Aliens could be spiders the size of elephants

Aliens could be spiders the size of elephants, according to Richard Dawkins. During an online Q&A, the famous atheist said that if aliens came from a similar planet to Earth they would probably look like humans, but if they came from somewhere with a “much weaker gravitational pull”, they could be “animals the size of an elephant built along the lines of spider”. The prospect is a “nightmare scenario”, remarked the Daily Star.

Pen pals meet after 68 years

Two pen pals have met for the first time, 68 years after they began exchanging letters, said The Times. Patsy Gregory and Carol-Ann Krause, both 80, began writing to each other in 1955 while members of the girl guides living on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Although they have exchanged at least 800 letters, they did not meet until Gregory, from Lancashire, travelled to Conway, South Carolina, to meet her co-correspondent.

Famous iceman has male pattern baldness

A study has revealed what Otzi the Iceman looked like, said The Telegraph. Europe’s oldest mummified human, dating back 5,300 years, was found in the Otztal Alps, near the border of Austria and Italy. He was probably bald with dark skin, “not too dissimilar to his present desiccated state”, said experts. Their analysis found he had a genetic predisposition for male pattern baldness, with dark eyes and dark skin.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

For more odd news stories, sign up to the weekly Tall Tales newsletter