WEIRD STUFF

Scientists turn urine into beer

Urine is being used to make eco-friendly beer.

Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) collected 20,000 litres of pee from portaloos set up for the Walpurgis Night celebrations - an annual Christian event celebrated on April 30 and the night of May 1.

The gallons of urine were taken to SLU, where 95 per cent of the water was removed so it could be turned into a concentrate before a research firm converts it into a fertiliser that can be used on 1.5 hectares of arable land.

And in 2027, beer lovers will be able to drink the beer made from the malting barley grown on the land fertilised with the Walpurgis Night celebrations attendees' urine.

Bjorn Vinneras, professor of cycle technology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, said: "The urine we collected a year ago was used three weeks ago, on a field on Gotland where malting barley is grown.

"This corresponds to approximately three football fields, which is not much from an agricultural perspective, but it's a start."

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Plane crash survivors trapped for 36 hours

Five people survived 36 hours of being trapped on top of a crashed plane and surrounded by alligators in an Amazon swamp.

Three women, a child and the pilot, Andres Velarde, were rescued by helicopter after the small aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing near the Itanomas Rivia in Bolivia due to an engine failure.

The group were standing on top of the plane, which was flying from Baures to Trinidad, when it was submerged in water, and they were "surrounded by alligators that came within three metres of us".

He thinks petrol leaking from the aircraft caused the alligators to surround them.

However, the group could not drink water or escape because of the alligators, but they ate local cassava flour.

It comes as a search and rescue operation had been underway to find possible survivors after the plane was reported missing on April 30.

Andres is quoted by Sky News as saying: "We were happy because we could not survive another night.

"We were very tired. We couldn't stand anymore, because we had to stand so we could keep an eye on the animals."

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Experts reveal the 'right' way to shower

Research by shower gel firm Original Source has revealed that two out of five people surveyed said they scrub themselves with soap before they use shampoo and conditioner.

However, one in 20 said they use conditioner first, shower gel second and then shampoo.

But the brand said the right way for people to wash themselves- and to avoid skin irritation - is to use shampoo first, then conditioner and then shower gel.

Alice Plimmer, a refreshment lead at Original Source, said: "There's so much more to a shower than getting yourself as clean as possible."

It comes as scientists have also revealed the formula for the perfect bath - 8pm on a Sunday with a water temperature of 39.8C.

A British Gas spokesman said: "Baths are known to improve how you sleep and aid relaxation.

"You can practically feel your troubles floating away."