Buzz
This week saw a series of strange events. If you missed them, don’t worry, as we’ve compiled this list to bring you up to speed. You can also click here for a glimpse into last week’s events.
We explore two odd crimes, one of which involves an avocado grenade. Additionally, we uncover our ancient ancestors’ habit of making “Cheerios” and smoking cannabis. Lastly, if you're a multimillionaire, it’s time to start planning your vacation to the ISS.
10. Boarding the International Space Station
NASA has revealed plans to welcome tourists to the International Space Station (ISS) starting in 2020.
Robyn Gatens, the deputy director of the ISS, announced that there will be up to two missions annually, each transporting several private astronauts to the station for up to 30 days.
As you might imagine, a space vacation will come with a hefty price tag, making it out of reach for most people. “Booking” a stay at the ISS will cost $35,000 per night, excluding the largest expense: the journey to and from the station.
NASA has stated that private companies like SpaceX and Boeing will oversee the travel logistics. They will also manage the crew selection and ensure that space tourists meet the medical and training standards for such a journey. These companies are expected to charge private customers roughly the same as NASA astronauts for a round-trip to the ISS, approximately $60 million per flight.
9. The World’s Most Considerate Criminal
Police in Manchester, England, took to social media to express gratitude to a thoughtful drug dealer who accidentally left his stash behind, along with his name and address.
In their online post, the playful authorities shared their intention to return the forgotten backpack to its owner, who left it behind while traveling on the tram along the Bury line. Inside the bag were 25 pills, substantial amounts of white powder and white rocks, and some scales.
Luckily for the police, contacting the owner of the backpack should be straightforward, as he also left his Community Payback card, which had both his name and address on it.
8. On Your Marks, Get Ready, Sit
The small Japanese town of Hanyu launched the annual Isu Grand Prix, where teams of three compete in endurance races while sitting in office chairs.
Inspired by Le Mans and Formula One, Tsuyoshi Tahara first organized the event in 2009. It quickly gained popularity, and now, a decade later, 55 teams from places as distant as Wakayama, 600 kilometers (372 miles) away, joined the Hanyu Grand Prix. This event was just the first of ten scheduled across Japan this year.
The teams raced in ordinary office chairs, with two hours to complete as many laps as possible on a 200-meter (656-foot) track. While participants were free to use any form of propulsion as long as it involved their own power, most relied on their legs to push the chairs backward. Several teams rotated in a Le Mans-style shift to stay fresh.
Kitsugawa Unyu, last year’s winners, took the top spot again. Their reward was 90 kilograms (200 pounds) of rice, a hefty prize that proved challenging to lift after the exhausting race.
7. Toilet Trouble For Plane Passenger
A flight from Manchester to Islamabad experienced an almost eight-hour delay after a passenger mistakenly opened the emergency exit, thinking it was the toilet.
The Pakistan International Airways (PIA) flight was ready to depart when the confused passenger, needing the restroom, reached for the wrong door, triggering the emergency evacuation slide. As a result, the plane’s evacuation capacity was reduced, forcing 38 passengers to leave the aircraft and take a later flight. The mishap caused a ripple effect, delaying several other departures at Manchester Airport.
Officials in Pakistan cited a shortage of airline staff as the reason the emergency exit was mistakenly opened.
6. A Generous Toe-nation
The Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada, recently received an unusual delivery: two human toes. While this would usually raise alarm, the hotel’s owners were thrilled. The reason for their excitement? The toes are to be used in the hotel’s infamous “sourtoe cocktail.”
This peculiar tradition began nearly 50 years ago. Visitors to the hotel and its Sourdough Saloon can order the drink and join the “Sourtoe Cocktail Club.” The cocktail consists of an amputated toe floating in their choice of alcohol, usually whiskey. The catch is that the lips must touch the toe for it to count as part of the experience.
The original toe is no longer available, so the hotel depends on donations. The most recent addition came from Nick Griffiths, a British endurance athlete who lost three toes to frostbite during the Yukon Arctic Race. While he initially planned to bring the toes himself, rehab delays led him to send them to the hotel. He kept one toe as ‘insurance.’
5. The Avocado Robber
In Israel, a man was arrested after robbing two banks and walking away with NIS 28,000 ($7,800). His weapon of choice? An avocado.
The 47-year-old thief initially struck at a Postal Bank branch in a Beersheba shopping mall in mid-May. Approaching the teller, he handed over a note with several spelling errors demanding all the cash in the drawer. In his right hand, he held a small, round object, warning that he would 'throw this grenade' if the money wasn't handed over. The teller complied, and the thief made off with the loot in his first successful heist.
Just five days later, he walked into another Postal Bank branch and used the same tactics, achieving yet another successful robbery.
Although he took care to conceal his face from the security cameras, the police were able to track him down by analyzing cell phone geolocation data from both robberies. While his name has not been released, authorities arrested the man and confirmed he had previously served time for robbery. They also revealed that the 'grenade' he used in both crimes was, in fact, an avocado painted black.
4. A Trip To Davy Jones’s Locker
The Elbe No 5 may never set sail again. Just after it had been restored, the 19th-century schooner collided with a container ship and sank.
Built in 1883, the Elbe No 5 was a 37-meter (121 ft) wooden vessel that once guided larger ships safely into the Hamburg port. In the 1920s, the vessel was sold to American Warwick Tompkins, who repurposed it as a houseboat. It returned to Hamburg in 2002.
The ship underwent major renovations over the past nine months, including the installation of a new stern and outer wooden planks, costing approximately €1.5 million. By the end of May, the Elbe No 5 had resumed its role as a tourist boat cruising around Hamburg's harbor.
However, its brief new career came to an abrupt end when the Elbe No 5 collided with the Astrosprinter, a container ship flagged in Cyprus. The likely cause of the crash appears to be a failed tack, which sent the schooner directly into the path of the massive ship.
Forty-three passengers ended up in the water. Fortunately, several rescue boats, which were nearby responding to a minor accident, were able to rescue everyone, and no one died. However, they couldn't prevent the Elbe No 5 from sinking.
3. The High Spirits of Jirzankal Cemetery
Around 2,500 years ago, the ancient Chinese were known to indulge in cannabis during funerals. Researchers believe they've uncovered the earliest evidence of cannabis use for recreational purposes.
The evidence comes from ten wooden braziers found at Jirzankal Cemetery in the Pamir Mountains, located in China’s Xinjiang region. These braziers contained stones marked by burns, and nearby, incense burners were discovered. Both the braziers and the burners had traces of marijuana residue. The site also yielded various artifacts related to funerals and sacrificial rites, indicating that cannabis smoking was part of the funeral rituals.
To detect the traces of organic material, scientists employed a method called gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The analysis revealed an unusually high level of THC, surpassing what is typically found in wild cannabis, suggesting these plants were specifically chosen for their psychoactive effects.
While evidence of cannabis use dates back 4,000 years, primarily for making hemp rope, textiles, and oil seeds, archaeologist Yimin Yang from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences believes this discovery represents the earliest clear proof of cannabis being used for its psychoactive effects.
2. The Ancient Cheerios
Austrian archaeologists have uncovered what appear to be 3,000-year-old “cheerios,” though their exact purpose remains a subject of debate.
In 1978, scientists excavated a Bronze Age site in Austria called Stillfried an der March, revealing 100 grain storage pits. Inside one of these pits, archaeologists found tiny, charred organic rings measuring about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in diameter.
In recent studies, researchers utilized radiocarbon dating and electron microscope imaging to uncover that the rings were crafted from a paste made by mixing ground wheat and barley with water. However, it appears that these rings were not baked, or only lightly baked at low temperatures to dry them out.
The purpose of these cereal bits has left scholars somewhat puzzled. While they might have been used as food, their shape and size made them quite labor-intensive to prepare and, likely, not very appetizing.
Researchers propose a more probable explanation: these cereal bits were likely used in a ritual. In the same pit where the cereal was discovered, ring-shaped loom weights made from clay were also found. Such weights were commonly placed in graves as offerings for the afterlife, suggesting the cereal could have been symbolic, serving as miniature versions of these weights.
1. The Witches And Cheese Thieves Of Cambridge
Soon, people will have the opportunity to peer into the past, thanks to the Cambridge University Library, which is cataloging hundreds of years' worth of criminal cases from Cambridgeshire. These cases, once tried at the assizes court on the Isle of Ely, are being documented for the first time.
Before England established a permanent Crown Court, it relied on assizes—temporary courts held by visiting judges from London. Currently, Cambridge archivists are sifting through nearly 270 files and rolls detailing crimes committed in the diocese of Ely between 1557 and 1775. They aim to complete the project by September 2020, with plans to make the information available online.
For many individuals mentioned in these documents, these are the only remaining records confirming their existence. Archivist Sian Collins finds the work rewarding, explaining that "many of these people, long dead and forgotten, [ . . ] will now have a small piece of their story told."
The crimes range from minor offenses to horrific acts. For instance, William Sturns was accused of stealing 'three cheeses,' but was acquitted. On the more tragic end, Cecilia Samuel was hanged for drowning her newborn baby. Other crimes reflect the times, like Margaret Cotte, who was accused of causing Martha Johnson's death through witchcraft. Surprisingly, Cotte was found not guilty in 1577.
