World’s largest pumpkin carving in US

A US gardener's 2,560 pound pumpkin is being carved into the world’s largest jack-o’-lantern, reported UPI. The gigantic gourd smashed the US record for pumpkin size when it won the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California earlier this month. The pumpkin is now being carved into the image of an eagle. It has been name Maverick in honour of Tom Cruise’s character in the Top Gun movies.

Stinking plant thrives at Cambridge

Cambridge University botanic garden has unveiled a rare orchid that smells “like dead rats and rotting cabbages”, noted Sky News. Visitors will know they are close to the orchid bulbophyllum phalaenopsis when they start to smell the “delicate aroma of rotting cabbages”, said the garden on Facebook. The orchid was collected from Papua New Guinea and is rarely seen flowering outside its natural habitat but it is now flourishing in the UK centre.

Kombucha benefits mental health

Researchers have found that eating fermented foods can make you feel less stressed, reported The Telegraph. Kombucha, kimchi and kefir have long been linked to greater physical health and now a new study has found that they also notably benefit mental health. “Using microbiota-targeted diets to positively modulate gut-brain communication holds possibilities for the reduction of stress and stress-associated disorders,” they said in their report.