Quirky Lounge

Future billionaire? Boy hoards RM767 in school bag without mum’s knowledge, netizens call him 'Elon Musk'

Photo: Instagram/@jeanniesoo7687

A Malaysian mother was shocked to discover her son had secretly hoarded RM767 in his school bag without her knowledge. The boy, who had been collecting money from various sources including gifts and possibly small savings, kept the stash hidden in a pencil case. His mother shared the discovery on social media, where netizens were amused and impressed by the boy’s financial savvy. Many jokingly dubbed him a “future billionaire” and compared him to Elon Musk, praising his early instincts for wealth accumulation and money management.

Read more: Sinar Daily

Why octopuses have three hearts: when three are better than one

Credit: BBC Wildlife Magazine - Debbie Graham

Compared to many other animals, octopuses have rather a complicated circulatory system to ensure oxygenated blood reaches the extremities of their multi-limbed body. Octopuses pump their blood around their circulatory system using three hearts instead of one. While a ‘systemic’ heart supplies the animal’s body, two ‘branchial’ hearts supply each of the two gills where the blood is oxygenated

Read more: Why octopuses have three hearts: when three are better than one | Discover Wildlife

The World’s First Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects Wants Its Collection to Shrink, Not Grow

Credits: UNESCO

UNESCO has launched the world’s first Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects to spotlight the global issue of cultural heritage theft. Featuring over 250 looted items from 46 countries, the museum offers free access to 2D and 3D renderings of stolen artifacts, artworks, and rare books. Visitors can explore by region or object type, and even use VR headsets for immersive viewing. Some 3D models were generated using AI. Designed by architect Francis Kéré, the museum’s structure symbolizes resilience, inspired by the baobab tree. A unique feature is the Return and Restitution Room, showcasing items that have been successfully returned to their countries, such as a trilobite fossil repatriated to Morocco. Unlike traditional museums, this one aims to shrink over time as stolen objects are recovered and removed from the collection, symbolizing justice and restoration. The initiative is backed by Saudi Arabia and Interpol, aligning with UNESCO’s 1970 Convention against cultural property trafficking

This Fully Functioning Toilet Made From Solid Gold Could Sell for More Than $10 Million at Auction

Credit: Sotheby's

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s fully functioning 18-karat gold toilet, titled America, is set to be auctioned by Sotheby’s on November 18, with bidding expected to start around $10 million—based on the current price of gold. Weighing 220 pounds, the satirical sculpture critiques wealth and social equality by placing luxury in an unexpected setting. Cattelan famously said, “In the end, we are all the same,” referencing the toilet’s universal function.

Originally built in 2016 and sold to a private collector, another version of America was installed at the Guggenheim Museum, where over 100,000 visitors used it. It was later stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019 in a five-minute heist; the toilet remains missing and is believed to have been melted down. At the time of the theft, rising gold prices had pushed its value to $4 million.

Sotheby’s calls the piece one of Cattelan’s most iconic works, blending spectacle with deeper meaning.

Read more: This Fully Functioning Toilet Made From Solid Gold Could Sell for More Than $10 Million at Auction

Mysterious Manhattan-sized interstellar comet spotted blasting through solar system: NASA

Credit: Aritist's concept of interstellar object 3I/Atlas NASA/SWNS

NASA has discovered a massive interstellar comet named 3I/ATLAS blazing through our solar system, marking only the third known object from beyond our cosmic neighborhood. Detected by the ATLAS telescope in Chile, the comet spans roughly 12 miles—larger than its predecessors, Oumuamua (2017) and 21/Borisov (2019). Scientists traced its path back to June 14 and believe it originated from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, though its exact origin remains unknown.

Currently near Jupiter and traveling at 37 miles per second, 3I/ATLAS is about 416 million miles from the sun. It features a glowing tail and a cloud of gas and dust around its nucleus. The comet will pass within 150 million miles of Earth in October but poses no threat. It’s visible with a small telescope through September and will reappear after passing the sun in December. NASA emphasizes it’s a natural object, not artificial, but its presence is thrilling for astronomers.

Strange Radio Pulses Detected Coming From Ice in Antarctica

Credit: Stephanie Wissel / Penn State. Creative Commons

Between 2016 and 2018, NASA’s ANITA experiment detected unusual radio pulses from beneath the Antarctic ice—signals that defied known particle physics. These pulses, instead of bouncing off the ice, appeared to originate from below the horizon, suggesting the possibility of unknown particles or interactions. A recent study led by Penn State researchers, using 15 years of data from the Pierre Auger Observatory, found no similar signals, indicating the anomalies likely weren’t caused by neutrinos.

Neutrinos are elusive, nearly massless particles that rarely interact with matter, making them difficult to detect. ANITA was designed to capture their rare interactions in ice, but the steep angles of the detected signals implied they had passed through thousands of kilometers of rock—an unlikely scenario. Researchers are now developing a more sensitive detector, PUEO, to investigate further. Stephanie Wissel believes the anomalies may stem from unknown radio propagation effects near ice, leaving the mystery unresolved..

Read more: Strange radio pulses detected coming from ice in Antarctica | Penn State University

Man Decides To Bathe In Tub Of Hot Sauce. Really, REALLY Regrets It

(Source: YouTube/CemreCandar)

A YouTuber named Cemre Candar filled a bathtub with 1,250 bottles of hot sauce—plus whole red chilies—and filmed himself bathing in it for a viral stunt. Known for previous videos involving tubs of melted chocolate and Oreos, Candar claimed the sauces were near expiration to avoid waste. The video, which has over 2.4 million views, shows him instantly regretting the painful dip. Despite the discomfort, he escalates the challenge further, emphasizing the dramatic difference between sweet and spicy stunts. The bizarre act gained widespread attention online, highlighting the extremes creators pursue for views and viral fame.

A duct-taped banana sells for $6.2 million at an art auction

(Source: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP)

In November 2024, Maurizio Cattelan’s conceptual artwork Comedian—a banana duct-taped to a wall—sold for $6.2 million at Sotheby’s in New York. Originally debuting at Art Basel Miami in 2019, the piece sparked debate over its artistic merit and was even eaten by another artist during its initial showing. The recent buyer, Justin Sun, founder of the TRON cryptocurrency platform, purchased a certificate of authenticity allowing him to recreate the piece. He plans to eat the banana himself as part of the artistic experience. The auction drew intense attention, with bidding starting at $800,000 and quickly escalating. Sotheby’s praised Cattelan as a provocative figure in contemporary art. The sale occurred a day after René Magritte’s The Empire of Light fetched $121.2 million at Christie’s, placing Magritte among the elite artists whose works have sold for over $100 million. Both events highlight the evolving boundaries and value of modern art.