WEIRD STUFF

Dogs worry like humans

Dogs may lie awake at night worrying about being ignored or scolded -- just like their owners, according to new research from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

The study, conducted at Eotvos Lorand University, found that dogs experience REM sleep and emotional recall similar to humans, meaning they can replay stressful or joyful experiences in their minds.

Researchers say this emotional memory can affect their sleep quality.

In a viral Instagram post shared by Mental Aspect, scientists revealed: "Dogs remember stressful or joyful experiences and may lose sleep when emotionally unsettled. Your dog doesn't just love you - they think about you even when you're apart."

The post claimed: "Dogs stay awake at night thinking about their problems, just like humans do," adding that upsetting events such as being scolded or ignored could trigger the release of cortisol, the stress hormone.

While some social media users were moved by the findings, others were sceptical.

"Not my dog! He sleeps and snores like he works at the plant," one joked.

Another wrote: "That's it, I'm quitting work and staying home all day."

According to the National Library of Medicine, dog-human interactions can directly influence canine sleep -- proving our furry friends may truly dream, and worry, just like us.

---------------

Heartbroken woman hires witch to curse ex

A heartbroken woman who tried to curse her ex-boyfriend by hiring an online witch was left stunned -- after the witch refused and told her to seek therapy instead.

Tallulah Rose, who goes by @tallulah.roseb on TikTok, shared how she was "so down bad" after a breakup that she decided to hire a witch on Etsy to "haunt" her ex as revenge.

Speaking in the now-viral clip, which has racked up thousands of views, she said: "I did what any normal person would do. I found a witch online and asked her to cast a spell on him."

But instead of summoning dark forces, the witch sent back a "long message" explaining she wouldn't go through with the curse -- and refunded her money.

Rose said: "She told me I needed trauma therapy.

"She said I should look into limerence and some self-worth instead."

The witch reportedly told her: "Hey girl, you are so down bad and this guy sounds so awful -- I'm not doing the spell, I'm refunding you, and you need therapy."

Despite the supernatural snub, viewers praised the witch's honesty.

"That witch just healed your soul for free," one follower commented.

Another added: "She cast the most powerful spell of all-self-awareness."

-------------

Woman returns Olympia relic

A german woman has returned an ancient artifact stolen from Olympia more than half a century ago, in what Greek officials hailed as an act of "sensitivity and courage."

The limestone column capital, measuring 24cm high and 33.5cm wide, was taken in the 1960s from the Leonidaion, a 4th-century BC guesthouse that once hosted athletes and dignitaries in Ancient Olympia.

According to the Greek Ministry of Culture, the woman voluntarily handed over the relic to the University of Munster in Germany, which coordinated its return.

It marks the third artefact the university has helped repatriate to Greece in recent years.

Giorgos Didaskalou, Greece's general secretary of culture, said: "This is a particularly moving moment.

"This act proves that culture and history know no borders but require cooperation, responsibility and mutual respect."

Torben Schreiber, curator of the University of Munster's archaeological museum, added: "It is never too late to do the right thing -- the moral and the just."

The return follows the university's previous restitutions, including a twin-handled wine cup linked to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, and a Roman-era marble head from Thessaloniki.

Greece continues to push for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum, maintaining that such gestures of goodwill show the growing importance of cultural restitution.