Whales in needles and other bizarre occurrences

Sculptures so tiny that a match head appears huge in comparison. Pic/David A Lindon

It's the last few days for the people of Bournemouth to feast their eyes upon what is being called the world's smallest zoo. Well, you'll need to grab some magnifiers first and spot the eccentric man dressed as Willy Wonka when you enter Wolverhampton's Change Makers Hub, where artist David A Lindon has displayed his latest artwork. Renowned for his complex creations, Lindon is an expert at creating microscopic paintings and sculptures.

His debut solo exhibition features a myriad of miniature wildlife crafted in the eye of a needle. It's not only the animal in focus that Lindon has paid attention to; he's also meticulously crafted their surroundings. The scarlet macaw flies above the evergreen forests of America, and the panda is seen in its natural habitat, lounging around with bamboo in hand. The tiniest sculpture at the exhibition is an emperor penguin, resting on the tip of a needle.

It is no easy feat to get these figurines just right. While one might joke that he must use human hair or a housefly's leg to make them, Lindon has clarified that neither could get the job done. He makes his own tools (which often break only after a few hours of use or disappear) and uses a diverse set of materials, like pieces of ceramics, precious metals like gold and platinum, carpet fibers, and even gemstones like emeralds and diamonds. The process involves patience, intense concentration, and at least a month of relentless effort. The tiniest mistake can ruin everything: Lindon once inhaled his own work!

Despite the obvious challenges, the artist believes it's all worth it. The audience's reaction is what keeps him going. They'd first be skeptical or simply confused, only to be taken completely by surprise. While this wondrous exhibition ends this week, you may get to experience it sometime in the future, as Lindon hopes to bring it to New York and London.

One
Month is needed to make one piece

Cheese with an extra crunch?

Milbenkase cheese is ripened in wooden boxes and infested with mites

Pic/Oddity Central

The history of Milbenkäse can be traced back to the Middle Ages when it was produced in the Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia regions of Germany. But, its cheese-making tradition faded with time, with only one elderly woman in the world in 1970, residing in the village of Würchwitz, passing on her knowledge to local science teacher Helmut Poschel. They season small balls of quark with salt caraway, and elderflower. They then place them in large wooden boxes and cover them up in a thick layer of live mites, millions of them, curing the cheese for three months to a year. An enzyme in the digestive juices Milbenkäse, can only be produced under a permit by the local food safety office.

Sleeping Beauty gets a boob job

Efteling Theme Park Resort, a cheaper and weirder dubbed version of Disneyland in Netherlands, is taking heat after a photo of its Sleeping Beauty went viral. Nick Ringelberg posted a photo. "Her hair has grown a lot in the last 8 months, some people think there's more than just hair grown, no idea, not paying attention," he commented on X.

Are you a Sharent?

According to a new study, parents sharing pregnancy posts and ultrasounds put their babies at risk of ID theft, digital kidnapping, and harm. "Even when they post about their pregnancy or anticipating the birth of the child, they give away identifying data," Valeska Berg, lead researcher of the report, says. "And that creates a digital identity even before the child is born."

Who's your daddy?

One might believe that their ex-partner was a manipulative liar, but only till they meet 29-year-old William Boswarva from Liverpool, England. The man allegedly sent his friend to the medical centre for a paternity test instead of himself in order to avoid paying child support. Even on trial for fraud by false representation, Boswarva refuses to provide another sample.

Florida is at it again!

Pic/Lynn Danielson/Unsplash

In a case of rediscovering yet another bizarre law, you'd be surprised to find out that swimsuits and singing do not pair well at some beaches in Florida. While it is not commonly enforced, be careful before you break into a tune because you might just end up in a lock-up.

Wild, wild, west

Pic/Associated Press

The narrative of cop and robbber chase was changed after a shoplifter from Walgreens in Albuquerque, in New Mexico, was chased down by horse-mounted police officers for stealing merchandise worth R 19,000. The horse caught him within seconds.