Weird News

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By Travis Leeper

Poop-flinger gets 31 years
Weusi McGowan of San Deigo was sentenced to 31 years in prison for robbery, burglary and flinging a bag of his own feces at jury members.

While standing on trial for the home invasion, McGowan produced a bag of excrement that he snuck into the courtroom. He then proceeded to smear it on his lawyer and threw it at the jury, hitting a juror's laptop case.

The incident arose after McGowan was denied a mistrial that was based on the fact that jurors had accidentally seen him in restraints. McGowan's attorneys claim he suffers from mental illness.

Snakes on a ferry
A 22-year-old Norwegian man was stopped by customs officials trying to smuggle 14 snakes and 10 geckos beneath his clothes into Norway. He was stopped after crossing the border via a ferry from Denmark when officials noticed that his clothing was writhing vigorously.

The snakes, non-venomous royal pythons, were put inside stockings and taped to his abdomen, while the geckos were in compartments taped to his legs. Officials were tipped off to the man's smuggling after finding a tarantula in one of his bags.

Animal smuggling is not uncommon in Norway, where it is illegal to hold many types of pets. The man was released after agreeing to pay a 12,500 Norwegian crown - $2,256 - fee; the animals were handed over to a security firm until officials decide what to do with them.

Scientists create venomous animals
By tweaking independent but similar proteins, researchers from Harvard University were able to turn common skinks and shrews into venomous creatures.

Scientists manipulated a simple anticoagulant present in both of the animals' saliva, transforming it into a toxin capable of causing paralysis and death in small animals once bitten. The study was undertaken to research how simple enzymes evolved into more complex toxins, even across different species of animals.

Researchers also hope that the find will lead to further knowledge of not only animal toxins, but protein synthesis and evolution in human beings as well.

Originally Published: Issue 822 - November 4, 2009

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