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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Here's Why You Shouldn't Swallow 100 Magnets
Here's Why
You Shouldn't
Swallow
100 Magnets
CASE STUDY
Oct 24, 2025 1:25 PM CDT

Here's Why You Shouldn't Swallow 100 Magnets

They linked together inside 13-year-old boy's gut, damaging his intestines, per case out of NZ

(Newser) - A 13-year-old New Zealand boy required surgery after swallowing as many as 100 small neodymium magnets he purchased online, according to a case study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal . Doctors at Tauranga Hospital discovered the magnets had linked together inside his digestive tract, forming four chains that damaged...

Teen Can't Play on Boys Team, Even Though He's a Boy

Birth certificate mix-up at hospital 14 years ago is causing issues for Laker Jackson in Arizona

(Newser) - A paperwork mistake from more than a decade ago led to an Arizona eighth grader being removed from the boys basketball tryouts and told he could only play on the girls team. The issue surfaced when Laker Jackson, a student at Eastmark High School in Mesa, went to try out...

'Butt-Breathing' Technique Passes First Human Safety Test
Scientists Notch a Big Win
in 'Butt-Breathing'
NEW STUDY
Oct 22, 2025 8:59 AM CDT

Scientists Notch a Big Win in 'Butt-Breathing'

Early trials involve oxygen-carrying liquid delivered rectally; could help patients with breathing issues

(Newser) - A technique that once snagged an Ig Nobel prize for its oddball premise has cleared its first human safety trial—and it involves "butt-breathing." The official term is "enteral ventilation," and a new study, published in the journal Med , marks a potential step toward a new...

Wild Bear Visits the Zoo, 'Looking for a Friend'

Curious cub meets Sequoia Park Zoo's resident bears before going on its way

(Newser) - A young wild black bear gave staff at California's Sequoia Park Zoo an unexpected surprise Friday morning when it decided to drop by for a visit with the zoo's three resident bears. The bear seemed "really, really interested" in Tule, Ishung, and Kunabulilh, the three captive American...

Squeaky Sneakers Prompt Lawsuit Against Shoe Maker

CloudTec outsoles blamed for persistent squeaking and customer complaints

(Newser) - A class action lawsuit filed in federal court in Portland, Oregon, alleges that On Inc., a Swiss athletic brand with its North American headquarters in the city, sold sneakers that are prone to an "embarrassing squeak" every time the wearer takes a step. The suit, filed by the law...

Among 20K Pounds of Donated Books, a Rare Find

Michigan State University's Surplus Store receives Latin Jesuit theology text

(Newser) - Workers at Michigan State University's Surplus Store sort through a staggering 20,000 pounds of donated books each month, but last October they stumbled on a find unlike any other: a 17th-century theology book bound in pigskin, written in Latin by Austrian Jesuit Paul Laymann. The book, a copy...

Chicago's Famous Rat Hole Wasn't Made by a Rat

Researchers say a squirrel likely left the sidewalk imprint

(Newser) - Chicago's famed "rat hole"—a rodent-shaped impression in a North Side sidewalk that drew crowds and offerings from locals—wasn't actually made by a rat, the New York Times reports. Dubbed "Splatatouille," the mysterious hole captured the city's imagination, with many believing a...

This Pumpkin Weighs as Much as a Bison

Winner of annual pumpkin weigh-in is more than 2.3K pounds

(Newser) - A California engineer and gardening enthusiast won the top prize at an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in Northern California after growing a giant jack-o'-lantern gourd weighing 2,346 pounds, the AP reports. Brandon Dawson, of Santa Rosa, California, clinched the victory Monday at the 52nd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in...

After Hot Pursuit, Ohio Cops Bust a Huge Inflatable Pumpkin

Body cam video shows an officer struggling with it

(Newser) - The subject of an Ohio police pursuit took off down the road, a flash of orange in the darkness, but officers eventually caught up and grabbed the escapee: a runaway inflatable pumpkin as tall as them. As the AP reports, body camera footage from the Parma Heights Police Department in...

SC Couple's Fiery Halloween Decor Keeps Fooling Neighbors

Illusion of flames, smoke triggers emergency calls nightly from folks who think home is on fire

(Newser) - A South Carolina couple's Halloween decorations are causing such a stir that neighbors keep calling 911, mistakenly thinking the home is on fire. Sam Lee and Amanda Riggins Peden, known in Fountain Inn for their extravagant spooky displays, have taken things up a notch this year, per USA ...

Thailand Celebrates an Outdated Beast of Burden

In era when tractors have taken over, a beauty pageant for buffaloes, including a race, honors them

(Newser) - It was 5-year-old Tod's first time competing in a beauty pageant and the bright red interior of his ears turned out and popped against his black fur. The main stud for his owner, Thawatchai Daeng-Ngam, Tod was one of the competitors Monday at the annual water buffalo racing festival...

A Bear Walks Into a Grocery Store...

And 'it just ran around,' say police in Arizona

(Newser) - Cue the honey jokes: A bear surprised shoppers at a southern Arizona grocery store when it walked through the front door and ran around inside for a few minutes before exiting the building. Over the weekend, the bear was seen in the Oro Valley neighborhood near the Fry's location...

Roaming Berlin, a Wallaby on the Loose

And it's so far proving elusive to police

(Newser) - A kangaroo—well, a wallaby to be precise—is on the loose in Berlin. City police say any passersby who spot it should keep their distance, but an eye on it, too. Chief Inspector Martin Halweg told the AP in an email on Monday that Berlin police are no longer...

Most New Zealand Contest Ever Has Crowned Its Winner

A raptor with no qualms about eating its opponents wins New Zealand's annual bird election

(Newser) - New Zealand's annual bird election is contested by cheeky parrots, sweet songbirds, and cute, puffball robins. This year's winner is a mysterious falcon that wouldn't think twice about eating them. Karearea, the Indigenous Maori name for the New Zealand falcon, was crowned Bird of the Year on...

The Brave World of Vintage Military Ration Tasters

Collectors sample, review, and trade military meals from long-ago eras

(Newser) - Would you try a meal prepared decades ago, despite the health risks? Meet an adventurous group of collectors who crack open military rations that have survived years on the shelf—in some cases for more than century—to sample the forgotten flavors of history. These culinary daredevils, some with...

'Very Mean Squirrel' Is on the Warpath

At least 2 people in San Rafael, Calif., have ended up in ER after creature 'comes out of nowhere'

(Newser) - Residents of a San Francisco Bay Area city are on the lookout for an aggressive squirrel that has sent at least two people to the emergency room for medical treatment, per the AP . Joan Heblack tells ABC affiliate KGO-TV that she was walking in the Lucas Valley neighborhood of San...

Cops: Teaching Assistant Used 'Poop Spray' to Sicken Kids

South Carolina man arrested after incident allegedly caused $55K in damages

(Newser) - A South Carolina teaching assistant has been arrested after allegedly spraying a product designed to mimic the scent of feces throughout his high school. The incident, still under investigation, disrupted classes, sickened students, and led to tens of thousands of dollars in repairs, per WJW . Alexander Lewis, 32, was...

CBP Looked for Plants and Cigars, Found a Skull Instead

Human remains found during routine luggage check at Tampa airport, passenger claims ritual use

(Newser) - Customs officials at Tampa International Airport made a gruesome find in a traveler's bag this week. During what started as a standard baggage inspection, agents uncovered a foil-wrapped bundle containing human bones, including part of a skull. The passenger, whose identity and nationality weren't disclosed, reportedly told...

Amid ... Everything Else, Fat Bear Week Soldiers On

Annual Alaskan contest kicks off next week, but first: a 'chubby cubby appetizer'

(Newser) - The brawny bruins on the Alaska Peninsula are ready to brawl it out to see which will win this year's fattest bear title in the wildly popular annual Fat Bear Week contest. The main event featuring adult bears starts next week, but first up Thursday is what the National...

Cheaters Even Show Up in Rock-Skipping Contests

At least per organizers of an event in remote Scotland, with accusations of doctored stones

(Newser) - A decades-old stone-skipping contest on a tiny Scottish island made waves this year—not for record throws, but for a cheating scandal. The rules of the Easdale island contest are simple: A competitor can use only naturally formed stones from Easdale itself, and nothing wider than 3 inches, verified...

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