Welcome to our roundup of 10 offbeat stories you might have missed this week (11/17/18). With another week in the history books, it’s time to sit back and review some of the stories that made the news over the last few days. Click here if you want to learn all about the major headlines; otherwise read on for unexpected and outlandish stories.
10 Offbeat Stories That Made This Week
1 A Ghost Galaxy Is Next To Us
Astronomers have uncovered a spooky, almost invisible galaxy lurking just beyond the Milky Way’s familiar neighborhood. The find, christened Antlia 2 (or simply Ant 2), emerged from data harvested by the Gaia satellite, which was originally hunting for stars but stumbled on this faint smudge of starlight.
Ant 2 is about 7,000 light‑years across – roughly the same span as the Large Magellanic Cloud – yet it shines a staggering 10,000 times dimmer, earning it the nickname “ghost galaxy.” Its extreme faintness, combined with the fact that it sits directly behind the bright disk of our own galaxy, meant it had been hiding in plain sight for decades.
Scientists suspect the Milky Way’s relentless gravitational tug ripped the dwarf apart, stripping away much of its mass. Oddly, despite losing so much material, Ant 2 has managed to retain a surprisingly large size, a puzzle that sets it apart from the roughly 60 other satellite galaxies orbiting us. Researchers hope that a deeper look at this ethereal neighbor will reveal whether more “ghost” galaxies are lurking unseen around the Milky Way.
2 Impact Crater Under The Ice
An international team of scientists has announced the discovery of a massive, buried impact crater beneath Greenland’s thick ice sheet. The crater, hidden under more than 800 metres (2,600 ft) of ice, was created by a meteorite roughly 1.6 km (1 mi) in diameter.
Measuring about 300 metres (1,000 ft) deep and a staggering 31 kilometres (19 mi) wide, the structure ranks among the 25 largest known impact sites on Earth. Its formation released an energy equivalent to 47 million Little Boy atomic bombs, carving a cavernous scar into the planet’s surface that had remained invisible until radar‑penetrating surveys finally revealed it.
While the crater’s exact age remains uncertain, current estimates place it somewhere between 12,000 years and three million years old. The find, first spotted by Danish researchers sifting through NASA’s Operation IceBridge data, underscores how much of Earth’s geological history remains concealed beneath ice and snow.
3 One Crab Apple Too Many
A small West Virginia town was thrown into a frenzy when residents reported rabid raccoons prowling the streets. The panic evaporated quickly once officials discovered the culprits weren’t infected at all – they were simply intoxicated by fermented crab apples.
The Milton Police Department received two frantic calls about potentially dangerous raccoons. When officers captured the first animal, affectionately named Dallas, they found it wobbling and disoriented, but tests showed no rabies. Instead, the creature had overindulged in a cache of over‑ripe crab apples that had turned into a potent brew.
Two more “trash pandas” were later seized, allowed to sobern up, and released back into the woods. A police spokesperson noted that while Dallas appeared merely tipsy, the other two raccoons exhibited signs of severe lethargy, possibly indicating a lingering distemper infection.
4 Fraudsters Fake Fundraiser
The viral tale of a homeless man named Johnny Bobbitt Jr. and a charitable couple who allegedly raised a fortune for him took a dark turn when prosecutors alleged that all three were in on a scheme to swindle donors.
What began as a feel‑good story – a Good Samaritan couple, Mark D’Amico and Kate McClure, sharing a photo of Bobbitt who supposedly gave them $20 when their car ran out of gas on I‑95 – quickly spiraled into a GoFundMe campaign that attracted roughly 14,000 donors and over $400,000 in contributions.
Investigations now claim the trio fabricated the entire sob story, with the couple allegedly misusing the funds for personal expenses and Bobbitt himself accused of colluding in the deception. The once‑heartwarming narrative has collapsed into a full‑blown criminal case involving conspiracy, theft by deception, and a massive breach of public trust.
5 Japan’s Cybersecurity Is In Safe Hands
Japan’s cybersecurity minister, Yoshitaka Sakurada, sparked a national debate after openly admitting he has never used a computer. The 68‑year‑old politician, responsible for safeguarding the nation’s digital infrastructure, confessed during a lower‑house session that he does not even know what a USB drive is.
Sakurada’s bewilderment surfaced when lawmakers asked whether USB drives were employed at the country’s nuclear facilities. His candid response – that he was unaware of such devices and generally avoids computers altogether – raised eyebrows across the political spectrum, especially given his role overseeing cyber defenses.
Critics argued that entrusting a self‑described Luddite with the nation’s cyber‑security is reckless, while some internet users joked that his lack of computer use makes him the most secure minister possible – you can’t be hacked if you never go online. The controversy also highlighted broader concerns about Japan’s preparedness for the upcoming 2020 Olympics, where Sakurada sits on the organizing committee.
6 Yabba Dabba Don’t
In a scene straight out of a cartoon, Wesley Chapel resident Don Swartz was pulled over for speeding while dressed head‑to‑toe as Fred Flintstone. The Florida sheriff’s office stopped the “footmobile” – a car modified to look like the Stone Age hero’s iconic stone‑age vehicle – after Swartz sped through a residential complex.
A few days later, the Pasco County sheriff’s department asked Swartz to don the Flintstone outfit again for a staged photo op. The department posted the pictures on its Facebook page, joking that Mr. Flintstone had become “unruly” and that his foot‑powered car would now join the official PSO fleet.
7 Cat And Beetle Mummies Recovered In Ancient Tomb
Archaeologists working for Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities announced a spectacular find in a 4,500‑year‑old tomb near Cairo. The burial chamber yielded dozens of exquisitely preserved cat mummies, alongside two rare scarab beetle mummies.
The feline remains were accompanied by a hundred gilded wooden cat statues and a bronze figure of Bastet, the cat‑headed goddess. While the cat mummies thrilled Egyptologists, the scarab beetles stole the spotlight; such insect mummies are exceptionally scarce, and the two specimens were found wrapped in linen within sarcophagi etched with scarab motifs.
The discoveries were made at Saqqara, the vast necropolis that once served as Memphis’s burial ground. Nearby, researchers also uncovered another sealed tomb, raising hopes that it may still be untouched by looters and could be opened in the coming weeks.
8 We’re An American Band?
American act Threatin embarked on a UK tour that quickly turned into a baffling mystery – the band apparently doesn’t exist. At first glance, everything looked legitimate: a Facebook page boasting nearly 40,000 fans, a frontman, Jered Threatin, with 16,000 followers, a record label, and a booking agency.
Tickets were sold in advance for venues across England, but the shows fell flat. At The Exchange in Bristol, the venue was empty; Birmingham saw a single ticket sold, and the Camden Underworld attracted a grand total of three attendees.
Further digging exposed a web of fabrications. The record label and promoter were phantom entities, and the massive social‑media following was likely purchased. Threatin had essentially booked a string of gigs on the strength of a non‑existent fan base.
After the debacle, the band’s Facebook page vanished, social accounts went private, and remaining UK dates were canceled. Former touring members later confirmed they, too, had been duped. Threatin eventually bragged online about turning an empty room into an international headline.
9 The Red Light District Takes To The Road
A recent study published in the Annals of Tourism Research predicts that driverless cars could become rolling red‑light districts. Researchers Scott Cohen and Debbie Hopkins argue that once vehicles no longer require a human driver, manufacturers will shift focus to passenger comfort, potentially installing massage chairs, beds, and even “hour‑by‑the‑hour” hotel‑style interiors.
With the cost of a driver eliminated, the study suggests that autonomous cars could become venues for intimate encounters, including sex. The authors even speculate that such vehicles might serve as moving hubs for prostitution, creating a mobile “red‑light district.”
While the vehicles will undoubtedly be monitored, Cohen and Hopkins contend that surveillance alone won’t be enough to deter illicit behavior, hinting at a future where the road itself becomes a new frontier for adult entertainment.
10 UFOs Over Ireland
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has launched an inquiry after several pilots reported unusual lights flashing over County Kerry’s coastline. The sightings occurred last Friday and were corroborated through conversations between aircrew and Shannon air traffic control.
The first report came from a British Airways pilot en route to Heathrow, who asked control whether any military exercises were underway after spotting a “very bright light” that trailed his aircraft before veering north. A Virgin Atlantic pilot offered a meteor explanation, noting he observed “two bright lights” moving in tandem, while a third pilot claimed the objects traveled at “astronomical” speeds, reaching Mach 2.
The IAA’s investigation remains confidential, but experts have weighed in, suggesting the phenomena were likely meteors heated to the point of becoming shooting stars. The authority has kept details under wraps pending further analysis.