Believe it or not

A Cambridge-based design studio and innovation lad has created a machine that can print fruit.

Dovetailed has developed a 3D printer they say can make edible harvests on demand.

The device uses a molecular-gastronomy technique called spherification which combines liquid droplets with different flavours into a desired shape, allows the creation of bespoke fruits in seconds.

The firm says the machine is aimed at chefs, foodies and anyone interested in making creative dining experiences.

No specialist knowledge of cuisine or molecular-gastronomy is required to "rapidly create fresh and organic 3D fruits on demand".

Dr. Vaiva Kalnikaite, Creative Director and Founder of Dovetailed, says: "We have been thinking of making this for a while. It's such an exciting time for us as an innovation lab.

"Our 3D fruit printer will open up new possibilities not only to professional chefs but also to kitchens in our home – allowing us to enhance and expand our dining experiences.

"We have re-invented the concept of fresh fruit on demand."

Chief inventor Dr Gabriel Villar added: "With our novel printing technique, you can not only re-create existing fruits, but also invent your own creations.

"The taste, texture, size and shape of the fruit can all be customised."

Singer sang during throat operation

Surgeons asked a singer to sing as they operated on her throat to make sure they didn't damage her vocal chords. Alama Kante sung throughout surgery to remove a tumour from her throat, reports the BBC.

The Guinean singer, who is based in France, was given just a local anaesthetic and hypnotised to help with the pain during the operation in Paris.

Professor Giles Dhonneur knew that one slip of his scalpel could have destroyed her singing voice.

He said it was the first time a tumour has been removed using the technique, as the procedure would usually be carried out under general anaesthetic. "The pain of such an operation is intolerable if you are fully awake," he said.

"Only hypnosis enables you to stand it. She went into a trance listening to the words of the hypnotist. She went a long way away, to Africa. And she began to sing – it was amazing.

"Kante, who has made a full recovery, added: "It's as though I was not in the operating theatre at all, I was far away in Senegal."

100,000 strong ducksodus

A video of an estimated 100,000 ducks waddling through a street in Thailand is proving a viral hit online.

The footage, first posted on Facebook by Jack Sarathan, shows the birds pouring down the road in Bang Len district, near Bangkok.

Hundreds of thousands of people have watched his video which has also been uploaded to YouTube.Sarathat, who lives in Thailand, was forced to bring his car to a halt because of the birds.

He was on his way to work and was worried that he would be late due to the sea of ducks flooding the road.

"I'm not sure why these ducks are in revolt," he says to a passenger, according to a translation by the Bangkok Post.

"You can see the great mass of ducks swarming on the road. They have now occupied the area entirely."

Fold-up scooter fits in a handbag

A university student has invented a revolutionary adult scooter that folds up to the size of an A4 piece of paper.

George Mabey's design works by linking parts of aluminium with a cable which, when tightened, pulls them together to support an adult's weight.

Now the 22-year-old has scooped the top prize at the prestigious Power of Aluminium awards which celebrates innovative uses of the metal.

What's more, the handy device – which is so small it can fit in a handbag – is being made after impressing judges and could cost around £1,000.

The lightweight scooter, at less than 5kg, is the first prototype to be exhibited as part of the London South Bank University's Shape Product Design and Engineering Product Design degree show.

Aluminium Federation spokesman Alan Arthur said: "Nothing else out there at the moment folds away this small and it could even fit in a handbag."

Mabey, from Southampton, an engineering product design student, pocketed a £1,000 prize.

He said: "I was amazed at winning such a brilliant competition, which I was proud to take part in.

"Having my work acknowledged at the awards and recognised by the industry is the icing on the cake. It's a great way to finish my time at university."