Things That Generate Space-related Hoaxes | Mystery Missiles & Weather Balloons, UFO’s & Aliens | Life's Little Mysteries It doesn't take much to convince people that they've seen an experimental missile or a UFO. A funny-looking cloud or an exceptionally bright planet will usually do the trick. Here, our top 7 things that drive space-related hoaxes. Was the Star of Bethlehem Actually Venus? | Christmas Star, Mars, Jupiter & Saturn | Life's Little Mysteries That glittering star topping your Christmas tree isn't there just to look pretty it represents the Star of Bethlehem, which glowed overhead when Jesus was born, according to the Bible. But some scientists believe the star was not a star at all, but three planets. There are many theories as to what the Star of Bethlehem really was. Some believe it never existed, while others argue it could have been a nova . Other historians and astronomers say that it may have been a meteor or a comet that was mistaken for an ultra-bright star. [Got a question? Of all the theories, "the most believable comes from the studies made by historians and astronomers," Dr. Actually, Venus has been mistaken for many things, including UFOs . Whatever astronomical events led to the Star of Bethlehem's formation, scientists, historians and astronomers will undoubtedly continue to try to solve the mystery of what made it appear if it did at all.
Is Spontaneous Human Combustion Real? | Irishman Dies of Spontaneous Human Combustion | Paranormal Mysteries Can people suddenly and inexplicably explode into a ball of fire? It sounds like something in a horror film, but some people believe it happens. It's also what an Irish coroner recently concluded about the death of Michael Faherty, a 76-year-old Irishman who burned to death in his home in December 2010. Usually, of course, fires do not start on their own. But the claim that people can suddenly burst into flames for no apparent reason is a whole different matter. But are there any confirmed real-life cases? This is where things get trickier. How could a body burn once it has ignited? Fires are notoriously fickle; sometimes flames will spread to other places, other times they won't. Michael Faherty's case may not be as mysterious as it looks. If SHC is a real phenomenon (and not the result of an elderly or infirm person being too close to a flame source), why doesn't it happen more often? This story was provided by Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to LiveScience.
Buddhist flower that blooms once every 3000 years discovered under nun's washing machine // Current To Our Faithful Current.com Users: Current's run has ended after eight exciting years on air and online. The Current TV staff has appreciated your interest, support, participation and unflagging loyalty over the years. Your contributions helped make Current.com a vibrant place for discussing thousands of interesting stories, and your continued viewership motivated us to keep innovating and find new ways to reflect the voice of the people. We now welcome the on-air and digital presence of Al Jazeera America, a new news network committed to reporting on and investigating real stories affecting the lives of everyday Americans in every corner of the country. You can keep up with what's new on Al Jazeera America and see this new brand of journalism for yourself at Thank you for inspiring and challenging us. – The Current TV Staff
Tanganyika laughter epidemic The Tanganyika laughter epidemic of 1962 was an outbreak of mass hysteria – or mass psychogenic illness (MPI) – rumored to have occurred in or near the village of Kashasha on the western coast of Lake Victoria in the modern nation of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) near the border of Kenya.[1] The laughter epidemic began on January 30, 1962, at a mission-run boarding school for girls in Kashasha. The laughter started with three girls and spread haphazardly throughout the school, affecting 95 of the 159 pupils, aged 12–18.[2][3] Symptoms lasted from a few hours to 16 days in those affected. The teaching staff were not affected but reported that students were unable to concentrate on their lessons. The school was forced to close down on March 18, 1962.[4] The school from which the epidemic sprang was sued; the children and parents transmitted it to the surrounding area. See also[edit] References[edit] Jump up ^ Jeffries, Stuart (November 21, 2007). External links[edit]
34,000-Year-Old Organisms Found Buried Alive! | Climate Research, Salt Crystals & Ancient Organisms It's a tale that has all the trappings of a cult 1960s sci-fi movie: Scientists bring back ancient salt crystals, dug up from deep below Death Valley for climate research. The sparkling crystals are carefully packed away until, years later, a young, unknown researcher takes a second look at the 34,000-year-old crystals and discovers, trapped inside, something strange. Something … alive. Thankfully this story doesn't end with the destruction of the human race, but with a satisfied scientist finishing his Ph.D. "It was actually a very big surprise to me," said Brian Schubert, who discovered ancient bacteria living within tiny, fluid-filled chambers inside the salt crystals. Salt crystals grow very quickly, imprisoning whatever happens to be floating — or living — nearby inside tiny bubbles just a few microns across, akin to naturally made, miniature snow-globes. "They're alive, but they're not using any energy to swim around, they're not reproducing," Schubert told OurAmazingPlanet.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It is also called oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA). MRSA is any strain of Staphylococcus aureus that has developed, through the process of natural selection, resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, which include the penicillins (methicillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, etc.) and the cephalosporins. Strains unable to resist these antibiotics are classified as methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, or MSSA. The evolution of such resistance does not cause the organism to be more intrinsically virulent than strains of Staphylococcus aureus that have no antibiotic resistance, but resistance does make MRSA infection more difficult to treat with standard types of antibiotics and thus more dangerous. Signs and symptoms[edit] In most patients, MRSA can be detected by swabbing the nostrils and isolating the bacteria found inside.
Did UFOs Disable Minuteman Missiles at Malmstrom AFB in 1967? When it comes to the existence of UFOs, I have to admit that I'm rather agnostic about the subject. Its simple for me, over the past 53 years, I've never seen a UFO. I don't rule the phenomenon out completely, but I'm of the mind frame that you have to "show me the saucer" or better yet, I need to see one with my own eyes. The case of the Malmstrom AFB UFO incident that allegedly happened in 1967 caught my attention about a year ago. Malmstrom was my first Air Force assignment, stationed there from 1981 to 1985. I was assigned to the 490th Strategic Missile Squadron as a Minuteman II launch officer. A UFO Mysteriously Causes 10 Minuteman ICBMs to Drop Off Alert On the morning of March 16, 1967, Capt Eric Carlson and Lt Walter Figel were finishing up their alert cycle at the 10th Strategic Missile Squadron's Echo-01 Launch Control Center located near Winifred, MT. Fast forward three decades. Robert Jamison Robert C. Who Saw the UFOs? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 2. 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 1. 2.
Sailing stones Sailing stones, sliding rocks, and moving rocks all refer to a geological phenomenon where rocks move and inscribe long tracks along a smooth valley floor without human or animal intervention. Tracks from these sliding rocks have been observed and studied in various locations, including Little Bonnie Claire Playa in Nevada,[1] and most notably Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, California, where the number and length of tracks are notable. At Racetrack Playa, these tracks have been studied since the early 1900s, yet the origins of stone movement are not confirmed[2] and remain the subject of research for which several hypotheses[3] exist. The stones move only every two or three years and most tracks develop over three or four years. Trails differ in both direction and length. Description[edit] Tracks are sometimes non-linear. The Racetrack’s stones speckle the playa floor, predominately in the southern portion. And in some hypotheses: ice floes Research history[edit] See also[edit]
Charles Bonnet syndrome Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is the experience of complex visual hallucinations in patients with visual loss. First described by Charles Bonnet in 1760,[1][2] it was first introduced into English-speaking psychiatry in 1982.[3] Characteristics[edit] Sufferers, who are mentally healthy people with often significant visual loss, have vivid, complex recurrent visual hallucinations (fictive visual percepts). One characteristic of these hallucinations is that they usually are "lilliputian" (hallucinations in which the characters or objects are smaller than normal). People suffering from CBS may experience a wide variety of hallucinations. Causes[edit] CBS predominantly affects people with visual impairments due to old age or damage to the eyes or optic pathways. Prognosis[edit] There is no treatment of proven effectiveness for CBS. Treatment[edit] History[edit] The disease is named after the Swiss naturalist Charles Bonnet, who described the condition in 1760. Society and culture[edit]
Voynich manuscript The Voynich manuscript is an illustrated codex hand-written in an unknown writing system. The vellum on which it is written has been carbon-dated to the early 15th century (1404–1438), and may have been composed in Northern Italy during the Italian Renaissance.[1][2] The manuscript is named after Wilfrid Voynich, a Polish book dealer who purchased it in 1912.[3] Some of the pages are missing, but about 240 remain. The text is written from left to right, and most of the pages have illustrations or diagrams. The Voynich manuscript has been studied by many professional and amateur cryptographers, including American and British codebreakers from both World War I and World War II.[4] No one has yet succeeded in deciphering the text, and it has become a famous case in the history of cryptography. The mystery of the meaning and origin of the manuscript has excited the popular imagination, making the manuscript the subject of novels and speculation. The Voynich manuscript was donated by Hans P.
Alien hand syndrome Alien hand syndrome (AHS), is a rare neurological disorder that causes hand movement without the person being aware of what is happening or having control over the action. The afflicted person may sometimes reach for objects and manipulate them without wanting to do so, even to the point of having to use the healthy hand to restrain the alien hand.[1] Alien hand syndrome is best documented in cases where a person has had the two hemispheres of their brain surgically separated, a procedure sometimes used to relieve the symptoms of extreme cases of epilepsy. It also occurs in some cases after brain surgery, stroke, infection, tumor, aneurysm and specific degenerative brain conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.[2] Other areas of the brain that are associated with alien hand syndrome are the frontal, occipital and parietal lobes.[3][4] Anarchic hand syndrome and alien hand syndrome are two similar but separate disorders. Symptoms[edit] Subtypes[edit]