Mystery of Stonehenge finally ‘solved’
And other stories from the stranger side of life

The mystery of Stonehenge may have finally been unravelled by researchers who say that it once served as a giant solar calendar. Professor Timothy Darvill, from Bournemouth University, said the stone circle’s layout served as a physical representation of the year and acted as “a calendar based on a tropical solar year of 365.25 days”, reported the BBC. Weeks were ten days long and there were more months than today.
Nasa engineers unaware of invasion
Six Nasa engineers sealed inside a capsule in Moscow are among the only people on Earth who don’t know about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said the Daily Star. The sealed septet have been locked inside the capsule since November 2021 for an experiment known as Sirius 21, which seeks to simulate a space mission. Members of the group, made up of one Emirati, two Americans and three Russians, are set to be released in June 2022.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pensioners ‘demand refund’ because of war
A comedy club in Blackpool claims it received a request for a refund because the Ukraine invasion made travel from Hull unsafe, reported The Metro. The owner of Comedy Station Comedy Club claims a couple contacted him two weeks ago asking for a refund because one of them had Covid. They then tried another excuse, claiming that “due to events in Russia and Ukraine it’s not safe for us to travel as we are both retired”. The pair added that they had read the terms and conditions of the booking and “nowhere in them does it say about no refunds FOR A WAR”.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Amazon's James Bond deal could mean a new future for 007
In the Spotlight The franchise had previously been owned by the Broccoli family for its entirety
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Why are Republicans suddenly panicking about DOGE?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Trump and Musk take a chainsaw to the federal government, a growing number of Republicans worry that the massive cuts are hitting a little too close to home
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
What is JD Vance's Net Worth?
In Depth The vice president is rich. But not nearly as wealthy as his boss and many of his boss' appointees
By David Faris Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published
-
The nuclear threat: is Vladimir Putin bluffing?
Talking Point Kremlin's newest ballistic missile has some worried for Nato nations
By The Week UK Published
-
Russia vows retaliation for Ukrainian missile strikes
Speed Read Ukraine's forces have been using U.S.-supplied, long-range ATCMS missiles to hit Russia
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published