Scientists are planning expeditions to reach a consensus on which river is the world’s longest, the Washington Post reports. Although conventional wisdom holds that the Nile River — whose length stands at 4.1k miles — is the world’s longest, some are vehemently arguing that it is the Amazon, which follows closely with 4k miles, according to the US Geological Survey and Britannica. But numbers aren’t enough to settle the dispute.

A new mapping attempt to settle things: Scientists have planned a seven-month-long expedition to attempt to map the Amazon for more accurate data with the support of organizations like the Explorers Club. They intend to journey through the Nile next. However, the expedition is not as straightforward as many may think. Rivers are far from stagnant bodies of water: In 1846, the Amazon measured 3.2k miles, while the Nile was 2.7k miles long, the Maps of Useful Knowledge atlas says, according to the WaPo. These changes are due to shorelines shifting, canals affecting water paths, and the lack of consensus on where a river begins and ends, the newspaper.

There’s also the issue of safety as drug traffickers and river pirates can prove dangerous — if not deadly — to people attempting the journey like slain solo kayaker Emma Kelty whose body was found earlier this year.


Could the Red Devils be getting a Qatari owner soon? Manchester United’s stock rose a whopping 30% in premarket trading as a report emerged today claiming that Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, son of former Qatari Prime Minister, is likely to be announced the preferred bidder for buying the club, CNBC reports citing Qatar’s Al Watan newspaper. The club’s owners — the Glazer family — have also been engaged in extensive talks with British b’naire Jim Ratcliffe since the initiation of the sale process last year. Earlier reports suggested that Ratcliffe was better positioned to snag the purchase as he reportedly outbid his Qatari rival.