“Carrots help you see in the dark.” Most of us were taught this fact from an early age, presumably in a vain attempt to convince us to eat our vegetables. And on the surface, this makes sense: after all, carrots are rich in beta-carotene and Vitamin A, essential to maintaining the health of our retinas… Read More »
In 1999, British radiologist Nicola Strickland went on holiday with a friend to the Caribbean island of Tobago. While exploring a deserted beach looking for seashells, the pair came upon a number of small, round, yellow-green fruits scattered among the fallen coconuts and mangoes. Intrigued, they decided to try the fruits and found them to… Read More »
The morning of July 19th, 1976 started out like any other in the French city of Nice, its citizens having just enjoyed a relaxing three-day weekend for the national holiday of Bastille Day. But for customers of the Société Générale bank on Avenue Jean Médecin, it was quickly becoming clear that something was very wrong.… Read More »
Deep beneath the Umm al-Qura mosque in Baghdad, locked away in a secret vault, is an object that can only be described as a theological paradox – an object so blasphemous Islamic law dictates it must be destroyed, but so inherently holy that it can’t be. This is the Blood Qur’an, a copy of the… Read More »
On October 25, 1944, off the island of Leyte in the Philippines, the crew of the American aircraft carrier USS St. Lo watched in horror as a lone Japanese A6M Zero fighter screamed down towards him. Despite a withering barrage of antiaircraft fire the aircraft never strayed from its course, drawing closer and closer until… Read More »
In an oversimplified nutshell, cancer is, to quote cancer.gov, a disease “in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues.” Given its propensity to spread and divide in an uncontrolled manner throughout a person’s body, it brings up the question of whether it’s possible for cancer cells to make their way from… Read More »
In the 2011 novel The Martian and its 2015 film adaptation, orbital dynamics expert Rich Purnell devises a maneuver to get NASA’s Hermes spacecraft back to Mars and rescue marooned astronaut Mark Watney. Upon carrying out the maneuver, the crew of the Hermes sends a signal back to Mission Control, stating: “Houston, be advised: Rich… Read More »
The Egyptian pyramids at Giza are among the most famous and storied monuments in the world. The oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world – and the only ones still standing – they have awed and inspired travellers, scholars, poets, and artists for thousand of years. Yet despite this timeless fascination, relatively little… Read More »
Whales are among the largest animals to have ever lived, with the Blue Whale, at a whopping 173 metric tons, holding the absolute record. Thus, the rare occasions when a dead whale washes ashore tend to cause massive headaches for the local population and authorities, not only due to the massive bulk and nauseating smell,… Read More »
In February of 1930, Dr. W.H. Miles, Health Officer for Oklahoma City, began hearing of an alarming number of patients presenting to hospitals with unusual symptoms. The muscles in their lower legs had become paralyzed, making them unable to straighten their feet and causing them to walk with a bizarre slapping gait. At first doctors… Read More »
In the vast annals of history it can’t surprise anyone that the occasional great man gets lost as records of them are sparse, or were all burned by some rival empire. It is surprising, though, when there are men of whom there is possibly TOO much evidence who still disappear from most historical records. One… Read More »