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Let’s kick off the weekend by exploring some of the most bizarre events from the past few days. We can also help you get up to date with the latest important events by clicking here.
This week takes us on a journey back in time to revisit long-forgotten mysteries. These include the notorious Dyatlov Pass tragedy and the mysterious circumstances surrounding James Brown’s death. We also applaud the British Library for its efforts to make historical erotica more accessible.
There are also a couple of criminal escapades worth mentioning: a successful diamond heist in Belgium and an attempted robbery in Canada thwarted by some unexpected bananas.
10. Beware of Dragons
North Wales Police are advising drivers on the A5 motorway near Tregarth, Gwynedd, to keep their eyes on the road rather than the dragon sitting nearby.
Alright, so the dragon isn’t real—it’s a 7.6-meter-long (25 ft) sculpture named Y Ddraig Derw (“the Oak Dragon”). Created with a chainsaw by Simon O’Rourke, the dragon is carved from a fallen oak tree. It’s displayed on private property, facing the road.
As expected, the striking dragon sculpture draws a lot of attention, which isn’t ideal for road safety. Drivers often slow down unexpectedly to gaze at it. The sculpture has been in place for about a month, causing one accident and several near misses.
While Welsh police say they “love the oak dragon,” they urge drivers to stay focused on the road and park safely if they want to admire it. The owner of the sculpture has yet to announce any plans to relocate it out of sight.
9. Super Bowl Controversy
Super Bowl LIII is now part of history. While the game itself was mostly uneventful, there was one juicy controversy that had nothing to do with the score. Gamblers have been debating the exact length of Gladys Knight’s performance of the national anthem.
Americans placed around $6 billion in bets on the game. But not all of those bets focused on the final outcome or score. “Prop bets,” which can be placed on anything from the half-time show to the color of the Gatorade poured on the victorious coach, have been growing in popularity.
One such prop bet revolved around the length of the anthem. This year, the legendary Gladys Knight performed it, and most betting sites set the over/under line at 1 minute and 50 seconds.
This allowed bettors to wager on whether the anthem would last more or less than 1:50. Knight’s rendition appeared to finish at 1:49, with her singing “home of the brave,” suggesting the under bet would win. However, she repeated the words “the brave,” pushing the time to about two minutes, making the over bet the winner.
The controversy: When does the anthem actually end—when the official lyrics are finished, or when the performer stops singing altogether? This became a major topic of debate since the answer determined who would be paid. One sportsbook solved the issue by paying out on both sides, while most others decided that the clock stops after the original “brave.”
8. Banana Assault Forces Robber to Flee
A 69-year-old shopkeeper managed to repel a would-be robber by repeatedly smacking him with a bunch of bananas.
Seungae Kim runs a convenience store in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, alongside her husband. On a Saturday evening, she was standing at the counter eating a banana when a masked man entered and demanded she open the cash register. When she refused, the thief attempted to vault over the counter.
That’s when Seungae decided to fight back. She grabbed the nearest item and began striking the robber in the face. Her weapon? A bunch of bananas, which proved surprisingly effective. After a few smacks, the masked intruder turned and headed toward the door. As seen in the security footage, Seungae wasn’t done yet—she hurled the bananas at him as he left.
In a subsequent interview, the store owner shared that her primary concern was protecting her husband, not the money in the register.
7. It’s Not Indecent If It’s Historical
If you’ve ever been curious about historical erotica, things are about to get much more interesting for you. The British Library has digitized and will soon release online its “Private Case”—a collection of 2,500 erotic and pornographic books dating back to the 17th century.
The collection includes the Merryland series. First published in the mid-18th century, these books are filled with erotic content that symbolically compares the study of the female body to unexplored land that must be “ploughed.” Written by various authors, many anonymous, the series features a recurring narrator named Roger Pheuquewell.
The collection also includes works by the Marquis de Sade and numerous editions of Fanny Hill or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, written by John Cleland in 1748. It is regarded as the first original pornographic novel in the English language. The oldest book in the “Private Case” is titled Rare Verities: the Cabinet of Venus Unlocked and Her Secrets Laid Open, published in 1658.
Some volumes serve a more practical purpose than others. For instance, Harris’s Lists of Covent-Garden Ladies is an 18th-century directory listing female prostitutes in London. Each entry provides names, addresses, and brief descriptions. One example is Miss Spencer from No. 35, Newman Street, who “is never so good a companion as when a little enlivened with the juice of the grape.”
6. USB Drive Discovered
Researchers from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in New Zealand have been examining seal feces to monitor the health and diet of seal populations. During their study, they made a surprising discovery—a USB drive containing holiday photos, hidden inside a scat sample.
The sample in question had been collected from a leopard seal on Oreti Beach, Invercargill, by a veterinarian and sent to the research facility over a year ago. It had been frozen and stored for the majority of that time before being thawed for analysis.
The researchers allowed the USB stick to dry out for several weeks, but when they examined it, they found it to be in surprisingly good condition, “considering its origins.” On it, they discovered images of seals, sea lions, and a video of a mother playing with her baby.
Scientists are eager to track the movements of these animals in New Zealand waters, and they’ve set up a special hotline where people can report sightings. Additionally, some volunteers even patrol the beaches in search of more seal scat.
In an attempt to identify the owner of the USB stick, NIWA shared a video from it. The individual was eventually recognized as Amanda Nally, a local who was already volunteering with the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust.
5. Was James Brown Murdered?
A recent investigation by CNN has raised doubts about the circumstances surrounding James Brown’s death over 12 years ago. While the official cause was natural, the inquiry suggests the possibility of foul play and calls for a criminal investigation and a fresh autopsy.
Brown passed away on Christmas Day 2006 after a brief illness. One person who was particularly shocked by his death was Marvin Crawford, the doctor who signed the death certificate. Initially, Brown's health was improving, but then it took a sudden and unexpected downturn, which Crawford found suspicious. He later revealed that a nurse had informed him of discovering drug residue inside the tube that had been assisting Brown’s breathing.
A growing number of people, including Brown's relatives, his former manager Frank Copsidas, and Reverend Al Sharpton, are calling for a re-examination of Brown’s death. The majority of the evidence for the CNN report came from Jacqueline Hollander, a former friend of Brown’s third wife, Adrienne Rodriguez. Hollander had previously accused Brown of raping her.
In addition to investigating Brown’s death, Hollander also claims that Adrienne was murdered by a doctor. Officially, Adrienne Rodriguez’s death was ruled an accidental overdose of painkillers after plastic surgery. However, the police officer who handled her case had an informant who suggested that she was murdered. It remains unclear whether authorities will pursue an investigation into the many unsettling allegations surrounding the “godfather of soul.”
4. Toilet Trouble In Space
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station faced a toilet leak after attempting to install a new double stall, which led to nearly 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of water spilling out.
The previous toilet had been in use aboard the ISS since 2008, so it was well past due for an upgrade. The new Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) brings several enhancements, including the important addition of a double stall, separating the toilet area from the rest of the hygiene facilities.
During the installation process, astronauts experienced a leak while disconnecting a Quick Disconnect for the potable water bus. About 9.5 liters (2.5 gallons) of water leaked out before the crew managed to contain the situation. They used towels to absorb the excess liquid, but thankfully, no major damage occurred. The UWMS is expected to be the precursor to brand-new toilets scheduled for delivery in 2020.
3. A New Look At Dyatlov Pass
Russian officials have launched a fresh investigation into the infamous Dyatlov Pass incident, which led to the mysterious deaths of nine hikers over six decades ago.
On January 23, 1959, nine hikers, led by Igor Dyatlov, embarked on a trek through the northern Ural Mountains. In an unsettling turn, they were found to have fled their tent in only their underwear, resulting in their freezing to death.
When a rescue team located their camp, they discovered the tent had been slashed open, and as the bodies were uncovered, they showed signs of broken bones and head injuries. The Soviet authorities attributed the deaths to the 'spontaneous power of nature,' though this explanation failed to clarify why nine experienced trekkers would abandon their tent in such perilous conditions, knowing it would likely lead to their demise.
Over the years, many theories have been suggested to explain the mysterious deaths. These range from a covert KGB operation, to fugitive criminals, attacks by the local Mansi tribe, encounters with a Yeti, and even the possibility of extraterrestrial involvement.
Russian officials have ruled out any criminal explanations. Instead, they have outlined three plausible scenarios, all involving natural causes. These include an avalanche, a snow slab collapse, or a hurricane. Authorities remain optimistic that modern technological advancements may uncover new insights. Investigators are scheduled to visit the remote site next month.
2. Beer Or Wine First?
“Beer before wine, and you’ll feel fine. Wine before beer, and you’ll feel queer.”
This age-old saying suggests that the sequence in which you drink beer and wine could affect the severity of your hangover the following day. To test its validity, researchers from Britain and Germany decided to put this common belief under scientific scrutiny.
Ninety volunteers, aged between 19 and 40, bravely volunteered to indulge in a scientific drinking experiment. After consuming a standardized meal, they were divided into three different groups for testing.
The first group consumed 1.2 liters (2.5 pints) of lager followed by four large glasses of white wine. The second group followed the same drinking pattern but in reverse. The third group drank either only beer or only wine with an equivalent alcohol content. The experiment concluded when the participants reached an alcohol concentration of 0.11 percent.
Throughout the evening, participants were quizzed, and each was given a glass of water before bed. However, the real test came the following morning when they were asked to rate the severity of their hangovers, based on factors like nausea, dizziness, headache, thirst, fatigue, and lack of appetite.
A week later, the participants returned to switch drinking regimens. The results showed little to no difference in their hangover symptoms compared to the first round. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that the order in which they drank beer and wine did not significantly affect the intensity of their hangovers.
1. Diamond Heist In Belgium
Last week, we shared the story of a failed Hollywood-style heist, where an unknown thief or group dug a tunnel under a Chase Bank in Florida. This week, however, the sequel tells of a successful crime.
The heist occurred last Sunday in Antwerp, Belgium, a city well-known for its diamond industry. The thieves set up operations in a house 400 meters (1,310 feet) from the BNP Paribas Fortis bank branch.
They excavated a tunnel that connected to the sewer system, crawled through the sewers, and then tunneled a few more meters to reach the vault. When the bank staff checked on Monday, they found that the robbers had opened about 30 safes and made off with the contents.
Currently, both the bank and the police remain tight-lipped about the stolen items or their value. Given the bank’s clientele of diamond traders, it’s safe to assume that the thieves made off with a significant treasure.
A 27-year-old man has been detained in connection with the heist, though little information has been released about his involvement or any potential accomplices.
