Buzz
A new week has gone by, and it's time for a quick review of the key moments you might have overlooked. Click here if you're interested in the more serious and significant events.
However, keep reading for a collection of unusual, eccentric, or just downright bizarre stories. Whether it's a tale of animal mischief, eye-catching art, or the most absurd criminal behavior ever, you're bound to find something amusing.
10. The Badger in the Castle
In the early 1500s, Sir James Hamilton of Finnart was appointed as the Master of Works to King James V of Scotland, taking charge of the construction and upkeep of castles and other royal properties. Wanting to demonstrate his abilities, Hamilton built Craignethan Castle in 1530, a fortress famous for its formidable defenses. Today, the castle is managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and is open to the public. However, over the weekend, part of the ruins had to be closed due to an unexpected visitor: a “very angry badger.”
Staff members discovered disturbed earth in the cellar tunnel and, upon investigating, found the enraged animal. Attempts were made to lure the badger out with cat food and honey, but when these failed, the HES decided to close the tunnel. They later informed potential visitors of the situation through a tweet.
A spokesperson for the HES suggested that the badger likely came from the nearby woods, though the exact reason for its anger was not clarified.
9. The High-Riding Raccoon
In Wayne Township, Indiana, firefighters were called upon this week for an unusual situation. A woman brought in her pet raccoon, concerned it was unwell after possibly ingesting too much marijuana.
The concerned owner claimed that the raccoon had gotten into “someone else’s” marijuana stash and had ingested a substantial amount of the drug. Fearing an overdose, she rushed it to the fire station for assistance.
There was some initial uncertainty about the substance the animal had consumed, as radio communications varied. Some reports said marijuana, while others mentioned meth or heroin. Wayne Township Fire Captain Mike Pruitt later confirmed that the raccoon appeared sluggish and showed all the classic symptoms of being stoned.
Despite the confusion, neither Captain Pruitt nor any other firefighters could offer a remedy to improve the raccoon’s state. Ultimately, the owner decided to take the animal back home to rest off the effects and hopefully recover fully.
8. The Enormous Penis Mural
Residents of Stockholm have voiced their disapproval of the latest art installation in the Swedish capital—a massive mural of a blue penis titled “F—k the World!”
The five-story-high mural was painted on the side of an apartment building last Wednesday, immediately sparking outrage among local residents who found it offensive. A few days later, the mural was vandalized with banners reading: “Keep your penis inside.” In a clever marketing move, another banner followed with the name of Swedish underwear brand Petters Underwear, turning the whole episode into what seemed like a giant advertisement.
The mural was created on a wall that has been a canvas for street artists since 2008. Most artwork on this wall is meant to stay up for six months, including this provocative piece. However, following the public backlash, the building's management decided to cover it up this week.
The mural was created by Swedish artist Caroline Falkholt, who frequently explores themes of human sexuality in her art. She had hoped that “F—k the World!” would spark a conversation about sexual freedom.
Instead, Falkholt found herself facing a situation similar to December 2017, when her first penis mural appeared on a building in Manhattan. That piece was also removed just a few days later.
7. The Robot at the Pub
Recent visitors to The Prince Alfred Pub in the upscale Maida Vale neighborhood of London had the chance to meet Fred—an eerily realistic robot.
Fred was created by Engineered Arts, a robotics company, over a span of 12 weeks in preparation for the second season of Westworld, a sci-fi TV series about a Wild West-themed amusement park populated by androids indistinguishable from humans. Fred was then positioned in the pub as part of a stunt organized by the streaming service NOW TV to promote the show. Hidden cameras recorded patrons' reactions to the encounter.
Fred's design was based on 55-year-old London actor Tedroy Newell. His body parts were 3D scanned and then reconstructed using a metal skeleton, silicone skin, and real hair. Hundreds of thousands of lines of computer code were written to give the android full speech and motor capabilities.
The robot's interactions with the pub's patrons were designed to both intrigue and disturb. Fred initiated casual chats about the weather or Westworld but then threw in unnerving questions like: “What do you think about the coming humanoid robot invasion?” and “Would you like to meet your maker?”
6. The 100-Year-Old Meme
In 1976, Richard Dawkins introduced the term “meme” in his book The Selfish Gene, describing it as an idea that spreads from one individual to another within a society. Over the last ten years or so, the term has been embraced by Internet culture to refer to viral phrases or jokes shared online, often in the form of images or videos. However, a recent find suggests that the first meme could actually be nearly 100 years old.
The image comes from the July 1921 issue of a satirical publication called Judge, which ceased publication in 1947. It's a black-and-white, two-panel comic strip credited to the “Wisconsin Octopus.” The first panel shows a well-dressed man with the caption, “How you think you look when a flashlight is taken.” The second panel features a distorted, cartoonish drawing with the caption, “How you really look.”
The image closely resembles a popular modern meme known as “What you think you look like vs. What you actually look like.” Just like the 1921 drawing, the meme uses two contrasting images—first a cool or attractive one, followed by a silly, unflattering version—to highlight the gap between expectations and reality.
5. The Escaped Baboons
A research facility in Texas encountered a bizarre situation when four of its baboons managed to escape from their enclosure.
The escape took place at the Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio. The baboons used a 208-liter (55 gal) blue barrel, which had been added to their compound as “enrichment” to stimulate them mentally or physically. Together, the monkeys rolled the barrel into position, placing it upright against the wall. It was tall enough for the baboons to jump over the fence and flee.
The baboons briefly enjoyed their freedom, but three were caught within 30 minutes. Nonetheless, they caused a stir, with several San Antonio residents capturing and sharing videos of the baboons in action on social media.
Upon further examination, the fourth baboon had not escaped beyond the research institute’s outer fence and voluntarily returned to its enclosure. A quick check-up by the vet confirmed that all the animals were in good health.
With their newfound fame online, many have called for the adventurous baboons to be sent to a sanctuary rather than kept at the institute for biomedical research.
4. The Snail Ballet
Attendees of Cryptic’s Sonica Festival in London will be treated to an extraordinary performance—a snail ballet. The show, titled Slow Pixel, will feature 176 gastropod performers adorned with tiny LED lights on their shells. They will glide across the floor of a dimly lit room, accompanied by a calming soundtrack.
The performance is the creation of French couple Elizabeth Saint-Jalmes and Cyril Leclerc. For the past eight years, the pair have been incorporating snails into their performances, probably sparing these creatures from their fate in a garlic butter dish. Their first snail-based project involved feeding snails colored paper, which led to the creation of colorful patterns as the snails left their mark.
Leclerc and Saint-Jalmes aim to help the audience disconnect from their fast-paced, technology-driven lives and return to a simpler, more tranquil time when you could spend hours observing a snail or an insect crawling along a path.
Attendees will have plenty of time to do so while watching Slow Pixel, as the show lasts for six hours. Of course, anyone is free to leave at any time. The only rule is a ban on cell phones, as Saint-Jalmes and Leclerc would prefer the audience to be present in the moment rather than capturing photos for later.
3. The Exploding Ant
Researchers in Borneo have uncovered a new species of ant, and while this might not seem groundbreaking, this insect has an extraordinary way of defending itself—by exploding.
The ant, named Colobopsis explodens, contains long glands filled with a toxic yellow substance. When it faces a threat, the ant bites down and clamps onto its attacker, then turns its rear toward the enemy, flexing its abdomen until it ruptures, releasing a stream of yellow liquid. Entomologist Alice Laciny, one of the discoverers, describes the scent of the liquid as “a distinct and not unpleasant smell that’s strangely reminiscent of curry.”
Of course, the explosion results in the ant’s death. This self-destructive defense strategy is called autothysis, which can be observed in social species like ants, where individuals cooperate for the greater good of the colony.
This isn’t the first exploding ant to be discovered, but it is the first in nearly a century. As with other ant colonies, ants within the group have designated roles, and only the minor workers, who are all sterile females, engage in the explosive defense.
2. The Social Physician
A conflict is emerging in Belgium, where doctors and fitness centers are at odds over the ability of physicians to release patients from costly gym memberships.
In many nations, gyms are notorious for locking clients into long-term, inflexible contracts with hefty penalties, fully aware that a significant portion of their members drop out after a few months or even weeks. This issue, however, has become particularly problematic in Belgium. Just last year, the government introduced a new code of conduct that removed the requirement for one-year contracts and granted individuals the right to cancel their memberships without penalties if a doctor deems it necessary.
Recently, a doctor exercised this power, writing a medical note for one of his patients, allowing her to escape a €70-per-month gym contract that still had 18 months left. The doctor argued that the woman was unlikely to use the membership and couldn't afford it, and he was acting out of a sense of social responsibility.
This decision sparked outrage from Belgium's gym association, who accused the doctor of malpractice. Eric Vandenabeele, a spokesman for the group, called it “unacceptable,” claiming that a physician’s role should not extend to scrutinizing such contracts, just as they wouldn't intervene in agreements with energy companies or internet providers.
Despite the gym association's protests, the country's Order of Physicians sided with the doctor this week, ruling that his decision was justified due to his 'social role,' and that there were legitimate medical concerns—namely, the woman was unable to attend the gym due to neck pain and an ear infection.
1. The Mastermind of Crime
The title of ‘Criminal of the Week’ goes to an unidentified man from St. Marys, Georgia, who managed to break into a Gamestop by kicking out the bottom glass panel of the door. Drawing on his extensive criminal experience, he knew he should conceal his identity—but the choice of disguise was, well, peculiar. The thief decided to wear a wrapper from a bottled water package on his head—one that was completely transparent.
The plastic wrapper was printed with some text and images, but the burglar cleverly positioned the opaque sides to the back so he could see. Unfortunately, this left the front almost entirely clear, offering a “captivating” view for the security cameras that recorded his every move.
As it turns out, the disguise was ultimately useless. Surveillance footage from a nearby store had already captured the same man earlier as he casually browsed in the same outfit before going on to break into Gamestop without any cover-up at all.
