Borderline fun

How a pig started a war: 10 of the funniest border disputes ever

Image: Jim Witkowski

Borders are treated seriously—but not always. From prank invasions to livestock wandering into the wrong country, some of history's most absurd geopolitical clashes are downright comedic. While most of these disputes didn’t lead to war, they certainly led to raised eyebrows, diplomatic side-eyes, and in a few cases, friendly resolutions over a shared drink.

Image: Jordi Vich Navarro

France vs. Spain, 1659–present

After the Treaty of the Pyrenees, France and Spain agreed to co-own a small island in the Bidasoa River. But how? By literally swapping custody every six months.

For centuries, Pheasant Island has switched national flags twice a year without issue—despite having no permanent residents.

Image: Felix W.

Canada vs. Denmark, 1984–2022

For nearly 40 years, Canada and Denmark playfully "invaded" Hans Island, which by the way is a completely barren rock islet, by planting flags and leaving bottles of liquor behind.

In 2022, after many years of endless border pranks (and shared liquor), the two countries finally agreed to split the rock 50/50, calling it the "Whisky War" resolution.

Image: Christopher Carson

USA vs. UK, 1859

It all started when an American farmer shot a British pig rooting in his potato patch on the San Juan Islands. This seemingly minor incident, however, sparked an international crisis that was only narrowly averted after U.S. President James Buchanan himself stepped in.

After this event, troops camped in a peaceful standoff for 12 years until arbitration gave the islands to the U.S. No human lives were lost, but still, sadly, the pig became the sole casualty of the conflict.

Image: Azzedine Rouichi

Egypt vs. Sudan, 1902–present

Due to conflicting colonial maps, Egypt and Sudan both claim the more valuable Hala'ib Triangle—and disown Bir Tawil, a barren strip of desert.

To this day, Bir Tawil remains one of the few unclaimed territories on Earth. Many micronations and would-be monarchs have planted flags there, but no one officially claims it.

Image: Vincent Foret

Belgium vs. Germany, 20th century

After Germany’s defeat in the First World War, it was required to cede vast swaths of land to other European nations. Among these was the Vennbahn, an old railway built under the German Empire.

When the Vennbahn railway tracks were transferred to Belgium, a peculiar situation arose: the railway snaked in and out of what was rightfully German territory, creating hundreds of small German exclaves entirely surrounded by Belgian land.

Image: Priya Singh

India vs. Bangladesh, 1970–2010

New Moore Island was a small, uninhabited sandbar that unexpectedly emerged from the Bay of Bengal in the 1970s, and both countries claimed it—only for the sea to reclaim it in 2010.

The long-winded dispute disappeared as literally as the island itself, with nature doing the diplomacy by sinking the land back underwater.

Image: Cristina Munteanu

Russia vs. China, 2000s

Not exactly a border dispute, but more of an unfulfilled promise and stalled partnership—a massive steel bridge across the Amur River, separating Russia and China, remained unfinished for years, stopping mid-stream due to inactivity on the Russian side.

This created a humorous situation for locals on the Chinese side, who could see that their half of the bridge was completed long ago, yet it led to nowhere. Eventually, Russia completed its half—but only after satellite photos of the disconnected bridge ends went viral.

Image: Caleb Woods

Australia vs. Rabbits, 1900s

Not a nation-vs-nation conflict, but a border of sorts: Australia once built a 2,000-mile fence to separate rabbit-infested regions from rabbit-free ones.

However, the rabbits won in most cases, either by digging under or jumping over. While the fence failed to completely stop them, it did become a bizarre national landmark.

Image: Michael

Imaginary

While there were no actual disputes here, since the territory in question is completely fictional, "Null Island" is a fun example of a made-up place created solely for cartographic purposes.

Located at 0°N, 0°E, this imaginary island is often used humorously in mapping and geographic databases, or as a placeholder for errors—a sort of cartographic joke.

Image: Stephan Seeber

Belgium vs. Prussia, 1816–1919

For almost a century, a small triangle of land with a valuable zinc mine became a "neutral" zone jointly administered by two countries—mainly to circumvent the new border policies established by the 1814 Congress of Vienna.

A flag was even designed, and over time, locals proposed adopting Esperanto as the official language, with some pushing for independence. The League of Nations eventually dissolved the territory, but not before it became Europe’s weirdest almost-country.

The truth about your brain

You won’t believe what happens in your brain while you sleep

Image: Milad Fakurian

Your brain is one of the most powerful and mysterious organs in your body. It controls everything from your thoughts to your emotions and even processes information at lightning speed. But how much do you really know about it? Some long-believed myths about the brain have been debunked, while other surprising facts reveal just how incredible this organ truly is. Get ready to be amazed by these fascinating brain facts!

Image: Natasha Connell

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s completely false! While it’s true that not all parts of the brain fire at the same time, imaging studies show that most regions are active throughout the day, even when we sleep.

Your brain is constantly working, controlling bodily functions and emotions, and processing information. So next time someone says you’re only using 10% of your brain, you can confidently tell them that’s just a myth!

Image: Aarón Blanco Tejedor

Here’s a weird fact: While your brain processes pain signals from the rest of your body, it has no pain receptors of its own. This is why surgeons can perform brain surgery on conscious patients without causing them pain.

However, the membranes and tissues surrounding the brain do have pain receptors, which is why headaches and brain injuries can be so excruciating.

Image: Usman Yousaf

How come we have headaches if the brain has no pain receptors? Well, that’s because headaches are triggered by chemical activity in the brain, changes in nerves and blood vessels, and even fluctuating serotonin levels.

In some cases, hormones like estrogen can also play a role, which explains why migraines are more common in women.

Image: Go to Johannes Plenio's profile Johannes Plenio

Dreams are proof that your brain never rests! (Warning: this fact can make you feel exhausted.) While you sleep, your limbic system, that is, the part of the brain that deals with emotions, becomes especially active, which is why dreams often feel so intense.

On average, humans experience four to seven dreams per night, even if we don’t always remember them. And what about that scary nightmare about falling? Well, you can thank your amygdala, the brain’s fear center, for that one.

Image: Brett Jordan

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly forgotten what you were after? That’s because short-term memory only lasts about 20-30 seconds! That’s not enough!

Your brain holds a limited amount of information in its active state before deciding whether to store it or discard it. Ironically, we can’t really choose what makes the cut, but we do hope these facts stay with you!

Image: BUDDHI Kumar SHRESTHA

That sharp, icy pain when you eat something too cold? It’s your brain’s way of telling you to slow down! Officially called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, a brain freeze happens when cold food or drinks rapidly chill the blood vessels in your throat, causing them to constrict and then rapidly expand. This sends pain signals to your brain, warning you of the sudden temperature shift. It’s annoying, but it’s actually your body trying to protect itself!

Image: Josh Riemer

You didn’t need us to tell you, but let’s look at the details: The average person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day. What’s even more interesting? 95% of those thoughts are the same ones you had yesterday. Is that not surprising enough? Hear this out: 80% of them tend to be negative. That’s because our brains are wired for survival, constantly analyzing risks and potential dangers.

Image: Terry Vlisidis

Even though it only makes up about 2% of your body weight, your brain employs a major quantity of energy! It consumes 20% of your oxygen and blood supply, making it one of the most demanding organs in your body.

If your brain goes without oxygen for just five minutes, brain cells start dying, leading to irreversible damage. This is why deep breathing and cardiovascular exercise are great for brain health!

Image: Alexander Andrews

Do you know that feeling when you hit the back of your head and see stars? That’s because your occipital lobe, which controls vision, is located at the back of your brain. If you get hit there, your brain momentarily misfires, causing flashes of light.

Interestingly, your brain processes vision on the opposite side; while your right brain controls your left eye, your left brain controls your right eye. It’s one of the many ways the brain operates in a complex way.

Image: Rodion Kutsaiev

Believe it or not, your brain generates between 12 and 25 watts of electricity when you’re awake. If you can’t really grasp how powerful that is, check this out: It’s enough to power a small light bulb! Your brain’s electrical activity is what allows neurons to send signals at speeds of up to 260 miles per hour.

Image: Robina Weermeijer

Your brain may be the fattiest organ in your body, consisting of at least 60% fat! This is why consuming healthy fats, like omega-3s and omega-6s present in fish, for example, is essential for brain health.

Healthy fats stabilize brain cell walls, reduce inflammation, and support cognitive function. So go ahead and enjoy that avocado toast, it’s food for your brain!

Image: Robina Weermeijer

It’s not just your memory that fades over time; the brain itself physically shrinks as one gets older. It continues developing until your late 40s, but after that, it slowly decreases in size.

Now, size doesn’t equal intelligence, so a smaller brain doesn’t necessarily mean a less capable one. Staying mentally active, exercising, and eating brain-boosting foods can help keep it in top shape!

Image: Lisa Yount

We often think of cholesterol as bad, but your brain actually depends on it! In fact, 25% of your body’s cholesterol is stored in your brain, where it helps with learning and memory. However, unlike other organs, the brain can’t absorb cholesterol from the blood, it has to produce its own. So, while too much cholesterol in the body can be harmful, the right amount is vital for brain function. At least you can use that as an excuse to get that burger!