News of the Weird: Week of May 8, 2025

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They Did What?

One of the latest advancements in the field of nanomedicine was announced near the end of March in the journal Nano Letters, and it came with a bit of a hardcore theme. Vice reported on April 28 that researchers in China had dehydrated and cooled tardigrades, the famously resilient micro-animals known colloquially as water bears, and used an electron beam and a coating of a compound called anisole to tattoo microscopic patterns on their bodies. According to the abstract, the experiment "has potential applications in cryopreservation, biomedicine and astrobiology." Forty percent of the creatures survived the process, and the researchers hope to improve the survival rate in future tests.

That's Some Reach

Earth-shaking is one thing, but space-shaking? A new study published April 3 in the journal AGU Advances concluded that the January 2022 eruption of the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, which registered as one of the most powerful in modern history and blasted ash and gas 31 miles into the atmosphere, actually produced secondary gravity waves that reached the edge of space -- you know, where the satellites we rely on for GPS technology, communication and tracking the weather are in orbit. MSN reported that the findings are "prompting scientists to reassess the potential impacts of volcanic activity on our technological infrastructure."

This Week in Nightmare Travel

A recent Southwest Airlines flight was met by law enforcement after landing in Chicago, where police removed a passenger who had stripped naked and defecated on her seat, NBC Chicago reported on April 25. The plane was taken out of service to be cleaned. Southwest, just the latest airline to be put in the unenviable position of apologizing for the bizarre behavior of an unruly passenger, issued a statement: "Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees, and we appreciate the professionalism of our flight crew."

Saw That Coming

Hey, they say you shouldn't let coming into money change you, right? On April 28, James Farthing, 50, of Kentucky, was presented with an oversized check for winning the $167.3 million Powerball jackpot. The next day, Farthing was arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges after an incident at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida, that included kicking a sheriff's deputy in the face and attempting to flee. The Smoking Gun reported that Farthing, an ex-con whose record includes convictions for theft, drug trafficking and engaging in an organized criminal syndicate, got into a drunken argument with a male patron at the resort and punched that man in the face, then assaulted the deputy as he attempted to break up the fight. The police report said Farthing "appeared very intoxicated and was yelling, screaming, and making incoherent statements." The newly minted millionaire's bond was set at only $10,000, but he remains behind bars on felony and misdemeanor charges for violating his parole.

Tough Cookies

As Kristen Savage was walking her dog near her home in Sanford, Florida, on April 25, the pair were beset upon by a black bear, WKMG News 6 reported. While the bear made every effort to snatch Ringo, a 13-pound Chihuahua mix, away from his owner, Savage spun around, dangling Ringo in the air, and fell to the ground before using the only weapon she had at hand: a bag of cookies she had just been given by her mother, who lives down the street. "I whacked the bear across the face with it, and then I threw it," said Savage. "She put her head down and sniffed the cookies and we ran to the front door." Both owner and pet -- as well as the bear -- were safe after the run-in. Bear encounters are fairly common in Savage's Markham Woods neighborhood, with more than 300 reported so far this year; Savage herself has doorbell video of a bear on her front steps. "From now on, I will always carry something," Savage said. "An air horn, whistle, something that can scare her off."

Rare Sight

Customers at the upscale Treehouse Studios hair salon in the Hollywood Hills had a hair-raising experience on April 26, when a coyote climbed onto the building's roof and lapped at water that had collected in the skylight, in full view of the patrons below. Owner Travis Ogletree shared footage of the unusual encounter on TikTok, with the caption "Just another day at the Treehouse." USA Today noted that while it is not uncommon for coyotes to adapt to and survive in urban areas like the Hollywood Hills, it is unusual for the animals to be in populated areas during daylight.

Shell on Wheels

When staff at the Museum of Natural History in Halifax, Nova Scotia, recently noticed that Root, a wood turtle who has been in captivity for 20 years, was beginning to show signs of wear on his bottom shell after years of walking on a front leg that is missing a foot, it was time to get creative. CBC/Radio-Canada reported that's when naturalist interpreter Tessa Biesterfeld, inspired by a recent Lego exhibit at the museum, crafted a wheeled platform made of Legos to fit under the turtle and enable him to tootle around while saving wear and tear on his underside. "We thought that'd be so great because we know it's non-toxic," said Biesterfeld. "We know that we can replace the parts as we need, and should his shell change or grow, we can change the shape and size of that. It's very modular."

Look Out Below

Carletta Andrews was just about to take a sip from her margarita at Patron Mexican Restaurant and Cantina in Sandston, Virginia, on April 16 when something struck her on the forehead, reported WRIC 8News. "I looked at my husband like what was that," Andrews said. "When I turned around, I saw the snake in my margarita." The baby snake, which had fallen from the ceiling, wriggled in the glass and wrapped itself around the straw as restaurant workers attempted to remove it with a stick; finally, another customer was able to grab the snake and set it free outside. The staff offered to move Andrews to a booth, but the shaken patron chose to leave instead. The owner of the restaurant suspects the snake entered through the AC unit. But Andrews was left to wonder: "If that was the baby ... is the mom there?"

Deja Vu

Ewan Valentine, 36, of Solihull, England, was devastated to discover on the morning of Feb. 28 that his beloved black 2016 Honda Civic Type-R had been stolen overnight. Determined to replace it with an identical ride, Valentine told the BBC that he searched until he found a perfect match -- same color and year, even the same custom exhaust system, but obviously a different VIN number -- for sale from a Honda garage, and shelled out $26,000 for it. But as he drove it home, he noticed several familiar artifacts in the car, including candy bar wrappers and a tent peg; investigating further, Valentine found that the car's GPS had logged stops at his home and those of his partner, his parents and his partner's parents. Technicians at a Honda dealership were able to confirm that the VIN was fake and that Valentine had, in fact, purchased his own stolen car. The police are working with Valentine's insurance company to straighten the whole situation out.

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