Here's our weekly collection of this weird, weird world — from four sheep beginning their pursuit for knowledge in France to a German politician's complete breakdown and a very low-energy Korean competition.
Too wool for school
WHERE?
Moselle, France
WHAT?
To save a class from closure at the Nitting-Voyer-Hermelange school in Moselle, eastern France, parents and local officials registered four sheep as students. The unusual move was a response to the school's enrollment falling four students short of the required 98. Each sheep was given a name, birthdate, and address, with their registration forms sent to the national education authority. The sheep (punnily named John Deere, Phil Tondus, Valériane Deschamps, and Marguerite Duprès) were introduced to students as "new friends." Which was not to the liking of the academic inspection, which ordered the sheep to be removed from the school premises. Too baaa-d.
Keep on Blinken in the free world
WHERE?
Kyiv, Ukraine
WHAT?
With Ukraine taking heavy losses in its war with Russia, U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken swooped in to tell Ukrainians that America’s got their back, in a surprise visit to Kyiv. Beyond reassurance of military support, Blinken also found his way to a basement bar in the Ukrainian capital, and grimaced through a cover of Neil Young’s 1989 hit “Rockin’ In The Free World.” He told the bar crowd, “The United States is with you, so much of the world is with you, and they’re fighting, not just for a free Ukraine, but for the free world. And the free world is with you, too.”
P.S. AI Love You
WHERE?
Online
WHAT?
A new version of Chat-GPT that can teach math… and flirt? OpenAI has revealed the latest version of the tech behind AI chatbot ChatGPT, called GPT-40. It’s faster than earlier models and has been programmed to sound chattier — and even sometimes flirtatious. During a demo, the AI responded to a compliment by saying “Stop it, you’re making me blush!” The AI can also read images, translate languages, identify emotions, remember previous prompts, and teach math. Rawr. Read more about AI and language in this article translated from Italian by Worldcrunch.
Doubly lucky
WHERE?
North Carolina, U.S.
WHAT?
Cynthia Harris of Cary, North Carolina, accidentally played an online lottery game called Bison Bonanza and won a $736,874 jackpot. Believing she was in demo mode, Harris had unknowingly placed a $2 bet, which earned her the game's "Epic Jackpot." This win is the largest prize in any digital game since the North Carolina Education Lottery launched them last November. Harris plans to use her winnings to support her mother.
The value of doing nothing
WHERE?
Seoul, South Korea
WHAT?
In Seoul, more than 100 people participated in the annual "Space-out competition", an event where participants compete to do nothing for 90 minutes without falling asleep, checking their phones, or talking. Participants' heart rates were monitored, and the most stable heart rate among the top 10 voted contestants determined the winner. The event, now in its tenth year, aims to reframe "doing nothing" as a valuable activity. This year's winner, freelance announcer Kwon So-a, emphasized the importance of slowing down in a competitive society.
How do you say "ew" in German?
WHERE?
Germany
WHAT?
German politician Martin Neumaier, a Free Democratic Party (FDP) candidate for the district of Ostalb, went viral after filming himself licking public toilets at a railway station and engaging in other highly disturbing acts — including using a sex toy while singing a Nazi-era national anthem, or roleplaying as Adolf Hitler, using feces to create a mustache. Neumaier claimed these acts were part of a "punishment".
DIY aurora borealis
@paakkz We thought we missed them in iceland but saw them in norwich 🤣🤣 #fyp #viral #zyxcba
WHERE?
Norwich, UK
WHAT?
When Karim Akhtar and Sully Laurent saw a purple glow across the night sky while walking home after a night out, they couldn’t believe their luck. Glorious, vibrant Northern lights?! In Norwich, eastern England?! Walking toward it, the two lads quickly realized their aurora borealis was caused not by solar flares millions of kilometers away but by the lights of Premier Inn across the street. Their hilarious TikTok video has now been viewed more than six million times.