WEIRD STUFF

A black bear caused quite a stir in downtown Bozeman, Montana, after it wandered into the outdoor seating area of Bozeman Spirits Distillery.

The furry intruder -- affectionately dubbed Tim -- was caught on CCTV exploring the space before dashing off down the street.

The footage, shared on the distillery's Instagram on October 22, was captioned: "Look who stopped by the distillery this morning to greet Tim."

The business joked that the curious creature was "looking for some Huckleberry Vodka to take to his den for the winter", calling the unexpected visit "one of the coolest experiences" they' have ever had downtown.

Vatican astronomer ready to baptise aliens

Pope Leo XIV's astronomer would be up for baptising an alien. Father Richard D'Souza believes the creatures would be "children of God".

Asked if he would perform an alien baptism, the 47-year-old director of the Vatican Observatory replied: "Yes, yes. Theology would have to reimagine itself and take into consideration these other beings.

"They are all part of God's creation. They would be children of God. I believe in a benevolent Creator. He is behind everything."

However, he insisted that the extraterrestrial being would have to "reimagine itself" if humans are first to make contact with them.

Addressing the problems, he added: "We do believe that baptism has to be in the presence.

"The question would be how to reach them or how they would reach us. These are practical problems to solve before we even talk about baptism."

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AI could end family arguments

Experts say smart devices could suggest solutions to everyday tasks that often cause couples and families to be at loggerheads with each other.

This includes fridges giving meal options based on what is stored inside the appliance as well as what time someone should go to sleep and get up in the morning.

Dr Jack Lewis, a neuroscientist, is quoted by the Daily Star newspaper as saying: "AI-powered home appliances can take control of the easy things.

"By relieving some of those decisions around what time to go to bed and what to eat for breakfast, we remove the pressure, which results in bickering."