strange stuff

From strange crimes to strange celebrity deaths, read all of the latest weird and strange stuff news stories on Newser.com

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Taxidermy Elephant Was Just the Start of What Police Seized

'Private museum' includes over 400 specimens of protected, endangered species

(Newser) - After a months-long investigation, agents with Spain’s Civil Guard have seized an eye-popping collection of taxidermy animals. The Guardian reports the collection was uncovered Wednesday in a 500,000-square-foot warehouse and contains some 1,090 specimens, at least 400 of which are protected or endangered under international law. The...

He Bought 800 Castor Beans, Told the FBI It Was a Goof
He Bought 800 Castor Beans,
Told the FBI It Was a Goof
in case you missed it
Apr 9, 2022 2:20 PM CDT

He Bought 800 Castor Beans, Told the FBI It Was a Goof

Except it wasn't, and Ishtiaq Ali Saaem has been sentenced for obstructing justice

(Newser) - A 37-year-old man with a PhD in biomedical engineering from Duke told law enforcement agents in Massachusetts that he had meant to buy one packet of castor beans in June 2015, not 100 packets. He also said he wanted the beans in order to do some decorative planting around his...

Celine Dion Biopic Is Drawing Buzz for Its Weirdness

Valerie Lemercier plays fictional version of star from age 6 to adult in 'Aline'

(Newser) - It's not that unusual for an actor to play a character at different stages of life, using prosthetics and makeup to age them as the film progresses. French filmmaker Valerie Lemercier, however, did something a little bit ... different in Aline, her new movie based on the life of Celine...

Researcher: 'Magnetic Turd' Is No April Fool's Joke

'Magnetic slime robot' could be used for minimally invasive surgery

(Newser) - Yes, it's April Fools Day and, no, this is not a joke—at least according to the inventors of what has been dubbed "magnetic turd." A study published last week in Advanced Functional Materials instead refers to a "magnetic slime robot," a dark-colored, goo-like blob...

Here's Why You Shouldn't Try to Rob Someone Walking a Dog

Poop stain led cops to suspect in Miami

(Newser) - Trying to rob someone walking their dog might not be the best idea—and not just because the dog might go on the attack. It was actually dog poop that helped lead cops to an armed robbery suspect this week, after he allegedly tried to hold up a woman in...

17 Years After Fleeing Zoo, Flamingo Still Out There

No. 492 again sighted in Texas after escaping Kansas zoo in 2005

(Newser) - One of two flamingos that escaped from a Kansas zoo during a storm 17 years ago has been spotted on the coast of Texas, wildlife officials said. The Coastal Fisheries Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife confirmed Tuesday to the AP that the African flamingo—known as No. 492 because...

Town Sues 82-Year-Old Over Public Records Requests

New Jersey's Irvington Township says Elouise McDaniel's demands are too burdensome

(Newser) - A town in New Jersey is suing one of its own senior citizens, accusing her of filing too many requests for public records. Irvington Township accuses Elouise McDaniel, 82, of harassment and defamation, and a big reason is that she filed 75 requests for information about Mayor Tony Vauss and...

Neb. Lawmaker Apologizes for Believing 'Ugly Rumor'

State Sen. Bruce Bostelman believed claim schools were putting out litter boxes for 'furry' students

(Newser) - School custodians probably wouldn't want to add "empty litter boxes" to their daily to-do list, and luckily they don't have to—because students using litter boxes in school is not an actual thing. One Nebraska lawmaker is finally acknowledging that, and offering a public apology, after spreading...

Zip-Lining Boy Slams Into Unexpected Visitor
He Was on the Zip Line.
Then, a Surprise Obstacle
in case you missed it
Mar 20, 2022 11:40 AM CDT

He Was on the Zip Line. Then, a Surprise Obstacle

Both child and sloth are said to be OK after boy slammed into creature

(Newser) - A young boy experienced quite a ride during a zip-lining expedition in Costa Rica, with an unexpected surprise along the way. Go Adventure Arenal Park posted a video this week showing the excited child, filmed by the guide behind him, as he began his swoosh through the rainforest. "No...

Couple's Eye-Popping Potato Isn't a Potato After All

New Zealand couple's dreams 'turn to mash'

(Newser) - When is a potato not a potato? When it's a tuber of a gourd, according to Guinness World Records. A New Zealand couple who believed they had dug up the world's largest potato in the garden of their small farm near Hamilton have had their dreams turned to...

His 'Plenty of Fish' Date Has Bizarre, Painful Conclusion

Police say Nika Nikoubin stabbed suitor near Vegas to avenge US killing of Iranian general

(Newser) - In early 2020, US drones killed a top Iranian general . More than two years later, a man looking for love in a hotel room near Vegas paid for it. In a bizarre criminal report, police in Henderson, Nevada, say a woman stabbed her date in retaliation for the killing of...

His Uncombable Hair Is an Actual Syndrome
Mom's Social Media Post
Leads to Son's Diagnosis
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Mar 12, 2022 12:40 PM CST

Mom's Social Media Post Leads to Son's Diagnosis

Lock Samples is fine, except for his Uncombable hair syndrome

(Newser) - A mother's social media post that featured her young son's unruly hair has led to a surprise diagnosis: It turns out that Lock Samples of Roswell, Ga., has an extremely rare condition known as uncombable hair syndrome, reports Fox 5 Atlanta . The name is self-explanatory: Lock's hair...

A New Debate Has Taken Over the Internet

Are there more wheels or doors? Also, please freeze us in carbonite now

(Newser) - Remember the debate over "the dress" ? Or the commotion over whether people were hearing "Yanny" or "Laurel" ? Or the deliberation over whether a hot dog is a sandwich ? We haven't had a good old-fashioned internet brain-scrambler in some time, so Ryan Nixon decided...

Unusual DUI Case Involves Several Cans of Right Guard

Authorities in Stuart, Fla., say Katherine Theodore huffed deodorant spray before driving

(Newser) - Authorities pulled over a vehicle in Florida's Martin County over the weekend being driven by an apparently intoxicated woman, but she wasn't hit with typical DUI charges. CBS12 reports that sheriff's deputies made a traffic stop in Stuart on Sunday after witnessing erratic driving, and when they...

'Killing Stone' of Japanese Legend Splits in Two

It's a very bad omen, according to ancient folklore

(Newser) - A famous stone in the mountains of central Honshu Island, Japan, has split in two, and that's an extremely bad omen, according to ancient Japanese mythology. Legends say that the Sessho-Seki—"Killing Stone"—contained the transformed corpse of Tamomo-no-Mae, a woman who was possessed by an evil...

Musk Issues Strange Challenge After Tweets on Nuclear Power

In defense of tweets, Tesla CEO says he'll go to high-radiation area, eat locally grown fare on TV

(Newser) - Over the weekend, Elon Musk decided to air his thoughts on nuclear-powered energy amid concerns of a gas shortage due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the backlash on those thoughts led him to issue a most unusual challenge. "Hopefully, it is now extremely obvious that Europe should...

They Worked for a Slick Design Agency. Or So They Thought

The BBC looks at the 'elaborate con' that was Madbird

(Newser) - That their boss, Madbird founder Ali Ayad, sometimes signed his name Alex Ayd or Ali Ayyad could have been a red flag. That he required employees to work on commission-only for the London-based design agency for the first six months might have been another. But as the BBC reports in...

Smelling Your Dog's Poop Could Net You Big Bucks

Plant-based dog food firm Omni is offering more than $6K for someone to do just that for 2 months

(Newser) - One lucky dog owner will soon have the chance to earn an easy $6,700, though "lucky" and "easy" may not be entirely accurate. UPI reports on a unique job plopportunity, courtesy of plant-based dog food manufacturer Omni, in which the selected human will be paid that chunk...

'Hank the Tank' Is Not Just One Bear

Officials say at least 3 bears are responsible for rash of property damage

(Newser) - Hank the Tank is actually a three-bear battalion. DNA evidence now shows that the 500-pound black bear the public had nicknamed “Hank the Tank” is, in fact, at least three not-so-little bears who have damaged more than 30 properties around Lake Tahoe in recent months. The California Department of...

BYU Student's Dorm Activity 'Was Definitely Reckless'

Brigham Young University Police say 22-year-old tried to make rocket fuel

(Newser) - "I mean, this was definitely reckless." That's how a rep for Utah's Brigham Young University Police Department is describing a student's Sunday afternoon activity: attempting to make homemade rocket fuel on the stove in his dorm. The unnamed student—BYU Police are calling him "...

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