Experts solve the chicken/egg conundrum
And other stories from the stranger side of life
Scientists believe they may have finally found the answer to the question: which came first, the chicken or the egg? The chicken’s earliest reptilian ancestors, “dating back millions of years before even the dinosaurs evolved, may not have laid eggs”, said The Times. Researchers from the University of Bristol in the UK and Nanjing University in China believe the early ancestors of modern birds and reptiles may have given birth to live young rather than laying eggs.
Woman alive at her own funeral
Grieving friends and family at the funeral of an elderly Ecuadorian woman were surprised to discover she was still alive, reported the BBC. Although Bella Montoya, 76, was pronounced dead following a suspected stroke, five hours into her wake, relatives preparing to change her clothes ahead of the burial found her gasping for air. “Little by little I am grasping what has happened,” said her son. “Now I only pray for my mother’s health to improve. I want her alive and by my side.”
Tropical forest in Sheffield garden
A man has created his own tropical paradise to keep cool during heatwaves by making a rainforest in his own back garden in Sheffield. “While the rest of us swelter in the heat”, Dr Simon Olpin “has been able to spend his spare time basking in the shade as he’s devised the best way to keep cool”, said The Mirror. “We’re able to sit in the cool shade and have wine or tea with friends”, said Olpin. “It has a South-East Asian tropical atmosphere.”
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
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
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.
-
Zoos offer cockroach naming and hippo poo candles
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
NHS tells Scots to walk like penguins
Tall Tales Walk like penguins in the snow, says NHS
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Experts discover why dogs wag their tails
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Peruvian 'aliens' aren't really aliens
Tall Tales And other stories from stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Woman accidentally puts nan in washing machine
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Why Dutch people put pancakes on their heads today
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Fly found in man's colon
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Judi Dench accidentally video called co-star from bath
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published