Some of you may be familiar with the Darwin Awards. People are nominated for the Darwin Awards when they do something really stupid that costs them their lives. The reason that they are called the Darwin Awards is that by offing themselves in such an absurd way, it is suggested that these misguided folks have inadvertently improved the gene pool for rest of humanity. It’s a cynical view of life, but it has led to a collection of stories that are both true and bizarre.

For example, there is the story of a Darwin Award winner named Christopher, a nineteen‑year‑old man in Missaukee County, Michigan. Christopher spent an evening sometime back partaking of a large quantity of alcoholic beverages when he noticed a shortage in his liquor supply. He concluded that his neighbor had stolen a bottle…