Buzz
Another week has gone by, and it's time to revisit some of the odd and quirky events that took place. If you're looking for the serious news, click here. Otherwise, keep reading for a roundup of the stranger, wilder stories.
This week brings us a slew of bizarre crimes. From criminals with flatulent tendencies to monkeys on the rampage, there are thieves who are doppelgangers, colon poachers, and, of course, the most outrageous offense of all: an unpaid permit. Plus, there are some truly intriguing sightings and discoveries to note.
10. The Headless Chicken Monster of the Deep
A rare creature has been captured on film for the first time, swimming in the deep waters of the Southern Ocean. This strange animal has been dubbed the 'headless chicken monster,' and this marks only the second time it has ever been spotted.
Despite its striking name, the 'monster' is simply a sea cucumber known as Enypniastes eximia. This vivid purple creature, about the size of a basketball, has wings and stands out even among its kind. It's incredibly rare—before this sighting, it was only seen once in 2017 in the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike most sea cucumbers, this 'monster' has the ability to swim, preferring to glide through the depths before resting on the ocean floor to feed on plankton.
The discovery was made by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) around 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) below sea level, off Heard Island. Researcher Dirk Welsford and his team were initially baffled when they encountered the creature. They turned to Google to figure out what it was. They eventually dubbed it the 'headless chicken monster' for fun, as its appearance resembled a chicken, and they liked the name.
9. Why Steal a Giant Colon?
A massive, 3-meter-long (10 ft) inflatable colon was stolen from the University of Kansas Cancer Center.
The colon weighed 68 kilograms (150 lb) and was valued at $4,000. It was owned by the Cancer Coalition and loaned out for various events across the country. The inflatable colon was set up as a tunnel, allowing people to walk through and learn about the dangers of colon cancer, with the hope of encouraging them to schedule a screening. John Ashcraft, a surgical oncologist at the University of Kansas Cancer Center, described screening as 'the most powerful weapon we have against colorectal cancer,' and noted that the giant colon was a 'great conversation starter' on such an important, sensitive issue.
It's still unclear who would want to steal an inflatable colon or what they would do with it. The colon was left in the bed of a parked pickup truck, so perhaps the thief simply saw an opportunity to snatch something without fully understanding what they were taking.
8. Monkey See, Monkey Hit
While it's debatable whether there's a 'good' way to die, there are certainly many strange ones. In this case, a 70-something man from India was stoned to death by a group of monkeys. Although police are treating it as an accident, the man's family believes there may have been foul play.
On October 17, 72-year-old Dharampal Singh went out to gather dry wood in the village of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh. A group of monkeys began throwing bricks at him, striking him repeatedly in the head, legs, and chest. Singh was rushed to the hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
The victim's brother, Krishnapal Singh, has urged law enforcement to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the mischievous monkeys, holding them accountable for a cognizable offense. However, local police have rejected the request, arguing that it is an 'illogical demand' and would make them a 'laughingstock.' Despite this, Singh’s family has escalated their appeal to a higher authority.
7. What Are Americans Afraid Of?
Chapman University in California released its annual survey on the top fears of Americans. In June, a random sample of 1,190 adults from across the U.S. were interviewed about their levels of fear regarding 94 different topics. This year, the overwhelming fear among Americans was government corruption.
Nearly 74 percent of respondents expressed fear or deep fear about government corruption. This marks the fourth consecutive year this concern has topped the list. In 2018, environmental issues also came to the forefront, with the fear of ocean, river, and lake pollution, as well as the contamination of drinking water, taking the second and third spots. The top five fears were completed by worries about not having enough money in the future and the possibility of loved ones becoming seriously ill.
Common phobias didn’t rank as highly as one might expect. Acrophobia, the fear of heights, came in at number 41 with 33.6 percent, while the fear of sharks appeared ten spots lower, with 29.2 percent.
In the stranger categories, 8.4 percent of Americans have a fear of zombies. This fear is slightly more common than the fear of ghosts, but it is still less than half as prevalent as the fear of demons.
6. The Most Satisfying Iceberg in the World
The iceberg was drifting off the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, near an ice shelf called Larsen C. NASA captured images of it as part of Operation IceBridge, a mission designed to survey all of Earth's polar ice. The data collected helps create 3-D maps of both the Arctic and Antarctic, making it easier to track changes over time.
NASA ice scientist Kelly Brunt acknowledged that the iceberg appeared 'a bit unusual.' After all, it's rare to find 90-degree angles and straight edges in nature. We typically expect icebergs to be massive, irregular slabs of ice. However, you can rest assured that this particular chunk of ice is entirely natural and wasn’t purposely shaped by humans (or aliens, for that matter).
This is a tabular iceberg—a massive slab of ice with nearly vertical sides and a flat top that breaks off from an ice shelf. Due to its clean, sharp edges, this iceberg has calved recently. In time, the wind and sea will erode it, causing it to lose its perfect straight lines.
5. Flatulence Will Get You Nowhere
A man known as the 'farting felon' pleaded guilty this week to several charges of gun and drug possession in Kansas City, Missouri.
The bizarre incident began in the fall of 2017 during a traffic stop when police searched a car and found drugs and firearms. Sean Sykes Jr. was in the passenger seat and denied knowing anything about the items. According to the police report, when a detective asked Sykes for his address, he 'leaned to one side of his chair and released a loud fart before responding with the address.' He continued to fart throughout the questioning, eventually prompting the detective to end the interview.
No charges were filed against Sykes initially. However, two months later, he was pulled over again, and officers discovered marijuana, cocaine, and a stolen revolver. He appeared in court this week and pleaded guilty. It's still unclear whether Sykes used his flatulence as a defense tactic or just as a way to express his disdain for the law.
4. Is David Schwimmer A Ruthless Criminal?
Speaking of crimes, could it be that David Schwimmer has fallen on hard times? Has the former Friends star turned to a life of crime despite being part of one of the most successful TV shows ever? Well, not really, but his doppelganger has.
On Tuesday, police from Blackpool, Lancashire, England, posted a photo on social media of a man seen stealing a case of beer, asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect. It wasn't long before people pointed out that the thief resembled David Schwimmer.
Schwimmer later took the situation lightly, posting a video of himself 'stealing' a case of beer in New York as an alibi to prove he couldn't have committed the crime in Blackpool. Lancashire police eventually announced that they had identified the real thief.
3. Oldest Intact Shipwreck In The World
Maritime experts are celebrating the discovery of the world's oldest intact shipwreck, which was found deep beneath the Black Sea off Bulgaria’s coast.
The discovery was made as part of the Black Sea Maritime Archaeological Project, a collaboration between British and Bulgarian researchers aiming to uncover shipwrecks in the area. Radiocarbon dating reveals that the 23-meter-long (75 ft) vessel dates back 2,400 years. It is believed to have been a Greek merchant ship that navigated the Mediterranean and traded with the Greek colonies along the Black Sea coast.
This ship is said to bear a striking resemblance to the vessel shown on the Siren Vase, an iconic piece of pottery housed in the British Museum. The vase, which dates to around 480 BC, illustrates Odysseus encountering the Sirens.
The reason the wreck remains so well-preserved is due to its position in anoxic, oxygen-free waters. Situated more than 2,000 meters (6,560 ft) beneath the surface, the ancient ship is out of reach of organisms that would typically feast on wood. While it’s too deep for human divers to access, it’s not beyond the reach of remote-controlled submersibles. Using robotic explorers, researchers created a 3-D image of the wreck and retrieved a small sample for carbon dating. To fully investigate the ship's cargo, a new expedition will be necessary.
2. Bird Fossil Still Has Lungs
A collaborative team of Chinese and American paleontologists has discovered the first known fossilized lungs of a bird that lived alongside the dinosaurs.
Archaeorhynchus spathula lived around 120 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. One particular specimen was tragically preserved in volcanic ash in Northeastern China. The bird's unfortunate fate became a windfall for modern scientists, as the sudden ashfall preserved it in nearly perfect condition, including some soft tissue—its lungs—still intact to this day.
Early birds remain a mystery, so any new discovery offering insights into their evolution is incredibly valuable. Lungs, in particular, are noteworthy as they played a crucial role in their adaptation to flight.
This discovery suggests that the specialized lungs of birds evolved earlier than we previously thought. Prior to this, all knowledge about the evolution of avian respiratory systems was based on skeletal evidence. As study co-author Jingmai O'Connor noted, 'We were inferring less generously than we should have.'
Even before the discovery of the lungs, this specimen of A. spathula fascinated paleontologists. The fossil was notable for preserving the bird's plumage, a first for this group of extinct creatures. It wasn’t until a closer inspection of the torso that the lungs were found. O'Connor exclaimed, 'I was like, boom! Lung tissue.'
1. Sagrada Familia Is Illegal
Though it has been under construction for almost 140 years, the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona is still not completed. When its main architect, Antoni Gaudi, passed away in 1926, only a quarter of the project had been finished. Since then, work on the church has progressed intermittently, with hopes to finish by 2026, marking the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death. However, throughout all this time, the construction of the Sagrada Familia has been illegal because the church never obtained the required building permit.
It turns out that ignoring the costs for more than a century can really pile up. Recently, the church’s board of trustees struck a deal with the city council, agreeing to pay €36 million to bring their permits up to date.
This amount will be paid over the course of the next ten years, with the funds directed toward enhancing the surrounding neighborhood of the Sagrada Familia and addressing the challenges posed by the millions of visitors the UNESCO Heritage Site attracts each year.
The majority of the payment will be allocated to upgrading the transportation infrastructure leading to the church. The remainder will help improve four key roads and ensure the area remains clean and secure.
