In another eventful week of scientific discoveries, the world witnessed the revival of a cutting-edge gravitational wave detector and the unearthing of a 3,000-year-old bakery coated in flour. Among the fascinating news stories, one particularly intriguing development is the realization that the collective weight of New York City’s 1,084,954 buildings is causing the city to sink at a rate of approximately 0.08 inches (2.1 millimeters) per year.

Meanwhile, paleontologists in Argentina made an extraordinary finding—a colossal long-necked titanosaur measuring about 100 feet (30 meters) in length. The weight of the dinosaur’s fossils was so immense that during transportation to Buenos Aires for study, they caused a traffic accident and even shattered the asphalt on the road. Fortunately, no bones, human or dinosaur, were harmed in the incident.

On a more philosophical note, several mysteries have been occupying the minds of scientists this week. Questions like whether octopuses experience nightmares, what China is launching into space, and the existence of a “dark matter star” have been intriguing researchers. However, evolutionary scientists can now shed light on their equivalent of the chicken-or-egg dilemma—whether the comb jelly or the sea sponge came first.

In the realm of rare sightings, a captivating photograph emerged from New South Wales, Australia, featuring an exceptionally unusual creature—an albino echidna. These egg-laying mammals are one of the world’s rarest, alongside platypuses, as they produce both eggs and milk. The all-white echidna, affectionately named Raffie by local authorities, was discovered along a road and has since become a subject of fascination and wonder.

Albinism, a genetic condition affecting the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for coloring skin, fur, feathers, scales, and eyes, is behind the unique appearance of this echidna. The occurrence of an albino echidna is considered extremely rare, while spotting a non-albino echidna is also uncommon, according to representatives from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).

As the scientific community continues to unravel the mysteries of the world, these remarkable findings remind us of the awe-inspiring wonders that surround us and the never-ending quest for knowledge and understanding.