<p>Hi friends, I&#39;m Scott and this is What a Weird Week, a show about the weird news and interesting stuff that happened this week. See bottom of shownotes page for a transcript of the podcast episode. To Subscribe/ get in touch/ other/ see <a href="https://www.shownotes.page">www.shownotes.page</a>. <br>Thanks for <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-a-weird-week/id1253207313">rating</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3Js0HpxWHMSc2yes7pmvnu">reviewing</a> along with <a href="https://podnews.net/podcast/i9vxl">subscribing</a>!<br>These are the shownotes for Season 7, Ep 17 first published April 24, 2026.</p><p><br></p><p>10 Researchers in Belgium along with a shoemaker, have created the world&#39;s first boot made of fungi. </p><p>It&#39;s a prototype. This may save us all and solve the footwear industry waste problem. Our future shoes might be biodegradable. (and also delicious on pizza.) (jk.) (https://www.popsci.com/science/shoe-made-from-mushrooms/) </p><p> </p><p>9 Do you think you&#39;re psychic? Because if you don&#39;t, someone you know does. (https://studyfinds.com/1-in-5-americans-convinced-theyre-psychic/)</p><p> </p><p>8 A California man was arrested for allegedly stealing $34,000 worth of Lego sets from stores in the USA. They believe he bought Lego sets, took out valuable pieces, then returned the boxes filled with dried pasta and got his money back. (https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/police-arrest-man-who-replaced-us34000-worth-of-lego-pieces-with-pasta/)</p><p> </p><p>7 A British bride was drenched in black paint by her sister-in-law moments before her wedding, though she still managed to walk down the aisle in a borrowed dress. What happened?! It was some kind of feud. (https://www.foxnews.com/world/brides-sister-law-douses-black-paint-moments-ceremony-horrifying-revenge-attack)</p><p> </p><p>6 ***Gross Alert*** A Chinese electric vehicle company has patented a voice-activated, in-vehicle toilet that slides out from under the passenger seat for use during long trips. The company has not announced if or when this feature will actually hit the market. (https://nypost.com/2026/04/17/lifestyle/chinese-carmakers-rolling-out-cars-with-in-vehicle-toilet/)</p><p> </p><p>5 Coffee Drinkers: it would seem you&#39;re more likely to be impulsive. (https://studyfinds.com/coffee-gut-bacteria/). </p><p> </p><p>4 Organizers of the Cumbria Nature Festival in the UK had to issue a public clarification that their event is for &quot;naturalists&quot; rather than &quot;naturists&quot; after receiving inquiries from confused nudists. The festival urged attendees to dress appropriately and offered full refunds to anyone who may have booked tickets under the mistaken impression that it was a clothing-optional event. (https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/nature-festival-urges-attendees-to-dress-appropriately-after-being-mistaken-for-nudist-event-3355286/) </p><p> </p><p>3 Atlantic salmon might be high on cocaine? (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/20/cocaine-pollution-may-disrupt-behaviour-of-salmon-study-suggests) and also (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cocaine-pollution-seems-to-make-salmon-swim-faster-and-farther-than-usual-scientists-dont-know-the-long-term-consequences-180988600/)</p><p> </p><p>2 Gertie is officially the oldest living chicken in the world at 15 years and 100 days.</p><p>See (https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/04/15/Guinness-World-Records-oldest-chicken/6751776275517/) </p><p> </p><p>Bonus: Logging off social media can modestly improve your mood, but whether it makes you happier or lonelier largely depends on what you&#39;ve got going on. (https://www.popsci.com/science/is-social-media-bad-or-good/) </p><p> </p><p>Bonus: New Dinosaur raises eyebrows. (https://studyfinds.com/new-mexico-quarry-dinosaur-no-one-knew/) </p><p> </p><p>Bonus: A rare split-color lobster, representing a 1-in-50-million genetic anomaly, was caught off the coast of Cape Cod and donated to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium. (https://www.popsci.com/environment/split-color-lobster-massachusetts) </p><p> </p><p>1 The unique and perhaps bonkers Bear Suit Insurance Fraud case and &#39;Operation Bear Claw&#39;.</p><p>(https://globalnews.ca/news/11808793/bear-costume-insurance-fraud-sentencing-california/) </p>