Buzz
As we approach the end of another week, let's explore some of the more curious and noteworthy tales. Click here if you'd like to catch up on last week's list.
In the animal kingdom this week, we have everything from a beluga whale acting as a spy, a snake with three eyes, to an alleged sighting of the Yeti. In other strange news, people are drawing crude images on the ground and eating bananas as a form of protest. Meanwhile, researchers crack a decades-old computer puzzle and go in search of Leonardo da Vinci's remains.
10. Yeti Sighting in the Himalayas
The Indian Army recently shared images on social media, claiming they show the Yeti's footprints.
According to their post, the army presented these “mysterious footprints” to their six million followers, which were found by a mountaineering team at Makalu Base Camp in the Himalayas. The footprints are 81 by 38 centimeters (32 x 15 in). The soldiers discovered them on April 9, but they waited to compare them with previous Yeti sightings before going public. Ultimately, officials decided to reveal the findings to “spark scientific curiosity and reignite interest.”
Unsurprisingly, many reacted with doubt and mockery, including the Nepalese Army, which claimed the footprints actually belonged to a Himalayan black bear. They explained that the bear’s rear paw doesn’t align perfectly with the front paw, causing the print to appear elongated, creating the illusion of one long footprint.
In response, the Indian Army stated that they had handed the evidence over to “subject matter experts” and would wait for further developments.
9. The Power of the Willy
The residents of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, have figured out a clever way to get potholes repaired quickly: Draw penises around them.
For almost two years, potholes in the Fane Grove area of the city remained unattended. But last week, an anonymous local decorated them with phallic-shaped graffiti. Within days, the potholes were patched up, and the graffiti was erased.
A spokesperson for Middlesbrough Council explained that repairs take time because they prioritize based on the danger posed to drivers. However, since a road crew was already in the area, they were able to fix the potholes at Fane Grove as well.
Not everyone bought the official explanation. Local resident Brad Nicholson humorously credited the swift repairs to “the power of the willy.”
8. One in a Hole
In Mexico, a man had to be rescued after getting stuck in a tunnel he had dug beneath his ex-partner's house in order to spy on her.
Authorities in Puerto Penasco received an unusual call. A woman found her ex-boyfriend inside a hole he had been digging over the past week. Initially, she mistook the noises for cats, but when they grew louder, she investigated. That’s when she discovered he had spent days digging a tunnel to hide and observe her. The woman had ended their 14-year relationship due to his jealousy and had a restraining order against him for domestic violence.
The 50-year-old man needed help to escape the hole. When he was freed, he was severely dehydrated and appeared intoxicated. He was then taken into police custody.
7. Leonardo Lives
This week marks the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death. Two scientists are eager to discover if a relic thought to contain his DNA can help us pinpoint his final resting place.
Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato, both renowned da Vinci experts, have acquired a lock of hair that may have once belonged to the Renaissance genius. For years, it has been kept in a private collection in the US, but this week it was displayed for the first time in an exhibition dedicated to him in his birthplace, Vinci. While its authenticity is questionable, the relic is accompanied by documents suggesting its provenance. In addition to showcasing it, the scientists attempted to collect a DNA sample from the hair.
The exact location of Leonardo’s remains is unknown, but they are believed to be in a chapel at the Chateau d’Amboise in France. This DNA sample, if genuine and viable, could be tested against the bones there to see if a match is found.
6. The Banana Protest
In Poland, people have started eating bananas as a form of protest after a beloved artwork was removed, allegedly due to censorship.
The 1973 video, “Consumer Art,” by the influential artist Natalia LL, had been a staple at the National Museum in Warsaw until last week. That’s when the newly appointed museum director, Jerzy Miziolek, had it taken down following a request from the Ministry of Culture.
The video depicts a young woman eating a banana with great pleasure. It was a commentary on the food shortages during communist Poland, but Miziolek argued that it “could upset sensitive young viewers.” Protesters view this as censorship imposed by a conservative government. Miziolek denied the accusations, claiming that “creative changes” were needed due to the gallery’s limited space.
Many took to social media, sharing photos of themselves eating bananas to protest the removal of “Consumer Art.” Several hundred even gathered in person on Monday in front of the museum to stage a protest. They ate bananas, with some even wearing the peels on their heads.
5. A Case of Meth-taken Identity
An elderly couple from Melbourne, Australia, called the police after receiving the wrong package, which turned out to contain 20 kilograms (44 lb) of methamphetamines valued at around A$10 million ($7 million).
The couple hadn’t been expecting any package, but they signed for it anyway. Inside, they discovered bags of white powder. While they didn’t fully grasp the gravity of the strange delivery, they nonetheless contacted the authorities.
Detectives launched an investigation after reassuring the elderly couple that they had done nothing wrong and were not in any trouble. They executed a search warrant at a house in the nearby suburb of Bundoora, where they uncovered another 20 kilos of meth. A man named Zhiling Ma was arrested. The investigation is still ongoing, and it’s unclear whether this was the intended destination for the couple’s package.
4. Flushed Away
In an act of utter spite, a man from Pennsylvania is accused of flushing the ashes of his grandparents down the toilet after his mother kicked him out of the house.
Thomas Wells had temporarily moved from Pittsburgh to McKeesport to stay with his mother. Last September, she asked him to leave. Although the 33-year-old agreed, he allegedly committed an act of malice before doing so. He went into his mother’s bedroom, where she kept the ashes of her parents, took the box containing the ashes, and dumped it into the toilet.
The mother discovered Wells’s actions in February through another relative and reported it to the police. He faces two charges of corpse abuse and one charge of criminal mischief.
Wells denied any wrongdoing. However, his mother claimed he later threatened to do the same with her remains after her death.
3. The Three-Eyed Serpent
Australian wildlife authorities have reported the discovery of a three-eyed snake.
The baby carpet python was found in March along a highway in Northern Australia, close to the town of Humpty Doo. X-ray scans revealed that the snake didn't have two heads fused together but rather a third eye socket in its skull. All three eyes appeared to be functioning normally. Snake expert Professor Bryan Fry speculated that the deformity might have been the remnant of a twin absorbed during development.
The Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service took responsibility for the unusual reptile. Wildlife officers gave it the nickname “Monty Python,” although many people couldn't help but think of the Three-Eyed Raven from Game of Thrones.
Unfortunately, Monty passed away a few weeks after its discovery. While the exact cause of death remains unknown, the reptile had difficulty eating due to its malformation.
2. A Blast From The Past
A programmer from Belgium managed to crack a cryptographic puzzle, unlocking a time capsule 15 years earlier than expected.
In 1999, MIT’s Laboratory for Computer Science commissioned a time capsule created by renowned architect Frank Gehry. It contained 50 items celebrating the history of computers, with contributions from Bill Gates, Tim Berners-Lee, Bob Metcalfe, and other tech icons. The capsule was sealed using a puzzle designed by cryptographer Ron Rivest, who predicted it would take about 35 years to solve.
On April 15 of this year, just 20 years after its creation, a programmer named Bernard Fabrot cracked the puzzle. Although not intentionally difficult, it was time-consuming and required performing a squaring operation 80 trillion times, followed by applying the result to another equation.
The puzzle depended on a series of sequential operations, meaning each new answer built on the previous one, preventing the use of multiple computers to speed up the process. However, Rivest had underestimated how much computers would evolve. Fabrot solved the puzzle in under four years using just a home computer and free software.
Interestingly, Fabrot completed the puzzle just weeks ahead of another group. A team of computer scientists had been working on a cryptography project called Cryptophage and saw the MIT puzzle as a prime test case. They informed MIT that they expected to finish by May 10, only to learn that the Belgian programmer had already solved it a few days earlier.
The time capsule is set to be opened on May 15.
1. Defection On The High Seas
A beluga whale found in Norway’s frigid waters has raised suspicions of espionage after it was discovered wearing a harness with a camera attached, leading some to believe it may be a Russian spy.
A fisherman discovered the beluga whale last Friday, wearing a harness marked with the words “Equipment St. Petersburg” in English. Speculation has arisen that the whale may have come from a Russian military training facility. It remains unclear whether it escaped or was intentionally released. Given the language on the harness, some suggest that it could have traveled all the way from St. Petersburg, Florida, although this seems unlikely.
Russian officials have yet to comment, but one analyst has downplayed the military theory. Instead, he posits that the harness was used by zoologists to track the whale’s movements.
The so-called spy whale is remarkably friendly and has spent several days in the harbor of Tufjord, a small village. It enjoys human interaction, responding to calls and even allowing people to pet it. Locals have jokingly claimed the whale has ‘defected’ to their side, and it has become somewhat of a local celebrity. Experts are now advising people to stop feeding it to help the whale learn how to forage on its own and possibly integrate with a pod of other belugas in the future.
