Strange. True. Today.
The unusual, unexpected, bizarre, funny, fascinating, and occasionally inexplicable stories happening around the world.
Worth a Look
Stories getting attention now
President Donald Trump has directed federal agencies to use “Lake America” for Lake Ontario on U.S. maps, documents and databases. The order cannot compel Canada, international organizations or mapmakers elsewhere to adopt the new name.
2 sources reporting
Experts investigating deadly floods near the Nepal–Tibet border say a glacier collapse and debris flow may have blocked a river before sending a destructive surge downstream. Authorities and researchers warn that unstable debris and possible upstream blockages could trigger additional flooding.
2 sources reporting
Honey made from nectar collected by Himalayan cliff bees can contain grayanotoxin, a compound capable of dangerously slowing the heart. A review of reported cases found poisonings concentrated during harvest seasons, while online sales are making the product available far beyond Nepal.
Fresh From the Feed
South Korean police will re-examine about 310,000 missing-person cases closed over the past three years after an officer was arrested over alleged falsified records. The review follows the discovery of two people’s bodies after their cases were closed and a national debate over search powers for missing adults.
A study based on public videos and photographs found that humpback whales regularly feed at several points along Australia’s eastern and southern coasts during their migration. Researchers documented 199 feeding events involving an estimated 1,417 whales between 2013 and 2024.
A 65-foot autonomous Saildrone Surveyor launched two Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles during RIMPAC 2026 off Hawaii. The unmanned vessel also helped identify a simulated radar threat while working with an MH-60S helicopter.
Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute found that ascaroside 18, a chemical signal produced by nematodes, can prime plants to respond more strongly to bacterial, viral, fungal and nematode threats. Field tests in corn and soybean reduced fungal disease and improved yield without the growth penalty associated with some immune treatments.
A 324-million-year-old fossil from Texas has revealed an early insect with six walking legs and additional abdominal appendages, including paddle-like structures. Researchers say the find supports a gradual, semi-aquatic transition from water to land rather than an immediate shift to fully terrestrial life.
Researchers at Umeå University found that one freeze-thaw cycle can dramatically alter ferrihydrite, a highly reactive iron mineral found in cold soils, glaciers and glacial sediments. The change may affect carbon storage, nutrient availability and interpretations of ancient climates.
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A study of brown-lipped snails found that the animals adjust the amounts of collagen and calcium in their mucus, producing substances that can lubricate, adhere, foam, defend and harden into protective membranes.
A Florida grand jury concluded that $10 million from a Medicaid settlement was improperly routed through the Hope Florida Foundation and into political committees, while finding insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges. Governor Ron DeSantis and other officials deny wrongdoing.
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Thousands of people applied for the chance to help move Hirosaki Castle’s roughly 400-ton keep back toward its original site in northern Japan. The hand-pulling effort is part of a restoration project expected to continue until the keep reopens to visitors in 2033.
Fossilized teeth from at least seven shark species have been found on Egypt’s Abu-Tartur Plateau, a region that was once covered by a shallow sea. The discovery includes species not previously recorded in Africa or Egypt.
Robot.com’s R-dog is designed to deliver food and parcels while navigating stairs and curbs on wheel-equipped legs. The four-legged robot also carries digital advertising screens and can respond to people with built-in conversational audio.
Two Monash University studies have identified ways Candida fungi can escape immune defenses: one species can trigger infected immune cells to rupture, while Candida auris changes form depending on the nutrients available in human tissue.
