Quirky Lounge

American YouTuber Arrested After Leaving Can of Diet Coke on Forbidden Island Inhabited by Tribe That Killed Tourist

Credit: X/Creative Commons

A 24-year-old American YouTuber from Arizona, Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, was arrested by Indian authorities after trespassing on North Sentinel Island, part of the Andaman Islands. The island is strictly off-limits to outsiders to protect the Sentinelese tribe, an isolated community of about 150 people with no outside contact, from foreign diseases. Polyakov reportedly used an inflatable motorboat to reach the island, spent about an hour near the shore blowing a whistle, then briefly landed to film a video and collect sand samples. Before leaving, he left a Diet Coke can and a coconut as offerings. He was detained two days later and described himself as a “thrill seeker.” His arrest recalls the 2018 incident when missionary John Allen Chau was killed by the tribe after illegally landing there. Polyakov is currently being interrogated while U.S. officials monitor the situation.

Read more: American YouTuber Arrested After Leaving Can of Diet Coke on Forbidden Island Inhabited by Tribe That Killed Tourist

Are there more real or fake flamingos?

Credit: John Perry

Flamingos represent one of nature’s most iconic birds, yet their real populations are vastly outnumbered by artificial replicas. Real flamingos, belonging to the family Phoenicopteridae, include six species distributed across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Their striking pink coloration comes from carotenoid pigments in algae and crustaceans, and they thrive in large social flocks essential for breeding and protection. In contrast, fake flamingos—plastic lawn ornaments, inflatables, and metal sculptures—originated in 1957 with Don Featherstone’s design and quickly became a symbol of suburban kitsch. While the global population of real flamingos is estimated between 500,000 and one million, millions of fake flamingos are produced annually, far surpassing the living birds. This disparity highlights both ecological and cultural contrasts: real flamingos enrich ecosystems through their feeding habits, while fake ones contribute to plastic waste yet remain beloved for their bright colors and nostalgic charm. Their popularity reflects humanity’s fascination with tropical leisure and playful design.

Read more: Are there more real or fake flamingos? - The Institute for Environmental Research and Education

Butterflies Taste With Their Feet

Credit: Image by Openverse

Butterflies possess a remarkable ability to taste with their feet through specialized sensory organs called chemoreceptors located on their tarsi. These tiny hair-like structures, known as sensilla, detect chemical compounds when butterflies land on flowers, fruits, or leaves. This adaptation helps them identify food sources, conserve energy by only extending their proboscis when nectar is present, and select suitable host plants for egg-laying. Females are especially sensitive, ensuring caterpillars hatch on the right plants. This evolutionary trait, refined over millions of years, highlights butterfly-plant coevolution and faces modern threats from pesticides and environmental toxins that disrupt their sensory systems

Read more: Butterflies Taste With Their Feet

Are Sharks Older Than Trees? The Truth About Earth’s Oldest Predators

Credit: Kevin Lino NOAA/NMFS/PIFSC/ESD

Sharks are far older than trees, with fossil evidence showing they first appeared about 400 million years ago, while trees emerged around 350 million years ago. This gives sharks a 50‑million‑year evolutionary head start. Early sharks had cartilaginous skeletons, multiple rows of teeth, and sharp senses, traits that made them efficient hunters and remain central to their survival today.

Over the ages, sharks endured all five mass extinction events, including the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs. Their resilience comes from adaptable diets, acute senses like smell and electroreception, varied reproductive strategies, and streamlined bodies that have required little change. When sharks first swam Earth’s seas, land was barren, covered only with mosses and fungi; forests developed much later.

A woman bought a “fake” diamond ring at a flea market in the 80s—30 years later she learned it was worth more than 50,000 times what she paid

Credit: Jimmy Chan, Pexels

In the 1980s, a woman browsing a London flea market stumbled upon a sparkling ring priced at just £13, convinced it was costume jewelry. For decades she wore it casually, unaware of its true nature. Thirty years later, an appraisal revealed the stone was a genuine 26‑carat diamond valued at more than £650,000. Its old‑fashioned “Old Mine” cut, designed for candlelight rather than daylight brilliance, had disguised its worth, making it easy to overlook. The discovery stunned experts and highlighted how antique gems can be misjudged, their subdued sparkle masking immense value. Auctioneers described the find as extraordinary, a reminder that treasures often hide in plain sight. What began as a modest purchase became a life‑changing revelation, turning a supposed trinket into a fortune and underscoring the enduring allure of forgotten craftsmanship.

Read more: A woman bought a “fake” diamond ring at a flea market in the 80s—30 years later she learned it was worth more than 50,000 times what she paid

Shortest Domestic Scheduled Flight - Lasts Just 53 seconds!

Credit: Mark Longair (www.flickr.com)

The Orkney islands of Westray and Papa Westray are linked by the world’s shortest scheduled passenger flight, a hop so brief it can be over in less than a minute. Operated by Loganair since 1967, the Britten‑Norman Islander aircraft covers just 2.74 km, with the journey often lasting around two minutes including taxiing. This tiny route has become a symbol of aviation adapting to geography, serving islanders with remarkable efficiency. Pilot Stuart Linklater embodied its endurance, flying the trip over 12,000 times in his career and once completing it in a record 53 seconds.

Read more: Shortest domestic scheduled flight | Guinness World Records

Flight passengers reveal jaw-dropping behavior in ‘weirdest things’ they have seen

Credit: ThamKC (stock.adobe.com)

Passengers on Reddit’s r/delta forum shared the strangest in‑flight behaviors they’ve ever witnessed, sparking thousands of reactions. The thread highlighted how cramped cabins and diverse customs often lead to bizarre encounters, with experts noting that stress and limited personal space amplify unusual conduct.

Quirky highlights included:

A man playing Amazing Grace on a wooden recorder during landing.
A woman carrying a life‑sized doll head as her seatmate.
Passengers clipping toenails mid‑flight and flossing aggressively at their seats.
A baby’s diaper changed directly on a tray table.
A traveler eating spaghetti from a plastic bag.
A rooster escaping from an overhead bin.
Chatty seatmates ignoring headphones, plus Donald & Melania Trump impersonators spotted in the first row.

Etiquette experts urged passengers to respect personal space, wear socks if removing shoes, and avoid unhygienic grooming.

Read more: Flight passengers reveal jaw-dropping behavior in 'weirdest things' they have seen | New York Post

Yes, Cows Really Do Have Besties

OE993/iStock via Getty Images

Cows are highly social herd animals that form complex relationships and even develop “best friends.” Their social hierarchy is shaped by age, sex, breed, size, and personality traits such as boldness or sociability. Beyond hierarchy, cows establish preferential bonds, often shown through social licking, head rubbing, and synchronized behaviors like eating and resting together. These friendships reduce stress, as cows display calmer heart rates and less agitation when paired with preferred partners compared to non-preferred ones. Long-term separation from a best friend negatively impacts behavior, physiology, and milk production, but reunion restores normal patterns. Calves also benefit from companionship: those raised with peers are more confident, less fearful, and quicker learners, while isolated calves show cognitive deficits and struggle with farming technologies. Research emphasizes that stable social groups and housing systems improve welfare, reduce stress, and enhance productivity, highlighting the importance of respecting cattle’s natural social bonds.

Read more: Yes, Cows Really Do Have Besties - A-Z Animals

Future billionaire? Boy hoards RM767 in school bag without mum’s knowledge, netizens call him 'Elon Musk'

Credit: Instagram/@jeanniesoo7687

A Malaysian mother was shocked to discover her son had secretly hoarded RM767 in his school bag without her knowledge. The boy, who had been collecting money from various sources including gifts and possibly small savings, kept the stash hidden in a pencil case. His mother shared the discovery on social media, where netizens were amused and impressed by the boy’s financial savvy. Many jokingly dubbed him a “future billionaire” and compared him to Elon Musk, praising his early instincts for wealth accumulation and money management.

Read more: Sinar Daily

Why octopuses have three hearts: when three are better than one

Credit: BBC Wildlife Magazine - Debbie Graham

Compared to many other animals, octopuses have rather a complicated circulatory system to ensure oxygenated blood reaches the extremities of their multi-limbed body. Octopuses pump their blood around their circulatory system using three hearts instead of one. While a ‘systemic’ heart supplies the animal’s body, two ‘branchial’ hearts supply each of the two gills where the blood is oxygenated

Read more: Why octopuses have three hearts: when three are better than one | Discover Wildlife

The World’s First Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects Wants Its Collection to Shrink, Not Grow

Credits: UNESCO

UNESCO has launched the world’s first Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects to spotlight the global issue of cultural heritage theft. Featuring over 250 looted items from 46 countries, the museum offers free access to 2D and 3D renderings of stolen artifacts, artworks, and rare books. Visitors can explore by region or object type, and even use VR headsets for immersive viewing. Some 3D models were generated using AI. Designed by architect Francis Kéré, the museum’s structure symbolizes resilience, inspired by the baobab tree. A unique feature is the Return and Restitution Room, showcasing items that have been successfully returned to their countries, such as a trilobite fossil repatriated to Morocco. Unlike traditional museums, this one aims to shrink over time as stolen objects are recovered and removed from the collection, symbolizing justice and restoration. The initiative is backed by Saudi Arabia and Interpol, aligning with UNESCO’s 1970 Convention against cultural property trafficking

This Fully Functioning Toilet Made From Solid Gold Could Sell for More Than $10 Million at Auction

Credit: Sotheby's

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s fully functioning 18-karat gold toilet, titled America, is set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s on November 18, with bidding expected to start around $10 million—based on the current price of gold. Weighing 220 pounds, the satirical sculpture critiques wealth and social equality by placing luxury in an unexpected setting. Cattelan famously said, “In the end, we are all the same,” referencing the toilet’s universal function.

Originally built in 2016 and sold to a private collector, another version of America was installed at the Guggenheim Museum, where over 100,000 visitors used it. It was later stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019 in a five-minute heist; the toilet remains missing and is believed to have been melted down. At the time of the theft, rising gold prices had pushed its value to $4 million.

Sotheby’s calls the piece one of Cattelan’s most iconic works, blending spectacle with deeper meaning.

Read more: This Fully Functioning Toilet Made From Solid Gold Could Sell for More Than $10 Million at Auction

Mysterious Manhattan-sized interstellar comet spotted blasting through solar system: NASA

Credit: Aritist's concept of interstellar object 3I/Atlas NASA/SWNS

NASA has discovered a massive interstellar comet named 3I/ATLAS blazing through our solar system, marking only the third known object from beyond our cosmic neighborhood. Detected by the ATLAS telescope in Chile, the comet spans roughly 12 miles—larger than its predecessors, Oumuamua (2017) and 21/Borisov (2019). Scientists traced its path back to June 14 and believe it originated from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, though its exact origin remains unknown.

Currently near Jupiter and traveling at 37 miles per second, 3I/ATLAS is about 416 million miles from the sun. It features a glowing tail and a cloud of gas and dust around its nucleus. The comet will pass within 150 million miles of Earth in October but poses no threat. It’s visible with a small telescope through September and will reappear after passing the sun in December. NASA emphasizes it’s a natural object, not artificial, but its presence is thrilling for astronomers.

Strange Radio Pulses Detected Coming From Ice in Antarctica

Credit: Stephanie Wissel / Penn State. Creative Commons

Between 2016 and 2018, NASA’s ANITA experiment detected unusual radio pulses from beneath the Antarctic ice—signals that defied known particle physics. These pulses, instead of bouncing off the ice, appeared to originate from below the horizon, suggesting the possibility of unknown particles or interactions. A recent study led by Penn State researchers, using 15 years of data from the Pierre Auger Observatory, found no similar signals, indicating the anomalies likely weren’t caused by neutrinos.

Neutrinos are elusive, nearly massless particles that rarely interact with matter, making them difficult to detect. ANITA was designed to capture their rare interactions in ice, but the steep angles of the detected signals implied they had passed through thousands of kilometers of rock—an unlikely scenario. Researchers are now developing a more sensitive detector, PUEO, to investigate further. Stephanie Wissel believes the anomalies may stem from unknown radio propagation effects near ice, leaving the mystery unresolved..

Read more: Strange radio pulses detected coming from ice in Antarctica | Penn State University

Man Decides To Bathe In Tub Of Hot Sauce. Really, REALLY Regrets It

(Source: YouTube/CemreCandar)

A YouTuber named Cemre Candar filled a bathtub with 1,250 bottles of hot sauce—plus whole red chilies—and filmed himself bathing in it for a viral stunt. Known for previous videos involving tubs of melted chocolate and Oreos, Candar claimed the sauces were near expiration to avoid waste. The video, which has over 2.4 million views, shows him instantly regretting the painful dip. Despite the discomfort, he escalates the challenge further, emphasizing the dramatic difference between sweet and spicy stunts. The bizarre act gained widespread attention online, highlighting the extremes creators pursue for views and viral fame.

A duct-taped banana sells for $6.2 million at an art auction

(Source: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP)

In November 2024, Maurizio Cattelan’s conceptual artwork Comedian—a banana duct-taped to a wall—sold for $6.2 million at Sotheby’s in New York. Originally debuting at Art Basel Miami in 2019, the piece sparked debate over its artistic merit and was even eaten by another artist during its initial showing. The recent buyer, Justin Sun, founder of the TRON cryptocurrency platform, purchased a certificate of authenticity allowing him to recreate the piece. He plans to eat the banana himself as part of the artistic experience. The auction drew intense attention, with bidding starting at $800,000 and quickly escalating. Sotheby’s praised Cattelan as a provocative figure in contemporary art. The sale occurred a day after René Magritte’s The Empire of Light fetched $121.2 million at Christie’s, placing Magritte among the elite artists whose works have sold for over $100 million. Both events highlight the evolving boundaries and value of modern art.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Flight 19

(Source: The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)

On December 5, 1945, five U.S. Navy bombers known as Flight 19 vanished during a routine training mission over the Atlantic. Led by Lt. Charles Taylor, the squad became disoriented after compass failures and worsening weather. Taylor mistakenly believed they were over the Florida Keys and led the flight further out to sea. Despite a massive search effort, no trace of the planes or their 14 crewmen was found. A rescue plane also disappeared. The incident fueled Bermuda Triangle legends, though the Navy attributed the loss to unknown causes. The mystery remains unsolved, with no confirmed wreckage ever recovered.