Love brain, doped pigeon pie, and timed hugs: The wackiest stories of 2024

Speaking of checking one’s emotions, among the more talked-about stories was New Zealand’s Dunedin Airport imposing a three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs, igniting both outrage and hilarity. A cheeky sign at the drop-off zone declared: “Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells, please use the car park.” The rule, introduced to ease congestion, had people debating whether hugging could — or should — be timed. Dunedin Airport CEO Daniel De Bono weighed in: “Airports are hotbeds of emotion… We’re trying to have fun with it.” But not everyone was amused. One user fumed, “You can’t put a time limit on hugs! That’s inhumane.” Others leaned into the humour: “In America, you’re lucky if they let you slow down. Just roll and push the passenger out!”

This year also saw the rise of discussions around ‘popcorn brain’, a term describing the relentless urge to multitask and the inability to focus due to constant digital stimulation. Coined by Dr David M Levy, it paints a vivid picture of how our modern tech habits, driven by pings and notifications, have rewired our cognitive processes. From compulsively checking social media to needing to respond to emails, popcorn brain highlights the challenges of staying present in an era of endless distractions.

Researchers warn of the long-term effects of this mental fragmentation. While our ancestors’ brains were wired for survival—quickly responding to threats in their environment—today’s “threats” come in the form of unread messages and trending topics.

Adding to the lexicon of the year was Oxford University Press’s Word of the Year, ‘brain rot’, which reflects a cultural reckoning with the effects of overconsuming trivial online content. The phrase encapsulates the deteriorating impact of binge-scrolling social media or streaming platforms.

Revolutions in the workplace

The workplace continued to be fertile ground for odd trends and quiet revolutions. ‘Quiet vacationing’ emerged as an underground movement among employees who take time off without officially notifying their employers. Another trend that made it to this year’s list is ‘office peacocking’ — companies trying to lure employees back to the office by renovating office spaces and offering lavish perks like gourmet meals, game rooms, and wellness areas.

Gen Z’s fresh lexicon

In 2024, Gen Z’s unique slang became an undeniable force, reshaping the way we communicate.

‘Brat’, introduced by Charli XCX, emerged as a term of empowerment, capturing a carefree, rebellious attitude that defined Gen Z’s unapologetic approach to life and self-expression.

“So demure, so mindful!” became a viral phrase after TikToker Jools Lebron, who identifies as a trans woman, posted a sarcastic take on “how women should present themselves in the workplace.” In recognition of its cultural impact, Dictionary.com officially declared “demure” as its 2024 Word of the Year. While many Gen-Z users embraced the term ironically, others criticised it for imposing unrealistic standards on women.

When packages go awry

Life’s little surprises are not always welcome, as R Tulasi of Andhra Pradesh discovered this year. Her story began innocuously enough, with a simple request for construction materials to aid in building her dream home. What arrived at her doorstep, however, was the stuff of nightmares: a wooden crate containing a disfigured corpse nestled alongside electrical supplies. Authorities scrambled to untangle the grisly mix-up, but for Tulasi, the event served as a stark reminder of how the mundane can turn macabre.

Elsewhere, in the heat of Maharashtra’s Assembly elections, an independent candidate, Gurudas Kambale, brought a flavour of absurdity to the political stage. Kambale’s election symbol — a humble slipper — spurred an unexpected controversy when he demanded that voters be banned from wearing slippers into polling booths. The request was denied, but the kerfuffle brought forth the whimsical lengths individuals will go to protect their stake in a democratic process.

Nature’s odd displays

Not just humans but nature also had its share of wonders to contribute. In a rare celestial performance, gigantic jets of lightning illuminated the Himalayan skies, between China and Bhutan, shooting upwards from thunderstorms to the ionosphere.

Gigantic jets pack 50 times the power of a regular lightning strike and can travel as high as 80 kilometres above the Earth’s surface. (X/@apod)

Closer to the ground, a freak snowfall blanketed Saudi Arabia’s Al-Jawf region, transforming the arid desert into a winter wonderland. The unusual weather event captivated social media and reignited debates about climate change’s role in driving extreme and unexpected patterns.

Meanwhile, in Pune, a different kind of swarm commanded attention. Videos of insect tornadoes — towering clouds of chironomids spiraling like miniature cyclones — spread rapidly online. Experts were quick to clarify that the phenomenon stemmed from untreated sewage, turning what seemed like a whimsical spectacle into a sobering commentary on urban infrastructure and environmental neglect.

Thailand’s viral hippo Moo Deng. (X/@moodengx)

Meanwhile, in a Thailand zoo, Moo Deng, a female pygmy hippo, became an internet sensation after photographs of her went viral online. On Christmas, Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, donated 10,000,000 baht (about $293,000) to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, becoming Moo Deng’s “adoptive father” through the zoo’s Wildlife Sponsorship Programme.

Whoa stop everything….Moo Deng doing the moonwalk 🤣 pic.twitter.com/vVKmXfIADN

— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) October 1, 2024

Sports: The strange and scandalous

In the world of sports, excuses for doping violations reached new heights of absurdity. Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner found himself in hot water after testing positive for a banned substance, only to blame a masseur’s cream for the contamination. Not to be outdone, Dutch cyclist Adri van der Poel offered an even more outlandish defense, citing a “doped pigeon pie” cooked by his father-in-law, a pigeon-racing enthusiast. These explanations, though questionable, reinforced an adage: truth is often stranger than fiction.

The Kangaroo dance kerfuffle

Australia’s Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun,competes during the Round Robin Battle at the breaking competition at La Concorde Urban Park at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France. (AP File Photo)

In one of the year’s quirkiest showdowns, Australian comedian Steph Broadbridge’s Raygun the Musical was abruptly canceled after Olympic breaker Rachael Gunn — better known as B-Girl Raygun — sent a cease-and-desist notice. The play, which was set to debut in Sydney, featured a quirky cast of eight actors, puppets, and original songs such as You May Be a B-Girl, But You’ll Always Be an A-Girl to Me.

The problem? Gunn’s legal team claimed the musical infringed on her intellectual property, specifically her viral “kangaroo-hop” dance, which gained internet fame during the Paris Olympics. Though her unconventional moves earned no points from judges, they captured hearts worldwide — and a trademark.