Buzz
Another week has come and gone, so let’s take a look at a few quirky and offbeat news stories that might have flown under your radar. If you need something uplifting, feel free to revisit last week’s collection of positive news here.
This week, several fascinating discoveries have come to light. In Canada, we uncover the world’s largest T. rex. In Pompeii, an ancient fast food spot is revealed. In France, we figure out why Garfield telephones have been washing up on shores for decades. And in the dusty archives of Durham University in England, we stumble upon a royal charter dating back 800 years.
10. The King of All Rexes
A paper published in The Anatomical Record reveals that paleontologists in Canada have discovered the largest Tyrannosaurus rex ever, and they’ve named him Scotty.
The bones were originally found in Saskatchewan back in 1991. However, they were embedded in solid sandstone, making the excavation process painstakingly slow. Afterward, the challenging task of analyzing each fragment and reassembling the pieces took place. Ultimately, researchers managed to reconstruct about 65 percent of the skeleton.
Analysis of the thigh bones showed that Scotty was a massive dinosaur. From head to tail, he measured 13 meters (43 ft) and weighed roughly 8,800 kilograms (19,400 lb). Paleontologist Scott Persons from the University of Alberta referred to him as “the rex of rexes.”
Scotty wasn’t just enormous; he was also likely the oldest T. rex ever found. The previous record-holder, Trix, was around 30 years old when she died, but scientists believe Scotty was one or two years older. Additionally, numerous healed injuries suggest he had many close calls but survived them all.
9. Incredible Deals That Resurrect the Past
Several shoppers at the Market Basket in Wilmington, Massachusetts, have reported encountering a Victorian-era ghost roaming the aisles.
The first person to report the ghost sighting was Christiana Bush, an employee in the bakery department. After she shared her experience on social media, others stepped forward to share their own eerie encounters. They described the ghost as a young woman with blue eyes, pale skin, and dark hair, dressed in traditional Victorian attire.
A spokesperson for the supermarket chain reassured customers that their stores are free of ghosts. However, if one of their locations were truly haunted, it might have been drawn in by their Victorian-era prices.
8. Van Gogh Painting Is The Real Deal
After three decades of skepticism, a painting once thought to be by Vincent van Gogh has now been confirmed as an authentic work by the Dutch master.
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut, has owned Vase With Poppies by Vincent van Gogh since 1957, thanks to a donation from a private collector. However, for almost 30 years, the painting sat in storage due to concerns that it might be a forgery.
The first issue arose because the generous donor, novelist Anne Parrish, wasn't widely recognized as an art collector, leaving the painting’s provenance unclear. In 1976, historian Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov questioned its authenticity. In 1990, art expert Walter Feilchenfeldt examined the piece and echoed the same concerns. Since then, the museum has refrained from displaying Vase With Poppies.
Now, modern technology has seemingly verified the painting’s authenticity using “digital x-ray and advanced infrared reflectograms.” These techniques uncovered an earlier self-portrait hidden beneath the existing painting. Additionally, specialists from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam believe the materials and paint used align with those the Dutch artist employed after his move to Paris.
7. The Axe Effect
During a traffic stop, a drunk driver attempted to cover up the smell of alcohol by spraying Axe body spray into his mouth, but his efforts were in vain.
When it comes to masking alcohol breath, there’s no shortage of supposed remedies. Many people opt for gum, while others swear by peanut butter. Some believe that overpowering one odor with another, such as by eating garlic, onion, or even smoking a cigarette, does the trick.
One inebriated man from South Carolina, seemingly lacking any of these common remedies, tried something else when he was pulled over by Spartanburg County sheriff’s deputies. Efren Mencia-Ramirez decided to take matters into his own hands and sprayed his mouth with a generous amount of Axe body spray.
The 49-year-old driver was arrested after failing field sobriety tests. Deputies did not comment on whether the “Axe trick” was effective, but considering Mencia-Ramirez had ten empty beer cans in his car, an open bottle between his legs, and was slurring his words, they probably had a good idea he was intoxicated.
6. A Clever Library
While browsing the archives of Ushaw College Library at Durham University in northeastern England, a researcher made an unexpected find—a royal charter issued more than 800 years ago, bearing the royal seal of King John.
The document, dated March 26, 1200, is now 819 years old. It is among the few charters from the first year of King John’s reign, a monarch who is more famously known today for his adversarial role in the Robin Hood legends.
Dr. Benjamin Pohl, who made this serendipitous discovery, immediately recognized the seal. He also identified that the document was written in 'court hand,' ensuring its official nature. The charter itself outlines two transactions: Walter of Caen and Robert FitzRoger, Lord of Warkworth and Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, were granted the hamlets of Cornsay and Hedley Hill.
Beyond the legal details, Dr. Pohl is also interested in what this document reveals about the political and social landscape of the time. The signatures of nine witnesses suggest the involvement of some of Northern England’s most powerful men, likely eager to conduct business with the new king.
5. Can Flatulence Be Considered Bullying?
In an unusual case this week, the Court of Appeal in Victoria, Australia, examined a lawsuit where an engineer claimed his former supervisor regularly bullied him at work by farting on him.
Fifty-six-year-old David Hingst argues that he experienced 'severe stress' due to his former colleague, Greg Short, who allegedly 'lifted his bum and farted' on him as many as six times a day. Hingst worked at Construction Engineering in Melbourne, where Short was a contract administrator. He was in a small, windowless room, and Short, whom Hingst referred to as 'Mr. Stinky,' would routinely enter, pass gas behind him, and then leave. Hingst claims this behavior led to psychiatric injuries, prompting him to sue his former employer for A$1.8 million ($1.28 million).
In response, Short admitted to possibly releasing gas in Hingst’s presence once or twice but denied any intention of causing distress or harassment. The Supreme Court of Victoria ruled in Short’s favor last year, stating there was no bullying. Hingst appealed, arguing that the judge had shown bias against him.
On Friday, the appeals court dismissed Hingst’s case, ruling that flatulence, even if the allegations were true, does not amount to bullying.
4. Ancient Fast Food
Over the past year, excavations have picked up pace at the ruins of Pompeii, with archaeologists uncovering a wealth of new findings. One of the latest discoveries is a counter from a thermopolium, showcasing beautifully preserved frescoes.
The thermopolium was an ancient eatery similar to today’s fast food joints. It offered ready-to-eat meals and drinks, primarily catering to the city’s lower-income residents who lacked home kitchens. The typical menu included items like baked bread, fish, cheese, and spiced wine.
This 2,000-year-old snack bar is just one of many thermopolia discovered in Pompeii’s archaeological park. While the Roman elite generally avoided such establishments, this particular thermopolium was likely considered a higher-end fast food spot, adorned with stunning frescoes that remain in remarkable condition.
3. An Unbelievable Birth Story
In late February, a young woman from Bangladesh gave birth to a baby boy. Four weeks later, she delivered twins.
Arifa Sultana, a 20-year-old woman, went to Khulna Medical College Hospital to give birth to her first baby. While premature, the baby was otherwise healthy. A month later, she began to experience stomach pain and was rushed to another hospital, where doctors were shocked to find that she was still pregnant with twins. Gynecologist Dr. Sheila Poddar performed an emergency caesarean. The mother and all her children are now in good health.
The unusual situation occurred due to a condition known as uterus didelphys. This rare condition causes a woman to have two separate uteri. In normal fetal development, two tubes join to form a single uterus, but sometimes this fusion doesn't occur. Normally, this condition can be detected via ultrasound, but Arifa and her husband, from a poor village, never had access to one.
2. Get Paid To Lie Down
A collaboration between NASA, ESA, and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) might just be offering the ideal opportunity. Volunteers can earn $19,000 to spend two months lying in bed.
The study will explore how weightlessness affects the human body, with a focus on how artificial gravity might assist during extended space missions.
To simulate weightlessness, participants will lie in bed with their feet slightly elevated above their heads, causing blood to pool in the upper body and reducing circulation to the extremities. They will carry out daily activities such as eating, sleeping, exercising, watching TV, showering, and even using the restroom in this position.
Half of the volunteers will remain in a standard environment, while the other half will be placed in a rotating centrifuge to mimic artificial gravity. This allows researchers to compare how each group responds to the simulated weightlessness of their astronaut counterparts.
1. The Garfield Enigma Unraveled
For 35 years, the beaches along the western coast of Brittany, France, had been plagued by a curious sight: Orange plastic pieces of Garfield the cat kept appearing along the shores. After years of mystery, the source has been identified – a shipping container that likely fell off a ship and became trapped in a sea cave.
These pieces of plastic are remnants of a line of popular novelty Garfield telephones from the 1980s. Over the years, they’ve littered the beaches in the Finistere area, even in a designated marine park. Last year, they were adopted as the symbol by the Ar Vilantsou anti-litter organization.
For years, cleanup teams suspected that the Garfield debris came from a lost container at sea, but its exact location remained a mystery. That changed thanks to a media campaign that reached the right ears. A local farmer recalled the first appearance of the phones on the shore and knew the whereabouts of the container.
The site is difficult to access, as it’s a crevice only reachable during low tide. Yet, a team managed to enter and discovered the open container. However, moving it would require heavy machinery, so it will likely stay in place for now. Meanwhile, cleanup efforts continue as teams collect the litter washing ashore.
