Buzz
Another week is behind us, so let’s dive into some strange and offbeat news you may have missed. Don’t forget to click here to revisit last Saturday’s list.
This week features Canadian cheese bandits, chimpanzees snacking on tortoises, and a nudist-friendly pub in London. Plus, a virus-ridden laptop fetches over $1 million, while an English port town honors gangsta rap.
10. You Can Leave Your Hat On
Londoners can now head to the Coach & Horses, strip off their clothes, and sip on a pint at a historic pub that has officially been granted a nudist license.
The Coach & Horses, founded in the early 1800s, became famous in the following century under the ownership of Norman Balon, who ran it for over 60 years and earned the title of 'London’s rudest landlord.' Since 2006, Alastair Choat has taken the reins, infusing the pub with a bohemian vibe. But with Choat’s lease nearing its end, Fuller’s Brewery, the pub’s owner, plans to bring in new management.
Though the brewery insists it will keep the pub’s unique atmosphere, Choat made a last-ditch attempt to secure funding for a new lease by creating a 16-month nudie calendar featuring the staff and regulars. To make this happen, he needed a special license, akin to those given to adult venues.
The calendar’s buzz quickly spread, and the Coach & Horses started getting calls asking if it had become naturist-friendly. While you can’t just waltz in and strip down, Choat revealed plans to host a 'nude night' in June.
9. The Great Cheese Heist
The city of Burlington, Ontario, is under siege by a pair of cheese-stealing women. This dairy-loving duo has pulled off three heists in under a month.
The first robbery took place on April 5, when they entered a Fortinos supermarket and made off with multiple wheels of cheese worth hundreds of dollars. They hit another store, Longo’s, on the same day.
The following day, the two women attempted to steal from Longo’s once again. Recognized by the staff, they were quickly reported to the authorities, but they managed to escape before police arrived.
During their latest theft, the women returned to the same Fortinos as before and snatched $580 worth of cheese wheels. In total, authorities estimate they’ve stolen over $1,500 in cheese. It's believed the stolen goods were sold under the table to restaurants. Despite revisiting the same stores and having clear surveillance photos of their faces, they remain on the run.
8. A Collection of Viruses
One of the most bizarre art projects in recent memory involves a laptop that sold for $1.3 million at auction in the United States. Titled The Persistence of Chaos, the laptop had been deliberately infected with six of the most infamous malware viruses ever created.
This project is a collaboration between artist Guo O Dong and the cybersecurity firm Deep Instinct. Guo describes it as a 'bestiary,' cataloging some of the most dangerous threats of the modern Internet age. He chose to house them all in a single 11-year-old laptop because he finds it more interesting 'to see beasts in a live environment.'
The six viruses featured include notorious ones that have caused major disruptions in recent years, such as ILoveYou and WannaCry, which infected tens of millions of computers. Precautions were necessary to ensure the laptop remained isolated from other networks to prevent the malware from spreading. As per the terms and conditions, the buyer will receive the laptop 'as a piece of art or for academic purposes,' because selling the malware would otherwise be illegal.
Cybersecurity experts, amused by the project, suggest that instead of spending millions, anyone in need of such a laptop could simply connect one to the Internet for a few days without any security precautions.
7. A Winged Savior
A dove came to the rescue of a speeding driver, flying in front of his car and blocking his identity from the camera that snapped his picture, sparing him from a hefty fine.
Recently, a driver was caught speeding through Viersen, Germany, at 54 km/h (34 mph) in a 30 km/h (18 mph) zone, which would normally incur a €105 fine. However, the camera photo did not show the driver's face because a white dove flew right in front of it. While the license plate was visible, German law requires both the vehicle and driver to be identifiable in the image.
Viersen authorities speculated that this unusual event might have been caused by divine intervention, interpreting the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. They advised the speeding driver to take the 'hint from above' and slow down in the future.
6. Celebrate with Drink, Dance, and Joy
Rome continues to unveil its ancient wonders. A few weeks ago, we reported on archaeologists uncovering a hidden chamber built by Emperor Nero. Now, fresh excavations beneath the city's core have revealed a colossal marble head, believed to depict Dionysus, the god of wine, theater, and fertility.
In a form of medieval repurposing, the head was incorporated into a wall as building material. Dating from the Roman imperial period, sometime between the first century BC and second century AD, the statue’s reuse occurred later during medieval times when the wall was constructed.
The statue’s delicate, youthful, and feminine features lead archaeologists to believe it represents Dionysus, the Greek god later revered by Romans as Bacchus. Its eye sockets are empty, likely once housing jewels or glass. Aside from this, the statue remains in remarkable condition. Researchers are hopeful that, after cleaning, they may uncover remnants of its original colors.
5. Straight Outta Newhaven
This week, the British port town of Newhaven, East Sussex, unveiled a commemorative bench. It honors the ‘Godfather of Gangsta Rap’ Eazy-E, despite no apparent connection between the two.
It all began as a playful idea by local hip-hop enthusiast Guy Stevens. Newhaven, a town known for its quirky memorials, already features a statue of communist leader Ho Chi Minh, a gift from Vietnam. Legend has it that Ho Chi Minh visited Newhaven during World War I via a cross-channel ferry. Stevens thought it would be amusing to place a statue of Eazy-E next to it, but eventually, he scaled it back to a bench.
Stevens’ campaign was unexpectedly successful, raising over $2,000—$500 more than needed. The surplus funds were donated to HIV charities, in memory of the rapper who passed away from AIDS in 1995.
The supporters of the campaign either share Stevens' sense of humor or hope that the publicity will help put Newhaven on the map. The rap fan has more lighthearted ideas, including memorial benches for 2Pac and Biggie or even renaming the town to Newcompton.
4. A Hard-Shelled Snack
A recent study published in Scientific Reports reveals a surprising behavior among chimpanzees: they are now snacking on tortoises. This marks the first recorded instance of primates eating tortoises, or any other type of reptile.
To break open the hard shells of tortoises, chimps use a method of smashing them against trees. This action requires significant strength, so it's predominantly carried out by adult males. The researchers observed that two females and a juvenile were unable to crack the shells and instead handed them over to the stronger members of the group, who successfully broke the tortoises open and shared the meat.
The German research team who conducted the study monitored chimps in Loango National Park in Gabon. They recorded 38 instances of tortoises being preyed upon, with 34 being successful. Particularly fascinating was the behavior of one adult male, who demonstrated future planning. He cracked open a tortoise, ate half while perched on a tree, and hid the remainder to consume the next day.
Interestingly, the chimps were only seen eating tortoises during the dry season. Despite the availability of other food sources, it’s believed the tortoises were easier to spot as they rustled through the dry, crunchy leaves.
3. Green Me Up, Scotty
The West Virginia National Guard faced an unusual mystery when one of its Korean War-era tanks, displayed in a local park, suddenly turned bright lime green. The mystery was resolved when a member of a local science fiction club confessed to mistakenly painting the tank the wrong color after contacting a local newspaper.
An M41 Walker Bulldog is stationed at Lotito City Park in Bluefield, a city that also hosts Bluefield State College. The college is home to the USS Yeager chapter of Starfleet International, the largest Star Trek fan club globally. This group has taken on the responsibility of maintaining the tank, which they’ve been cleaning and painting for nearly 20 years.
Recently, the Star Trek fans decided it was time for the Bulldog to get a fresh coat of paint. They brought a sample to a local supplier and came away with 7.5 liters (2 gallons) of 'tank green' paint.
Upon opening the paint cans, they realized that the color didn’t match the sample they had. In a rather unlogical decision, they painted the tank anyway, assuming the color would turn into a more suitable olive drab once dried. Unfortunately, it didn’t.
Local authorities took the mistake in stride. City Manager Dane Rideout shared that his team is working with the Starfleet International chapter to find historically accurate paint for the tank.
2. Gold: A Fungus's Unlikely Companion
Researchers from Australia, as reported by Nature Communications, have discovered a new strain of fungus with a surprising attraction: gold. This particular variety of Fusarium oxysporum actively collects gold from its surroundings, dissolves it, and then precipitates it, ultimately coating itself in gold.
Fungi are known to interact with various materials, both organic and inorganic, but Dr. Tsing Bohu described this unique relationship as something that had to be witnessed to be believed. While scientists are still uncertain as to why the fungus does this, early observations suggest that the fungi coated in gold grow more rapidly and spread more effectively than those without the precious metal.
The discovery of this new gold-loving fungus may be a significant breakthrough for the gold mining industry, as it could indicate previously undiscovered gold deposits. Some researchers even suggest that this fungus might be used to recover gold from electronic waste, or possibly as a 'pathway' to transport gold from deep within the earth to the surface.
1. A Behind-the-Scenes Scandal
A strange trial has begun this week at Japan's Oita District Court, where a 44-year-old man faces charges for restraining and assaulting his wife after learning she had been trolling his YouTube videos for six months.
The man, aspiring to become a YouTuber, had been posting videos showcasing the restaurants, landmarks, and sightseeing spots of Oita. Unfortunately, these videos quickly became filled with negative comments, calling him “idiot” and “baldy.” Though this might be typical for YouTube, the man was stunned to discover that his wife was behind the majority of the disparaging remarks. She even enlisted friends to join in the trolling.
Overcome with anger, the husband restrained his wife with tape and repeatedly kicked her. He has confessed to the assault and is now facing a sentence of up to three years in prison.
