It’s Saturday, which always signals it’s time to dive into the oddball side of the headlines. If you’ve missed the latest buzzworthy events, we’ve got you covered with a roundup of the most curious reports. Here’s a look at ten offbeat stories that have been making the news this week.
10 Offbeat Stories
10 A Different Kind Of Bridge Suspension
Another doping scandal has rocked the sporting world as Norwegian player Geir Helgemo tested positive for testosterone. What’s most bizarre about this situation is that Helgemo plays bridge, a mind‑sport where you’d never expect performance‑enhancing drugs to be an issue.
The testing took place in September at an event in Orlando, and the results showed not only synthetic testosterone but also the female fertility drug clomifene. Consequently, the World Bridge Federation suspended Helgemo until November 20 and stripped him of all titles and points earned during the 2018 World Bridge Series. Prior to the sanction, he sat atop the world rankings as the No. 1 player.
The WBF disclosed that Helgemo gave an investigative panel an explanation for how the substances entered his system, though the details were kept private. Norwegian Bridge Federation president Kari‑Anne Opsal confirmed the drugs weren’t performance‑enhancing. The federation tests because it’s recognized by the International Olympic Committee and therefore follows World Anti‑Doping Agency guidelines.
9 Armageddon’t
The 1998 disaster movie Armageddon has long been mocked for its implausible plot, and a fresh study in the journal Icarus may have dealt the final blow to its premise. Researchers ran computer simulations that suggest even if humanity could detonate an asteroid on a collision course, gravity would simply cause the fragments to re‑coalesce in space.
The danger of an asteroid impact is genuine—history shows it can have catastrophic consequences. Scientists at Johns Hopkins University built a model to simulate collisions and discovered that the fragments blown away in an “Armageddon‑style” scenario are likely to regroup with the parent rock due to gravitational attraction.
Dr. Charles El Mir, a co‑author, says the findings imply a far greater amount of energy would be required to shatter an asteroid completely. Larger asteroids, while having more flaws, also possess massive cores whose gravity can pull the debris back together, making the task of pulverizing them substantially harder than previously believed.
8 A Pricy Set Of Wheels
The Geneva Motor Show is currently in full swing, delivering plenty of excitement for gearheads, not least the unveiling of what many are calling the world’s most expensive new car.
The vehicle, dubbed La Voiture Noire (“The Black Car”), is a one‑off built by Bugatti to commemorate the brand’s 110th anniversary. Media outlets have reported it as the priciest new automobile ever, eclipsing the Rolls‑Royce Sweptail. While Bugatti has kept the exact figure under wraps, estimates place the price between $11 million and $12.5 million, plus roughly $6 million in local and luxury taxes.
La Voiture Noire sports a jet‑black carbon‑fiber body and a 16‑cylinder engine cranking out about 1,500 horsepower. The top speed remains a secret, though it is thought to be comparable to the Chiron. Designed as a tribute to the historic Type 57 SC Atlantic—of which only four were produced in the 1930s—the car’s owner remains anonymous, described simply as “an enthusiast of the brand.” Some speculate it could be Ferdinand Piech, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and former VW chief.
7 The Mystery Of The Transient Anus
A marine biologist believes he may have discovered a certain species of comb jelly with a feature unique among animals: a transient anus.
Simple creatures like jellyfish have a single opening that serves both for ingesting food and expelling waste. More complex animals possess a through‑gut with a mouth at one end and an anus at the other. Comb jellies were thought to belong to the latter group, yet the warty comb jelly appeared to lack an anus entirely.
Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole observed that this animal does possess an anus…sometimes. When waste builds up, the gut balloons until it contacts the epidermis, creating a temporary opening that allows excretion. Once the process finishes, the opening vanishes completely, leaving no trace even under a microscope. Tamm suggests this fleeting anus could represent an evolutionary intermediate stage, shedding light on how through‑guts may have evolved.
6 Is Lake Erie A Person?
Voters from Toledo, Ohio, approved an unusual measure that grants Lake Erie the same legal rights as a person. This marks the first time a natural resource has been given legal personhood in the United States.
The move was driven by a desire to protect the Great Lake from pollution. In 2014, agricultural runoff caused a toxic algal bloom that led to a state of emergency, leaving about half a million residents without drinking water. In response, a recent referendum passed with 61 percent support, creating a Lake Erie Bill of Rights that allows the lake to “stand” in court and sue polluters.
The measure has already faced a legal challenge from a coalition of farmers who argue it is unconstitutional and too vague to enforce, claiming it infringes on their rights. Legal analysts are skeptical about its chances, noting that Lake Erie extends far beyond Toledo’s jurisdiction, which could complicate any court rulings.
5 The Elixir Of Life
Back in October of last year, Chinese archaeologists were exploring the tomb of a noble family in Henan Province. Among the artifacts they uncovered were clay pots, jade pieces, a lamp, and a pot containing a yellowish liquid. Initially, researchers thought the liquid was wine, but further analysis revealed it to be an elixir of immortality.
The liquid’s color and faint alcoholic scent suggested wine, a common ceremonial beverage. However, laboratory tests identified alunite and potassium nitrate—ingredients cited in ancient Taoist texts as key components of life‑extending elixirs.
Although the elixir was found next to a dead nobleman, indicating it didn’t grant eternal life, Chinese scholars are thrilled by the discovery. Shi Jiazhen, head of the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in Luoyang, noted that this is the first time an actual immortality elixir from ancient China has been recovered, sparking excitement for further research.
4 Taco Bell Saves Lives
A man stranded in the snowy wilderness of Central Oregon survived for five days subsisting solely on Taco Bell sauce packets.
Jeremy Taylor, an avid outdoorsman, set out into Deschutes National Forest with his dog, Ally. Heavy snowfall caused his car to become stuck on a forest‑service road, forcing him to spend the night inside the vehicle. The storm persisted, and the following day, attempts to hike out proved impossible due to deep snow, sending the pair back to the car for shelter.
For five days, Taylor’s only source of sustenance was a few packets of Taco Bell’s hot sauce. Both he and Ally remained healthy, albeit very hungry. After his rescue—spotted by a passing snowmobiler—Taylor joked online that “Taco Bell fire sauce saves lives!” The fast‑food chain responded by rewarding him with a year’s supply of free Taco Bell, complete with unlimited sauce packets.
3 Tiny Handbag Makes Big Splash
Paris Fashion Week wrapped up on Tuesday, and while the runway showcased countless couture creations, one accessory stole the spotlight: a micro‑handbag that measured a mere 5.2 cm (2 in) in length.
The bag, dubbed the Mini Le Chiquito, is the brainchild of French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus. It’s a scaled‑down version of the already tiny Le Chiquito, which launched the previous year. Despite a price tag exceeding $500, the original sold out quickly, prompting Jacquemus to create an even smaller iteration. The Mini version measures just 12 cm × 6 cm (4 in × 2.5 in). Pricing for this ultra‑miniature piece has not yet been disclosed.
2 Do Hipsters All Look The Same?
A man was furious with a technology magazine that published an article about how all hipsters look the same. He threatened to sue them for using an image of him without permission and implying he was a hipster, only to discover it showed a different man who looked the same as him.
The MIT Technology Review ran a story about the “hipster effect,” a counterintuitive phenomenon where people who pride themselves on being anti‑conformist end up looking remarkably similar. For the piece, the magazine used a stock photo from Getty Images that featured a stereotypical hipster: a white man in his thirties, sporting a beard, a flannel shirt, and a knit cap.
The man whose likeness was allegedly used wrote an angry letter, calling the article “nonsense” and “slanderous,” and claimed the photo was used without his consent. However, the magazine’s editor confirmed they had a proper license and that the model had signed a release. When Getty verified the model’s identity, the complainant realized the picture was of someone else who merely resembled him.
1 Mona Lisa, The Early Years
Art experts believe that Leonardo da Vinci might be the author of a charcoal drawing known as the Nude Mona Lisa, perhaps even done in preparation for his iconic painting.
The drawing, also called the Monna Vanna, resides at the Conde Museum in Chantilly, France. While it was long thought to be the work of a student from Leonardo’s workshop, recent testing by the Center for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France (C2RMF) suggests otherwise. The analysis revealed that the majority of the charcoal marks are left‑handed, a hallmark of Leonardo’s technique, while a few right‑handed strokes appear at the top of the piece.
Furthermore, the drawing employs the “sfumato” technique—softly blended shading—that Leonardo famously used on the Mona Lisa. Curator Mathieu Deldicque believes the work is “almost certainly a preparatory study for an oil painting,” though he admits absolute certainty may never be achieved.