Welcome to the world of the truly strange, where headlines stretch the limits of belief and the uncanny is the new normal. This week's collection of stories is a journey into the bizarre, covering everything from horrifying AI developments to a flock of high sheep.
The Uncanny Valley Just Got Weirder
A terrifying report from Tokyo University reveals that a robot has been given a face made of living human skin, which allows it to smile. The sight is haunting, with many online observers comparing it to something out of a nightmare. The researchers hope this technology can one day be used for more "lifelike" robots in the future, a prospect that has sent a shiver down the spine of many. The feat is a result of new technology using engineered living skin tissue and human-like ligaments to give robots a more natural smile.
When Sheep Get High & Other Animal Antics
In a much lighter story, a flock of sheep in Greece got a little too friendly with a cannabis crop. Due to recent heatwaves and flooding, the sheep wandered into a medical cannabis greenhouse and munched down on 100 kilos of the plant. The owner reported that the sheep were "feeling lightheaded" and were "jumping higher than goats," a sight that many can only imagine. It's been reported that certain animals, like sheep and reindeer, have been known to deliberately eat psychoactive plants.
The week's animal news also includes a heartwarming, if initially bizarre, story about a six-legged dog named Ariel. She was born with six legs, two vulvas, and one kidney and was abandoned at a B&M store. The article shares how Ariel has settled into a new, loving home and now enjoys sea swimming, surfing, and paddleboarding.
From Skeletons to Sharks
A BBC News story reports on a historical oddity: 24 Anglo-Saxon skeletons were discovered in the garden of a hotelin Malmesbury, England. The remains, dating back over a thousand years, are located right next to the town's abbey. This discovery has fueled a debate on a theory that some people "buried alive" centuries ago were the origin of vampire legends.
The article also looks to the sea with a report on an expedition to confirm the presence of great white sharks in Irish waters. While most sightings are anecdotal, an international team believes the temperature and food sources are ideal for the species. The report references an incident involving a basking shark that was mistaken for a great white, and the article discusses the famous footage of orcas killing great white sharks by flipping them over and eating their livers.
Ghosts, Predictions, and the Unexplainable
The world of the paranormal is afoot with news of a 60% rise in demand for exorcists in the UK since the start of 2024, with people offering hundreds of pounds for help with poltergeists and other strange phenomena. A creepy story from Reddit also recounts a video of a wheelchair moving on its own in a hospital hallway.
Finally, a dive into the world of predictions. One report points to the Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga, whose prophecies for 2024—including a surge in cyberattacks and medical breakthroughs—are supposedly coming true. This links to a separate story about the TV show The Simpsons, which fans claim has predicted everything from 9/11 to a "solar superstorm" in 2024, an event that Baba Vanga also predicted.