WEIRD STUFF

A Pennsylvania man who was going through security at a New Jersey airport was found to have a live turtle concealed in his pants, according to the federal Transportation Security Administration.

The turtle was detected after a body scanner alarm went off at Newark Liberty International Airport. A TSA officer then conducted a pat-down on the East Stroudsburg man and determined there was something concealed in the groin area of his pants.

When questioned further, the man reached into his pants and pulled out the turtle, which was about five inches long and wrapped in a small blue towel. He said it was a red-ear slider turtle, a species that is popular as a pet.

The man - whose name was not released - was escorted from the checkpoint area by Port Authority police and ended up missing his flight. The turtle was confiscated, and it's not clear if the turtle was the man's pet or why he had it in his pants.

------------

'Thank You' makes Gen Zers uncomfortable

Some Gen Zers feel uncomfortable when people say "thank you".

Bank Nationwide polled 2,000 Brits on the way the nation says thank you in 2025 and the findings show that one in five of those born between 1995-2012 do not like it when someone compliments them with the phrase.

The results also showed that 55 per cent feel like they're receiving thanks less these days, with 46 per cent claiming people don't make time to express their gratitude.

Those living in Brighton, Manchester, and Bristol are the most thankful - with them saying the phrase 15 times a day.

However, 15 per cent admit they say "thanks" at least once a day - but they do not mean it.

-----------------

Poor sleep fuels wild beliefs

Researchers have found that persons who don't get enough shuteye at night were more likely to endorse unproven beliefs - including that the Earth is flat.

Experts at the University of Nottingham - who tracked over 1,000 Brits for the study - claim that addressing sleep quality could help to better "critically evaluate information and resist misleading narratives".

Previous findings have frequently suggested that personality traits cause people to have far-fetched beliefs - as those who are insecure and paranoid are more likely to accept conspiracy theories.

Dr Daniel Jolley, the study's lead author, said: "Sleep is crucial for mental health and cognitive functioning.

"Poor sleep has been shown to increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and paranoia - factors that also contribute to developing conspiracy beliefs.

"Our research suggests that improving sleep quality could serve as a protective factor against the speed of conspiratorial thinking."

-----------

West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, like all football coaches, wants his players to show up on time, work hard and play their best.

Oh, and another thing: Don't dance on TikTok.

"They're going to be on it, so I'm not banning them from it," he said Monday.

"I'm just banning them from dancing on it. It's like, look, we try to have a hard edge or whatever, and you're in there in your tights dancing on TikTok ain't quite the image of our programme that I want."

Making TikTok dance videos is a popular activity among high school- and college-age users of the social media platform.

Rodriguez said he has talked to his players about the tendency in society to emphasize the individual rather than the team and that banning TikTok dancing is something he can do to put the focus where he thinks it belongs.

"I'm allowed to do that. I can have rules," he said. "Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the basement eating Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go at it, smoking cannabis, whatever. Knock yourself out."

As for now, he said: "I hope our focus can be on winning football games. How about let's win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok?"