Funny old world: the week's offbeat news

From the truly useful appliance of science to how "Gorgeous George" Clooney won himself another fan. Your weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world:

A quest to crack one of the great curses of modern life -- the splashback from men's urinals -- has won science's greatest alternative award, the Ig Nobel prize.

One million litres of pee a day have to be mopped up from the floors of American men's toilets alone, according to a crack team of researchers from the US, Canada, China and Saudi Arabia.

They donned yellow raincoats to pick up the Ig Nobel physics prize in Zurich, with the economics prize going to a study that found rich people are more likely to steal children's sweets than the rest of us.

Past winners American psychologists Justin Kruger and David Dunning were also honoured for discovering the "Dunning–Kruger effect", which showed that ignorant and poorly-qualified people tend to hugely overestimate their abilities -- a breakthrough strangely illustrated with a picture of US President Donald Trump.

If Hollywood ever turns its back on George Clooney -- which Donald Trump would dearly love  -- there's always a job for him at AFP.

The actor swapped his lifetime achievement award for AFP photographer Tiziana Fabi's camera at a photocall at the Venice film festival where he had just got the Golden Lion despite the US president claiming Clooney was not a real movie star.

"I was pretty surprised and at first a bit annoyed," the photographer said. "He just put the award on my lap and took my camera," she said.

Clooney took a few shots then thanked her profusely. As images of their encounter spread like wildfire on social media, Fabi checked the four snaps the star took. "They were perfect photos. Maybe we should hire him?"

Earlier this year President Trump celebrated the "Good News!" that Clooney and his wife Amal had got French citizenship, calling them "the worst political prognosticators of all time".

He said the "Ocean's Eleven" star was just an "average guy who complained constantly about common sense in politics. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

"I totally agree," Clooney hit back. "We have to make America great again. We'll start in November," when the US holds mid-term elections.

Touche, as they say in French.

Alaskans are facing one of the most bizarre Senate elections ever in November's US mid-terms -- between one Dan Sullivan and another Dan Sullivan.

Both Dans are desperate for Republican votes, with incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan enjoying the backing of President Trump.

Retired schoolteacher Dan J. Sullivan also wants to run despite the Republican Party trying to force him out of the race, fearing he could let Democrat Mary Peltola in.

But last month the state's top court said Dan J. has the right to run.

Now another Dan Sullivan has entered the fray -- Dan A. Sullivan, the former Republican mayor of Anchorage.

Dan A. -- who claims to be "the original Dan Sullivan" -- has urged Alaskans to vote for Dan S.

Dan-nation, it's confusing.