NPR: news of the weird https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=186890596 news of the weird en Copyright 2024 NPR - For Personal Use Only Story API Shim 1.2.24 Tue, 19 Aug 2025 01:10:02 -0400 https://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/primary/npr_generic_image_300.jpg?s=200 NPR: news of the weird https://www.npr.org/tags/186890596/news-of-the-weird Extreme Surrogacy: Man With 16 Infants Wants 10-15 More Per Year Interpol said it has launched a multinational investigation into what Thailand has dubbed the "Baby Factory" case surrounding a 24-year-old Japanese businessman. Fri, 22 Aug 2014 23:39:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/2014/08/22/342583654/extreme-surrogacy-man-with-16-infants-wants-10-15-more-per-year https://www.npr.org/2014/08/22/342583654/extreme-surrogacy-man-with-16-infants-wants-10-15-more-per-year

Interpol said it has launched a multinational investigation into what Thailand has dubbed the "Baby Factory" case surrounding a 24-year-old Japanese businessman.

(Image credit: ATHIT PERAWONGMETHA)

]]> Stowaway Teen's Father Was Shocked To Hear Son Was In Hawaii The 15-year-old boy hid in the wheel well of a jet that flew Sunday from San Jose, Calif., to Maui. Though temperatures plunged and oxygen was scant, he survived. The father says Allah "saved him." Thu, 24 Apr 2014 08:39:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/24/306417578/stowaway-teens-father-was-shocked-to-hear-son-was-in-hawaii https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/24/306417578/stowaway-teens-father-was-shocked-to-hear-son-was-in-hawaii The 15-year-old boy hid in the wheel well of a jet that flew Sunday from San Jose, Calif., to Maui. Though temperatures plunged and oxygen was scant, he survived. The father says Allah "saved him."

]]> Mark Memmott Stowaway Teen May Have Been Trying To Reunite With His Mom News reports indicate the 15-year-old was hoping to eventually get to Somalia, where his mother lives. He crawled into the wheel well of a jet that flew from California to Hawaii. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 07:35:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/23/306111049/stowaway-teen-may-have-been-trying-to-reunite-with-his-mom https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/23/306111049/stowaway-teen-may-have-been-trying-to-reunite-with-his-mom News reports indicate the 15-year-old was hoping to eventually get to Somalia, where his mother lives. He crawled into the wheel well of a jet that flew from California to Hawaii.

]]> Mark Memmott Wheel Well Stowaway Was 'Runaway Kid With A Bad Idea' The California teen "ran for the nearest plane," according to the FBI. He ended up riding for 5 1/2 hours to Hawaii, and luckily survived the thin air and freezing temperatures. Tue, 22 Apr 2014 07:00:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/22/305824651/wheel-well-stowaway-was-runaway-kid-with-a-bad-idea https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/22/305824651/wheel-well-stowaway-was-runaway-kid-with-a-bad-idea The California teen "ran for the nearest plane," according to the FBI. He ended up riding for 5 1/2 hours to Hawaii, and luckily survived the thin air and freezing temperatures.

]]> Mark Memmott You Can Survive A Flight In A Jet's Wheel Well, But Probably Won't A California teen, the FBI says, flew from San Jose to Maui inside the landing gear bay of a Boeing 767. He is said to be OK. He's also very lucky. Nearly everyone else who's tried has died. Mon, 21 Apr 2014 14:31:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/21/305651780/you-can-survive-a-flight-in-a-jets-wheel-well-but-probably-wont https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/21/305651780/you-can-survive-a-flight-in-a-jets-wheel-well-but-probably-wont A California teen, the FBI says, flew from San Jose to Maui inside the landing gear bay of a Boeing 767. He is said to be OK. He's also very lucky. Nearly everyone else who's tried has died.

]]> Mark Memmott Teen Survives Flight To Hawaii In Jet's Wheel Well, FBI Says "Kid's lucky to be alive," an FBI spokesman says of a 16-year-old boy who authorities think stowed away Sunday in the wheel well of a flight from San Jose, Calif., to Maui. The odds were against him. Mon, 21 Apr 2014 08:47:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/21/305495936/teen-survives-flight-to-hawaii-in-jets-wheel-well-fbi-says https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/21/305495936/teen-survives-flight-to-hawaii-in-jets-wheel-well-fbi-says

"Kid's lucky to be alive," an FBI spokesman says of a 16-year-old boy who authorities think stowed away Sunday in the wheel well of a flight from San Jose, Calif., to Maui. The odds were against him.

]]> Mark Memmott Why Did That Jet Land At The Wrong Airport? Well, It Happens A huge cargo plane touched down at a small municipal airport in Wichita. That sort of thing happens, experts say, when pilots fly into an area with multiple airfields and trust that the first one they see is the one they want. Fortunately, no damage was done and the jet was able to depart later. Fri, 22 Nov 2013 09:43:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/11/22/246708424/why-did-that-jet-land-at-the-wrong-airport-well-it-happens https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/11/22/246708424/why-did-that-jet-land-at-the-wrong-airport-well-it-happens A huge cargo plane touched down at a small municipal airport in Wichita. That sort of thing happens, experts say, when pilots fly into an area with multiple airfields and trust that the first one they see is the one they want. Fortunately, no damage was done and the jet was able to depart later.

]]> Mark Memmott It's Away! Cargo Jet That Landed At Wrong Airport Takes Off A Boeing 747 jet was supposed to land at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita. Instead, it touched down at a small municipal airport across town. That was a problem: The runway there is much shorter than what the big jet typically needs on takeoff. But the plane is now on its way again. Thu, 21 Nov 2013 07:00:00 -0500 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/11/21/246498844/taking-off-will-be-tricky-after-jet-lands-at-wrong-airport https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/11/21/246498844/taking-off-will-be-tricky-after-jet-lands-at-wrong-airport

A Boeing 747 jet was supposed to land at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita. Instead, it touched down at a small municipal airport across town. That was a problem: The runway there is much shorter than what the big jet typically needs on takeoff. But the plane is now on its way again.

(Image credit: Jaime Green)

]]> Mark Memmott Jewels Found In Alps May Be From Decades-Old Plane Crash A small box found near Mont Blanc contained rubies, sapphires and emeralds thought to be worth more than $330,000. Authorities suspect they had been on board one of two Indian passenger planes that crashed in the area — one in 1950; one in 1966. The climber who found the treasure turned it in. Fri, 27 Sep 2013 08:45:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/09/27/226773806/jewels-found-in-alps-may-be-from-decades-old-plane-crash https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/09/27/226773806/jewels-found-in-alps-may-be-from-decades-old-plane-crash

A small box found near Mont Blanc contained rubies, sapphires and emeralds thought to be worth more than $330,000. Authorities suspect they had been on board one of two Indian passenger planes that crashed in the area — one in 1950; one in 1966. The climber who found the treasure turned it in.

(Image credit: Jean-Pierre Clatot)

]]> Mark Memmott Another Car, Another Watery Grave, Another Cold Case Solved? A 1960 Studebaker was discovered in a South Dakota creek this week. Inside: what may be the remains of two high school girls who disappeared in 1971. This follows last week's discovery of two cars in one Oklahoma lake. Inside them: what may be the remains of six people who went missing decades ago. Wed, 25 Sep 2013 08:54:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/09/25/226059033/another-car-another-watery-grave-another-cold-case-solved https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/09/25/226059033/another-car-another-watery-grave-another-cold-case-solved A 1960 Studebaker was discovered in a South Dakota creek this week. Inside: what may be the remains of two high school girls who disappeared in 1971. This follows last week's discovery of two cars in one Oklahoma lake. Inside them: what may be the remains of six people who went missing decades ago.

]]> Mark Memmott