Octopus My fear of cephalopods has waned over the years, but the slimy, eight-tentacled monstrosities still make my stomach turn (I have to dig deep to order tako). So last week, when I saw the Irish Examiner headline, “Don’t freak out, but scientists think octopuses ‘might be aliens’ after DNA study,” I freaked out. But you shouldn’t. Actual scientists have debunked the story, chocking it up to general misunderstanding of basic science and the complexity of the octopus genome. So no, octopi are not going to come after you for eating their brethren as sashimi—but if there’s one animal I’d ever expect a meticulously planned covert attack from, it’s still these guys. —Leslie Ventura

Tomato Battle We’ve all dreamt of raucous food fights à la Animal House. The Tomato Battle (which is coming to Vegas at some point, according to the site) makes those dreams reality by supplying 300,000 “past-ripe” Romas for flinging and stomping, in the style of Spain’s La Tomatina festival. The idea is undeniably fun, but is it environmentally responsible, when even squishy tomatoes have culinary value? If people lost their minds over the Ice Bucket Challenge’s spilt water, how will they react to this? —Kristy Totten