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Didn't have time to keep up with the news this week? We've got you covered. Click here to catch up on the major events and dive into this list to discover the bizarre incidents that made waves in the headlines.
This week, we delve into a range of intriguing mysteries. Some revolve around stolen masterpieces, others center on robotic sharks, while a few even venture into extraterrestrial territory. We also highlight some of the more eccentric ways people choose to spend their free time, like setting domino records, attending concerts, or lifting incredibly heavy objects.
10. The Mystery of the Art Heist
In 2017, 81-year-old Rita Alter passed away at her ranch in the quiet community of Cliff, New Mexico. Her husband, Jerry, had passed away five years earlier. Their neighbors described them as a kind couple who preferred their privacy. However, they did possess one rather intriguing item in their collection—a stolen Willem de Kooning painting worth more than $100 million.
Ron Roseman, the Alters' nephew and executor of their estate, sold their belongings to an antique shop for $2,000. Staff there quickly recognized the painting as an original and alerted the FBI. It was later revealed that Woman-Ochre had vanished from the University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson in 1985, just one day after Thanksgiving.
Since the painting's recovery, the biggest question has been how the Alters came to possess it. Did they purchase it, stumble upon it during their travels, or were they the ones who originally stole it?
Those who knew the Alters found it hard to believe that this quiet, friendly couple—one a former teacher and the other a speech therapist—could have pulled off such an audacious art heist. However, a newly discovered clue suggests they might have done exactly that. It's an old photo of Jerry and Rita celebrating Thanksgiving in 1985 with their family in Tucson. Not only do they bear a striking resemblance to the thieves depicted in sketches based on the museum guard’s description, but the culprits were also seen fleeing in a red car, just like the one the Alters drove.
9. Age Is No Barrier to Rocking Out
Who says only teenagers can sneak out to go to concerts? Last week in Germany, Wacken Open Air took place, drawing tens of thousands of people from across the globe to the largest heavy metal festival on Earth. Among the attendees were two elderly metalheads who managed to escape from their nursing home to rock out with fellow headbangers.
Staff at the nursing home realized the two men were missing last Friday. They contacted German police, who located them at the music festival around 3:00 AM. The adventurous duo had traveled roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) on foot and by public transport. Though described as 'disoriented and dazed' when found, they were also 'fascinated by the metal festival.' The nursing home arranged for their return, though they reluctantly agreed to go back on their own terms.
8. Vandalism by Octopus
Japanese police are investigating an unusual crime that took place in Sapporo. For over an hour, someone threw an octopus against the wall of a building, disturbing the peace.
The unidentified resident of a home in Chuo Ward was trying to sleep when they kept hearing a series of thumps from the other side of the condominium wall. After some time, they called the police. When authorities arrived, no one was around, but they discovered a dead octopus that had been repeatedly thrown against the wall.
Currently, the suspect remains at large, and authorities are struggling to uncover the motive behind his actions. If his goal was merely to create noise, a ball would have served him far better. And if vandalism was the intent, eggs would have been far easier to use and much less slippery.
7. Rogue Planet Leaves Aurora Borealis in the Dust
Astronomers are astonished by a newly found rogue planet-like object possessing an extraordinarily powerful magnetic field, about 200 times stronger than Jupiter's. In addition, this object can generate stunning auroras, which have been detected using radio telescopes. Scientists are optimistic that this discovery could offer a new way of detecting previously unknown planets.
Initially identified in 2016, the object is named SIMP J01365663+0933473 and has left scientists puzzled in terms of classification. Originally, it was thought to be an enormous, aging brown dwarf—referred to as 'failed stars.' Brown dwarfs are larger than planets but too small to initiate hydrogen fusion. However, this rogue planet is only 200 million years old, which is relatively young, and at about 12.7 times Jupiter's mass, it's not particularly huge either.
The general rule suggests that a brown dwarf should be at least 13 times the mass of Jupiter. Because of this, this celestial object is often considered to be on the edge between a planet and a brown dwarf. Scientists believe this position could prove advantageous, offering a unique opportunity to study the magnetic behaviors of both stars and planets.
6. Can We Feel Empathy for Machines?
A recent study published in PLOS One investigates the connection between humans and robots, with a particular focus on the empathy we might feel for inanimate objects. The findings showed that participants hesitated or even refused to turn off a robot when it pleaded for its life.
In an experiment conducted by German researchers, 89 volunteers worked with Nao, a small humanoid robot, completing simple tasks that they believed were aimed at improving Nao’s learning algorithms. However, the real experiment began once the tasks were finished, and the volunteers were asked to shut off the robot. In about half of the cases, Nao began begging not to be powered down, saying things like it was afraid of the dark or worried it would never wake up again.
Out of 43 participants, 30 took, on average, twice as long to power off Nao compared to the control group who didn’t hear any pleas. The remaining 13 participants refused to shut it off altogether. Their reasons for hesitation varied, including feelings of compassion, surprise at the robot's behavior, fear of making a mistake, and a desire to continue the interaction.
This study is part of a series that extends the concept of 'the media equation,' a communication theory developed in 1996 by two professors at Stanford University. They proposed that people often treat computers and other media as though they were real people.
5. Fire Uncovers Lost Landmark
A gorse fire triggered by a heatwave in Ireland revealed a World War II-era sign that had been hidden for decades.
The sign, located at Bray Head in County Wicklow, features whitewashed letters carved into the cliffs that read 'EIRE' (Ireland). It was one of many signs placed along the Irish coastline during World War II to inform bombers that they were flying over neutral territory.
Other similar signs remain visible today and have even been restored as historical landmarks. However, this particular sign had been concealed by thick vegetation and largely forgotten until a recent wildfire scorched the area. It was spotted by members of the Garda Air Support Unit while they were flying over the blaze to assess the damage.
While Ireland maintained a stance of neutrality during World War II, it adhered to a policy of 'benevolent neutrality' toward the Allies, supporting them in various ways. The Eire signs were assigned lookout post numbers, and a list was provided to Allied airmen, who used them as navigational markers.
4. Could Jaws Crack A Classic Murder Mystery?
In 1974, the nearly decapitated and naked body of a young woman was discovered at the Race Point dunes near Provincetown, Massachusetts. She became known as the 'Lady of the Dunes.' Her killer removed her teeth and hands to make identification difficult. Despite over four decades of investigation, her identity remains unknown. However, there is an odd theory suggested by horror author Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son) that she might have been an extra in the movie 'Jaws.'
Hill acknowledges that his theory is 'out there,' but he points to several interesting details. The Lady of the Dunes was found on July 26, while much of the filming for the movie took place in June, and Provincetown is not far from Martha’s Vineyard, where the movie was shot. Additionally, the unidentified woman in the composite sketch made in 2010 bears a resemblance to the victim, and she was wearing a blue bandana similar to one found at the scene of the crime.
Hill first proposed the theory in 2015, but it has gained renewed attention following a podcast discussing the making of 'Jaws.' While records of the extras are somewhat unreliable, the revived publicity could encourage someone with knowledge of the woman or her identity to come forward.
3. A Strange Signal From Space
Astronomers from the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) recently detected an unusual and mysterious fast radio burst (FRB) that reached Earth from an unidentified source.
Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are among the greatest mysteries in cosmology. These phenomena are high-energy bursts that appear as transient radio pulses, lasting only a few milliseconds. The first FRB was detected in 2007, and since then, scientists have realized that FRBs occur more frequently than initially thought, with thousands happening every day.
However, the random and fleeting nature of these bursts has made them difficult to detect. It wasn’t until 2016 that astronomers identified a repeating series of FRBs, which enabled them to locate the source and confirm that these signals originate from beyond our galaxy.
The latest signal, known as FRB 180725A, presents a puzzle. It is the first of its kind to be recorded at a frequency below 700 megahertz, reaching 580 megahertz. CHIME is expected to detect hundreds of similar signals in the coming years as part of its secondary objectives, potentially providing a clearer understanding of this perplexing phenomenon.
Now, the big question: Could this be the work of aliens? Unlikely, but it's still a possibility. The leading theories suggest that the signals could originate from supernova explosions, black holes releasing material, or a type of neutron star known as a magnetar. These are the only cosmic events believed to generate the immense energy seen in FRBs.
Some astrophysicists have speculated that fast radio bursts (FRBs) might be of extraterrestrial origin. In particular, they suggest that these radio signals could be emitted by beams used by advanced civilizations from other galaxies to propel lightsails. Lightsails are an emerging technology that could revolutionize space travel by using photonic propulsion to move spacecraft.
2. Lifting The Dinnie Stones
Leigh Holland-Keen, an Australian nurse, made history by becoming the second woman ever to lift the iconic Dinnie Stones of Scotland, which weigh a combined total of 332.5 kilograms (733 lb).
The Dinnie Stones are named after Donald Dinnie, one of Scotland's most celebrated athletes, known for his incredible strength. Dinnie, a multi-sport competitor, won medals at the Scottish Highland Games annually between 1856 and 1876. His most legendary feat came in 1860, when he famously carried the two massive stones across the Potarch Bridge in Aberdeenshire. The stones were largely forgotten for nearly a century before being rediscovered in 1953. Since then, many strongmen have taken up the challenge of lifting them.
In 1979, Jan Todd, an American powerlifter, became the first woman to lift the formidable Dinnie Stones. She remained the sole woman to achieve this remarkable feat for almost 40 years. However, at this year's Donald Dinnie Day event, The Gathering II, Leigh Holland-Keen succeeded in lifting the massive stones as well.
Holland-Keen initially attempted the challenge the year before, attending the event alongside her mother and stepfather. Her stepfather, Lance, is among the 90 men who have lifted the stones. Notably, none of them carried them over a bridge as Donald Dinnie did. Earlier this year, Englishman Mark Haydock set the record for the longest time holding the Dinnie Stones, lifting them for an impressive 38.6 seconds.
1. Fly Ruins Domino Record Attempt
A fly caused a mishap during an attempt to break a domino world record in Germany by landing on a tile, setting off the chain reaction prematurely.
A group of 20 individuals had two weeks, an empty gym in Nidda (near Frankfurt), and over 600,000 domino tiles to break as many records as possible. They succeeded in establishing four new records for the longest domino wall, largest spiral, largest cube, and longest domino chain reaction. Unfortunately, their bid for the most mini-dominoes falling in one go was disrupted by the fly's interference.
The tiny insect, no bigger than a fingernail, landed on the small tile and set off the chain reaction, disrupting much of the setup before it could even be completed. With no time left to restart, the team had no choice but to abandon their attempt at that particular record.
