Wonderland

10 Biggest Historical Mysteries That Will Probably Never Be Solved

2019-06-08T06:30:00.000-07:00

Introduction

There are some historical mysteries that may never be solved. Sometimes, that's because the relevant excavated material has been lost or an archaeological site has been destroyed. Other times, it's because new evidence is unlikely to come forward or the surviving evidence is too vague to lead scholars to a consensus.

The lack of answers only makes these enigmas more intriguing. Here, Live Science takes a look at 10 of these historical questions that may never have definitive explanations.

Who was Jack the Ripper?

In 1888, Jack the Ripper killed at least five women in London, mutilating their bodies. A number of letters, supposedly from the Ripper, were sent to police taunting officers' efforts to find the Ripper. (Whether any of them were actually written by the Ripper is a matter of debate among scholars.) The name "Jack the Ripper" comes from these letters.

Needless to say, the Ripper was never found, and over the years, dozens of people have been brought up as possible candidates. A recent book suggested that a woman named Lizzie Williams was the Ripper, although other Ripper experts cast doubt on it. It appears unlikely that the true identity of the Ripper will ever be known for sure.

Where is Jimmy Hoffa?

The teamster union leader known for his involvement in organized crime disappeared in Oakland County, Michigan, on July 30, 1975, and is now presumed to be dead. The identity of his killer(s) and the location of his body are ongoing mysteries. Police and forensic anthropologists have searched a number of sites in Detroit and Oakland County to no avail.

One popular theory was that Hoffa's body was buried beneath Giants Stadium in New Jersey. However, this theory has been debunked. The identity of his killer is also unclear. Before his death in 2006, Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski, a hit man, claimed to have killed Hoffa and dumped his body in a scrap yard. An author named Philip Carlo visited Kuklinski in prison before he died and wrote a book on Kuklinski's confessions. After the book came out a number of police officers cast doubt on the confession in media interviews. As the years go by, it appears increasingly unlikely that Hoffa's remains will ever be found.

Where is Cleopatra's tomb?

Ancient writers claim that Cleopatra VIIand her lover, Mark Antony, were buried together in a tomb after their deaths in 30 B.C. The writer Plutarch (A.D. 45-120) wrote that the tomb was located near a temple of Isis, an Egyptian goddess, and was a "lofty and beautiful" monument containing treasures made of gold, silver, emeralds, pearls, ebony and ivory.

The location of the tomb remains a mystery. In 2010, Zahi Hawass, Egypt's former antiquities minister, conducted excavations at a site near Alexandria now called Taposiris Magna, which contains a number of tombs dating to the era when Cleopatra VII ruled Egypt. While many interesting archaeological discoveries were made, Cleopatra VII's tomb was not among them Hawass reported in a series of news releases. Archaeologists have noted that even if Cleopatra's tomb does survive to this day, it may be heavily plundered and unidentifiable.

Who killed JFK?

This is probably the biggest mystery in American history that will never be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. On Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald (although some speculate that he wasn't the only one shooting). On Nov. 24, 1963, before Oswald could stand trial, Oswald was fatally shot by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. Ruby died of lung cancer on Jan. 3, 1967. [10 Persistent Kennedy Assassination Theories]

The most widely accepted explanation is that Oswald killed JFK on his own and Ruby killed Oswald, on his own volition. Ruby's stated motivation was to spare Jacqueline Kennedy "the discomfiture of [Oswald] coming back to trial." However there are still a significant number of professional historians, along with many amateurs, who do not agree with this explanation and since JFK's death, numerous alternative explanationshave been brought forward by historians and amateurs. Given that significant new evidence is unlikely to appear, a firm consensus will probably never be reached.

Is there a money pit on Oak Island?

For more than two centuries, stories have circulated that Oak Island, located off Nova Scotia, Canada, held a money pit of buried treasure — supposedly left by the pirate Capt. William Kidd(1645-1701). Over that time, numerous expeditions costing millions of dollars have traveled to the island searching for the lost treasure, to no avail. [The 10 Most Notorious Pirates Ever]

Despite centuries of searching no treasure has been found on Oak Island. Nevertheless that doesn't stop people from trying to find it. A History Channel show called the "Curse of Oak Island" follows a modern-day expedition; the show was just renewed for a fourth season in 2016.

Is the Copper Scroll treasure real?

Another treasure tale that will probably never be resolved is more ancient. In 1952 a copper scroll was found by archaeologists in a cave, along with other Dead Sea Scrolls, at the site of Qumran. As its name suggests, the writing was engraved onto a copper scroll. The scroll records a vast amount of hidden gold and silver treasure — so much, in fact, that some scholars believe that it is impossible for it to exist. [Gallery of Dead Sea Scrolls: A Glimpse of the Past]

The scroll dates back more than 1,900 years to a time when the Roman Empire controlled the Qumran area. There were a number of revolts against Roman rule at the time the scroll was written, and scientists have hypothesized that the treasure was hidden to prevent its capture by Roman forces. Whether the treasure is real, where exactly it was hidden, whether it was ever found and whether it could still exist today are all mysteries that will likely never be solved.

What's the fate of the Ark of the Covenant?

In 587 B.C., a Babylonian army, under King Nebuchadnezzar II, conquered Jerusalem, sacking the city and destroying the First Temple, a building used by the Jewish people to worship god. The First Temple contained the Ark of the Covenant, which carried tablets recording the 10 Commandments.

The fate of the Ark is unclear. Ancient sources indicate that the ark was either carried back to Babylonor hidden before the city was captured. It's also possible that the ark was destroyed during the city's sacking. In any event, the ark's location is unknown. Since the disappearance, a number of stories and legends about the ark's fate have been told. One story suggests the ark eventually made its way to Ethiopia, where it is kept today. Another story says the ark was divinely hidden and will not appear until a messiah arrives.

Were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon real?

Ancient writers describe a fantastic series of gardens constructed at the ancient city of Babylonin modern-day Iraq. It's not clear when these gardens were built, but some ancient writers were so impressed by the gardens that they called them a "wonder of the world." Around 250 B.C., Philo of Byzantium wrote that the Hanging Gardens had "plants cultivated at a height above ground level, and the roots of the trees are embedded in an upper terrace rather than in the earth."

So far, archaeologists who have excavated Babylon have been unable to find the remains of a garden that meets this description. This has left archaeologists with a question: Did the hanging gardens really exist? In 2013, Stephanie Dalley, a researcher at the University of Oxford, proposed in a book that the gardens were actually located at the Assyrian city of Nineveh. Over the past two decades, both Babylon and Nineveh have suffered damage from wars and looting, and it seems unlikely that this mystery will ever be fully solved.

Is there a City of Atlantis?

Writing in the fourth century B.C., the Greek philosopher Plato told a story of a land named Atlantisthat existed in the Atlantic Ocean and supposedly conquered much of Europe and Africa in prehistoric times. In the story, the prehistoric Athenians strike back against Atlantis in a conflict that ends with Atlantis vanishing beneath the waves.

While no serious scholar believes that this story is literally true, some have speculated that the legend could have been inspired, in part, by real events that happened in Greek history. One possibility is that the Minoan civilization(as it's now called), which flourished on the island of Crete until about 1400 B.C., could have inspired the story of Atlantis. Although Crete is in the Mediterranean, and not the Atlantic, Minoan settlements suffered considerable damageduring the eruption of Thera, a volcano in Greece.

Additionally, archaeologists found that the Minoans were eventually overcome (or forced to join with) a group of people called the Mycenaeans, who were based on mainland Greece. It's unlikely that this debate will ever be fully settled.

What was Jesus really like?

The earliest surviving gospels date to the second century, almost 100 years after the life of Jesus (although recently, it was announced that a possible first-century fragmenthad been found).

The lack of surviving first-century texts about Jesus leave biblical scholars with a number of questions. When were the gospels written? How many of the stories actually took place? What was Jesus like in real life? Archaeological investigations of Nazareth, Jesus' hometown, reveal more about the environment where he grew up. More recently, scientists discovered a first-century housethat, centuries after Jesus' time, was venerated as being the house that Jesus grew up in, but whether it was actually Jesus' house is unknown.

Although new research will provide more insight, scholars think it's unlikely they will ever fully know what Jesus was really like. [Who Was Jesus, the Man?]

Source : livescience

Top 10 Controversial pieces of evidence for extraterrestrial life

2014-03-30T04:32:00.002-07:00

Over the years many hints have emerged that there might be life beyond Earth. New Scientist looks at 10 of the most hotly-debated discoveries.

1. 1976, The Viking Mars landers detect chemical signatures indicative of life

Tests performed on Martian soil samples by NASA's Viking landers hinted at chemical evidence of life. One experiment mixed soil with radioactive-carbon-labelled nutrients and then tested for the production of radioactive methane gas.

The test reported a positive result. The production of radioactive methane suggested that something in the soil was metabolising the nutrients and producing radioactive gas. But other experiments on board failed to find any evidence of life, so NASA declared the result a false positive.

Despite that, one of the original scientists - and others who have since re-analysed the data - still stand by the finding. They argue that the other experiments on board were ill-equipped to search for evidence of the organic molecules - a key indicator of life.

2. 1977, The unexplained extraterrestrial "Wow!" signal is detected by an Ohio State University radio telescope

In August 1977 an Ohio State University radio telescope detected an unusual pulse of radiation from somewhere near the constellation Sagittarius. The 37-second-long signal was so startling that an astronomer monitoring the data scrawled "Wow!" on the telescope's printout.

The signal was within the band of radio frequencies where transmissions are internationally banned on Earth. Furthermore, natural sources of radiation from space usually cover a wider range of frequencies.

As the nearest star in that direction is 220 million light years away, either a massive astronomical event - or intelligent aliens with a very powerful transmitter would have had to have created it. The signal remains unexplained.

3. 1996, Martian "fossils" are discovered in meteorite ALH80041 from Antarctica

NASA scientists controversially announced in 1996 that they had found what appeared to be fossilised microbes in a potato-shaped lump of Martian rock. The meteorite was probably blasted off the surface of Mars in a collision, and wandered the solar system for some 15 million years, before plummeting to Antarctica, where it was discovered in 1984.

Careful analysis revealed that the rock contained organic molecules and tiny specs of the mineral magnetite, sometimes found in Earth bacteria. Under the electron microscope, NASA researchers also claimed to have spotted signs of "nanobacteria".

But since then much of the evidence has been challenged. Other experts have suggested that the particles of magnetite were not so similar to those found in bacteria after all, and that contaminants from Earth are the source of the organic molecules. A 2003 study also showed how crystals that resemble nanobacteria could be grown in the laboratory by chemical processes.

4. 2001, A more rigorous estimate of the "Drake equation" suggests that our galaxy may contain hundreds of thousands of life-bearing planets

In 1961 US radio astronomer Frank Drake developed an equation to help estimate the number of planets hosting intelligent life - and capable of communicating with us - in the galaxy.

The Drake equation multiplies together seven factors including: the formation rate of stars like our Sun, the fraction of Earth-like planets and the fraction of those on which life develops. Many of these figures are open to wide debate, but Drake himself estimates the final number of communicating civilisations in the galaxy to be about 10,000.

In 2001, a more rigorous estimate of the number of life-bearing planets in the galaxy - using new data and theories - came up with a figure of hundreds of thousands. For the first time, the researchers estimated how many planets might lie in the "habitable zone" around stars, where water is liquid and photosynthesis possible. The results suggest that an inhabited Earth-like planet could be as little as a few hundred light years away.

5. 2001, The red tinge of Jupiter's moon Europa proposed to be due to frozen bits of bacteria, which also helps explain the mysterious infrared signal it gives off

Alien microbes might be behind Europa's red tinge, suggested NASA researchers in 2001. Though the surface is mostly ice, data shows it reflects infrared radiation in an odd manner. That suggests that something - magnesium salts perhaps - are binding it together. But no one has been able to come up with the right combination of compounds to make sense of the data.

Intriguingly, the infrared spectra of some Earthly bacteria - those that thrive in extreme conditions - fits the data at least as well as magnesium salts. Plus, some are red and brown in colour, perhaps explaining the moon's ruddy complexion. Though bacteria might find it difficult to survive in the scant atmosphere and -170°C surface temperature of Europa, they might survive in the warmer liquid interior. Geological activity could then spew them out periodically to be flash frozen on the surface.

6. 2002, Russian scientists argue that a mysterious radiation-proof microbe may have evolved on Mars

In 2002 Russian astrobiologists claimed that super-hardy Deinococcus radiourans evolved on Mars. The microbe can survive several thousand times the radiation dose that would kill a human.

The Russians zapped a population of the bacteria with enough radiation to kill 99.9%, allowed the survivors to repopulate, before repeating the cycle. After 44 rounds it took 50 times the original dose of radiation. They calculated that it would take many thousands of these cycles to make common microbeE.coli as resilient as Deinococcus. And on Earth it takes between a million and 100 million years to encounter each dose of radiation. Therefore there just has not been enough time in life's 3.8 billion year history on Earth for such resistance to have evolved, they claim.

By contrast, the surface of Mars, unprotected by a dense atmosphere, is bombarded with so much radiation that the bugs could receive the same dose in just a few hundred thousand years. The researchers argue thatDeinococcus's ancestors were flung off of Mars by an asteroid and fell to Earth on meteorites. Other experts remain sceptical.

7. 2002, Chemical hints of life are found in old data from Venus probes and landers. Could microbes exist in Venusian clouds?

Life in Venus' clouds may be the best way to explain some curious anomalies in the composition of its atmosphere, claimed University of Texas astrobiologists in 2002. They scoured data from NASA's Pioneer and Magellan space probes and from Russia's Venera Venus-lander missions of the 1970s.

Solar radiation and lightning should be generating masses of carbon monoxide on Venus, yet it is rare, as though something is removing it. Hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide are both present too. These readily react together, and are not usually found co-existing, unless some process constantly is churning them out. Most mysterious is the presence of carbonyl sulphide. This is only produced by microbes or catalysts on Earth, and not by any other known inorganic process.

The researchers' suggested solution to this conundrum is that microbes live in the Venusian atmosphere. Venus's searing hot, acidic surface may be prohibitive to life, but conditions 50 kilometres up in the atmosphere are more hospitable and moist, with a temperature of 70°C and a pressure similar to Earth.

8. 2003, Sulphur traces on Jupiter's moon Europa may be the waste products of underground bacterial colonies

In 2003, Italian scientists hypothesised that sulphur traces on Europa might be a sign of alien life. The compounds were first detected by the Galileo space probe, along with evidence for a volcanically-warmed ocean beneath the moon's icy crust.

The sulphur signatures look similar to the waste-products of bacteria, which get locked into the surface ice of lakes in Antarctica on Earth. The bacteria survive in the water below, and similar bacteria might also thrive below Europa's surface, the researchers suggest. Others experts rejected the idea, suggesting that the sulphur somehow originates from the neighbouring moon Io, where it is found in abundance.

9. 2004, Methane in the Martian atmosphere hints at microbial metabolism

In 2004 three groups - using telescopes on Earth and the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiting space probe - independently turned up evidence of methane in the atmosphere. Nearly all methane in our own atmosphere is produced by bacteria and other life.

Methane could also be generated by volcanism, the thawing of frozen underground deposits, or delivered by comet impacts. However, the source has to be recent, as the gas is rapidly destroyed on Mars or escapes into space.

In January 2005, an ESA scientist controversially announced that he had also found evidence of formaldehyde, produced by the oxidation of methane. If this is proved it will strengthen the case for microbes, as a whopping 2.5 million tonnes of methane per year would be required to create the quantity of formaldehyde postulated to exist.

There are ways to confirm the presence of the gas, but scientists will need to get the equipment to Mars first.

10. 2004, A mysterious radio signal is received by the SETI project on three occasions - from the same region of space

In February 2003, astronomers with the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) project, used a massive telescope in Puerto Rico to re-examine 200 sections of the sky which had all previously yielded unexplained radio signals. These signals had all disappeared, except for one which had become stronger.

The signal - widely thought to be the best candidate yet for an alien contact - comes from a spot between the constellations Pisces and Aries, where there are no obvious stars or planets. Curiously, the signal is at one of the frequencies that hydrogen, the most common element, absorbs and emits energy. Some astronomers believe that this is a very likely frequency at which aliens wishing to be noticed would transmit.

Nevertheless, there is also a good chance the signal is from a never-seen-before natural phenomenon. For example, an unexplained pulsed radio signal, thought to be artificial in 1967, turned out to be the first ever sighting of a pulsar.

Source : newscientist , shegeftiha

15 Most Expensive Wedding Dresses

2013-07-24T02:42:00.000-07:00

If you are a bride-to-be, you are probably thinking about splurging on the most expensive dresses for your wedding and trousseau. But the most expensive wedding gown in the world can cost several millions. Take the case of the diamond wedding gown that’s priced at $12 million. Only the obscenely wealthy bride can afford something like that. But you can always check out the most expensive dresses for brides and take inspiration for your own wedding look. We bring out 15 of the most expensive wedding dresses that the world has ever seen.

1. The Diamond Wedding Gown

Price: $12 million

Ranking first among the most expensive wedding dresses in the world is this diamond encrusted wedding gown. Laced with 150 carats of diamonds, this $12 million wedding gown is among the most expensive dresses in the world. Slip into this gorgeous dress and you are sure to feel like a princess. However, the diamond wedding gown was not created for a bride-to-be. It was painstakingly put together for a 2006 Bridal Show held in The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey near Rodeo Drive. Bridal couture designer Renee Strauss teamed up with Martin Katz Jewelers to create this magnificent wedding gown. In our books, this is one of the best wedding dresses ever made.

2. Yumi Katsura White Gold Diamond Dress

Price: $8.5 million

Japanese designer Yumi Katsura is an institution. She has been one of the leading lights of the international bridal fashion industry. Often referred to as the “Missionary of Bridal”, this Japan-based bridal designer has dressed over 650,000 brides. But few could have afforded the designer’s most expensive creation – a white gold wedding dress with a diamond centerpiece and pearl detailing. Using the ingredients of jewelry, Katsura fashioned one of the most expensive wedding gowns ever. Over 1,000 pearls and a 5-carat white gold diamond adorn this expensive wedding dress pushing its price to a handsome $8.5 million.

3. Peacock Wedding Dress

Price: $1.5 million

White is the color of the traditional wedding dress. But some brides like to stand out. So instead of putting together yet another conventional bridal gown, the designers of the peacock wedding dress took a whole other route. They decided to make a bridal splash by stitching together 2,009 peacock feathers to create one of the most expensive wedding gowns in the world. Animal activists will gasp at the sight of this extravagant gown, but there is no getting away from its almost royal appeal. Painstakingly hand-crafted by eight artisans over two months, the $1.5 million peacock wedding dress was the star of a wedding expo held in Nanjing, China.

4. Danasha Luxury Gown

Price: $1.5 million

While many brides seek wedding dresses with a flurry of frills, a large tulle and a never-ending train, elaborate wedding gowns are no longer the rule. These days, bridal designers also cater to the modern woman who loves clean, minimalist designs. The princess of today can splurge on most expensive dresses that are elegant and uncomplicated. The Danasha luxury gown pictured above is the perfect example. Danasha Luxury collaborated with fashion designer Jad Ghandour to create this beautiful fuss-free wedding gown for the modern woman. But look beyond the simple silhouette and oversized belt. This taffeta gown bears 250 grams of 18-karat gold and 75 carats of high-quality diamonds hand-picked from Antwerp, Belgium. No wonder it comes with a $1.5 million price tag.

5. Kate Middleton’s Wedding Dress

Price: £250,000 (about $388,088)

Kate Middleton pulled off the impossible in the run-up to her fairytale wedding. The to-be-princess managed to keep her wedding dress a secret right up until the big day. How she managed it in the face of constant media attention is a whole other question. For now, let us focus on the present Duchess of Cambridge’s stylish wedding dress. Prince William’s lovely bride was the picture of royal elegance in her ivory gown. Valued at over $388,000, this most expensive wedding dress by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen was an instant hit. The bespoke lace appliqué floral detail, 2.7-meter train and the translucent veil provided just a hint of magic. Kate’s dress ranks among the best wedding dresses of recent years.

6. Platinum Wedding Dress

Price: $250,000 ($$388,088)

Couples these days are choosing platinum over gold as the base for their engagement rings. So why should the best wedding dresses lag behind? A vibrant red platinum wedding dress went on display in Wuhu, in China’s Anhui Province. The gorgeous outfit is a luxurious take on the Chinese wedding gown. The rich red blossoms against the silver sparkle of the platinum, reminding viewers why the dress costs $250,000. If you are getting married in China, this is one of the best wedding dresses that money can buy.

7. Mauro Adami Wedding Dress

Price: £240,000 ($372,564)

Some brides take the retro route at their weddings. And no one does retro better than the Italians. You will know exactly what I mean when you set your eyes on the most expensive wedding dress by Italian designer Mauro Adami. If you are looking for most expensive wedding gowns that exude unabashed femininity, you cannot go wrong with this incredibly pretty dress. The material is spun from high-quality silk and platinum thread. We love the dainty neckline coupled with the delicate embroidery. This most expensive wedding dress was on display at the 2008 Hatton Garden Jewellery Week in London.

8. Wedding Dress With 9,999 Carat Gems

Price: 999,999 Yuan (about $158,874)

The Chinese have really developed a taste for luxury in recent years. So it is no surprise that so many of the most expensive dresses hail from this region. In 2007, Chinese visitors to a jewelry store in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province, were greeted by an expensive wedding dress on display. The outfit was adorned with 9,999 carats of gems, which pushed the price of the dress to nearly $160,000. A Hong Kong-based jewelry designer had created the expensive wedding dress.

9. ‘Bach Ngoc Xiem Y’ Wedding Gown

Price: $117,000

The taste for luxury has spread to parts of South East Asia as well. So it is hardly surprising that one of the world’s most expensive dresses for brides hails from Vietnam. Named the “Bach ngoc xiem y”, this expensive wedding dress is created from white silk and satin. Designed with only wealthy brides in mind, this gorgeous wedding gown is adorned with 222 diamonds and 100 red rubies. In June this year, the creation by fashion designer Huy Vo stunned visitors at the Ruby Plaza trade center in Hanoi.

10. Imperial Pearl Syndicate Gown

Price: $100,000

Nowadays, jewelry brands create expensive wedding dresses for promotional purposes. However, the trend began as early in the 1950s, when the Imperial Pearl Syndicate commissioned what became, at the time, the world’s most expensive wedding dress. Valued at $100,000 in the 1950s, this magnificent wedding dress was made using pre-war cultured pearls. It took 15 years to collect these pearls. As for the dress, eight dressmakers spent two months on this stunning 1950s wedding dress.

More Head-Turning Wedding Dresses

First, let me confess, we do not know the prices for the following bridal outfits. But these are unquestionably some of the most expensive wedding dresses in the world. There was no way we were leaving them out of this list of the most expensive wedding gowns. Scroll down for more of the best wedding dresses.

1. Princess Diana’s Wedding Gown

Princess Diana’s 1981 wedding gown was the stuff of fairytale dreams. As she walked down the aisle with Prince Charles, all eyes were fixated on her elaborate and expensive wedding dress. The ivory silk taffeta gown featured elaborate lace detailing. The designers used 10,000 pearls to add that extravagant royal touch to the bridal outfit of this princess to be. And who can forget the 25-foot train that added a necessary dash of fantasy to this formal royal wedding. Even today, Princess Diana’s dress remains etched into everyone’s memory. Kate Middleton certainly had big shoes to fill when she agreed to walk down the aisle with Prince William.

2. Grace Kelly’s Wedding Dress

Kate Middleton’s elegant wedding dress raised comparisons with the gown that Grace Kelly wore to her royal wedding. The Hollywood actress looked like a true princess during her 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier. Her outfit, designed by Helen Rose, went down in fashion history books as one of the best dresses ever. The demure full sleeves showed that the actress had turned the corner and become royalty. The cost of her dress remains unknown. But with 100 yards of silk net and 25 yards of silk taffeta, there is no question that this is among the most expensive wedding dresses that the world has seen.

3. Melania Knauss’ Wedding Gown

When marrying an American tycoon, you have got to dress the part. It appears that former model Melania Knauss was aware of this unwritten rule while preparing to walk down the aisle with billionaire Donald Trump in 2005. The model took the designer route, and got none other than John Galliano to design her elaborate wedding gown. Why is this on our list of the most expensive wedding dresses? Take a look at the materials and you will know why. The John Galliano wedding gown was crafted out of 300 feet of white duchesse satin and adorned with 1,500 pearls and crystal rhinestones. We love the high-fashion skirt and the 13-foot train.

4. Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Wedding Dress

When Catherine Zeta-Jones decided to marry Michael Douglas, she must have broken many hearts. But the romantic dress that she wore to the year 2000 wedding made up for everything. Catherine went straight to Christian Lacroix for her ivory sheath wedding gown. Rumor has it that the dress costs $1.5 million – a figure that would place this most expensive wedding dress in the top 5 of our list of the most expensive wedding gowns. Even today, brides-to-be swoon over the elegant lace train on this dress.

5. Victoria Beckham’s Wedding Dress

Victoria and David Beckham are among today’s power couples. In a world troubled by divorce, the Spice Girl and the soccer star are incredibly stable. They married in July 1999, and already Victoria was making waves for her fashion sense. The strapless Vera Wang wedding dress that she wore was made of a pale champagne satin. We don’t know how much the former Spice Girl paid for it, but we are pretty sure it ranks among the most expensive wedding dresses in the world.

Source: two57.com

Bieber After the Dentist(Funny)

2013-07-20T21:37:00.002-07:00

A video of Justin Bieber after he left the dentist with a little too much novocaine.

do you want more funny stuff?please let us know!

7 secrets the weight-loss industry doesn't want you to know

2013-07-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Lose weight without high-priced diets, personal trainers and expensive gym memberships. Here are the secrets to weight-loss success.

Exercise, by itself, is an ineffective weight-loss tool

If any trainer tells you his gadget or workout routine will burn off all the weight you need, you should burn some calories by running away from him. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to pair exercise with a diet plan. In fact, exercise alone leads to a very modest decrease in total body weight: less than 3 percent. What’s worse: For some, exercise alone as a weight loss plan induces more hunger, which can offset what improvements you’ve made.

Fat is an essential part of a weight-loss eating plan

The trick is eating the right kind of fat. Sure, saturated fat in highly processed meats and trans fat in desserts are bad for your health and waistline. But good fats, such as monounsaturated fatty acids can actually help you lose weight. Eating foods such as olive oil, nuts, avocados, and fatty fish including salmon is an easy way to add these fats to your diet. These fats can help increase how many calories your body burns and help you feel fuller longer. A handful of nuts or some peanut butter on whole wheat crackers makes a terrific snack.

An air filter can help weight loss

Really. It’s true! Researchers have determined that the toxins and chemicals in our food and air contribute to being obese. For example, a College of Public Health at Ohio State University study found that exposure to air pollution was related to insulin resistance, reduced glucose tolerance, and increased inflammation. In fact, the researchers believe that long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of diabetes.

Chocolate is actually good for you

The trick, though, is to nibble on chocolate that’s heavy on the cocoa and light on sugar or milk. The cocoa contains loads of antioxidants and when eaten in moderation will lead to weight loss. As another plus: those same antioxidants can boost the health of arteries and help avoid fat deposits, too. Look for unsweetened cocoa to add to any recipes or dark chocolate bites for snacking.

Early weight loss boosts confidence and is better physically

One trick many weight loss gurus like to emphasize is long, steady weight loss. While they’re coaching you through this weight loss, they’re also likely draining your bank account in a long, slow fashion, too. However, research has shown that you get a great psychological boost and can keep weight off if you lose weight quickly with your initial efforts. A recent study has shown that shedding weight fast leads to a greater weight loss and longer-term success at keeping it off.

Fidgeting burns lots of calories

It’s a little difficult to sell an exercise plan or workout video about fidgeting, but simply tapping, squirming, and making little movements throughout the day can lead to weight loss. Look for little ways to burn calories throughout your day and it’ll add up. One study found that incorporating such activities during your day can burn 650 calories or more.

Dairy can lead to shedding pounds

A weight-loss myth that’s been around awhile is that dairy products make you fat. But in fact, research shows that calcium deficiency contributes to weight gain and loss of appetite control. Plus, certain dairy sources of calcium, such as yogurt and low- or nonfat cheese, are more effective at speeding weight loss than other sources of calcium. So, try this: Eat three servings of low-fat dairy a day and it’ll likely accelerate weight loss.

Source : www.besthealthmag.ca

17 unusual weight-loss tips

2013-07-19T05:08:00.001-07:00

Every culture has its secrets for helping people stay slim. Here are 17 unusual weight-loss tips from around the world.

Losing weight around the world

Just about every culture has some custom that can help people lose weight. For example, if you dine out in Europe, a waiter generally sets a bottle of mineral water on your table. But at restaurants here in Canada, you often have to request water and, as a result, you may end up having pop or other drinks high in calories instead. Or you might have one more glass of wine or beer than you would if you were alternating sips with water. Here’s our collection of clever tips from 17 countries—call it an international healthy eating plan that can help us all.

Thailand: Eat spicy food

Thai food is among the spiciest in the world. Hot peppers raise your metabolism, but the real benefit of food with a little zing is that spicy food slows your eating. When you eat too fast, as many North Americans do, by the time your body signals it’s full, you’ve overeaten. Eating more slowly is a good weight-loss strategy, and making food spicier is an easy way to do it.

Poland: Eat at home more often

Poles typically spend only five percent of their family budget on eating out. On the other hand, the average Canadian family  now spends almost 30 percent of total food dollars at restaurants and fast-food joints, according to Statistics Canada. To save money and pounds, start tracking how often you eat out and how much you spend on those meals each month, then gradually cut back."People who eat out a lot tend to eat less-healthy food and to be heavier," says Melodie Yong, dietitian for the Heart and Lung Institute of St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. In fact, the decline of cooking at home, linked in part to the increasing number of women in the workforce, tracks very closely with the rise in obesity over the past 30 years, she notes.

Brazil: Have rice and beans

All that shaking at Carnaval isn’t the only body-friendly habit in Rio; Brazilians stay slim by enjoying this traditional dish with just about every meal. A study in the journal Obesity Research found that a diet consisting primarily of rice and beans lowers the risk  of becoming overweight by about 14 percent when compared with the typical Western fare. That’s because it’s lower in fat and higher in fibre, which is thought to stabilize blood sugar levels. It may be counterintuitive, but a diet full of beans equals a beach-ready body.

Netherlands: Ride your bike

Bikes outnumber people (at 18 million versus 16.5 million) in the Netherlands. While just 1.2 percent of work trips in Canada are made by bicycle, 40 percent of the Dutch use their bikes for commuting. Traffic lights in some parts of Amsterdam are even synchronized to bike speed. While most Canadians have to deal with winter conditions, riding bikes in good weather for errands, work or pleasure can help fend off weight gain.

"Casual riding for errands and commuting can burn around 500 calories an hour, but if you up the exertion or add in hill-climbing, you can burn up to 1,000 calories an hour," says Stephen Cheung, an exercise physiologist at Brock University, who commutes by bike—a 34-kilometre round trip—nine months of the year.

Germany: Eat breakfast

An impressive 75 percent of Germans eatbreakfast daily, sitting down to whole-grain cereals, breads and fruit. Nutritionists have been advising people against skipping breakfast for years, but recent studies give a better picture of its importance.  In one, British researchers discovered that  if you haven’t eaten breakfast, your brain’s reward centre will light up more vividly when you see a high-calorie food—making you likelier to indulge.

"If you could make just one change to impact the obesity epidemic, it would be to get everyone to eat breakfast," says Dr. Arya Sharma, scientific director of the Canadian Obesity Network.

Switzerland: Try a bowl of muesli

The ingredients in this porridge—oats, fruit and nuts—have all been linked to better health and weight control. Muesli was developed by a Swiss physician more than 100 years ago to nourish hospital patients, but today the Swiss eat it for breakfast or as a light evening snack. "Eating a lot of soluble ’fibre can reduce bad cholesterol levels by  up to 10 percent," says dietitian Melodie Yong. Muesli’s fibre makes it slow to digest, keeping you full  longer. But read the label carefully, though: Sugar content can vary from two to 14 grams per serving.

United Kingdom: Eat smaller portions

In restaurants and at home, the Brits prefer smaller portions—perhaps a lingering vestige of the frugality instilled by World War II rationing. Nutritionists say supersizing a meal supersizes you.

France: Don't rush your meals

The French excel at leisurely family meals. On average, 92 percent of French families dine together nightly. These meals typically last 33 minutes during the week and 43 minutes on weekends. In contrast, a 2007 Statistics Canada report noted two trends in Canada over the past 20 years: a steep decline in the number of families eating together, and shorter mealtimes. Although it sounds illogical, lengthy meals actually encourage less eating. "It generally takes 20 minutes from the time you’re full for your brain to realize you’re full, so taking longer to eat means you’ll end up eating less," says dietitian Melodie Yong.

India: Do more yoga

Most Canadians respect yoga’s stress-busting and flexibility-enhancing power, but not many of us realize it facilitates weight loss. In fact, a recent study found that yoga devotees have a lower body mass index (BMI) than other exercisers do. Some reasons why: Yoga is best done on an empty stomach and can build muscle (depending on your preferred poses), which boosts metabolism. And it encourages mindfulness, which includes paying attention to whether you feel full.

Russia: Grow your own food

Country houses, or dachas, where 51 percent of city dwellers spend vacations and summer weekends, almost always feature  a garden. Russians, who live in a similar climate to Canada’s, grow their own vegetables and fruit, which automatically makes their diet more nutritious. Plus, they preserve what they grow.

Finland: Try Nordic walking

This is one of the Finns’ favourite outdoor activities. All that’s required is a pair of inexpensive, lightweight walking poles. Holding these in your hands aids balance, which is great if you’re older or if you’re on slippery terrain. Even better: Because they make you use muscles in your shoulders, arms and torso, the poles transform walking into a total-body workout that burns 20 percent more calories. A number of recent studies show that Nordic walking increases the number of calories you burn by up to 65 percent, without the feeling of working harder. No matter what the time of year, it’s a simple way to derive more fat-reducing benefit from your regular walk.

Mexico: Eat a big lunch

Instead of ingesting the bulk of the day’s calories in the evening, Mexicans traditionally eat their biggest meal between 2 and  4 p.m. If you eat less at night, you’ll wake up hungrier and eat a bigger breakfast, which facilitates weight control. As a general fat-fighting rule, try to get the bulk of your daily calories at breakfast and lunch.

Malaysia: Cook with tumeric

This spice, a key ingredient in curries, grows wild in Malaysian jungles. One of its chief components is a substance called curcumin, which may turn out to be a potent fat fighter. A recent study from Tufts University in Boston found that mice fed a high-fat diet with small amounts of curcumin gained less weight and body fat than other mice given meals that were similar but curcumin-free. Researchers think the ingredient suppresses the growth of fat tissue. Try some turmeric in your next curry or stir-fry.

Hungary: Eat more pickles

Hungarians like things pickled—not just cucumbers but bell peppers, cabbage and tomatoes. All of these brined beauties can help keep you thin, probably because of  the vinegar that pickles them. Growing evidence suggests that acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, helps reduce blood pressure, blood sugar levels and fat formation. If you’re watching your sodium intake, though, check the product label—pickled foods can be high in salt.

Norway: Spend time outdoors

It’s a deeply rooted Norwegian habit: On Sunday, everyone—from toddlers to grandparents—heads out to hike (in summer) or cross-country ski (in winter). By comparison, in 2007, Statistics Canada found that  in the past 20 years, Canadian families have been spending less time on such activities. So start this weekend tradition and get everyone out for awalk in the neighbourhood or a hike up the nearest hill.

Japan: Take a nap

In this on-the-go country, many people take a daily 20- to 30-minute nap, says James Maas, a sleep researcher at Cornell University and the author of Power Sleep. There is increasing evidence that chronic sleep deprivation raises the risk of weight gain. Maas cites two hormones: leptin, which helps the brain sense when you’re full, and ghrelin, which triggers hunger. The less sleep you get, the lower your leptin levels—and the higher your ghrelin. "Many people think they’re hungry when they’re actually sleepy," Maas says. "Instead of a snack, they need shut-eye."

South Africa: Drink rooibos tea

Enjoyed throughout the country, rooibos tea is more robust than green tea, and it’s naturally sweet. Swapping your specialty coffee for rooibos tea or any hot drink without cream or sugar could save you thousands  of calories a month. "Liquid calories sneak up on us," says Toronto dietitian Sue Mah. "Even a cup of fruit juice has over 100 calories. Cut out 100 calories a day from food or drinks and you could lose 10 pounds in one year."

Source : www.besthealthmag.ca

Meet the small yellow worm that can REGROW its own head - and its old memories

2013-07-19T03:48:00.001-07:00

Scientists have discovered that not only can the planarian worm regrow its head if its cut off, the regenerated brain contains the same memories that were stored in the decapitated one.

Researchers from Tufts University in Boston tested the memory of the planarian worms by measuring how long it took them to reach food in a lab environment.

The small yellow worms had been trained to ignore the bright lights in the lab so they could find their meals without being distracted and the scientists found that even after decapitation worms remembered this training.

Researchers at Tufts University have found that not only can the planarian worm, pictured, regrow its own head, but the new head contains old memories. The worms were trained to find food in a petri dish before being decapitated. When their new head had regrown, the worms were able to remember these skills

WHAT IS THE PLANARIAN WORM?

Small, yellowish planarian worms are found in many parts of the world.

They live in both saltwater and freshwater ponds and rivers.

Some species live in soil and on plants in humid countries.

Some planarian worms can regenerate lost body parts.

A planarian worm that is cut in half, for example, is capable of regrowing brains and nervous systems to create two, separate worms.

Planaria have two eye-spots that can detect the intensity of light.

These spots act as photoreceptors and are used to move away from bright light sources.

For the experiment, a team of biologists from the university trained the 1cm worms to find food hidden in the middle of a petri dish.

The food was lit up by a bright beam of light.

More...

Planarian worms have two eye-spots that can detect the intensity of light.

These spots act as photoreceptors and are used to move away from bright light sources.

This means that the worms had to be trained to get over this fear of the light to get the food.

Once they had learnt this skill, the worms were decapitated.

Two weeks later - when most of the worm's heads had grown back - the team put the worms back into the petri dish.

Using video-tracking technology, the scientists discovered that the worms which had been trained found the brightly lit food quicker than their peers.

And, although they didn't find the food on the first attempt, it only took one training session for the worms to recover their skills and ignore the lights.

This was faster than the decapitated worms that hadn't been trained before losing their heads.

However, the researchers don't know how or why this happens.

Planarian worms have two eye-spots, pictured, that can detect the intensity of light. These spots act as photoreceptors and are used to move away from bright light sources. The biologists trained the worms to find food hidden in the middle of a lit petri dish and remove their fear of light

The findings suggest that the worm's memories may be stored somewhere else in the body.

A second idea suggested by the researchers is that the worms' old brain had changed their nervous systems to adjust to the light, and these changes to the system remained when the new brain was grown.

Researchers said in the study that more work needs to be done to discover exactly how the worm is able to retain old memories, but the findings can be used as a starting point for work into how memories in humans and other animals could be restored.

The findings appear in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Source : www.dailymail.co.uk

10 Most Amazing Monuments in the World

2013-07-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

Ushiku Daibutsu, Japan

Highest monument in the world are in Ushiku, Japan. Completed in 1995. Having a 120m high from the ground, including the 10m and 10m from the high court was tall lotus on the memorial. Inside the monument has provided a lift for visitors who can take visitors up to a height of 85m, where there is alot more to see the sights around from above.

Bayhan, Afghanistan

Buddha of bayhan is shaped Buddhist monument statue made in Afghanistan cliff. located about 230kmfrom the North of Kabul, has a height of about 55meter. But unfortunately this monument was destroyed by the Taliban organization in 2001. Can be seen in the photo below, that most of the statue's face was finally broken. Later in the mission to rebuild the damaged section, several countriesand organizations participated. Among them, Japan, Switzerland, UNESCO and other countries.

Lanshan, China

The monument is made in the cliff is housed in lanshan, china. Having a height of about 71m from theground. Being one of the famous tourist places in the region. Every day thousands of tourists come to the area, both local and visitors from abroad.

Motherland, Kiev, Ukraine

Statue of the Motherland monument kiev is made in memory of World War 2 that also called the Great Patriotic War. Has a 62m high statue, but overall has a height of 102m.

Liberty Island, New York

The monument was donated by France to the U.S. in 1886, stood between Liberty Island, New Yorknear the port. The monument is open to all visitors.

Guanyin, Sanya, China

The monument is located in the small province Hai Nan, China. Precisely at Yalong Wan park locatedabout 7.5 km from Sanya city beach. 108m tall statue was completed in May 2005 and became one ofthe world's tallest monument.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This statue is a great work for the people of Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Monument figure of Jesus Christ has a 32m high and weighs 1000ton. Set atop the Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca has a 710M high ForestNational Park. From the top of the mountain, the entire city can be seen.

Jakarta, Indonesia

National monument or often referred to as the Monas is located in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia. With a height of 137m, the monument became a symbol of the resurrection of Indonesia was created in 1961by President Soekarno, but not completed until 1975 by Soeharto. The culmination of this monumentflame shaped and made of 14.5 tons of silver-coated gold weighing 35kg. Visitors can browse the cityfrom above with a lift on the monument.

Moscow, Russia

Statue of Peter I has become the world's tallest sculpture.

Huangdi and Yandi, China

Monument Huangdi and Yandi yellow king is in china, with high-103M.

Volgograd, Russia

The statue, also called "Motherland" is, completed in 1967. Made of 7900 tonnes of cement by NikolaiNikitin. Overall height including the sword is 169m.

Interesting is not the work of these artists? Eiffel tower's still there, but according to experts, it is not included because no monument sculpture made of materials rather than steel.

Source : www.sukoharjo-vvip.com

Note to all Internet users: Trust no one!

2013-07-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Whistleblower Edward Snowden says U.S. telecom companies all collaborate with NSA, accuses Britain of storing every bit of Internet data it can!

Customers should assume that American multinational telecom companies are providing the U.S. government access to their personal data, according to whistleblower Edward Snowden. In an interview with Der Spiegel conducted before he went public about the NSA's surveillance programs, the former NSA contractor also said that punishing companies who collaborate with the agency should be "the highest priority of all computer users who believe in the freedom of thought."

In the interview, Snowden also said the NSA and Israel co-wrote the Stuxnet worm, which knocked out Iran's nuclear program in 2011, and he asserted that U.S. allies like Britain are engaging in surveillance programs similar in scope to those of the United States.

Last month, Snowden outted several companies, including Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft, for sharing data with the NSA as part of the U.S. government's widespread surveillance programs. In turn, many of those companies have scrambled to do damage control to assuage customers' privacy concerns. Meanwhile, political and business leaders overseas are urging their countrymen to steer clear of U.S.-based service providers to prevent their communications from being intercepted.

In the Der Spiegel interview, Snowden made comments that could further fuel that mistrust of doing business with U.S.-based communications companies. "Generally you can say that multinational [telecom companies] with headquarters in the U.S. should not be trusted until they prove otherwise," he said. "This is unfortunate, because these companies have the ability to deliver the world's best and most reliable services -- if they wanted to."

He said that consumers and privacy groups could drive change by pressuring companies to protect customer data and by not doing business with companies who won't. "Civil rights movements should use these revelations as a driving force. The companies should write enforceable clauses into their terms, guaranteeing their clients that they are not being spied on. And they should include technical guarantees," Snowden said. "If you could move even a single company to do such a thing, it would improve the security of global communications. And when this appears to not be feasible, you should consider starting one such company yourself."

He went on to say that "if the collaborators are punished by consumers in the market," the list of companies that refuse to cooperate with the NSA will inevitably grow." Punishing those companies, he said, "should be considered priority one for anyone who believes in freedom of thought."

Snowden made his opinions crystal clear that he had little faith in the U.S. legal system reining in the PRISM program. When asked who would be charged in the wake of the NSA leak, he replied, "In front of U.S. courts? I'm not sure if you're serious.... Who can be brought up on charges is immaterial when the rule of law is not respected. Laws are meant for you, not for them."

Snowden also alleged that the NSA is in cahoots with law enforcement agencies overseas. "For example, we tip them off when someone we want is flying through their airports (that we for example, have learned from the cellphone of a suspected hacker's girlfriend in a totally unrelated third country) -- and they hand them over to us," he said. "They don't ask to justify how we know something, and vice versa, to insulate their political leaders from the backlash of knowing how grievously they're violating global privacy."

What's more, he said that the "Five Eye Partners" -- the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada -- collectively "go beyond what the NSA itself does." For example, he said the United Kingdom has a system called TEMPORA that's a "full-take Internet buffer that doesn't care about content type and pays only marginal attention to the Human Rights Act."

"It snarfs everything in a rolling buffer to allow retroactive investigation without missing a single bit," he said. "If you send a single ICMP packet and it routes through the U.K., we get it. If you download something and the [Content Delivery Network] happens to serve from the U.K., we get it.... Even the Queen's selfies with her lifeguards would be recorded, if they existed."

Source : infoworld

Amazing High Speed Photography by Alan Sailer - Part II

2012-11-04T17:41:00.002-08:00

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Top 10 Unusual Guinness World Records

2012-10-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

10. Heaviest pumpkin

Guinness World Records confirmed on October 09, 2010 that a gigantic pumpkin grown in Wisconsin was officially the world’s heaviest. It weighed 1,810 lb 8 oz and was unveiled by Chris Stevens at the Stillwater Harvest Fest in Minnesota. Stevens’ pumpkin was 85 pounds heavier than the previous record, another huge pumpkin grown in Ohio. The proud farmer said his secret is a precise mixture of rain, cow manure, good soil, seaweed and fish emulsion. Some of the world’s heaviest pumpkins, including the record-holder were on public display at the Bronx Botanical Gardens in New York for several weeks.

9. Most T-shirts worn at once

Believe it or not, there is a record also for this category. Krunoslav Budiseli? set a new world record on May 22, 2010 for wearing 245 T-shirts at the same time. The man from Croatia was officially recognized as the new record holder by Guinness World of Records after he managed to put on 245 different T-shirts in less than two hours. The T-shirts weighted 68 kg and Budiseli? said he began struggling around T-shirt no. 120. He dethroned the Swedish Guinness record holder who wore 238 T-shirts.

8. Most living generations

Did you ever wonder what is the Guinness World Record for most living generations in one family? Seven is the answer.
The ultimate authority on record- breaking mentions on the website that the youngest great-great-great-great-grandparent of this family was Augusta Bung “aged 109 years 97 days, followed by her daughter aged 89, her grand-daughter aged 70, her great-grand-daughter aged 52, her great-great grand-daughter aged 33 and her great-great-great grand-daughter aged 15 on the birth of her great-great-great-great grandson on 21 January 1989.”

7. Longest ears on a dog

A bloodhound from Illinois has the longest ears ever measured on a dog. The right ear is 13.75 in long and the left one 13.5 in. The dog named Tigger earned this title in 2004 and is owned by Christina and Bryan Flessner.
Mr. Jeffries is the previous record holder of this title. Each of his ear measured approximately 11.5 in long. His grandfather used to hold this amazing world record, but when he died Mr. Jeffries took over.

6. Largest horn circumference – steer

Lurch was the record holder of the world’s largest horn circumference, 37.5 in. He was an African Watusi steer born October 11, 1995 on a ranch in Missouri. Janice Wolf adopted Lurch when he was only 5 weeks old. Unfortunately, the steer died last year of cancer. A form of cancer at the base of one of Lurch’s horns ended the 15 years long beautiful friendship between him and Janice

5. Most body piercings in one session

In May 2010, Chris Elliot and Tyson Turk (USA) set the world record for most body piercings in one session: 3100 in 6 hours and 15 minutes. It all happened at the Tyson Turk Tattoo Studio, Bedford, Texas. Chris and Tyson shattered the previous record of 1015 piercings in 7 hours and 55 minutes set by British Kam Ma and Charlie Wilson.

4. Most people inside a soap bubble

The Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California celebrated this year the 15^th anniversary of the BubbleFest. A bubble’s math principles and science were presented and demonstrated at the three-weeks long exhibition. The intriguing Bubble Show was also part of the program. Fan Yang and Deni Yang impressed the audience with their awesome skills for bubble making. The Yang family collaborated with the Discovery Science Center to set a new Guinness World Record for most people inside a soap bubble and they succeeded.
The family that has been working with soap bubbles for 27 years created a huge soap bubble and got 118 people inside it. The record was set on April 4, 2011.

3. Fastest individual 1 mile run wearing swim fins

American Ashrita Furman, nicknamed Mr. Versatility, is no stranger to Guinness World of Records. He set more than 340 official Guinness records since 1979 and currently holds 113, including the record for fastest mile run in swim fins: 7 min 56 sec. Ashrita achieved this record in 2010 at the Marswiese Sportzentrum in Vienna, Austria.
Ashrita Furman has set records in more than 35 different countries, on all seven continents. Marco Frigatti, head of the global records management team for GWR, declared that Ashrita won “the official record for The most current Guinness world records held at the same time by an individual.”

2. Fastest 100m running on all fours

The 2008 Guinness World Records Day was, according to GWR, their biggest day of record-breaking ever, with more than 290000 people taking part in record attempts in 15 different countries. Kenichi Ito’s record attempt was part of this special day. He is just another example of Japanese with ‘super powers’. His ‘super power’ is to run with great speed on all fours. Kenichi Ito run 100m on all fours in 18.58 seconds. The Japanese set this record at Setagaya Kuritsu Sogo Undojyo, Tokyo, in 2008.

1. Heaviest weight pulled with eye sockets

Believe it or not, the heaviest weight pulled with eye sockets is 907 pounds (411.65 kilograms). This extreme record was set by Chayne Hultgren, also known as The Space Cowboy. The Australian achieved the record in Milano on the set of “Lo Show Dei Record” in 2009.
Space Cowboy has won the Street Performance World Championship twice, in 2006 and 2007. One of the many acts that brought him large media coverage is when he swallowed 27 swords decorated with the flags of all European Union’s members. The record was set on the day when Ireland rejected the Lisbon Treaty on European Union reform.

Source: toptenz.net

Get Rid of Ants Cheaply and Naturally

2012-10-31T06:49:00.000-07:00

Search online for "ways to get rid of ants", and you're likely to turn up page after page of results, but which ones work and which ones don't? It's not so easy to decide. Save yourself the hassle of sifting through the lore, and give these cheap, natural and science-based ant remedies a try:

Vinegar

Wipe down your countertops, cupboards and any other places where you've spotted ants with a 50-50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Repeat throughout the day to maintain the efficacy.

Why This Works: Two reasons, really: ants hate the smell of vinegar, and it removes the scent trails that they use to get around

Chalk/ Baby Powder

Draw a line of chalk or sprinkle baby powder across the spot where the ants are entering your home.

Why This Works: Talcum powder, an ingredient in both chalk and baby powder, is a natural ant repellent. Just be careful if you decide to use it: some studies have linked talc to cancer.

Borax

Mix together equal parts Borax and either syrup or jelly. Then, place where the ants will find it.

Why This Works: Once consumed, Borax damages both the ants' digestive systems and their outer skeletons, resulting in death.

Herbs/Spices

Spinkle cinnamon, mint, chili pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves or garlic – whichever one you happen to have – in the area where you've seen ants and along your home's foundation. Bay leaves can also be placed in cabinets, drawers and containers to further deter those pesky critters.

Why This Works: Many plants – including the ones listed – give off a strong scent to repel ants and other insects in the wild, and it works just as well in your home.

Coffee Grounds

Sprinkle your used coffee grounds in the garden and around the outside of your house.

Why This Works: Ants are repelled by the scent given off by the grounds; and incidentally, so are cats.

Cucumber/Citrus Peels

Leave the peelings in areas of known ant activity.

Why This Works: Cucumber and citrus peels are toxic to the types of fungi that ants feed on, and therefore avoided by the ants.

Source: about.com

Playing with pencil shavings

2012-10-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

Amazing High Speed Photography by Alan Sailer - Part I

2012-10-21T04:02:00.000-07:00

Alan Sailer is a 54 year-old photographer living in California.
He shoots the objects and takes pictures of them.
He takes the pictures in a dark room positioned around 20cm from the target.
The camera, which features a unique home-made flash, is set at a one-second delay.
But enough words, see the photos. They are amazing.

"click on image for full size"

Freefall into record books as skydiver breaks sound barrier

2012-10-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

Felix Baumgartner had leapt off skyscrapers and done several risky jumps in his career – but never quite as high or as daring as his challenge over New Mexico.

As he stood perched on a ledge 39 kilometres above the Earth, the 43-year-old Austrian was about to dive into the abyss – and the world’s record books.

With one simple leap he was soon to become the first skydiver to break the sound barrier. Early estimations suggest he pierced the Earth’s atmosphere at 1,342.8 kilometres an hour.

There was alarm at mission control when Baumgartner was seen turning over and over and seemed to be in trouble.

But he managed to right himself – and there was relief when, after four minutes and 20 seconds of freefall, his parachute opened.

From then on it was plain sailing over the New Mexico landscape.

Just over nine minutes after jumping out of his capsule, the adventurer landed smoothly.

Baumgartner’s feat awaits official confirmation, but he is thought to have broken three world records: the highest altitude skydive, the highest freefall, and the fastest skydive fall.

Within minutes he was greeted ecstatically by his parents and a delighted girlfriend.

Source: euronews.com

beauty of nature - part II

2012-10-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

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beauty of nature - part I

2012-10-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

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Apple's logo is considered 'blasphemous' in Russia as a sign of sinful behavior

2012-10-20T13:54:00.001-07:00

Apple's logo is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. Many Apple iPhone buyers have referred to the insignia on the back of the handset as a part of the overall design of the phone that attracted them to it in the first place. While most people around the world see the logo and think technology, Orthodox Christians in Russia see the symbol and think 'sin'. For this group, the bitten Apple logo reminds them of the story of Adam and Eve and the concept of original sin. This is based on the translation of a news report in Russia and some have gone on to cover up the Apple trademark with a cross whenever they see it in the country.

To the Russian Orthodox Church, this represents sin

Of course, those familiar with the story of Apple know that the apple portrayed on the back of the Apple iPhone and Apple iPad represents the famous fruit that allegedly fell and conked Sir Isaac Newton on the head leading to the discovery of gravity. The Soviet Church, though, is thought to be interested in passing anti-Blasphemy laws which could force Apple to change its logo in the country or refrain from selling its products there.

Apple might even have a defender in the country. Political party Yabloko is against what it sees as a "clerical police state" in the country. The party is railing against what it sees as a battle between the Russian Orthodox Church and "secular civil society". That would make the party an ally of Apple's if the Russian Orthodox Church ever makes an issue out of the Cupertino based firm's Apple logo.That, and one other thing. It seems that Yabloko, the name of the party, is also Russian for Apple.

Source: phonearena.com

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) Smarter

2012-10-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Whether you're trying to survive an intensive college schedule or just want to seem smarter in front of your friends, you can do a lot of things to both look and be smarter. Here are ten simple tricks for boosting your real (and perceived) brain power.

10. Read Faster and Better

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Obviously , one of the best ways to boost your intelligence is to read more ! You can read faster (and thus consume more knowledge)by getting your speech mechanism out of the equation. So give your mouth something to do, like eating, humming, or chewing gum to get through that stuff quickly. Then, take some time to absorb and reflect on what you read to keep it in your memory. Whether it'sWar and Peace or just the Wikipedia Random button, you'll be surprised by how much more you learn when you're reading not just fast, but well.

9. Speak Up (and Do It With Expression)

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The more you can contribute to a conversation, a meeting, or other discourse, the smarter you'll come off. Even if it means admitting ignorance or asking questions, you'll still look better than if you stay silent—and you might actually learn something in the process. Expressive speech is key: you can boost your credibility a lot by simply making sure you speak with an engaging tone. Change your pitch and volume as necessary, and try to minimize the number of pauses as you speak. A little confidence goes a long way.

8. Don't Fall Prey to BS

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When someone's trying to convince you of something, they can often resort to logical fallacies, appeals to your emotion, and other "workarounds". Learn the most common forms of BS so you can detect them as they come up. By knowing what they are, you'll also be able to avoid dishing out those same fallacies yourself, which can be a big hit to your credibility if someone catches you.

7. Focus on What You Know

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When engaged in a heated discussion with your friends, you're bound to stumble upon a few holes in your knowledge. It's okay to admit when you don't know something, but if you're feeling particularly self-conscious and want to keep up the appearance of intelligence, the key is emphasizing what youdo know. If you're in an argument, don't stress disagreement so much as agreement—that way, you aren't straying away from things you know about. You're stressing the parts you do know while still taking part in the discussion.

6. Get Some Exercise

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A healthy body means a healthy brain. So, in between all the reading and mind-expanding, make sure you're leading a healthy physical life, too. That means eating right and getting regular exercise. A number of studies. have shown links between regular activity and intellecual capacity, productivity, and creativity. Will spending all day at the gym make you smarter? Not quite, but sitting around all day will not only kill you, but hinder your brain from being at its absolute best.

5. Talk to Yourself

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While mumbling to oneself is often looked at the behavior of a crazy person, a recent study showed that talking out loud to yourself can help give you a temporary cognitive boost when trying to find something. The theory behind it: when you give yourself verbal labels to a task you're performing, you focus better on the task at hand at any given moment. So when you feel the need to open your mouth, don't fight the urge—it might help you get things done faster.

4. Learn a Second Language

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People who know a second or third language are often perceived as smart by others, but research shows that it can actually make you smarter, too. If you know a second language, you're able to adapt to and switch between certain mental tasks better than those that only know one, so if you want to give your brain a real boost, learning a new language is a real (and useful!) way to do so. It's not actually hard to do, either: all you need is this simple four step method to learn in just a few months.

3. Do Things the Hard Way

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Technology really has made our lives easier (after all, that's what Lifehacker's all about), but sometimes it's worth doing things the hard way. Take GPS navigation, for example: it's great that you can essentially never get lost, but if you rely on it too much, you'll never truly learn your way around. Instead, wean yourself off your GPS dependency and actually learn your way around town, develop a sense of direction, and learn to navigate using your brain. Doing things the hard way can help keep your brain sharp, so don't be afraid to forgo the easy stuff once in a while.

2. Know What Won't Make You Smarter

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There's a lot of work going into researching what makes us smarter—much of which we've mentioned here—but it's also important to know what won't make you smarter. Check out our list of nine stubborn brain myths that just won't die to see just a few examples, like "the internet is making us dumber" (it isn't, if you use it properly), "listening to classical music makes children smarter" (unlikely), or that "brain games make you smarter" (don't waste your time). The less time you spend on silly myths, the more time you can spend actually expanding your brain, so get these out of your system now. Photo by Igor Nazarenko (Shutterstock).

1. Just Believe You Can Be Smarter

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The last step? Just believe you can be smarter. Studies have shown that this simple belief can actually make it true. That isn't to say you should be pompous: you need toassume you aren't that great yet, which will leave you open to learning new things and asking new questions—the exact sort of things that can make you smarter. But it'll never happen if you believe your intelligence is somehow fixed, so once that roadblock is gone, you may find you're much freer to pursue the level of intelligence you want. If you're having trouble doing that, it may be time to recalibrate your reality—attitude is everything.

Source: lifehacker.com

Astronomers discover giant planet chock-full of diamonds

2012-10-17T03:49:00.000-07:00

55 Cancri e was first identified back in 2004, but at the time scientists thought that it was covered in water and rocks, much like the Earth. We now know that's probably not true and, what's more, the most interesting find regarding 55 Cancri e could be under the surface.

More accurate measurements have revealed a surface temperature of nearly 4,000 °F, and a density much higher than our planet, leading researchers to conclude that 55 Cancri e is actually composed almost entirely from high-density carbon, or, in other words, solid diamond.

With a diameter that's about double that of earth's, 55 Cancri e revolves around a star called 55 Cancri a. The star is part of the constellation Cancer and is visible from earth with the naked eye, although the much smaller planet is a tough catch. Both are approximately 40 light years from earth, so the chances of heading up there to grab some diamonds are pretty slim.

I guess that until we perfect warp speed travel, anyone looking for the ultimate bling had better headto Siberia.

Reuters, via The Nation (Pakistan)

Source: dvice.com

Keep Computer and Smartphone Screens from Destroying Your Eyes

2012-10-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Staring at a screen all day can cause eye strain and other vision problems. Keep your eyes healthy and prevent other issues like neck and shoulder pain by practicing good "eye-gonomics."

The Vision Council has published a helpful 16-page guide to avoiding digital eye strain. The first step is to identify symptoms of digital eye strain: red or dry eyes, blurred vision, general fatigue, or headaches. Back and neck pain can also be caused by poor workspace ergonomics.

Remembering to blink and using the 20-20-20 rule (take a 20-second break every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away) are among the many tips The Vision Council offers to combat eye strain.

One of the more interesting tips is to make sure your computer screen is far enough away from your eyes using the "high five test": If you can't give your display a proper high five, you're sitting too close. You should be sitting like so:

And holding your smartphone this way:

"click on image for full size"

Source: lifehacker.com

Pictures that are Amazingly Not Photoshopped

2012-10-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

I Can’t Believe These Photos Are Not Fakes!

We like the use of Photoshop as much as the next guy. I can always appreciate the skill it takes to use the program and make photos that couldn’t have been made otherwise. However, there’s the realist in me that can always appreciate a great photograph. One that’s taken at the perfect angle, with the perfect light, and with such precision that you might not even think it is in fact real.

Well it just so happens these are the exact kind of photos we’ll be sharing with you right here.

You won’t believe these photos aren’t photoshopped……

Believe it or not, these photos are real, not fakes. That's what the authors say. Excluding cropping or tone adjustments,none of these images have been Photoshopped (as in composed from many images or morphed or painted over). I look at them and I can believe them.

Hmmmm. I mean. Kind of. What do you think?

Some of the photos are just well staged. Some others are good optical illusions. There are a couple that are supposed to be just (very) happy coincidences, like the golf ball above. Or is it?

Staged in the sea while they waited for a wave and the surfer to be in the right position (patience!) or two photos merged in one (effortless)?

Intentional fall about to happen (painful) or man pasted on top with fake shadow (no hip broken)?

Car painted over in real life (expensive and complicated) or painted later in Photoshop (so easy and cheap)?

Staged in a stadium (lots of hard coordination here) or composed and sightly morphed later in Photoshop (no headaches)?

Happy coincidence to get this surreal reflection (magic!) or some crazy layer work (more magic!)?

A woman posing over a real miniature model of a street (building that is hard) or pasted on a tilt-shifted city landscape (masking and composing is so easy)?

check out the other pictures:

"click on image for full size"

10 Unusual and Unbelievable Underground Places

2012-10-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

Thousands of unbelievable places to see with the best of all that is weird, amazing and bizarre in the world today. Open up a wonderland of curiosities you never knew existed and amaze your friends, your family, and yourself. Seeing is believing!

(All texts and photos were taken from the amazing collection of Strangest Books)

The Catacombs of Paris - Paris, France

Overcrowding in medieval cemeteries in the centre of Paris at the end of the 18th century led the government to the creation of subterranean mass graves. Over the course of 18 months, from 1785, the bones and rotting corpses of 6 million people were moved in large carts across the city at night to a new resting place. Here they are arranged in huge piles at the ‘Empire of Death', as it is commonly known. This network of about 200 miles of underground galleries contains millions of bones and the small part that is open to the public is certain to shock.

The human bones - including countless skulls - are arranged in many configurations such as crosses, faces, wall ornamentation, or simply huge mounds. Not for those of a nervous disposition.

Coober Pedy - South Australia

Coober Pedy is one of the most unusual places in the world. It is a town where (due to the heat) approximately 80% of the population live and work underground. This is a mining town - opal mining to be precise - and following the early discovery of opals here by a teenager there has been a huge influx of miners since 1915. There are tunnels and associated pitfalls everywhere and mining still goes on here today. Other subterranean structures operating in the same manner as an above ground equivalent include a church, shops, pottery, art gallery, hotel, and other assortedoffices and businesses. Most unusual of all must surely be the golf course where not a single blade of grass can be seen. The fairways are bald and the greens are oiled sand!

Batu Caves - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

To reach the entrance to the massive Batu Caves you have to climb 272 rock steps, which can prove strenuous in the heat and with macaque monkeys vying for your attention; but this is exactly what over a million devotees do every January to celebrate the spectacular Hindu Festival of Thaipusam. This is a colourful celebration of Lord Subramaniam, a Hindu deity of youth, power and virtue, and is not for the squeamish. It may seem strange and bizarre to outsiders who see grown people piercing steel hooks into their chest, back and face, but this is one of the ways in which many penitents express their devotion. It is said that because they are in trance they cannot feel any pain. Surely a million people can't be wrong.

Radon Health Mine - Montana, US

The Radon Mine was originally used as far back as 1924 for silver and lead ore mining. In 1949, the by then abandoned mine was found to have the presence of radioactivity, and a visiting woman (for the purpose of stock investment) discovered her ailment had disappeared. Word spread and soon this was turned into a radon-therapy mine. Low dose radiation therapy is said to be beneficial in easing a multitude of ailments and even pets are treated in the radon-laden air here. They advise you to bring a blanket and pillow if you would like to sleep. Whatever next.

Wieliczka Salt Mine - Krakow, Poland

This World Heritage Site is remarkable and is certain to astonish visitors as there is no comparable place in the world quite like it. The Wieliczka Salt Mine has been mined continuously since the Middle Ages and miners have carved elaborate underground rooms and intricate sculptures within the Miocene salt. There is a gigantic subterannean cathedral carved entirely from salt including the floor, walls and decorations, with even the glowing chandeliers being made from salt crystals.

The Salt Mine in Wieliczka has always been extremely popular, from the 14th century when it was shown to the very privileged royal visitors, to today where a million visitors a year pour in to see the labyrinth of chambers, passages, and incredible structures made of salt.

Capuchin Catacombs - Sicily, Italy

There are numerous places to view mummified bodies if you are so inclined but the Capuchin Catacombs are without doubt the most gruesome place in the world to see them. Frequently referred to as the ‘Museum of Death' - and not without good reason as there are over 8,000 mummies dating back to the 16th century lining the walls of the catacombs here - this place is eerie, sombre and intriguing. The most bizarre aspect of it all is that they give off no smell whatsoever. The assembled ranks of the dead, many with quite elegant costumes that have decayed over the years, are mainly skeletons - although some still have mummified flesh, hair, and even eyes.

A law passed by the Italian government in 1881 meant the catacombs were no longer allowed to continue with this mummification process, although special permission from the government saw the interring of a 2 year old child called Rosalia Lombardo in 1920. She is known as the ‘Sleeping Beauty' and it is said that her sister and other members of her family often visited her after her death. Her body is still perfectly intact to this day and she can be seen propped up in a glass case.

Milk Grotto Chapel - Bethlehem, Israel

The legends surrounding the Milk Grotto Chapel are many and varied and this is the place where, according to Christian tradition, the Holy Family took shelter during the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod's soldiers. It is said that whilst Mary was breast-feeding the baby Jesus some of the milk was spilt onto the floor. This is supposed to have made the rock crumble and, as this was the milk that fed the Son of God, a remarkable pilgrimage cult has grown alongside the legend. Mothers - both Christian and Muslim - journey here to buy packets of the powdered white stone of the grotto which is said to increase the quality and amount of milk created by lactating mothers, by putting the powdery white stone into drinking water. As the white chalky rock resembles the colour of milk this seems reasonable, but in reality any benefits gained should be attributed to the calcium in the rock. Others take the rock home to place under their bed, but wouldn't it be easier, and cheaper, to simply order a few extra pints from your milkman?

Ithaa undersea restaurant - rangali island, maldives

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant is the first ever all-glass undersea restaurant in the world and its distinctive feature is the curved acrylic walls and roof which are 125mm thick. There are 5 of these acrylic arches which are sealed to each other and the structure with a special silicone sealant, and the structure itself was built in Singapore before being shipped to the Island on a massive barge; the barge being equipped with a giant crane to lower it into position in the sea. Incredibly, the structure weighed 175 tons, and a further 85 tons of sand was added to the belly of the structure to sink it into the sea.

The project cost $5 million to complete which means an astronomical amount of dishes have to be served up to recoup investment costs. Submerged 16ft below sea level the restaurant offers panoramic underwater views, providing diners with a face-to-face experience of the stunning beauty of the Indian Ocean.

Waitomo Glow-Worm Caves - Otorohanga, New Zealand

A journey unlike no other you will ever experience is a subterranean boat trip into the spectacular Glow-worm Grotto of Waitomo Glow-worm Caves in New Zealand. The Waitomo network of limestone caves attracts up to a million visitors a year and their guided tour takes you through over 250 metres of stunning underground scenery. The acoustics in the Cathedral Cavern are world renowned, whilst other impressive cave formations include the Pipe Organ, Catacombs, and Tomo, which is a deep limestone shaft.

The Glow-worm Grotto (as it is known) is spectacularly illuminated by a phenomenon known as ‘bioluminescence' which is produced by the females to attract males whilst in the final stage of their pupal development. Without this magnificent display the cave would be pitch-black. This cave has been known to the Maori population for centuries but it was only in the late 19th century that it was discovered by Europeans, and subsequently opened to the public in 1911.

London Dungeon - London, England

London Dungeon is Europe's largest ‘dark' visitor attraction and is appropriately sited under the bleak, foreboding arches of London bridge. It is certainly not for the faint-hearted and visitors see torture, execution, and macabre medieval madness along the way. The Dungeons are some of Europe's premier themed attractions offering visitors the opportunity to take a terrifying journey through the darker side of history. The Great Fire of London, a Boat Ride to Hell, and the Labyrinth of the Lost are all fantastic multi-million pound themed attractions amongst dozens of other exhibits and tableaux. Live actors add to the terror and excitement. There are many hideous instruments of torture to be seen in recreated settings, most of which are unbelievably sadistic and cruel. The dangerous streets of Whitechapel in Victorian London were the hunting grounds for notorious murderer and mutilator Jack the Ripper. One of the most infamous serial killers of all time, you can meet Jack at the London Dungeon.

Source: oddee.com

Lurancy Vennum

2012-10-11T14:56:00.000-07:00

In the latter part of the 19th century, during the heyday of Spiritualism, the case of the 'spiritual possession' of Lurancy Vennum attracted a great deal of publicity. Lurancy was a young girl from Illinois who claimed to be a reincarnation of another teenager called Mary Roff, who had died 15 years earlier. Through the spirit of Mary she claimed that she was able to recall in detail a past life with the Roff family and their friends, leading many to believe she was indeed, spiritually at least, Mary Roff.

Was Lurancy Vennum really the reincarnation of Mary Roff?

The Story of Mary Roff

Mary Roff was born in Warren County, Indiana, on 8 October,1846. When she was thirteen years old the family moved to Watseka, about 70 miles south of Chicago, Illinois. By that time Mary’s health had been badly weakened by epileptic fits, which she suffered from about twice a day. In spring, 1865, in an attempt to escape from depression caused by her health, she tried to commit suicide by slashing her wrists. Her parents found her unconscious from loss of blood and called a doctor. When Mary eventually regained consciousness she became so violent that it took several adults to hold her down in bed. She was delirious for five days, after which she suddenly became calm and slept for fifteen hours. She awoke to find bandages covering her eyes to protect them from her unconscious scratching; but instead of removing them, she discovered that she seemed to be able to see as easily while blindfolded as she had before.

Family friends, including A.J. Smith, editor of the Danville Times, and the Reverend J.H. Rhea, witnessed Mary Roff, heavily blindfolded, accurately ‘read’ to them the contents of a sealed letter in the editor’s pocket, and arrange, correctly, a pile of old letters which she could not see. The amazed editor wrote a long, detailed account of the incidence in his paper.

Slowly, however, the young girl’s health deteriorated, and before long doctor’s advised her parents to put her in a mental institution. They refused and decided to care for her themselves. They took her with them when they visited friends in Peoria, Illinois, for the 4th of July holiday in 1865. While there Mary complained of a terrible headache and went to her room. A few minutes later they found her unconscious on the floor in a pool of blood and rushed her to the asylum, where she died on the afternoon of 5 July.

Lurancy Vennum sees Angels

On the day of Mary Roff’s death, Lurancy Vennum was a fifteen-month-old baby living on her parents’ farm in Iowa. She had been born Mary Lurancy Vennum, on 16 April 1864, at Milford Township, Iroquois Co, Illinois. In 1871, the family moved to a farm seven miles south of Watseka. This was nearly six years after the death of Mary Roff; so there is no possibility that Lurancy Vennum could ever have seen Mary. Lurancy was a normal, healthy child of thirteen when the twelfth anniversary of Mary Roff’s death occurred on 5 July 1877. Next morning she told her parents - ‘There were people in my room last night and they kept calling ‘Rancy! Rancy!’ and I could feel their breath on my face.’ A week after this incident Lurancy was helping her mother stitch a broken seam in a carpet when she suddenly straightened herself up and said - ‘Maw, I feel bad; I feel mighty queer!’

Seconds later she became rigid and fell unconscious for five hours. This began to happen every day and usually consisted of Lurancy lying stiff, with only a faint pulse, her breath slow and weak, and her temperature below normal. She suffered from excruciating abdominal pains and would murmur about strange visions which usually involved what she called 'angels'. Sometimes the attacks lasted up to eight hours, during which time Lurancy would speak in different voices, though when she awoke, she would remember nothing.

A Spiritualist Investigates

Doctors thought her mentally ill and could do nothing for her, only recommending that she be sent to the State Insane Asylum in Peoria. At this time the Spiritualist movement was at its height of popularity and news of the strange girl brought many curious visitors to see her. Mr. and Mrs. Asa B. Roff, the parents of Mary Roff and apparently Spiritualists themselves, heard about the case and were reminded of their own daughter’s similar problems. They visited the Vennums and persuaded them to allow a Dr. E. Winchester Stevens of Janesville, Wisconsin, a medical doctor and an advocate of Spiritualism, to investigate the case.

Dr. Stevens visited the family, and found Lurancy sitting in a chair near the stove, with her elbows on her knees, her hands under her chin, and feet curled up on the chair, eyes staring wildly. For a while there was silence, broken only when Dr. Stevens moved his chair. At this Lurancy savagely warned him not to come any closer. She was surly and refused to be touched, calling her father ‘Old Black Dick’ and her mother ‘Old Granny.’

During these trances Lurancy was apparently ‘taken over’ by a range of unpleasant 'spirits' or entities, including an angry old woman called Katrina Hogan and a young man called Willie Canning. After some unintelligible conversation she had another fit, which Dr. Stevens relieved by hypnotizing her. She then calmed down and said that she had been controlled by evil spirits.

Dr. Stevens encouraged her to try and find a better control, after which she mentioned the names of several people who had died, eventually saying that there was one who wanted to come. Her name was Mary Roff. Mary’s father was present, and agreed to let her come, which she apparently did, astounding the whole company with the details she gave of the Roff’s house.

The 'Spiritual Possession' of Lurancy Vennum

It was after this, in February, 1878, that the ‘control’ of Lurancy, or the 'spiritual possession' as some researchers have called it, began. Far from being sullen and aggressive the girl became mild, passive and polite, not recognizing her own family, but instead asking to be taken ‘home’. On hearing of the extraordinary change in the girl, Mrs. Roff and her daughter, Mrs. Minerva Alter, Mary’s sister, went to visit Lurancy. Lurancy was looking out of the window of her house at the time and when she saw them coming down the street exclaimed - ‘There comes my ma and sister Nervie!’- the latter being the name Mary used to call Mrs. Alter when a young girl. When they came into the house she hugged them and cried for joy. After this incident Lurancy became progressively more homesick and continually begged to be taken 'home' to the Roffs.

Hoping that it might help their daughter’s recovery, the Vennums allowed their daughter to be taken into the Roff home. When asked how long she would remain there, Lurancy answered that the angels would let her stay until some time in May. She had never been in the house before but, remarkably, seemed to know everything about it. She also spoke almost daily of particular incidents in Mary Roff’s life, she recognized family members and friends, identified her favourite clothes and belongings and recounted past event known only to the family.

For fifteen weeks Lurancy Vennum lived as Mary Roff among her family and friends, and everything she did convinced people that she was the real Mary Roff, whom she had never known. When Mrs. Roff asked her if she recalled the family moving to Texas in 1857 (when Mary was eleven) the girl responded promptly that she remembered it well, particularly seeing the Indians along the Red River and playing with the young daughters of a family named Reeder, who were among the same travelling party. The Roffs also tested her with a velvet head dress Mary used to wear; which she recognized immediately.

The stay at Mr. Roff’s was beneficial to her physical condition, which continued to improved, and her mental health, though she seemed not to recognize or know anything about her own family or their friends and neighbours. When Mr. and Mrs. Vennum and their children visited her she treated them as strangers, though after frequent visit she learned to love them as friends. She was generally happy in her new home and often went out with Mrs. Roff to visit the leading families of the city, who soon became convinced that the girl was not insane but a normal, well-mannered child.

Occasionally, ‘Mary’ would ‘go back to heaven,’ and leave the body in a state of trance, and after eight or nine weeks, the personality of Lurancy would occasionally return partially for a few minutes, and once seems to have taken full possession for a brief time

Lurancy's Past Life

Dr. Stevens often asked ‘Mary’ about her former life, and on one occasion she told him about cutting her arm, and asked if he had seen where she did it. After receiving a negative answer, she started to pull up her sleeve to show him the scar, but suddenly stopped, as if realizing something suddenly, and quickly said - ‘Oh, this is not the arm; that one is in the ground,’ and carried on to describe where it was buried, how she witnessed it done, and who was standing around at the time.

Lurancy often spoke of seeing Dr. Stevens’s daughter Emma Angelia Stevens in heaven; she told him she was happy there. She physically described the girl, who had died in March 1849, and the details were accurate even down to an X-shaped scar on the cheek resulting from surgery after an infection. She also correctly described Dr. Stevens home in Janesville, Wisconsin, where she had never been, and gave the names and ages of his children.

While all this was happening ‘Mary’ was asked where the real Lurancy Vennum was. She told them that Lurancy was away, being treated, and would come back when she was restored to health, both mentally and physically. When Lurancy was ready to return, ‘Mary’ must leave.

The 'Return' of Lurancy

On 7 May, 1878 , ‘Mary’ told the Roff family that it would soon be time for her to leave, as Lurancy Vennum was getting better and would return. Then, on 21 May, after fourteen weeks, thus fulfilling the prophecy which ‘Mary’ had made when first taking control, she tearfully bade everyone goodbye and left. Lurancy was back for good and she asked Mrs. Roff to take her home. When she arrived she met her parents and brothers, hugging and kissing them in tears of happiness, and was completely content to be in her own surroundings again. She told her family that the past fifteen weeks seemed like a dream to her. Back in her own house Lurancy became, in the words of her mother ‘perfectly and entirely well and natural . . . Lurancy has been smarter, more intelligent, more industrious, more womanly, and more polite than before.’

Her parents gave Dr. Stevens and Mr. and Mrs. Roff the credit for her complete cure and believed that if Lurancy had remained at home she would have died, or have been sent to the insane asylum. Her mother added: ‘Several of the relatives of Lurancy, including ourselves, now believe she was cured by spirit power, and that Mary Roff controlled the girl.’ In July, 1878, Dr. Stevens pronounced Lurancy in sound health, both mentally and physically. He received a pencil-written letter from her, in which she thanked him for his patience and help. Apparently, the handwriting in this letter bore no resemblance at all to other recent writings of Lurancy when she was ‘Mary Roff’.

In January 1882, now an attractive young woman, Lurancy Vennum married George Binning, a New York born farmer of English parentage, from near Watseka. They moved to Rawlins Co, Kansas, in 1884, where she became the mother of eleven children (she was to have thirteen altogether). Occasionally, it is said that Mary would take control of her again, but as she was not in an encouraging environment for such things she never developed her mediumistic powers further. George Binning died in Long Beach, California on 21 November, 1916.

In the thirties Lurancy used to travel by train to visit her sister Florence in Medicine Lodge, Kansas at least once, and sometimes twice a year. Her great niece, Joyce Wesbrooks, remembers a family visit to her and her daughter Daisy in Long Beach in 1938. In 1940 she was a seventy-six-year-old woman who preferred not to talk about those fifteen weeks in the 1870s when she had mystified science. Lurancy died in Los Angeles, California on 30 August 1952. Joyce Wesbrooks' son, William Wesbrooks, a successful director and playwright, has written a play about Lurancy entitled Before I Wake. This was first performed in Gettysburg, PA, at Gettysburg College, in May, 1981. The initial performances were attended by many of Lurancy's relatives.

The Society for Psychical Research Investigates

Dr. Richard Hodgson, a sceptical member of investigated the case and visited Watseka on 12 April, 1890, questioning the main witnesses who remained in the neighborhood. He also attempted to get some direct statements from Lurancy (Mrs. George Binning) but received no answer to his inquiries. Dr. Stevens wrote a book called The Watseka Wonder about the case based on his personal knowledge, and William James, American psychologist and brother of the novelist Henry James, also investigated and reported his findings in depth.

Evidence is certainly not lacking in the case of Lurancy Vennum, it attracted wide attention at the time and contemporary newspapers in and around Chicago devoted a lot of space to it. But what really happened? Were the Roff and Vennum families involved in an elaborate hoax? Or was Lurancy somehow able to fool, not only her own family and that of Mary Roff, but the investigators as well? On the other hand, If she was genuine, are the only possible explanations reincarnation or spiritual possession?

The families involved seemed to think Lurancy was indeed possessed by the spirit of Mary Roff. Richard Hodgson, who worked with Morton Prince in the Christine Beauchamp multiple personality case at the end of the 19th century, suggested that Mary Roff could be a secondary personality of Lurancy Vennum’s. If so, we can discount reincarnation, spiritual possession or any other 'paranormal' explanation for the case. However, the problem still remains of how Lurancy obtained the detailed knowledge she is said to have possessed. The same problem applies if the whole thing was an elaborate hoax. Where and how did she obtain the detailed information about people, places and events she knew nothing about? If this mystery could be explained then we would be much closer to understanding this case of alleged 'spiritual possession'.

Source: mysteriouspeople.com

David Lang

2012-10-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

The David Lang story is a bit of a legend however, but I'll explain that later... Here is the full story:

The year was 1880, date: September 23. Mr David Lang was out in his fields on his farm. His wife watched him from the porch of his house while his two children played happily in the front yard.

A lawyer by the name of "Judge" August Peck accompanied by his brother-in-law were driving up to the farm in their buggy when Mrs. Lang suddenly started hysterically screaming.

The two men saw what she was screaming at and could only stare in disbelief. David Lang who was mid step disappeared right in front of their very eyes. He simply vanished into thin air!!

Of course the full search was done of the area in the following days but no trace of Mr Lang was ever found. A strange circle was said to have been found at the spot where he disappeared from. It was said that nothing would ever grow in this fifteen ft diameter circle and no insect or animal would go near it. One of Mr. Lang's children was said to have wandered into the circle at one time and heard their fathers cries perhaps coming from another dimension?. Mrs Lang never recovered from the shock of seeing her husband suddenly disappear. There was never a funeral held for David Lang.

In the later years Mrs Lang left the farm and allowed "Judge" Peck to lease it out. However the field where David Lang disappeared was never used, it remained unused and untouched until Mrs. Langs eventual death.

The Truth behind the Lang Story:

The David Lang story first became popular in the 1950's when it appeared in the July 1953 issue of Fate magazine. The story was titled "How Lost Was My Father?" and the claim was that it was written as a firsthand account of the event as told by his daughter Sarah in an interview with Stuart Palmer in 1931. The article also claimed that in April 1929 Sarah received a message via automatic writing from her father. The message was written in her fathers handwriting and said "Together now. Together now and forever...after many years...God bless you." To Sarah these words meant, "Mother and Father are together now in the World Beyond, after the nightmare years of separation."

A Nashville librarian by the name of Hershel G. Payne spent many years attempting to validate the story. He could find no evidence whatsoever of a Lang family or an August Peck ever living in the area.
He concluded that the tale was a journalistic hoax created by a traveling salesman named Joseph M. Mulholland. Mulholland was well known to have contributed many far-fetched stories to various papers under the pseudonym Orange Blossom. It is believed that Mulholland based his story on a science fiction story titled "The Difficulty of Crossing a Field," by Ambrose Bierce. The story told by Ambrose Bierce was complete fiction also.

The original Fate story contained samples of what was claimed to be David Lang's handwriting, automatic writing, and signatures by Sarah and a notary public. Upon further Investigation by handwriting expert Ann B. Hooten, it was shown that the writings were all authored by the one individual - presumably Stuart Palmer. Sarah Lang and her father never existed at all.