TopTenz - Daily Top 10s: Recent Episodes
Simon Whistler
Entertaining and educational top 10 lists from the guys who brought you the TopTenz YouTube channel. Brand new episodes every single day!
Who can really say how names are formed? Well, some linguists may know the answer to that question, but not even they know the origins for each and every name in existence today. Nevertheless, we can (to a certain extent) know the origins for some things out there in the world. And the best examples of this are things that are named after people – either those things’ inventors, or named in their honor for one reason or another. Now, with that being said, let’s take a look at 10 of our favorites.
Even though we no longer live in the Dark Ages and life is more easily predictable than ever, things can still go bad at a moment’s notice. And it’s always a great idea to know what to do in those kinds of situations so that you can actually increase your chances of survival. As anyone can tell you, there are countless ways in which one person’s life can be put in danger. Here are just 10 examples, and what to do in case you are faced with one of them.
For the many achievements made by our men and women of science in understanding the world and everything in it, there are still a lot of things we don’t know, or we’re not completely sure about. Other things, while more logical for our level of understanding, are so rare that, when they do happen, they seem out of this world. So, with this in mind, let’s look at 10 such cases of rare or strange anomalies around the world.
Assassination is so ingrained in American culture that it’s practically a national pastime. Every single president since Lyndon Johnson has been the target of an assassination attempt; with plenty more before LBJ also finding themselves on the wrong end of a bullet. That’s before you take into account the lower-ranking politicians attacked, the civil rights figures, the sportsmen, the artists… All we’re saying is that, if assassination was an Olympic sport, team USA would be beating everyone but Russia.
For awhile, it was a cliche to portray screen actors who played tough characters as effete people behind the scenes. That’s not what this list is about. No, we’re going so far in the other direction that we’re going to highlight people who made movies with pulse-pounding, high octane action, and yet it was still nothing compared to the things they did in real life. Truth might not necessarily be stranger than fiction, but it can often be more hardcore. The stories might have been related making a movie, but in the majority of cases they had nothing to do with any film production.
Our world is chock full of amazing places. Seriously, go out your front door, start walking in any random direction, and chances are that you’ll probably hit something interesting within a few hours. It could be a meadow, a groovy street you’ve never visited before, a windswept stretch of coastline, or even just an all you can eat noodle bar offering free drinks to every unshaven customer. Hey, amazing is a relative concept.
When you hear the words “big city”, what pops into your head? For most Americans, New York is the quintessential big city. For most Brits, it’s London. For those living in rural Appalachia, it might be Charleston, West Virginia, a town of about 50,000. But none of these cities are even in the top 20 most populous worldwide. Everyone knows about Beijing and Tokyo, but we bet at least a few of these places you haven’t heard of, let alone realized they were bigger than the Big Apple. And there’s a fair chance there will be a couple you can’t even pronounce.
Dictators sometimes have no choice in their evil schemes but to get violent, start calling in the troops, and use methods that create calls for condemnation all over the world. However, most leaders and their ministers of propaganda would rather find a way to trick you into going along with their way of thinking before going to such extreme lengths. It’s a lot less trouble, a lot less expensive, and gives your enemies less propaganda against you, when you can convince your own people to do your dirty work for you, or get them under your control without firing a shot.
Living in a world that’s so detached from nature, we often forget just how connected to it we really are. Many people living in huge cities around the world have never left their urban environments, and as a result, the natural world seems to them as foreign a concept as outer space is for most of us – we know it’s out there, but we tend to think about it more like something out of the realm of sci-fi. Nevertheless, nature is a part of us whether we feel the connection or not, and the many animals that inhabit this world right alongside us are nothing more than our evolutionary cousins – we’re all part of the same big ‘happy’ family. And like with every family, there are some traits that many of us share. It’s time for a long overdue ‘family reunion’ and see just how ‘related and alike’ we all really are.
Customs around death are one of the most ritualized aspects of human existence. However, the traditions and rituals undertaken by those grieving the loss of a loved one vary wildly; one culture’s “strange” is another culture’s way of remembering Nana. Below are 10 mourning traditions that may seem strange to those who don’t follow them…
When Charles Darwin studied the process of evolution in the 1800s, he realized that animals have a selective breeding process he called “natural selection.” Animals who were born with a predisposition to survive longer in their environment were the ones to survive and mate with one another, passing on their DNA. Because of this process, the species becomes smarter, faster, stronger, and more likely to thrive in their environments in the next generation.
Disney is known for being one of the most family-friendly companies you could imagine, and spends an incredible amount of money to maintain that illusion and appear as one of the most squeaky clean companies in the world. Disney is the company that bought Star Wars, and immediately banned the appearance of smoking in films – villain or otherwise – because of the children.
Sci-fi movies tend to create some of the most ridiculous worlds and scenarios imaginable, but that’s what we love about them. We get to see things that perhaps have some basis in a potential future someday, and stir our imaginations greatly, but are far beyond our current grasp. Unfortunately, since it is science fiction and most writers are more concerned with telling an interesting story, scientific accuracy and other real world concerns often get thrown entirely out the window. While most of your favorite sci-fi flicks have a happy ending, in reality many of these happy endings would have been anything but.
Bugs suck. There can be no doubt about the truth of that statement in the minds of many who get bitten by a small natural enemy, but from a purely scientific perspective, it is simply a fact. Bugs are actually a specific taxonomic category of insects, known properly as the true bugs, whose defining trait is that they suck, whether it be plant juice, the liquified remains of enzymatically digested prey, or animal body fluids that is consumed by a bug. In this account, we profile the most outrageous bugs to crawl the Earth, ones guaranteed to astound or horrify the first-time viewer.
Dictators sometimes have no choice in their evil schemes but to get violent, start calling in the troops, and use methods that create calls for condemnation all over the world. However, most leaders and their ministers of propaganda would rather find a way to trick you into going along with their way of thinking before going to such extreme lengths. It’s a lot less trouble, a lot less expensive, and gives your enemies less propaganda against you, when you can convince your own people to do your dirty work for you, or get them under your control without firing a shot.
Not so long ago, the best way to become president was to join the army and serve your country with distinction. A bit later, it was to work your way up the ranks of elected official, governor, Senator, and then into the White House. These days, the best route seems to be becoming famous and then using your celebrity to get loads of people to vote for you. Gone are the days of your Dwight D. Einsenhowers, your FDRs, your JFKs. Gone, even, are the days of Ronald Reagan, who started as an actor, before switching late to the whole governor-White House trail. Today, it’s reality shows and showmanship that win you elections, and they may be here to stay.
If necessity is the mother of all invention, then the concept of annoyance is probably like its weird second cousin or something. We say this because a surprisingly eclectic range of inventions and media exist today almost purely because the person who came up with the idea first really wanted to annoy someone they didn’t like. For example, did you know that…
In many parts of the world today, a lot of people are living relatively sheltered lives. But that safety and comfort can disappear at a moment’s notice. Compared to what nature can throw at us, the human body is a fragile thing. But in some fortunate cases, where people were faced with some truly grueling odds, they nevertheless managed to survive. Here are 10 such cases where survival was thought to be next to impossible.
In April of 1912, the RMS Titanic set sail on its way to New York City, and it was one of the biggest ocean liners of its time. It hit an iceberg, and unfortunately, there were only 20 lifeboats on its maiden voyage, which was not enough to save everyone on board. More than 1,500 people died, and the survivors witnessed the boat sink. More than 100 years later, people are still fascinated by the tragedy, and it inspired what is now considered to be one of the most tragic romance movies of all-time.
Back in the day, it used to be harder to be a big fan of anything that wasn’t sports, or something similar, as people would make fun of you for being a geek. Today, it is quite accepted to be incredibly obsessive about almost any facet of popular culture, even if liking it or being into it doesn’t actually require any knowledge, practice, or constitute an actual hobby with interactive activities.
The narrative we’re usually fed is that people achieve fame and fortune through passionately pursuing the future of their dreams. That might be true in the majority of cases. But the world of celebrities is filled with eccentrics and oddly-charmed people, so perhaps in some way it makes sense that the people who go farthest in their fields of choice didn’t get there in the predictable way. Still, even allowing for all that, these stories are enough to leave a fan gobsmacked.
inn are basically the bogeymen of the Muslim world, haunting the Middle East, Asia, and parts of Africa today just as they have done for centuries. The term actually derives from an Arabic root meaning “to conceal,” since these are beings that for the most part are said to elude human perception. It may also be related to the Avestic/Old Iranian jaini (a wicked female spirit), but it entered English as “genie,” which—in line with the Latin word genus—refers to a guardian spirit.
One of the most extraordinary things about the internet is that the answer, to virtually any question, is at your fingertips. Knowledge is just one click away. And as the leading search engine in the world (sorry Bing), Google has a unique part to play in a user’s ability to find answers. So we took it upon ourselves to type “is it possible” into Google’s search bar, and let autocomplete do the rest in helping us discover some of the most commonly asked questions (and, hopefully, answers) on the web. Here’s what we found…
Secret police forces have existed since time immemorial, from the Frumentarii of Ancient Rome to the mass digital surveillance of today. And while they’re more commonly associated with some of the most nefarious dictatorships on the planet, these unaccountable, state-funded heavies with a license to snoop have become increasingly and unnervingly banal—perhaps even cynically expected—all over the world.
World War Two was fought on a colossal scale. Battles could last for months and involve millions of combatants. Major gains were rarely made without a vast expenditure of manpower and resources. However, there were rare occasions where a few men accomplished extraordinary things. With the advantage of surprise, preparation, and no small amount of luck, it was possible for a small force to inflict damage out of all proportion to its size.
Police and detectives are bogged down with so many crimes on a daily basis, it’s impossible to solve every case. Thankfully, loads of people on the internet have plenty of time on their hands. Social media can give key evidence in a case that would have been much more difficult to find in the past. Amateur websleuths have come together to solve the following 10 crimes.
In most cases, once someone becomes a celebrity their past endeavors and successes become irrelevant. They just become a celebrity, and are known for the roles they play in the entertainment industry. It turns out, many celebrities were intelligent enough to have chosen other career paths or transitioned to acting after already have successful careers. Here are 10 celebrities who are most definitely smarter than us…
In chaos theory, one small event in the universe can trigger a series of events that changed history forever. This is also called “the butterfly effect.” As you’ll in this list, one single event truly can change the course of humanity. These 10 “what if” questions will leave you pondering alternate histories that very nearly became a reality.
Many people adore their cars, others are transfixed by motorbikes, but for some, they need something way more powerful to love: airplanes. Most of the time, we barely notice them while they fly way above our heads, but if you really stop to learn more about them, you’ll discover they really are things of beauty and grace.
There is a saying that dogs are a man’s best friend. Many pet owners feel like their pups are practically their children, and they would do anything to keep them out of harm’s way. These 10 stories are about people who stepped up to save dogs’ lives from extraordinary circumstances.
Humans hunt and eat animals every single day. Unless you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or animal rights activist, it’s not something that even crosses our minds on a daily basis. However, these 10 stories show what happens when animals choose to strike back against their human oppressors once and for all.
The word “prehistory” refers to the earliest period of human development, up until the start of recorded events. But since the world evolved differently in terms of its humanity, prehistory starts and ends at different times, in different regions. Europe is no exception to this rule.
Shame is a powerful emotion, a fact a number of enterprising businesses and government entities have taken full advantage of over the years in an attempt to curtail obnoxious and inconsiderate behavior. Join us as we chronicle some of the more amusing examples we could find of people weaponizing shame to make the world a marginally better place for the rest of us.
As we’ve mentioned before (several times now), the world is full of people who commit a sizeable percentage of their waking life to achieving goals that would seem unusual or impossible to ordinary folk. Something we absolutely think should be applauded because in this, the darkest timeline, it’s nice to know there are people out there who’d spontaneously develop the ability to fly to headbutt a nuclear missile out of the sky if it prevented them from doing what they loved.
Did you know there are only 19 true democracies on the planet? According to the Economist’s Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) yearly ranking, fewer than 10 percent of all the countries in the world are “full democracies.” That means you’re statistically likely to be reading this from a place which didn’t make the hallowed top 20. Bummer.
By this point, regular readers and viewers of TopTenz have surely been made so wealthy by the knowledge we’ve provided that they have some money to save. But no matter how much cash they have available, what they always seem to have more of is investment options. Lucrative options. Safe options. Options that make investors feel like they’re cleverly gaming the system. And in pursuing these investments, many people are rushing into plans that either will, or may soon, make them lose the shirts off their backs.
When you go out drinking, it’s pretty normal to want to hang out with or try to meet people with your same interests. For people who would much rather go to a comic convention than a sports game, it can be hard to find a drinking hole that makes them feel welcome. But these great geek bars are perfect for anyone who has ever debated Star Wars vs. Star Trek or Marvel vs. DC. And with Comic-Con coming up this week, it feels like the right time to tell you about some of the best places to nerd out in if you can’t make it to San Diego.
Let’s face it. Pretty soon, robots will take over the world, and humanity will become a distant memory. The good news is, by the time technology catches up to The Terminator, we will already be dead.
Tabloid television, or as critics refer to it, “Trash TV,” is made up of abrasive talk shows that set up confrontations and consciously try to be controversial and shocking. Despite being panned for their lowbrow nature and appealing to the lowest common denominator, tabloid talk shows have struck a chord with television audiences and have been popular for the past 50 years.
Reverence for the dead is shared amongst nearly all peoples and cultures. Some groups, like Native Americans, believe that chants and prayers must be said for the dead to reach the afterlife. Other cultures believe that the dead should never viewed, even by their immediate family.
Of all the groups and cultures, the Vikings had some of the most striking customs for sending their dead to the afterlife. Valhalla was very much a real place to Vikings, filled with loved ones who had died on the battlefield. In order for warriors to join their forefathers in heaven, particular rites and customs must be carried out. Here are 10 fascinating facts about Viking funerals.
The need to breed and reproduce is hardwired into life’s DNA. Only those species that ensure the birth of the next generation continue on this Earth. Man’s technology has largely negated the need for large families, but some still strive to push the limits of human fertility, as you’ll soon see…
Aside from possibly Greece’s Oracle of Delphi, the Vestal Virgins devoted to the Roman goddess Vesta, ruler of the Hearth, are the most famous ancient cult in European history. Yet most people don’t really know much about this esteemed group, even though they were one of the most enduring organizations in Roman history.
Most people have fond memories of going to the zoo. The experience of waiting, in anticipation, to see a lion or a tiger come out of its cave. Leaning close to the glass as a chimpanzee or orangutan comes closer.
However, the animals we witnessed on those visits didn’t feel the same thrill that we did. They were, quite possibly, in great pain. We’ve come to accept that other sentient beings can be used for entertainment or pleasure, but it may be time reevaluate that belief. It turns out that zoos have a dramatically negative effect on the animals they’re supposed to protect. And although zoo advocates would argue that endangered species are protected by zoos, the overwhelming consensus is that it’s just not true.
The Medjay are mostly known only because of the blockbuster Mummy trilogy starring Brendan Fraser, or the most recent addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise. And despite increasing interest in Ancient Egypt in recent years, the amount of knowledge most people have of them is minimal. In the Mummy trilogy, they still exist in the modern day, an elite band of warriors that has passed down their skill over the generations in order to protect the hidden treasures of the long dead pharaohs. However, while they no longer exist in modern times, their story and their history is much more fascinating than the small tidbits we learn when watching The Mummy.
Is it possible we will ever have a universal way for all humans to communicate? Imagine if you could talk to anyone on Earth in a way they would understand, and you could understand the answer. Some say universal communication will come about through technology. Simultaneous translators are getting faster and better, but still have a way to go. Plus, they’d have to conquer all 7,000-plus extant languages to be considered universal.
In some ways Americans and British people would seem very similar at first glance. We look very similar, wear similar clothes, share the same language, and have some shared historical connections (including one that America is celebrating today). However, beyond just the fact that we use a lot of different words to mean the same things, or all the accents you would have to get used to, there are also many cultural differences and quirks that would instill culture shock in anyone who decided to jump across from one side of the pond to the other without doing their research first.
Imagine the world is a high school. You’ve got the big, jock countries like Australia, South Africa, and the USA. You’ve got the self-consciously old-fashioned intellectuals like Britain and France, and then you’ve got the cool kids everyone wants to hang out with (yeah, Italy, we’re looking at you). But what about the brainboxes? Who in our analogy are the nerds spending their spare time in the science labs while the other countries are learning to smooch and bum smokes?
Nobody really likes dealing with creepy crawlies and pests, but just like family members you don’t like and the looming specter of death that hangs over us all, sometimes you just have to confront them. If, like most people, you harbor no love for things with too many legs or that carry immense amounts of disease, here are 10 stories of horrifying insect and pest infestations to make you feel a little better about that large spider you found in the bath that one time.
The elementary school lyrics were the first exposure most students had to the Italian explorer. The line would prove to be some of the only truth told to students about Christopher Columbus and the nature of his explorations into the New World. Was he out to prove that the world wasn’t flat? Was he, in fact, the first man to discover the New World? And how exactly does one discover a place that has millions of inhabitants? Sit back and let the TopTenz team give you the 10 facts about Christopher Columbus that you may not know…
Her marriage to tyrant, King Henry, led to her tragic demise. He accused her of witchcraft, incest, conspiracy against the King, and adultery. She was beheaded by a French swordsman. Henry felt that he was showing mercy by using the swordsman, rather than subjecting her to the rough blade of a guillotine.
Today, we’d like to share 10 fascinating facts about Anne Boleyn, who used sheer grit, intelligence and feminine wiles to win the love of King Henry VIII… and to usurp his lawful wife, Catherine of Aragon.
When we think of France, we tend to first imagine the romantic, the gastronomically exclusive, the luxurious, or the destination for classy European travel. When we imagine the atrocious and the wicked, our minds may initially jump to Henry VIII, Nazi Germany, or North American serial killers. Yet it is France where some of the highest (or should we say, lowest) levels of villain have originated, including the shockingly abusive Marquis de Sade, who’s name is the origin of the word Sadism itself. In this account, we explore these darkest and most surprising histories.
Art, in its many shapes and sizes, is particularly appreciated for its beauty and the emotions it stirs up. What makes any particular piece of art into a masterpiece, however, is the level of honesty that’s been infused into it by its creator. It is then up to us to see and appreciate it. Now, for all that art can give us, some say that it doesn’t really offer any utilitarian use. And here’s where “practical art” comes into play.
Viruses are a particularly fearsome “germ.” Though viral infections may resemble bacterial infections, antibiotics are useless against viruses. There are very few dedicated antivirals to kill them off. But who even knows if ‘kill’ is the right word to use for something that stretches the definition of ‘alive’? Viruses: they’re like microscopically tiny zombie-robots, hijacking cells and turning them into factories for themselves. But humanity can exploit viruses’ supremely odd workings and sneaky ways for their own purposes.
Ancestry tests provided by companies like 23andMe, Ancestry.com, and Helix are more popular than they’ve ever been. As more people have their DNA tested to see where in the world their ancestors came from, it’s led to some fascinating results. In some cases, the results are downright shocking and can uncover secrets that have been buried for years, if not decades.
Since the first modern homo sapiens emerged some 50,000 years ago, it’s estimated that 107 billion human beings have at one time or another lived on planet Earth. The overwhelmingly vast majority of these people have been forgotten by history, but there are a very few individuals whose names and achievements will echo through the ages.
The Battle of the Somme is rarely talked about, and not often the subject of movies, but it was one of the most important battles of WWI and much more significant for the history of warfare than many realize. This battle was one of the bloodiest in recorded history, and forced the Germans to fight on an extra front in a last ditch effort to divert their forces from their battle against the French at Verdun.
During the 1800s, Phineas Taylor Barnum – better known as “P.T. Barnum” – became famous as “The Great American Showman.” Barnum specialized in displaying odd and intriguing attractions to audiences who were eager to pay to see something out of the ordinary.
One of the main ways Barnum drew crowds was to exploit abnormalities in human beings. The display became known as his “Freak Show,” which traveled around the world and inspired many other circuses to follow suit with their own versions. It should be noted that “freak” is an outdated, and rather offensive term, since these people were simply that: people. They just so happened to be born with disabilities. However, many of these performers were blessed with the chance to become rich and famous, which is more than many able-bodied people could say at the time.
Daredevils are everywhere, and a quick Google search for the “Darwin Awards” will prove just how often ridiculous stunts can lead to death. However, there are a select few people who were able to pull off their dangerous stunts and actually and live to see another day… but that doesn’t mean they all went according to plan. Here at TopTenz, we want you all to stay alive for as long as possible. So, please. Please don’t try any of these stunts at home.
Accounts of sexual misconduct, assault, and even rape have rocked the entertainment industry over the last few months. Movie stars, directors, and producers have all fallen under the weight of charges against them. The likes of Kevin Spacey, Louis CK, Harvey Weinstein, and Brett Ratner have all been made to reckon with their past actions, and have seen swift repudiation from the film industry.
Located in Eastern Europe and part of the former Iron Curtain, Romania does not draw in many tourists compared to many other nations within the European Union. Nevertheless, in recent years their numbers has been steadily rising to an annual total of 9.3 million international tourists. Given its geography and geopolitical past, the country has a lot to offer in terms of both cultural heritage and diverse landscapes.
Today’s houses all around the world work, more or less, on the same principle. But given the fact that we’re now more connected than ever, our houses start to look somewhat similar to one another – not that similar, mind you, but similar nonetheless. And like the architects of old (who’ve, in some cases, used state of the art technology to build their projects), so too do the architects of today go high tech to build tomorrow’s homes. Here are some examples where different techniques, both old and new, are blended together to create our future dwellings.
For the first time since Roswell, coverage of UFOs has entered serious, mainstream news—featuring even on the front page of the New York Times in December 2017. And while that story was more about tax dollars than extraterrestrials themselves, it illuminated some of the otherworldly beliefs (and perhaps even knowledge) that exist at high levels of government.
Let’s start with a quick game. Hands up everyone who’s been to the Czech Republic! OK, great. Now… keep your hands up if you went to literally anywhere other than Prague. Wow. That’s a lotta hands that just dropped down.
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is well-known for its lists, including articles on the richest Americans (the Forbes 400) and its list of billionaires. The company has discovered that people are interested in learning about the world’s richest celebrities. The curiosity has spawned a large collection of websites that are dedicated to documenting celebrity net worth. For example, former boxing champion Mike Tyson holds an estimated net worth of $3 million, while boxing promoter Don King is worth $150 million. This article will examine ten international celebrities that are shockingly rich. We have attempted to select individuals from many different fields, including musicians, designers, actors, producers, radio personalities, authors, comedians, sports figures, models, and directors.
George Lucas is the creator of Star Wars, and he is clearly a creative genius. However, sometimes even geniuses come up with an ideas that don’t exactly work out. Here are 10 projects George Lucas worked on that you wouldn’t exactly call a “roaring success”…
When Vladimir Lenin died in 1924, his charismatic henchman Leon Trotsky seemed to be his most obvious successor. Instead it was Joseph Stalin, a man once described by Trotsky as a “dull grey blur” and a “nonentity” who had, by 1929, vanquished his political rivals and seized power for himself.
It is somewhat safe to say that, without transportation, we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. The discovery of fire, speech, writing, and all the other man-made inventions, have definitely brought us a long way. But without the ability to transport these inventions to other parts of the world, many of them would have simply faded back into obscurity. And many of them have, by the way. Nevertheless, transportation freed us up to become the dominant species on the planet, moving from one place to the other with relative ease, colonizing new places and meeting new cultures – sometimes with bad consequences.
With all of the hostility around the world today, it’s understable if you may be at least a little bit worried about becoming a victim of a nuclear attack. While we truly hope that you’ll never have to use this advice, it’s still important to be prepared for any possibility. Here are 10 survival tips on what you can do before, during, and after a nuclear attack.
Born in 1913, Richard Nixon is among the best known personalities of the 20th century. As the 37th President of the United States, he is the only one in the country’s entire history to resign as Commander-in-Chief. This decision, as most of us know, came after the events surrounding the Watergate scandal from the early 1970s. But regardless of these events and the controversy that surrounded him afterward, there are other, lesser known things about Nixon that many people aren’t aware of. He was, after all, a highly intelligent and complex person.
The specter of the American government declaring bankruptcy gets trotted out particularly often any time there’s a change in the majority party. Because we’ve been told for decades what a large, scary number America’s National Debt is, the populus fears that the time when it causes another Depression could come at any time. It couldn’t even be said to catch us by surprise, since there were many alarmists that would be able to tell us that they told us so.
For all intents and purposes, the United States can almost be considered an entire continent in itself. This means that a person from another country can’t come, visit for several days or a week, and say that he or she has seen what the entire US is all about. But there are several landmarks that every traveler needs to see before they can even begin to consider checking the US off of their travel bucket list. Even though there are plenty to choose from, and these are presented in no particular order, here are 10 must-visit tourist attractions in America.
At this point in time, essentially the entire world (barring the depths of the oceans) has been pretty well mapped out and explored. However, not that long ago, many brave men and women had to risk life and limb in order to find new places and chart new waters. Many of these expeditions involved great heroics and succeeded against all odds. However, some went through horrible struggle, and ended in bitter failure. And many expeditions that we know of as successes, still went through far more struggle than most people imagine. If you are going to travel to an entirely new place, planning is key, or you may end up like the people in these entries.
The recruitment tactics that cults use to lure in unsuspecting victims are incredibly manipulative. The vast majority of cult recruits are normal people who were tricked into joining a group based on false promises.
True crime is more popular than ever, and Netflix has an excellent selection of true crime documentaries and docuseries that produced themselves or they’ve acquired from other sources. The 10 documentaries and docuseries listed here are equally riveting and chilling, and in some cases, they’ll shock you and will probably make you angry.
In this creepy account of spineless giant animals, we will tour the planet and discover record holding monster invertebrates, including the kings and queens of major categories of molluscs, crustaceans, spiders, and centipedes – including 3-foot hermit crabs, dinner plate-sized spiders, and a crayfish bigger than a small dog. When the largest animals without backbones are considered, it is clear that when encountering those of unimagined sizes it is best to simply stay out of the way…
At this point in time, essentially the entire world (barring the depths of the oceans) has been pretty well mapped out and explored. However, not that long ago, many brave men and women had to risk life and limb in order to find new places and chart new waters. Many of these expeditions involved great heroics and succeeded against all odds. However, some went through horrible struggle, and ended in bitter failure. And many expeditions that we know of as successes, still went through far more struggle than most people imagine. If you are going to travel to an entirely new place, planning is key, or you may end up like the people in these entries.
The history of our world is full of men who are larger than life — heroes who have become legends over time, and now hold a place as something more than just people. They have become symbols of great aspiration, or traits that we all wish we could embody. However, sometimes it is also important to remember that these men were also just men, and that men are not perfect, and all have their own flaws and quirks. Below are the strange, perverted oddities of 10 of the most influential men in history.
Comets and asteroids come and go, but few make as much of a stir as ‘Oumuamua. Toward the end of last year, its virtually unprecedented appearance from interstellar space made urgent headlines around the world. And, in various ways, it left an indelible footprint.
Most people are certain that their fears, habits, or other beliefs are something innate to them, their upbringing, or in the case of the aforementioned beliefs, are simply facts. However, social conditioning from popular culture, confusing consumer education, and urban legends that have existed for thousands of years have created false ideas and strange, illogical habits in even the most reasonable people. The more people buy into a false idea, the greater the social effect, and the quicker and easier the entire idea spreads, as you can see in the examples below.
Born Joseph Carey Merrick on August 5, 1862, the Elephant Man is far better known by his freak name. His life was brief and tragic, marred by loss, rejection, and an ever worsening disfigurement.
Needless to say, there are dozens of sad facts about the man and his life to choose from, but here are 10 of the saddest.
A while ago we published a list of badass sounding military mottos giving both some background information on the unit they belonged to and our reasoning for why their motto was cooler than the underside of Sub Zero’s pillow. Today we have another 10 mottos belonging to a wide variety of military units that we think can compete with that original 10, starting with…
A staple trope of popular culture, the mad scientist is epitomized by a white robe wearing, frazzle haired harbinger of technology misused and calculations gone awry. But the reality is all too true, and scientists mad or otherwise ill-informed or ill-intentioned have certainly caused chaos in the annals of research. In this account, we look at 10 must-know mad scientists who took their research a little too far, including the Russian serial dog head transplanter, a Spanish researcher who remote controlled a live bull, and the German doctor who probed his own heart.
Board games allows us to live out our greatest fantasies, such as bankrupting our parents by charging them an exorbitant amount of rent, or conquering Australia. Join us as we discuss 10 of the more amusing ways it’s possible to dominate popular games by taking advantage of little known rules, or using math. For example, did you know you can…
The world is full of valuable objects, objects their owners want to squirrel away and hide from the world lest they be stolen by ninjas, handsome men in suits, of handsome ninjas in suits. In addition to gold, jewels, and old SNES games, there are some surprising things hidden away deep underground in cartoonishly massive vaults. Things like…
When it comes to the military, throughout history, leaders are always looking for that little something extra to get the edge. Many military forces thought that edge would be drugs. From ingesting herbs to the new world of drugs made in labs, soldiers have been going into war high for centuries… with varying degrees of success.
Decoying, or the use of body doubles by political and military leaders, has been in practice for a long time. It is when lookalikes are employed to deceive enemies, have someone appear at different places at the same time, and even to deceive people into thinking a leader is healthy while he is bedridden. You know, like the movie Dave.
Most, if not all of us, have secrets. It’s part of the human experience. In most cases, our secrets can be shameful or embarrassing, but sometimes people keep incredibly dark secrets and hold on to them for their entire lives. Then, just as they are about to leave their Mortal Coil, they decided to share their deepest, darkest secrets. These are 10 of the most haunting deathbed confessions.
At this very moment there are likely countless men and women standing in immaculate white lab coats staring at beakers filled with various kinds of liquid, discovering the secrets of our world. Many of these researchers, scientists, and academics will likely learn amazing things about the human body, nature, and the animal kingdom, but that’s boring. So instead, here are 10 actual, real studies that discovered fascinating things that are ultimately kind of pointless. Starting with…
While many TV shows and movies have aged like a fine wine, the hit show Friends has aged more like that rancid milk that you left open in the back of your fridge for way too long without realizing it. If it were released today, there is a good chance that it would not last long on the air, due to the controversy it would have caused, and all the regular in-jokes that would not have been acceptable in today’s environment.
The struggle to attract the opposite sex is something that humanity has struggled with since the beginning. Finding others to carry on your genes, and continue humanity, is the core instinctual purpose of most human beings to this day. Countless tomes and other guides have been written on how to attract the opposite sex, but much, or most of it, is based in theory or feeling. However, scientists have also spent a lot of time over the years studying attraction, and how it affects us on a cognitive level. These studies have led them to understand many ways that you can use scientifically proven methods to make yourself more attractive to the opposite sex.
Between a post-World War II habit of exaggerating the military prowess of the Third Reich, the amazing performance of Finnish soldiers during the 1939-1940 Winter War, and the fact the Soviet Union eventually collapsed, there’s a tendency to believe that the Russian military was a badly run and worse-equipped rabble. They were given inferior weapons to Western powers at all times, and it was only sheer numerical advantage and a suicidal devotion to country that they were able to defeat the Nazis and keep control of numerous satellite countries.
On December 17, 1903 the Wright Brothers made history with the first powered, controlled, and sustained heavier than air flight. Since then flying has gotten safer, but following Murphy’s Law, if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. Thousands of feet above the ground, when that something takes a turn for the worse it’s up to the pilots to prevent their planes (and themselves) from slamming into the Earth.
Fake news has become something of a hot topic in recent months. So much so that Collins dictionary even announced “fake news” as their word of the year for 2017.
The Western democracies can at least boast a comparatively good record when it comes to freedom of the press. Journalists can expect to do their job without fear of imprisonment or execution. That’s by no means the case everywhere.
Reporters Without Borders ranks 180 countries based on their commitment to press freedom. This list will dive to the murky depths of those rankings, taking a closer look at those countries where the government exerts control over the media and attempts to crush any alternative point of view.
Although lying is universally viewed as abhorrent behavior, it’s not a stretch to say that nearly everyone has lied at least once in their life. A University of Massachusetts research team wanted to find out exactly how much an average person tells a ‘white lie’, and their results were surprising.
According to their study, the average person told two to three lies in a 10-minute conversation. What makes people so prone to lie? The truth is, lying isn’t always done to deceive or be hurtful. Sometimes people lie to protect their loved ones or others. Lying and the reasons for it are complicated, and here at Top Tenz, we wanted to break it down a little.
There are a lot of different options about what to study in college. Schools have hundreds, maybe thousands of majors, and they’re adding new ones all the time. With the plethora of choices, some of them are bound to seem a bit weird. As far as we know, underwater basket weaving is still just a joke, but some of these seem almost as funny.
Sorry if this article offends you because you’re majoring in one of these, but really… you should have expected it going in. If you didn’t know people were gonna make fun of you for majoring in Bowling Industry Management, you’re not ready for college. Just kidding – lighten up, Steve. That’s just like a Bowling major to get offended. So sensitive. Anyway, let’s get started. Below are 10 of the strangest things you can major in.
The Gallic Wars, waged between the Gallic tribes living in present-day France and Belgium and the Roman Legions under Julius Caesar, took place between the years 58 BC to 50 BC. These wars are what ultimately gave Caesar the upper hand over the Senate and his former political ally Pompey the Great, leading in turn to a civil war; the outcome of which made Caesar “dictator in perpetuity” over the entire Roman Republic. But like most conflicts throughout the ages, the Gallic Wars weren’t as straightforward as they may first appear.
There are many dubious claims about what might lie hidden in the Vatican Secret Archives – from alien remains and time travel devices to prophecies of impending Apocalypse – all of which position the Holy See as an implausibly powerful agent in the history and fate of mankind.
We’ve all felt it. That desperate, cloying urge to escape. That semi-primal need to flee our home country and all its madness and never look back, and instead devote ourselves to relaxing on distant beaches / becoming a kung fu master (it’s a tough call). And we’ve also all felt its accompanying feeling: that sad realization that our dreams are but beautiful illusions, and cruel, cruel reality is gonna drag us kicking and screaming back into its stifling embrace any minute.
The old saying goes that justice is blind. Experience tells us she’s also as unpredictable as a drunken horse on roller skates. Over the course of legal history, there have been a number of seemingly open-and-shut cases that have ended up not with convictions, but with the accused swanning out of court into the bright light of freedom while the public are left to pick their collective jaws up off the floor. We’re not saying that any of the following were miscarriages of justice. We are saying that acquittals were the last verdict anyone expected.
Disneyland is supposed to be one of the most wonderful places on Earth, and it’s probably one of the last places you would ever expect to die.
In a recent list, we already mentioned the death of Disneyland employee Deborah Gail Stone, whose head was crushed while working as a hostess at America Sings. Sadly, Deborah was not the only who met her maker in the park. Here are 10 more shocking stories of people who died at Disneyland.
David Bowie was a man who lived a life filled to the brim with adventure, mystery, and hair-spray. During his time here on Earth, the Starman accomplished more in a decade of his career than most could in five lifetimes. For this reason, even fans of Bowie aren’t aware of the full scope of the kind of crazy crap he got up to during his half-century-long career.
From the Bilderberg Group to the Illuminati, many people believe that the richest of society control the world, and have the power to decide who lives and who dies. It’s certainly not out of the question. Eight of the richest men in the world have more wealth than half of the world’s population. Why would it be surprising if they came together to promote their own interests? What would they do if their interests became threatened? The answer is as clear as a cloudless sky: the people who threaten their power might end up dead. Here are 10 famous deaths, that may have been murders ordered by the Illuminati…
Every now and then, everyone is tempted to run afoul of the law. Whether it’s running that red light, or taking that small item without paying, most Americans have, at least, contemplated breaking the law. What stops us? For most, it’s the fear of getting caught. But imagine if that was somehow lessened by a reward. What if you were paid for the criminal act? It turns out, you can put a price on morals. Here are 10 crimes that, deep down, we’d totally commit for cash (according to studies)…
The Winter War began in November of 1939, when the Soviets invaded Finland, seeking to claim Finnish territory. With overwhelming numbers advantages in men and firepower, the Soviets were expecting victory in a couple of weeks. Instead, the conflict went on for three months, with the Soviet soldiers taking casualties at a rate five times that of the Finnish forces. While Finland ultimately agreed to sign 11% of its land over to the Soviets in the peace treaty that ended the war, Finland retained its sovereignty and demonstrated that it was no easy target. Nikita Khrushchev characterized the advantages the Soviets had, noting, “But on these most favorable terms, we could only win through huge difficulties and incredibly great losses. In fact, this victory was a moral defeat.”
As famed American philosopher H.J. Simpson once so eloquently put it, “facts can be used to prove anything that’s even remotely true.” Well, join us today as we discuss 10 studies showing that a not insignificant percentage of the American population believe in everything from lizard people running to world, to HTML being an STD…
Restricted or enabled only by the bounds of natural selection, nature has proven that a vacuum is hard to maintain. While some types of creatures might seem fit for science fiction or simply defy our imagination, the natural world holds a place for creatures that defy common sense or human expectation in existing. Discover poisonous birds, freshwater sharks, plant-eating spiders, and other animals that just don’t seem right, but are out there waiting to expand your concept of life.
World War II was a tragedy filled mass conflict with numerous strategic mistakes, violations of international law and general military weight-throwing. But amongst the fighting were many bizarre military actions, seemingly outlandish but well documented family connections and twists and turns that are sure to surprise the history buff.
Conspiracy theories will always fire up the imaginations of even the most reasonable of us. It’s fascinating to imagine a bunch of people in a dark room, controlling actions from their chairs and encouraging events that change the course of the world, with no one truly being the wiser. Now, most conspiracy theories are flimsy nonsense that are obviously full of holes and not true at all. However, some conspiracy theories have more truth than most people would ever imagine. In some situations, there really was a group of people in a dark room conspiring to massively pull the wool over the eyes of others, in order to change the course of the world.
Wedding days are supposed to mark the beginning of a new shared life for marrying couples. But sometimes, wedding days mark the end of life. In this dark and gripping list, we explore disturbing accounts of “Till death do us apart” come early in shocking cases of freak accident involvement and sometimes, shocking or even inexplicable homicide. The statistical frequency of wedding day tragedy seems to be higher than one might have thought.
What made The Handmaid’s Tale more than just a prestige project was the way it connected with its audience. Even before the show premiered, groups of female protestors demonstrated against abortion restricting bills in Texas by wearing the costumes of Handmaids from the show, a move which seems both very modern, given the popularity of cosplay, and harkens back to how revolutionaries dressed as Native Americans during the infamous Boston Tea Party of 1773. What started as an act by less than a dozen women has grown to more than 700. The Handmaid’s Tale has come by this resonance to a significant extent by so clearly reflecting the times in which it was produced, while remaining sufficiently its own enough to be timeless.
Male dominance is frequently assumed to be the norm in the animal kingdom and has been a significant matter of reform in modern human society. Yet other species, some well-known and others obscure, with extremely intricate social arrangements or perplexing life histories may astound us with their incredible characteristics of female domination within the species. We take a tour of some highly gender role biased species where the female takes the upper hand, sometimes putting males at a disadvantage, and sometimes simply being the greater predator or literally the sole bloodthirsty one out of the two genders in a species.
In today’s high-tech world of email, Skype, Messenger, SnapChat and more, nobody really thinks about good old “snail mail.” Which is a shame, actually, because there are some pretty weird things that have been sent, and can still be sent, through the US mail. Here are our favorites.
The season one Big Bad of the ongoing blockbuster series known as America’s Endless War on Terror, Osama Bin Laden was once the face of Islamist terror. Before ISIS popped up and stole his crown, the bearded zealot behind such crowd unpleasers as 9/11 and the 7/7 bombings spent his days as the most wanted, most feared man on Earth. For 10 years between 9/11 and 2011, he remained in hiding in his compound in Pakistan, from where he directed the most feared series of attacks the Western world had ever seen.
There’s a lot of pressure on schools these days, both to perform academically and mold their students into productive members of society. Given that most kids are, well, terrible, schools can be given a lot of leeway when it comes to making mistakes. Then you have these 10 schools, which couldn’t have made worse decisions if they tried.
Founded in 1611 by Pope Paul V, the Vatican Secret Archives are an ultra-secure repository for the Church’s oldest, most valuable documents. Access has always been limited; even today, only Vatican officials and qualified academics are allowed inside, and only then with a letter of recommendation. And since browsing isn’t permitted, they also need to list precisely which documents they need — even without knowing exactly what’s in there.
Slavery is bad. That’s the sort of massively uncontroversial statement we can probably all get on board with (if not, maybe it’s time to re-examine your life, Mr. “I still live in the 18th Century”). No matter who is enslaving whom or what they’re doing with all that concentrated human power, it’s almost guaranteed to be a bad idea.
Global warming is real, according to basically every legitimate scientist in the world. And as a result, many parts of the world will experience more water than they are used to. Fortunately, however, there are some people out there preparing for when this scenario will happen. Now, regardless of these gloomy facts, we humans have a natural affinity for water, which we can use to our advantage.
With so many amazing shows on Netflix, it’s sometimes hard to actually decide what you’re going to watch next. Yes, we all know the hit shows all of your friends and family are talking about, but sometimes, we just want to discover a great series that no one has ever heard of before. Here are 10 hidden gems on Netflix (some are Netflix originals, others are lesser known shows from other networks) that you probably aren’t watching, but you really should… and make sure to watch them soon, because you never know how much longer they’ll be available.
Combining the inherent contradiction of “Warrior Buddhists” with the legendary grand scale of Chinese military history, Shaolin monks have gotten some very interesting stories associated with them since the emperor of China made the order official circa 496 A.D. Some of which are so interesting you just know they’re not quite true, but can’t resist the urge to hear them. Here are ten of our favorites.
Got some extra cash but don’t know where to spend it? Then you should definitely visit Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun offers more bang for your buck than any other country on the planet. Whether you’re looking for something unique to eat or want a crazy way to spend the day, if you’ve got enough money, Japan has got you covered.
Like a movie, a person’s life consists of three acts. For most people, the third act is a simple continuation of the second, continuing to work in that same field, getting a promotion, or finally retiring. In rare cases, the third act comes with a complete reversal where the person changes their behavior and thereby improves their life dramatically.
We may be living in the age of information, and the internet has almost everything at our fingertips, but sometimes finding the answers to our most burning questions can be harder than a simple Google search would first seem. We have trawled through the internet and found the answers to some of the most common questions where people wonder… is it possible? Can you actually cry blood? Is it possible to catch up on sleep? Join us below as we answer these and other questions that the internet has been wondering about.
As far as the universe can be said to exist at all, it probably has 10 dimensions. That’s the only way string theory makes sense. And physicists want string theory to make sense because it could be the Theory of Everything, uniting the otherwise incompatible theories of general relativity (for very big things) and quantum mechanics (for very small things) into one internally consistent package.
In the United States, 1 out of every 3 people has at least one tattoo. Clearly, the old-fashioned stigma that tattoos are part of a rough-and-tumble subculture has become a thing of the past. In fact, human beings have been decorating their bodies with permanent ink for thousands of years. Tattoos show up again and again across cultures and generations. There is something about getting a tattoo that is permanently apart of human nature. So then… why, exactly, do so many people want tattoos?
Today, pregnancy testing is incredibly easy and most people take it for granted, but not long ago in history, the pregnancy tests we have today were pretty much unheard of. People had to resort to… other methods. Going back to the days of the ancient world, women were just as excited about having answers to whether they were pregnant, but there really wasn’t anything in the way of a scientifically accurate test. For this reason, people have resorted to all kinds of zany methods, with varying levels of success.
Most things that are considered to be strange, dangerous, or offensive eventually become illegal at some point in time. However, there are a few things that are truly unsettling, and yet somehow, they are perfectly legal. Here are the top 10 outrageously strange things that are actually legal.
A trademark usually presents itself in the form of a name, a logo, a design, or a phrase, with the purpose of distinguishing one manufacturer’s products from another. Sometimes, however, when business is really good for a particular brand, or it has a head start over the competition, then that particular brand might just become a proprietary eponym, or generic trademark. This means that if a product develops a substantial market share over the other manufacturers, or it becomes well ingrained into the public consciousness, then its brand could replace the name for the entire industry.
In philosophy, determinists believe that free will is an illusion and that, therefore, human beings can’t be held morally responsible for their actions. As a result of nature and nurture, man’s actions are inevitable. Although he was unable to articulate determinists’ philosophy, HH Holmes believed that he was born to kill. He believed that he had no control over his actions whatsoever, and therefore would not even apologize for the lives that he claimed.
The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), was first formed in 1972 under the name the Behavioral Science Unit. The foundation of the unit was agents Robert Ressler and John Douglas. Ressler and Douglas wanted to bring in elements of psychology to help develop a profile of unidentified spree or serial killers, which they called Unknown Subjects, or UNSUBs. Ressler is also credited with coining the term “serial killer.”
He went on to invoke the legacy of explorer Francis Drake, and concluded by saying that the nation would never forget seeing the five crew members, the engineer, and the teacher, whom he dubbed the Challenger Seven, as they “slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.” It was one of the most important speeches in modern American history. With that speech in mind, let’s remind ourselves of and learn more about this national tragedy.
The current investigations into Russian meddling into US elections could potentially be one of the biggest scandals in American history. With the intelligence community in agreement as to Russia’s role in undermining the election by producing fake news, attempting to hack election systems, as well as its theft and proliferation of DNC emails, it’s hard not to conclude that Russia’s meddling was an overwhelming success. Many American citizens have expressed outrage over the breach of their hallowed institutions, with some even calling it an act of war.
The creation of a child is a strange and miraculous process, and while few women experience a truly “average” pregnancy, some of them have some really unique experiences. Here are some of the most incredible birth stories ever recorded.
Following the end of World War II, the fear of nuclear war with the Soviet Union caused many organizations to buckle down on what they considered to be American values. In Hollywood, it was no different. In 1944, the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals (or “MPA” for short) was created. Any screenwriter, director, or actor who was even suspected of being involved with the Communist party was blacklisted from the industry.
Have you ever thought about what the world would be like if it was a cube? What would happen if you chose to live in the water? Or what if every nuclear bomb in the world went off? These are just a few of the crazy scenarios in our latest installment of 10 Crazy ‘What If’ Scenarios…
In 2007, the Small Arms Survey estimated that there were 650 million civilian-held guns in the world. Unless we all fell asleep and somehow missed a coordinated global melting down of guns, that number has certainly risen. Yep, our planet is awash in guns for all uses: from sport, to hunting, to recreation, to personal safety.
“So bad it’s good” is a concept that applies to all forms of media. Basically, it’s when something sucks so hard it’s Metacritic rating bottoms out and somehow finds itself below zero, at which point it becomes amazing. Here’s a list of 10 companies who seem to specialize in making exactly this kind of content, and do it so well that you kind of have to respect them.
This year, the French began to enforce a law that bans unhealthily thin models, with said models needing a doctor’s certificate in order to be hired for work. In addition the law stipulates that digitally altered images, that make models appear even skinnier than they are, will need to be labeled as such. It’s a dramatic step to tackle the growing epidemic of eating disorders that continues to perpetuate in the Western world.
Climate change is a serious problem – probably the most dangerous predicament humanity has ever been in. And every second that goes by and we’re not doing anything about it, the more dangerous things are going to become, and the harder it will be to fix them. But let’s not kick off this list on such a gloomy note, and instead look at what can be done to change that. The answer is as simple as what caused all of this in the first place – namely, the little things. Slight tweaks in our habits can go a long way, without us having to revert to a pre-Industrial, 18th century-lifestyle to get there. And yes, we are on topic here, in case you were wondering.
Slavery is one of the most evil institutions in the world, and a horrifying habit that humans over the ages have continued to regress to. We have evidence of slavery as far back as recorded history goes, and it is quite likely it existed even before then. Some people like to think that in our modern age, slavery is being stamped out. While it is technically illegal in all countries today, it actually exists in some form or another in most countries in the world, just under a different name.
The Dark Side of Japan is a collection of folk tales, black magic, protection spells, monsters and other dark interpretations of life and death from Japanese folklore. Much of the information comes from ancient documents, translated into English here for the first time. Antony Cummins has also searched the now forgotten Victorian volumes on Japanese mythology and explains recent academic research on Japan for the non-expert. Antony has transformed the complex information into a modern rendering, with stories and details that let a modern reader enter into the world of the forgotten legends of old Japan and the superstitions that colour them, some of which still exist today.
Walt Disney opened Disneyland in 1955, and since then, the corporation has only grown its park locations all over the world. Over 20 million people visit each of these locations every single year. So, it only makes sense that in order to keep these Disney fans coming back, improvements need to be made to the park rides and attractions. Here are 10 attractions that simply did not make the cut.
Dinosaurs have captured our imagination since their remains were first discovered and identified back in 1864, and scientists have spent the last 200 years trying to fully understand these creatures who once ruled the Earth. But it seems like new discoveries change the dinosaur game every few decades, and we’re forced to redraw our ideas about dinosaurs once again. Even so, there are many dinosaur myths that continue to roam around despite these new discoveries, and it’s about time for these myths and misconceptions to go extinct once and for all.
It’s a staple of cheesy action movies and TV shows—a harebrained solution that is so outlandish the protagonists just might pull it off. “It’s just crazy enough to work,” they always say. However, plans that seem wildly implausible, but somehow manage to succeed, don’t only exist in the world of fiction. Below are 10 real-life crazy schemes, plans, and ideas that really were just wacky enough to work…
The limbless cousins to the lizards are some of the most maligned animals on Earth, though most species are entirely harmless to man and all are a valuable part of nature’s balance. Even without arms and legs, they can come in a remarkable assortment of forms adapted to a surprising variety of environments.
Americans have gotten a lot of flack around the world lately – some of it quite justifiably, we must admit. However, the United States is not a horrible place, or an evil dystopian fascist empire trying to take down the rest of the world (…yet). Most Americans are strongly against racism or any other kind of discrimination. While we get a lot of grief for our involvement in other countries’ foreign affairs, and our own domestic politics at home, there are many positive things about the United States that would surprise most foreign visitors.
Ever since the invention of the first piloted airplane, designed by Orville and Wilbur Wright, using airplanes as a method of transportation has become very popular. These two men, on May 14, 1908, were the first to successfully pilot a fixed two-wing airplane. However, the first fatal airplane crash was also that same year. Thomas Selfridge was killed when Orville unsuccessfully flew the plane during a demonstration for the US Army Signal Corps. Selfridge had opted to be a passenger while Orville piloted. The right propeller broke which eventually caused the plane to nose-dive, even though Orville had glided the plane for about 70 feet.
Nowadays celebrity scandals are fairly common and anytime a celebrity sneezes wrong you hear about it all over the news. Whether it’s an affair, someone yelling at an employee at a coffee shop, or whatever other fairly basic scandal, the media will report it as if it is the most amazing breaking news that has ever happened in the history of mankind.
Set design is an important aspect of filmmaking and for the most part, many of the props you see on screen in your favorite movies are just that: props. Things made in a warehouse somewhere by an underpaid intern. Every now and again, though, sometimes filmmakers decide to just use the real thing. Here are 10 of the most amusing examples.
It’s a nightmare all of us occasionally have. As the plane taxies down the runway, as it starts to lift off into the air, as the ground drops further and further away… the faint, unstoppable fear that the next thing you feel might be gravity grabbing hold and dragging you down to a fiery grave. That’s the reason horrific air disasters tend to stick in our minds. It’s all too easy to imagine how those poor people on the Hindenburg, or on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, or in the planes in the Tenerife Airport disaster must have felt.
Humans have been experimenting since the days that we first made fire, and it has served us well. Over the ages the sum total of our knowledge has continued to expand and we have learned all kinds of amazing things about the world we live in. However, some of the things we have learned have only been possible because someone first did something absolutely crazy, and some things we know weren’t even that necessary, but they decided they just had to find out what would happen. In this article, we discuss some of the craziest experiments ever performed on human beings (and, in one case, a human’s best friend). Be warned, some of these are rather disturbing.
It’s important to feel proud of yourself. It’s also important not to compare yourself negatively to others. It’s not you vs. the world; it’s you vs. you. But sometimes others can act as inspiration. If you can look at others accomplishments without jealousy, as motivation, then they can be helpful. We hope you will try to keep that in mind as we list off these kids who have accomplished stuff that the prime, adult version of you probably never could.
We often check out sci-fi movies and books for ideas on what future tech could look like – anything from Marty McFly’s hoverboard to Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber – but what we don’t realize is that there are so many amazing gadgets and gizmos already around us. Every year, genius minds come up with fantastic ideas that have the potential to be game-changers. Sure, some ideas may fall flat, but for every weird and wacky item, there is a genuinely cool piece of technology that we humans could be using for many years into the future. Let’s take a look at 10 items that seem from the year 3017, but are actually coming very soon or available now.
Mapping things is an incredibly useful tool for humanity. By analyzing a given situation or development and then putting the results on a map, scientists and researchers can better understand and predict future trends around the world. And more detailed that map is, the more accurate the predictions are. Now, maps don’t even need to be about something in particular to be cool or entertaining, but the more they are about something, the better… right? So with that being said, let’s take a look at some of the maps out there and see what we can learn from them about the world we live in… and beyond.
There are many great cities out there to live in, but there are also some you would rather stay away from. Some are obvious. They’re known for simply having high homicide rates, or perhaps less than great water quality. However, there are also some cities out there that are so bad at certain things, that they would be absolutely horrific, and almost impossible for most people to stand living in. And yet, despite the everyday horrors, some people manage to live in these cities their entire lives, and find a measure of enjoyment in the world around them.
In this video we are working with historical researcher Antony Cummins and we are taking these legends from his new book The Dark Side of Japan. Antony and his team have translated old spells, witchcraft and unknown elements of dark Japanese magic and combined them with a collection of folklore tales which were recorded in the late 19th century. More on the book at the end. The list you are about to see will hopefully be those lesser known legends that are circulating about Japan and as many of you have a great knowledge on Japan we will try to present to you the sections of folklore that need more attention.
Correction: From a medical doctor who is fan of TopTenz, concerning Advil for heart attacks. "I am a family physician, and I was concerned regarding the recommendation presented in the video that people who are concerned they are having a heart attack take Advil. Ibuprofen (brand name Advil), while an NSAID, is not recommended for symptoms of a heart attack. Rather, aspirin is the recommended medication as it inhibits platelet aggregation. Ibuprofen does not do this, and if patients inadvertently take Advil, this could actually worsen damage to the heart and interact adversely with aspirin once they receive this at the hospital to increase risk of bleeding and other complications."
Google is not the richest company in the world or even the most profitable in its own sector; however, the search giant poses the biggest threat to the privacy, security and sovereignty of individuals. How can this be, you’re probably thinking? Google provides free email, storage, and analytics services, they’re not one of those corporations. They’re not bad. It’s true, Google has managed to escape the negative press of companies like Walmart and even Facebook but the truth is that Google is much more dangerous. Here are the Top Ten Reasons to Fear Google.
Modern warfare casualty numbers are often deceiving as they record how many soldiers can no longer fight not how many were killed. Casualty figures include those Killed In Action (KIA) but they also count those Wounded In Action (WIA), Missing In Action (MIA) and those taken Prisoner of War (POW) as these soldiers are no longer on the unit’s roll call. This is further complicated because a lot of nonfatal wounds that occurred on one day will eventually days later kill the soldier. Prisoners offer the same difficulties as POWs often die in the horrible conditions of the prison camps. For example, during World War II the Nazis were particularly brutal to their Soviet prisoners causing 3.3 to 3.5 million deaths, or 57% of all Soviet POWs.
Everyone dreams of living in the coolest, biggest, most amazing house imaginable. And everyone has thought about the wild amenities they’d go for if they could afford them. Heck, at this point we’re pretty sure that’s the entire driving force behind HGTV’s full schedule of shows. Big or small, there are some features that most of us can only dream of… but for the rich and famous, they can become a reality. Here are some of our favorite examples of completely outrageous and lavish – yet entirely awesome – celebrity homes.
In 1936, the film Reefer Madness depicted the terrible consequences of just a single toke of marijuana; a psychotic rampage that can only end in murder, suicide, or lifelong incarceration. Well, we better be ready for a whole lotta killer sex rampages in the near-future. Pot is starting to become big business. Multiple states and countries are relaxing their anti-weed laws, and 4 a.m. pizza orders are about to hit an all-time high.
Finding ways to make work easier has been part of the human experience for a very long time. In fact, innovation is one of the major traits that make us stand out from the rest of the animal kingdom. And just like we phased out certain aspects of manual labor with horses, and then phased out horses with cars and other vehicles, now, it’s time to phase out people completely, and let the machines do all the work. Even though this transition has happened since… well, almost forever, this time it’s different. Automation today is like nothing what came before. Over the next two decades, almost half of all jobs in the US could be automated. Here are 10 of the careers that would see the largest influx of non-human workers.
Living a long life is always nice, but living a long life your own way is much more fulfilling. These world-record holders are all the oldest people to do something incredible, whether that means becoming parents, tying the knot, sticking with their profession, or just defying the odds.
People buy some pretty pointless stuff. For example, someone paid James Franco $10,000 for a piece of “Non-Visible” art. But how much is a few lines of code really worth? Would you be willing to fork over thousands, maybe even millions of dollars for an in-game purchase? You may not feel like spending more money than most people make in a lifetime on a virtual item, yet some people have. These are the most expensive in-game purchases ever made. We should also note that all the prices are listed in U.S. dollars.
Starting in the early years of the 21st Century, China began to build high speed track. And build. And build. Fast forward at near hyperspeed to 2017, and the country is a vast network of bullet trains hurtling millions of passengers over distances we’d usually consider “impossible.” While Japan may have started the locomotive speed boom in Asia, it’s China that has made it its own. And, as China tends to do, they’ve also made it bigger, crazier and more fascinating than anybody else.
The United Kingdom’s special forces are not necessarily quite as well known as some of the United States special forces, and are often not as lauded around the world, but this is not because of lack of competence. The truth is that the United States tends to more heavily advertise it’s military in popular culture, and is known for being a bit flashy, whereas the British quietly do what needs to be done, and make less of a big deal about it.
Legendary stock car driver Dale Earnhardt once said, “It’s a never ending battle of making your cars better and also trying to be better yourself.” While this list won’t necessarily better you, these hacks will improve the look and the effectiveness of your car. And if you make your car cooler, isn’t that at least a step in the right direction of self-improvement?
Traveling in Asia is out of this world. The culture is alien, and the food is far removed from what people eat in the west. And no, we’re not talking about fortune cookies (which were actually invented in San Francisco). And of course, there is so much more to Asia that’s incredible to explore. When you’re overseas getting lost and rubbing elbows with the natives, it’s the best way to experience new cultures… but it also opens you up to scams as some of these same locals try and suck out the hard earned cash from your money belt.
Apps are great because they are pieces of software that are usually relatively cheap, especially considering 20 years ago similar programs would have cost 100 times more and wouldn’t have worked nearly as well. In fact, most aren’t just cheap; a vast majority of apps in both the Apple’s App Store and Google Play are free. But not all apps are low in price. Here are 10 of the most ludicrously expensive apps you can buy. Though, as you’ll soon see… why would you?
Treasure hunting will always be something that captures the imagination. People love the idea of finding some crazy stash and striking it rich, and safes are no exception. In recent years it has become quite popular to try to get your hands on cheap, old, locked safes and open them in the hopes of making a fortune. Of course, as safes are usually only abandoned when not in use, most of these people come up with nothing at all. However, very rarely, something of note is found, and everyone gets a really interesting story – and hopefully some money – out of the whole deal.
We live in an age in which bad news and negativity reigns, making it easy to overlook the positive things that have taken place in our world over the last half century. Further, one doesn’t need to view the world through rose-colored glasses to see the many things that have transpired over the last few decades all designed to make all our lives easier, safer, and overall less challenging than they were for our forbearers. All one needs to do is compare the present to the fairly recent past to recognize that while there are still things to be depressed about, there are a number of things that have improved dramatically. So what are these “positives” of which I speak? Below are my top ten “things” that have dramatically improved since 1964—and many of which show signs of getting even better in the future—so eat your hearts out, all you purveyors of doom and gloom out there.
The public figures below have certainly gotten their 15 minutes of fame, so you’ve probably seen them in the news. What may surprise you about the people on this list, who generally caught the public’s attention for other reasons—involvement in a scandal, a shocking medical miracle, membership in the First Family, or even an appearance on a talk show—is that they have all also been paid to strip down for risqué photos or films (voluntarily—this list doesn’t include anyone whose image was captured without consent or which was exposed to the public gaze without permission). Below are 10 folks you might not expect to see in risqué photos, or even adult films…
Assessing who the richest person to ever live was is a rather difficult task. In some cases, the exact amount of wealth the person accumulated is unknown. Secondly, it’s hard to determine the proper exchange rate or the rate of inflation since the person died, or was at the peak of his wealth. Instead, most of these figures are based on the percentage of their nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that the individual personally owned.
For many of us, it was drilled into our brains from birth that college was a necessary step to success. And for many people, it is. But not for everybody. There are several downsides to getting a college education that we all seem to gloss over because we’ve been convinced that it’s a necessity.
Millions of people currently subsist on a diet free of meat, and millions more do so on a diet completely free of any animal produce whatsoever. For some reason, what a person chooses (or rather in this case, chooses not) to eat is a weirdly contentious issue online. So we compiled a list of 5 pros and 5 cons of a vegetarian or vegan diet you you may want to consider if not eating meat is something that’s ever appealed to you.
According to the CDC, roughly 10 million people every year are subject to spousal abuse of some kind, and this doesn’t even count the abuse numbers perpetrated against children by a battering parent. Domestic violence is a huge problem, and shutting it down while also dealing with the spread is an issue society has been trying to get a handle on for some time now.
From the blatantly bizarre and degenerate to the awe-inspiring, some of us go to extremes in our quest to break world records. Unfortunately, not all records are of the variety that we aspire to. The individuals on this list are all holders of tragic and sordid records that can only be gained through deplorable bad luck, foolhardiness, or simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
On this list, you’ll find some of the most terrifying gangs and crime syndicates from every continent on Earth, with the exception of Australia and, obviously, Antarctica. No one’s going to be muscling in on penguin turf anytime soon. As for the Land Down Under, it’s because while Australia has some scary biker gangs, which are called bikie gangs (how adorable!), their most dominant crime syndicate is actually centralized in Europe (and it’s found in entry #5).
There’s nothing quite like a day at the beach filled with fun in the sun, sand and surf, but not all beaches are created equal. Some places have sparkling blue or green waters, while others have sand-filled, cloudy waves. Some shorelines are dangerous, filled with rocks and riptides, while others are shallow and lined with soft sand.
If you asked people what the world’s most popular drug is, what would the most common answer be? Many people will say marijuana, or cannabis if they’re pretentious potheads. There will be some people that get closer by saying tobacco or alcohol. Probably fewer than say weed, because when most of us hear the word drug we think of illegal drugs. However, none of these are correct. The right answer: caffeine. We don’t think of drinking coffee as doing drugs, but that’s what it is. So read on to find out more about the only recreational drug that your parents will encourage you to take with that Starbucks gift card they send you at Christmas.
If only we could bid for a Clark Kent-esque supersuit on eBay — life would be pretty awesome if we were invincible. Ridiculous daydreams aside, some people are hard at working developing indestructible materials. No one has succeeded yet, but while we’re waiting there are a few things you can get your hands on today that come pretty close.
The United States government has tried their best to keep the facts about their Special Forces and what they do as secretive as possible. However, in a country that is so proud of its military and their lore, quite a bit has managed to leak out anyway. More recently, the Navy SEALs have been very much in the spotlight due to the raid on the compound holding Osama Bin Laden, as well as the subsequent movies and books about it. However, much of what you have heard recently about the SEALs may not be the whole truth, and there are many other equally interesting Special Forces that have fallen under the radar in recent years.
The world is full of “what ifs?” What if JFK hadn’t decided to go cruising through Dallas in an open-top car? What if Gandhi had never got teed-off with the British Empire? What if we’d been wearing pants that time the cops pulled us over? That’s the nature of things: we can never truly know. But we sure as heck can speculate. And, thankfully, Earth’s long, long history has given us plenty to speculate about.
For many different reasons, the people on this list aren’t household names, but they had a major impact on the world. In some cases, there is something physically unique that is found only in them. Others have done something that has had a massive, rippling effect throughout history that we still feel today.
Spend enough time online and you’ll eventually encounter a person mockingly talking about overly PC, censor-happy snowflakes who’re triggered by mean words. This, as it happens, isn’t a new phenomenon, or even one limited to one specific end of the political spectrum (who’d have thought it?). Here are 10 examples of the most innocent things busybodies of the era tried to censor, starting with…
Alexander Hamilton came from humble beginnings, but eventually became one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the first Secretary of the Treasury. While he never became President, he was an incredibly influential figure in the formation of America and an indelible part of its history. Here are 10 things about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s muse you may not know…
We’ve all been there. It’s the last Thursday of the month, you’re slowly looking from your paycheck to the stack of bills beside the fridge, and feeling your soul curl up and weep at how financially screwed you are. Yup, it’s a common feeling for many of us, especially if our postal address happens to include an NYC, San Fran, or LA zip code. But fear not, there are plenty of other, cheaper cities out there. The best part? You won’t even have to move abroad to find them!
On June 25, 1940, France surrendered to the military might of Germany after being crushed in the Blitzkrieg. Almost immediately, Adolf Hitler and his gang of thugs began planning their next attack that respected no treaties, no borders, and no decency, the proposed invasion of neutral Switzerland. The Germans never did invade Switzerland during World War II, as they did not invade several other notable places they certainly considered invading or would have greatly benefited from invading. Here we list 10 of those places. What other places would you include on this list?
History is far more complicated that we would like to believe. Even in our schools today, different versions of events are being taught to students, depending on the country they’re in and how those events in history affected that country. “Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past,” right? Nevertheless, we also have archaeology, which sometimes helps us to better understand what happened regardless of what was written down in centuries past. And sometimes, some such discoveries turn the way we saw history right on its head.
Like the moment when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was taken out because his assassin stopped for a sandwich, some small moments in history can have absolutely incredible impact. While most things in the world take place because of boring and tedious work done over decades, there are those times when things hang in the balance, and the wrong move can alter the course of history forever. Below are several scenarios where the history of the world changed in a very short span of time – if these things had happened differently, we could be living with a very different world today.
In a world where fake news and false facts are rampant, it’s hard to distinguish what is true and what isn’t, especially when it sounds so unbelievable. We have gone through some crazy news stories and unbelievable tales from history and culled even more of the most interesting, unbelievable facts that sound like BS, but are completely true.
When the democratic nomination for President began, many pundits and strategists saw it as a mere formality for Hillary Clinton, while others believed it would be a sort of coronation as the Democratic Party unified behind her. The truth has been far from what was predicted as Senator Bernie Sanders, from Vermont, has rallied young and old over the structural flaws with the American economy. Specifically, Sanders has spoken out against the corporate interests that have corrupted the political system, and have rigged the economy to their benefit.
Antarctica is a place of unbelievable wonder and mystery. Of the seven continents it’s the most recently discovered, the least hospitable, the least inhabited and the least explored. It’s also, as you’re about to learn, one of the most fascinating places in the world.
Laws aren’t made to be popular; they are made to enforce behavior and allow humans to live together in functional societies. However, across the world, there are some laws that just don’t make sense. Some aren’t enforceable, some are anachronistic, and some defy facts and/or logic. Below are 10 examples of regulations that will make you ask, “Seriously–how is this a law?”
Here at Toptenz we’ve never been ones to shy away from admitting our faults, and we know that in the past we’ve been guilty of over-analyzing pop culture perhaps a little too much. That said, we always did so with a tongue planted firmly in our cheek. Today we’re here to talk about 10 aspects of pop culture people took more seriously than we ever imagined. For example, consider the absolute mess that has arose as a result of people arguing about …
Slavery remains one of the most uncomfortable subjects in the history of the United States of America. Indeed, it can hardly be relegated to being only American “history” as we’ll soon see in greater depth. There are large groups of historical revisionists that have a vested interest in trying to downplay it or reshape it in a way that’s more comfortable for their agendas. There are also some people that have grown up with overly simplistic versions of slavery in the past and its current state. We here at TopTenz will strive do our small part to push back against both.
Hybrid cars, computers, those terrible smartphone games everyone’s hooked on: humanity has come a long way since our cave-dwelling, hunting-and-gathering, Quasimodo-looking forefathers. But why? What drove all of these fantastic exhibitions of human achievement?
Language is always evolving, changing as our civilization changes. As populations move, local dialects mix, vocabularies blend, die off, or go viral and infect the mainstream. Before the Internet brought everyone online the biggest events to bring large numbers of different dialects styles to together was war.
Music is an international language. It brings people together. Every culture has its own repertoire of melodies, songs, dances, and in some cases, even their own unique instruments. It’s hard to say how early in our evolution we began to develop music, but seeing tribes around the world today, we can guess that it was quite early.
Yes, sharks are horrifying killing machines. They’ve been on Earth for 450 million years, which is longer than trees have been around, and throughout their history many species have been (and still are) apex predators. However, the good news is that even though sharks can be dangerous to humans, most of the time they are not. The odds of being bitten by a shark are about 1 in 3.7 million. So you’re more likely to be hit by lightning, or to be bitten by Uruguayan soccer player Luis Suarez, than you are to be bitten by a shark.
The usual candidates for this kind of list would be things like the highest mountain, or the longest river, or the biggest forest, or canyon, or other obvious stuff like that. But you probably already learned those things in school, and we here at TopTenz aren’t about the obvious and instead focus on bringing you other records. The ones people rarely talk about. So let’s do exactly that. Here are 10 other records owned by Mother Nature.
New York City is a world capital in every sense of the word — it’s a cultural and economic powerhouse, and arguably the most influential city on the planet. But it wasn’t always this way, as the following cities once dominated the world around them.
Throughout history, different civilizations have also thought about what happens when someone dies. As varying cultures, they developed complex systems about what happens after we take our last breaths. While some of them are very different from each other, there are also a shocking amount of similarities between the afterlives of these cultures that were spread out all over the world.
Can you imagine serving under a general who until recently was commanding soldiers who wanted to capture or kill you? Would you ever trust that person to be at all concerned for your safety or loyal to the cause at all? Well, thousands and thousands of soldiers have had to put up with that situation. It has worked out for all parties involved in many interesting ways, sometimes in very surprising ones.
On August 30, 1792, Napoleon Bonaparte was appointed a captain in the French Army, a major stepping stone on the path that eventually resulted in his becoming Emperor of the French. Over two centuries later, on August 30, 2017, we honor that most august of monarchs, Napoleon I the Great. Not at all the little blustering egoist of myth, and certainly not the Anti-Christ, Napoleon is much more than that, and we will share 10 amazing reasons why you should agree.
Ever since Adam Smith wrote Wealth of Nations, we’ve understood that sovereign states are where it’s at, both economically and politically. Or have we? The 21st Century has seen the world’s most economically-active cities overtake countries so fast that nations are eating their dust. New York alone has an economy bigger than Canada. Osaka ranks higher than Switzerland. Paris could comfortably buy out South Africa and still have some spare change. After falling out of fashion, will city states once again be our future?
Lying gets a bad rap but, oftentimes, it can help keep life interesting. Lies can inspire people to greater heights of achievement, even as they often sink the liar to lower depths. Lies save more lives and livelihoods than you’d ever believe (trust us; we’d never lie about that.) So here’s to ten of those who most successfully raised dishonesty to an art form.
Planet Earth is an amazing place, to say the least. And even though we’ve been living on its surface our entire life, there are still a lot of things we don’t know about it. Many things that we do know are awe-inspiring. What’s even more interesting about some of these is the fact that they have wide-scale implications on everything around them. But why try to be so mysterious, if we can give you 10 such examples, right?
There’s something that seems to continue to please audiences and critics about the thought that, at some point in a film, TV show, or other production, something that normally would be faked to make it easier and safer for the actors was not simulated. Real danger because the actors got too into performing the scene. Stunts gone wrong. Or, just extremely unsafe working conditions in general. Maybe it’s because it makes the fantasy of movies more real in some way, or because it gives the performers more of a freak show appeal. Whatever the case, no matter how much publicity it’s good for, this sort of thing should not be celebrated.
The Butterfly Effect principle simply states that, given enough time, whatever event, no matter how small, can and will have tremendous reverberations into the future. And when talking about past disasters, natural or otherwise, we always have to keep in mind that, even though devastating, they are part of what brought us here in the first place. Without them the world and everything in it would have taken a totally different turn, ending up completely different than it is today. The further back in time any particular event takes place, the more indirect influence it has on the present and future, altering them beyond recognition.
Despite living a life that was in many ways more modest than most of ours, Van Gogh the painter has become a larger than life figure. His paintings have sold for such high prices, and stories like the removal of one of his ears have completely overshadowed the real person and the true nature of his body of work. Obviously no list can completely convey the entirety of a human being, but it will address a few of the common misconceptions and expand our knowledge of the man and work.
The yakuza is the Japanese mafia and their name essentially means “good for nothing.” The name is believed to be drawn from the lowest hand in the Japanese card game baccara, which is similar to Blackjack. In the game, getting the cards ya-ku-sa (“eight-nine-three”) is the worst possible hand you can get.
In a sense, the Jedi and the Sith are different sides of the same coin. They are the extremes of what some may say is the same ideology. The Jedi believe in control over themselves, their emotions, and control in everything else in the Galaxy through peace. The Sith, on the other hand, believe in power; power to shape the Galaxy as they see fit. And while the Jedi believe that anyone should have the power of control over their lives, the Sith believe that anyone should control the amount of power they can individually achieve.
You probably don’t know their faces, but millions of people know their voices better than they do the voices of their own family. For nearly the past century, these performers brought life to iconic cartoon characters and excited audiences about upcoming films and shows, all without having to spend any time in the hair and makeup department.
When you ask Westerners about Japan, odds are they’ll come up with some peculiar stereotypes, generally involving things like Sailor Moon and maybe (OK, probably) some tentacles. Of course, not every stereotype is true. There are a lot of normal aspects to Japanese culture, and Japan in general is home to some incredible history and one of the most technologically advanced and financially robust populations in the world.
What is the stuff of legend? Is it making a game winning shot? Is it revolutionizing an industry or a country? Super-human efforts lead us to placing men and women on pedestals for all to admire and aspire to. What is more super-human than fighting off a group of enemy combatants by oneself? That is the stuff of legend.
Recording a video is a good way to encapsulate a moment so you can keep it for as long as you like. However, most of the people involved in these videos wish that those moments never happened, and would now go away. These are people who did something stupid, or illegal, and were unfortunate enough to have it caught on film. The videos went public, and it completely ruined their lives.
Since audiences believing propaganda tends to be of dire importance to the governments and organizations creating it, you’d expect it to try to be as believable and somber about subjects that are a matter of life and death as they can be. You would at least expect basic tact and decorum. If not that, at least something somewhat credible. These, however, are often pure nonsense, even though they were often made for the purpose of withholding basic human rights from people.
Doesn’t being in a crowd just suck? Catching the subway, getting in line at the airport, unexpectedly finding yourself in the mosh pit at a heavy metal gig… hey, we’ve all been there. But while those moments were likely among the least-pleasant of our lives, at least we had somewhere you could escape to after. Not everyone is so lucky. Some of our fellow humans are stuck living in cities that are like Black Friday at the magic unicorn store all year round.
Who were Attila and his Huns? Well, as Europe was slowly transitioning from the Classical Era to more medieval times, the Roman Empire was witnessing its last years as a dominant force on the continent. Well, the western half, at least. In the east, the Byzantine Empire would endure up until the 15th century. In any case, the Western Roman Empire fell due in large part to the many internal struggles for power, but also because of the many barbaric incursions coming in from Central and Eastern Europe.
What elementary school student in America couldn’t tell you about Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, two of the most famous signers of one of the three most momentous documents of American history? Most middle school students could go a little further and tell you about second president John Adams or John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, if only because of his most prominent signature.
Traveling is something most of us want to do as much as possible, assuming we can afford it. But visiting the standard tourist destinations around the world, which do have plenty of great characteristics, does become boring after a while. For those of us with a sense of adventure, and who want to see our planet in its truest form, we can go exploring its natural wonders – of which Earth has plenty. Below is a list of ten such places, where we leave the concrete, steel, and all the comforts of home behind, and return to the most pristine parts of the world Mother Nature has to offer.
It’s time for some good, old-fashioned speculation. What would happen if aliens visited earth? Now, the speculation and assumptions we’re about to make are based on logic, philosophy, educated guesses, probabilities, nature, and of course, our own history. After all, our frame of reference is quite limited when it comes to possible encounters with extraterrestrial life. So, we have to imagine the most plausible scenarios, as well as try to think outside the box as much as possible.
While most of the time we only hear about the most important cities, or those with the most breathtaking architecture, there are many quirky and bizarre cities hiding in spots you wouldn’t ever imagine all over the world. Some of these cities have reached their situations organically, ending up in the most ridiculous predicaments, with little idea of any way out. Others were the incredibly ambitious dreams of people or governments who saw fit to do something beyond what most people would consider normal or necessary. For your enjoyment, below are 10 of the world’s weirdest cities.
Pirates have fascinated the masses for hundreds of years. Romanticized in fiction, the image of a pirate has crystallized into a bearded, peg-legged man, with a funny hat and possibly a parrot on his shoulder. The pirate was almost relegated to a quaint decades-old obsession until Disney revived the swashbucklers by rebooting a Disneyland ride into a multi-billion dollar movie franchise. The films star Johnny Depp, pretending to be Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, or as Roger Ebert once wrote, “channeling a drunken drag queen, with his eyeliner and the way he minces ashore and slurs his dialogue ever so insouciantly.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Star Wars, The Jedi are an Order whose origins span back for more than a thousand generations. They are Force-sensitive beings of all races, shapes and sizes found throughout the entirety of the known galaxy and who have vowed to uphold peace and justice within the Galactic Republic.
Have you ever gotten an email attachment of an animal doing something cute? Or found yourself watching countless videos of animals showing compassion to one another? As a result of these videos, many of us have come to see animals outside of their true nature. Survival in nature is not pretty, and, at times, the survival of a species is the result of a terribly gruesome or just plain bizarre process of reproduction.
Documentaries are probably the most unappreciated film genre, even as the viewing public seems increasingly enamored with every flavor of reality television. Even worse is when high profile, rabble-rousing pieces from people like Michael Moore or Al Gore discredit documentaries as a whole and steal publicity from smaller, more honest, and more interesting movies. This article will give some well-overdue attention to less famous docs that would, in a fairer world, be better known than all the blockbuster fiction movies or the Ken Burns-type movies.
In war, when the chips are down and the odds are against a military unit, it can be time to defy common sense and get creative. Of course real life has been full of many instances of small, overpowered armies trying unusual tactics and getting destroyed, but since there’s no novelty value they quickly get forgotten by history. Which just makes it all the more amazing when some comparatively small or ill-equipped band of soldiers wins the day against what seems like an overwhelming force.
When authors write about the future, they have to predict what technology and life might be like decades down the road. While the books are often written as a metaphor for their contemporary society, some authors have made amazingly accurate predictions about what modern life has actually become.
We all do it. When a mystery movie comes on, we sit enraptured, looking for clues, trying our damnedest to become the finest real-life Sherlock Holmes whose butt our couch has ever had the honor of hosting. “Oh, I think it’s the boyfriend,” we might say, or “Well of coursethe killer is really the plate of sentient avocados” we insist, probably while watching a David Lynch film.
The gradual formation of the Earth has given us some impressive islands, which are home to some of humankind’s biggest cities and even countries. While humans can’t make islands as impressive as mother nature, we’ve certainly have made some very cool ones. These are 10 of the most amazing artificial islands from all around the globe.
The historical development of civilization cannot be understood without also understanding the history of bloodshed. In fact, the shift in paradigms and institutions have only taken place with the utilization of weapons of war to behead kings and dethrone emperors. The development of weapons has been critical to the advancement of societies and the fates of peoples and governments.
With so many languages bouncing around the globe, you would be forgiven for thinking English is just one of many. The following 10 entries look at how a once small language spoken by an island people is now used as a global lingua franca. If Latin had the Roman Empire, then English has the world.
To some people, hackers are modern-day Robin Hoods or Guy Fawkeses. They’re fighting a moral battle against people and systems that they feel are oppressors. On the other hand, there are people who simply view hackers as vandals and criminals.
Going to the post office can be one of the most mundane—and dreaded—items on your to-do list. But if you’ve ever had the chance to visit any of the outposts below, you know that not all post offices are boring. Here are 10 crazy post offices that make mail delivery seem exciting…
Vampires have long been seen as a threat to society. For hundreds, if not thousands of years, they’ve had us humans transfixed. As for how they came about, theories range from the anthropological to the otherworldly, but one thing’s for sure: they’re here to stay.
When you walk into a grocery store, whether you realize it or not, everything is designed to make you buy more. From the carts to the smells, from the music to the shelves, very careful research has determined what will best sell. By knowing the tricks of the trade that your grocery store is using, you can become a more disciplined shopper and make sure you only buy what you need. Here are the top 10 tricks that grocery stores use to make you buy more once you’re in their store.
Like many rulers from the time before we had running water and microwaves, the pharaohs of Egypt were considered to be only rivaled in power by the gods their people worshipped. Considering the ancient Egyptians worshipped a god with crocodile for a head, they must have thought their pharaohs were pretty boss. So boss in fact that they let them get away with some pretty ridiculous things during their time in power, for example let’s talk about that time…
With archaeology, we are able to take a peek into the past. Ancient texts, though revealing, often times are subjective, written by conquerors and victors, skewing the facts to make themselves appear in a more positive light. But ancient relics, buried deep in the ground by time or people, tell a more complete story of what happened hundreds, if not thousands of years ago.
As of 2008, for the first time in human history about as many people live in urban areas as suburban or rural ones. That means there are a lot of people who think that they deal with greater levels of traffic, more crime, more overcrowding, and higher costs of living than residents of places they consider barely populated backwaters.
The surface of the Earth is 71% water, that water is home to some amazing and terrifying creatures. Some of these aquatic animals are rarely seen by humans and live in the murky depths of the ocean, while the others live near the surface and are quite dangerous to us. What they all have in common is that they are the stuff of nightmares.
While there are other countries that have opioid problems, Americans purchase about 80 percent of the world's supply of opioids and Americans abuse them more than anyone else. In 2014, an estimated 2 million Americans had an opioid use disorder, this includes using painkillers like OxyContin and Percocet, and then another 586,000 people are addicted to heroin.
Unless, like us, you always have a bag of them ready to rock in your freezer (seriously, try Skittles straight from the freezer, they taste amazing), you probably don’t spare much thought for the rainbow colored candy snack unless you’re eating them. Well, we do. So we compiled this list of stories and facts about the candy. Partly because it’s interesting, but mostly because we really want them to sponsor us so we can live our dream of Scrooge McDuck-ing our way into a giant pile of these delicious treats.
Gingers, redheads, carrot tops–there are a lot nicknames for those with red hair, especially considering that red is the rarest human hair color. However, while gingers may be (relatively) few in number, their fiery locks attract outsized attention. Nonetheless, there are some facts about redheads that may still surprise you. Below, find 10 fiery facts about the gingers who walk among us…
Quantum Physics has given a lot of amazing things to humanity in the last few decades. From the technology with which you can track cheating spouses, to accurately scanning broken bones and muscles in the hospital, there are actually many practical applications of Quantum Physics. But if you believe the words of those nerdy scientists who are actually studying the discipline, many more revolutionary discoveries are yet to come (and that doesn’t just include more weird sci-fi movies).
Deserts are nature’s perfect hiding places for strange things. The climate can be so hostile to traverse that few people will risk dying after a few hours exposure in the hopes of finding something worthwhile. The lack of even basic of life forms, like bacteria in some deserts, mean that bizarre and mysterious objects can be preserved much longer and more often than normal.
Travel is a wonderful thing. It broadens your mind, it allows you to explore new horizons, and it can totally end up with you getting super-killed in the nastiest way possible. Yep, despite all you might hear about the awesome benefits you’ll get from going off the tourist track, the truth is that the tourist track is there for a reason: to stop starry-eyed dopes from getting killed. While it’s definitely possible for a seasoned traveler, war correspondent, or international super spy to visit all the following, we strongly suggest that you stay away.
While we aren’t out to paint the world as a picture of horrors, there are many things going on that you probably don’t want to know. From disgusting, to horrifying, to scary, sometimes people think they would be better off just staying in the dark. However, to be forewarned is to be forearmed, so it is important to know about even the most horrifying facts. These facts will surprise you, and some will make you think twice about the world around you.
Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis… or, humans and Neanderthals… started to diverge from a common ancestor, Homo erectus, about 700,000 years ago. Then our species completely branched off about 300,000 years ago.
On average, Neanderthals were shorter than humans and they had a stockier build. They also had angled cheekbones, prominent brow ridges, and wide noses. Like humans, they used tools, controlled fire, and buried their dead. Also, while they are often depicted as dumb, savage brutes, researchers believe they were as intelligent as humans.
Some have said that the human pursuit of knowledge is like awakening naked in a dark forest, and being asked “how did you get here?” Despite the many difficulties and false beliefs, man has undoubtedly made great strides in having a better understanding of our world. However, there are still ideas, behaviors, and concepts that we still fail to understand. Even the most simple concepts, like the world being round, hasn’t necessarily found footing. At TopTenz, we’ve decided to investigate 10 simple things that we don’t fully understand, in hopes that we can come to understand that we’re not out of the wilderness yet.
Russia has been talked about in the news a lot in the past several years, and has garnered an incredible amount of attention in the USA of late. They have been accused of hacking a political party’s files in order to favor one over the other. They have been accused of blackmailing our politicians and planting their own agents. They have been accused of spreading a huge amount of fake news throughout our country, in order to change the course of the general election.
With the march of progress still going strong (despite some people feeling that certain recent events represent major setbacks), all these future female leaders and other achievers will do well to have some good role models to aspire to. This list is not about that.
Although they thrived over two millennia ago, the Celts have had a significant influence on our lives today. From farming techniques and way of living to warfare and culture, these people from Northern Europe were truly revolutionary for the time.
Whether they were real or legends, stories about sea monsters have always captured our imagination. For centuries, folks from around the world have revered the seas and rivers as primary sources of food and water. But in their traditions, they’ve often referred to them as places where horrifying monsters lurk for their next victims.
The old gods in their many shapes and sizes are as diverse as the people who worshiped them. Before the arrival of monotheism on the world stage, tribes and or other pagan kingdoms were bowing down to an entire pantheon of deities, some good, and some bad and all responsible for everything that’s happening around the world. Each of these gods has a story to tell in terms of its origins, its purpose, and its relation to its worshipers.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is known in popular media as that problem that people who are really, really picky and phobic about cleanliness have. Unfortunately, this is not even close to what OCD actually is. Most people have huge misconceptions about OCD, helped by shows like Monk, which have made them think that being perfectionist, anal-retentive, or overly habitual is what being OCD is all about.
It’s inspiring to hear stories of people using hard work, intelligence, and charisma to assemble great and powerful forces to accomplish amazing things. But we’re not about that with this list. This is about people being sneaky or full of chutzpah to take on opponents in better positions. These stories have all the satisfaction of a good underdog story while also indulging a common suspicion that beyond appearances, a lot of things that seem all-powerful in reality aren’t. From huge military bodies, to powerful businesses, to expert athletes, people who can take advantage of someone else’s uncertainty can achieve what we only dream about.
The British are often stereotyped as being stoic and reserved, the kind of people who respond to poor customer service with a sternly worded letter and consider the response “it’s fine” to be a withering insult. In celebration of British wit and understatement, join us as we discuss what we believe to be the 10 most British sentences ever uttered.
Monopoly was first produced in 1935 by Parker Brothers, and has been ruining friendships and tearing families apart ever since. Despite how frustrating the game is, it’s considered the world’s most popular and, as of 2009, over 250 million copies have been sold.
While the game is meant to be played by people of all ages, it is meant to show the dangers of a small group of people accumulating all the wealth. If you’re playing the game, and someone builds hotels all over the board, and you have a house on Baltic Avenue? You have to borrow money before ultimately going bankrupt and losing. It’s annoying in the game, but it would be tragic in real life.
How to determine who the greatest inventors in history were is often a passionate and, at times, even a heated debate. Many men can lay claim to having invented or, at very least, perfecting someone else’s obscure invention, making such a listing problematic at best. Fortunately, I don’t maintain any personal favorites, which will hopefully give me the ability to remain a little more objective than some people. I know that some readers whose favorites failed to make the list will consider their oversight a great travesty, but I really do try to do my best.
Oh, Canada! It’s the second biggest country by land mass, and it’s a diverse land with mountains, plains and the most fresh water lakes in the world. This weekend, 35 million Canadians will celebrate the nation’s 150th birthday.
Whenever something incredibly ancient and incredibly cool turns up, there’s always someone on hand to shout that it’s evidence of aliens. Awesome as it would be to know ET was hanging out here in 10,000 B.C. (or whenever), the truth is both much simpler and much more interesting. See, you don’t need aliens to explain away intricate ancient objects. We humans have been capable of creating incredible stuff since before there were even humans.
We all know the ancients used to sacrifice people. Some practices, like the Aztec removal of a victim’s heart, are today infamous. But this barely scratches the surface of the gruesome rituals our ancestors used to perform. Over the past few years, a number of important discoveries have shown our forebears were even creepier than we thought.
When we see cops in the news, it’s usually in the context of something bad. The shooting of an unarmed witness. Alleged corruption. Even an attack on cops themselves. But there’s another, less reported side to our boys in blue. Plenty of cops are living their lives like 1980s action heroes.
Sometimes, history is gross. Really gross. Especially where diseases are concerned. We’ve all heard of the nasty stuff the past could serve up for our ancestors. What we might not know is just how many famous historic figures got walloped with these awful diseases. From the utterly weird to the utterly terrifying to the simply disgusting, it turns out being famous in Ye Olde Times was nothing more than one long string of disgusting incidents, one after the other.
On April 4, 1984, President Ronald Reagan made a public plea to the world to ban chemical weapons. Already outlawed by previous treaties, the widespread use of various chemical weapons in World War I was the peak of chemical warfare, but these terrible weapons have not totally disappeared. Today we list 10 Fiendish, Horrible, Evil Weapons We’re Not Supposed to Use, either by International agreement or our own decision. At times even crossbows were banned for use against “Christians,” as were square projectiles. What weapons, devices, or techniques from Hell would you include on a ban against such things?
Ever since the first caveman figured out that wood floats, the sea has been a part of human history. From hollowed out logs to Roman Triremes, and from ships driven by the wind to the nuclear powered super carriers of today, man has had an impenetrable bond with ships. In fact, until the age of steam, they were mankind’s only practical means of moving goods around the world, making them an indispensable part of the civilization process.
Facebook was launched on February 4, 2004 as TheFacebook.com by Mark Zuckerberg, who was studying psychology at Harvard at the time. 24 hours later, 1,200 students at Harvard had registered and then within a month, over half of the undergraduate students were signed up.
The Alien franchise is perhaps one of the most expansive in all of science fiction, with countless books, comics, and an entire crossover deal with the Predator franchise under its belt. With that in mind, there’s a lot about the franchise even seasoned fans don’t know. For example, did you know…
Young or old, we all love candy and the Mars Company has been making some of the most popular and beloved candy bars and confections for as long as most of us can remember. They are known around the world for beloved items like the Mars Bar, Snickers, M&M’s and so many others. However, they are also suppliers of more than just candy. Mars also owns multiple popular pet food brands, as well as the Wrigley Company and several other brands. The history of the Mars Company and their products is a fascinating journey through the land of sweets.
Coca-Cola has been around for a long time, so it’s no surprise that they’ve made their share of marketing blunders over the years. What is surprising is just how easy it was for us to research 10 of them to write this list, starting with that time…
Like it or not, resources are finite. If we don’t use them carefully, we’ll run out. But while we’ve all heard the scary stories about peak oil, we’re guessing you had no idea that we’re running the risk of hitting peak banana.
We’ve got some awesome news for you. Right now, you are standing on the edge of history. Yeah, you. Sometime soon, something’s gonna happen that will send you tumbling over into a whole new era of human evolution. We’re gonna colonize Mars.
Firearms are a controversial topic worldwide, and while you’ve probably taken a side in the debate, there may be some assumptions you’re making that color your decisions. So I’m going to help you by going over some myths about guns on both sides of the fence, because it’s always better to knowledgeably argue your subject than to proclaim ignorance.
The early foundations of the Arthurian legends, which other writers later expanded on, can be found in The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth, which was published sometime around 1136 AD. For centuries, people believed Geoffrey’s accounts were accurate depictions of England’s past. However, it’s now considered a piece of fiction.
The United States has a Constitution that protects its citizens from abuse in the criminal justice system. The right to a trial, to fair treatment by law enforcement are enshrined. Importantly, the Eighth Amendment also protects those convicted from cruel and unusual punishment.
The Red Scare of the 1950s. The Japanese invasion panic of WWII. Fears of ISIS troops running amuck in our major cities… the US has long been a country worried that someone’s gonna invade it. Aliens, Commies, North Korea, you name it. Someone, somewhere, has fantasized about America being dominated by it.
When Billy Joel sang “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” people enthusiastically sung along and tried to memorize the words. The trouble was, with the exception of a few lines in the last verse, Generation X had very little nostalgia attached to the song other than the song itself. Largely, they were born after “JFK blown away, what else do I have to say?” They were a little more cognizant of “Cola Wars” and “Bernie Goetz.”
Today we live in an increasingly digital and technological society. While it’s certainly good to continue to build on our knowledge, create things that continue to improve our world, and make our lives easier in the process, not all technology is necessarily good. Many people jump to the latest technology or companies will spend billions on a new idea, just because it sounds cool, because they can, without wondering for a moment if they actually should.
Pickup artists, and pretty much every type of media, like to tell people all about how love works. But most of the time what they are selling is total nonsense. Many of the tropes in movies, video games and the suggestions of countless supposed charmers of the opposite gender are not only wrong, but can make the challenge of finding love that much more difficult. If people could get past many of these myths and false barriers, it would be much easier for them to find that special someone to spend the rest of their life with.
We’re all proud of our culture. From music, to food, we think of it as a part of us. We consider it our national or human identity. We enjoy knowing that our own preferences and choices helped create a unique country or region. However, many of the iconic things that we know or take part in today were not started due to simple cultural osmosis. Instead, they were shaped by marketing campaigns by extremely clever advertisers. In many ways, advertisers have managed to change the world without people even catching on.
Even leaving aside the pop culture jokes about Skynet from the Terminator series and similarly-themed science fiction that provides a violent robot revolution, the future of automation has some unsettling possibilities. On the most practical level, there’s the potential impact many more jobs becoming automated will have on the economy for the working class. There are the military applications, even if the extra step is never taken of installing artificial intelligence in them.
Human trafficking is one of the most despicable crimes that one person can commit against another, and it is sadly way too common. The FBI says that it is the third biggest criminal activity. Anyone can become a victim of human trafficking, which is modern day slavery, and according to the United Nations, about 20 percent of victims are children. It’s also a global problem and countries in every region of the world are affected by it; this includes first world countries.
Spiders evolved over 380 million years ago, and are a vital part of the world’s ecosystem. However, just because they’re old and important doesn’t mean some of them aren’t absolutely terrifying. Yes, many of them are harmless, but others we would rather stay away from because they’re incredibly venomous. The good news is that deaths from spider bites are very rare and they only do it if they feel threatened. So even though some spiders can kill you, they would rather not.
The music business is a fickle beast. Taste and trends are always changing, and if a musician doesn’t evolve or continue to put out quality music, they can quickly fall into obscurity. These 10 artists were standing on the edge of oblivion, only to release an album that reignited their careers and secured their legacy in music history.
Kim Kardashian, whether you hate her, you love her, or you love to hate-watch her, certainly gets a lot of attention. However, much of it is negative, with detractors criticizing her looks, her media overexposure, and her tendency to profit off a celebrity status that she earned through a sex tape and a reality show empire. But is Kim really the worst? Below are 10 things Kim has done that have made a positive impact in the world…
We live in the digital age, and it has never been easier for… well, anyone to find out all your dirty little secrets. While we expect agencies like the NSA, the FBI, and Google to know a terrifying amount about us, there are a bunch more innocuous things that a person with the right know-how can use to learn things about you or the people around you that you’d never expect.
When it comes to history, while there’s still some mystery to our past, we tend to think we’ve got things pretty well figured out. Many people are convinced of the origins and truths behind many famous artifacts and inventions, even though the history of them is much more complicated and bizarre than most people realize. Just like someday people will likely stumble upon the remains of a floppy disk and wonder if it was a plate, many of the things that happened through the past have become distorted through the lens of history. For some of these, the truth is still out there to be found, and it’s only been confused by modern retellings and myths.
Pharmaceutical drugs are being prescribed more than ever to both humans and animals. In the United States, over 70 percent of adults use some form of prescription drug. It was only in the late ’90s that researchers realized these drugs could have a profound impact on the environment thanks to improper disposal or chemicals entering the water through our bodily waste. These drugs are incredibly helpful to humans, but they can have a devastating effect on the world’s ecosystem.
Location can be a major obstacle to movie completion, as Terry Gilliam found when trying to shoot The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. The setting is as important for a movie as a stage is for a play – it sets the atmosphere, grounds the plot and provides the look and feel. For a horror movie, surroundings need to be bizarre, mysterious, unsettling or chilling. The following destinations would be worthy locations for a horror movie to rival any Wes Craven classic.
Even as American values change and history is continually revised by new discoveries, George Washington remains one of the most venerated figures in human history. A highly esteemed soldier and general who became a pioneer politician, he appeals both to the intellectual types and those who liked to prove their worth through combat. Unfortunately, for all his acclaim, the casual reader only gets a vague impression of what he was like as a human. It’s unfortunate, because it leaves out a number of very interesting aspects of the life of a fascinating (if deeply flawed) man. Unfortunate for the average person, that is, not for George Washington. His legacy has literally been set in stone. So, let’s get to learning more about America’s most prominent Founding Father.
There are billions of people in the world, and all of them are individuals with their own unique identities. With so many people to keep track of, and a much smaller corresponding number of cultures, humans invented stereotypes and other generalities as an attempt to understand large groups of people more easily. Over the years, this has led to a lot of confusion, hilarity, and strife around the world. The truth is that most stereotypes started due to some misconception, or something that was lost in translation, and aren’t really all that accurate for the individuals from the culture in question. Often, what we think we know about another people is wildly inaccurate, and sometimes the truth is far more interesting.
On May 19, 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Legion of Honor, the highest award France can bestow upon their heroes. Many countries have a famous and prestigious award and even international organizations have created such symbols to recognize particularly noteworthy behavior. Here are a list of ten of the most prestigious of these awards. Agree or disagree? Let us know which ones you would include.
Butt dials, or pocket dials, are a fairly common occurrence in contemporary society. You’ve probably done it yourself, and probably have received one. Most of the time these calls are harmless, and at most, it’s annoying. However, it doesn’t always go that way. Some people have made butt dials that caused serious problems.
List sites have already features lists of craziest Roman emperors or most evil women, but I have yet to see a list site focus in both Roman emperors and empresses together and without labeling them as either “crazy” or “evil.” Moreover, many of these other lists report actions by these men as if they are facts, despite the sources being of biased and questionable natures. This list hopes to fill the gap in such coverage and focus on which ten emperors and empresses in Roman history are perceived as the most infamous. Yes, some of the names are ones that cannot be excluded from a top ten list of such emperors and as such should be familiar to many readers, but some may be a bit more unexpected when we consider those known for their infamy.
On August 15, 1947, India became an independent country, thereby making George VI of the United Kingdom the last British emperor of India and signalling the end of one of history’s largest empires.
If we humans were to have a collective hobby, it’d probably be ‘polluting the heck outta stuff’. As a species we chuck so much stuff into the atmosphere that there are arguably no pollution-free places left on Earth. Every year car exhausts, coal plants, forest fires and cow farts (seriously) wind up choking our atmosphere and heading the planet towards what we’re gonna call Climate-ageddon.
In recent years it’s come to light that, despite China’s best efforts to the contrary, they have a massive pollution problem. As China finds themselves trying to quickly and cheaply produce goods that meet the consumer demands of the majority of the world, they’ve also found themselves polluting the atmosphere on an unprecedented scale.
Most people think of hallucinations as something only experienced by the extremely mentally ill, such as those with schizophrenia, or the realm of those who are using a lot of very powerful drugs. However, while hallucinations can happen for those reasons, there are many other ways that they can happen as well.
You may ask why an entire list is dedicated to Sigmund Freud, but the man is famous the world over. He is renowned for his theories on the unconscious and for essentially pioneering psychotherapy, even if there is some argument as to whether he was the first to actually invent it. Freud is also infamous for his theories on psychosexual development, and the fact that his worldview was fairly misogynistic even for his time.
Most Americans have encountered some bacteria at some point in their lives, whether it was acquired from restaurant food or a grocery store, which caused them to claim they later had food poisoning. There are multiple nasty bacteria that can cause this, and there are many misconceptions about how they end up in our food, and what the best ways to avoid them are. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, so here are several misconceptions about food safety and the practices involved that can leave us satisfied, or ruin our day with stomach churning nastiness.
Apples are pretty much the most popular fruit in the world. People eat them plain, bake them into pies and even make alcohol with them. And it should really be no surprise. With literally thousands of varieties there is something for every taste out there. Of course, the apple also figures heavily into mythology, folklore and is well known for its health benefits. As the old saying goes, “an apple before bed, keeps the doctor from earning his bread.”
Most of us have heard of famous Greek Gods such as Zeus and Apollo a well as demi-gods such as Heracles and Perseus and many others from myths and legends. Their stories move the imagination and have captivated people for thousands of years. However, there are many lesser-known Greek Gods that are just as interesting, sometimes even more so, than the popular kids.
Just because a symbol is used by one culture or group, doesn’t mean it’s off-limits to other groups. Countless symbols have been used over and over again by various groups throughout history, oftentimes with drastically different meanings. Such as …
Every year when summer rolls around, people do their best to beat the heat. For some this means turning on the AC and going to the pool occasionally, but for others heat is more than just an inconvenience and summer is not a fun time to romp around and play. In some parts of the world dealing with the heat can be an extremely dangerous proposition, and even in parts of the world with air conditioning and modern infrastructure, deaths from heat stroke are a bigger concern than many people realize. While most people think they know how best to deal with the heat, there are many misconceptions about how staying cool works, and oftentimes the true dangers of the summer are not properly accounted for.
Many people consider the study of ancient languages to be boring. However, every now and again, the guy reading Latin in the library will burst out laughing. The reason for this, is that there are modern interpretations of ancient words that can honestly just strike you as funny.
From July 1 to July 3, 1863, Gettysburg was the site of one of the largest battles of the American Civil War, the deadliest by a wide margin, and one that is widely considered the closest the South came to winning. On top of that, on November 19, 1863, it was the location where Abraham Lincoln delivered the most celebrated speech in American history, referenced by such great people as Martin Luther King. But such an historic battle has more to it than our history books often care to mention, so clearly Gettysburg is worth getting to know better.
The ancient pyramids at Giza have long been one of the wonders of the ancient world, and have captured imaginations for thousands of years. Even today, they would have been quite difficult to construct, and the incredible treasures found within, as well as the strange traditions of those who built them, has only added fuel to all of the speculation about them. While most Egyptologists believe that the Pyramids were originally meant as burial chambers and built using clever but primitive methods, many theorists disagree and have come up with their own ideas on what they were actually used for, and how they were actually built.
You’d see a lot of changes when looking at a map of present day Europe and comparing it to a 30 year old one. Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and the Baltic States were all part of the USSR. Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia were still states. Go back even further and the map looks even stranger. Putting all those different people under the same banner and keeping them that way was and still is next to impossible. Many have tried and most have failed, but the first to even come close were the Romans. Their inheritors, the Byzantines, managed to keep it together for over 1100 years, thus creating the longest-living Empire on the continent. Here’s how they did it.
While it is almost impossible to say a single nation’s schools are the best in the world, one country that consistently performs extremely well on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) exams for math, reading and science, may come as a surprise to many. Finland, a tiny nation of 5.5 million people, consistently makes the top 5 performers across those categories, making it the top educational performer in Europe and one of the strongest in the world. (Singapore, Japan, and South Korea are also strong performers, and China did not submit consolidated results for the most recent test.) Finland?! What?!
The Borgias were a noble family from the years of the renaissance. Although hailing originally from Spain, they rose to great power in Italy and more than one Borgia became a Catholic Pope. However, despite entrenching themselves in religion, they were known for caring little about morality. They made enemies with many powerful noble families, and have been accused of nearly every depravity you can imagine.
Humanity’s rise to become the dominant species on the planet seems to have been a fairly orderly progression from one species to another. But this could not be further from the truth. It was more like an arbitrary, often brutal process; a sort of “survive or die” situation. Since life began on our planet, probably some more than 4 billion years ago, Earth went through a series of ups and downs in terms of its living creatures. So much so, that 99% of all beings that have ever existed, are now gone. The planet went through 5 or 6 major events where more than half of its inhabitants were extinguished, with another series of smaller ones taking place now and again.
These days, it’s easy to feel like the world is a depressing place where nothing good ever happens. Bombs explode, wars trundle on, politics gets more polarized, and the future looks as black as can be. No wonder we wake up each morning reaching for the Xanax.
In recent years people have become much more afraid of flying in airplanes than they ever have before. The events of 9/11 shook many people’s faith in the safety of air travel, and in more recent years people have been increasingly concerned about turbulence, bad weather and even pilot error. The spate of planes that went down with no survivors and the depressed German pilot who decided to commit suicide and mass murder at the same time are still fresh on everyone’s minds.
For hundreds of years, people all over the world have reported sightings of a hairy, bipedal giant in the wild. The creatures, or species, known as Sasquatch have been seen on every continent except Antarctica. In the United States, they have been seen everywhere; not just the Pacific Northwest. With so many encounters, not all reports result in the assessment that these are simply passive, forest giants. Some reports are downright violent.
The Titanic set out to make headlines as the largest ship on Earth, sailing on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic in April of 1912. Instead, it made history of a different sort as one of history’s greatest follies. The ship hit an iceberg on its fourth day – exactly 105 years ago today, to be exact – 400 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, and sank within two hours and forty minutes. Somewhere in the ballpark of 1,500 unfortunate victims, who mostly died by being in extremely cold, 28 degree (Fahrenheit) water. If you thought water couldn’t get colder than freezing, think about salt.
In the quest to end a war or conflict as quickly as possible, ingenious battle plans are drawn up all the time. Sometimes, these plans fall by the wayside, for one reason or another. Whether the cancellation was good or bad for civilization, it makes one wonder what would have happened if it was seen through to the end. Here are ten such war plans that could have changed history completely, had they not been abandoned during the blueprint stages.
When most people think of ways you can get high or alter your perception of the world, they immediately think of mind altering drugs. While drugs are certainly effective at doing such things, the human brain hardly needs foreign substances to cross the blood brain barrier in order to see, hear and in general perceive things in a way that is much different from the normal base state of human consciousness. The human mind is incredibly suggestible and can be manipulated in many ways without using drugs at all.
Slavery appeared alongside the agricultural revolution some 12,000 years ago, when humanity went from hunting and gathering to a sedentary and more hierarchical society. With the appearance of agriculture and animal husbandry came the first abundance, and along with it the material advantage of owning another person.
How many countries are there in the world? It seems like a simple question, but the answer is far more complicated than you might think. The UN, for example, lists 193 member states, but this completely excludes not only Taiwan and Kosovo, but also Vatican City. Other means of measurement are just as difficult. Were you to count only places that issue their own passports, you’d have to say Scotland and Wales are not countries, but the Knights of Malta (who own literally no territory) are. Does that make sense to you?
Part of a majesty and grandeur of the American experiment is that no matter who you are or where you come from, with some hard work and determination, you can rise from nothing to become the head of a major criminal organization. Like baseball and apple pie, organized crime has been an American tradition ever since it first became a nation. And like the nation itself, American organized crime is a melting pot of different industries, rackets, enforcement brigades, and transnational networks that Walmart only wishes it could duplicate.
Most of us go through life not knowing who we are, or what we want to do, until at least a few decades in. Well go through many false starts, and travel through many dead-end paths, until we find the one that’s truly right for us. Many companies are the same way. Oftentimes, the most successful corporations on Earth started with one simple idea, and are now vastly successful in a very different area. Such as …
It may have been conscious or subconscious. It may have just ended up developing that way. However, there are abundant similarities between the fictional character of Bruce Wayne and the very real President of the United States Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Some of them may have been intentional upon Batman’s creation, but others seemingly developed on their own over time. At any rate, check out the almost eerie similarities between the two.
On July 21, 1973, Israeli agents of the Mossad killed a waiter in Lillehammer, Norway, seeking revenge for the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes. The hapless victim was innocent and had nothing to do with the terrorist event, and the murder was just another blunder by a country attempting to conduct spy games. Over the years there have been some egregious errors by secret agencies, and here we list 10 of those “oops” moments. Which incidents would you add to the list?
On September 4, 1957, the Ford Motor Company introduced its latest product, the Edsel. Named after founder Henry Ford’s son, the Edsel was supposed to be an upscale mass-market car and vital part of Ford’s marketing plan. It turned out to be a flop, and has since become synonymous with the word “failure.” The ugliness of the car did not hurt or kill anyone, but some do products end up being fatal. Here 10 products that for a variety of reasons have become infamous, notorious and reviled are listed. A previous article already covered Zyklon B and DDT. What other products would you add to the list?
The first McDonald’s was opened on May 15, 1940, by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald. When it first opened, McDonald’s was a barbecue restaurant and in the early days, they had 25 items on their menu. However, at the end of World War II, the brothers realized that 80 percent of their sales were hamburgers. So they shut down the restaurant for a few weeks, and reopened with a smaller menu that had just nine items: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, three soft drink flavors available in 12-ounce cups, milk, coffee, potato chips, and pie. The idea behind the new store was to focus on speed and lower prices.
Alfred Hitchcock pretty much made his living telling stories of mistaken identity, and his tales painted thrilling adventures left in the wake of an innocent man being pursued by mysterious people who thought he was someone else. Of course, real life is typically not like the movies, and while films usually feature happy endings, unfortunately that’s seldom the case with instances of mistaken identity. Here is a list of real-life cases, most of which ended horrifically.
The universe is a vast and mysterious place, and there are so many scenarios where almost anything can happen. Have you ever considered what would happen if the Earth doubled in size? Or what would happen if the super-continent Pangaea never broke up? Even if you haven’t thought of those specific questions, these ‘what if’ scenarios show how amazing and mind boggling the Earth and the universe can be.
People have fallen for some crazy things but why do they do that? What makes us fall for scams that are obvious frauds? First, people make quick, irrational decisions sometimes and that can have consequences. We make these decisions because we don’t use our heads; instead we use our emotions, which can get the best of us sometimes. Two, we all want to be rich, we do not think rationally. We think that the bargain sounds like a great deal and that we can make a lot of money, so we automatically say yes right away. Lastly, we feel pressured from the person scamming us. They sound like they know their stuff and we don’t want to disappoint them. Basically, it’s in our nature to get scammed and people like to take advantage of that.
Being in a position of power is awesome, and we’re not going to lie: given nigh unlimited god-like power over millions of people, we’d probably abuse it just a little. However, here’s a list of 10 people who went way too far, because they were in charge and because they could.
Michael Jackson was a man known for many things, including his music, his pelvis-centric dance moves, and the fact he was able to wear a fedora without looking like an idiot. But a man as complex and unique as the King of Pop could never be summed up with a list of just three things. So here’s a list of 10, starting with …
We usually don’t think about ice too much, unless there’s none in the freezer and all we have to drink is a warm can of Coke. Artificial refrigeration has been around for almost a century now, and it’s safe to say that we take ice for granted, just as we will take food for granted when the replicators come online.
According to the Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) there are over half a million homeless living in the US. Visit a country like, say, India, and that number rises comfortably into the millions. Even Japan, which has one of the lowest homeless rates on Earth, has over 20,000 citizens sleeping rough. We’re not exaggerating when we say homelessness is a problem that affects every society there is.
One of the most famous, if not the most famous, Presidential homes in the world is the White House, which is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Over 6,000 people visit it every day, and it is one of the top tourist attractions in America’s capital. Of course, besides being a famous monument, it is also a home that is steeped in history.
Celtic history is steeped in mystery. You’ve no doubt heard of the Celts, but because they left behind no written records, what we know about them can often be chalked up to myth and legend. Contemporaries and frequent enemies of the Roman Empire, these warriors were quick to fight, and vicious in attack.
Wars in the Middle East and eastern Europe. Terror on the streets of North America. Riots, violence, spiraling murder rates… sometimes, it can feel like the planet is going crazy. Confronted with all this mayhem, many of us want nothing more than to run and hide our families away somewhere where they can be safe. But where could you possibly go to escape the nonstop horror that is the modern world? We’re glad you asked.
Native Americans have been featured in many different forms of popular culture. Unfortunately, since most people only know of them through said popular culture, the worldwide perception of them includes an incredible amount of errors and misconceptions. This is made more difficult by the fact that there are so few of them left, making it difficult for them to have a voice and dispel the myths surrounding them. Myths such as …
On May 15, 1718, Mr. Puckle patented what could be considered the first machine gun. With “innovative” ideas like a version with square bullets, it was a military and financial flop. This happens, weapons that seem like a good idea that real life proves are not so good. Here are 10 examples of such failures.
Our species, Homo sapiens, have only been around for about as long as a blink of an eye in terms of Earth’s history. It’s believed that the Earth formed over 4.6 billion years ago, and the first humans evolved about 200,000 years ago in Africa. In order to survive so that modern humans could flourish, our prehistoric ancestors had to fight off and hunt animals that were much bigger and far stronger than them. These are 10 horrifying animals that they may have encountered as humans migrated all over the world.
Besides family, teachers have the greatest opportunity to make a profound impact in the life of a youth. For the most part, teachers do not take the opportunity lightly and try their best to inspire their students. However, just like in any field, there some rotten apples in the bunch. We’ve compiled a list of teachers who’ve certainly had an impact on their students and their community, but not in the way we’d have wanted. Here are our 10 of the worst teachers of all time.
On June 4, 1896, Henry Ford completed his Quadricycle, the first Ford automobile, which he promptly took for a test drive. Almost 120 years later nearly 100 million Ford cars can trace their lineage back to this humble vehicle. Every company has to start somewhere and somehow, and here we list 10 First Products of some of these iconic companies (in no particular order).
The jungles are and always have been mysterious. People can and have gone in them never to be seen again. And even if they make up just 7 percent of the Earth’s land surface, with that number going down year after year, they are home to half of all living creatures on the planet. And what’s more, we don’t even know many of them. Nevertheless, the jungle can hide a great deal of mysterious things and here are 10 of them.
One of the great things about fiction is the ability to speculate about unnatural situations. One possible unnatural situation is long-lasting life. Sometimes long-lasting life can play out as a moral drama. Sometimes, long lasting life can lead to horrific implications. Sometimes, long lasting life can merely lead to laughs. Here is the list of the top ten fictional characters that lived to be over 1000 years old.
America. It’s one of the biggest countries on Earth, both in terms of population and sheer size. It’s the planet dominating superpower; the heaviest hitter where culture is concerned; a place known by nearly every single human on the planet… and, to all but the 4-5% of humanity who live there, it makes absolutely no gosh darn sense.
On July 19, 1963, Joe Walker flew a North American X-15 rocket plane to a record altitude of 106 kilometers, qualifying him as an astronaut. The X-15 rocket plane was an extraordinary aircraft, to say the least. Over the years there have been airplanes that have stood out among the rest, for their performance, their records, their longevity or for capabilities that no planes before had mastered. Here we list 10 of these exceptional machines, real operational planes, not fantasy experimental ones, ones that caught our attention. Which fantastic airplanes would you add to the list?
On September 4, 1888, George Eastman patented the first camera that used rolls of film and with it, the trade name Kodak. For the next 100+ years this was the way we took photographs, until digital photography has made film cameras all but obsolete. Many products that were marvels in their day have become obsolete within a matter of decades, or within 100 years or so. Here we list 10 triumphs of technology that (relatively) quickly became obsolete. What items would you include on the list?
When writing about this, we understand that based on their perspectives, some people may disagree partly with this list. However, with so many fake news sites out there, and so much propaganda, it can be useful to go over those news sources best known for holding their standards to something more approaching real and honest journalism. A true journalist isn’t out to change your mind, but rather to tell you what is happening.
Much like humans, computers can contract nasty viruses that completely wreak havoc on their systems. It’s believed that there are over 100,000 computer viruses, though some experts contend that there are over a million. The good news is that many of the viruses are not in circulation and are merely a part of collections. However, there are some that have been released, and in some cases, they caused massive devastation. These are 10 of the most notorious.
On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patented blue jeans with copper rivets. Trousers have never been the same. Clearly an iconic American invention, a nice comfortable pair of jeans can well be a person’s best friends. At least that is the way some people treat them. There are several innovations in the world of clothing that seem hard to live without, and here we list 10 of them. What items would you add to the list? (Please do not nominate Spandex, or we will all know you are fat!)
Over the last century or so, our world has become a pretty darn big place. Between 1980 and 2014, the World Health Organization estimates global obesity doubled. In the US alone, more than two thirds of all adults are considered overweight, with one third considered obese (33%). That’s gotta be a world leader, right? Well, believe it or not, America doesn’t even break the top 10 countries on the obesity scale. It sits at 16th, between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. That’s right. There are at least fifteen countries with bigger waistlines than in the US.
We’ve all been there. Sat at work on a spectacularly boring day, gazing out the window and dreaming about moving somewhere less resolutely meh. But it’s one thing dreaming about moving to London, or Paris, or Tokyo, and quite another turning up there, looking at the square feet of space your meager savings will buy and realizing that you haven’t thought this through at all.
The citizens of the United States of America like to consider themselves one of the freest countries in the world. However, the truth is actually a lot more complicated than that. The United States enjoy some of the most lax laws in the world when it comes to saying whatever you please, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to being free to do what you want to do. In many countries around the world, it is perfectly legal to do many things people wish they could do in the States.
For decades, sociologists have been trying to understand why certain people rise to the top of their fields. A number of theories have emerged, so if you’re struggling on the path of success, perhaps these will give you some new insight.
Many people today hear the phrase “genetically modified” and it hits some kind of fear button inside of them. While it’s understandable to want to be informed about the process involved in anything we consume or use on a regular basis, there is a certain amount of misinformation that has caused some hysteria among a segment of people. There is also a lot of general confusion about what GMO’s are. While science has advanced with some new techniques and possibilities, many of the methods we are using today are not that far off from genetic modifications that farmers have been using for thousands of years.
When it comes to depicting race, culture, and ethnicity in movies and television shows, it can be a complicated issue. Different cultures have their foibles and that’s partly what makes a culture unique. The problem is that if these depictions aren’t sensitive enough, it can come across as stereotyping, or discriminating, and that’s if diversity is shown at all.
Robin Williams was a comedic juggernaut, a force of nature with a sharper comedic mind than IMB’s Watson after a Netflix binge. To honor his memory and fondness for making people laugh, here are 10 lesser known facts from his life to perhaps help you appreciate how unique and talented he truly was. Starting with…
Ever since the Moabite King Eglon was stabbed to death on his throne in 1200 BCE (Judges 3:12-30)—and probably long before that—political leaders have been killed for any number of reasons. Usually they are murdered because they are deemed a threat by others in authority, or because of some controversial political stand they have taken, but sometimes the rationale can be as simple as the quest for revenge or the desire by the assassin to be famous. In any case, usually these murders are but minor footnotes in history, but occasionally they can and have had a profound impact on not only a nation, but on history itself. So who were these men—and a few woman—whose deaths have had such immense repercussions?
Many of us have had a job we’d rather forget, with a not-so-pleasant manager we’d be happy to never see again. But if we think we’ve had it bad, let’s take a moment to be grateful for the jobs that are no longer in existence. Modern life has waved goodbye to a fair few weird and wonderful professions.
Mexico’s international reputation isn’t exactly the greatest. Plagued by drug violence, hampered by poverty, and constantly getting bashed by US politicians, it can seem like a scary, far-away place where bad things happen. Even in the carefree days before the drug war, lots of Americans just saw it as the land of tequila, siestas and rowdy spring breakers.
are stories or analogies that attempt to shed light on an array of topics. Sometimes they are hypothetical situations to help us look at the world differently, or they show the paradoxes in human nature. Or they can help us visualize complicated concepts with the simplicity of a story. But no matter what they explain or illustrate, these thought experiments will hopefully mess with your mind, at least a little bit.
It’s easy, even comforting, to think of history’s tyrants as one-dimensional bad guys. That they may have had emotions and frailties as complex as our own threatens to muddy the narrative. But humanizing the inhuman can really drive home the terrifying reality of their despotic regimes, not to mention their sociopathic capacity for compartmentalization.
Correction from https://www.youtube.com/user/jlarson87: Pope Pius XI left the Vatican incognito in 1948, citing Italian Unification riots as the reason. However, this is impossible as he died in 1939 and Italian unification happened in in the mid 1800's. I think you're referring to a riot that happened in the 1840's where Pope Pius IX left the Vatican in a similar disguise.
Ever since people learned how to start making words, they started using them to describe each other. Of course while we all have names, many of us have also been subjected at one time or another to nicknames. These words can be used endearingly, or just in fun between friends, but they aren’t always innocent. Nicknames can also be used to describe huge swathes of people in one go and sometimes the meaning behind the words isn’t always pleasant. On the other hand, sometimes words are used expressly with the intent to be insulting and yet their original meaning was largely benign. The world of words is a strange place indeed.
Cities with millennial history can offer you much more than just beautiful architecture and unique artifacts. They bear the signs of previous epochs and civilizations, and display both the positive and negative developments of mankind. These cities are full of amazing stories and legends, and are the biggest lures for seasoned explorers. Let’s talk a little bit about the cities that are nearly as old as the hills on which they were built.
In 2014, a spokesperson for Clowns of America International named Glenn Kohlberger contacted publications such as The Hollywood Reporter to express grievances over the character Twisty in the TV program American Horror Story. He said that a portrayal of a person dressed as a clown, committing mass murder, was only going to make it harder for clowns to provide entertainment for sick children in hospitals.
Thought experiments are mental concepts or hypotheses, often resembling riddles, which are used by philosophers and scientists as simple ways of illuminating what are usually very dense ideas. Most often, they’re used in more abstract fields like philosophy and theoretical physics, where physical experiments aren’t possible. They serve as some hearty food for thought, but given their complex subject matter, it’s not unusual for even the thought experiment itself to be nearly incomprehensible. With this in mind, here are ten of the most famous thought experiments, along with explanations of the philosophical, scientific, and ethical ideas they work to explain:
China is crazy-big. How crazy-big? Let’s just say if they were having a contest for ‘biggest, craziest nation on planet Earth’, the Middle Kingdom would not only win hands down, it would leave all the other countries scratching their heads and saying “whoa, get a load of that guy.”
On July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This spacecraft would take 3 American astronauts to the Moon, landing 2 on its surface and return all 3 safely to Earth, less than a decade after the first manned space flight. The US and Americans have achieved many great things, and here we list 10 of them. Not all significant inventions or achievements are necessarily for humanitarian purposes, some of them are for war. Some, like DDT and the polio vaccines saved millions of lives. We list 10 that we think you will find interesting, and invite you to let us know what other American accomplishments we should have listed. (America bashers beware! This list is by definition US-centric.)
The 19th century had its fair share of wars that had high body counts. This includes the Napoleonic Wars, the Austro-Prussian War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War. However, the bloodiest and deadliest war of the 19th was the Taiping Rebellion, which took place in China and it went from December 1850 to August 1864.
Every kid always wanted to live in a castle. Our images of castles consist of vague fairy tale notions, with moats and drawbridges and knights in shining armor. Oh, and maybe a dragon or two. But in reality, that doesn’t really come close to encapsulating what castles actually were, not to mention how far a typical Disney castle is from the real thing in terms of aesthetics. Here are some real lesser known facts about castles…
Since these are the bestselling novels of all time, you will not find any non-fiction, religious, or political books, like The Holy Quran, The King James Bible, and Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung. If we were to include them, they would be the top three in the order that they are listed.
We’re typically pretty terrible to our world. We tear through resources like a hungry kid devouring a bag of M&Ms. It’s bad enough when we do it knowingly, like with oil shortages that tend to – no pun intended – fuel wars. We’ve helped multiple animal species trudge ahead toward extinction, because that patch of forest would make a great place for a Cheesecake Factory, condors be damned.
Prison can be an incredibly violent place and since the people who are locked up have plenty of time on their hands, they have come up with some pretty inventive ways to try to hurt each other and correction officers. All of these weapons were actually found in prisons throughout the world, and in some cases, they were even used.
Buddhism is extremely fast growing and estimates put its adherents at somewhere around one billion. Even though Buddhism is so popular, many in the western world, where it is barely practiced, have a very poor understanding of it. Not only have many people gained a completely incorrect understanding of it, but some attempt to practice without proper guidance and do it completely wrong. Now while these people’s hearts are in the right place, it might be wise to find a Buddhist teacher, they do exist in the western world, and learn from them. You may also have noticed that nowhere in this introduction have I actually referred to Buddhism as a religion or as a philosophy, the reason for this is explained below.
A gemstone is a piece of mineral or fancy stone that is used to make jewelry and other decorative arts. Humans have been collecting jewels for centuries, and precious gemstones are among the most sought after material in the world, representing true monetary value. For this reason, they are cherished by millions. Here are ten specific jewels that have set records for clarity, size, and value.
Though few of us have been robbed, we can assume that your perception of robberies involves ski masks, guns, and a whole lot of danger. However, some people commit their robberies with whatever they have handy. The strangest of them all would get rejected if written into a movie script for being too unrealistic. Such as …
Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to be Morgan Freeman? In addition to having one of the world’s most instantly recognizable voices, Freeman has become a cinematic icon with roles in some of the greatest movies of all time. Alas, there can only be one Morgan Freeman. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t look up to him as a role model. So I have compiled ten reasons why Morgan Freeman should be YOUR role model right now!
For something that only exists as a theory so complex that no two people can actually agree on how it would work, time travel is immensely popular. So much so, in fact, that whenever some yahoo comes along claiming to be FROM THE FUUUUUUTURRRRRE…OR THE PAAAAAAAST, WHICHEEEEEEEVERRRRR, people just wet themselves with excitement. And it doesn’t really matter how many times we’ve been burnt by fakes and hoaxes, we’re always ready to wet ourselves over the next big time lord.
Richard Gere, best known for hot movies like Pretty Woman and An Officer and a Gentleman, not to mention that nasty rumor about what he likes to do with gerbils, is related to everybody. Believe it or not, Richard Gere’s ancestry connects him to a shocking number of famous people throughout American history. That’s because his heritage traces back to a whopping six families who came across the Atlantic on the Mayflower. Here are 10 of the most incredible people who can call the American Gigolo a relative.
The final resting places of most historical figures are highly guarded and viewed by many as shrines or at least veritable cash cows for the societies guarding them. For a very few of those figures, some of their remains have been “preserved” for posterity, the sake of science or just egotistical reasons. Sure anyone can see a dinosaur bone in a museum, but wouldn’t you rather see the brain of a famous scientist or the shattered bone of a martyred revolutionary?
We all know the famous battles glorified by history books: Gettysburg, Bunker Hill, Iwo Jima, and the like. But not all battles are created equal. Some get buried in the minds of the few who ordered it or participated in it. Not because the story isn’t interesting; it’s just that somebody up high doesn’t want you to hear about it, for one political reason or another. Luckily, we’re not those people, and we believe your fragile little mind can handle hearing stories like:
In our modernized, mechanized age of warfare, where decisions are made by civilians, officers far from any line of combat, congressional committees, and unknown military strategists in committee, an army is a faceless thing. For the last six decades, the idea of massed armies doing battle has been considered a curiosity of the past, and warfare is often viewed more as an endemic state of some sort rather than a series of events.
Many animals unfortunately suffer from a rather negative image in human culture, regarded by us as frightening, disgusting or just plain lowly. Nature, however, has no “vermin” or “pests” – all things have their place in the natural order of things, and in most cases, the benefits of an organism far outweigh its (accidental) inconveniences. Even animals many of us find “ugly” are only demonstrating the perfect body shape for their particular ecological niche. Open up your mind a little, and you just might find some beauty in something that once made your skin crawl.
War is never fun, exciting or a source of glory for anyone (well, at least it shouldn’t be). Only someone who hasn’t experienced it firsthand would believe such a thing. As many have put it over the years: “War is hell,” pure and simple. And because this statement is a fact, most countries around the world have prepared themselves accordingly, unwilling to be taken unawares by a military invasion. Though actual wars for conquest are a rare thing nowadays, this doesn’t mean that armed conflicts don’t happen.
Air Force One, a.k.a. that enormous plane that carts the president around, is one of the most enduring symbols of American power. To this end, the planes carrying the Air Force One designation are filled to the brim with bleeding edge technology and a bunch of other cool stuff we’re going to talk about… well, right now. For example, did you know…
Children of the 1980s have the year 2015 marked on our calendars. The reason for this is because the movie Back To the Future II told us we would have flying cars and hover boards by 2015. There are still two years left to mass produce. If an apocalypse can theoretically occur in a day, then we can still hold out hope for 2015. Every year, car manufacturers unveil their latest ideas into what are known as ‘concept cars.’ These concept cars often will not be mass produced, but we are still holding out a bit of hope that one days these beauties could be on the streets. We also want to reach our sky garages by jet packs as long as we are at it.
We have to realize that weather, in all its forms, has influenced and shaped humanity in every conceivable way. The weather and the surrounding environment (which is also shaped by weather) has influenced language in every part of the world, how people built the houses and shaped their societies, what they ate, and the way that they dressed for centuries. Whole religions were formed as a sort of answer to the meteorological events happening all around. And it’s not inconceivable that people throughout history have tried, or at least thought about, controlling the weather.
It seems like only yesterday that we dredged the back vaults of our list-writing brains to give you ten facts that sounded like they couldn’t possibly be true, but were. And what a list that was, huh? Full of crazy, once-in-a-lifetime facts of the sort you’re unlikely to witness ever again, the sort of tales that could only come once in a blue…
Picture a samurai. No doubt you’ve got in your mind the iconic warrior with the cool helmet and armor, poised to attack with his trusty katana. Because of course, he’s wielding a katana. That’s what the samurai brought with them into battle, right? If there’s anything pop culture has taught us, it’s that the samurai was armed only with his courage and his katana. Well, not so fast. The weapons of a samurai were far more varied and versatile than movies would have you believe. We’ve dispelled some myths about the samurai in the past. Now, let’s throw some facts that squash even more.
Dinosaurs evolved from reptiles over 230 million years ago and were on Earth for about 65 million years before going extinct for reasons that aren’t exactly clear. For centuries, their fossils have fascinated people for a whole host of reasons, like their size, their ferocity, and the fact that they resemble mythical creatures.
When you see someone take a headshot in film or television, you usually don’t question that they’re dead pretty much on the spot. With such a vital organ, the impact of a bullet should mean that even a round that, even if it doesn’t directly pass through the cerebellum (the area of the brain that controls basic involuntary life functions), it must inflict enough damage on the gray matter that it’s not survivable.
Whether people play, or just watch, sports are a big part of many people’s lives. Besides just being entertainment, sports are also tied to many countries’ national identity, and are a billion dollar industry. Have you ever wondered how these sports got their start? Even if you think you know, what’s interesting is that the origins of sports are filled with myths and legends. These are the real stories about how these beloved games were invented.
The Amish movement is one of the most fascinating religions in the modern world. They are famous for their simple living that involves shunning many new technologies, especially ones related to mass media and motor vehicles. They also do not wear contemporary fashion and have their own language, Pennsylvania Dutch.
No country on Earth is as powerful as the United States. The nation dominates the globe militarily, culturally, and politically. It stops other nations building nukes (or, in the case of North Korea, attempts to), it dictates entertainment choices for billions, and it has more money than any other nation by a country mile. China may be expanding, Russia may be interfering globally, and the EU may be the world’s richest trading block, but none of them can hold a candle to the USA.
Most people like to think that whatever time they are in is the most advanced time that humanity has ever been in. They also tend to assume that all progress, and all change, is actually good and moves humanity forward. The truth is that humanity sometimes has setbacks, and it will certainly have setbacks again. There are actually many reasons to believe that our current modern age may not be very good for humanity long term, and could be setting us up for calamity in the future. As we have become increasingly reliant on technology, we have become less able to care for ourselves, and less able to plan for the future.
As World War II was coming to an end, American Naval forces were quickly approaching Japan and unless something radical happened, Japan would be defeated. Their answer to turn the tides of war was a unique Navy unit called Tokubetsu Kōgekitai, which means "Special Attack Unit," but they were better known as kamikazes, which means "divine wind." The division consisted of volunteers who would purposely crash into American warships and this is 10 interesting facts about those men.
Whether you call it soda, pop, or soda pop, carbonated water with lots of sugar in it has been a staple of the beverage world since about 1867. That’s when it was first sold at druggists and pharmacists across America. At first, it was thought to have remedial effects. But of course, in the new millennium, they are actually having a really negative effect on the health of millions of people.
Our planet’s population is exploding. By 2050, it’s estimated that there will be 9 billion of us humans living on Earth. That’s 9 billion mouths to feed from our finite resources, and 9 billion who will expect jobs, opportunities, and medicine. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how this could blow up in our faces.
Frogs have been around for at least 250 million years. But in the past 35 years, they’ve been dying off in unprecedented numbers. Nearly one-third of the world’s amphibious species are threatened. In the past two decades, 168 species went extinct. There are a few main culprits like climate change, deadly fungus, loss of habitat, and invasive species.
As we mentioned in our first list about mind bending theories about the universe, the universe is a vast and mysterious place. For centuries, people have looked out into space and tried to explain why we’re here and where we came from. While it may take even more centuries before any of those questions are answered, it doesn’t mean scientists don’t have theories.
Martyrdom, though usually used to define someone who dies in the name of their religion, should not be connected exclusively with faith. The phenomenon of martyrdom is far from new; the ancestral expression “pro patria mori” – to die for one’s homeland — described the most honorable way for a citizen of Ancient Greece and Rome to die.
Ancient Egypt is one of the most fascinating places in the historical record. Their obsession with life after death, their grand pyramids and golden treasures, and the multitudes of evidence they left behind of their great works have captured the imaginations of people for thousands of years. However, underneath the veneer of mysticism and historical grandeur, Ancient Egypt was not always the most fun place in the world to live. Their justice system was often unfair and cruel, some of their medical practices were horrifying, and their devotion to the gods often went to insane lengths.
So, it finally happened. The zombies rose up, Putin hit the nuclear button, scientists created a killer virus, Yellowstone super-volcano erupted, and the apes turned on their human masters. The consequence: bang, no more humanity. Just you. The last list-reading human on Earth.
Chances are that maybe you, or at least someone else you know, is vegetarian. A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat, fish, or poultry. Vegans, on the other hand, are vegetarians but go a bit beyond that. A vegan not only doesn’t eat the above mentioned meats, but also abstains from all animal products, like milk, cheese, other dairy items, eggs, honey, wool, silk, or leather.
The issue of how the United States of America will deal with undocumented people entering its borders is so hot that many Americans were willing to embrace a ridiculous campaign promise as of building a wall between the United States and Mexico in hopes of addressing and potentially solving it, something thoroughly debunked in media like a video by Adams Ruins Everything. In our nation’s history, as history.state.gov tells us, there was the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act of 1924, which placed a limit on the number of permitted immigrants and banned Asian immigrants in general (which wasn’t changed until 1952).
In a world where fake news and false factoids are rampant, it is hard to distinguish what is true and what isn’t, especially when it sounds so unbelievable. We have gone through some crazy news stories and unbelievable tales from history and culled even more of the most interesting, unbelievable facts that sound like BS, but are completely true.
No, we’re not talking about lizards driving around in fancy cars – though that’s not far off from what some people believe is happening. The concept was brought to popularity by former BBC sports writer and self-proclaimed “son of God”, David Icke in his 1999 book The Biggest Secret: The Book That Will Change the World. In the book, Icke posits that society is controlled by humanoid reptiles. For the sake of simplicity, we will call them the Reptilians. While it may sound like a wildly outlandish conspiracy theory, approximately 12 million Americans believe that it’s actually true and there is a conspiracy against humans perpetrated by the Reptilians.
Social media is an unavoidable facet of modern life, and while we’ll never make fun of people for using it (we wouldn’t ask you to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube if that was the case) we do quite enjoy pointing out examples of objectively awful people getting a much deserved comeuppance because of it. For example, why not revel in the schadenfreude of…
Having secrets is part of being human. There is no person alive today who doesn’t have at least one secret. While most of these secrets are of no concern to anyone else, there are some that could benefit the whole of humanity, or even solve some long-running mystery. While some of these may one day surface, others will forever be lost. Here are 10 people who took their biggest secrets with them to the grave, and left us to speculate about what those secrets truly were and how they could have benefited us if we knew them.
At some point, most of us have probably gone to work despite being sick, or suffered a sports injury or kept right on playing. We tend to feel like a bit of a badass when we do, soldiering on through the adversity. And then there are people who take that to the next level by not even realizing that they’ve been hurt. Their injuries are less along the lines of playing on after getting bruised in a football match, and more along the lines of coming second place in Russian roulette and going back for one more round.
The Knights Templar, a.k.a. the bad guys from the original Assassin’s Creed that you take out with pin-point accurate knife-punches to the back of the neck from horseback, are a popular facet of pop culture. Which has meant that over the years, what exactly they did and who they were has been muddied by Hollywood. So, here are 10 facts you may not know about this not-so-secret ancient order of knights…
The Anglo-Saxons were Germanic invaders who came from what is now the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. They were from the tribes known today as the Angles, Saxons, Frisians and Jutes and set up their own kingdoms in England.
There are now more than three hundred million guns in the United States of America alone. At the end of World War II in 1945, the Soviet army was shelling Berlin with 43,000 artillery pieces. So whatever your opinion on how they should be regulated in America, guns have been a gigantic part of human history and sometimes gigantic in general. But since they’re made to be cheap with interchangeable parts, they are almost by design boring and kind of “samey”.
Bras. For about half of you reading this, they’re an essential item of wear. For the other half, they’re two great big cups of suggestion containing the most fun body parts yet discovered by science. In other words, they’re something nearly all of us are deeply familiar with, if only via our bedroom-ceiling fantasies.
For any of you who grew up watching the Back to the Future series, Dexter’s Lab, or anything that showcased zany inventions, then you probably love the idea of mad science. Experiments and projects that look really cool, and provide a lot of fun and awe factor, but may not necessarily be something with a lot of practical value. Below are several cool projects that will make you feel like Doc Brown himself.
In a world where fake news and false factoids are rampant, it is hard to distinguish what is true and what isn’t, especially when it sounds so unbelievable. We have gone through some crazy news stories and unbelievable tales from history and culled some of the most interesting, unbelievable facts that sound like BS, but are completely true.
Samurai are one of the most revered and respected warriors in history. We’ve talked a bit about some misconceptions of them in the past. Many kids from around the world grow up fascinated by their culture, their weapons and their warrior code. They have captured our imaginations with their colorful way of life, their system of honor and the incredibly cool way they fight with swords that we have all seen in countless movies and cartoons. Unfortunately, due to the distortion of years of myth and legend, the actuality of the Samurai and who they were has become greatly confused in the eyes of the average person.
In just a few short weeks, the 44th president will look around the White House for the last time, step outside, and close the door on an entire era. For some of you reading this, Obama will be the only president you’ve ever been politically aware of. For others, he’ll just be the latest in a long line that stretches back through the decades. The only thing for certain is that America’s first black president will doubtless leave an enduring legacy.
Bad habits are easy to form and difficult to break, as the saying goes. And judging by the latest scientific research, nearly all of us are sleepwalking along in a zombie states of incessant bad habits that are threatening to completely ruin our lives.
The fight for a $15 minimum wage has become a flashpoint in society. We recently told you about what would happen if this liberal dream became a reality (spoilers: it was complicated). But there’s another side to this utopian wish. One that hasn’t been an issue in the USA since 1938. What would happen if there was no minimum wage at all?
As of last year the word “meme” has been added to the Merriam Webster dictionary alongside “emoji” and other, so called, tech words. Surprisingly enough, the word made its first appearance way back in 1976, in Richard Dawkins’ book, The Selfish Gene. He used it to explain the spread of ideas and all sorts of cultural phenomena, like melodies, catchphrases, fashion, and even the technology of building arches. The word itself is in fact the shortened form of mimeme, which itself stems from the Ancient Greek word for imitating / miming.
As we’ve discussed previously (like, a lot), dedication is a thing that should be admired. Yes, even if that dedication is to something that seems totally ridiculous, like owning every copy of Speed ever released on VHS, or photoshopping Michael Cera’s face onto a random image every day. With that in mind, here are 10 more people who’ve shown what can only be described as a superhuman level of dedication to seemingly mundane or pointless endeavors.
Let’s start this off with a confession: the author of this piece is actually part of that benighted 90% portion of the population that is right-handed. But when I saw one of my fellow righties utterly bashing the left-handed world, right after National Left-Hander’s day no less, I knew I had to take action. There are actually tons of advantages enjoyed by the 10% that don’t get talked about nearly as often as they should, advantages that could be quite surprising to anyone who just thinks of it as an inconvenience for those sitting at small desks. So this article is written more out of envy than anything else.
When many people think of dangerous places, they often just think of nothing more than violent crime, and the cities where it occurs frequently. While some of these cities are quite dangerous, and will appear below, there are many other dangers one can live with. Extreme weather conditions, hostile wildlife, potentially fatal daily commutes, and other dangerous conditions are just some of the worst ways your day, or your life, can be ruined.
Despite their original benevolent intent, mental asylums have become synonymous with abuse and malpractice. For one, the practice of lobotomy originates in the world of psychotherapy and institutionalization. Egas Moniz performed the first lobotomy in Portugal in 1935 and it was soon after adapted by American physicians Walter Freeman and James W. Watts, who popularized the operation. From 1949 to 1951, the amount of lobotomies grew from 5,074 to 18,608 people. John F. Kennedy’s sister is one of the many who were victims of the controversial procedure.
For nearly one thousand years, the world quaked at their footsteps, and the very sound of their name: The Legions. The elite troops of Rome’s formidable army, which would carve up an empire that stretched from the Highlands of Scotland to the scorching deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. They would kill and enslave millions, pillage and raze cities to the ground, and transform the mighty Mediterranean Sea into the Empire’s own private lake. The only time in human history when the whole of the Mediterranean would be under one single government was under Roman rule. The Roman Legions were such a mighty force in the world, even their own Emperors were afraid of them.
Piracy is as old as the sea itself … or at least since there’s been some loot to be plundered. But the pirate legacy has since been high-jacked by Hollywood and romantic fiction. And pirates have been told as being faintly noble, selfless, independent, and with a great degree of charm. But the real pirate story is much darker. Pirate life was nasty, brutal, and – especially – short. And for a brief moment in time, each of these lives terrorized the oceans and demanded the attention of the navy. Mercy and honesty were rarely in any pirate’s vocabulary. Today we’ll be taking a look at what made the realpirates the most feared “predators” on the high seas.
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest, yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum! The X marks the spot, so get your shovel ready and start digging. Money, gold and jewelry stashed away on some mysterious island usually means trouble. From the mists of time, when mythical gods and legendary heroes roamed the Earth, though the Middle Ages and even the last couple of centuries, we have records of great treasures that seem to have vanished, leaving behind only pies in the sky. Fascinating examples of opulence and decadence, the world knelt to their power and wept at their disappearance. They witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, and now they are gone. Or are they?
Abortion is one of the trickiest ethical issues out there. On the one hand, you have to ensure you respect the rights of the mother. On the other, you also have to respect the rights of her unborn child. Each country strives to strike a fair balance, with some leaning more towards the mother’s rights, and some leaning more toward the child’s. While nowhere likely gets it exactly right, most countries at least strive to create a situation everyone can live with.
We tend to reflect less on the news of the 19th century, since newspapers were densely-packed walls of text, and TV, radio, and computers did not yet exist.But just as much incredible stuff happened in that century as the 20th and 21st. Here are some of the most note-worthy news stories that the 1800’s ever produced.
When you’ve been doing this job as long as we have, you get used to the idea that truth is stranger than fiction. History, science, art… they’re all full of factoids that seem implausible on the surface, but turn out to be true underneath. Still, there is a limit to this implausibility. It’s not like we’re going around claiming lightning magically gives you tattoos, or that you can survive jumping off the top of the Empire State Building, or that the Muppets were inspired by a porno, right?
Thanks to urban legends, pranks, and the use of pseudonyms, there have been a number of people who managed to get famous without having to go through the hassle of actually existing. Some were used for shady marketing purposes, others served as tools for building hoaxes, and one was even responsible for encouraging early medieval expeditions into Asia. In each case, the air of mystery that surrounded them only helped to build up their false celebrity. Here are the top ten famous people who didn’t actually exist:
The first sword appeared during the Bronze Age. It was made of copper and was uncovered at the Harappan sites in present-day Pakistan. By the Middle Ages iron and steel swords were being mass produced and used in battle. Soldiers were trained in swordsmanship and prepared for combat. It was before the era of guns and high powered artillery and face to face fighting was the norm. During this time in history, all of the royal generals, kings, and emperors owned personal swords. These weapons were manufactured by the greatest sword makers of the time. Many historical manuscripts document events surrounding significant swords. This article will be examining ten world famous swords that still survive today. Mythological and legendary swords will not be listed.
Some do it for love, some do it for money or politics: these people sold out their countries, their comrades…even their own families…changing the course of history forever. Here is our list of Top 10 Traitors.
While the final outcome of most wars is generally decided on land, occasionally a sea battle can have a profound impact on history as well. More than one empire’s plans for further expansion has been waylaid by a catastrophic sea battle, and even entire kingdoms have been brought to their knees because of some fiasco at sea. Of course, not all of the most important sea battles are large; the Battle of Jutland, for example, was one of the largest naval battles in history but it had little impact on the course of the First World War, while the small engagement between just two ships, the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia during the Civil War forever changed the face of naval warfare, making some battles game-changers in terms of tactics and technology. And so, without further ado, here are my candidates for the most important or game-changing naval battles in history.
There have been a number of military achievements throughout world history that have revolutionized warfare. Listed here, I have attempted to formulate the top ten military achievements that have most significantly impacted warfare throughout world history.
When most people are asked to name the most brutal and murderous leaders in history, they will first mention the names of recent dictators like Hitler and Stalin. Going back further, many people will talk about the Norse raids, the British Empire, Attila the Hun, and so many of the most vicious Roman Emperors. However, going back before any of them came to power, Genghis Khan and the Mongols permanently reshaped an enormous portion of the world, and changed the culture and genetic makeup of the region forever. The khan was a master strategist and his brutal warriors left a path of destruction in their wake.
There was a time in history when piracy became so rampant that several trading ships, which ferried huge amount of treasures and valuable goods, were plundered by the most skillful pirates the world has ever known. This particular period, known as the Golden Age of Piracy, threatened international trading from 1680 until 1725. Within that span of time, pirates such as Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd, and Calico Jack gained notorious reputations for successfully overpowering not only trading ships, but also naval military forces, which cemented their legacy in piracy.
Cannibalism is a fairly normal part of nature. After all, why let perfectly good food go to waste, even if it used to be part of your best friend? But just because it’s common doesn’t mean we have to like it, and we particularly don’t have to like it when adorable animals that belong in petting zoos or coloring books decide to throw that away and instead start eating each other alive.
I see the error with confusing Da Vinci and Galileo. We will notate this. I think the writer accidentally confused the two, because the source we listed for this in our description (see link: http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/sciurban.htm) shows the name Galileo, so we knew what we meant to write, but wrote the wrong thing. Sorry for this and thanks for the catch from our viewers. If someone dropped two rocks now, I think I would hide under one.
Since the foundation of their religion, Christians have implored one another to ‘love thy neighbor’ and ‘turn the other cheek.’ While not everyone who calls themselves a Christian manages to uphold these ideals, those who do are capable of some extreme acts of inspiring selflessness. Here are ten Christians who didn’t let themselves be blinded by prejudice…but instead dug deep into themselves and found the strength to do the most-amazing things possible.
You’ve probably read of stories about how lottery winners’ lives were left in shambles after hitting the jackpot, right? It’s almost as if such cases are just as common as success stories. Well, the winner’s curse is actually not just limited to lottery winners. In this list, you will read of winners from various contests and fields who became first-hand witnesses of life’s cruel sense of irony.
World War I will be remembered as one of the bloodiest wars in human history. Millions of soldiers died on both sides, and whole generations of young men were wiped out. Armies were bogged down in impenetrable trenches, resulting in thousands dying in futile assaults against fortified enemies. The war also introduced new and terrible weapons, such as the machine gun, which made the war even more horrific and bloody. There are many terrible battles, but this is a list of the worst.
Television is a ubiquitous part of any child’s young life and helps them to see another window to the world they wouldn’t see otherwise. All of us have those shows from our past that we loved unconditionally as kids and still carry with us into adulthood nostalgia. On the flipside, we also all have those shows that made us feel funny, disturbed, and downright scared and you’d all be pleased to know that tradition of adults frightening children via the use of puppets and psychedelic imagery took place all over the world and is still going strong today. Strap in and I’ll take you on a ride through some of the creepiest and most bizarre television shows ever created for children, a ride you may never recover from.
The Maori people of New Zealand came from eastern Polynesia in waves of canoes sometime between 1250 and 1300 AD. Over the centuries, they developed a rich and complex society that included a fierce and terrifying warrior culture. Europeans described the Maori warriors as large men, although women could be warriors as well, who had extensive facial tattoos. While they looked fearsome, their intense physical appearance is only the start of what made these warriors so terrifying.
ABC News reported that the general consensus is that bald people are more domineering, intimidating, and to the average viewer look taller than they really were. These might not sound like qualities that people are necessarily looking for in a professional Youtube personality, but they did not hold any of these people back.
Ancient codes, or sets of laws, have been written down since around 2000 BC. Many of these laws were harsh and would be seen as barbaric compared to our current laws, but many of them were actually just as compassionate and fair, and sometimes moreso, than the laws we have now.
Many strange archaeological discoveries have been made in modern history. Hundreds of artifacts have been unearthed that have baffled scientists and challenged modern man’s view of history. Many of these objects have been labeled out of place artifacts or anachronisms. These archeological discoveries are always controversial and the scientific community is extremely selective in what they accept as fact. Every object on this list has been accused of being an elaborate hoax. In many cases, a conspiracy is the only explanation, without an extensive rewriting of the world’s history books. These artifacts tell a story of ancient civilizations, Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contracts, and mysterious technological advancements. Many of these archeological discoveries challenge the scientific theory of evolution, as well as many religious beliefs.
Death is something that most people fear, simply because we don’t know what happens after we die. Others aren’t afraid to die, but I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us get a bad feeling when we think about what comes next. While we may not know when or what is next, we do know that it is sure to come.
From an early age, we’re taught to see things in black or white. Perform medical experiments on children, or deliberately drop bombs on innocent civilians and you’re clearly a bad person, right? Well, no, not exactly. See, real life is a lot more complex than we’d like it to be. It’s totally possible to do something terrible, while having a really good reason for doing so. Don’t believe us? Check out these guys.
In his 1896 short story The Sea Raiders, HG Wells describes a world where sentient octopuses and squid patrol the coast of Devon, England, feasting on human flesh. It’s one of the sci-fi master’s sillier stories. After all, how scary can a sea-based villain made of squishy stuff be?
For as long as there have been civilizations on earth, man has been curious about his ancestors. Our need to connect to our past fuels the study of anthropology and the many important sites and artifacts uncovered through archaeology have opened our eyes to the lives of those that came before us.
Dressing as a member of the opposite sex has a long and varied history. In the past, men and women cross-dressed to assume new roles, to enable them to do things they otherwise couldn’t, or because they just plain wanted to. Here are some individuals who for whatever reason decided to adopt the clothing of the opposite sex:
When most people think of the “Big One,” they often think about an earthquake caused by the San Andreas Fault. However, there’s actually a more dangerous fault called the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The Cascadia Subduction Zone, also known as the Cascadia Fault, is almost 700 miles long and stretches the west coast of North America from Vancouver Island to Northern California. For some perspective, an earthquake caused by the San Andreas Fault could reach 8.3 on the Richter scale, but a Cascadia earthquake will be more like a 9.2. That means that the quake could shake for up to four and a half minutes.
Major disasters involving planes, trains, buses and ocean liners get plenty of media coverage, which has a way of making us more concerned about these modes of transport than we should be, since people are generally terrible at calculating probability. This doesn’t make our hesitation to jump on a plane after seeing a news item about a terrible plane crash any less understandable, but if only there were more stories like these to report – instances in which, despite the presence of every conceivable factor favoring tragic disaster, none occurred.
There have been many changes over the last 12 years regarding what is allowed on airplanes. The horrendous events of 9/11 have essentially changed the way that airports and all public means of transportation operate. This doesn’t mean, however that some people don’t try exceedingly hard to bring certain things on a plane that they know would be otherwise forbidden. Some even go to extra lengths and threw extraordinary measures to try and hide or conceal the dangerous, bizarre and sometimes downright inappropriate things, in an attempt to sneak onto planes. This list will undoubtedly speak to the efficiency and hard work that is displayed by the transportation security administration agents, otherwise known as TSA agents, that must be vigilant in their line of work to insure the safety of hundreds and thousands of people every single day. The list included below are the top ten strange things TSA agents found in luggage.
Many houses throughout the world go through some sort of change over the years. It’s only natural. For example, styles of décor change and things that were once trendy and modern can become tacky and gaudy 10 years later. In other cases, houses undergo huge renovation either because upgrades were necessary, or for aesthetic reasons. The homes in this list, however, sat untouched for decades. As a result, these houses are now amazing time capsules and give us a unique look into the past.
The first antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered in 1928 by Sir Alexander Fleming and they are used to fight bacterial diseases and infections. The problem is that they are overprescribed and often prescribed to fight viruses, like the common cold and influenza, despite the fact that antibiotics aren’t effective against viruses.
History books tell us of ancient places with amazing architecture, and world wonders long past. Archeological discovery has learned much about the world before us. The idea of many of these locations has inspired imaginations for many years. However, the truth is that history gets distorted over time both through constant retellings and sometimes through historical records that were actually just fanciful stories written after the fact. Many of the most famous locations may not have existed at all. Many of those that did, were much different than most people usually imagine.
Before we get started, we want to point out two things. First is that a state leaving the Union would be an incredibly complex legal issue, and who knows what people and companies will do if a Caliexit happens. So to simplify the scenario, this is looking at what would happen if nothing changed in California. The only difference is that California is now its own separate country.
What would happen if everyone in the world had an IQ score over 200 points? This is a type of intelligence that only comes along every so often. An IQ level of 200 is as high, or higher, than the theoretical IQs of history’s greatest minds like Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, and Isaac Newton.
William Shatner hit the nail on the head when he uttered the famous phrase, “Space, the final frontier.” Why? Well, contrary to what some scientists will have you believe, space remains mankind’s final and rather obscure frontier. After all there is so much we have yet to understand about space, and much that we thought we knew is starting to look ‘shaky’.
Lakes aren’t all that exciting. Some of them are huge and some of them are salty (The Dead Sea) but none of them are bizarre or entertaining in any way– right? Well not exactly. You just need to venture off the beaten path a little, and you’ll find things like…
The Immortals were the heavy infantry unit of the Achaemenid Empire’s army. Also known as the first Persian Empire, the civilization was founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 B.C. in what is today Iran. The name ‘Immortals’ was coined by Greek historian Herodotus. What’s known about them mostly comes from his writing.
When it comes to dealing with ghosts, a lot of them are pretty harmless. They may moan, walk around and even slam doors, but rarely do they act violently. Then there are some cases where the spirit, be it a poltergeist, ghost or some other type of spirit, let their presence be known through destruction and even violence.
There are just too many creepy places in America for this list to be the top 10, but these 10 destinations are all near the top of the list in terms of all-in-all creep factor. With Halloween fast approaching this list is appropriate and if you live near any of the places you may want to take a visit and see what you have been missing. From an axe murder’s home to a witch’s cave and a ghostly cemetery you are sure to find something to send chills up your spine.
Sociopaths walk among us each and every day. They are family members, lovers and colleagues. These “cold ones” inhabit a different psychological world, where conscience, love, and remorse are non-existent. The people that they meet are targets who are utilized in order to access the best things in life.
When being knighted entailed higher taxes and the responsibility of supplying an armed man on horseback to the British Crown, it is understandable why an individual might refuse the privilege. But even with the modern title being strictly honorary, 2% of the 3,000 people annually chosen by civil servant committees from public and governmental nominations still reject the offer. While most do so quietly, a 2003 London’s Sunday Times article leaked an official document detailing decliners, which was designed to avoid repeat invitations. This list explores the top ten people to decline knighthood and their surprisingly varied reasons for refusal.
It’s a rallying cry for progressives across America. Fight for $15. The dream of combating poverty by raising the minimum wage to $15 everywhere. Already, cities such as Seattle and Syracuse, NY, have begun phasing in or have already implemented a $15 minimum as law. And, so far, the prognosis is good. No wonder people want it implemented everywhere, huh?
The first record of the Scandinavian people known as the Vikings, or Norsemen (Northmen), was when they raided England in 793 A.D. The word Viking comes from the Scandinavian term vikingr, a word for “pirate.” Essentially, Scandinavian men would go on “a Viking” during the summer in which they’d raid the coastal areas of countries like France and England. Even today, over 1,200 years after they first made landfall in England, the Vikings have a reputation as fierce warriors and amazing seafaring people that explored more of the world than anyone before them.
As TopTenz has covered in other articles, the past was in some ways so much worse than we can relate to. But let’s not assume that it was all terrible, or that everyone was too stupid to make life better for themselves. Our heads are full of flawed beliefs about the past. These myths are often created to make history more dramatic to keep students awake during class, to simplify the past for easy digestion, or to inflate our sense of superiority over some country or the past in general. Let’s try to set some of those myths straight.
Spies have long captured the public imagination. Books and movies have been based around the imagined lives and exploits of secret agents. Sometimes, these tales stray far from reality. But sometimes, the truth can be stranger than fiction. Below are 10 facts that detail the real drama, and some surprising truths, about the world of spies.
New nations seem to pop up with alarming regularity. At the start of the 20th century, there were only a few dozen independent sovereign states on the planet; today, there are nearly 200! Once a nation is established, they tend to stick around for awhile, so a nation disappearing is quite uncommon. It’s only occurred a handful of times in the last century. But when they do, they completely vanish off the face of the globe: government, flag, and all. Here then, in no particular order, are the top ten countries that had their moment in the sun but are, alas, no more.
Every now and then you see a story in the news about someone who’s miraculously come back to life. Maybe it’s a miracle, or maybe it’s just bad medicine.
The world is filled with dangerous animals, capable of easily inflicting any number of horrible injuries upon you or the ones you love (such as your iPhone.) However, certain animals are consistently left out of the OH GOD RUN THIS THING WILL EAT YOU discussion. This can be dangerous, because everyone knows to be wary of a tiger, but not many people know that they could be risking serious injury by going anywhere near certain other animals. Animals like …
Hands up if you’ve ever dreamed of learning another language? Most of us love the idea of being able to hold a conversation in Spanish, or pontificate in German, or translate our Marvel Universe slash-fiction for appreciative Japanese audiences. But not all languages are born equal. For the native English-speaker, some are significantly harder to learn than others.
Every culture, race, and age group seems to have them: traditions. A tradition is set to be simply a set of practices. Christmas festivities are seen as traditions, just as throwing rice at a wedding is considered a tradition. Traditions are just one of the many things that allow people from all over to interrelate and have a common bond. However, traditions aren’t always fun and games.
This will focus on Japan’s 16th century when warfare was at its height however, all the facts have been taken from two 17th century records from a war-master to Kishu-Tokugawa family.
In the 1990s, beekeepers started recording major losses of worker honeybees during the winter months. Since then, there have been mass die offs in many of the other 4,000 species of bees. In 2006, the phenomenon was bestowed with the name colony collapse disorder. No one is exactly sure why the bees are dying off in unprecedented numbers, but some theories include the loss of flower meadows, varroa mites that eat the bees’ blood, climate change, and the use of pesticides. Thankfully, bees are a long way from becoming extinct. Which is good, because as this list shows, it could be disastrous for humanity.
Sparta is one extreme civilization to have ever walked on Earth. Relatively early in Greek history, even before the Classical World had begun, the Spartans drove through a radical social and political revolution. In effect, all Spartans are made to be equal; really equal. And they developed key concepts we still use today, like the importance of self-sacrifice for the common good or the value of duties and of rights. In short, all Spartans aimed to be as perfectly human as humanly possible. Every single of our utopic ideas today, can draw their roots from the Spartan example.
The Aztec Empire started sometime around the mid-1350s in what is now Mexico. It was a three city-state which, at its height, had a population of 5 million people. Its capital city, Tenochtitlan (which is today Mexico City), had a population of 200,000. Their culture was complex and rich, with a strong economic system. They created the 365 day agriculture calendar. The Aztecs also had a fierce army that helped feed their bloodthirsty culture.
Every actor is bound to make a stinker or two over the course of his or her career. Heck, if you’re looking at someone like Nic Cage or John Travolta, he’s bound to make a dozen or more, and let’s not even get started on someone like Emilio Estevez or his esteemed uncle, Joe.
Throughout history, a nation or empire is only as strong as its military forces. Growth and power have been predicated on the strength of your finest soldiers, and their ability to prove victorious on the battlefield. Even among the finest soldiers in history, some stand above the rest. These are some of the most fearsome and legendary groups of warriors the world has ever seen.
Most people’s perception of Russia is based on Cold War stereotypes, such as harsh winters and stern-looking people drinking lots and lots of vodka. While all of that is true, there is much more to Russian culture than that.
One of the biggest mysteries humans face is: are we alone in the universe? Some of the greatest scientific minds in the world have thought about this question, and at more length than the scientific layman. So what do they think? Are we alone in the vast universe? Or will we one day meet intelligent life?
When it comes to defining the world around us, we humans tend to think we’ve figured it all (well, most of it) out. Since the Enlightenment, the Scientific Method has reigned supreme in our quest for knowledge. Despite humanity’s social problems (murder rate and poverty anyone?), 21st century people think they’ve got the universe’s mysteries locked in pretty well. Technology! Math! We can solve anything!
People make sacrifices all the time, for lots of reasons. Our time is limited, and you can only be in one place at a time. Actors are no different. They make sacrifices in their lives, sure. But it’s when they make those sacrifices for their craft that people sit up and really take notice. With that in mind, here are 10 actors who went far beyond what anyone could have expected to make sure they gave a convincing performance.
Winning the lottery is a dream for a lot of people. Unfortunately, the odds of it happening are so small that you have a better chance of winning an Academy Award, being killed by a vending machine, or even becoming president. Despite these astronomical odds, there are some people who have beaten them in a spectacular way.
Hide your wife and hide your kids because the gold bug has bitten—and it’s a worldwide pandemic. People in the preliminary stage are known to ice their necks, wrists, and teeth with the shimmery metal. An insatiable hunger for all things made of gold marks a person in the most advanced stage of the bug. If you or a loved one is infected, feed your appetite by checking out the top ten weirdest things made of gold…
Flags have been around for a very long time. You probably saw a bunch of them at the Opening Ceremonies in Rio last week. The oldest flag ever found dates back to the 3rd millennium BC in present-day Iran, and was made out of bronze. Their purpose was to give people information and became especially useful during battles, in order to tell friend from foe. Usually of rectangular shape, national flags today stand to represent the country they belong to and have a strong patriotic link attached to them.
These days, if you want information, it’s right at your fingertips. In some ways this has been a very good thing. But it’s also given rise to a platform for any insane idea, and for anyone who is trying to make a buck. With all this information so easily accessible, it’s made many of us feel like we’re experts after a little Googling. It doesn’t matter if we have little real familiarity with a subject. This has helped give rise to an industry of hucksters who decry mainstream medicine, touting instead their alternative cures that they will happily supply to you — for the right price. Unfortunately, these con routines have caused a lot of people to distrust mainstream medicine. This distrust has spawned all manner of bizarre conspiracy theories.
They’re the guys with the thousand yard stare. The one with six-shooters in their holsters, a broad-brim hat on their heads and enough jagged iron in their guts to break down even the toughest steak. They are the cowboys, and everyone knows they’re the coolest, calmest, most-heroic folk in America history.
What creates a genius? Is it simply a function of having the right brain patterns, or is there a deeper mechanism at work? Just as savants like Daniel Tammet and Alonso Clemons demonstrate superhuman mastery in certain subjects, there have been people throughout history who gained extraordinary abilities from freak accidents. Unfortunately, genius often comes at a price.
If you grew up American, like me, then your typical idea of “Tropical Fruit” was bananas and the occasional kiwi. When I was a kid, Pineapples were something you rarely saw in a grocery store and mangos were something mentioned in movies or songs and I just assumed they didn’t exist for real and I just assumed Sesame Street and Don Ho were lying to me.
If all out nuclear war happened, many places in the world could be wiped off the face of the Earth in the blasts. Unlucky survivors would die slowly from radiation or in nuclear winter. It’s a nightmarish scenario, and just one way humanity could be doomed. We could also be killed off by disease, environmental problems, and asteroids, just to name a few extinction level events. Because there are so many ways humanity could end on any given day, some people have built, or are in the process of building, some amazing bunkers and fallout shelters.
There’s a good reason the sight of a Viking longship struck fear in the hearts of coastal villagers: the Vikings were bad news for everyone. When they weren’t raiding, pillaging, and demanding tribute not to raid and pillage, Vikings even fought with each other. There are so many badass Vikings that it’s tough to narrow it down, but these ten who made their peers soil their breeches.
The universe is indeed a curious place. Even stranger are the processes and phenomena that occur in the universe, some are without explanation, some are quite dangerous, and some are just really cool.
Laconic humor was the term invented specifically to describe the dry, biting wit of the Spartan people. We personally think it’s a little unfair that pop culture has mainly portrayed the Spartans as a bunch of ass-kicking, throat-ripping slabs of beef. Though that description is entirely correct, it ignores the fact that the Spartan’s were also masters of verbal combat along with the regular, sweaty kind.
Present day researchers don’t think the Vikings, who were groups of unorganized clans living in the Nordic area of Europe, were the bloodthirsty savage giants that they are often made out to be. In fact, they were clean, average size men. They were incredible seafarers and prolific traders.
The idea that a celebrity would swoop in out of nowhere and marry one of his or her fans is the stuff of fairy tales or a movie written by Richard Curtis. While the lifestyle that comes with being married to a famous person may not be ideal, we’re sure that everyone has at least one celebrity they have fantasized about marrying, despite all the pitfalls of being married to a famous person.
Ninjas became a pop culture staple by the late 20th century. Like the Shaolin monks, they were practically able to defy physics with how well-trained and deadly they were. For decades, movies portrayed them as superhuman killers while insisting there was something with spiritual depth about their practices. As a result, all sorts of misconceptions have been mixed in with ninja lore. Not only has this distorted our view of them, it’s covered up some great stories that are at least worth movies.
You never miss the power until it’s gone. Power outages are catastrophic when they’re lengthy or widespread — some of the largest blackouts of the 20th century affected millions of people and cost millions of dollars to restore. Here they are:
It seems when celebrities aren’t doing their thing in the limelight, they’re busy doing something else that will lead to them returning to said limelight as swiftly as possible. Whether that’s talking extensively about tiger blood or working on their next project depends on the celeb in question and their mental wellbeing, but surely there is more to life? Everyone needs a hobby…
Kissing has always been a way of showing love and affection and symbolizes a special bond between two people. Kissing does not always have to be between two lovers, husband and wife or a new couple; it can also be shared between a mother and her child, a brother and sister, friends and family members and even pets. It’s not just a relationship sealer between couples or a tool to assess women; it also addresses your desires, helps with de-stressing and can be extremely addictive. But there are some facts about kissing that we aren’t aware of, things that we should all know. Let us take a look at the top ten bizarre facts about kissing.
Reading about illegal acts of torture and murder can be plenty unsettling, but seeing and/or hearing it actually take place is far more disturbing. For various reasons, some criminals have actually recorded themselves committing vile acts, thereby providing authorities with evidence of their guilt. This list features ten of the most significant cases in which men and women recorded their crimes. This is truly the stuff of nightmares, and we’re not linking to any of the videos. You want to see them? Find them yourself.
The Irish Wolfhound is a breed of dog that was possibly bred in Ireland, as far back as 500 BC. On all fours, the dogs are about 3 feet tall.
No matter where you go in the world, vehicles play a major role in almost every aspect of our lives. Vehicle ownership is seen by most as an essential part of existence in the modern world. Whether for pleasure or economic necessity, just about all of us will want or need to own a vehicle at some point. Is it any wonder then that around the world, people have taken their vehicles and made them into works of art? What better way to show your love and appreciation for your vehicle than decorating it with love and care? Here is my top 10 customized vehicles from around the world:
The internet is a force for both good and evil. On the one hand, it’s given us more awesome top ten sites and videos of cats falling over than you can shake a proverbial stick at. On the other, it’s sparked endless crazes that run the whole gamut of awful from “really stupid” to “probably deadly.” Here we round up the top 10 worst internet fads of all-time, from dumbass dances, to stupid poses, to shoving condoms up your noses (yeah, really)…
Work sucks. It’s boring, it’s soul-killing, and it really cuts into your “me time.” Work also limits our chances of accomplishing something really great. Like becoming famous, releasing a number one single, or travelling the world. Unless of course you’re one of these 10 people, who accomplished all that and more by doing literally nothing.
Meditation is far more than just a religious practice; it is actually incredibly good for your mental, physical and emotional health. It is great for relieving stress, and has no negative side effects. Below are ten things meditation does to improve your health.
Non-lethal weapons are what you get when the ideas of “not-killing” and “wanting to shoot people in the face” get into yet another screaming match and end up totally doing it on the kitchen counter. The following morning, no words are said and eye contact is avoided, but out of such a hateful union eventually comes the miracle of life, in the form of weaponry that harms and maims but stops very short of actually killing.
Most of us understand that discrimination is a bad thing: if you deliberately act like an ass toward someone just because of their race, gender, or sexuality, you’re officially pond scum. But not everyone who engages in discriminatory practices picks such obvious targets. Sometimes, it turns out that we like to hate on people for reasons best described as “ridiculous.” Here are ten forms of discrimination that, while perhaps not pure evil, are definitely completely absurd:
Animals eat other animals to survive; that’s nature. It’s cruel, but it’s necessary to the continued balance of the animal kingdom. However, some animals, seemingly just to prove that nature will always find a way to freak us out, have a tendency to eat their prey whole and fully aware that it is about to spend the rest of its life staring at a wet wall of muscle.
Maps have been around for almost as long as civilization and the concept of getting lost and refusing to ask for directions. They’ve ranged from the whimsical to the bizarre, and they’ve changed the world and how we look at it. These 10 were especially important.
Throughout history, expedition teams have raced to achieve the glory of being the first to stand on the summit of a mountain. Even now, when most mountains have already been climbed hundreds of times, there are still those willing to find new routes and take on new challenges in order to be the first to do so. But success rarely comes without risk, and climbing impressively high peaks is a dangerous risk to take.
Everyone knows corporations are evil, not to be trusted, and are completely willing to kill on a whim, but we don’t expect them to be so brazen about it. We want their decisions, especially the ones where they show they don’t care about their customers or the law, to be made behind closed doors, not in public view so we can make a list about them.
Yes, death is inevitable, but we have the capability either to delay or hasten it depending on the choices we make such as the way we live our lives. For example, common habits like smoking and not exercising regularly are known to decrease life expectancy significantly. However, there are some surprising things that we wouldn’t have guessed can actually cause us to have an early appointment with death.
When fate hasn’t dealt you the best hand in life, it’s easier to complain than to work change it. But throughout history, there have been people who just grab the whole deck for themselves, rising from those humble beginnings to seize more power than anyone could have ever thought possible. As we’re about to tell you, sometimes even the lowliest peasants can rise to the highest stations.
The fear of spiders is one of the most common fears amongst humans. Some say it’s because spiders are among the least human-looking animals on Earth, while others say it’s because those of our ancestors who were afraid of spiders were more likely to survive, and the fear is inbuilt in our genetics. Still others simply hate them because they’re icky-poo.
There is perhaps no greater joy in life than the feeling you get from building things with your own hands, be it making simple airplane models, or completely redoing your secret torture basement.
But as with all things, there are people out there whose inventiveness and hard work can make even your greatest Do-It-Yourself projects look like a pile of off-brand crap in comparison. Here are the top 10 examples of some of the coolest stuff people just got up and built in their spare time, because screw you, feeling good about your own accomplishments for even a second:
Unless you’ve been living under a large rock (or, for that matter, a fallen meteoroid) for the majority of your life, you’re probably uncomfortably aware that humanity, as a whole, just doesn’t seem to be too confident about its ongoing survival. Let’s face it: here on Earth we spend a wildly disproportionate amount of time worrying about all sorts of cataclysmic events blowing us all to Kingdom Come, ranging from ancient Mayan calendars, to zombies or robots gone wrong, all the way up to international wars, global warming and unfortunate cosmic collisions.
Logos are a ubiquitous part of the urban ecosystem. With so many companies bombarding us with so many logos in every facet of modern life, it’s easy to tune them out or ignore them altogether. But if you look a little deeper, some of the logos you see every day have some interesting stories behind them, like…
Ancient Egypt has long been a fascinating subject not only to historians, but to normal people all over the world. They had many mystical practices that have long kept us fascinated. From their unique burial practices to their awe inspiring pyramids, they have left us with a feeling of mystery and wonder. Architects, Egyptologists, and experts on many different subjects consider the Ancient Egyptians a fascinating subject of study and have long hoped to one day discover all of their secrets. However, while there are many mysteries yet about the Ancient Egyptians, there are also many fascinating things we have already discovered in regards to them that most people are not aware of.
A short while ago we published a list (Top 10 HORRIFYING Facts You Didn’t Know About SAMURAI) all about the oft-romanticized samurai of feudal Japan were actually pretty awful. Today we’re turning our attention to the samurai of the west, medieval knights to explain why they too probably sucked a fat one despite pop culture’s best efforts to paint them as noble heroes who adhered to a strict policy of chivalry and being a totally awesome dude all of the time. For example, did you know that …
Unusual food combos have become more popular, as companies and brands seek to capture the changing tastes and fickle attentions of consumers. But not every flavor innovation is going to reach the heights of the cronut, the croissant/donut mashup that Time hailed as one of 2013’s best inventions. Some food revolutions won’t catch on, and some ideas will be just plain disgusting. Below are 10 that fall into the latter category—gross combinations the world would be better off without.
Many prominent scientists and technologists, such as Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan, and Elon Musk, have expressed confidence that humans will be able to colonize the universe. Some believe that unless humanity is wiped out beforehand, colonizing the universe is inevitable. Of course, we have yet to step foot on the Mars, so we are probably a long way off from colonizing the galaxy, or even the universe. But, if we were to try it, how would we go about it?
The human body is very resilient, but sometimes the amount of abuse it can take is absolutely remarkable. This list was created to showcase a myriad of stories concerning objects that have, at one point or another, been found in the human body. Whether by accident or on purpose, the sheer size and amount of these objects consumed will blow your mind.
From an app that translates your baby’s cry, to an app that does all the work while you nap on your desk, the little icons on our smartphones are slowly taking over humanity. We’re so good at letting them do it we’ve decided to create an app that counts for us, an app that decides for us, and an app that blows out candles for us (because we’re too cool to blow out our own birthday candles and it’s just plain filthy, amirite?).
US politics is big news. As a global superpower, American elections are followed by people from as far afield as Australia, China, or Argentina. You and everyone you know probably have an opinion on what’s happening with any election, with the White House, with Congress.
At times, there are people who are against protecting the environment and a lot of times it’s for profit and progress. But this type of attitude is completely ridiculous, because the Earth is our home and until we master interstellar travel or figure out how to colonize or terra form Mars, it is the only home we have. We mean, would you live in a house or apartment where you can’t bathe because the tub is full of black water and garbage?
In the wake of multiple high profile violent events, the pressure is on to enforce tighter gun control. In the wake of such grief, that the call would go out for excessive policies was almost inevitable. Many have seized on this as an excuse to caricature those that are anti-gun as being people out of touch with reality. As you’ll see here, the demand is valid to an extent.
Relationships with neighbors are rather complicated affairs. Most of the time they’re strangers and the only thing you have in common with them is geographical location. But you’ll see and hear from them on a regular basis, quite possibly for years. Disagreements and arguments are inevitable, but sometimes they go beyond “dispute” and into “disturbing vendetta” territory.
Many of our everyday inventions have colorful mythology surrounding their origins, but this list will hopefully illuminate some of the mistakes which have been made. Even if reality is less interesting than the fantasies we’ve constructed, it’s important to give credit where credit is due.
The dictionary defines a dystopia as a state in which the conditions of life are extremely bad as from deprivation or oppression or terror. These scenarios have been the inspiration for countless novels and movies. They reflect our darkest fears and sometimes, actual elements in the modern world.
The good ol’ days weren’t as simple as the Boomers make them out to be. In many ways, they more cumbersome, convoluted, and just a bigger pain than they are today. There were no computers, calculators, TV remote, or cable, and enormous microwave ovens were only for restaurants and the rich. There were no such things as industrial computers or Windows — just goofy and esoteric computer languages cobbled together by demons from Hell that disguised themselves to look like harmless nerdy programmers. We’re onto you, Satan.
The birth of a new country is a crazy, exciting time. With all the world explored and all useable land claimed, new nations can only be forged by the merging or collapse of older states. This gives each one an emotional intensity to it rarely seen in world affairs. Look at the birth of South Sudan in 2011, or Kosovo in 2008, or the reunification of Germany in 1990. Such moments are rare and should be cherished.
In many serial killer movies, the focus of the plot is on the police trying to catch the psychotic perpetrator. The killers are usually depicted as shadowy creatures who generally turn out to be the last person you expect.
With around 8.7 million animal species gracing our planet, it’s no wonder that we have some facts about animals totally wrong. Some animals and their behavior remain mysterious to scientists and it’s only through long term research and observation that they’ve been able to bust a number of animal myths. Here’s a list of well-known but utterly false facts about the fury, scaly and slimy creatures that grace our planet.
Online marketing is a tricky beast simply because people on the internet seem to relish being cruel. Yet some companies, even some with the most sophisticated marketing in the world, have attempted to do viral marketing and failed spectacularly. These are 10 of the funniest ways in which online marketing fell apart all thanks to the work of trolls.
The world’s population is growing every day, which means that there are more commuters who need to get around. The increase in commuters will make gridlock in urban areas much worse, and will also put a lot of pressure on aging and outdated public transit systems. Not to mention, it could be devastating to the environment. To combat the growing problem, new, inexpensive, and innovative forms of transportation are going to be needed. While self-driving cars are expected to become the norm in about 25 years, what other forms of transportation will we be using?
Stephen King is quite prolific, having penned over 40 novels and 166 works of short fiction. Therefore, for this Top Tenz list, we couldn’t narrow it down to just novels or short stories. Any reader of King’s knows that he threads many of his works together, but the purpose of this list is to praise and examine 10 of King’s best stand-alone works – even if that work is part of a bigger story. And let’s face it, in the world of Stephen King there is always a bigger story.
America’s political system is designed to always pull toward the center. You have two parties who can’t get much done without compromise, a rigorous primary system to weed out the fringe candidates, and an electorate which has more Independents than any other affiliation.
Technology sets us apart from all other living things. It’s true that, compared to other animals, we have larger brains and opposable thumbs, but these are what made technology available to us in the first place. And with the use of this technology, we became the dominant species on Earth.
There have truly been many great rulers in history. Some managed to conquer the world, some managed to end violence and put their countries into periods of peace and stability, and some changed not only their nations, but the world. Here are history’s greatest rulers:
Pop culture would have you believe that the samurai were a noble bunch of honorable warriors who served and protected their communities. In reality though, samurai were jerks of the highest order, who abused the power they were given in ways that would make a bloodsucking parasite think they were overstepping boundaries. For example, consider…
In the new millennium, progress and change is happening more rapidly than ever before. For example, look at how different life in 1996 was compared to 2016. Cell phones weren’t yet commonplace, the internet was still making headway in becoming more mainstream, and so on. So it makes you stop and wonder: just how different will things be in another 20 years?
While they have long provided mousing services and companionship to people, cats are sometimes characterized as aloof, selfish, and mercenary in their relationships with humans. Below are the stories of ten heroic felines who defy this stereotype, whose bravery saved people’s’ lives and whose inspiring tales you need to read right meow.
The reason stunts are so exciting is because there’s always the possibility of something going horribly wrong. Most spectators are hoping the person completes the stunt, but there is always a small part of us (which we don’t like to admit exists) that’s morbidly curious about witnessing disaster. It’s the same reason we all slow down to look at a car wreck. To help with that slight desire for bloodlust, please check out the ten videos on this list.
These days there seems to be a lot of pushback against nostalgia culture. Anyone who talks about how great the entertainment was back when they were kids can expect quite a few people telling them just how lousy their childhood shows and music were. However right either group may be, while looking at today’s pop culture geared toward kids, try to imagine having to explain some of it to future generations. Seems like it will be almost impossible, doesn’t it? In the meantime, prepare to feel either embarrassed by how lame and non-lucrative your childhood was compared with some of these people, many of whom achieved stardom before most of us got our first paycheck, or extremely old because you really don’t understand how anyone could find this sort of content bearable, let alone something to watch obsessively.
Is your daily routine at the gym boring you? Is your jogging route not giving you the same satisfaction it once did? And are you tired of athletic events that only last a couple of measly hours? Then it sounds like you need more pain and suffering in your life! Luckily, there are numerous sporting challenges that have been designed for the sole purpose of torturing their participants with insane demands. Taking part in any one of the following 10 events should be enough to ensure that you never want to exercise again!
No doubt about it, we live in a world of rapid change. Whereas a century ago, our grandparents and great grandparents were still getting around in a horse and buggy, and reading newspapers as their only source of information and entertainment1, today we fly in supersonic transports and get our news and entertainment from the Internet-things that would have been inconceivable 100 years ago.
Pop quiz: what’s the grossest thing you can imagine? For many of us, the answer would involve biting into fast food and discovering that what we thought was a tasty piece of chicken was actually a not-so-tasty piece of sewer rat. But such stories are just urban legends, right?
As the old saying goes, “failure to prepare is preparing to fail” and nobody takes this adage more seriously than the elite Special Forces and police units of the world. Along with more traditional skills like shooting and martial arts, many special operations units learn and perfect things that are only really useful in the kind of exceptional circumstances they’ll uniquely be more predisposed to encountering. Things like…
With 9-15 sets of twins among every 1000 live births, it’s not surprising that twins, especially the more common fraternal twins, are well-represented amongst the celebrity population. However, unlike stars like identical twins Tia and Tamara Mowry and fraternal twins Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen, whose twin status is a critical component of their fame, some celebs have twins who are off the public radar. Since right now, people with the astrological sign of Gemini – that’s the twins, remember – are celebrating their birthdays, let’s celebrate along with them with these 10 stars whose twin status may surprise you.
Now, I love Chinese food. I mean, who doesn’t? Weird people who don’t like lots of soy sauce and yummy carbs like rice and rice noodles? But what have the Chinese given to us, really? Fortune cookies? Jokes about children working in sweatshops? I’d like to think that they have accomplished more than that in their long history, and sure enough, they have…
Burger King has become an almost ubiquitous feature of the global landscape. With more than 13,000 locations across more than 70 countries, it’s hard to visit many cities, especially within the United States, which houses the majority of its outlets, without seeing at least one Burger King. However, despite its constant presence on roadsides worldwide, Burger King is still hiding some surprises, including the 10 shockers listed below.
If you ask most fathers, without hesitation, they will say that they would die for their children. Unfortunately, some men have been put in that situation, and with Father’s Day coming up next weekend, we want to honor those men and their heroic actions by sharing their stories. So yeah, grabbing some tissues beforehand might not be the worst idea you have today.
The FBI are supposed to be the good guys, the ones protecting the public from evil. They’ve got none of the crazy skeletons in the closet that the CIA suffer from, and aren’t as generally mistrusted as the ATF. Yet we’re deluding ourselves if we think the FBI really has our best interests at heart. Over the decades, they’ve committed plenty of crimes that stretch all the way from ‘ordinary, everyday evil’ to ‘cartoon supervillain evil’.
If the people in the past knew there would come a time when the major religions would be monolithic, they would probably not see the need for senseless human sacrifices. Human sacrifices were widespread all over the globe and varied in magnitude. Furthermore, the manner in which they were carried out was chilling and not for the faint of heart.
With 9-15 sets of twins among every 1000 live births, it’s not surprising that twins, especially the more common fraternal twins, are well-represented amongst the celebrity population. However, unlike stars like identical twins Tia and Tamara Mowry and fraternal twins Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen, whose twin status is a critical component of their fame, some celebs have twins who are off the public radar. Since right now, people with the astrological sign of Gemini – that’s the twins, remember – are celebrating their birthdays, let’s celebrate along with them with these 10 stars whose twin status may surprise you.
Isn’t it scary how many people don’t know if Europe is a country or a continent? Wow… What kind of expectations should we have from the poor, ignorant people if even the president called Europe a country?!
Africa’s 19th richest man, Jim Ovia concluded in a recent interview that a man’s wealth means nothing – it’s what he does with it that is truly important. A walking paradox to many people’s notion of what an African is, Ovia is a sophisticated cosmopolitan, a polished and worldly gentleman. The sadly-surprising subject of African billionaires shines light on how there are a multitude of other misrepresented facts on Africa that needs sharing as well. Some of the most sensitive topics regarding Africa and her history have been unnaturally twisted to suit the propaganda and ramblings of Afrocentrics, shady politicians, and complete racists.
Parents with multiple kids have come under fire recently due to reality stars such as Nadya “Octomom” Suleyman and Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar. Critics say their kids lack the proper support for a healthy upbringing.
Savantism is a neurological condition derived from autism – with a twist. “Savants” were formerly coined “Idiot-Savants”, as in the past, those born with the condition were condemned to mental institutions for their atypical social behavior. As the years progressed, acting “abnormally” became less taboo, and it was realized that these extraordinary individuals made up for their social inadequacies by excelling in a particular area – be it art, math or music. Here’s a list of exceptional people whose unique skills border the paranormal…
Sometimes we have to sit back and just trust nature. What I mean is that nature knows exactly what creatures can live together in any one given environment. Nature just has a way of sorting these things out. For example, nature knows that the Tyrannosaurus Rex simply cannot co-exist with the Homo Sapien, so much so that millions upon millions of years separate the two. But why is this? Not only will it throw our current eco-system in flux, but it’s fair to say that a good chunk of humanity will be rendered food to the rampaging monsters. So may I present the ten animals that would wreck havoc upon humanity if they were still alive.
Throughout the history of mankind, many men (and women) have claimed to be the flesh and blood incarnation of God. As time has worn on, the general populace has grown savvy to such outlandish claims, but not everyone. Even with the onset of cutting edge technology to help the population sort through the allegations of such charlatans, they still pop up all over the world and fool a handful of simpletons. That being said, this list is the Top 10 (False) Modern Gods. For those of you who wonder why Charles Manson isn’t included on the list, technically he claimed he was Satan.
While today it is generally more common for an actor to entertain soldiers rather than be one, there was a time when even fame and stardom was not enough to keep some people out of war. As a result, during the Second World War a number of actors served in the armed forces—most through enlisting—with a few of them seeing considerable combat. Of course, most of those on this list became actors long after the war, but there are a few who left promising acting careers to serve their country and need to be recognized for their bravery and sacrifice. Because it is impossible to determine who deserves to be first, this is an alphabetical listing of those who actually saw considerable combat. (Unfortunately I am forced to omit dozens of actors who also served in WWII or have served since in peacetime—such as Elvis Presley—though their service is greatly appreciated as well.)
Did you know that superheroes actually exist? They’re not humans, spirits, or aliens, but rather aquatic animals dwelling in the depths of the sea, or inhabiting the tranquil waters of rivers and ponds.
When you think of a river, the last thing you think about is probably how strong its water really is. You are more than likely to think about calm flowing water that brushes over stones at the bottom of the river. Maybe you envision small fish in the river. Whatever you think about, it’s definitely not how powerful the river is.
Since mankind began, we’ve sought shelter as a place to conduct domestic and later, work life. As innovations developed, many different materials and building methods came into play, and architects got increasingly ambitious. Here’s a list of interesting architectural creations throughout the world – the good, the bad and the ugly.
It is not the intention of anyone here at TopTenz to insult the diverse fashion sensibilities of other countries. We believe it’s up to individual nations, regions and groups of people to decide what exactly constitutes “fashion” and no one answer could ever be the “correct” one. However, that being said, you at least have to admit that wearing shirts with a cartoon Hitler on them and tattooing your eyes can and should be considered banana-split levels of uncut crazy. Read on to find out more about those and other weirdest fashion trends from all over the globe.
Sleep by itself can be boring; that’s why when you “sleep with someone,” you never just sleep with them. When you stay at a hotel, that’s really all you need, but it’s never what you want (by itself anyway). You expect room service, complimentary breakfast, and little soaps and shampoo bottles. You are paying, in essence, for an experience that is restful more than just rest itself.
Love them or hate them, hipsters have become a ubiquitous part of the human tapestry in many urban destinations popular with young people—Brooklyn, Portland, and Oakland, to name just a few key hipster locales within the United States. This subculture (hipsters hate to actually be called hipsters) is made up of people who consider themselves outside of the mainstream, and who have embraced a distinctive array of accessories and activities to underscore this point. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once said of the difficulty in defining pornography, “I know it when I see it,” and the same approach can be applied to spotting hipsters. However, there are some helpful cues—hipsters are likely to be found among indie band devotees and horned-rim glasses-wearers, and may be dressed like lumberjacks in places that do not require any demonstrable forestry skills.
There are a lot of things we take for granted, things we believe are a certain way and have accepted as true. Many of these things are a part of everyday life, and we would likely be lost without them. It turns out, however, that with many of these things we are either not getting the full picture, or we are being deliberately deceived. Below are ten ways the world is lying to you.
Few people could argue that without our 5 senses life would be pretty dull. All our senses are extremely important but I think if you asked most people which sense would they least like to lose they would probably say their vision. As with most of our abilities, our vision is something that many of us take for granted. If you stop and think for a moment, you will realize that just about everything we do in our day to day life involves our vision. During this article I am going to try and see if I can get you to start thinking a little bit more about your eyes. Listed below is my top 10 list of weird and wonderful things you didn’t know about your eyes
Sequels are a funny thing. Sometimes they improve upon an existing franchise and add to the overall story and established mythos, and sometimes they’ll ruin everything. But sometimes, just sometimes, they’ll disappear into total obscurity. Here are 10 sequels to a variety of things you probably had no idea existed.
Political correctness aside, there are many colorful (no pun intended) assumptions about people in relation to their racial backgrounds.1 Stereotypes can be found for every race and ethnicity. In fact, quite aside from any racist or prejudicial purposes (for which they are often associated with); stereotypes commonly are simple truths usually relating to a few folks that are generalized and applied (often incorrectly) to a whole category of people. While racial stereotyping has at times proved to be hurtful and oppressive, taken in a lighter vein, they have also proved to be the source for a good deal of parody and humor (think about such movie classics as Airplane and Blazing Saddle). With this in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 most interesting racial stereotypes.
Memoirs usually focus on a specific time period in someone’s life, but even during this short window an author can go through transformational, life-changing events. The common denominator of these memorable memoirs is that you can imagine yourself in their story.
Coal, natural gas and other traditional fuels fill the atmosphere with gases that contribute to climate change. But renewable energy sources like wind turbines, solar panels and nuclear power have their own drawbacks in terms of cost and efficiency. Scientists have further developed their designs in order for these alternatives to be more cost-effective and generate much more power than they previously did. And that’s how we ended up with…
Hear the words “crazy dictatorship” and most of us picture one country: North Korea. Under Kim Jong Un, the Communist throwback has scaled new heights of insanity that are somewhere between hilarious and terrifying. On the hilarious side, there’s stuff like Kim ordering every government vehicle, no matter how small, to be fitted with a toilet in case he needs a poop while driving. On the terrifying side, there’s stuff like the army detonating a hydrogen bomb and saying they plan to nuke the mainland United States.
Humans have been tattooing themselves for thousands of years. In fact, Europe’s oldest natural mummy, Ötzi, which is approximately 5,200 years old, has tattoos. How tattoos work is that a needle punctures the skin and ink is injected into the second layer, called the dermis. Usually, if something is in the dermis, white blood cells clear it from the body, but pigment particles are too big for white blood cells to consume, meaning the ink just stays in place.
Being a teenager is when you find yourself, and try to shape your personality. At times, this can include lying about who you are. Most of the time it’s fairly harmless, like pretending you’re a published author to impress girls, or using a fake ID to score some alcohol. What most teenagers don’t do is take the pretend act so far that it makes the news, like these 10 teens.
At one point or another, unless you’re lucky, we’ve all gotten a haircut that we weren’t happy with. After all, getting a haircut is all about trust. You give instructions to a hairdresser or barber and then hope for the best as they take scissors and clippers and do irreversible things to your hair.
Professional athletes are treated like royalty, and sometimes even gods among men. It’s a type of recognition that most people dream of, but rarely goes beyond the fantasy stage. Of course then you’ve got people who won’t let little things like “athletic limitations” and “lack of talent” stand in their way, and wind up taking things just a little too far to live out that fantasy.
Exercise. Cosmetic surgery. Publicists. These are just a few of the things people will endure in the hopes of becoming the sexiest people alive and getting all the fame and wealth that could come with it. But for some people they either get stuck with it or they achieved that status in ways we or even they never would have seen coming. This list will contain a variety of reactions from the people involved and names both familiar and obscure.
Human intelligence is a collection of skills, including knowledge, memory, quick-wittedness, analytical ability, and pattern recognition, just to name a few. These skills can be sharpened through practice and pushing yourself. In a lot of ways, the brain is like a muscle: the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. And you can exercise your brain in some ways you may not realize.
The world of sports is a tough field to pursue at the best of times. All of the athletes on this list set goals and achieved them in an era when society made an awful deal about their race and gender. Those factors were used to shut them out of competitions, but in spite of the obstacles they faced they proved that nothing can douse their competitive spirit and love of their games. If these athletes had admitted defeat, where would the world of sports be today?
From a very early age, we learn that optimism is the key to happiness. Unfortunately, when people catch a disease, especially an incurable one, they tend to lose their optimism and fall into depression, and this only aggravates their condition. Even though this attitude is perfectly explainable, as being ill is the essence of human suffering, one should remember that there is no bad without good.
From films like “Night of the Creeps” and “Slither” to video games such as “Resident Evil 4” and “Halo,” sci-fi horror is crawling with parasitic lifeforms who hijack their host bodies, creating zombie slaves to spread themselves even farther. Little do many people realize, this phenomenon is a scientific reality, and happening all around us in some of the most unexpected places.
The world is feeling the effects of climate change. Storms are getting stronger, weather patterns are changing, food is becoming scarce, and animals are going extinct at an alarming rate. Fortunately, while there are many people that are continuing to hurt our environment, there are also people out there who are working feverishly to help it. From simple ideas to entire Eco-cities, new ideas are being developed everyday to help improve the environment and our lives.
Here is some good news for those of us who have prepared a secret acceptance speech for that sudden moment of fame. It’s time to take it out because we don’t need to win a beauty pageant to read it aloud. We now have scores of other pageants to choose from. There is just one tiny glitch; we have to think a bit out of the box. Think about landing up in prison, being pregnant or becoming a nun. Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for our top ten weird pageants ideas from around the globe.
Turn on the news and you’re almost guaranteed to see a story about some Western kid running off East to join ISIS. But not everyone who flees home to join some far away terror group has easy-to-see connections with it. Go looking, and you’ll find a million unique motives; ranging from the sad, to the dark, to the bafflingly mundane.
General George S. Patton once said, “The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.” No one embodies that more than the 10 people on this list. They’re a group of people who were at rock bottom, yet worked hard and eventually became immensely successful. They showed that when things look their worst, the only way left is up.
Let’s face it, nobody cares what YOU have to say. Even if it’s the most profound, life-affirming statement ever, the fact that it comes from you and your anonymous little mouth renders it meaningless to all but your closest friends and maybe your Mom (if you’ve been calling her lately, that is).
Americans love their meat, like a whole hell of a lot. But only certain kinds of meat; when news broke that the Department of Agriculture was to approve a horse meat processing plant, people got upset. Yes, slaughterhouse conditions for other common livestock is horrendous, and horses are “companion animals,” but it’s not uncommon for various countries to breed horses for human consumption.
Most children have some behavioral issues. Everyone is human and you can’t expect anyone to be perfect. However, most parents only expect typical rebellion from children and teenagers. Sometimes they and us are shocked by the lengths that kids will go to. There are children out there who are so incredibly insane, or just plain bratty that they do ridiculous things to get their way, or sometimes just to get attention. Below are ten of the most insanely bratty children in the world.
The universe is a huge and mysterious place with numerous galaxies and stars1. In our Solar System, we have eight planets which orbit our sun. They are named Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Our planets are very different from each other and are unique in their own special way. Jupiter, in particular, is an incredible planet with many astonishing facts. Here are the top 10 interesting facts about Jupiter:
While researching this article I found so many things listed as “better than sex” that I started to wonder why anyone bothers at all anymore…We’ve had sliced bread for quite a few years now so I guess the saying “it’s the best thing since sliced bread” has lost it’s impact because the new catchphrase for the ultimate comparison is that it’s “better than sex“.
Below is a list of the 10 weirdest spa treatments that we have ever encountered. We thought these were important because you just never know what you might be in the mood for the next time you find yourself looking for a great, or at least interesting, way to relax and rejuvenate. This list is not for the squeamish, because some of these are downright scary.
There are billions of people in the world, and all of them are individuals with their own unique identities. With so many people to keep track of, and a much smaller corresponding number of cultures, humans invented stereotypes and other generalities as an attempt to understand large groups of people more easily. Over the years, this has led to a lot of confusion, hilarity, and strife around the world. The truth is that most stereotypes started due to some misconception, or something that was lost in translation, and aren’t really all that accurate for the individuals from the culture in question. Often, what we think we know about another people is wildly inaccurate, and sometimes the truth is far more interesting.
From the outside, life as a terrorist seems pretty simple. Grow a crappy beard, start shouting hateful slogans and then spitefully kill some innocent people. Easy, right? Wrong. Far from living out their lives as the bad guys in an action movie, it turns out terrorists have to do a whole lotta grunt work to keep themselves relevant. In a weird way, keeping an organization like al-Qaeda going is almost no different from running an extremely murderous business.
“So what do you do for a living?” is a common enough question when engaging in small talk with somebody you’ve just met. But for a select few of the world’s workers this signifies the beginning of the end of any conversation, followed by awkward excuses and another evening spent stood alone in the corner at a party.
In 1949, Eric Blair, known by the pen name of George Orwell, published 1984; a novel that has shown its predictive power manifested in the current state of society. Blair coined the term “Big Brother” for the symbolic figurehead of the totalitarian state, Oceania. In the dystopian society, every citizen is under constant surveillance with the government’s slogan: “Big Brother is watching you,” a reminder of the state’s omnipresence. Our government has taken a slightly different approach, but the end game is much the same. The leaks by Edward Snowden bring to light what many of us already believed, that the United States is moving closer and closer to a society where its citizens have nearly all actions monitored. In light of this, here’s our “Top Ten Examples that we’re living in a Big Brother Society without knowing it.”
Some people have the nerve to think that society has lost something important that it had in the past. Their nostalgia makes them think that they’d actually like to live in or at least visit years gone by. Any historian who really digs into the nit and grit of the past will tell you that the past was so much worse than the present, pretty much across the board. Not just in the obvious, prominent ways, but in matters that you’d take for granted.
An inevitable part of life is aging and dying. It’s part of Newton’s second law of thermodynamics, which is that objects have to go from order to disorder. But there are a number of researchers who are trying to break those rules and they are trying to extend life spans for decades, centuries, or even stop aging and death altogether.
The 1988 Supreme Court ruling California v. Greenwood created legal precedent for dumpster diving. Under the ruling, anything thrown away in a public space is fair game. This kept the poor from being prosecuted, but it also opened the door for dumpster diving hobbyists and treasure hunters. Yes, hobbyists. Wired profiled a man who flips corporate trash as a side job, and makes three figures doing it. And while consistency counts, it’s the big-ticket items that are really jaw dropping.
If it happens to you in the womb, it could threaten your health forever. It could mean that you were conceived with a twin but something went horribly wrong. If it’s visible at a glance, it could mean you will have eyes on you everywhere you go for the rest of your life, through no fault or effort of your own (which could be either a blessing or a curse). Or it could even be a bewildering surprise you don’t even suspect until well into adulthood. That’s just a sample of what having an extra organ means to many people. Here are some of the vastly different effects this has had on people’s lives.
very year thousands of people are reported missing. While most are found within hours, some disappear without a trace, never to be seen again. Here are some of the more famous and bizarre cases in history.
It’s a word every creator, producer, and star of a TV show dreads — the “C” word, as in cancelled. More often than not, that stamp of disapproval from executives sitting in high-rise office buildings in New York or Los Angeles seals a series’ fate. In some cases, these shows go down with a fervent fight from loyal fans. But the majority of the TV shows sent to the graveyard are just plain clunkers that did not resonate with viewers.
We’re not talking about the James Bond films, where it’s really become part of that franchise’s charm to speculate about who the next 007 will be. We’re also not talking about cases like Eric Stoltz being cast as Marty McFly before Michael J. Fox became available. What we’re talking about are actors who did the work and appeared in the finished product, only to have the unexpected need to replace them arise. It’s not an enviable position, but as these cases show, sometimes the casting director hits it out of the park.
Some nations are known for their neutrality, others are known for belligerence, and some even for chocolate. North Korea, on the other hand, is known simply for the madness of its institutions and the laws that govern its land. It has to be said that although the country’s treatment of its population is tragic, some of the nation’s history is simply funny. From the former supreme leader Kim Jong-il’s hair to his glasses, there is plenty to laugh at when it comes to North Korea.
Since 1955 when President Eisenhower approved it as a test site, Area 51 has become shorthand for “scary secret government facility used to keep paranormal secrets.” It remains enough of a pop culture touchstone that as recently as 2015, the director of Paranormal Activity released a terrible movie on the subject. While we can’t say with complete certainty that nothing supernatural is stored or tested at Area 51 (just like we can’t say that with complete certainty about every other government facility) there are many interesting things we do know about the famous testing place one hundred miles north of Las Vegas, NV in the Groom Lake Bed.
The aristocratic elite often live differently from the rest of the wage earning world like you and me. From buying their way to become members of secret wine cults to paying some brilliant sap to turn their poop into gold, join us as we take a peek into the eccentric lives of the affluent well-to-do’s, our fellow well-to-don’t’s.
The end of the world has always fascinated people. There’s something compelling about a lone survivor or a small group being forced to fend for themselves in empty cities. But while these shows and movies always put our heroes in danger, there are a few risks they neglect to mention.
Have you ever watched a show and been more fascinated with a supporting character than the protagonist? Sometimes an actor’s performance, in a limited role, or the mystery surrounding the character’s background and motivations create a demand for a greater role. In other situations, a character happens to just have a great popularity or following in an already successful show. Either way, the result is the creation of a show based around the former supporting character as a leading man or woman.
Running for President of the United States is an extremely difficult endeavor that puts a candidate under such a microscope that any indiscretion or past mistake is certain to come under public scrutiny. Even with all the obstacles in the way of candidates, the great power that the office presents entices plenty of candidates that look unlikely to win the presidency. Some candidates managed to beat all odds and win the presidency; others were able to rise to great heights in the polls only to see their candidacy come to its inevitable end. Here are the top ten presidential campaigns who won or did better than expected.
Sex is weird. How weird? Ask anyone who’s spent time browsing through Amazon’s store of erotic literature and they’ll tell you: deeply weird. Despite being experts on it for the last two million years or so, we humans are still finding new and bizarre things out about our most fundamental urges. Think you know all about sex? Think again.
Many of us eat fast food on a regular basis for reasons of sheer convenience. Sometimes we simply don’t have the time for much else, we’re already out, and it’s easy. Considering we deal with these food companies every day, and the ubiquity of information on the internet, we tend to think we already know most everything about them. However, there are still many facts out there about your favorite fast food joints that will surprise, amuse, and possibly even horrify you.
The human body can do some amazing things, and thanks to genetics, there are some people who can do things that are beyond the normal range of human skills and abilities. While these superpowers don’t include things like flying or telepathy, they are still pretty remarkable. You may even have some hiding in you, waiting for a chance to emerge so that you can save the world. Or at the very least, impress some girls.
There’s a fine line between addictive and compulsive behavior. For a long time, drugs and alcohol were the mainstays of addiction, until neurologists and psychologists learned that the chemical signals activated in the brain during certain activities—sex and gambling are the popular examples—could make behaviors potentially as addictive as consuming those legendary substances.
When money isn’t an issue, one can indulge in some very cool and very expensive toys. These include gadgets, vehicles, and toys that are similar to things people with average wealth own, just taken to the extreme. There are also some toys that rich people own that most of us have only seen in movies about the future. Then there are other toys for the rich that are just downright bizarre, but no less expensive. But these toys are all very real and for sale, if you can afford their hefty prices. We’d say that with Christmas coming up you could just ask Santa but let’s be real here, no one has been this good this year.
leaving our own home. This ability has given people a front row view to some shocking events. Some of these events are iconic and forever changed the world, while others are lesser known but no less stunning. Here are 10 shocking events that unfolded on live television.
George W. Bush is arguably the most unpopular president in recent memory. He invaded Iraq, bungled Katrina and failed to stop the banking crisis that led to the latest Great Recession. Yet he did some other stuff too. Stuff that often gets overlooked. Stuff that’s even kinda awesome. Here are 10 reasons “Dubya” may have secretly been a kickass president.
A few months ago, we took a pretty controversial stance and claimed that Disney may very well have surpassed Pixar in terms of churning out quality animated films. Well, there are two sides to everything – Dungeons & Dragons dice notwithstanding – and today we figured we would turn things around and look at what makes Pixar superior to everyone’s favorite cartoon mouse and his legions of animated friends. Yes, obviously Pixar and Disney tend to operate under the same umbrella, but there’s a very clear distinction between what constitutes a Disney animated film, and what makes a Pixar film. Here are 10 of the reasons Pixar is, in fact, superior to Disney.
Later this year, DC and Marvel’s biggest heroes go head-to-head as ideologies and viewpoints clash in visceral fashion. DC will debut their anticipated follow-up to Man of Steel with Batman v Superman, pitting the Dark Knight against Metropolis’ savior while Marvel launches their third grand phase with Captain America and Iron Man leading two factions of the Avengers against one another.
Netflix’s House of Cards follows Frank Underwood, portrayed by Kevin Spacey, a Democratic politician from Gaffney, South Carolina, as he traverses the political landscape of Washington. With Season 4 just around the corner, we thought we would look at 10 reasons why Frank would be a good President of the United States. Please note that we tried our best, but this list does contain some spoilers.
Scattered throughout the Earth, there are places that look as terrifying and unsettling as any nightmare. They can be man-made or naturally created, but they also give off a disturbing aura that haunts any who visits or lays eyes on the area. So if you’re looking for a creepy vacation or places you should avoid at all costs, please read on and venture into some of the scariest real life places.
Meteors. Zombies. Nuclear War. Contagion. Whatever form it takes, you’ll know it is The Big One when it knocks out our infrastructure and renders all our bank accounts, credit cards, and whatever cold hard cash we are sitting on utterly meaningless. That’s because a fiat currency—paper money, ones and zeroes, or any other medium of exchange that lacks inherent value—requires a robust infrastructure and at least semi-reliable government behind it to make it work. Without that trust and organization (organized, apocalypse-free civilization), trade can’t function using “money” with nothing further to recommend it, whether it is gold or anything else.
Nobody likes a blowhard, and Donald Trump may be the hardiest blowhard of them all. Since declaring his candidacy, the presidential hopeful has turned vacuous insults and jaw-dropping gaffes into a kind of booming cottage industry. Most recently, he ruffled feathers with his comments about how Muslims should be kept track of in a database, and their mosques should be kept under surveillance. But such clangers aren’t a new development. The Donald has been honing the art of stupidity for many, many years. Here are ten of the dumbest things the man with America’s worst toupee has ever said.
In order for a planet to be habitable or hospitable for life, it needs to meet certain criteria. Just to name a few, they have to be the right distance from a star, they have to be big enough to have a molten center, and the planet needs to have rock. These exoplanets, which are planets outside of our solar system, may not only support life other than our own, but we could also consider these as oases in the universe in case we are ever forced to leave Earth. As of right now, obviously there is no way we can travel to these planets because they are light years away and to travel just one light year would take us 80,000 years with current technology. But, with changes in space travel and space colonies, we may get there one day.
One of the strangest events that happens in nature is when a large group of animals die at once. While many times these group deaths can be attributed to a specific cause, there are a few mass die-offs where there is no clear culprit. The absolutely frightening aspect of these mass deaths is that the Earth’s ecosystem is incredibly delicate. A drop in the population of one animal can have untold and terrifying consequences for the Earth’s ecosystem that could be disastrous for the human race. Here are some mysterious, troubling mass deaths of animal groups.
The world is full of awesome and useful inventions, like the George Foreman Grill. But for every invention with a clear purpose, there’s one that was apparently just invented to make you question your own sanity. Such as…
When most people think of the Bible, all they picture is love and goodwill to others. However, not every character in the Bible was as dedicated to God as we may imagine. From murder plots and assassination to sickness and suicide, the Bible contains a vast amount of gruesome deaths that you probably didn’t learn about in Sunday school.
When people think of tiny countries, places like Andorra, Monaco, and Luxembourg often come to mind. But these places are huge compared to some of the more obscure “micronations” scattered across the globe. These mini-states, which are often as small as a single acre, are formed for a variety of reasons: from artistic and political protest, to good old-fashioned tax evasion. And although their more legitimate counterparts rarely recognize them as sovereign entities, some of them have even gone so far as to draft bizarre constitutions, coin money, and hold elections. Here are ten of the more famous examples.
Ever since mankind first began building structures out of wood rather than stone, fire has been a part of the learning process. In fact, so common have these infernos been throughout history that nearly every major city in the world has been largely burnt to the ground at one time or another in its history. Some, in fact, have burned repeatedly. For example, Constantinople was burned no fewer than five times between 406 and 1204 only to be, like a damaged anthill, rebuilt each time, thereby setting the stage for the next great inferno. Many times these fires are man-made results of war, but most of the time nature—combined with poor construction techniques, the extensive use of flammable building materials, and the utter lack of any ability to fight really large blazes—were the culprit. A few of these fires stand out in our memory, however, both for their size and some for having had a major role in shaping historical events. Which fires are these? Without further ado, here is my list of the top ten most destructive, most famous, or most historically significant non-war related infernos in history.
The word gang has taken on many meanings throughout the years. Originally, the word was just used to express a group or band of people. You probably have heard someone talk about the local gang of boys or something of that sort. In older times, the word gang didn’t have such the negative tone that comes along with it today. As time has gone on, the word gang has grown to be a word that many worry about when they hear it. It seems a “gang” has evolved from just being a group of people to a group of people that associate for some criminal or other antisocial purpose.
We don’t think we’re really breaking new ground when we say that the Nazis weren’t very nice, that has already been very well established. What is less known about the Nazi regime however is all of the silly ways high-ranking Nazis abused their power and generally acted like terrible people that make you hate them just that little bit more.
Everyone fears something. Whether it’s a child fearing the boogey man (bogyphobia) or even fear of the number 13 (triskadekaphobia). These two seem potentially unfounded fears, though there are real people who are particularly afraid of them. Certainly fears are crippling to the person with the phobia; however, there are also some potentially crippling fears that could halt someone in their tracks on a daily basis. To be included on this list, the reason for the phobia has to be something that a person can encounter every day. Don’t be afraid, read on.
Science is an ever-changing field that is constantly coming up with new ideas and advancements to make our lives easier. Some of these scientific advancements are mundane while others are a little too crazy to comprehend. This list compiles 10 of the craziest scientific advancements I’ve come across that I’m sure you can expect to see in the near future.
Celebrities and addiction continue to be media’s favorite cocktail. But it’s not the Courtney Loves and Nicole Richies that excites them anymore. Alcoholics and drug addicts do get coverage on the inside pages and the last sections of news bulletins, but the headlines have now been grabbed by other modern addictions. Interventions targeted towards other forms of behavioral addiction are just as essential as the drug addiction interventions being done to help people who are hooked on drugs.
Kickstarter and similar crowdfunding sites where users can pool their money together to help a struggling entrepreneur realize their dream without any help from the man are pretty popular these days. However, with only an estimated 9% of projects that get all the funding they’re asking for actually delivering on the promises they make to backers, the world of crowdfunding is rife with stories of dishonesty, shady dealings and just plain ol’ weirdness that genuinely make you wonder if your money would just be better off left in your PayPal account.
Did you ever stop to wonder: “Hey, what was the manliest thing anyone ever said?” Well, you need wonder no more. The quotes in this list are the rare real-life equivalents of the one-liners we’ve all seen Arnie and Bruce Willis spout in action movies. A quote of this type might not always be the safest thing to say, or the most realistic, or even the wisest. But it is indeed the manliest.
As Tolstoy once said, “War, what is it good for?” Well, if the past is an indicator, it seems to bring about something in human nature. War inadvertently brings with it this need to create something better, and the need to research new technologies to solve problems, which in turn brings about some very unexpected results and innovations. While some may be a little unusual and surprising, others can be life changing. Here are some inventions we have war to thank for.
Oxford University recently released a study concluding that almost half of today’s jobs performed by humans will be taken over by robots and software automation within the next two decades. Bill Gates has warned us that “technology over time will reduce demand for jobs, particularly at the lower end of the skill set … 20 years from now, labor demand for lots of skill sets will be substantially lower. I don’t think people have that in their mental model.” It’s hard to imagine a world where half of today’s jobs have been transferred over to robots, but it’s coming. Here are some of the most likely candidates.
Government spending is always topical. For every liberal decrying the paltry money begrudgingly dripped into the welfare state, there’s a libertarian begging for it to be reduced further. For every spectacularly wasteful government project, there’s some piece of essential infrastructure that benefits millions. Getting it right is tricky.
Often, in the United States, there are only a few times when activities of Muslims are reported. Most of these stories tend to involve terrorism, suspected terrorism, or violence, such as 9/11 or the recent attack in Libya. However, there are many positive, as well as heroic, stories involving Muslims as well. This list hopes to show a few more positive examples of Muslims, at least for a day.
As long as there have been countries there have been tensions with the neighbors. Sometimes this leads to war, other times to peaceful negotiation. And sometimes the conflict leads to giant boundary walls. These are the most influential and the most intimidating.
Ever since human life has existed, it’s safe to say that innocent people have been executed. Whether due to a faulty justice system, human error, discrimination, or some other reason, it’s a fact that innocent people do die. Throughout the history of the world, there have been many people who have been killed that were innocent, whether they were known to be at that time or not. In today’s world it seems that more and more innocent people placed on Death’s doorstep are somehow coming to the light and their innocence is being acknowledged.
For years, man has dreamed of living in space. However, life off of Earth isn’t quite as easy as it’s depicted in The Jetsons. There are problems that exist in space, like exposure to cosmic rays, which would lead to radiation poisoning. Then there are the dangers of flying space debris, like asteroids. Still, thanks to our innate urge to explore and colonize new lands, there have been a handful of people who have looked for ways to make life in space possible.
From space exploration, to the smartphone, there isn’t one area of technology that hasn’t been influenced by the fantasy before it. Science fiction engages the imagination and compels us to dream and conceptualize the unimaginable. And though sometimes new inventions seem odd or unthinkable, they may surprise us in ways we’ve never thought of before.
What is the most reliable source of beauty in photography? If you believe Instagram users and what they upload, then apparently it’s good meals. Many others would probably argue that it’s the human body. Sculpture and architecture are both pretty good contenders, too. But here at Toptenz, nature is the real best model a photographer could hope for. Epic vistas, gorgeous arrays of color, dramatic situations of life and death, all there waiting for the camera person determined or lucky enough to find it.
Fictional secret agent Angus MacGyver, featured on an American TV series that ran from 1985-1992, had unparalleled ingenuity. MacGyver used everyday objects to create complex solutions to overcome obstacles and prevail in life-or-death situations, saving his life (and sometimes the world) with his quick engineering hacks. MacGyver’s ability to perform extraordinary feats with ordinary objects may seem far-fetched. However, ingenious improvised solutions to life-threatening problems are not merely the province of TV. Below are 10 real-life examples of people who had a “MacGyver moment,” thinking quickly and devising surprising solutions to save lives. Disappointingly, with fewer rubber bands and paper clips than we’d hoped.
Many of us often joke about restaurant employees spitting in our food, or giving us a product that’ll lead to projectile vomiting and extended bathroom breaks, but we tend not to think too much about it most of the time because it can be rather worrying. However, it is important sometimes to know what may be done to your food, and how the industry is dealing with the current issues they face from disgruntled employees, and a culture of speed that makes following proper health procedures difficult. If your New Year’s resolution is to drop a few pounds, maybe this list will help you avoid ordering that next Big Mac.
In this age of terror, there might be nothing more terrifying than the thought of an attack carried out with chemical weapons. We’ve all heard the horrific stories of soldiers being gassed in WWI, and the idea that it could happen in the here and now is blood-chilling.
Given my status as an outsider to the American political system (I’m British, baby), I am in a fairly unique position amongst the writers of this site in that I have no real stake in who becomes President next year. Which means I can do something no American writer can: Dump all over candidates from both sides of the political spectrum instead of just the side I personally don’t like. However, rather than mocking the current presidential candidates’ policies or faces, I’m going to compare them to these 10 fictional Presidents way cooler than they could ever hope to be, presidents like…
Today we’re going to talk about weapons which have been developed over the years and can only be described as being invented by heartless maniacs, bent solely on human suffering. These weapons are off course very effective in what they do, and this is probably why they were designed in the first place. Nevertheless, the power some of these weapons have and the suffering they bring can’t even come close to justifying using them. Many are in the process of being banned or have active campaigns to outlaw them. Some have even become part of our everyday life and we don’t even notice them anymore. Here are just a few…
Rule 34 states that if you can imagine it, there’s porn of it on the internet. But simple imagination has nothing on the bizarre realities of sexual experience. We’ve all heard about people who are aroused by feet or dressing as animals or being put in diapers, but how many of us have heard of people being aroused by quicksand, doorknobs or flatulence? Well, guess what? Today is your lucky day!
A perpetual motion machine is a machine that, once it’s started, won’t stop and doesn’t need any additional energy to keep going. That means the machine could be used as a source of unlimited free energy. Which is great, so why don’t we just make one? Well, it isn’t because of some conspiracy theory by the energy sector. The reason none have ever been built is because they’re actually impossible to build since perpetual motion breaks the first two laws of thermodynamics. The first law is that energy is constant; it cannot be created or destroyed. The second is that entropy will either increase or remain the same. Essentially, you can never get a greater output of energy than inputted and energy will always decrease over time.
Plagiarism is an increasingly large issue in modern society, as access to other people’s information becomes more readily available. However, it’s not just students who plagiarize other people’s work. There’s a surprisingly large problem in many different areas of life. These are just a few of the many famous people who have been accused of plagiarism over the years.
Top 10 Famous People with Surprising Dark Sides - We all know that most celebrities aren’t quite what they made out to be. Whether it’s TV chefs spitting out racial slurs or actors trying to be world record drug-takers, it’s not really a surprise when they misbehave. After all, they are only human. However, there are some people who have such a saint-like reputation that it is almost unbelievable for them to be anything other than good. But even the best of humanity can be the worst of humanity.
Simply, a military invention is one that was invented by the military in order to improve and advance certain military tactics, missions, or overall existence. Today, many of the most common military inventions, such as the GPS or Internet, or used by civilians as well.
With the recent discovery of gravitational waves, we thought we would do a video all about black holes! Black holes were first theorized by John Michell in 1783, and the theory was pushed forward in 1915 when Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity, in which he theorized their formation. Their existence wasn’t confirmed until 1971. Since then, research has continued into these mysterious regions that are sprinkled throughout the known universe.
When we think of “historical firsts,” we tend to think of the good stuff: the first man in space, the first man on the Moon, or the first man to eat 25,000 Big Macs. But there’s a whole other, darker set of firsts out there: unique instances of death, insanity, torture and murder that inspired disturbing trends. Here are ten of them:
Well, here it is! 2012 and all that happy nonsense. The Mayan calendar says the world is going to end this December, though it is decidedly vague as to how exactly the planet-engulfing calamity will occur. From all of the publicity given to radio host Harold Camping’s big prediction that Judgment Day and the Rapture was going to happen last May, it’s pretty obvious that the apocalypse is big business right now.
Top 10 Deadliest Bugs in the World - It is estimated that there are about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 insects living today. That’s right, a quintillion insects. In the world, there are about 900 thousand different kinds of living insects, making up about 80% of all of the world’s species. In the U.S. alone there are 91,000 known species and about 73,000 that have yet to be scientifically described and classified.
When we first board a cruise ship, many passengers hope to have the time of their lives. Passengers are treated with a beautiful view of the ocean and islands that most have not witnessed before. Taking a cruise ship is promoted as a week of paradise where all your accommodations are taken care of. We’re told that the trip is going to be something we’re never going to forget. In some cases, passengers remember the trip for the wrong reason. This list chronicles the instances when the most basic need of the passengers went unaccounted for: their safety.
When we think of non-profits most of us think of organizations like the Red Cross, Save the Children or Meals on Wheels. Their status as a non-profit isn’t solely based on the intricacies of our tax system, but the result of the positive work they do in American communities and around the world. However, some organizations have used their status as a non-profit to procure not only favorable tax standing but to also secure massive profits for executives and board members of the organization. Many non-profits do very little to benefit their respective causes while using raised funds for unscrupulous purposes. In light of this, here are some charities that aren’t quite so charitable after all.
What with the pro-legalization movement gaining ground in the US and Latin America, it can feel like the war on drugs is almost at an end. And maybe it is…if you happen to live in Uruguay or Colorado. Look to some other parts of the world, though, and it’s clear that drugs are still unwelcome. Get caught using in any of these countries, and your punishment will be less a slap on the wrist, and more a karate-chop to the face.
Bank robbery is still alive and well in these times of high tech crimes. Some go off without a hitch and some go off like the Titanic. Here’s a list of some of the less successful ventures. Keep your hands where we can see them and read on…
Throughout our history, most civilizations have either met a slow demise or were wiped out by natural disasters or invasion. But there are a few societies whose disappearance has scholars truly stumped:
Just when you thought you’ve seen and heard it all, people around the world are starting businesses that are just plain weird, but surprisingly successful. How likely are you to doubt the success of any other crazy ideas after finding out that there are people willing to pay for a service that provides snake massages for $70? When you answer that, take a look at this list of more odd businesses that people all around the globe are emptying their pockets for.
Over the years, some of history’s grandest, strangest or greatest people have occasionally crossed paths. Sometimes, their meetings are nothing special. Other times they’re little moments of oddness seemingly designed to beguile and befuddle fans for generations to come. Guess which type this article is about:
Usually it falls to powerful monarchs, brilliant generals, and influential world leaders to dictate the course of history. But sometimes, fate, destiny, or just good old chance decides that a pair of paws, hooves, or claws would be a better fit to hold the reins. These are some of the most notable times man stepped aside and man’s best friend, along with a few other animals, took control and changed the world in sometimes small, but occasionally hugely meaningful ways.
While shark attacks, sinkholes, plane crashes, and other “Act of God” insurance nightmares get all the glory of media coverage, there are plenty of other events that account for at least as much—if not more—a share of injuries and deaths. They may not be glamorous or worthy of silver screen treatment, but as causes of hospitalization (and sometimes mortality), the numbers these health threats put up annually certainly qualify them for at least a second thought. So read on and learn about the top ways people wind up in the ER or the morgue, that somehow never get their moment in the spotlight.
The Simpsons is among the best known TV series’ of all-time. With 26 seasons under its belt and counting, The Simpsons has not once been canceled and somehow manages to surprise us with new jokes and puns in every episode. It’s even won the Guinness World Record for the longest running, primetime TV animated series and also holds the record for the most guest stars in a televised series. Below we’ll be talking about some other facts about the show itself and America’s most beloved animated family. So, let’s dive in, shall we?
The existence of an Illuminati order seems to be up for much debate, with some claiming that it’s just a figment of our imagination, while others citing world events like the American Revolution and the concentrated levels of wealth as evidence of the Illuminati’s control of the fate of the planet’s population. We at TopTenz are happy to announce the truth. Yes, the Illuminati order is a real thing, but it just so happens that it was only relevant in the 18th century. Here are the top ten facts about the Illuminati, and its rise in Germany.
Are you sitting down? Good, because we’ve got some bad news for you: you’re going to die. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day the cold hand of death will come grasping after you. When that happens, you better pray you don’t die in any of the following awful ways.
Fast food is great because by its nature, it is cheap, easy to get, and you can eat it within a matter of minutes. That is, unless you order these gourmet and over-the-top versions of common fast food items. What do you think? Do these look good or are they a complete waste of money? Feel free to share in the comments.
Frivolous lawsuits waste billions of dollars in civil courts, but they show no signs of slowing down, and every year they seem to get more ridiculous. We’ve all heard about the woman who sued McDonald’s (and won!) after she spilled coffee on herself, or the thief who sued a family after injuring himself while trying to break into their house, but those are just the tip of the iceberg. Here are ten of the most outrageous and unusual lawsuits to ever make their way into a courtroom.
Don’t worry Mom and Dad, we aren’t actually going to use the granddaddy of all curse words. You know the one — it’s so coarse and objectionable that using it twice in a movie gets you slapped with an R-rating. Use it in your music and you get the dreaded Parental Warning advisory label. And if you’re a local network TV or radio station personality, use it on air and you’ll find yourself fined, fired and looking for a job at the Circle-K. But once in a great while the word sneaks out from the dark underbelly of society and into the stream of public consciousness, and TopTenz writer Fred Hunt has 10 memorable examples for us.
Ever since the famed Greek philosopher Plato first wrote of a fabled continent called Atlantis more than two thousand years ago, scholars have been locked in fierce debate as to whether such a place truly existed. While a few rare individuals have taken Plato’s words seriously, most scoff at the idea that an advanced civilization could vanish as completely as if it had never existed. Such is a bit like imagining an elephant could walk through a snowdrift without leaving footprints, making it easy to ignore the entire subject and write it off as yet another example of New Age pseudo-science or, at best, an fantastic and historically indefensible fable. And this is not an unreasonable position either. After all, Plato described the place as being as large as Libya (an ancient term for North Africa) and Asia combined, making one reasonably confident it should be hard to miss. And yet no one has managed to produce as much as a coral reef that might have marked its ancient shoreline, much less an entire submerged continent. But the search continues and, if anything, appears to be growing in both scale and sophistication until today it has become something of a technological/historical holy grail for the twenty-first century.
According to the American government, their involvement in the Vietnam War started on November 1, 1955, and lasted until the Americans pulled out in early March 1973. The War, and the protest movement it created, defined the baby boomer generation.
Human civilization as we know it has only been around for 6,000 years, and we only become more harmful to the Earth the longer that we’re here because of the progress that we make. Things drastically took a turn for the worst at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, with the growth of mechanized industry, and continued down this destructive path after the Second World War, when there was a population boom. Life after these eras changed not only the course of civilization, but also the landscape of the Earth dramatically forever.
As long as there have been civilizations, there have been unending wars for power and land. These wars have produced some of the fiercest warriors the world has ever seen. Men who are not only exceptional at hand to hand combat but who were also great leaders and brilliant strategists. There were so many brave individuals who could fit on this list but I think these represent warrior states from around the world and throughout the ages.
The clichéd saying that a picture is worth a thousand words couldn’t be truer about these pictures. They capture shocking and disturbing moments in human history and since they’ve found their way to the digital age, they will probably be around until people don’t use the internet anymore. They are stark reminders of the vulnerability of life and the depth of human tragedy.
It’s been 70 years since the Third Reich was sponged, purged, and blasted from the surface of the Earth, yet popular culture can’t get enough of the Nazis, hence programs like the recent Amazon show The Man in High Castle. They’re people it’s perfectly politically correct to hate, but they’re such symbols of power that they’re seductive to emulate, especially their fashion and poster design, or fun to lambast. But when writers bother to make them three dimensional characters instead of pure evil cartoons, then they become scarier and more satisfying to see get beaten. The really stellar characters will serve a really unnerving point: Making it possible to imagine ourselves as someone who would join them if we were in that situation.
If you have been following Toptenz.net you might know that we publish our fair share of comic book related lists. I still find time to see what’s going on at the Xavier’s School for Mutants, The Daily Planet and the Avenger’s Mansion when I can. Rather than publish just another comic book list, (we seem to have gone overboard recently) I thought it would be fun to showcase original artwork. I found some artists who were willing to follow my bizarre instructions: create a new superhero character that is a mashup of a Marvel superhero and a DC superhero.
World War II started off with the Nazis pretty much wanting to control the whole world. Twenty years after the previous World War, Europe was still in a period of recuperation and Germany was one of the countries worst off in the aftermath. In an astonishingly short period of time, they were able to rebuild their war ravaged country, consolidate the army –even though they weren’t allowed to- and begin down a path, in their minds, thought to bring them justice. Besides this, Hitler also had in mind to transform Germany into a self-sustaining empire, by displacing the peoples from what is now present-day Ukraine and take those fertile lands for his own.
Although corporal punishment is seen as an archaic tool by most nations, some places like Saudi Arabia still employ the cruel and unjust method of punishment with such frequency that several days ago, a news headline read: “Indian Maid in Saudi Arabia has hand cut off.” The use of physical punishments to cause pain and disfigurement as opposed to deprivation of liberty is dying out but still has quite a few fans in the darkest portions of the world. Throughout man’s history, we have found the most painful ways to punish one another for perceived and real crimes. Here are some of history’s worst methods of corporal punishment.
Ultimately, the goal of advertising agencies is to sell product. At times, how they do that comes down to how creative they want to be. In some cases, the advertisers choose to be outrageous just to get people’s attention, and now and then some advertisers go too far, and their commercial is banned outright. Or, if they did air, they only played in certain areas of the world, because what would be considered cheeky on one continent may be too risqué in another. These are 10 banned and controversial commercials that are also pretty freaking funny.
So, to honor those countries that have shared their vocabulary, by choice or by force, here is a list of ten words that native English speakers may not know as foreign. Granted, there are thousands of words to choose from, and to pick ten was difficult. After all, how many know that tycoon comes from the Japanese word “taikun” (great lord)? Or, that gung ho is Mandarin Chinese for “gongye hezhoushe” (work in harmony)?
We’ve all heard of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Saddam Hussein, etc. But what about the evil men and women our history books don’t mention? Is there anyone more evil than Hitler? Is there anyone who is more cut throat (literally and figuratively) than Stalin? These men and women in this list are the people that our history books have forgotten and probably won’t appear in one in a long time.
Excelling in professional sports demands athletic ability, drive, and the ability to maintain performance under extreme pressure. However, sometimes the pressure becomes too much. As the outbursts below show, raw expressions of rage can be unleashed by reactions to bad calls, challenging situations, and the actions of other players.
From the outrageous to the hilarious and the downright unthinkable, there have been some crazy bets made over the years. We’re not just talking about backing a few dark horses, but everything from betting on your own life to changing your anatomy. Join us as we count down ten of the craziest bets ever placed.
Considering the scandal, tragedy, and failure that typically plague child stars after their careers end, you’d think any parent would keep their child as far away from a Hollywood studio as humanly possible. Yet, despite the numbers of child actors who end up as drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals, or worst of all- reality show participants, millions of stage moms and dads drag their kids along to audition after audition, hoping their child will become the next Gary Coleman or Lindsey Lohan. All while keeping their fingers crossed that they can skip all the numerous betrayals, arrests or humiliations that seem to plague so many kids who spend time in front of a camera. Maybe those parents are thinking of the precious few child actors whose lives don’t turn into tabloid meltdowns and court proceedings. Those few who manage to cheat Fate and actually become functioning, successful adults. Here are the top ten child stars who managed to beat the curse.
Over 40 million Americans suffer from some type of anxiety disorder. It can be very difficult for an average person that suffers from anxiety to live a normal and happy life. Now, imagine someone who suffers from anxiety and, on top of that, is a famous celebrity. Celebrities do not live like normal people. Everywhere they go, they are the center of attention. When they are working — whether it’s on a movie set, a concert stage, or a sports field — all eyes are on them. When they go to the store or drop their kids off at school, all eyes are on them. They are under constant watch, and everything they do is usually caught on camera.
Considering that Bruce Lee is simultaneously known for being one of the greatest martial artists to have ever lived and dying before he’d ever have a chance to sell out in an Expendables movie, most every “cool” thing he has ever done on and off film has been painstakingly categorized and listed online. That said, we think there are still a few moments from Bruce Lee’s filmography people don’t remember or appreciate because sites never want to take the risk of not listing the mirror fight in Enter the Dragon as his best moment.
Throughout history empires have been formed through war and great tactics. However, many forget the toll that this takes on a nation’s citizens. Foreign nations and their people are not the only ones that are forced to reckon with a hegemonic power. American citizens have also had to pay the price of a government that may not always respect its own people.