Controversial Class Has Middle School Students Raising and Naming Fish Before Eating Them
The “Class of Life” is a controversial program introduced in various Japanese middle-schools where students spend months raising and getting attached to fish, before having to decide whether to eat them or not. A part of the Sea and Japan Project sponsored by Nippon Foundation, the Class of Life was introduced in a number of […]
“Remote Cohabitation” Trend Increasingly Popular Among Japanese Couples
“Remote cohabitation” has become a hot topic in Japan over the past couple of days, after a popular TV show reported that young couples prefer to live separately and keep in touch using free video call apps. On July 21st, TV Asahi’s ” Hatori Shinichi Morning Show” featured remote cohabitation as a growing trend among […]
Man Spends 10 Years Hoarding Tons of Garbage as Dowry for His Son
South Korean media recently reported the bizarre and sad story of an elderly couple who spent the last decade of their lives hoarding tons of trash for their 40-something son who refused to leave the house and find a job. SBS, a South Korean national television network presented the shocking story of Choi, a 75-year-old […]
Student Invents Motorcycle That Runs on Swamp Gas
Gijs Schalkx, a Dutch inventor and engineering student, modified his motorcycle to run on methane harvested from roadside bogs and ponds. Aptly named Sloot Motor (sloot means ‘ditch’ in Dutch), Gijs Schalkx’s ingenious vehicle features a modified Honda GX160 motorcycle engine, with a hole into the airbox, through which it receives the methane. The bright […]
This Turkish Street Has a Mysterious Grave in the Middle of It
One of the last thing you expect to see in the middle of an urban paved street is a grave complete with a large tombstone, but that’s exactly what you’re treated to when driving through the Turkish city of Sivas. Yeni Mahalle Hamzaoğlu is one of the several streets that traverse the relatively new Şarkışla […]
Marathon Runner Learns to Live Without Stomach, Colon and Gallbladder
36-year-old Juan Dual likes to joke that he is empty inside, but in his case the phrase has a literal meaning. Over the years, he has had his stomach, colon, rectum and gallbladder removed, but he has learned to live without them. Juan’s sad but inspiring story began when he was only 13-years-old. It was […]
Convinced Their Home Is Haunted, Couple Have Been Sleeping on the Balcony for Over a Month
Convinced that their home is haunted by a ghost, a French couple have been sleeping in a small tent installed on the balcony of their apartment for over a month. Patricia and David C. and their two children moved into an apartment in the social park of Semcoda, in Replonges, France, last September. Built in […]
High-Tech Sink Cleans Your Smartphone While You Wash Your Hands
A video of a high-tech sink that comes with a special slot for cleaning your smartphone as you wash your hands has been getting a lot of attention on social media. Sadly there isn’t much context to go with this viral TikTok clip originally posted by @kensei_prochari_, but then again, the video itself is pretty […]
Scientists Create Weight-Changing Glass That Alters the Drinker’s Perception of the Beverage
A team of Japanese researchers recently unveiled a weight-shifting contraption that attaches to a glass, making it feel heavier or lighter than it actually is, thus altering the drinker’s perception of the beverages they are consuming. It has long been known that we consume foods and drinks with a number of senses, not just our […]
7ft 5in-Tall, 14-Year-Old Chinese Girl Hailed as “New Yao Ming”
Zhang Ziyu, a 14-year-old basketball player from Shandong, China, has been getting a lot of attention because of her unusual height, 7ft 5in (2.26m), and getting compared to Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming. In photos and videos that have been doing the rounds online for the past week, Zhang Ziyu can be seen towering over […]
Real-Estate Company Specializes in Haunted and Other “Stigmatized” Properties
While most real-estate firms try their best to conceal potentially disturbing details about the properties they are trying to sell or lease, one Japanese company puts these details front and center, focusing on the advantages haunted or spooky houses have. Jikko buken, the Japanese term for “accident properties” are a controversial aspect of Japanese culture. […]
Aptly-Named ‘Miracle Berry’ Makes Even the Sourest of Things Taste Sweet
Synsepalum dulcificum, aka the miracle fruit or miracle berry, is a unique plant known to produce fruits that, when eaten, make all sour foods and drinks subsequently ingested taste sweet. For centuries, indigenous tribes of Ghana, in West Africa, used the fruits of the Synsepalum dulcificum plant to sweeten sour or tart fruits, foods, and […]
Gun Company Sparks Controversy for Producing Firearm That Looks Like a Colorful LEGO Gun
A Utah-based firearm company has halted production of its colorful Block 19 gun which was designed to resemble a toy gun made from LEGO-like bricks, after facing criticism. Culper Precision, a company that specializes in taking “a firearm of known value” and transforming it into a “personalized invaluable treasure for a fair price”, recently debuted […]
Woman Ask God to ‘Take the Wheel’ at 120 Mph, Shockingly Crashes Her Car
An Ohio woman reportedly crashed her car into two other vehicles and a house after taking her hands of the wheel and letting God take control at a speed of 120 mph (190km/h), as a way to test her faith. Authorities claim that the unnamed 31-year-old was driving a car with her daughter, aged 11, […]
Rare Condition Causes Man to Sleep 300 Days a Year
A 42-year-man in India recently made international headlines for suffering from a condition that causes him to sleep 300 days a year. Indian media recently reported the bizarre case of Purkharam, a middle-aged resident of Bhadwa village, in Rajasthan, who allegedly suffers from “HPA axis hypersomnia”, a rare condition that causes him to sleep for […]