From advances in the design of women's lingerie to surgical developments in the treatment of fish, 2014 was another interesting year for humans and other creatures.
From technology and science to politics and beards,... takes a look at some of the oddest and quirkiest moments of 2014.
Peggy Giakoumelos reports.
(Transcript from World News Radio)
The year started with a Japanese lingerie company launching what it called the "True Love Tester" - a bra which the company claims will only unhook when the wearer is really in love.
The product's designer explains how the bra works.
"A built in sensor reads the woman's heart rate signal and sends it to a special app via bluetooth for analysis. The app then calculates the truelove rate based on changes in the heart rate over time. When this heart or love rate exceeds a certain value, the bra will unlock automatically."
In March, a Danish travel company launched a marketing campaign urging Danish couples to "Do it for Denmark".
That is book a holiday through their travel company as a way of helping raise Denmark's dwindling birthrate.
It claimed a romantic holiday could be just the thing to raise the birthrate and offered to give away a family friendly holiday for families with babies conceived during a trip booked through its company.
It also encouraged same sex and older Danish couples who might not be in the baby-making game - to just do it anyway.
On the Australian political front, 2014 introduced Australia to the Palmer United Party.
Media interview walkouts and large packages characterised the more quirky moments of the party.
The party's head Clive Palmer and former P-U-P Senator and now Independent Jacqui Lambie, bucked the current trend of politicians scripting every soundbite.
Ms Lambie got all personal during an interview with Heart FM in Hobart, outlining her requirements for a mail partner.
"Let's find love now. They've got to have heaps of cash and a package of between their legs, let's be honest. And they don't need to speak. I don't even need them to speak."
While Mr Palmer walked out of two ABC Interviews, frustrated with the line of questioning.
"PALMER: I'm not answering in more from you so goodbye. We will see you later.
ALBERICI: You're a public figure Mr. Palmer, the audience has a right to know, what's happening in legal cases against you.
PALMER: Sorry goodnight. I don't want to talk to you any more. See you later."
The world of science and medicine in 2014 saw just how far humans have progressed.
In September, a goldfish called George underwent "high risk" brain surgery to remove a large tumour in Melbourne.
The owner of the 10-year-old fish decided to have it operated on rather than having it put to sleep.
Dr Tristan Rich was the vet who performed the surgery and told Radio 3AW that George did well after the operation.
He also explained how the fish was kept alive during the surgery.
"Basically we set up three buckets of water. You've got to make sure it's pond water or tank water. You don't want any shock from the tap water and using anaesthetic, different concentrations of anaesthetic, the first bucket being more concentrated too put him to sleep. The second bucket medium strength and that ws syphoned through a tube through the fishes mouth and that's what kept him asleep and the water itself was oxygenated."
The Australian Science Media Centre's list of the weirdest stories for 2014, included the discovery in Spain of 50,000-year-old fossilised human faeces, the oldest sample ever found.
The faeces showed that this particular human wasn't living off fast food like many of his or her modern day descendants.
Rather he or she had enjoyed a meal of berries, nuts and vegetables along with some meat.
Male facial hair also emerged as a force to be reckoned with in western culture at least - but only certain types of beards.
Not everyone though, especially these women who spoke to the BBC, was impressed.
Vox 1: Just the amount of beards needs to go. It just seems like it's trending.
Vox: 2: It's a bit like tattoos. If there's too many they just become common.
Vox 3: I'm not a really big fan of beards, so just feel like it's really hiding the face. So I'm always like if the guy's going to shave is he going to be ugly or not."?
The Australian Science Media Centre said Australian researchers found that beards were only attractive to women if they were a rarity.
The researchers said their findings reflect patterns seen in other animals - females tend to find rare features attractive in potential mates.
Share
