William Shatner to blast into ‘final frontier’
And other stories from the stranger side of life
Star Trek actor William Shatner has announced plans to travel into space at the age of 90. “Yes, it’s true. I’m going to be a rocket man... it’s never too late to experience a new thing,” he said after Blue Origin, the space company founded by Jeff Bezos, said he would join three other passengers on the trip next week. “I’ve heard about space for a long time now. I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle,” the actor added.
Man can burp after 35 years
A 35-year-old from Grimsby has finally been able to burp again after not being able to since he was a teenager. Phil Brown had a throat condition called retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction, which prevented him from belching due to a muscle in his neck not being allowed to relax. He explained that when his friends were drinking beer he could not join them because he would “bloat up and it would end the night”. He can now burp after a private procedure.
Subscribe to 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
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pumpkin farmer started with pack of seeds
A farmer who is preparing to harvest more than 30,000 pumpkins has revealed that it all began with a packet of seeds sown for his children. Chris Hoggard, of Howe Bridge Farm in Malton, North Yorkshire, started growing pumpkins some 25 years ago. He grew just 10 initially, keeping two and selling the other eight. He now raises about 15,000 plants and welcomes visitors from across the UK.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 21, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - devilish decrees, biblical blunders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 carefully selected cartoons about the Trump-Daniels jury selection process
Cartoons Artists take on a stress-free life, rare peers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Loire Valley Lodges review: sleep, feast and revive in treetop luxury
The Week Recommends Forest hideaway offers chance to relax and reset in Michelin key-winning comfort
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
The hunt for Planet Nine
Under The Radar Researchers seeking the elusive Earth-like planet beyond Neptune are narrowing down their search
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Winchcombe meteorite: space rock may reveal how water came to Earth
The Explainer New analysis of its violent journey confirms scientific theories on the origin of our planet's H2O
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why the Moon is getting a new time zone
The Explainer The creation of 'coordinated lunar time' is part of Nasa's mission to establish a long-term presence on Earth's only natural satellite
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
We're in the golden age of space exploration
In depth To infinity and beyond!
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
All the major moon landings so far
The Explainer One giant leap for mankind
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Jupiter's Europa has less oxygen than hoped
speed read Scientists say this makes it less likely that Jupiter's moon harbors life
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Magnolias in space': why scientists have created the world's first wooden satellite
Under The Radar New Japanese probe could help tackle 'graveyard of space junk' encircling Earth
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The moon, it's shrinking!
The Explainer Landing on the moon is soon going to be harder than previously thought
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published