Latest news with #EricZhu
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Travelers avoiding Japan because of dire comic book prediction
Travelers are reportedly avoiding visits to Japan this summer after a catastrophic prediction made in a comic book. Bookings from Asian countries have plummeted by as much as 50 percent compared with last year, with some speculating the cause is due to the manga graphic novel The Future I Saw. In the comic, published in 1999 by Ryo Tatsuki, a huge earthquake prompts scores of tsunami waves that engulf Japan. The date of the fictional disaster: July 2025. According to a Bloomberg Intelligence analysis of ForwardKeys data, airline bookings from Taiwan, South Korea have dropped since April, with Hong Kong flights plunging by an average of 50 percent from last year. Weekly arrival bookings for late June to early July from the Asian financial hub also dropped by over 80 percent, the analysis showed. Despite this, officials have implored tourists not to buy into the rumors, and scientists have reiterated that the exact times and strengths of earthquakes cannot be predicted using current scientific methods. Japan's tourism industry has been strong, with a record-breaking 3.9 million foreign visitors recorded in April, the most recent figures available. But the 'quake speculations are definitely having a negative impact on Japan tourism and it will slow the boom temporarily,' warned Eric Zhu, Bloomberg Intelligence's analyst for aviation and defense. 'Travelers are taking a risk-adverse approach given the plethora of other short-haul options in the region.' Many say that warnings from Tatsuki should perhaps be heeded, as she has reportedly claimed to have predicted other natural disasters, including the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in 2011. 'I, myself, would like to take precautions such as stockpiling supplies in preparation for disasters and confirming evacuation routes when going out,' the artist said in a statement to Bloomberg. 'I intend to remain vigilant on a daily basis as we approach July 2025.'
The Independent
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Travelers avoiding Japan because of dire comic book prediction
Travelers are reportedly avoiding visits to Japan this summer after a catastrophic prediction made in a comic book. Bookings from Asian countries have plummeted by as much as 50 percent compared with last year, with some speculating the cause is due to the manga graphic novel The Future I Saw. In the comic, published in 1999 by Ryo Tatsuki, a huge earthquake prompts scores of tsunami waves that engulf Japan. The date of the fictional disaster: July 2025. According to a Bloomberg Intelligence analysis of ForwardKeys data, airline bookings from Taiwan, South Korea have dropped since April, with Hong Kong flights plunging by an average of 50 percent from last year. Weekly arrival bookings for late June to early July from the Asian financial hub also dropped by over 80 percent, the analysis showed. Despite this, officials have implored tourists not to buy into the rumors, and scientists have reiterated that the exact times and strengths of earthquakes cannot be predicted using current scientific methods. Japan's tourism industry has been strong, with a record-breaking 3.9 million foreign visitors recorded in April, the most recent figures available. But the 'quake speculations are definitely having a negative impact on Japan tourism and it will slow the boom temporarily,' warned Eric Zhu, Bloomberg Intelligence 's analyst for aviation and defense. 'Travelers are taking a risk-adverse approach given the plethora of other short-haul options in the region.' Many say that warnings from Tatsuki should perhaps be heeded, as she has reportedly claimed to have predicted other natural disasters, including the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in 2011. 'I, myself, would like to take precautions such as stockpiling supplies in preparation for disasters and confirming evacuation routes when going out,' the artist said in a statement to Bloomberg. 'I intend to remain vigilant on a daily basis as we approach July 2025.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The world's first sperm race was…oddly entertaining?
Warning: This article covers a sensitive topic that some may find disturbing. Discretion is advised. The world's first sperm race was held in Los Angeles on Friday night, and it was…interesting. Commercial real estate media outlet Traded reported that the Sperm Racing startup – which was the brainchild of Eric Zhu (Thor Ventures, Aviato), Nick Small (the youngest sold-out founder in cryptocurrency), Shane Fan (Waterfall Market) and Garret Niconieko (Vertical Media, ex-Mr. Beast team) — raised $1 million in their efforts to raise awareness to a relatively taboo topic: the worldwide decline in male fertility. Advertisement 'Male fertility is declining. Like a lot,' the Sperm Racing website's 'manifesto' reads. 'It's happening quietly, steadily and nobody's really talking about it.' 'Sperm racing isn't just a joke,' it continues. 'It's not just some viral idea for the internet to laugh at. It's something much bigger.' Sperm racing? A new sport is coming to Los Angeles Indeed, the actual event can be described as exactly that: something much bigger than expected. The competition itself was in a USC vs. UCLA-style format where four competitors went head-to-head at a movie studio in downtown Los Angeles. It had everything a normal fight-style event entails, including weigh-ins, statistics, pre and post-race interviews, betting opportunities, live commentary and trash talking; in fact, the competitors even sat down for an interview with TMZ to preview the competition. The world's first sperm race was held in Los Angeles on April 25, 2025. (KTLA) Two hosts, internet personality Nina Lee and YouTuber Rhino, took turns egging on the crowd of hundreds, most of whom were USC students and supporters (UCLA appeared heavily outnumbered in the crowd, at least when told to cheer), asking suggestive, relatively profane questions surrounding 'practice techniques' and lifestyle choices. Thousands more people were said to have been watching the event on a livestream. Advertisement The sperm samples were provided beforehand and presented to a 'lab assistant' using a microscope on the stage, and once the samples were under the microscope, the race began. Both competitors stood inside large glass tubes on stage as the sperm navigated the course. The microscopic racecourse, which was designed by Sperm Racing engineers was built to mimic the reproductive system, was projected onto several large screens around the room for optimal viewing by the screaming college students. A rendering of the microscopic sperm racetracks that will be constructed for the world's first sperm races, set to be held in L.A. on April 25. (Courtesy: Sperm Racing) And yes, for those of you wondering, the sperm were clearly visible maneuvering through the circuit. During the races, fans cheered, jeered and laughed, but it was clear by this point that some were enjoying it more than others. Advertisement After the 'preliminary card,' fans were treated to a halftime show from an A-list act: Ty Dolla $ign, whose set, while short, provided a much-needed energy boost. The second 'main card' (which was actually a best-of-three series) was 'won' by USC. The world's first sperm race was held in Los Angeles on April 25, 2025. (KTLA) Overall, the event itself was weirdly fascinating. There were some hiccups – audio issues, lateness from competitors, general dysfunction – but that's to be expected from the inaugural edition of an event organized and attended primarily by college students. And seeing that many young people cheer on four men's sperm was puzzling (and slightly alarming), but if the organizers were looking to raise awareness of male fertility rates, well…they definitely made people aware of something. Advertisement 3 girls under the age of 15 found in stolen car after crash: police Of course, the founders of Sperm Racing are not looking at this as some kind of one-time thing; they are building a 'real league' that will serve as a 'real path to greatness' and are set to host open tryouts. The founders have also invented a 'Sperm Racing Professional Sperm Analysis Kit' that is said to measure sperm concentration and motility and help potential competitors 'train.' The world's first sperm race was held in Los Angeles on April 25, 2025. (KTLA) 'And yes, you'll see your racers live in action,' the Sperm Racing tryout page says. 'When you're ready, you'll be placed onto the 'Sperm Racing Amateur Leaderboards,' where we scout the next generation of professional athletes. One day, racing sperm could be your full-time career.' Advertisement More information on the future Sperm Racing league is said to be coming soon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
News24
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
The fast and the fertile: SA-born student wins world's first sperm-racing competition
Conceived by a group of millionaire teenagers, the world's first sperm race – yes, really – was held at a Hollywood movie and TV studio, and livestreamed to home viewers. Sperm from two Los Angeles-based university students, Tristan Milker (20) from Cape Town and Asher Proeger (19), went head-to-head in a microscopic, 20-cm-long racetrack designed to mimic the uterus. The race – or rather, an animated version of it – was shown on big screens at the $1,5-million (R27m) event, attended by about 400 people, and livestreamed for home viewers last month. Eric Zhu (17), Nick Small (16) and influencer Shane Fan (22) are the co-founders of the Sperm Racing initiative. 'It's about making male fertility something people actually want to talk about, track and improve. We're taking a topic no one wants to touch and making it interesting, measurable and weirdly changing this paradigm,' they said on their website. While some research suggests male fertility has declined in the past four decades due to environmental and health factors, the speed or motility of sperm has no effect on male fertility – it's the sperm count that matters. This decline has been blamed on factors including obesity, sedentary lifestyles, smoking and exposure to certain chemicals and pesticides. Once Tristan and Asher's sperm were collected, the sperm cells were isolated and only the spermatozoa was collected for the race. A mild electrical current encouraged the racing sperm to stay on track, as sperm naturally swims upstream. Tristan won two out of the three two-minute races, and took home $10 000 (R180 000). Some controversy followed the race, with reports Eric had admitted the winner was known in advance because the races were recorded an hour earlier, and the footage was edited to make things 'more interesting'. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BeastChild (@bstchld) 'I'm so proud,' the arts, technology and business student from University of Southern California said. 'I came to win.' Eric is adamant that his event 'isn't just a joke. It's not just some viral idea for the internet to laugh at. It's something much bigger. Male fertility is declining, like, a lot', he said. 'It's happening quietly, steadily and nobody's really talking about it.' A few days after the race, Eric posted on Instagram that he'd 'raised a new round' of funding – though he didn't share details, only that a new event would be announced soon. He has, however, expressed hopes that sperm racing might someday be an Olympic event.
Perth Now
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
The worlds newest sport? Sperm racing
I would like to start with an apology: sorry. You are probably reading this on a Saturday morning. A nice cuppa tea, a bit of brekky, crack open the paper. And, possibly against your own will, you're about to learn about sperm racing. If you were too busy following the real news to catch this story in recent weeks, I have to regrettably inform you of the world's newest sporting spectacle: teenage boys have been racing their sperm. And no, if you are a parent to a teenage boy this isn't some weird thing they are doing in their bedrooms or the locker room that you have to have a Meeting At The School about. These sperm races have a stadium. Spectators. Commentators. They even have sponsors. It's probably better funded than 98 per cent of women's sports. In the US, 17-year old Eric Zhu, whose previous claim to fame was making the news for being upset he was too young to have a LinkedIn account, and his mates raised more than $US1 million to stage this 'sporting' event. The sperm of two healthy young men were pitted against each other in a petri dish. The 'race' took place in Los Angeles in late April, with competitor Tristan Mykel proving victorious. He won $US10,000, a golden sperm trophy and a future of awkwardly explaining in job interviews that he did that a long time ago and has matured a lot since then. 'We're taking a topic no one wants to touch and making it interesting, measurable and weirdly changing this paradigm,' Zhu wrote in promotional material before the event and, possibly, on his Tinder profile. They billed the event as the first of its kind, which is a bit of a stretch because in a way, aren't we all the winners of a sperm race? In the week following the event, there have been some mutterings that the entire thing was a bit of a sham. 'The World's First Sperm Race Seemed Too Good To Be True. It Was,' declared online newspaper The Free Press. Is that what it seemed? 'For starters, it wasn't the first,' The Free Press went on. 'The winners were known in advance. And the 'race' was computer-generated.' Honestly! Where is the honour in sport anymore? If you can't trust a bunch of teenagers who want to play with their bodily fluids with the financial backing of DNA testing companies, an online manifesto written entirely in lowercase claiming it's all to raise awareness of male infertility (questionable), and a couple of thousand of drunk mates willing to cheer them on, who can you trust? It's enough to make you think the sport of sperm racing is . . . full of dicks. Sorry.
