‘City killer’ asteroid to pass Earth
And other stories from the stranger side of life

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
An asteroid large enough to destroy a city will pass between Earth and the moon’s orbit this weekend. Nasa said it was rare for an asteroid so big to come so close to the planet and the close encounter will give astronomers a chance to study a space rock from just over 68,000km away. Earlier this week, the Daily Mail said an asteroid big enough to “blow off part of Earth’s atmosphere” is three times more likely to hit our planet than previously thought.
Study has good and bad news for coffee fans
There is mixed news for coffee drinkers after scientists said the drink boosts the number of calories people burn during the day but dents their sleep quality at night. Researchers found that people who drink coffee regularly walk 1,000 more steps than non-drinkers each day but lose out on around 30 minutes of sleep at night, said the Washington Post. “Coffee is not all good or all bad — it has different effects,” said the report.
Why do some farts feel warmer?
A scientist said she has discovered why some farts feel warmer than others, reported the Daily Star. Lisa Ganjhu, DO, clinical associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at NYU Langone Health, said that wind can feel “hot” as it leaves the body but this is based on body temperature. “If it burns your mouth going down it’s going to burn your butt coming out,” she said, because “the tissue in your mouth is very similar to the tissue in your rectum”.
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.
For more odd news stories, sign up to the weekly Tall Tales newsletter.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
Drug could allow you to 'grow new teeth'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Couple sues after ‘farting dog’ ruins flight
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Luton Airport bendy buses join Ukraine war effort
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Naked cyclist arrested on charity bike ride
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Paw Patrol snacks recalled due to porn site gaffe
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Experts suggest the real-life Dracula was vegan
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Pedants forgive Waterstones over apostrophe
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
‘Mutant mogs’ prowling the UK
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published