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It’s Saturday once again, which means it’s time to revisit some of the oddest stories of the week. Morris is back with all the jaw-dropping events happening right here. If you've already caught up with the essential news, dive into the strange and hilarious.
This week, we dive into the world of crime. We hear about bungling robbers thwarted by a bong, and a pothead who ends up getting caught by her own toddler. Plus, we find out that if you're plotting to murder your husband, it’s probably not wise to post an essay on it online beforehand. In the animal kingdom, we explore the odd behavior of amphipods, who kidnap other creatures to protect themselves from predators.
10. Game Night at Vyborg Castle
Last month, officials from the Russian castle-turned-museum Vyborg announced the discovery of a hidden chamber within the structure, which was originally constructed as a fort for the Kingdom of Sweden over 700 years ago. Museum director Vladimir Tsoi shared the initial findings in a post online. The most fascinating find was a medieval board game.
The “board” was made up of intersecting square lines carved into a clay brick. Tsoi identified it as a version of Nine Men’s Morris, a strategic game that has been played since at least Roman times. The objective is to move your pieces, called “men,” into rows of three, forming “mills.” Once a mill is made, the opponent loses a piece. A modern version, known as “cowboy checkers,” is still enjoyed today.
Vyborg Castle has undergone numerous restorations throughout its seven-century history as it shifted between Russian, Swedish, and Finnish control. Archaeologists are optimistic that the chamber could be a secret passage linking the castle, situated on an islet, to the nearby city. Additional historical discoveries are expected in the coming months.
9. Remodeling the Lizard People’s Lair
For those not in the know, the Denver International Airport has become a prime target for conspiracy theorists. Numerous “theories” surround it. Some claim it was built to conceal underground bunkers or a hidden lair. Depending on who you ask, it’s either controlled by the Freemasons, the Illuminati, or the lizard people.
To be fair, there are indeed some strange aspects of the airport. Its dedication stone mentions funding from an organization called the “New World Airport Commission,” but there is nearly no information available about it. There are also unsettling murals and a towering statue of a blue horse that tragically killed its creator when a piece of it broke off and struck him.
Recently, it seems that officials have decided to address the airport’s mysterious reputation, with new posters spotted throughout the terminals stating that workers are remodeling the lair of the lizard people.
In truth, this is simply a playful reference to the airport’s strange reputation, designed to mask ongoing renovations. Some believe the posters are part of a cover-up. When Kim Day became the chief executive of Denver International Airport in 2008, she embraced the conspiracies. Since then, the airport has hosted Illuminati-themed art exhibits, conspiracy costume parties, and even a contest offering a tour of the airport’s mysterious underground facilities.
8. Hostage Situation at Sea
Scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany have reported on the peculiar behavior of certain amphipods that kidnap pteropods, or sea snails, in order to protect themselves from predators.
This odd behavior was first noted during the austral summer of 2016–2017 on an expedition into the Southern Ocean. The primary goal of the expedition was to study the distribution, abundance, and ecological role of amphipods. However, biologists soon discovered that some of the creatures were carrying something unusual—pteropods. These sea snails produce chemicals to repel predators, but they have no effect on amphipods. Icefish, which prey on both, are deterred from attacking the crustaceans when they’re carrying the snails.
A further investigation revealed that this behavior had first been reported by US researchers in 1990, but only in coastal waters, never in the open ocean. This time, scientists were eager to determine whether there was a mutualistic relationship between the two species—amphipods might be shielded from predators while pteropods might conserve energy by hitching a ride. However, it turns out the sea snails are actually harmed. The amphipods trap them using two pairs of legs, leaving them unable to feed and causing them to starve.
7. Busted by Her Progeny
A toddler got her mother into hot water with the law when she revealed the woman’s weed stash in front of police during a traffic stop.
State troopers stopped a vehicle just outside Albany, New York, after noticing a young child was not in a proper car seat. Their suspicion grew when they spotted several marijuana cigarette butts in the ashtray.
While one trooper was questioning the mother and the man driving the vehicle, the other trooper was keeping an eye on the toddler. The three-year-old decided to spill the beans and pulled out a bag of marijuana and a pipe from beneath the front seat.
The mother and the driver were arrested and charged with child endangerment. The child was placed in the care of other family members, and the county child protective services were notified about the mother’s arrest.
6. What Won’t People Do For Pizza?
When will companies learn that the power of free food should never be underestimated? This time, a Domino’s Pizza promotion in Russia went awry when hundreds of people got tattoos in exchange for free pizza for life.
The idea behind the “Domino’s Forever” campaign was simple: get a tattoo of the company’s logo and receive a lifetime supply of pizza. However, it wasn’t as straightforward as it sounded. The tattoo had to be permanent and placed somewhere visible on the body. In return, winners would receive 100 pizzas per year for 100 years—10,000 pizzas in total. Of course, the likelihood of living long enough to claim all the pizzas was slim, but it still promised thousands of free meals.
Despite these conditions, the campaign proved too tempting. Hundreds of people proudly shared photos of their new tattoos on social media. In response, Domino’s had to revise the rules, clarifying that the offer was limited to the first 350 people and that the tattoos had to be at least 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) in length.
Unsurprisingly, the limit was reached, and people continued to get tattoos. To avoid any potential PR fallout, the company has been privately contacting the later entrants to arrange alternative prizes for them.
5. The Bong Is Mightier Than The Bear Spray
Four men attempted to rob a cannabis dispensary in Shannonville, Ontario, but their plan was foiled by a clerk wielding a bong.
Security cameras captured three masked men entering the Recreational Cannabis Farmers Market while a fourth waited outside in a white Mazda SUV. The robbers sprayed bear repellent at the man and woman behind the counter, but fortunately, they ducked in time and avoided most of the spray.
The clerk emerged from behind the counter, swinging a large bong and pushing the robbers back. One of the thieves threw a plastic crate at the employee but missed, and the trio quickly fled the scene.
Currently, the police are continuing their investigation. Detective-Constable Nathan Leland stated that this was the second weed dispensary robbery in Tyendinaga Township within the past two weeks, though he did not confirm if the same criminals were involved in both incidents.
4. Author of ‘How To Murder Your Husband’ Arrested for the Murder of Her Husband
In 2011, romance author Nancy Crampton Brophy published an essay on the writing blog See Jane Publish titled “How to Murder Your Husband.” Now, Portland police have arrested and charged her with the murder of her spouse, Daniel Brophy.
In her now-deleted post, she outlined the five most common reasons people kill their spouses and discussed various murder weapons. She cautioned against using poison due to its traceability and also advised against hiring a hitman or lover to carry out the crime, as you can never be sure when they might turn on you.
Daniel Brophy was discovered shot dead on the morning of June 2, 2018, at the Oregon Culinary Institute, where he was a cooking instructor. It wasn’t until September 5 that his wife was arrested and charged with his murder. So far, authorities have not provided any details regarding the evidence against Nancy Crampton Brophy or a potential motive for the crime.
3. The Vexatious Verity of Victorian Vibrators
A widely known and mischievous piece of trivia from the Victorian era is the creation of the vibrator. The story goes that doctors treated female hysteria by performing manual stimulation on their patients. Eventually, the doctors complained of sore wrists, so the vibrator was invented to ease their workload. However, a new study by two historians from the Georgia Institute of Technology claims that this story is nothing more than a myth.
Hallie Lieberman and Eric Schatzberg argue that the myth originates from a single source—the 1999 book titled The Technology of Orgasm by scholar Rachel Maines. They assert that there is no solid evidence to support the claim that vibrators were used in this way during that time. The book, they argue, doesn’t provide a direct source that describes using a vibrator to massage the clitoris in the Victorian era, instead relying on “wink and nod” references and “tangential citations” to make its case.
Surprisingly, Maines herself agrees with the historians. She acknowledges that her claim was more of a “hypothesis” and expressed surprise that it took so long for other scholars to question her “slender” evidence. She believes the story has persisted because it is one people found entertaining and wanted to believe was true.
2. The 2018 Ig Nobel Prizes
This past Thursday, Harvard’s Sanders Theatre was the venue for the 2018 Ig Nobel Prizes. A playful take on the traditional Nobel Prizes, the event recognized ten quirky but legitimate scientific studies that could be described as a little out of the ordinary.
The Medicine Prize was awarded to two American doctors who found that riding roller coasters could help pass kidney stones. The Medical Education Prize went to a Japanese doctor who created a method for performing self-colonoscopies. Finally, the Reproductive Medicine Prize was given to a team of international researchers who used postage stamps to track penile activity during the night.
Two of the awards focused on cannibalism and voodoo dolls. A British researcher received the Nutrition Prize for calculating that the caloric value of human flesh is much lower than that of conventional meats. Additionally, the Economics Prize was presented to a team of scientists from Canada, China, Singapore, and the US for testing whether using voodoo dolls to curse bosses can reduce stress and ease the negative emotions of employees who feel bullied.
The Anthropology Prize went to a group of researchers from eight countries who found that in zoos, chimps mimic humans just as frequently as humans mimic chimps. The Biology Prize was given to another international team who proved that wine connoisseurs can detect the presence of a fly in wine simply by smell. The Chemistry Prize was awarded to three Portuguese scientists who studied the effectiveness of human saliva as a cleaning agent for dirty surfaces.
The Literature Prize went to a team of British, Australian, and Salvadoran researchers who confirmed a well-known fact—that most people never read the instruction manuals for complex consumer products. Finally, the Peace Prize was awarded to a group of seven Spanish and Colombian researchers who delved into road rage, specifically examining the frequency, impact, and motivations behind swearing and shouting while driving.
1. Life Finds A Way
Be warned—this one is not for the faint of heart. Researchers from Poland have documented the first instance of bees, wasps, and a squirrel taking up residence inside a mummified human body.
The partially skeletonized body of a man was discovered by chance in 2016, hanging from a spruce tree in the forests of Lower Silesia. His death was deemed a suicide, and his body was sent to the Forensic Medicine Department of Wroclaw Medical University. There, several intriguing findings were made. For one, the corpse had been hanging for 13 years. Despite its age, it was well-preserved and underwent partial mummification, primarily due to the environmental conditions in the canopy and the absence of ground scavengers.
Upon closer examination, the body was found to house honeybees, common wasps, and even a squirrel. Dr. Martin Kadej from the Institute of Environmental Biology called the discovery both rare and intriguing. However, he pointed out that it didn't add significant value to the field of forensic entomology, as none of these creatures were directly involved in the decomposition process. Nevertheless, it highlighted that these animals perceive a human corpse as a hollow space, an important natural microhabitat that supports a variety of different organisms.
