Somehow, a tiny kitten got into a large industrial bin at a parking lot in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK. What’s worse, the kitten then got her head through the drain hole at the bottom and became stuck! A passerby notice the kitten and alerted the RSPCA.

RSPCA inspector Steve Morrall said: "When I arrived, I saw the head of the kitten poking out from this bin - it was so unusual and I have never seen anything like it before.

"It is very likely she was looking for food in the bin, but panicked when the bin was being emptied and got herself stuck.

"The kitten was so stuck that it became obvious I would need extra assistance from West Midlands Fire Service. They were absolutely brilliant."

The fire service used a small plastic collar coated with a lubricant to gently ease the kitten’s head back through the hole. A veterinarian was standing by in case sedation was needed. The kitten was then examined at a veterinary clinic and deemed healthy outside of an understandably low temperature. The five-week-old kitten was turned over to the RSPCA, who named her Dusty and will put her up for adoption soon. -via Arbroath

(Image credit: RSPCA (England & Wales))

Animation Domination gives us a preview of Sunday night’s episode of The Simpsons in a couch gag that casts Homer and company in a 1980’s action cop sequence reminiscent of the TV show Miami Vice, although younger people see Kung Fury and GTA: Vice City in it.  

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You wouldn’t have recognized Homer at all if it weren’t for the yellow skin and the couch. Donuts don’t make a body like that! -via Viral Viral Videos

Ötzi the Iceman is the name given to a frozen mummy of a man who was murdered 5300 years ago. Scientists have been studying the relatively well-preserved remains since he was found in the Italian Alps in 1991. The latest finding is that Ötzi carried Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that causes ulcers, in his gut. Many people carry H. pylori without ever developing ulcers, and scientists have identified different strains of the bacteria in different parts of the world. And that's where Ötzi's story makes a left turn. Or right, depending on how you read maps. 

When they compared Ötzi’s H. pylori genome with other types from around the world, they got a surprise—Ötzi’s type most closely resembled one from Asia, not those found today in Europe or Africa. This provides insights not only into Ötzi’s health, but also the movements of his ancestors. Ötzi’s own DNA most closely resembles that of early European farmers who originally came from the Middle East. But his bacterial strain most closely matches strains in India and South Asia today, which cluster together in the hpAsia2 population. Today’s hpEurope strain has far more DNA from the African type of H. pylori than does Ötzi’s Asian strain, notes lead author Frank Maixner, a microbial ecologist at EURAC.

He says this suggests a new scenario: The ancestors of early European farmers such as Ötzi must have carried H. pylori with DNA from Asian strains perhaps in the Middle East before they migrated to Europe. Then, new immigrants carrying African microbes arrived in Europe much later, after Ötzi lived. The two types of microbes mixed in these migrants, creating today’s European strain much more recently than expected.    

The findings give us a lot to think about how humans -and bacteria- migrated around the globe thousands of years ago. Read more about the discovery at Science magazine. -via reddit

(Image credit: Thilo Parg)

Amalah is a one-year-old toddler. Her father asks her what’s up? What her deal? All kinds of questions, from what kind of animal is this, to why doesn't she contribute more to the family. And she answers. In baby talk. With subtitles.

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La Guardia Cross presents another episode in his New Father Chronicles. That’s the thing about fathering, or mothering, for that matter. Once you become fairly competent with a newborn, they turn into toddlers, which is a whole different thing. And that continues throughout their childhood, so you’re always new at this.  -via Metafilter

This kid’s a real drama queen. That’s not the way the game is played! But if it ever were, it would surely be more funny than the normal recess game. It’s the latest comic from John McNamee at Pie Comic.

From the beginning of railway travel, people have tried to make trains bigger, better, faster, more efficient, or just plain different. Here are some of the strange ideas they came up with along the way.

1. PROPELLERTRIEBWAGEN SCHIENENZEPPELIN

(Image credit: Franz Jansen)

German engineer Franz Kruckenberg had an idea: why not build a train that worked like a blimp? It was the late 1920s and he was a zeppelin designer by training, but he’d recently turned his attention to the rails. He’d tried his hand at creating a hanging monorail, but when that failed he decided to try something new—a streamlined, aluminum bullet train powered by a giant propeller. This time, it worked! Built in 1930, the Propellertriebwagen Schienenzeppelin was as fast and smooth as its name was long. Zooming at an unprecedented 140 mph, the engine set a speed record that would stand for another 23 years.

So why aren’t today’s Amtraks propeller-powered? The (extremely noisy paddles) that made the train run also prevented cars from coupling to each other, so the Schienenzeppelin wasn’t actually much of a train.

2. SAIL TROLLEYS

Sail-powered trolleys were used in the UK from the 1850s onward, especially in coastal areas that had a reliable gust. One in Cliffe, England, used abandoned cement mine tracks to transport people wanting, as the book The Cement Railways of Kent describes, to “dig worms and inspect the sea defences.”

3. PENYDARREN LOCOMOTIVE

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Life can be hard.

This guy in the Netherlands just wants to put his garbage in the dumpster. Unfortunately, the street and the area where the dumpster sits is covered in ice. And it’s not exactly level, either. At least the neighbors got a kick out of it! -via Digg

Do you need a little inspiration to get going on your New Year’s resolution to get fit? Then watch the latest compilation from People Are Awesome. This one features folks who are extraordinarily fit, flexible, strong, and agile.

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Feel inspired yet? They weren’t born that way. This is the result of lots of effort and practice. That means with effort, anyone can improve their physical fitness. You might not ever get to this level, but you can be proud of your progress. Or you can just enjoy watching these people! -via Tastefully Offensive

David Bowie shares a birthday with Elvis Presley. He was born January 8, 1947, which means he is turning 69 years old. It’s been an eventful life so far, and he’s done something substantial every year of it. You can find out exactly what at the generator What Did Bowie Do At Your Age? Just enter your age (or any number) and see what he did that year. I entered my age and was a little shocked.

When David Bowie was 57

He got struck in the eye by a lollipop during a gig in Oslo, Norway. The lollipop was lodged there until removed by a member of his crew. David Bowie continued with the show.

Yes, there’s a picture, but I took the high road and went with a photograph of Bowie at age 15 in 1962 instead. Check out many of his Golden Years if you like -they're quite interesting. -via Metafilter

You might find this hard to believe, but I’ve never been to an IKEA store. However, having been on the internet, I am at least somewhat familiar with the concept. And after reading this list, I might even be able to find my way around in one. There’s a method to the madness.

1. THE IKEA PATHWAY HAS A CODE NAME.

It’s no secret IKEA’s maze-like showrooms are designed to take shoppers through every department, from the kitchen to the textiles, making sure they lay eyes on as many goods as possible. "One could describe it as if IKEA grabs you by the hand and consciously guides you through the store in order to make you buy as much as possible," Johan Stenebo, an IKEA veteran, wrote in his book, The Truth About Ikea.

The winding walkway is known lovingly among employees as the “Long Natural Path” or the “Long Natural Way.” According to a 2011 New Yorker article by Lauren Collins, the pathway is supposed to curve every 50 feet to prevent shoppers from getting bored.

2. THERE ARE SECRET SHORTCUTS.

Need to get to bedding but don’t want to walk through textiles, bathroom, and living room first? Stuck on the top floor but need a quick way to ground level? Take a shortcut.

There are multiple quick routes through the store, both for safety reasons and stocking reasons, and they’re open to the public. But they’re not advertised, so you’ll need a keen eye for secret passageways. Often they take the form of unmarked service doors.

“If you know where to look, you’ll find them,” says Paula, who worked at an IKEA store in Houston for a year. At her store, there was a shortcut route that started with an unmarked door near the escalators. “Nobody’s going to stop you unless it explicitly says ‘employees only,’ but other than that you can open doors and you’d be amazed,” she says.

“I love IKEA, but sometimes you just need to get in and out in like 20 minutes,” says Marie, who worked at IKEA for 11 years. If that’s the case, just ask an employee to give you the quickest route to your destination and they’ll point you to the nearest shortcut.

Oh, but that’s just one and two… you’ll need to read all 19 behind-the-scenes secrets of IKEA at mental_floss.

(Image credit: Ra-smit)

Bay City, Michigan, concocted a contest to celebrate the city’s 150th anniversary and promote participation in city events. Anyone who attended 25 events would be eligible to enter a drawing for a prize package worth $1500. The city even sent out entry forms in utility bills in May. Maybe the contest seemed too complicated, or maybe it ran too long, but in the end, only one person turned in a completed “passport” showing he had fulfilled the contest rules.

So, congratulations are in order for Taylor Langstaff, a Bay City native who volunteers at the Bay County Historical Museum. Langstaff was the only person to submit a fully-stamped passport after participating in a number of events and activities, including taking in a show at The State Theatre, enjoying a beer at Tri-City Brewing Co., and most recently, enjoy a holiday tour of homes in Bay City's Historic District.

"I love Bay City so much that this was pretty easy," Langstaff said. "I met a lot of people, was able to go to a lot of neat events, take in some great shows — this contest really showed what this city has to offer."

What’s more, there were prizes to be awarded to the second and third place winner, so Langstaff ended up with those, too, for a total of $2,000 in prizes. Those include many restaurant meals, tickets to games and other events, books, a membership to the YMCA, t-shirts, and more. Langstaff will be a Bay City booster for a long time to come. -via reddit

(Image credit: Andrew Dodson/The Bay City Times)

The recent El Niño-fueled rainstorms in Los Angeles caused quite a bit of damage. In one Los Angeles neighborhood, it also brought out a strange and rare wildlife movement. Sir David Attenborough narrates the migration.

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This mashup was created by Supertheory. Blame them. -via Tastefully Offensive

This display was spotted at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The same thing can be seen at a few other museums around the world if you look closely enough. Museum curators are a wacky bunch, according to one commenter who ought to know.

You know the person in the museums that tell visitors about the ancient written documents? They are called the super fragile calligraphic explanation docents.

We museum people are a special breed. We could probably tell you which one, in detail, but on an 8th grade level.

The Cleveland museum has its own sense of humor. An upcoming event is called Think and Drink with the Extinct. In fact, they’ve got a schedule of "#ThinkandDrink" events this year, such as Fossils and Ferments, Birds and Brews, and Sleuthing with Spirits. -via reddit 

Weather extremes Down Under are mind bending. You don’t really understand what a drought is until your local river has been bone dry for four years. That was the situation in McKinley, Queensland, Australia. And what breaks a drought? A flood, of course. But the water was welcome in McKinley. Especially welcome by this policeman who had the opportunity to see the water return to the riverbed. News travels faster than water.

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But be warned that this video has a hilarious amount of NSFW language, meaning profanity, relayed in a joyous, typically Australian manner. His son, who posted the video, compared it to the Double Rainbow Guy, with more colorful language. -via Arbroath

The animated short Balablok looks at human nature, in the form of little shapes with legs. Czech animator Břetislav Pojar’s award-winning 1972 film is as relevant today as ever.

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Woe unto them who are different -or even worse, outnumbered! The film is a metaphor for bullying, war, and the lone peacemaker who gets what’s coming to him. -via The Kid Should See This