Amazing – Listorati https://listorati.com Fascinating facts and lists, bizarre, wonderful, and fun Thu, 09 Jan 2025 04:25:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://listorati.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/listorati-512x512-1.png Amazing – Listorati https://listorati.com 32 32 215494684 10 Obscure But Amazing Episodes From Earth’s Mass Extinctions https://listorati.com/10-obscure-but-amazing-episodes-from-earths-mass-extinctions/ https://listorati.com/10-obscure-but-amazing-episodes-from-earths-mass-extinctions/#respond Thu, 09 Jan 2025 04:25:13 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-obscure-but-amazing-episodes-from-earths-mass-extinctions/

Earth has suffered five big extinctions and innumerable little ones. A potential sixth mass extinction, the only one created by the planet’s own inhabitants, looms. So in the spirit of collective mass improvement, now’s the perfect time to look back at scenes of chaos and turnover of life that we hope to avoid in the future.

From the hectic dawn of the dinosaurs to the numerous disasters that darkened skies, acidified the seas, and turned our blue planet into a hellscape, these awe-inspiring scenes of destruction and rebirth shaped the Earth.

10 Dinosaurs Take Advantage Of Extinctions

Dinosaurs entered evolutionary history the same way they exited—with an extinction.

This one occurred about 232 million years ago during the Carnian Pluvial Episode when deep-sea volcanoes (the Wrangellia basalts in British Columbia today) forced climate change and a turnover of ancient life.[1]

This plunged the Earth into a series of wet and dry episodes. Most notably, four successive pulses of warming and cooling in just a million years led to multiple extinction scenarios which devastated the variety of plant and animal life.

Afterward, it took dinosaurs a surprisingly short span of just two million years to claim the globe and its many now-vacant niches.

9 The Chicxulub Asteroid Scores A Lucky Hit

The 10-kilometer-wide (6 mi) asteroid that took away our dinosaurs 66 million years ago was an exceptionally lucky strike which might not have killed the dinos had it struck anywhere else.

In fact, just 13 percent of the Earth’s surface harbored the necessary materials to spur such a mass extinction. The asteroid just happened to slam into a patch of Earth full of fossil fuels, abundant in hydrocarbons and sulfur. The incredible temperatures generated by the collision ignited these rich veins of fuel.[2]

The resultant hellfires released vast amounts of soot which blocked out the Sun and decreased surface temperature as much as 10 degrees Celsius (18 °F). The escaping sulfur fell back down as acid rain.

Researchers modeled other impact sites. They found that the only other places with catastrophic fossil fuel concentrations included North America’s East Coast, the Middle East, and Siberia.

8 A ‘Trickle Of Food’ Feeds Deep-Sea Creatures

About 66 million years ago, an asteroid smashed into the Yucatan Peninsula and relieved the Earth of dinosaurs. It also killed the giant marine reptiles and caused an immediate extinction of many microscopic ocean creatures like plankton which feed other animals.

But deep-ocean creatures survived, fed by some mysterious food source. Researchers thank algae and some bacteria, photosynthesizing organisms that withstood the extinction and rained down on the ocean deep like a slow trickle of food for bigger creatures.

But life recovered quickly. The oceanic food chain restored itself in just 1.7 million years as new species took over recently vacated niches.[3]

7 The Neanderthals Are Pushed Out

Neanderthals were like us: They buried their dead, crafted tools, controlled fire, talked, cared for the needy, and created art. So species inferiority may not have led to their demise. A new model says that we didn’t kill Neanderthals in bloody ancient warfare. Instead, their population simply fizzled out.

Their territory extended only from Europe to Central Asia. As other types of early humans (with more extensive habitats) poured in, resources weren’t adequate.

But the situation could have just as easily been reversed. Had we been living in the same region and subject to similar emigration from Neanderthal communities, we could have been the ones relegated to obsolescence.[4]

6 Earth Gets Rung Like A Bell

Earth’s crust is riddled with tens of thousands of miles of cracks, or mid-ocean ridges, where lava bubbles up between tectonic plates.

When the dino-killing asteroid hit, it actually rung Earth, sending seismic shocks through the planet in the form of magnitude-11 earthquakes. As the jolt reached deep down, it shook the planet like a can of soda and irritated the mid-ocean ridges, which squirted even more molten matter.

The evidence?

Two massive magma mounds, or “bumps,” in the Pacific and Indian Oceans were located by scientists thanks to the increased gravitational pull of the bumps. They’re composed of 96,000–1,000,000 cubic kilometers (23,000–240,000 mi3) of magma, which formed within a million years of the impact.[5]

The eruptions are on par with natural history’s all-time greats, and the increased volcanic activity continued for up to hundreds of thousands of years after the impact.

5 A Cluster Of Extinctions Fuels The Great Dying

The End-Permian Extinction 252 million years ago was the worst of Earth’s five mass extinctions. It wiped out 70–75 percent of terrestrial species and up to 95 percent of sea life (though some say it’s closer to 80 percent). This extinction event is therefore known as the Great Dying.

But newer research suggests that it’s more like the Great Dyings. The extinction was caused by a two-pronged geological attack. First, volcanoes smothered the globe and the oceans acidified. Then a wave of anoxia drained the seas of oxygen.

After this main event, which saw the Siberian Traps release enough lava to cover an area larger than Alaska, two further mini-extinctions followed.

Volcanoes are again to blame. Carbon isotopes reveal that two major events occurred half a million years and 1.5 million years after the Great Dying, a spate of destruction from which it took 10 million years to recover.[6]

4 Hidden Eruptions Are Deadlier

Mass volcanism is always bad, but location can be more significant than the duration or magnitude. During the previously mentioned Great Dying, subsurface eruptions caused far more chaos. When the Siberian Traps erupted, not all the lava oozed out. Some spread out over 1.6 million kilometers (1 million mi) beneath the Earth’s crust.

It sounds like a lucky break because underground is where lava belongs. But when it pooled at the subsurface, it scorched carbon-rich sediments and sent plumes of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

The result was ocean acidification, a rise in temperature, and an apocalyptic haze that decimated life. All in all, enough lava was released to cover a United States–size patch in up to 1 kilometer (0.6 mi) deep of lava.[7]

3 The Dinosaurs Faded Out Long Before The Asteroid

Statistical analysis on the dinosaurian family tree revealed a marked decline long before the fated asteroid strike 66 million years ago. The downturn began around 140 million years ago. Previously, new species emerged faster than old ones disappeared. But by 90 million years ago, 24 million years before E-day, diversity was heading down the toilet.

Factors like climate change and continental breakup started whittling away at the big-money dinosaurs: theropods (T. rex and such), ornithischians (Stegosaurus family), and sauropods (the Brontosaurus group). Conversely, the horned and duck-billed dinosaurs began to establish a stronger foothold, possibly due to the rise of a new food group, flowering plants.

Considering these trends, some researchers believe that the dinosaurs might have bowed out even without a catastrophic cosmic intervention.[8]

2 Space Wants To Kill Us

Extinctions may have a secret cosmic conspirator: dark matter.

The Earth and our solar system smash through the galaxy at more than 800,000 kilometers per hour (500,000 mph). Every 30 million years or so, they pass through the galactic disc in episodes that apparently line up with past extinctions.

Dark matter generally hangs in halos around Milky Way–like galaxies. But it also accumulates in the central midplane of the galactic disk. So when the solar system flies through this region, dark matter gravitationally perturbs space rocks and sends a few tumbling toward Earth.[9]

As Earth moves through these invisible clumps, it accumulates dark matter at its core. The particles cause each other to explode, releasing energies up to a thousand times hotter than normal core temperatures. This sends material bubbling to the surface to incite volcanism, magnetic field reversals, and sea level changes.

1 Seedeaters Take Over

About 66 million years ago, a big asteroid slammed into Earth and killed off most of the dinosaurs. However, the birdlike maniraptorans endured.

Birdlike dinos came in two main flavors—toothed and not toothed. They consumed varied diets, but the ones without teeth, with their short and robust beaks, also ate seeds. This is why they survived the end-Cretaceous extinction while their toothy brethren did not.[10]

In spite of acid rain, darkened skies, landscape-consuming fires, and the eradication of most food sources, maniraptorans kept their bellies full. How? They poked through the ground for seeds deposited by these awesome new things called flowers that proliferated during the Cretaceous.

Ivan Farkas writes about cool stuff for the Internet. You can contact him at [email protected].

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10 Amazing Facts About Ancient Sparta https://listorati.com/10-amazing-facts-about-ancient-sparta/ https://listorati.com/10-amazing-facts-about-ancient-sparta/#respond Wed, 08 Jan 2025 04:03:27 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-amazing-facts-about-ancient-sparta/

Ancient Sparta was located in a region known as Laconia in the southeastern part of the Peloponnese. Even today, the allure of that prominent Greek city-state still catches our interest and imagination. The simplicity of their way of life, their political stability, their strict education system, and the “production” of the finest Greek warriors were some of the reasons why ancient Sparta was admired by many other Greek cities.

10 Brevity And Directness

10a-if_63404159_SMALL

In addition to their reputation as fine warriors, the Spartans were also known for the brevity and directness of their speech.

Shortly before Philip of Macedon (Alexander’s father) invaded Laconia, he wrote a letter to the Spartans saying, “If I invade Laconia, I will drive you out.” The Spartans wrote a one-word letter back to Philip saying, “If.” (Plutarch, On Talkativeness: 511a). Philip eventually entered Laconia and sent another letter to the Spartans asking whether they would receive him as a friend or a foe. The Spartans replied, “Neither.” (Plutarch, “Sayings of the Spartans”: 233e).

Plutarch wrote that Spartans do not say much, but what they say grabs the listener’s attention and they go straight to business (“Life of Lycurgus”: 19). A lost Greek comedy (we know some fragments of it due to the latter quotations) had a line saying, “Smaller than a letter sent from Sparta.”

9 Suppression Of Corruption And Greed

9a-sparta-coins-iron-bars-currency

The pursuit of material wealth and mostly any other activity outside of a military career was discouraged by Spartan law. Iron was the only metal allowed for coinage; gold and silver were forbidden. According to Plutarch (“Life of Lycurgus”: 9), Spartans had their coins made of iron. Therefore, a small value required a great weight and volume of coins.

Transporting a significant amount of value in coins required the use of a team of oxen, and storing it needed a large room. This made bribery and stealing difficult in Sparta. Wealth was not easy to enjoy and almost impossible to hide.

8 Suppression Of Laziness

8-mother-giving-son-shield

Spartan warriors had to be strong and fit. This was particularly important for young men who were still in the process of becoming fully developed warriors. Aelian (Miscellaneous History: 14.7) recorded that Spartan law required young men to stand naked in public so that their bodies could be inspected.

This was a routine check performed every 10 days, and they were expected to display a healthy and strong physique. Those who had flaccid limbs, excessive body fat, or both were beaten and censured.

7 Cowardice

7a-spartan-coward-dilios-Aristodemus

Xenophon (Constitution of Sparta: 9.4) provides a detailed list of the disastrous consequences that a Spartan soldier could face if he was perceived as a coward.

According to this list, everyone would be ashamed to share a meal with a coward and to wrestle with him in the gymnasium. He would never be picked when choosing teammates for ball games, he had to make way for others in the street, he had to give his seat to younger men, he would not be able to find a woman to marry, and he could be beaten in case he behaved in a manner that would lead others to believe that he was not a coward.

During the famous last stand against the Persians in Thermopylae, a Spartan soldier named Aristodemus was suffering from a disease in the eyes and was too ill to fight. After returning to Sparta, he was known as “the coward Aristodemus.” One year later, Aristodemus fought and died bravely in the Battle of Plataea and regained his honor.

Plutarch added another form of punishment for cowardice. He wrote that cowards had to “go around unkempt, wearing cloaks with patches of dyed cloth, and with one side of their beard shaved.” (“Life of Agesilaus”: 30).

6 Marriage

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Although Spartan law permitted anyone over age 20 to get married, men had the obligation of living in military housing until age 30. As a result, young married couples were forced to live their marriage as a sort of illegal and secret affair. Many couples would even have children years before they lived under the same roof.

Even during their wedding night, a newly married Spartan couple had to conduct themselves as if they were doing something wrong. A Spartan bride was dressed like a man and left alone on a couch in a dark bedroom. Her husband had to sneak into the room in secret, making sure that nobody noticed his presence.

“This would go on for a long time, and some Spartans even became fathers before seeing their wives in the daylight.” (Plutarch, “Life of Lycurgus”: 15).

5 Helots

5-helots

The Spartans had slaves, known as “helots,” who were occupied as farmers, as house servants, and in most activities that would distract the free Spartan citizens from their military duties. The helots were culturally Greek, reduced to servitude by the Spartans, and with new conquests, their number increased. During the late eighth century and after a long war, the Spartans annexed Messenia (southwest of the Peloponnese) and its inhabitants were reduced to slavery and turned into helots.

Plato (Critias, fragment 37) claimed that Spartans had special locks on their doors because they had little trust of the helots. It is also known that the Spartans had a secret police, the Krypteia, who were responsible for keeping the helots in check. According to Plutarch (“Life of Lycurgus”: 28), the Krypteia would kill any helot found in the countryside during the night, and they would kill any helot who looked strong and fit during the day.

4 Spartan Kings

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Sparta had two kings belonging to different royal dynasties. Although their power was limited, one of them would have the duty of commanding the army in time of war. Spartan kings were descendants of the god Heracles. At least, this is what the official genealogy of the Spartan kings claimed.

The existence of two ruling houses was in direct contradiction with the idea of a common ancestry, which led to an imaginative explanation: During the fifth generation after Heracles, twin sons, Agis and Eurypon, had been born to the king. This was the mythical origin of the ruling families’ names, the Agiads and the Eurypontids.

Herodotus offers a complete genealogical list for the ancestry of Leonidas and Leotychidas, the two Spartan kings around the time of the Persian Wars. (Histories: 7.204.480 for Leonidas and 8.131.2 for Leotychidas).

3 The Ephors

3-ephors

The ephors were a branch of Spartan government with no equivalent in the rest of the Greek world. They were elected annually from the pool of male citizens. Their role was to balance and complement the role of the king. They were the supreme civil court and had criminal jurisdiction over the king.

The kings swore to uphold the Spartan constitution, and the ephors swore to uphold the king as long as he kept his oath. When a king went to war, two of the ephors would join him to supervise his actions. During the absence of a king, some of his responsibilities would be delegated to the ephors.

2 Spartan Women

2a-spartan-girls-fighting-with-boys

The role of women in Sparta was different than in the rest of Greece. In general, they had a lot more freedom. They were not secluded like in many other Greek cities, and girls were expected to endure the same physical training as boys.

They also had gymnastics side by side with boys, all naked. They were trained in casting the dart, running, wrestling, and throwing the bar, among other skills. All this was supposed to make women stronger, more flexible, and better equipped to endure the pain of bearing children.

Spartan women had a reputation among other Greeks of being chaste. This admiration coexisted with the fact that if a married woman was childless, the state could order her to see if another man could do a better job in begetting children. Usually, women would accept this initiative. Spartan law was strict about encouraging new children, and there was little or no room for maneuvering in this regard.

1 Spartan Army

1-spartan-army

Spartan citizens were expected to become professional soldiers, a process that began by removing young kids from their homes at age seven. The young Spartans were separated into age groups and lived in military housing.

From age seven, Spartans had to endure severe athletic and military training. Plutarch (“Spartan Customs”: 239d) said that Spartans boys were flogged with whips for an entire day on the altar of Artemis and they had to tolerate it, competing with each other to see who was capable of resisting the highest number of strokes.

Their training became even more intense at age 20. By this time, they joined common mess halls. Their skills in the battlefield allowed them to be capable of outmaneuvering any other Greek army. It was no coincidence that Sparta had no need for fortifications during most of its history.

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10 Amazing Facial Reconstructions Of Ancient Skulls https://listorati.com/10-amazing-facial-reconstructions-of-ancient-skulls/ https://listorati.com/10-amazing-facial-reconstructions-of-ancient-skulls/#respond Tue, 24 Dec 2024 02:58:14 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-amazing-facial-reconstructions-of-ancient-skulls/

Ancient bones can return a wealth of information to the modern researcher. But they can’t ever truly reveal the dead’s lost humanity. Only when the hollow sockets become the thoughtful eyes of a girl or healed fractures give a knight a handsome scar does time vanish as skeletons turn back into real human beings.

10Ava

01

Nearly four millennia ago, a young woman died in ancient Britain, and she was unusual. Ava’s skull was strange, and so was her grave.

Nicknamed “Ava” after Achavanich, where she was unearthed in 1987, and aged 18 to 22, she most likely belonged to the Beaker people, a European group with short and rounded skulls. But Ava’s head was uneven yet shapely enough to suggest deliberate binding.

During the Middle Bronze Age, it was customary to bury the dead under a cairn or in a soil pit. Ava’s unmarked grave was cut with a lot of effort into solid rock. A beaker found inside also hinted that Ava was special—its designs have never been seen before. She died too young and from unknown causes.

9The Mary Rose Archer

02

The Mary Rose was the flagship of King Henry VIII’s war fleet. She sank over 500 years ago and took many souls to the bottom of the sea. In 1982, the wreck was raised with a dead crew of 92 skeletons.

Historical accounts mention elite troops onboard, and this meant longbow archers. One such identified archer was an impressive 2 meters (6 ft) tall—well above the average Tudor male. Personal items indicated his rank was high and his built had to be powerful to draw the tough 16th-century longbow.

To reveal what this crack soldier looked like, a scan of his skull was fed into a 3-D printer that popped out an exact replica. The archer’s face was reconstructed around the printed skull. The result showed a man with a no-nonsense look that would make any opponent think twice.

8The USS Monitor

03

A more recent maritime tragedy involved the USS Monitor, the Navy’s first ironclad warship. She sank in a storm In 1862, while being towed off Cape Hatteras. Almost 150 years onward, her gun turret resurfaced through a joint effort by the Navy and NOAA. Inside, they found a pair of skeletons, two of only 16 Civil War sailors to be recovered.

After reconstructing them, NOAA released the images. One of the men who drowned in the turret was very young, between 17 and 24, and had movie star good looks. His companion, although about the same height and also white, was older. Aged 30 to 40, he was likely an avid pipe smoker and had a wide face dotted with close-set eyes and a big nose.

7The Girl Of Uchter Moor

04

In 2000, a peat harvester in Germany pulled up a body. Police initially thought it was the missing Elke Kerll, but a DNA test disproved this. She was dubbed “Moora” after Uchter Moor where she was found. Her origins languished for years until her missing hand turned up in the same area. More tests showed that the bog body wasn’t modern but a teenager who had died during the Iron Age.

Five independent teams recreated five slightly different Mooras. But most of her features—eyes, nose, and cheekbones—were all alike. Moora’s behavior still confounds experts.

She went deeply into the bog, a highly dangerous thing to do. Was the teen fleeing or collecting bilberries (a mind-altering fruit)? Whatever followed, the lack of ancient skeletal trauma indicates an accident rather than murder ended her short life.

6The Silla Skull

sila

The Silla Kingdom controlled much of the Korean Peninsula (57 BC–AD 935), but despite being one of the most enduring and influential dynasties, complete skeletons from that period are scarce. Incredibly, a perfectly preserved grave was found in 2013, that of a woman’s.

Her skull was fragmented but, once assembled, revealed a strange elongated head researchers don’t believe was the result of binding. Had she suffered this procedure, the bones in the front of her skull would’ve been flatter, and the sides would’ve grown more to adjust to the pressure of flattening. The Silla woman shows none of this. Her skull is normal except for its odd shape. Experts believe that it might’ve been a natural occurrence, albeit rare, in the ethnic group during that era.

5The French Mummy

henry-reconstruction-101214-02

Louis XVI was beheaded in 1793, and King Henry IV of France had his long-dead head removed, as revolutionaries desecrated as many royal tombs as they could find. Rediscovered in a private collection, the skull’s face was digitally returned, and to the excitement of researchers, it mirrored known depictions of Henry, a mole and ear piercing included.

The embalming method fits historical records of how Henry’s body was prepared, but it obscures the papery mummy’s identity. Sure, the face resembles Henry, but the embalming and careless modern handling contaminated the DNA so much that it can no longer be compared with his living descendants.

4The Stirling Knight

07

It’s not often one can meet a real medieval knight. But renovations at Stirling Castle made this possible when the body of a young man was unearthed. Near him, a woman had her head crushed, possibly by a mace. The pair was part of 10 skeletons discovered, including two babies. A siege appeared to have been behind their violent deaths.

His skeleton revealed the powerful physique of someone trained since boyhood with weapons and horses. Healed injuries proved he was a professional soldier who had survived some hairy battles. A facial reconstruction showed the scars of old wounds. Unexpectedly, documents revealed his name. He was Sir John de Stricheley, an English nobleman who died in 1341, possibly felled by a Scottish arrow.

3The Flores Woman

08

Better known as the controversial “hobbit ,” her remains were found on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003, standing an adorable 1 meter (3 ft) tall. A recent artistic rendering showed that the 30-year-old had high cheekbones and large eyes. The more accurate software showed that the woman had modern features rather than the monkey look paleo-artists previously credited her with.

While researchers say she’s no beauty queen, missing much of what one would call a forehead, it remains incredible to see such a long lost part of the human family tree. That is, if she is even an ancient human. Officially called Homo floresiensis, she lived 18,000 years ago and with a different-shaped brain and wrist bones more consistent with apes. Scientists believe she might be an entirely new species.

2Dante

09

When Dante’s skull was turned back into a face, researchers were surprised to see that he differed from traditional depictions of the man. Usually, he is shown with a stern or severe expression, but when his features were revealed through forensic efforts, Dante had a softer gaze and looked a whole lot friendlier. However, his famously hooked nose was spot-on.

Among other difficulties, Dante suffered the death of his beloved Beatrice and banishment from Florence in 1302 for opposing Pope Boniface VIII. His actual bones remain hidden by Italian monks who refused scientists access to them. Dante’s face was recreated using a replica skull.

1St. Anthony

10

When a Brazilian expert was asked to reconstruct the appearance of an ancient person, all he was told was that the skull belonged to a 36-year-old man. The face was that of an ordinary-looking male, perhaps somebody easily forgotten when passed on the street. Only afterward did the expert find out that he had helped millions of believers to gaze upon the real face of Saint Anthony.

Born in 1195, St. Anthony became a monk at 15 when he joined the Augustinians. Two remarkable events mark the career of this great saint, one in life and the other in death. While alive, he personally met with the famous St. Francis of Assisi, and the second was how fast he was canonized. The second fastest in history, St. Anthony was sainted merely a year after he died at a convent in 1231.

+The Face Of God

RAY-DOWNING-face-of-jesus-JESUS-ALIVE-AGAIN

The most explosive headline in human history would be the announcement that the skull of Jesus Christ has been found. Unfortunately, there is no sign of it. Unfolding the next best thing, researchers studied the Turin Shroud. Whether it’s a clever artistic fraud or a real miracle, one cannot resist looking into what could very well be the face of Christ.

Employing sketch artist expertise and computer graphics, specialists recreated both the body and the face of the man-print on the Shroud. The results matched the historical portrayals of Jesus. Even if the 3-D pictures are a little rough-edged, they are believed to be the most accurate Turin reconstruction.

Pictured here is Ray Downing’s final illustration of the Man in the Shroud. Downing was the artist who created the reconstruction for the History Channel. Whether you believe this is the face of God or not, it is certainly quite an accomplishment to take a reverse image from an ancient cloth and turn it into a virtually-photographic quality reproduction.



Jana Louise Smit

Jana earns her beans as a freelance writer and author. She wrote one book on a dare and hundreds of articles. Jana loves hunting down bizarre facts of science, nature and the human mind.


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10 Amazing New Techniques Used To Reveal Scientific Mysteries https://listorati.com/10-amazing-new-techniques-used-to-reveal-scientific-mysteries/ https://listorati.com/10-amazing-new-techniques-used-to-reveal-scientific-mysteries/#respond Tue, 24 Dec 2024 02:46:46 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-amazing-new-techniques-used-to-reveal-scientific-mysteries/

New technologies and innovations linked to old ones are unlocking scientific mysteries in ways never thought possible. These revolutionary new techniques are allowing unprecedented insight into the natural world.

Whether they reveal an obscure and unseen galaxy billions of light-years away or a cryptic message from millennia ago, these pioneering methods are game changers in their fields.

10 Photographing Hidden Spaces With Wi-Fi

Researchers wanted to see the world “through Wi-Fi eyes,” so they placed a cross made of aluminum foil, a Wi-Fi emitter, and two receivers (one stationary, one mobile) in a closed room. They recorded the Wi-Fi waves as they reflected off the cross to encode its image in 3-D within a hologram.[1]

This technique could eventually reveal the interiors of closed structures even if the receivers are placed outside, with lifesaving consequences for victims trapped under snow or in collapsed buildings. Alternatively, in 5–10 years, Wi-Fi surveillance may be used to organize and supervise factories full of robot workers.

9 Revealing Hidden Space Scenes 10 Million Times Faster With AI

Large enough objects like galaxy clusters can bend light around them, revealing and magnifying the objects behind them.

“Reading” a single lens can take months of work and many tedious comparisons between actual images and numerous computer simulations. But neural networks, or artificial brains based on biology, can decode these lenses 10 million times faster—in a few seconds instead of months.

Scientists fed the aforementioned AI half a million simulated images and tested it against Hubble images. The AI proved itself as accurate as traditional analysis but in a fraction of the time. This tech will open up the universe like never before, with an unprecedented amount of data set to flood in from the next generation of observatories and telescopes.[2]

8 Peering Through Solid Objects With Neutron Beams

A brand-new imaging technique peers through solid objects by hitting them with a focused beam of neutrons.

Instead of a conventional lens, the new technology uses silicon wafers to split and redirect a neutron beam. The waves strike the object and ricochet into each other, producing an interference pattern.

Unlike other methods, this revolutionary type of neutron interferometry can zoom in and out to detect very small and very, very small objects alike, ranging from 1 nanometer to 10 micrometers. Neutron interferometry was previously a supplement to other imaging efforts, but this advance may turn it into a unique “main course” option.[3]

7 Turning (Dead) Animals Transparent To Glimpse Hidden Biology

An imaging technique named uDISCO (ultimate 3-D imaging of solvent-cleared organs) turns dead animals transparent to unveil biology’s inner workings.

Scientists dunk the animal into a dehydrating solvent that removes water and fat, which shrinks the specimen up to 65 percent and effectively turns it into a translucent mummy.

It doesn’t damage fluorescent proteins engineered into the rodents’ bodies like previous techniques did, so scientists can observe these markers once the animal has been transpar-ified. They hope to use this to one day map the human brain, a feat that would take 1,000 years with conventional methods.[4]

6 Mapping An Entire Country Using Lasers

The entirety of England is being mapped by aerial lasers, or LiDAR, a technique that has already scanned 75 percent of the country. From above, researchers pelt the landscape with a million light wave pulses per second, building a 3-D topographical map based on the waves’ return time.

It began as an effort to map changing coastlines. But as an added bonus, it has revealed four Roman roads that snake invisibly beneath the modern terrain.

As a double bonus, it could disrupt the £1 billion a year illegal dumping racket by quickly detecting changes in landscape and allowing the authorities to apprehend dumpers.[5]

5 New X-Ray Methods Illuminating Invisible Art

Researchers can peer through layers of paint and reveal secrets beneath some of the world’s most famous masterpieces.

It started with Picasso’s 1902 oil painting La Misereuse accroupie, or The Crouching Beggar. Curious colors and textures peeking out from between cracks in the oil didn’t match the surface layers. So scientists shot different wavelengths of light at it because oil is transparent to some wavelengths. They confirmed a 1992 study that found another artist’s landscape beneath Picasso’s beggar.[6]

X-ray analysis then revealed an entirely new feature, that the women’s hand (obscured by the robe) is clutching a piece of bread. More revelations will undoubtedly follow now that scientists can use this method in situ at museums and such.

4 Detecting CTE And Brain Damage In The Living

For the first time ever, researchers have confirmed the detection of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a living patient.

The patient, along with 13 other ex-NFL athletes, underwent brain scans. They revealed a protein called tau which smothers damaged cells and migrates across the brain, killing neurons.

In 2015, one of the retired players in the study, identified as former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Fred McNeill, died. The autopsy confirmed that McNeill was suffering from CTE as well as ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.[7]

If validated, such technology would be good for more people than just ex-athletes. It would also benefit the military by detecting brain irregularities in soldiers exposed to the concussive forces of an explosion, for example.

3 Exposing Cancerous Cells With A Pen

One of the trickiest parts of treating cancer is making sure that every unwanted cell is removed during surgery. Now, a new pen-like device can scan potentially infected areas 150 times faster than current methods.

In proof-of-concept testing on 253 patients, the “MasSpec pen” detected cancerous tissues with 96 percent accuracy and it did so in only 10 seconds.

The pen releases a drop of water onto suspect tissues and then drives it into a mass spectrometer to detect the telltale waste products produced by cancerous cells, even specifying their subtype.

If approved for widespread use, the MasSpec Pen will offer faster, more precise, and safer surgery.[8]

2 Peeking Inside Mummies With A Particle Accelerator

Researchers can now look inside mummies without damaging them, thanks to the Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source, a particle accelerator.

For the first time ever, scientists trained the high-energy X-rays on the Hibbard mummy, a five-year-old Egyptian girl, which dated to the end of the first century AD.[9]

The Hibbard mummy was chosen because of its intact “mummy portrait,” a wooden face panel with a painting of the child’s likeness. Without disturbing the brittle material, researchers saw through its shroud and found unexplained objects therein, like wires in the girl’s teeth, a weird bowl-shaped object in her skull, and some kind of small stonelike item wrapped to the girl’s abdomen.

1 Unrolling Ancient Scrolls With Novel X-Ray Tech

Pompeii wasn’t the only town buried by Vesuvius’s famous outburst: Little Herculaneum was also smothered by hot ash and lava.

As were its legendary scrolls of Herculaneum, part of the world’s oldest surviving classical library. Unfortunately, they were crisped by temperatures exceeding 260 degrees Celsius (500 °F). Recently, scientists were able to read the letters on one of these scrolls despite its 2,000-year interment and volcanic ash bath.

Scientists analyzed the distortion of X-rays as they passed through different materials. Like the letters on the scroll, which didn’t penetrate into the papyrus and remained in relief by an amazingly tiny tenth of a millimeter, just enough to allow detection.[10]

Ivan writes cool things for the Internet. He’ll write cool things for you, too, if you contact him at [email protected] and pay him in food or money.

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10 Amazing Things You Should Know About Sicily https://listorati.com/10-amazing-things-you-should-know-about-sicily/ https://listorati.com/10-amazing-things-you-should-know-about-sicily/#respond Sat, 14 Dec 2024 01:02:37 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-amazing-things-you-should-know-about-sicily/

Mafia. Cosa nostra. The octopus. The plague. So many names and euphemisms are used to describe that terrible criminal organization that has rendered the island of Sicily so famous in the world—with more than a little help from Hollywood, of course. While the mafia certainly exists and kills, although largely without the glamor shown in the movies, it is unfair to characterize the whole island of Sicily as just the birthplace of organized crime. So many beautiful, strange, and even spectacular things come from this land. Here are 10 amazing facts that you probably don’t know about Sicily.

10 Poltergeists

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In 2004, strange events that would become known as “the fires of Canneto” frightened the population of the quiet village of Canneto di Caronia. It started with electrical appliances that caught fire spontaneously, for no apparent reason. Initially, most suspected faulty electrical lines, until appliances started to catch on fire that weren’t even plugged to the grid. Soon, non-electrical objects—such as armchairs and mattresses—also inexplicably caught fire. Even a van passing through the city was a victim of what many started to think were ghosts or evil spirits.

The population panicked, and so did the authorities. The power grid was cut, the town was partially evacuated, and scientists from different parts of the world came to study the phenomenon, but no explanation was found. Some said it was related to the static electricity generated by the railway nearby, while others said that the fault lay with the Etna volcano and its magnetic field. Some even started to suspect secret tests by the American Army or UFOs. Months later, the events stopped as mysteriously as they had started, and Canneto became once again a quiet little town. As of yet, there is no definitive explanation to the occurrence.

9 Cagliostro

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So many legends exist about Cagliostro that it is hard to separate fact from fiction. What seems to be clear is his real name was Giuseppe Balsamo, he was born in a poor neighborhood of Palermo in 1743, and he was a real character.

After swindling his way out of Sicily, he went to Rome, where he became a skilled pharmacist—as well as a skilled forger—under the name Alessandro Cagliostro. Thanks to his pharmacy skills and knowledge of occultism, he landed a job with the rich and powerful Cardinal Orsini. After becoming a Freemason in London, he went to Paris, entreated by the Cardinal de Rohan. Due to his friendship with Rohan and infamy as a forger, he was accused of participating in the so-called “affair of the necklace,” an attempt to swindle the French royal family. He was likely innocent, and in fact was acquitted in the end, but not before spending nine months in the Bastille prison. He ended up in the hands of the Inquisition three years later in Rome, accused of being a Freemason. Sentenced to life in prison, he died in 1795.

His fame was so great even during his lifetime that he was recommended as a physician to Benjamin Franklin during his visit to Paris and Giaccomo Casanova wrote about his meeting with Cagliostro. Goethe, in his travels through Sicily, is said to be the one to ascertain his real identity as that of Giuseppe Balsamo, although some still dispute that.

8 Sea Monsters

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According to Greek mythology, ships that pass to the Messina strait between Sicily and Calabria are in danger of being attacked by Scylla and Charibdys, the monsters that guard either side of the narrow passage. This myth gave rise to the expression “between Scylla and Charybdis,” a local equivalent to “between a rock and a hard place.”

First described by Homer in The Odyssey, the two monsters were originally beautiful nymphs who were transformed into horrible forms. In The Metamorphoses, Ovid says that the sea god Glaucus fell in love with Scylla, but she was repulsed by his fish tail, so he went to the famous sorceress Circe and asked her for a love potion. Unfortunately for all involved, Circe was herself in love with Glaucus. In a fit of jealousy, she poisoned the waters and transformed Scylla into a monster with six heads, each having a very long neck, four eyes, and a mouth with three rows of teeth, which she would use to chew on unlucky sailors.

Charybdis, according to other myths, was once a gluttonous woman who was punished by Zeus for stealing cattle from the gods. She was transformed into a monster and forced to swallow such huge amounts of water that she would immediately vomit, creating large whirlpools that would sink most ships. It is true that there are such currents in the strait of Messina, but no credible eye-witness accounts of any puke monsters as of yet.

7 The Sonnet

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The most famous of all traditional poetic forms, consisting of fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter with an elaborate rhyme pattern, was originally invented by a poet from the Sicilian school, Giacomo da Lentini. Created in the early 13th century, the sonnet was then brought from Sicily to Tuscany. It was there that it was made famous worldwide by the great poets of the following generation, such as Petrarca and Dante Alighieri, the famous author of The Divine Comedy. In fact, Dante himself celebrates “il Notaro” in the verses of Purgatory XXIV, 55–7.

From Italy, the sonnet was taken to France and England, where writers such as William Shakespeare made extensive use of the form. Despite the triumph of modern poetry and free verse, the sonnet is very much in use even today and it is still important to learn its mechanics, to the despair of many high school students.

6 Street Food

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Recently, the capital of Sicily, Palermo, has been elected the European Capital of Street Food. In a recent ranking by Forbes, it was listed among the top five in the world for cities with great street food, holding the top spot in Europe. Among the delicacies offered by street vendors, we find arancini (the famous Sicilian rice balls with choice of meat or bacon) and pannele (simple squares of fried, smashed chickpeas and herbs that are eaten with bread). The sfincione is a local version of pizza, made with tomato sauce, caciocavallo cheese, onions, and anchovies on top of a thick and soft crust.

For those with a stronger stomach, options abound. The panino con la milza (or pane ca meusa in Sicilian dialect) is a sandwich made with chopped veal’s lung and spleen that have been boiled and then fried in lard. The stigghiola consists of a of sheep’s intestines on a skewer. As a dessert, you can order granita, a semi-frozen drink made with crushed ice and lemon or other flavors.

5 The Tallest Active Volcano In Europe

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Located in the eastern side of the island near Catania and reaching a height of more than 3,000 meters (10,000 ft), the Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe. “Active” is certainly the right world to describe it—the last eruption with lava occurred at the end of November 2013, but almost every year the volcano shows some sign of activity.

Despite its many eruptions over the years, a large city that had failed to take precautions against the volcano’s dangers was once almost wholly destroyed as a result. Even so, there are only 77 deaths that could be attributed directly to Mount Etna, including the recent death of two improvident tourists who decided to climb near the summit. The locals are not afraid of it, and in fact, they hope that the volcano continues active for a long time. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, including vineyards—some of the best wine in Sicily is produced from grapes grown in the region.

4 It Was Once Richer Than The North Of Italy

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Before the unification of Italy in 1861, Sicily was an independent kingdom. From 1814–1860, it joined the Kingdom of Naple to form the so-called Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which comprised most of the current South of Italy. During this period, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was richer than all the other Italian kingdoms of the time in terms of revenues. According to the studies of Francesco Saverio Nitti, economist and later Prime Minister of Italy, the kingdom had 443.3 million golden lire. That was 65.7 percent of all the money circulating in the peninsula at the time, making it the richest among the Italian states.

Its economy, however, was based mostly on agriculture, and it did not industrialize as fast as the north of Italy did. The unification of Italy was also disastrous for the region, after which it lost a large part of its relevance. Other events—such as the 1908 Messina earthquake, which killed 123,000 people, and the emigration of a large number of Sicilians to the Americas—ended up reducing the economical prospects of the South even further. Today, Sicily is an autonomous region, and while it is not the poorest part of Italy, it is far from being the richest.

3 The Largest Opera House In Italy

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Everybody knows that Italians love opera. If size is an indication of love, then Sicilians love it most of all. The largest theater and opera house in Italy, Teatro Massimo, was built in Palermo and inaugurated in 1897. Its full name is Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele, because it was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II.

Construction took over 20 years, starting on 1874 and ending in 1897. The opera house was designed and overseen by Italian architect Giovan Battista Filippo Basile, who didn’t live to see the work completed. After his death in 1891, construction was continued by his son, Ernesto Basile. The Teatro Massimo can be seen in its full glory during the long opera scene at the end of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, Part Three.

2 The Allied Invasion

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While the Invasion of Normandy, or D-Day, is celebrated as the great turning point of World War II, it is also true that the invasion of Sicily by the Allies in 1943 was an earlier victory that began turning the tables on the Axis powers. Codenamed Operation Husky, the battle lasted for 38 days and culminated with a decisive victory for the invading Allied forces.

Thanks to the occupation of Sicily, the Allies were able to control the Mediterranean sea, force the German soldiers to the North of France (where they would later be attacked on D-Day), and eventually complete the liberation of the European mainland. The success of the invasion also caused the fall of Benito Mussolini and the arrest of the dictator by King Vittorio Emanuele, although he was later released by German forces and reigned until 1945 in the limited Republic of Salò. It is said that Sicily was the least nationalist part of Italy at the time and that Sicilians did not fight for the Axis—they mostly helped the Allies to combat the German forces.

1 It May Have Better Greek Ruins Than Greece

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Sicily is rich in ancient Greek ruins, and many say that they surpass in beauty those found on modern-day Greece. For a long time, the ancient Greeks controlled a large part of the island, mostly in the eastern region around Syracuse, where the famous mathematician Archimedes was born. Well-preserved Greek ruins still remain in Syracuse, Taormina, and near Agrigento. The latter is the location of the famous “valley of the temples,” a collection of seven different temples dedicated to different Greek deities.

The Greek control of the region ended with the Roman conquest of the island after the siege of Syracuse, in 214–212 BC. Syracuse fought bravely against the Romans with Archimedes’s novel war inventions, which included the “Archimedes’s claw,” a crane that was able to lift Roman ships out of the water and sink them. They also used giant mirrors to deflect the light of the sun and burn the sails of enemy ships. Despite their ingenuity, the Romans won the war and Archimedes was killed. A Roman soldier, disobeying orders to keep the old mathematician alive, killed Archimedes while he was drawing geometrical shapes on the sand. “Don’t disturb my circles” were his famous last words, as the Roman soldier stepped on his drawings.

Tom Creus is a writer, teacher, and filmmaker. He has visited Sicily several times, the last time in December 2013. He occasionally writes at tomwaiting.wordpress.com

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10 Amazing Mummified Animals We Have Found https://listorati.com/10-amazing-mummified-animals-we-have-found/ https://listorati.com/10-amazing-mummified-animals-we-have-found/#respond Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:56:19 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-amazing-mummified-animals-we-have-found/

Mummies are often associated with ancient Egyptians even though they were not the only culture that mummified dead humans and animals. The Chinese did, too. The Egyptians were probably not the first, either. The Chinchorro people of Chile have been mummifying their dead since 5000 BC. The first Egyptian mummy was created 2,000 years later.

Mummies could also be created naturally. The Incas did this when they mummified their dead by exposing them to the cold temperatures and dry climate. However, the most fascinating natural mummies were created after a human or animal died in some random place.

A lucky combination of a perfect location, weather, and temperature as well as the absence of scavengers turned them into mummies. We have found some, and they are just amazing.

10 Stuckie The Dog

Stuckie is the mummified remains of a hunting dog that was trapped in a chestnut oak tree for almost 60 years. The dog was probably chasing a raccoon when it entered the tree through a hole around 1960.

Unfortunately, the dog was too big to pass through the hollowed-out tree and got stuck. Eventually, it died of starvation. However, its body mummified instead of decaying. It remained untouched for about 60 years until it was discovered after some loggers cut the tree.

Scientists later discovered that the moisture-absorbing tannin in the tree prevented Stuckie from decaying. The fact that the animal was stuck inside the tree also protected its body from scavengers. Stuckie is currently displayed at the Southern Forest World Museum in Waycross, Georgia. The dog’s remains are still inside the tree.[1]

9 Two Extinct Cave Lions

In 2015, contractors searching for mammoth fossils around the Uyandina River in Siberia found the mummified remains of two cave lion cubs. These animals are the same size as the Siberian tiger—the world’s largest cat species. Cave lions roamed through Africa, Europe, and North America until they went extinct 12,000 years ago.

Over 12,000 years ago, these cave lion cubs were 2–3 weeks old when the soil around their den collapsed and buried them inside. Cave lions are born blind, and researchers believe that the mummified cubs had never opened their eyes at the time of death.

The ice of Siberia mummified their remains, leaving them well-preserved. Even their eyes were intact, making them the most complete cave lion fossils we have ever found. Before their discovery, fossil bones were all we had to prove that cave lions had ever existed. The fossils were named Uyan and Dina after the Uyandina River where they were found.[2]

8 Lions From Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pharaohs, pyramids, and mummies. We all know they mummified lots of humans and cats. However, a lot of people do not know that they also mummified several other animals, including baboons, crocodiles, dogs, birds, and lions.

Mummified lions are the most surprising. We already know that lions were revered in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptian god Nefertum is depicted as a lion. The goddess Sekhmet also has a lion head. Ancient Egyptian writings indicate that this civilization kept lions and could have mummified the animals after their deaths.

A group of archaeologists led by Alain Zivie revealed that tales of the mummified lions were true after the scientists found the first mummified remains of a lion among those of several cats at Saqqara cemetery in Egypt. Analysis revealed that the lion was a pet that had lived and died in captivity.[3]

7 Fake And Partial Animal Mummies

A few years ago, researchers from the University of Manchester and Manchester Museum scanned 800 animal mummies from ancient Egypt. To their surprise, they discovered that a third of the mummies had no animal remains in them. Another third had partial animal remains, and the last third contained full animals.

This probably occurred because animals were often mummified to be offered as sacrifices to Egyptian deities. In comparison, human mummies were created to preserve the bodies for their spiritual journeys into the afterlife.

Researchers believe that ancient Egyptians specifically bred animals to turn into mummies. They were often unable to keep up during periods of high demand, causing them to sometimes cut corners. And how best to cut corners if not by excluding the animal from the mummy?

While some researchers believe that sellers passed the fake mummies off as the real thing, others believe that vendors replaced the animals with items used by the animals, which was supposedly ethical. Examples include putting a nest or eggshell in place of a bird. However, no one knows for sure.[4]

6 An Ancient Baby Horse

Until a few years ago, Batagaika crater in eastern Siberia harbored the mummified remains of a young Lena horse (Equus caballus lenensis). The now-extinct Lena horse lived in eastern Siberia 30,000–40,000 years ago. This foal is believed to have lived around the same time.[5]

Researchers believe that the foal died by drowning after a fall into a natural trap. The animal was just two months old at the time of death. Fortunately for us, its remains were perfectly mummified in the icy permafrost of Siberia. The foal was found with its skin, tail, hooves, and nose hairs intact.

5 Mummies Of Eagles, Doves, Swallows, Bats, And More

Lake Natron is one of the weirdest lakes you will ever read about. Located in Tanzania, the lake has a higher-than-normal alkaline level, making it highly caustic and deadly. Animals that fall into it die and become calcified. Only some flamingos, the Alcolapia latilabris (a species of small fish), and algae can survive the lake’s harsh properties.

Mummified remains of eagles, doves, swallows, songbirds, and even bats have been recovered from the lake. Flying animals are often victims because the lake reflects like a mirror when viewed from above. Many unfortunate birds and even a helicopter pilot unwittingly ended up in the lake after mistaking it for empty space.

Lake Natron is named after natron, a chemical formed from a mixture of sodium carbonate and baking soda. This is the same reason that the water has a high alkaline content and turns birds into mummies. Natron itself has been used by humans for millennia. Ancient Egyptians used it as far back as the 4th millennium BC to make glass and preserve their mummies.[6]

4 Yukagir Bison

In 2011, some tribesmen in Siberia found the mummified remains of a bison along a lake. Researchers determined that it belonged to the now-extinct steppe bison (Bison priscus), an ancestor of the modern American and European bison. However, researchers named the fossil after the Yukagir tribe that found it.

The Yukagir bison was found in almost perfect condition, which is really incredible considering that it died about 9,000 years ago. In fact, it is the most perfect steppe bison fossil ever found. It had its fur and most of its internal organs intact—including the heart, lungs, stomach, blood vessels, and brain—even though they had shrunk in size.

Researchers later removed several of these body parts for analysis. They determined that the bison was around four years old at the time of death. It probably died of starvation because there were no layers of fat in its abdomen.[7]

3 Yuka The Mammoth

The fossil of Yuka the mammoth takes the top spot among the mammoth fossils we have discovered. This is because Yuka’s internal organs are well-preserved even though she has been dead for 39,000 years. Her brain, tissues, and muscles are all intact. In fact, scientists are trying to use her tissues and DNA to clone the woolly mammoth.

The intact brain is the most fascinating. Researchers have never found a mammoth brain even though they have discovered lots of mammoth fossils. Interestingly, researchers never expected to find a brain. They saw it by chance during a MRI scan to detect Yuka’s age.

Yuka was found in Russia’s Arctic Circle in 2010. She weighs over 100 kilograms (220 lb), causing researchers to speculate that she was 6–11 years old at the time of death. The analysis of injuries, including bite and scar marks, on her body reveal that she was attacked by a cave lion trying to feed on her.

Some humans watched the hunt. The cave lion scored the kill, and the humans probably attempted to steal it. However, it is obvious that none of the parties succeeded.[8]

2 Ice Age Wolf Pup

In 2016, some Canadian miners found the 50,000-year-old mummified remains of the only ice age wolf we have ever found. The pup was discovered as the permafrost melted around the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada. Interestingly, the pup was perfectly preserved with its head, tail, skin, hair, and other body parts intact.

A nearby caribou calf was not perfectly preserved and was missing several vital body parts from the stomach down. Only the head, torso, and two front legs were intact. Scientists determined that the pup and caribou calf died around the same time. Scientists hope to extract the pup’s DNA to provide insight into the ice age wolf population.[9]

1 A 12,400-Year-Old Puppy

In 2016, researchers recently got their hands on the 12,400-year-old mummified remains of a puppy from the Pleistocene epoch. The fossil was found frozen in the permafrost at the bank of the River Syalakh in Siberia. Researchers believe that the puppy died in a landslide after which its body mummified in the ice.

Curiously, the mummified fossil of the puppy was well-preserved. Its entire body, from its nose to its tail, was intact. Even its hair was unscathed. The brain had partly decomposed, though. However, 70–80 percent of it was intact, which is impressive considering how long the puppy has been dead.

To put that into perspective, the partly decomposed brain of the 12,400-year-old puppy is the only brain we have from an animal from the Pleistocene epoch even though the puppy is not the only animal or dog we have from that time period.

Earlier in 2011, researchers had found the fossil of another dog around the area. Unfortunately, that animal was too decomposed to be useful. Scientists believe that both dogs are related. Researchers also uncovered human tools around the site.[10]

They believe that the tools belonged to the humans who owned the animals. This indicates that they were domestic animals. This is why scientists concluded that they were dogs and not wolves. Nevertheless, researchers believe that the valuable DNA and tissue extracted from the 12,400-year-old puppy could be used to bring it back to life.

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10 Amazing Examples Of Ancient Greek Engineering https://listorati.com/10-amazing-examples-of-ancient-greek-engineering/ https://listorati.com/10-amazing-examples-of-ancient-greek-engineering/#respond Sat, 26 Oct 2024 23:28:28 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-amazing-examples-of-ancient-greek-engineering/

The ancient Greeks are renowned today for their advanced thinking. We’ve all heard of Aristotle and Socrates, and the writings of the Greeks have influenced modern thought in almost every way possible—from how we write fiction to how we understand the world around us. They were hundreds of years ahead of their time in mathematics and politics.

But perhaps their greatest achievements were in the area of mechanics. From the first computers to the first clock tower, the ancient Greeks built some truly amazing machines, some of which wouldn’t exist again for another 1,000 years. Some were practical, while others were simply for fun or to aid in scientific demonstrations.

Let’s take a look at ten of the greatest examples of ancient Greek mechanical engineering.

10 The Antikythera Mechanism

The Antikythera Mechanism is an analog computer that was discovered in an ancient Greek shipwreck in 1901. Assembled sometime between 205 BC and 60 BC, it was designed to measure the movements of the heavens. It had a clock-like face with seven hands that tracked the movements of the planets and the Moon and also had mechanisms for tracking the phase of the Moon, the calendar, and the lunar and solar eclipses.[1]

It turned our understanding of Greek engineering upside down when it was first properly identified in 2006, with its extremely precise and interlocking gear systems. It demonstrated that the ancient Greeks were capable of a level of precision engineering that was previously thought impossible. And it might not even be the oldest version of this machine—Cicero, the Roman writer, described Archimedes building a similar device in the third century BC.

Unfortunately, only fragments of the device were recovered, so key features of it—such as how the device drove the planetary pointers, which no doubt must have been very complex, considering how the planets’ paths through the sky vary—are still not understood.

9 The Diolkos

The ancient Greek city of Corinth was a center of maritime trade in the ancient world, and it saw hundreds of vessels in its port at any one time. It was also close to the narrowest bit of land in the Greek peninsula, which would have saved ships days of travel if they could take a shortcut through it.[2]

Hence the construction of the Diolkos sometime around the fifth century BC, a special kind of portage road that allowed ships to be hauled overland, avoiding the long trip around the Peloponnese. In the past, it used to be thought of as a way of transporting cargo ships quickly from the Aegean sea to the Ionian and vice versa, but it is now widely believed that cargo ships would have been too large to use the Diolkos, which would explain the construction of the Corinthian Canal in AD 67.

Nonetheless, it probably played an important role as a cheap method of moving small ships and military vessels between the seas in a hurry and was probably used by wealthy Greeks with their own personal boats as a fast form of transport.

8 Philo’s Gimbal


The gimbal serves many purposes today—not least in the world of television, where its role in stabilizing handheld cameras keeps filming nice and smooth—but the very first gimbal was invented by Philo of Byzantium sometime around 200 BC, when he used it to make an inkwell that would never spill.[3]

The ink was mounted in a container at the center of the device, surrounded by concentric circles that always held it upright, even when turned. The frame around the outside featured numerous holes to dip the pen into—so the writer could turn the inkwell over, or accidentally knock it, and still continue writing without spilling any ink.

In later eras, the gimbal became absolutely crucial for navigation, holding a compass steady on a rocking ship so that the compass point always accurately pointed north.

7 The Kleroterion

The ancient Greek version of democracy may look primitive to our modern eyes, but they used a very innovative device to ensure that juries were always made up of people who couldn’t be bribed or otherwise influenced: a randomization machine.[4]

A kleroterion was a kind of slot machine with some funnels, a crank, a hole, and 500 small slits. When a jury was assembled for a trial, each juror brought with them a form of ID—a thin piece of bronze or wood with their identifier on it, called a pinakion. These were all inserted into the slits. An officer tipped a handful of balls into the funnels at the top of the device—some black, some white. He then pulled the crank, causing one ball to come out. If the ball was black, the row of pinakia were removed, and those jurors wouldn’t serve that day. If the ball was white, those jurors were eligible for duty. The official pulled the crank for each row of pinakia until they’d all been accepted or rejected. There was no way to predict which ball would come out for which row, thereby ensuring that no one could have guessed before the trial who would be on the jury, preventing them from influencing their decisions.

6 The Aeolipile

The aeolipile was, as far as we know, the world’s first steam engine—invented in the first century AD, roughly a millennium and a half before they became a common means of generating electricity.

It was invented by Heron of Alexandria. However, it certainly wasn’t intended to be an engine, and Heron never saw it as such. Rather, he used it as a simple device to demonstrate some of the principles of pneumatics, no doubt to aid in lessons or to attract the attention of curious visitors.

The engine itself was a hollow sphere mounted on two tubes it could rotate around. The tubes provided steam from a hot cauldron below the machine. As the steam filled the sphere, it escaped through another tube (sometimes two) that jutted out of the sphere. These tubes were angled sideways, so the force of the steam coming out caused the sphere to rotate.[5]

5 The Crane (And Archimedes’s Claw)

The Greeks invented the crane around the year 500 BC, a simple wooden hoist-and-pulley system that made erecting tall, sturdy buildings much more practical. (The technology was later improved by the Romans, who spread it across most of Europe.) However, the Greeks could easily build advanced cranes of their own, as is proven by Archimedes’s Claw.

Archimedes’s Claw (depicted rather fancifully in the painting above) was a machine built in Syracuse by Archimedes sometime before the Roman siege of the city in 214 BC.[6] According to ancient accounts, the claw was a kind of crane that could either push or lift ships out of the sea, toppling them and causing them to sink. It was mounted close to the city’s sea walls, preventing Roman ships from coming close to the city.

According to Plutarch, the claw terrified the besieging Romans, who began to feel like they were fighting against the gods, and many soldiers were frightened by the sight of any wooden frame above the city walls in case it was another one of Archimedes’s contraptions. They gave up any hope of taking the city by sea, resigning themselves to a long land-based siege.

4 The Tower Of The Winds


Built in roughly 50 BC, the Tower of the Winds in Athens is widely considered to be the world’s first meteorological station as well as the world’s first clock tower.[7] In ancient times, it was topped by a weather vane that indicated the direction of the wind. The tower has eight walls, each facing one of the compass points, and features a massive sundial which could be used to track the time of day. It had a water clock inside, which kept track of time overnight or on cloudy days.

Its considerable height and its dominant position on the Roman Agora in the city both seem to suggest it was intended to function in much the same way as a clock tower would today, and the ancient Greeks themselves knew it as the Horologion: “Timepiece.”

The building still stands today and is remarkably intact, mostly due to restoration work. It has inspired many architects over the course of history, and smaller replicas are scattered across Europe.

3 The Showers Of Pergamum


The ancient Greeks are famous today for their love of athletics, seen most prominently in the Olympics and their modern-day revival. What they are less known for, however, are the facilities ancient athletes sometimes enjoyed.

A system of showers was excavated at a gymnasium (built in the early second century BC) in Pergamum, which was one of the greatest ancient Greek cities.[8] Now located in modern-day Turkey, it also hosted the greatest library outside of Alexandria, and its rulers consciously invested in the public works of their city to increase its prestige.

As such, it is unlikely that these shower systems were common across the Greek world, but they certainly existed. The Pergamum showers had seven bathing units, into which water flowed through an overhead mains system onto the bathers.

A shower system is also depicted on a vase from the fourth century BC, so by the time Pergamum’s showers were built, the ancient Greeks had been using showers for over a century. The image on the vase even depicts separate cubicles and rails for users to hang their belongings on.

2 Archimedes’s Screw


Archimedes is commonly considered to be the inventor of the Archimedes screw, a machine used even today for transporting water to a higher level with relatively little energy.[9] The ancient Greek version was powered by treading, where human workers or slaves would use their weight to power the machine—the crank-operated version was invented in medieval Germany.

It is argued that Archimedes’s screw wasn’t the first such device to exist in the ancient world. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, built circa 600 BC, were said to have been watered by screws. However, the earliest source who says this is Strabo, writing almost 600 years later—and long after the invention of Archimedes’s screw, so he may have been using his knowledge of the technology around him to theorize how the Hanging Gardens might have worked. The site of the Gardens is still a mystery even today, so there is no way of knowing for sure.

Even so, the machine didn’t become commonly used until Archimedes’s lifetime, when it started to be employed by the Greeks and, later, the Romans for irrigation or for draining ships.

1 Heron’s Fountain

Another device designed by Heron of Alexandria to demonstrate physics, Heron’s fountain used the principles of hydraulics and pneumatics to create a fountain that spurts water without power.[10] It is used even today in physics classrooms to aid teaching.

Heron’s fountain is made of three components: an open bowl, an airtight water-filled container, and an airtight air-filled container, each stacked above the other. A pipe leads from the bottom of the bowl to the air container, another leads from the air container into the water container, and another leaves the water container and is positioned above the bowl. When water is poured into the bowl, it falls down the pipe into the air container. Pressure in the air container then pushes air into the water container, which pushes water up the pipe and back into the bowl, where it creates more pressure in the air container.

While not physically practical, like Heron’s other devices it shows the incredible grasp the ancient Greeks had on physics over 1,000 years before the Renaissance and the scientific revolution. The device is not technically a perpetual motion machine, though it can run for a very long time if constructed to the right specifications. Resetting it is as simple as draining the water from the air container back into the water container.

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10 Amazing Drugs That You’ll Hear Much About in the Next Decade https://listorati.com/10-amazing-drugs-that-youll-hear-much-about-in-the-next-decade/ https://listorati.com/10-amazing-drugs-that-youll-hear-much-about-in-the-next-decade/#respond Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:48:52 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-amazing-drugs-that-youll-hear-much-about-in-the-next-decade/

The world of medicine is constantly advancing, bringing new hope with each breakthrough. Over the next decade, a handful of medications are expected to stand out for their impact. These drugs are not just about scientific progress—they’re about changing lives and offering new solutions where there were none before.

Whether tackling chronic illnesses or introducing treatments for conditions once deemed untreatable, these medications are paving the way for a healthier future. They promise not just improved health outcomes but also a better quality of life for countless people around the globe.

In this list, we’ll explore ten amazing drugs that are set to become game-changers in their respective fields. These are the names you’ll hear more often as they continue to revolutionize healthcare.

Related: 10 Medicines That Work But We Don’t Know Why

10 Harvoni: Revolutionizing Hepatitis C Treatment

Imagine a world where hepatitis C is no longer a chronic, debilitating disease. Enter Harvoni, a breakthrough medication that combines ledipasvir and sofosbuvir. This dynamic duo works by blocking proteins the hepatitis C virus needs to grow. The result? An impressive cure rate of 94% to 99%, turning what was once a life-long battle into a manageable, short-term treatment.

For many patients, Harvoni means taking just one pill a day for two to six months. This simplicity is a game-changer, especially for those dealing with genotype 1, the most common strain in the U.S. Harvoni’s approval for use in children, adults, and even those with complicated cases involving HIV or liver transplants makes it a versatile tool in the fight against hepatitis C.

However, this groundbreaking treatment doesn’t come cheap, with a hefty price tag of around $1,100 per pill. Yet, for many, the chance to live free from hepatitis C is priceless, making Harvoni a true revolution in antiviral therapy.[1]

9 Aimovig: A Breakthrough for Migraine Relief

For those battling migraines, the search for relief often feels endless. Aimovig offers a new approach. This FDA-approved drug belongs to a class known as CGRP monoclonal antibodies, which target calcitonin gene-related peptide, a protein linked to migraine pain. By blocking CGRP, Aimovig aims to prevent migraines before they start.

What makes Aimovig unique is its focus on migraine prevention, unlike older treatments originally designed for other conditions. Patients have reported significant reductions in migraine frequency, with some experiencing up to eight fewer migraine days per month.

This means a notable improvement in daily life for many chronic migraine sufferers. With its targeted mechanism, Aimovig stands out in the evolving field of migraine treatment, offering hope and a better quality of life to millions affected by this condition.[2]

8 Evrysdi (Risdiplam): Transforming Spinal Muscular Atrophy Care

Evrysdi, or risdiplam, offers new hope for those with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Developed by Genentech, this oral medication boosts the production of the SMN protein, which is essential for motor neuron survival. Unlike earlier treatments that require injections, Evrysdi can be taken at home, making it more convenient for patients of all ages.

Clinical trials, such as FIREFISH and SUNFISH, have shown promising results. In the FIREFISH study, 90% of infants treated with Evrysdi survived without permanent ventilation after 12 months. The SUNFISH trial also reported significant motor function improvements in older patients, showcasing Evrysdi’s effectiveness across different age groups.

With FDA approval, Evrysdi represents a significant step forward in genetic medicine. It highlights the move towards more accessible and effective treatments for rare genetic disorders, offering a better quality of life for SMA patients.[3]

7 Hemgenix: A Breakthrough in Hemophilia B Treatment

Hemgenix, developed by CSL Behring, is revolutionizing Hemophilia B treatment. Approved by the FDA in 2022, this gene therapy delivers a functional copy of the F9 gene to liver cells, allowing patients to produce clotting factor IX. In clinical trials, Hemgenix increased factor IX levels and reduced bleeding episodes by 64%.

Patients treated with Hemgenix, like those in France, have reported fewer bleeding incidents and improved quality of life. This one-time infusion reduces the need for regular treatments, offering a significant shift in managing Hemophilia B.

Ongoing research aims to confirm Hemgenix’s long-term benefits and safety. This therapy holds promise for transforming care for Hemophilia B patients, potentially reducing complications and enhancing independence.[4]

6 Dupixent (Dupilumab): A Potential Future Treatment for Keloids

Dupixent, a monoclonal antibody known as dupilumab, has demonstrated potential in preventing keloid formation and alleviating related symptoms. Keloid scars, resulting from abnormal healing processes, are often challenging to treat effectively. Traditional treatments like corticosteroid injections frequently offer limited relief. Recent case studies have shown that dupilumab can reduce inflammation and prevent new keloids in patients with recurrent skin injuries, suggesting its promise as a novel treatment approach.

In one notable case, a 23-year-old woman with chronic keloids on her shoulders and chest experienced significant improvements after starting dupilumab. Previous treatments had failed, but with dupilumab, her keloids stabilized, and symptoms like pain and itching diminished. Similarly, a 20-year-old woman with multiple keloids from acne reported fewer new keloids and reduced discomfort after initiating dupilumab therapy. These cases highlight dupilumab’s potential in keloid prevention and management.

Ongoing clinical trials are exploring dupilumab’s efficacy in treating keloids. While these initial findings are promising, more research is needed to establish dupilumab as a definitive treatment for keloids, offering hope for patients seeking relief from this challenging condition.[5]

5 Trikafta: A New Dawn for Cystic Fibrosis

The introduction of Trikafta in 2019 marked a significant breakthrough for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF), transforming lives previously constrained by the disease. Trikafta, a triple combination drug, targets the defective cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, improving lung function by thinning and clearing mucus.

Patients often experience increased mucus clearance, making breathing easier and enhancing daily life activities. Although long-term studies are ongoing, initial results suggest that Trikafta can potentially extend life expectancy and significantly improve the quality of life for many CF patients.

Jenny Livingston’s story exemplifies Trikafta’s impact. Diagnosed with CF at birth, she endured frequent hospitalizations and declining health. However, after starting Trikafta, her condition stabilized, allowing her to participate in activities she once couldn’t. Now, Jenny plans for a future with her daughter, something previously unimaginable.

While Trikafta is not a cure and may not be effective for all CF patients, its ability to transform many patients’ lives is undeniable. It’s important to note that some patients may experience side effects. Ongoing research continues to explore Trikafta’s full potential, promising even greater improvements in CF treatment.[6]

4 Lecanemab: A New Frontier in Alzheimer’s Treatment

Lecanemab, developed by Biogen and Eisai, represents a promising advance in Alzheimer’s disease treatment. This monoclonal antibody targets amyloid plaques in the brain, which are associated with cognitive decline. Initially granted accelerated approval in January 2023 based on its ability to reduce amyloid plaques, lecanemab received full FDA approval in July 2023 after further clinical data confirmed its clinical benefit. In trials, lecanemab has shown modest but significant effects in slowing the progression of cognitive decline, providing a new option for patients and their families.

By administering intravenously every two weeks, lecanemab offers a consistent approach to managing Alzheimer’s. Although not a cure, it helps delay the disease’s progression, allowing patients to maintain their independence longer. The Alzheimer’s community views lecanemab as a crucial step forward, with ongoing research aiming to further validate and expand its benefits.

Dr. Lawrence Honig, a neurologist at NewYork-Presbyterian, emphasizes that lecanemab is one of the first treatments to show measurable effects in slowing Alzheimer’s progression. As research continues, lecanemab could become a cornerstone in Alzheimer’s care, providing much-needed hope and improved outcomes for patients and their families.[7]

3 Scemblix: A Game-Changer in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treatment

Scemblix, developed by Novartis, has emerged as a significant advancement in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Approved by the FDA in 2021, this novel drug targets the BCR-ABL1 protein, a key driver of CML. Recent data from the Phase III ASC4FIRST study, presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and the European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress, demonstrated Scemblix’s superior efficacy compared to other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in newly diagnosed CML patients.

Patients treated with Scemblix showed higher rates of major molecular response and lower discontinuation rates due to adverse effects compared to those on traditional TKIs. This makes Scemblix not only a more effective option but also a more tolerable one for many patients. With its ability to provide better outcomes and improved tolerability, Scemblix is setting a new standard in leukemia care, offering hope and a higher quality of life for those affected by CML.[8]

2 Zolgensma: A Gene Therapy Medical Miracle for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Zolgensma, a groundbreaking gene therapy developed by Novartis, has revolutionized the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a severe genetic disorder that affects muscle strength and movement. Approved by the FDA in 2019, Zolgensma works by delivering a functional copy of the SMN1 gene to replace the missing or defective gene in SMA patients. This one-time intravenous infusion is designed for children under the age of two and has shown remarkable efficacy in clinical trials, significantly improving motor functions and extending life expectancy.

The impact of Zolgensma on patients’ lives is profound. Children who received this therapy have achieved developmental milestones previously thought impossible for SMA patients, such as sitting up, crawling, and even walking. For instance, twins Kali and Kaiden, diagnosed with SMA Type 1, received Zolgensma at one month old and have since shown tremendous progress, defying the grim prognosis typically associated with the disease. Their story, along with others, underscores the transformative potential of gene therapy in treating genetic disorders.

Despite its high cost, Zolgensma offers hope and a better quality of life for families affected by SMA. As ongoing research continues to evaluate its long-term benefits and safety, Zolgensma stands as a testament to the advancements in genetic medicine, providing a new lease on life for many young patients.[9]

1 Ketruda (Pembrolizumab): Extending Survival in Kidney Cancer Patients

Keytruda (Pembrolizumab) is making waves as an adjuvant therapy for kidney cancer, particularly clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Approved by the FDA in 2021, this immunotherapy works by targeting the PD-1 protein, enhancing the immune system’s ability to attack cancer cells. The KEYNOTE-564 trial revealed that patients treated with pembrolizumab post-surgery had a nearly 40% reduced risk of death compared to a placebo. Four years into treatment, 91% of patients on pembrolizumab were still alive, compared to 86% in the placebo group.

These results are groundbreaking, marking the first time an adjuvant therapy for kidney cancer has shown improved overall survival. Despite potential side effects like fatigue and rash, pembrolizumab offers new hope for patients at high risk of recurrence. Oncologists are optimistic about its potential to become a standard post-surgical treatment, significantly improving care and outcomes for early-stage kidney cancer patients. [10]

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10 Amazing Examples Of Ancient Construction https://listorati.com/10-amazing-examples-of-ancient-construction/ https://listorati.com/10-amazing-examples-of-ancient-construction/#respond Sun, 22 Sep 2024 17:42:44 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-amazing-examples-of-ancient-construction/

We look at skyscrapers and dams and see them as pinnacles of human engineering, content in the fact we can build whatever we want. However, we often fail to remember the technological marvels of ancient history—buildings or temples which seemed impossible to construct by primitive cultures. Here are ten hopefully lesser-known examples of amazing ancient construction.

10 Pueblo Bonito
United States

pueblo-bonito

Located in Northwestern New Mexico, Pueblo Bonito is the largest and most well-known example of a great house (village) built by the ancestral Pueblo people. The village’s construction began in the early part of the 10th century AD and continued for nearly 180 years, reaching a peak of around 800 separate rooms, with some buildings having as many as five stories.

It was first discovered in 1849 by US Army Lieutenant James H. Simpson and his guide, Carravahal. Since then, Pueblo Bonito has become one of the most excavated and explored ruins in the Southwestern United States. A number of the rooms were damaged when part of the cliff wall behind the village collapsed. (The name of the rock which fell translated as “Threatening Rock,” showing that the builders were well aware of the danger.) Just behind Pueblo Bonito lies a set of petroglyphs, mysteriously showing six-toed feet, made sometime in the late 10th century or early 11th century.

9 Catalhoyuk
Turkey

catalhoyuk

Found in the southern half of Turkey, Catalhoyuk is estimated to have existed from around 7500 to 5700 BC. It was built by an unknown Neolithic culture that is believed to have been highly advanced. Excavations have been going on there since the site was first discovered in the late 1950s by British archaeologist James Mellaart.

A number of interesting items have been uncovered, including (allegedly) the earliest known map and some of the most exceptional daggers ever seen from that period. The houses of Catalhoyuk have an intriguing quirk: They have no doors and were entered from the roof, by ladder. Also, the dead seemed to be buried underneath the floors of the houses, particularly by the hearths. However, based on the discovery of some disarticulated bones, the bodies may have been left outdoors for a while before they were buried indoors.

8 Locmariaquer
France

locmariaquer

Located in France’s Brittany region is a group of the largest prehistoric European megaliths in existence. Originally constructed around 4500 BC, the biggest stone at Locmariaquer was nearly 21 meters (70 ft) in length and between 200 and 280 tons in weight. (We don’t know for sure because the megalith, known as “the Fairy Stone,” was broken long ago, possibly by an earthquake but more likely by human hands.)

Astonishingly, the Fairy Stone was moved in one piece from a quarry over 10 kilometers (6 mi) away. It’s not known exactly how it was transported, but it could have been floated down a nearby channel or simply taken by land utilizing a “wooden cradle,” basically rolling logs on wooden tracks. The purpose of the site is unknown, although there is a dolmen (a type of tomb) located there. Other researchers have put forth theories involving lunar activity.

7 Colossi Of Memnon
Egypt


Built as a monument to Pharoah Amenhotep III and placed outside his now destroyed temple, the Colossi of Memnon are a pair of statues, standing nearly 23 meters (75 ft) high. The statues are of Amenhotep III, and reliefs of his wife, daughter, and mother can also be found in the rock. The statues are named after Memnon, a hero of the Trojan War, because he was the grandson of Eos, the goddess of the dawn, which is relevant to a unique attribute that one of the statues used to feature:

After the statues were damaged in an earthquake, the northern one was said to make a bell-like tone in the morning, possibly due to rising temperatures. The tone was believed to indicate that one was favored by the gods. Today, the sound can no longer be heard because the Roman emperor Septimius Severus accidentally stopped the noise when he was having the statues repaired in AD 199.

6 Pompey’s Pillar
Egypt

istock-507210262
Erected as a monument to the Roman emperor Diocletian after he suppressed an Alexandrinian revolt, Pompey’s Pillar was erroneously believed to have been commissioned by the Roman leader Pompey. However, an inscription on the base clearly states it was made to honor Diocletian and given to him by the people of Alexandria. A myth involving Pompey’s death and his head being placed in a funerary jar on top of the pillar may have led to the confusion, another thing you can blame on those pesky Crusaders.

Standing over 27 meters (89 ft) high, it was originally built during the fourth century AD. Pompey’s Pillar was actually part of the Temple of Serapis, a Roman temple to an Egyptian god, but the temple is just ruins now, destroyed by the constant rise and wall of the nearby waters.

5 Dolmen Of Menga
Spain

istock-516007604
Dating from around 2000 BC, the Dolmen of Menga is a large burial ground known as a tumulus and is located in the southern tip of Spain. A number of chambers were created by placing a large number of extremely heavy stones next to each other. The walls, the roof (which is made up of four individual pieces), and the pillars are made of the same rocks. As far as the name is concerned, legend says that a leper named Menga took refuge inside the dolmen after her husband died.

Archaeologists believe the dolmen to be the largest such structure in Europe and have found several hundred distinct skeletons inside it, possibly all belonging to the ruling groups of the culture. However, the identity of the builders remains a mystery to this day. This site, along with two sister ones, was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list on July 15, 2016.

4 Quirigua
Guatemala

quirigua-stela

Built and completed by the Maya sometime between AD 200 and 800, Quirigua contains exemplary examples of Mayan architecture as well as one of the largest stelae (carved stone monuments) in existence. Stela E weighs in at an astonishing 65 tons. Stelae were commonly built to commemorate the passage of time or otherwise important events.

Frederick Catherwood, an English architect, was the first European to see Quirigua, and a number of excavations have taken place since then. Aldous Huxley once visited the ruins and wrote of the stelae that they commemorated “man’s triumph over time and matter and the triumph of time and matter over man.” Quiriga went into decline around AD 900, probably due to the loss of the jade trade.

3 Dur Sharrukin
Iraq

assryian-bull

Translated as “Sargon’s Fortress” or “Fort Sargon,” Dur Sharrukin was built by the Assyrians sometime between 717 and 707 BC and stands in the northern part of Iraq. The city was nearly 2.6 square kilometers (1 mi2) in area and contained a temple to Nabu (a vegetation god) as well as a royal palace. However, the most interesting artifact recovered from the ruins is the Assyrian Bull, a work of stone estimated to weigh nearly 40 tons. It is the largest example of a bull, winged or otherwise, in human history.

Dur Sharrukin was first excavated by French consul Paul-Emile Botta in 1843. Subsequent expeditions have uncovered a number of new discoveries. The city itself was deserted shortly after construction was completed because King Sargon II was killed in battle.

2 Hagar Qim
Malta

hagar-qim

Located in Malta, Hagar Qim is believed to have been built by an unknown culture between 3200 and 2500 BC. This culture said to have been wiped out as a result of famine or natural disaster and has left few identifying details.

Said to be one of the earliest examples of religious beliefs, the temple at Hagar Qim contains a number of fertility goddess statues known as Venuses, some of which are now on display in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valetta. Hagar Qim was built hundreds of years earlier than Stonehenge.

1 Tiwanaku
Bolivia

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The prehistoric capital of the Tiwanaku people, the city of Tiwanaku is located on the shore of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. Originally a small village, the city later flourished between AD 400 and 900, becoming home to a number of the largest stone structures in South America. The city was deserted around AD 1000, most likely due to floods. The Inca eventually conquered the Tiwanaku civilization, although their mythology eventually included the city, as it was believed to be the origin point of mankind.

Over a million people could have lived inside Tiwanaku. It was left abandoned until 1876, when US archaeologist Ephraim George Squier rediscovered it. In 2000, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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10 Amazing Discoveries At The Edge Of The Universe https://listorati.com/10-amazing-discoveries-at-the-edge-of-the-universe/ https://listorati.com/10-amazing-discoveries-at-the-edge-of-the-universe/#respond Sat, 21 Sep 2024 20:41:03 +0000 https://listorati.com/10-amazing-discoveries-at-the-edge-of-the-universe/

About 100 years ago, our galaxy was thought to encompass the entire universe. A century later, we’re observing things more than 13 billion light-years away, nearing the moment of creation.

These following 10 discoveries come from the actual edge of existence. They show us just how much the early universe was a surprisingly happenin’ and amazing place.

10 A Galaxy From The Beginning Of Time

The beloved Hubble Telescope stole an image from the birth of the universe, just 400 million years after the big bang. It captured the bright infant galaxy GN-z11 as it was a whopping 13.4 billion years ago.

At this point, the universe was only 3 percent of its current age and just a few hundred million years had passed since the first stars burst into life.[1]

GN-z11 probably grew into a proper beast. But here it only had 1 percent of the Milky Way’s mass in stars packed into a structure 25 times smaller than our galaxy.

9 Colliding Starburst Galaxies

Superluminous starburst galaxies shine stupendously with the birth of countless massive blue stars. They’re a rarity, but astronomers just spotted two of them colliding right on the big bang’s doorstep 12.7 billion years ago.

The swirling, bi-galactic entity is about 12.8 billion light-years away and known as ADFS-27. Each of its components is a dozen times larger than the 100,000 light-year-wide Milky Way.

Separated by 30,000 light-years, the two bodies are zooming at hundreds of kilometers per second relative to one another, setting up a crazier merger than anything yet witnessed.

The resulting elliptical mega-monster will probably be substantial enough to establish an entire galaxy cluster, snagging hundreds of thousands of other galaxies with its gravitational might.[2]

8 The Most Ancient Black Holes

Scientists scanning the early universe for quasars have just come up with a bunch, confirming 83 new black holes to supplement the 17 known to exist during this era.

These things are millions or billions of times more massive than our Sun. They were already thriving when the universe was less than 10 percent of its current age, just 800 million years after the big bang.

Researchers calculated that if you took these known quasars and parceled the universe into cubes, each a billion light-years per side, every cube would get one black hole, accounting for one black hole per “giga-light-year.”[3]

7 Fat And Dusty Galaxies

The gargantuan galaxies of the big bang era are saturated with dust and debris and can emit the radiation of a trillion Suns. But they’re invisible because their light is absorbed by all that dust and reemitted at submillimeter wavelengths.

With abundant materials and few bodies to gobble them up, researchers pinpointed a structure that was exceptionally fat and dusty. The galaxy possesses a whopping gas mass of 330 billion solar masses. Comparatively, the Milky Way only has a gas mass of five billion solar masses because most of its mass is already locked away in stars.[4]

6 Whirlpool Galaxies At The Edge Of Space

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is so finely tuned that it peered through 94 percent of the universe and detected the rotation of two fetal galaxies.

They’re some of the oldest galaxies on record and five times smaller than the Milky Way, according to the ALMA snapshot that captured them as they were 800 million years after the big bang. Even though the view is nearly 13 billion years old, its color gradients indicate the motion of the gas and the galaxies’ rotation.[5]

Like modern galaxies, they swirl like whirlpools, birthing from that chaos thousands of stars per year. They’re surprisingly ordered, say researchers who marvel at how quickly the universe organized its resources and propagated itself.

5 The Earliest Black Holes Were Surprisingly Monstrous

A fortuitously positioned, six-billion-light-year-distant galaxy acted as a cosmic magnifying lens, redirecting and amplifying some of the oldest photons in existence.

Those photons were expelled by quasar J0439+1634, which (thanks to the lens effect) appears 50 times brighter and lights up the early cosmos with the apparent light of 600 trillion Suns.

The quasar-powering black hole contains the mass of 700 million Suns and dates to 12.8 billion years ago. During this Epoch of Reionization, the first light sources pierced the opaque hydrogen and helium fog that cloaked the young universe.[6]

4 A ‘Fossil Gas Cloud’

The universe is a big witch’s pot of chemicals, and there’s generally a lot of mixing going on. So, heavy elements are seemingly everywhere, but scientists have identified a pristine relic fossil gas cloud.

It’s only the third relic gas cloud discovered so far discovered, and it managed to remain uncontaminated even 1.5 billion years after the big bang. It’s also supremely wispy, indicative of its status as a primeval puff from the earliest days of existence.[7]

Like a fluffy, cosmic 3 Musketeers bar, it has a proportion of heavy elements less than 1/10,000th that of the Sun. That must mean that it’s a leftover from a far-gone era in which stars hadn’t yet pumped out heavy elements like metals.

3 An Unexpected Twist On A Star With Two Planets

Astronomers found a souvenir from the beginning of time that was only 375 light-years away. HIP 11952 is a star full of hydrogen and helium but very much lacking in metals. Such a star could only exist at the dawn of the universe.

With an age of around 12.8 billion years, it formed when our Milky Way “was still a baby.” In 2012, scientists were shocked to discover that the star was harboring something even more amazing—two incredibly ancient planets.

Scientists are debating the origin of planets during the days of the first stars as planets may not have been able to form with the lack of heavy elements. They thought that the discovery of HIP 11952 was painting a clearer picture of when the first planets were finally able to form.

But then the story took an unexpected twist. Using the new high-resolution spectrograph HARPS-N at the Galileo National Telescope in Spain, astrophysicists took more measurements of HIP 11952 over a 150-day period from August 2012 to January 2013.

Instead of detecting two giant planets in the system, they found . . . nothing. Ultimately, they concluded that the previous discoveries of two ancient planets had been incorrect and occurred due to instrument errors.[8]

2 A Stupendously Bright Quasar

P352-15 is the early universe’s brightest radio quasar by a factor of 10. It looks like three orange splotches, but those splotches reveal a 5,000-light-year-wide galaxy as it appeared 13 billion years ago. Though the universe was less than a billion years old, P352-15 is already a quasar with a supermassive black hole vomiting radiation at relativistic speeds.

That spewing, supermassive monster probably resides in one of the splotches on either side. The two blots opposing it are actually huge, lethal jets being ejected at near-light-speeds from the maw of a feasting black hole.[9]

1 A Galaxy Full Of Old Stars

Astronomers have recently detected the faint wisp of ionized oxygen across 13.3 billion light-years of space.

It belongs to galaxy MACS1149-JD1, and it’s extremely red because the light has been stretched during an epic journey that began just 500 million years after the big bang. The existence of oxygen means that MACS1149-JD1’s stars had been shining for a long time—long enough to have produced said oxygen.

Not only that, but MACS1149-JD1 is already full of mature stars. Astronomers say these stars were shining just 250 million years after the big bang, a period not too distant from the birth of the very first stars.[10]

Ivan writes about cool things for the Internet. You can contact him at [email protected].

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