Buzz
Another week has come to a close, which means it's time for another round of bizarre and one-of-a-kind stories. Be sure to check out the mind-blowing list to stay fully informed on the significant events of the past few days.
This week, we dive into a few perplexing mysteries. A strange occurrence is taking place in a small Canadian town, while Spanish authorities are trying to uncover the mysterious owner of a plane left stranded at Madrid airport. Additionally, archaeologists have uncovered the burial site of an English explorer who had been lost for 150 years.
In the world of science, researchers have planned one of the most ambitious experiments ever, developed a laser that whispers directly into your ear, and even debated whether Spock is wiser than Yoda.
10. Fortunate Individuals Finally Discover Flinders
Archaeologists working on England's new High Speed 2 (HS2) railway project have uncovered the long-lost burial site of Captain Matthew Flinders, an explorer whose final resting place had been forgotten for around 150 years.
In the early 19th century, Flinders became the first European to circumnavigate Australia. He made three journeys to the continent and documented his experiences in the well-known book A Voyage to Terra Australis. Flinders passed away in 1814 and was buried at St James's Church in central London. Over the years, the cemetery underwent significant changes and eventually transformed into St James’s Gardens in 1878. Parts of the gardens were later replaced by the Euston railway station.
By that time, the exact location of Flinders' grave had been lost, though there was a longstanding belief that he had been buried beneath platform 15. However, this proved to be a myth as his remains were discovered during the excavation for the new high-speed railway. Luckily, Flinders had been buried with a lead breastplate, which had remained intact and still bore his engraved name.
The remains are expected to be reburied at a new site, yet to be decided. This discovery is one of 60 archaeological sites along the HS2 route, all of which will be examined before construction can begin.
9. The Phantom Plane of Madrid
Officials at Madrid-Barajas Airport in Spain are working to uncover who is responsible for parking and abandoning a jetliner on their tarmac.
While Madrid's airport is one of the largest in Europe, it's highly unusual for an airplane to remain untouched for years. The aircraft in question is a McDonnell Douglas MD-87, a sizable jet that accommodates over 100 passengers. Despite its size, it has sat in the same spot for so long that airport authorities have lost track of its owner.
Elena Mayoral, the airport director, issued a notice in the official Spanish bulletin about the abandoned plane. By Spanish law, such notices must be published for three consecutive months, and officials must wait a year for the owner to come forward before they can auction off the aircraft. For now, it seems the plane will remain where it is.
8. Vanilla Intoxication
A woman from Connecticut was arrested for driving while under the influence of vanilla extract.
If history teaches us anything, it’s that humans have always had a knack for getting wasted. No matter how strange or unpleasant a substance may be, if it can get you intoxicated, there will always be someone willing to give it a try.
Our latest case involves Stefanie Warner-Grise, a 50-year-old from New Canaan, Connecticut. Authorities responded to a report of her car stopped in an intersection, with her sitting in the driver's seat, eyes closed. A brief conversation revealed that she was clearly inebriated, and after failing a sobriety test, she was arrested.
It turns out Warner-Grise had gotten drunk off vanilla extract. Officers discovered several bottles in her car and could smell the scent of vanilla on her breath. Vanilla extract is surprisingly strong. According to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, the solution must be at least 35-percent alcohol by volume. While most of the alcohol evaporates during cooking, drinking it straight is only slightly less intoxicating than whiskey.
7. The Whisper Laser
Researchers from MIT have developed lasers capable of whispering sounds directly into someone's ear.
This system operates based on the photoacoustic effect, a phenomenon that creates sound waves when a material absorbs light. In this case, the material is the water vapor naturally present in the air. A 1.9-micrometer thulium laser is directed at the ear, causing the surrounding moisture to vibrate and quietly deliver a message to the person.
The MIT team experimented with various wavelengths and identified those that are most effectively absorbed by water. They also developed two methods for transmitting the signal: one through traditional modulation and the other by sweeping the laser beam back and forth using a mirror. The former offers superior audio quality, while the latter delivers a louder sound.
The scientists behind this innovation assure that the laser is entirely safe and foresee a wide range of commercial uses for it in the future. Currently, the “whisper” beams work at a range of up to 2.5 meters (8 feet), and their next challenge is to extend the range even further.
6. Yoda vs. Spock
Star Wars vs. Star Trek has been a rivalry for decades. Fans of both legendary sci-fi universes are constantly at odds, but Canadian researchers from the University of Waterloo have stepped in to settle one key question: Who is the wiser character—Spock or Yoda?
The small yet ancient Jedi and the logical Vulcan officer are often seen as the brightest minds in their respective franchises, becoming symbols of wisdom. But is there a way to figure out if one is truly more wise than the other?
One major difference between the two is their approach to emotion. Spock disregards anything he considers illogical and almost never shows emotion, while Yoda encourages his followers to embrace their feelings and practices this philosophy himself. The researchers concluded that a well-developed emotional life is key to wisdom, which is why they believe Yoda outshines Spock in this department.
Psychologist Igor Grossman and his team ran a series of experiments over four years, involving nearly 3,700 participants, to examine how emotional states affect reasoning. Their findings showed that experiencing a full range of emotions leads to wiser decision-making—a state marked by intellectual humility, an appreciation for different perspectives, and a readiness to adapt and compromise.
5. Enter The Hellevator
A group of Welsh shoppers found themselves trapped in an elevator for 40 minutes, enduring a terrifying ordeal that felt straight out of a horror movie. The lift repeatedly shot to the top, only to plunge back down again, leaving its passengers in a state of panic.
Last Saturday, over a dozen people were trapped in a lift at the St David’s Shopping Centre in Cardiff. While being stuck in an elevator is unsettling enough, this particular lift kept ascending to the top of the mall, then forcefully plummeting back down, jarring everyone inside. After 40 minutes of this, a fire brigade finally rescued the group. To make things worse, the helpline was down for the first ten minutes, so the trapped shoppers had no clue what was happening.
Physically, everyone was okay, though they were shaken up, with one young girl even suffering a panic attack. A spokesperson for the shopping center didn’t offer an explanation for the malfunction, only mentioning that no prior issues had been reported with the elevator. As compensation for their harrowing experience, the shoppers were given free parking passes.
4. The 500-Year Experiment
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh have released the preliminary findings from an ambitious experiment designed to unfold over the next 495 years.
In 2014, a team of researchers from Scotland, Germany, and the United States teamed up to explore the durability of bacteria. One of the team members, Charles Cockell, once left a petri dish with Chroococcidiopsis unattended and discovered that the cells were still alive a decade later. Other scientists have revived even older bacteria. So how long can bacteria truly survive? And can we predict how their viability declines over time?
These are the key questions the research team hopes to answer, but even if the experiment is successful, none of the researchers will be around to witness the outcome, as the study is set to conclude in 2514. The initial results from the first two years of the experiment have just been published.
The experiment involves 800 glass vials, each sealed tightly and containing either Chroococcidiopsis or Bacillus subtilis. Half of the vials are protected from radiation with lead. The process is simple: researchers periodically open some of the vials, add water, and count the number of bacterial colonies. The real challenge, however, is ensuring that the experiment continues for centuries to come.
3. Burger And Coke
A new fast food spot in Melbourne, Australia, called Pablo's Escoburgers, has sparked a lot of attention lately due to its theme centered around the notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The source of the controversy seems to be the restaurant's signature dish, the “Patron Burger,” which comes with a line of white powder and a rolled-up $100 American bill. While the money is fake and the powder is simply white garlic, many people still find the presentation distasteful.
Critics argue that the restaurant is capitalizing on the tragedy of the drug trade by romanticizing one of history's most brutal criminals and trivializing drug use. In response to the backlash, one of the co-owners issued a statement clarifying that they never meant to offend but were simply 'taking the piss' out of Escobar and enjoying a clever wordplay. As of now, the restaurant has no plans to alter the name or the menu.
2. The Carstairs Conundrum
Something odd is happening in the small town of Carstairs, Alberta, and no one can figure out what's going on. Vehicles are acting strangely when parked outside the Westview Co-op grocery store.
The most common issue appears to be key fobs malfunctioning, though there have also been unexplained alarm triggers and cars that simply refuse to start. These problems have been ongoing for weeks, all concentrated around the co-op's parking lot. The store management has brought in electricians, but no one has been able to crack the case. At least they managed to cut the power from the co-op to rule out any interference coming from there.
The RCMP have confirmed that they've received several reports about the mysterious happenings in the parking lot and plan to investigate further. However, they acknowledge that it isn't a high-priority matter at the moment.
With no clear explanation in sight, locals have begun offering their own theories about what's causing the interference. Possibilities range from LED lights or a nearby radio antenna to train tracks and surrounding security systems. And, naturally, there are those who suspect aliens may be involved.
Update: The mystery has now been solved. It turns out that a remote car starter nearby was stuck in transmit mode, which caused all the interference. Neither the co-op nor aliens were responsible.
1. Burglars Dig Beneath Bank
Police officers in Florida investigated what appeared to be a sinkhole and uncovered a surprising discovery: an unfinished tunnel leading right underneath a bank.
On Wednesday morning, Pembroke Pines PD received a report of a possible sinkhole near a shopping plaza. When they investigated, they found that the hole was actually a narrow tunnel dug from a nearby wooded area, aimed at reaching the Chase Bank inside the plaza. Inside the tunnel, authorities found a small generator, a power cord, and a winch. They also discovered a ladder, a stool, muddy boots, and a small wagon just outside the tunnel entrance, which had been concealed with a wooden pallet.
FBI special agent Michael D. Leverock referred to the case as "truly a unique case.” He explained that the tunnel was "extremely claustrophobic," measuring 45 meters (150 ft) long and approximately 90 centimeters (3 ft) in diameter. Scent dogs have confirmed that there are no bodies inside the tunnel. Authorities are uncertain whether the tunnel was abandoned or if recent rainfall led to its collapse. They’ve shared photos of the wagon and generator, hoping that someone might be able to identify the would-be bank robbers.
