonder his coach, Jimmy Watson, was left blown away. “At running back you can count on him to put the team on his small back and carry us to the promise land,” he said, according to youth1.com. “At safety, it’s unbelievable how he can make plays in the backfield. At running back, he’s very fast but even more elusive. The kid has vision like I’ve never seen in a 6-year-old before. One second he’s going one way and then you blink and he’s going another way. He stops on the drop of a dime and runs so aggressive. The kid is one in a million at safety. He’s so fast. He gets to the ball in the backfield and has great hips. I’ve yet to see someone put a move on him. The kids is an all-around great player.” While Rudolph’s track career is also blowing up, Ingram Sr. has said he wants his son to play in the NFL — if that’s his son’s true desire. “I realized Blaze had a gift … three years ago,” Ingram Sr. told Fox 9 News last year after LeBron’s social media account saw his Instagram page attract 100,000 followers almost overnight. “When I see LeBron James comment on it, it was like a stamp. Once LeBron likes it, everyone likes it. For me to see him go viral, I love it. I feel like with that viral platform you can do so much with it, from positive notes, inspirational notes.”

There have been warning signs for years about plummeting insect populations worldwide, but the extent of the potentially “catastrophic” crisis had not been well-understood — until now. The first global scientific review of insect population decline was published this week in the journal Biological Conservation and the findings are “shocking,” its authors said. More than 40 percent of insect species are dwindling globally and a third of species are endangered, concluded the peer-reviewed study, which analyzed 73 historical reports on insect population declines. Chillingly, the total mass of insects is falling by 2.5 percent annually, the review’s authors said. If the decline continues at this rate, insects could be wiped off the face of the Earth within a century. “It is very rapid. In 10 years you will have a quarter less, in 50 years only half left and in 100 years you will have none,” study co-author Francisco Sánchez-Bayo, an environmental biologist at the University of Sydney, Australia, told The Guardian. “If insect species losses cannot be halted, this will have catastrophic consequences for both the planet’s ecosystems and for the survival of mankind,” Sánchez-Bayo added. Scientists have warned that a human-caused sixth mass extinction is now underway on Earth. Vertebrate species, both on land and under the sea, are threatened at a global scale because of human activities. But according to the new review, the proportion of insects in decline is currently twice as high as that of vertebrates and the insect extinction rate is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. Insects play a profoundly important role in Earth’s ecosystems. They are a food source for many animals, are critical pollinators and recycle nutrients back into the soil. In a November New York Times report about a possible “insect apocalypse,” scientists were asked to imagine a world with no insects. They found “words like chaos, collapse, Armageddon,” the Times wrote. ”[One entomologist] describes a flowerless world with silent forests, a world of dung and old leaves and rotting carcasses accumulating in cities and roadsides, a world of ‘collapse or decay and erosion and loss that would spread through ecosystems.’” According to the new scientific review, habitat loss because of intensive agriculture is the top driver of insect population declines. The heavy use of pesticides, climate change and invasive species were also pinpointed as significant causes. “Unless we change our ways of producing food, insects as a whole will go down the path of extinction in a few decades,” the review’s co-authors wrote. “The repercussions this will have for the planet’s ecosystems are catastrophic to say the least.”

An ambitious expedition to locate explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance is closing in on the Antarctic wreck site. Endurance, which was lost in an ice floe off Antarctica more than 100 years ago, is one of the world’s most famous undiscovered shipwrecks. The search team, however, is conducting its work in one of the harshest environments on the planet. The Weddell Sea Expedition icebreaker, S.A. Agulhas II, broke through heavy pack ice to reach Endurance’s last recorded position Sunday. “We are the first people here since Shackleton and his men!” said Exploration Director and Expedition Archaeologist Mensun Bound, according to a tweet by the team. Researchers will use Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to locate the remains of the famous ship, which was crushed by pack ice and sank in November 1915. Shackleton’s ill-fated expedition had planned to make a land crossing of Antarctica. In a blog post on Sunday Bound wrote that the expedition crew was using a probe to measure water temperature and conductivity, before deploying an undersea drone. The underwater search by the expedition’s AUV 7 will last about 45 hours, he added. Water depth at the location is 3,038 meters (9,967 feet), according to Bound, who notes that “multi-year ice” is present. After Endurance was destroyed in the frozen wastes of the Weddell Sea her 28 crew members survived on ice floes for five months before using the ship’s lifeboats to reach Elephant Island near Antarctica. From there, Shackleton and five companions traveled 800 miles in a lifeboat to the South Atlantic island of South Georgia, where he arranged the rescue of Endurance’s remaining crew from Elephant Island. The survival and rescue of the ship’s crew are regarded as an incredible feat of human endurance. Endurance’s Captain, Frank Worsley, carefully recorded the ship’s final coordinates before she broke up and descended below the ice. The Weddell Sea Expedition recently completed scientific research at the Larsen C ice shelf that made headlines in 2017 when a huge iceberg dubbed A68 broke off the ice mass. The iceberg is the size of Delaware. Experts are intrigued by what they may find at the wreck site. In a blog post last month Bound noted that Endurance poses a unique set of challenges. “Whereas the overwhelming majority of shipwrecks that have been studied by archaeologists are all within a depth of, say, 50 meters [164 feet], and thus reachable by people with aqualungs, the Endurance, by contrast, is 60 times deeper, at 3000 meters [9,843 feet],” he wrote. “The Endurance takes us into the archaeology of hyper-depth of which there is very little experience and thus a dearth of reliable data.” The Expedition has also noted that the female members of the research team have made history. “These are the first women to ever be over this location of the Weddell Sea. We are proud of the large group of woman (scientists, engineers, doctor, film crew and off-shore management from SA and Europe) on this expedition!,” it tweeted Monday. The BBC reports that the Weddell Sea Expedition has allocated itself five days to locate the remains of Endurance.

DEAR ABBY: My brother lives in a different state, and every year he comes “home” for a week. I’m one of six siblings who live in the area, but “Jim” always stays with us. After the first time he stayed here he said, “I’ll just keep your key for next year.” I love my brother, but this means giving him my bedroom for a week or more. We have no other bedrooms, so I have to share with my husband and get no sleep. I’m in my 70s, and after a week with no sleep I feel awful. I have hinted to Jim about him staying with his son, but he says “no.” The other siblings don’t offer because he is so critical. Everything we do has to be his way. I really need to tell him he must stay elsewhere, but I can’t seem to find the right words. My siblings say just tell him. What should I do? — NEEDS MY SLEEP DEAR NEEDS SLEEP: Just tell him! Permit me to suggest a few phrases: “Jim, you will have to make other arrangements when you come to town because you can no longer stay with us. Going without sleep for a week while you use my bed is affecting my health, so please return our house key. We love you and would like to visit with you while you’re here, and we hope you understand.” Do not feel guilty for saying any of it because you have been more than generous to your brother. CHANGE THE @#!*ING LOCKS! Exactly, change the locks, and when he calls again, tell him there is no room at the inn. When people take advantage of other people, they are fully aware of what they are doing. Dear Abby: I have a friend I’ll call Rose who likes to brag about how cheap she is. Sometimes when we’re talking, she will interrupt me and ask, “How do you like my pants? I got them for a dollar at a yard sale.” Or she’ll say, “I got them for free.” Rose likes to draw attention to herself every time she wears something new by asking how I like it. Then she will tell me where she got it and how much it cost. I couldn’t be less interested, and I’m tired of hearing about her tacky, cheap clothes. We go to a water aerobics class together, and she will interrupt the class to ask how they like her “sexy” bathing suit. Abby, Rose is in her 70s and not sexy. I like her as a friend, but I am about ready to tell her to shut up! I don’t want to be mean. How can I get across that I don’t want to hear about her clothes? -- Tired of the Discount Fashion Show Dear Tired: If you say nothing, “Second Hand Rose” will continue her line of chatter. Try this: Say, “Rose, honey, you know how much I like you, but I wish you would stop talking about your wardrobe with me. You are interesting on so many other levels, and I’m just not into fashion.” Then cross your fingers and hope your friend gets the message. Next time she goes into her routine, play along, then when she tells you what the cost was tell her, "You overpaid," and walk away. Good answer!

Zookeepers say a group of chimpanzees used branches weakened by a storm to make a ladder and escape from their enclosure at the Belfast Zoo. Video filmed Saturday by visitors to the Northern Ireland zoo showed several primates scaling a wall and perching atop it, with one walking down a path outside the enclosure. Zookeeper Alyn Cairns said trees in the chimps’ enclosure had been weakened by recent storms, allowing the animals to break them and fashion a ladder to escape. He told the BBC “they’re intelligent primates and know they’re not supposed to be out of their enclosure, so got back in themselves.” Two weeks ago a rare red panda escaped from the same zoo when its electric fences failed. The animal was recaptured in the driveway of a nearby house. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=144807343196389

A remote Russian region has declared a state of emergency over the appearance of dozens of polar bears in its human settlements, local officials say. Authorities in the Novaya Zemlya islands, home to a few thousand people, said there were cases of bears attacking people and entering residential and public buildings. Polar bears are affected by climate change and are increasingly forced on to land to look for food. Russia classes them as endangered. Hunting the bears is banned, and the federal environment agency has refused to issue licences to shoot them. The bears had lost their fear of police patrols and signals used to warn them off, meaning that more drastic measures were needed, officials said. They say that if other means to scare off the bears fail a cull could be the only answer. The archipelago's main settlement, Belushya Guba, has reported a total of 52 bears in its vicinity, with between six and 10 constantly on its territory. Local administration head Vigansha Musin said more than five bears were on the territory of the local military garrison, where air and air defence forces are based. "I've been on Novaya Zemlya since 1983," he said in an official press release. "There's never been such a mass invasion of polar bears." His deputy said normal life was being disrupted by the threat. "People are scared, afraid to leave their homes, their daily routines are being broken, and parents are unwilling to let their children go to school or kindergarten," the deputy head of the local administration, Alexander Minayev, said. With Arctic sea ice diminishing as a result of climate change, polar bears are forced to change their hunting habits and spend more time on land looking for food - which potentially puts them in conflict with humans. In 2016 five Russian scientists were besieged by polar bears for several weeks at a remote weather station on the island of Troynoy, east of Novaya Zemlya.

I thought INTO THE FOLD was the best episode of season 1.

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