Buzz
As the week comes to a close, it's time to revisit the key moments. Morris's roundup highlights the major global events, while we dive into the more quirky and bizarre occurrences.
This week, we enter the realm of music with stories about warring neighbors, a peculiar art installation, and a prime minister’s look-alike. Oh, and there’s the matter of spiders drifting through the skies of Brazil. Not to forget, the Devil made an appearance in Spain.
10. Bless The Rains
If you ever find yourself wandering the Namib Desert and hear “Africa” by Toto, don’t fret. You haven’t lost your mind; you’ve just discovered a new art installation.
Namibian artist Max Siedentopf has created a sound installation that plays the legendary song on a continuous loop. The setup includes an MP3 player and six speakers mounted on white pillars, all powered by solar batteries. The exact location of the installation remains a secret, but it lies somewhere within the vast expanse of the Namib Desert, covering 81,000 square kilometers (31,000 sq mi).
Siedentopf explains that his goal was to offer the song the “ultimate tribute” by ensuring that “Africa” would play endlessly on African soil. However, he acknowledges the challenges of time and the desert’s elements, knowing that despite his efforts to use durable materials, the harsh conditions will eventually “consume” his artwork.
9. Neighbors From Hell
We continue in the world of music, focusing on a neighborly conflict between Robbie Williams and Jimmy Page.
Williams resides in the Holland Park area of London in a Grade II-listed property. Next door, the former Led Zeppelin guitarist lives in a Grade I-listed building. Both of these structures are considered heritage sites, meaning any renovations or demolitions are subject to extensive paperwork and approval processes.
The root of the dispute between the two musicians appears to be Williams’s plans to expand his basement, including adding a gym and a pool. Page opposes this, fearing that construction work might compromise the integrity of his 1875 mansion. Williams first submitted his proposal five years ago, and it wasn’t until last month that he finally received conditional approval.
The two have each lodged complaints with the local council, but Williams seems to prefer less conventional methods of retaliation. According to a letter from another neighbor, identified only as “Johnny,” the former Take That star is known to play music at high volumes to annoy Page. He often plays songs by bands that rival Led Zeppelin, such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Pink Floyd. Occasionally, he even dresses up as Led Zeppelin’s lead singer, Robert Plant. A spokesperson for Williams has dismissed these claims, calling them a “complete fabrication.”
8. The Duck Pic Challenge
The challenge began innocently on January 4, when the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) in Reading, Berkshire, England, posted a photo of a 1934 duckling. It then challenged the British Museum to share its “best ducks.” Not to be outdone, the British Museum responded with a photo of an ancient Egyptian cosmetics container shaped like a duck, dating back 3,300 years.
What could have been the end of the story quickly turned into a global event as more institutions jumped on board. The Natural History Museum in London, the Norfolk Museum, the Royal Academy, the British Library, and even the Science Museum all posted their own duck-themed content.
Within a day or two, the challenge went global. The Getty Museum in California, the Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, the Met in New York, and the Spadina Museum in Toronto all shared the best ducks they had in their collections. Some posted photos, while others shared sculptures or paintings. The National Railway Museum proudly displayed its Mallard steam locomotive, and the National Army Museum in London featured a 1943 DUKW amphibious vehicle.
Even this week, some museums that were a bit late to the party are still posting their duck-related contributions. MERL has already set the date for the second-ever International Solicited Duck Pic Day on January 5, 2020.
7. Spiders In The Sky
Many regions across the globe have been struck by severe weather. However, no matter how bad things get where you are, you can take comfort in the fact that it’s not literally raining spiders.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Southern Brazil. In the state of Minas Gerais, residents have reported seeing hundreds of spiders filling the sky. Their webs are so fine and nearly invisible to the human eye that it appears as though the spiders are simply floating in midair.
The culprit behind this eerie spectacle is a species known as Parawixia bistriata. These spiders are more social than most, gathering together in hot, humid weather to create large webs to catch more prey. They typically emerge in the early evening, spend the night, and by dawn, they feast on their catch before retreating back into the foliage.
While this phenomenon may understandably freak people out, arachnology expert Professor Adalberto dos Santos from the Federal University of Minas Gerais points out that these spiders actually do more good than harm. They help regulate insect and mosquito populations, and their bite is not harmful to humans. However, that might not be much comfort to the unfortunate individuals who walk into one of these webs.
6. The Devil Takes Selfies
In the Spanish city of Segovia, residents are protesting a sculpture of the Devil because it looks too friendly and approachable.
Segovia is home to a renowned Roman aqueduct, which, according to local legend, was built by the Devil at the request of a servant girl. Artist Jose Antonio Abella was creating a sculpture to commemorate this tale. The artwork features Satan taking a selfie. However, around 5,400 people (approximately a tenth of the city's population) signed a petition demanding the cancellation of the statue (as seen in the mock-up above). As a result, a judge has ordered the artwork to be paused until the issue is settled.
The controversy stems from the fact that the Devil in the sculpture appears too cheerful and affable. Critics argue that the statue glorifies evil and offends Catholics. They believe Satan should be depicted as terrifying and grotesque, warning that the current version could turn Segovia into a center of Satanism.
Claudia de Santos, the city’s heritage councilor, has assured that the project will proceed despite the “unfair and discouraging” opposition. Abella, too, expressed surprise at the reaction, explaining that his version of Satan was designed with a more harmless intention: it’s meant for tourists to take selfies with.
5. Who Killed Lord Darnley?
The film Mary, Queen of Scots debuted in UK cinemas this week, providing the perfect opportunity to revisit a 500-year-old mystery—who was responsible for the death of Mary’s husband, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley?
Lord Darnley was staying at the Kirk o’ Field church in Edinburgh when it was destroyed by a gunpowder explosion on February 10, 1567. The bodies of Darnley and his servant were found outside in the orchard. Neither showed signs of explosion injuries, but both appeared to have been strangled.
Historians generally agree that Lord Darnley fell victim to a plot, but the identity of the mastermind remains disputed. James Hepburn, Lord Bothwell, is often seen as the prime suspect, especially after his abduction of Mary and their subsequent marriage shortly after Darnley’s death. Though charged with murder, Bothwell was acquitted.
Dr. Kate Williams, a historian at the University of Reading, recently published a book in which she accuses James Stewart, the 1st Earl of Moray and Mary’s half-brother, of being behind the murder. After Mary’s abdication and flight to England, Moray became Scotland’s regent. He also had the support of powerful lords, which allowed him to influence the investigation into Darnley’s death. Dr. Williams argues that evidence from letters between the lords and Queen Elizabeth I shows Moray was suspected of the crime, but he used his power to erase traces of the incriminating evidence from history.
4. Long-Lost Brothers
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems to have found his doppelganger in a wedding singer from Afghanistan.
Abdul Salam Maftoon hails from a remote village in Badakhshan province. Typically, he performs at weddings and birthday parties to support his family, but he recently made his mark on one of the country's most watched TV programs, Afghan Star. One of the judges on the show, Afghan-Canadian musician Qais Ulfat, was the first to point out the striking resemblance between Maftoon and Trudeau.
Although Maftoon admitted he hadn't heard of his famous twin, he was flattered by the comparison. He says people already call him “Justin Trudeau.” He hopes that this newfound fame will earn him more votes and improve his chances of winning Afghan Star. Even if he’s eliminated from the competition, Maftoon's entertainment services are sure to be in high demand going forward.
3. Who Stole Belgium’s Michelangelo?
Belgium was on the brink of confirming the authenticity of its only Michelangelo painting when it was stolen.
For the last 16 years, the painting had sat forgotten in a dim corner of St. Ludgerus Church in the small town of Zele in Flanders. It had been donated by a parishioner, with an estimated value of around €10,000.
When pastor and amateur historian Jan Van Raemdonck discovered the piece, he suspected it could be a lost work by the Renaissance genius. He later saw a Michelangelo sketch from the Duke of Portland’s collection that featured a similar scene with the Holy Family. This provided enough evidence for him to call in an expert to authenticate the piece.
Someone stole the painting before the expert could examine it. With no alarm system in place at the church, the only real challenge for the thieves was hauling away the artwork, which was mounted on wood and weighed approximately 100 kilograms (220 lb).
The thieves made off with only the painting. Investigators assume this was because it might have been a priceless, long-lost Michelangelo. However, Pastor Van Raemdonck maintains that he kept the discovery confidential, only sharing it with the church council to secure approval for additional security measures. Council chairman Het Nieuwsblad denies ever discussing the painting.
2. A Leaf On The Moon
The Chinese Chang’e 4 mission has successfully grown the first-ever green leaf on the Moon.
After the rover successfully touched down on the Moon's far side, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) revealed that one of the experiments aboard Chang’e 4 was aimed at growing the first plants on the lunar surface. Six different seeds were placed in a mini-biome, and once the rover landed, CNSA instructed it to water them.
While five of the seeds showed no response, the cotton seed actually sprouted a small shoot. Unfortunately, the plant died shortly after, but that brief glimpse of green represented a significant milestone in humanity's ambitions to colonize other worlds.
It's important to note that, although this was technically the first plant grown on the Moon, it was kept in a controlled chamber throughout the experiment. It had access to water, soil, air, and heat, so it was never exposed to the harsh conditions of the lunar surface. Despite this, experiment designer Xie Gengxin from Chongqing University explained that they could not regulate the temperature effectively. It fluctuated so much that life could not survive, prompting them to remotely power down the biosphere.
1. Giant Ice Disc In Maine
In Westbrook, Maine, something unusual is happening—a massive disc of ice is floating in the Presumpscot River.
A local businessman was the first to notice the strange phenomenon, quickly notifying city officials. Authorities then deployed a drone to capture stunning footage of the slowly rotating, moon-like ice formation, which spans over 90 meters (300 feet) in diameter.
The disc’s brief moment of international fame almost came to a halt. On Wednesday, reports surfaced that it had stopped spinning after colliding with the shore. However, a brave individual took a paddleboard out onto the river and successfully freed the spinning ice circle, which resumed its mesmerizing rotation.
This ice disc is a rare natural occurrence, and formations of this size are even rarer. Scientists believe they form in slow-moving, cold waters such as eddy currents. In these conditions, the water freezes more quickly than the surrounding areas, and the movement of the current causes ice pieces to gather. Changes in temperature beneath the surface generate a vortex, which spins the ice into a perfect circle. Or maybe it was aliens.
