And other stories from the stranger side of life
An ally of Donald Trump has been forced to pay $5 million after losing a bet that no one could prove one of his election fraud claims wrong. At a cyber symposium in 2021, Mike Lindell, the founder of the MyPillow firm, claimed he had data showing that China interfered in the 2020 vote, and said he would pay anyone who could prove the material was not from that US election. However, noted the Washington Post, Robert Zeidman, a computer forensics expert, has proved that the data had nothing to do with that election.
Cat saves diabetic owner’s life
A cat who saved her diabetic owner's life is among the finalists at the National Cat Awards. Amanda Jameson, from Liverpool, lost consciousness after going to bed one night with dangerously low blood sugar. Willow the cat bit the leg of Jameson's partner, who had fallen asleep in front of the television, and led him to Jameson, who was unresponsive. “I was absolutely stunned - Willow had saved her life,” he told Sky News.
Exeter launches psychedelics qualifications
A UK university is launching one of the world’s first postgraduate certificates on psychedelics, reported The Guardian. The Exeter University qualification “cements psychedelics as an area of scientific importance in the UK”, said the paper. The course will teach healthcare workers about using psilocybin, LSD, MDMA and other psychoactive drugs in therapeutic work. “Psychedelics can work where other treatments have failed,” said Celia Morgan, a professor of psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter.
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