Does the Sun have a long-lost twin?
And other stories from the stranger side of life
Our Sun may have a twin, according to astrophysicists at Harvard University. Avi Loeb and collaborator Amir Siraj have suggested that a second star must have helped the sun collect passing debris because the Sun's gravity alone wouldn't have been powerful enough to pull so many objects into its orbit. They believe the twin broke away and has ended up in a completely different area of space.
‘Extraterrestrial actors’ sought for new plays
A UFO expert is encouraging “extraterrestrial actors” to audition for alien parts in his new plays. John Steiger, 61, said alien actors would “have to audition just like everyone else” and warned that “they’re going to have a tough time winning any role”. However, he is not expecting an avalanche of applications. “I fear though that my plays are not at the top of the list of alien concerns about human activities here on Earth,” he said.
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
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Diver returns leg found in river
A diver who found a prosthetic leg in California's American River was able to return it to its owner thanks to social media. Karl Bly said: “I realised it was a prosthetic leg and I just knew immediately somebody needed it back.” He posted about the discovery on Facebook and the “very, very thankful” owner came and collected it. “He just went on and on about how he needed it to get back to work,” said Bly.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A free daily email with the day’s biggest news and analysis – and the best features from TheWeek.com