Welcome to a whirlwind tour of ten mind‑bending experiments where the power of belief outshone actual medicine. In each case, the phenomenon known as the placebo effect managed to convince both patients and scientists that something real was happening, even when the treatment was nothing more than a clever ruse. Buckle up, because these 10 times placebo fooled modern science are as astonishing as they are entertaining.

10 Times Placebo: The Mind’s Sneaky Power

10 The Sham Knee Surgery

Back in 2002, orthopedic surgeon Bruce Moseley set out to test the limits of surgical belief. He recruited volunteers suffering from severe knee osteoarthritis and split them into two groups: one received a conventional knee‑replacement operation, while the other underwent an entirely fabricated procedure. Those in the sham group were sedated, given three tiny incisions that mimicked the real surgery, and then sent home with the same post‑op instructions.

To sell the illusion, the operating room staff performed a full‑blown script—splashing saline to imitate joint lavage, playing recorded sounds of drills and saws, and even pretending to stitch up the incisions. The patients, still under anesthesia, never suspected that their knees had not been repaired at all.

When the dust settled, the outcomes were jaw‑dropping. The sham‑surgery participants reported pain relief that rivaled the genuine surgery cohort. Some even found themselves walking up stairs more easily years later. The findings sent shockwaves through orthopedics, prompting surgeons to rethink how much of the benefit they attributed to the knife itself might actually stem from patient expectation.

9 The Poison Ivy Blindfold Test

In a widely cited 1962 experiment conducted in Japan, researchers zeroed in on children who were hypersensitive to the lacquer‑tree leaf—a plant that provokes a rash reminiscent of poison ivy. The scientists blindfolded the youngsters and told them that one arm would be rubbed with the toxic leaf while the other would receive a harmless plant. In reality, they swapped the treatments, applying the benign leaf to the arm labeled “dangerous.”

Within a few hours, a striking number of children developed visible irritation on the arm that had only encountered the harmless leaf. Their expectation of exposure seemed to trigger a genuine physiological response, manifesting as a rash.

Even more intriguing, the arm that was actually brushed with the toxic leaf showed little to no reaction in many participants. Because they believed the leaf was harmless, their bodies appeared to down‑regulate the expected immune response. Although some details of the study remain debated, it stands as a classic illustration of how belief can shape physical outcomes.

8 The Incredible Case of Mr. Wright

During the 1950s, a patient recorded in medical literature as Mr. Wright was battling advanced lymph‑node cancer with tumors spreading throughout his body. Desperate for a cure, he latched onto a new experimental drug called Krebiozen, convinced it was his ticket to recovery.

After receiving the drug, Mr. Wright’s condition seemed to turn around dramatically—tumors shrank, pain lessened, and he regained enough mobility to move about more comfortably. However, when he later read reports suggesting Krebiozen was ineffective, his health deteriorated once again.

In an attempt to rekindle his optimism, his physician administered an inert injection presented as a refined version of the drug. The patient experienced a temporary resurgence of improvement, only to slump again when negative information resurfaced. While the anecdote is largely anecdotal and should be interpreted cautiously, it underscores the striking influence that belief can exert on perceived health outcomes.

7 The Fake Alcohol Parties

Psychologists have staged bar‑like settings where participants are served cocktails they are told contain alcohol, yet the drinks are completely non‑alcoholic. The concoctions are crafted from mixers such as tonic water and fruit juice, sometimes with a splash of liquor on the rim to lend a convincing aroma.

Almost immediately, many participants begin to exhibit classic signs of intoxication—raising their voices, shedding inhibitions, and even wobbling as if they’d had a few drinks. The social context and the belief that they’re drinking alcohol appear to drive these behavioral changes.

When researchers finally reveal that the beverages were alcohol‑free, reactions range from surprise to skepticism. Yet, even after the truth is disclosed, some individuals still perform poorly on coordination tasks, highlighting how powerful expectation and environment are in shaping behavior traditionally attributed to alcohol.

6 The Color‑Coded Sedatives

Pharmaceutical researchers have long known that the visual appearance of a pill can sway a patient’s perception of its effectiveness. In several studies, individuals suffering from anxiety or insomnia were given inert tablets dyed in various colors to see whether hue alone could influence their experience.

Participants who received blue pills frequently reported feeling calmer and more relaxed—blue being culturally linked to tranquility. Conversely, those who took red or yellow tablets were more likely to describe sensations of stimulation or heightened alertness.These color‑based expectations are so strong that drug manufacturers often factor pill hue into their design process, aligning visual cues with the intended therapeutic effect. Although the color does not alter the chemical composition, it undeniably shapes how patients interpret the medication’s impact.

5 Open‑Label Placebos

For decades, the prevailing belief was that a placebo only works when the patient thinks they’re receiving an active drug. The 2010s brought a twist on this notion through a series of trials involving open‑label placebos—pills that were openly declared to contain no active ingredients.

Doctors explained that merely taking a pill can trigger a healing response, even if the pill itself is inert. Astonishingly, patients dealing with chronic back pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and depression reported noticeable symptom relief despite being fully aware of the placebo nature of the treatment.

This phenomenon suggests that the ritual of medication—visiting a clinician, receiving a prescription, and adhering to a dosing schedule—can condition the brain to produce therapeutic effects. The discovery has opened doors to ethically harnessing placebo power without deception.

4 The Mammary Artery Ligation

In 1959, cardiologist Leonard Cobb examined a popular surgical technique for severe angina that involved tying off the internal mammary arteries to boost heart blood flow. While many patients reported relief, Cobb wondered whether the improvement stemmed from the operation itself or from patient expectations.

He designed a study where some participants underwent the full artery‑ligation surgery, while others received a sham operation—small incisions were made, but the arteries were left untouched. Neither the patients nor the evaluating physicians knew which procedure had been performed.

The outcomes were striking: there was no significant difference in symptom relief between the real‑surgery group and the sham‑surgery cohort. The sham patients reported improvements comparable to those who had the actual operation, leading the medical community to largely abandon the procedure and highlighting the potent role of expectation in perceived recovery.

3 Placebo Sleep Performance

In a 2014 investigation, scientists probed whether beliefs about sleep quality could sway cognitive performance. Participants were hooked up to devices described as measuring brainwave activity and REM cycles, though the equipment actually performed no real assessment.

Researchers then fed fabricated feedback: some participants were told they’d enjoyed excellent sleep, while others were informed their rest had been poor. Afterwards, everyone tackled a battery of memory and attention tasks designed to gauge cognitive function.Those who believed they’d slept well consistently outperformed their peers on the tests, even when their actual sleep was far from restorative. Conversely, participants convinced they’d had a bad night tended to perform worse. The study underscores how expectations about rest can manifest as measurable differences in mental performance.

2 Parkinson’s Sham Brain Surgery

Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder marked by diminished dopamine levels, prompted researchers in the late 1990s to experiment with transplanting dopamine‑producing cells into patients’ brains. To rigorously assess the procedure’s efficacy, a subset of participants underwent a sham surgery.

During the sham operation, surgeons performed steps such as drilling tiny holes in the skull but deliberately omitted the implantation of any cells. The patients remained blind to whether they received the actual transplant or the placebo surgery.

Surprisingly, several individuals in the placebo group displayed noticeable improvements in motor function during follow‑up evaluations. These findings suggested that the mere expectation of a cutting‑edge treatment could influence how symptoms are experienced or reported, emphasizing the necessity of tightly controlled trials for surgical interventions.

1 Placebo Morphine Conditioning

One of the most striking demonstrations of the placebo effect involves pharmacological conditioning. After surgery, patients are often administered morphine for pain relief, and over time their bodies learn to associate the injection with analgesia.

In certain studies, researchers swapped the morphine with a saline solution without informing the patients. Remarkably, the participants still reported significant pain reduction. Brain imaging indicated that the expectation of receiving morphine activated internal pain‑control pathways.

Further experiments revealed that when patients were given a drug that blocks endorphins, the placebo‑induced pain relief vanished. This suggests the brain was releasing its own natural opioids in response to belief, demonstrating that the placebo effect can involve concrete biochemical changes, not merely psychological tricks.

When it comes to 10 ridiculous food myths, our appetite for drama often outpaces the science, leading us to panic over ingredients that are, more often than not, harmless. Eating is a fundamental part of human existence, and making sure our meals don’t poison us is a cornerstone of long‑term health. Because of that, people have always been a bit wary about how food is handled. Long before modern hygiene, we already knew a thing or two about cooking and preserving our grub.

Why 10 Ridiculous Food Myths Persist

10 The Dangers Of High‑Fructose Corn Syrup

If you ask anyone on the street, many will point to high‑fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as the ultimate villain of the food industry. Some even claim it’s the sole reason behind the nation’s rising obesity and diabetes rates, insisting that HFCS behaves differently in the body than regular sugar and is essentially ruining public health.

Yet, a slew of scientific investigations have concluded there’s no solid evidence that HFCS is any more dangerous than ordinary sugar, nor that it triggers a unique metabolic response. A study specifically designed to link HFCS to the obesity epidemic came up empty‑handed, offering no statistical connection.

While the data don’t support a special danger, a few researchers argue that HFCS may have contributed to a broader health decline indirectly. When sugar prices spiked, HFCS stepped in as a cheaper sweetener, potentially increasing the overall sugar load in processed foods and nudging the nation toward higher caloric intake.

Regardless of the debate, experts agree that the smartest move isn’t to single out HFCS but to monitor total sugar consumption. Moderation across all forms of sugar remains the key to a healthier diet.

9 Subway Is Putting Yoga Mat Chemicals In Their Sandwiches

Not too long ago, a viral firestorm accused Subway’s bread of containing a compound commonly used to make yoga mats. The uproar was so intense that the sandwich chain, along with other food manufacturers, began stripping azodicarbonamide from their products to appease the angry crowd. The whole episode, however, traces back to the notorious blogger Vani Hari – better known as the Food Babe – who thrives on warning people about ingredients she can’t pronounce.

In reality, azodicarbonamide is an FDA‑approved baking additive used in minuscule amounts (no more than 45 ppm) across countless baked goods. Hari’s claim that the chemical could cause respiratory issues is only relevant to factory workers inhaling dust over prolonged periods – a risk that vanishes once the ingredient is baked into bread.

Industry insiders also point out that many substances cross the line between industrial and food applications. For instance, a component employed in tofu production also finds its way into drywall manufacturing. Though the comparison sounds alarming, the end products – tofu and drywall, or Subway bread and yoga mats – share virtually nothing beyond a shared ingredient.

8 The Gluten Intolerance Fad Diet Train

Celiac disease has finally stepped into the spotlight, yet many still go undiagnosed for years. For those who truly have the condition, a strict gluten‑free regimen is the only way to avoid painful symptoms. Unfortunately, the rise of social media has turned gluten into a buzzword, prompting countless individuals who lack a diagnosis to claim they suffer from “non‑celiac gluten intolerance.”

This trend has flooded restaurants with gluten‑free options, which certainly benefits genuine sufferers, but it also burdens staff who field endless questions from customers chasing the latest fad. Scientific studies looking into non‑celiac gluten sensitivity have found no credible evidence that gluten harms anyone without celiac disease.

Further research suggests the real culprit behind many of these reported issues is not gluten itself but fermentable, poorly absorbed short‑chain carbohydrates – known as FODMAPs. When foods are stripped of FODMAPs, there’s no measurable health difference between gluten‑free and regular diets for those without celiac disease.

7 Eating Too Much Soy Can Increase Estrogen Levels In Men

Soy has become a staple for vegans and anyone seeking a protein source outside of dairy and meat. Its popularity has also earned it the dubious reputation of being a “woman’s food,” with rumors swirling that soy dramatically boosts estrogen and knocks down testosterone in men. Bodybuilders and fitness forums are littered with posts warning about soy’s supposed feminizing effects.

Despite the persistent myth, multiple scientific investigations have found no credible link between moderate soy consumption and hormonal imbalance in men. The only outlier involved an older gentleman with several health problems who drank an extraordinary three quarts of soy daily – a volume far beyond typical dietary habits. Even then, the observed effects were minimal.

The consensus is clear: balanced soy intake poses no threat to male hormone levels. As with any food, moderation is key, and the studies confirm that reasonable consumption won’t turn a man into a estrogen‑driven version of himself.

6 The Recent Spate Of People With Lactose Intolerance

It’s important to begin by acknowledging that true lactose intolerance can be severe – even a modest glass of milk can trigger uncomfortable digestive distress. Milk allergies are a separate issue entirely. However, in recent years lactose intolerance has morphed into a catch‑all excuse for any gastrointestinal upset, creating headaches for physicians.

Researchers set out to test the phenomenon by giving volunteers a week’s worth of milk fortified with lactase, ensuring the sugar was pre‑broken down. In the second week, the lactase was removed, but the milk’s taste remained identical, and participants weren’t told about the change. Surprisingly, the subjects reported the same level of indigestion regardless of lactase presence, suggesting that for many, the intolerance resides more in the mind than in the gut.

Doctors caution that eliminating dairy altogether can rob people of essential nutrients. Even those with pronounced lactose intolerance can often tolerate moderate amounts when consumed with a meal. Importantly, lactose intolerance isn’t a disease; it’s simply a digestive inconvenience.

5 The Atkins Diet And Why You Actually Need Carbohydrates

A few years back, the Atkins diet surged like a runaway freight train, sending many competing diet plans off the rails. Its core premise was to slash carbs, emphasizing fats and proteins, under the belief that the body would then torch stored fat for fuel.

While low‑carb eating can be effective for short‑term weight loss, the human body fundamentally relies on carbohydrates as its primary energy source. Stripping carbs can impair workouts, force the body to burn muscle protein for energy, and even affect brain function, leading to memory lapses and irritability. Studies have shown that people on very low‑carb diets experience mood swings, partly because carbs trigger the release of feel‑good neurotransmitters.

The smarter approach isn’t to abandon carbs entirely but to choose wholesome, unprocessed sources like fresh vegetables and whole grains. This way you reap the energy benefits without the pitfalls of overly processed carbohydrate sources.

4 Scary, Unpronounceable Chemicals In Our Food

Many shoppers scan ingredient lists only to be confronted by long, unpronounceable chemical names that spark immediate worry. While some consumers shrug it off and purchase anyway, others rush to the internet, seeking explanations from bloggers who may not be experts.

The Food Babe, a prominent figure in this space, has a strict rule: if a child can’t say it, you shouldn’t eat it. This overly simplistic guideline ignores the fact that some dangerous substances – like arsenic – are easy to pronounce, whereas a tongue‑twister such as azodicarbonamide is perfectly safe when used within regulatory limits. The real issue is the willingness of many to trust sensationalist sources over scientific consensus.

3 The Frightening Acidic Powers Of Coca‑Cola

The internet is rife with dramatic claims that Coca‑Cola can dissolve metal nails, melt steaks, clean car engines, or even corrode a driver’s stomach. Some even suggest that Coke’s acidity requires special hazardous‑material permits for transport.

In truth, all sodas contain carbonic acid, and many also include citric acid. The acidity of Coke is modest; a typical glass of orange juice actually contains more citric acid than a can of Coke. Moreover, the human stomach’s natural gastric acid is far stronger than anything found in soda, meaning Coke won’t eat through your insides. While it’s certainly not a health elixir, moderate consumption poses no danger of “dissolving” your body.

2 The Lurking Danger Of Wood Pulp In Our Food

A recent media frenzy labeled cellulose as “wood pulp,” sparking panic that this filler could be a hidden obesity driver. In reality, cellulose is the natural fiber that forms the cell walls of all plants – essentially pure, non‑caloric fiber that passes through the digestive system untouched.

There’s no health hazard associated with cellulose; it adds bulk without calories, aiding digestion. Food manufacturers use it to thicken products and improve texture, not to inflate nutritional content. Since it carries zero calories, it can’t artificially boost a food’s energy count.

1 Doritos And Other Chips Are Scary Because They Double As Kindling

Doritos have become the go‑to snack for teenagers and casual snackers alike, but they also carry the dubious reputation of being “junk food.” Some YouTube creators have taken this a step further, demonstrating how a single Dorito can be lit on fire and burn slowly, using the visual as a metaphor for how “bad” the snack is.

While the videos are entertaining, the science is simple: Doritos, along with similar snacks like Frito‑Lay chips and Cheetos, are essentially hydrocarbons soaked in fat and dried. This composition makes them excellent kindling – they ignite easily and burn steadily – but it doesn’t add any unique health risk beyond the usual concerns of high‑fat, high‑salt snack foods.

Archaeology and the sciences at large are no stranger to less than savory individuals looking for their 15 minutes of fame or, worse, looking to bend history to their worldview or fringe beliefs.

People in the 1800s were cut from a different cloth and seemed to be particularly fond of messing with their fellow citizens. 

From ancient, fossilized giants, papier-mache mummies, to forgeries of ancient tablets, here are ten of the weirdest pseudo-archaeological claims.

10. The Calaveras Skull

In July of 1866, workers at a local mine on Bald Mountain in Calaveras County, California, claimed to have found a human skull in the depths of the mine. The skull had allegedly been located 130 feet beneath the surface, below a layer of solidified magma. James Mattison, the owner of the mine, presented the skull to a local merchant, who gave it to a local physician, and eventually, it ended up in the hands of JD Whitney, the State Geologist of California and Professor at Harvard University. Whitney determined that the skull belonged to a Pliocene age man and he would continue to believe this even as doubts were raised about the authenticity of the skull’s origin.

Even JD Whitney’s successor refused to admit the skull to be a fake, and it took many years before it was officially discredited as a hoax. 

Those who examined the skull determined that it was too modern in character to be from the Pliocene age, and the sediment covering it could not have been from the mine, suggesting that it had been planted there. 

As early as 1869, a San Francisco newspaper declared the skull to be a hoax after interviewing a local minister. The minister had overheard miners going on about how they had planted the skull as a joke on Professor Whitney.

9. The Davenport Tablets

In 1877 and 1878 Lutheran clergyman and Swiss immigrant, Jacob Gass discovered a series of three tablets inside a Native American burial mound at the Cook Farm in Davenport, Iowa. The tablets depicted scenes of cremation, hunting, an astronomical table, and featured a host of different languages. Initially, prominent scholars like Spencer Bird, of the Smithsonian Institution lauded the tablets as the missing link between Native Americans and those living in the old-world, proving that their mounds had been built by an older, culture of advanced settlers.

They were later discovered to be complete forgeries, and Jacob Gass’s status as a reputable archaeologist came into question. 

It’s been argued that Gass himself didn’t perpetuate the forgeries, but was rather the victim of a xenophobic effort to ostracize him from the Davenport Academy by jealous colleagues who didn’t like the idea of a foreigner being part of their institution. This line of thinking was later challenged by the discovery that Gass often traded in counterfeit Native American pipes, though it has been argued that Gass never knew about the illegitimate pipes and that his own relatives perpetuated the hoax, persuading him to take the fakes.

8. The Cardiff Giant

In 1869, after a seething theological debate with a revivalist preacher, cigar maker, and staunch atheist George Hull would set in motion one of the most famous hoaxes in American history. Hull returned home, claiming to have become “flabbergasted” by the preacher’s claims that giants walked the Earth in Biblical times, and in an effort to undermine his religion, would embark to create a giant of his own. The elaborate ruse cost Hull two years of his life and $3000 and involved forging partnerships with a Chicago marble dealer and a farmer in Cardiff, New York, named William “Stub” Newell. 

Newell and Hull buried the statue on the premises of Newell’s home and later Newell would call unsuspecting workers to dig a well, where they would discover the alleged body of a fossilized 10-foot-tall man. It didn’t take long for news of the “discovery” to travel, and hundreds of amateur archaeologists and spectators flocked to the scene. Viewers of the statue were invited to draw their own conclusions, and many were moved by the possibility that it might have been real, despite the statue’s obvious poorly quality. 

Eventually, Hull’s petrified giant attracted the attention of PT Barnum who was a notorious huckster. After Hull and Newell refused to sell him their statue, Barnum would forge his own and begin showing it as if it were the real deal. Hilariously, Hull and Newell would attempt to sue Barnum for creating the forgery, but a savvy judge offered them to bring their statues to court and whoever’s was determined to be the real thing would be granted their injunction. Of course, both statues were fakes, and Hull would later admit to the hoax.

7. The Dummy Mummy

In the early 1920s, the Mississippi Department of Archives was the recipient of a few generous archaeological finds which included various Native American pieces and what appeared to be a “bonafide” Egyptian mummy. 

The mummy was small, many suggesting that it must have been a child and would go on display until 1967 when a medical student named Gentry Yeatman petitioned the museum to let him examine it for a research project. When his request was granted, Yeatman discovered that the mummy was a fraud.

To Yeatman, the first sign that something wasn’t quite right about this mummy was the frayed newspaper fragments sticking to its back. The student went on to x-ray the piece and found it to be constructed on a wooden frame, held together with nails, animal bones, and covered in papier-mache. 

The forgery wasn’t even done well, as evidenced by the two newspapers with print still visible on their pages. One of them was from a German-language newspaper, and the other, the Milwaukee Daily Journal dating back to 1898.

6. The Crystal Skulls

In the 1860s a form of skull carving, made from polished quartz began circulating in the art market. These skulls, claimed to have been crafted before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, graced the art collections of institutions as renowned as the British Museum in London, the Quai Branly Museum in Paris, and Washington DC’s Smithsonian Institution. 

The skulls were later discovered to be absolute forgeries, though experts expressed their doubts as to the authenticity of the skulls as far back as the 1930s. Using scientific instruments, they showed that the skulls were undoubtedly from post-Columbian times. 

But if you believe Dan Aykroyd on the subject of the crystal skulls, who has gone so far as to create a vodka product contained with a glass bottle in the shape of one of the skulls, then you probably believe that these mysterious artifacts are genuinely 5,000 to 35,000 years old. Aykroyd, when interviewed on the subject claimed that, though the origins of the skulls were controversial, everyone agrees that they’re powerful symbols of enlightenment and hope for a better future, and further went on to claim that the skulls bear no mark from carving tools and took hundreds of years to finish.

Well, at least he was great in Ghostbusters, right?

5. The Case of the Terracotta Warriors

Between the years of 1915 and 1921, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was proud to show off a recently acquired archaeological marvel, three statues depicting Terracotta warriors thought to have been created by the Etruscan civilization in the 5th century. Unknown to the museum (whose curator was quite proud of the statues) the whole collection was composed of less than elaborate fakes. 

The hoaxers were two young men named Riccardo Riccardi and Alfredo Fioravanti. These two men were skilled Italian visual artists. Though Riccardo’s father and brothers were experts in creating pottery forgeries, Riccardo was the most skilled of his brothers. 

With his partner Alfredo, Riccardo would create the first statue; but the statue would prove to be too large for their kiln, and they would break its arm off thanks to a positioning dispute between the two artists. After successfully duping the museum into buying their statue, the pair began working on a giant Terracotta warrior head using the description offered by ancient writer Pliny as a basis. Pliny’s writing described a 25-foot-tall statue of the god Jupiter from an ancient Roman temple. Riccardo and Alfredo made the head stand four and a half feet high.

The museum didn’t suspect a thing, and the two began planning their biggest hoax yet, an immense 8-foot-tall Terracotta warrior; but tragedy would strike after Riccardo was thrown from his horse, ending his life.

Riccardo would be replaced by two of his cousins in order to finish the 8-foot-tall Terracotta warrior. In 1921 the Met. purchased the statue for a price rumored to approach $5 million when accounting for inflation. Something was wrong with this statue’s genitals, however. Many of the local Italian ladies recognized them as Riccardo’s, and it turns out that the forger had modeled the genitals after his own.

Despite this, it would be decades before the statues were proved to be forgeries. In 1960 a series of chemical tests would reveal that within the glazes of the statues were chemicals not used before the 17th century.

4. The Ancient Grand Canyon Egyptian Colony

Today if someone claimed to have discovered proof that ancient Egyptians had existed in the United States thousands of years ago, they would be met with plenty of skepticism (well, maybe not, considering there are of people who still think the Earth is flat), but in 1909 two Smithsonian-funded archaeologists claimed just that. The April 5 edition of the Arizona Gazette reported that two archaeologists, Professor SA Jordan and GE Kinkaid, claimed to have found evidence of an ancient Egyptian colony inside the Grand Canyon. 

Among the supposed evidence, the two claimed to have found a series of strange caves carved with human hands, and tablets with Egyptian hieroglyphs which the duo suggested proved the settlement dated back to Ramses. 

The specific region where the two claimed to have found these items is a particularly dangerous part of the Grand Canyon, but that didn’t stop private collectors and academics from making expeditions to the area. But Kincaid and his partner never presented any photographs or artifacts as evidence, just a tall tale for the folks at the Arizona Gazette to chew on.

The Smithsonian doesn’t have any record of Kinkaid or his partner, let alone an alleged discovery of this magnitude. Though, if you ask conspiracy theorists, they will claim the Smithsonian covered the whole thing up and the Egyptian colony is still there. The reptilians just won’t let us near them.  

3. Japanese Paleolithic Hoax

The news broke early on November 5, 2000 that an amateur archaeologist named Fujimura Shin’ichi had been caught on camera planting fake artifacts at an archaeological site. At the time, the Kami Takamori site was known as the oldest Early Paleolithic site on Earth, beating out sites in Europe and the cradle of civilization itself, Africa. 

If the artifacts they had contained had been proven to be real, they would have rewritten human history. This wasn’t the case, however, and once the video evidence of Fujimura’s acts got out, doubt was cast at every dig site in Japan which he was involved with. 

It’s been suggested that Fujimura planted over 180 artifacts from the years 1976 to 2000, and because of this, the existence of humans in Japan was widely accepted to date back to more than half a million years ago. Fujimura’s hoax muddies the waters there, setting archaeology in Japan back quite a bit. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that humans had any presence in Paleolithic Japan, though evidence does show a presence in China and land bridges did connect to the island of Japan at least twice within the last 700,000 years. 

2. Grave Creek Stone

In 1838 a polished sandstone pebble was discovered in a 2,000-year-old burial mound in West Virginia. When analyzed by scholars, they suggested that of the 25 characters carved into the pebble four of the markings seemed to come from Ancient Greek, four Etruscan, five runic, six ancient Gallic, seven old Erse, 10 Phoenician, 14 old British, 16 Celtiberic, and some of the markings bore resemblance to Hebrew as well. And in the 1870s physician, RJ Farquharson came up with three wildly different translations for the inscription on the stone.

“Thy orders are laws, thou shines in thy impetuous clan, and rapid as the chamois.”

“The chief of emigration who reached these places (or island), has fixed these decrees forever.”

“The grave of one who was murdered here; to revenge him may God strike his murderer, suddenly taking away his existence.”

But at the same time, antiquarian MC Reed commissioned a law student, a pharmacist, and a college professor to each draw 20 or more characters not resembling any alphabet or symbols that they could easily recall. The result was that each person’s presented characters resembled Old World alphabets, and from this study, Reed concluded that the Grave Creek Stone couldn’t be anything other than a forgery.

1. The Persian Princess

In October 2000, Pakistani police interrogated a man attempting to sell a mummy on the black market for $11 million dollars. When pressed, the man claimed to have gotten the mummy from an Iranian man who had discovered it after an earthquake. 

It was claimed that the mummy had been a Persian Princess. She was discovered inside a wooden sarcophagus with cuneiform inscriptions claiming her to be related to the great King Xerxes. The “discovery” caused brief tensions between Iran and Pakistan, as both countries claimed ownership, but this wouldn’t last.

Eventually, Pakistani authorities delivered the mummy to the National Museum in Karachi, where it underwent extensive tests to prove its authenticity. After CT-scans, analysis of the ancient Persian script, and carbon dating, the mummy was revealed to be a forgery, and what’s worse, was how old the body was.

The body belonged to a 4-foot-7 woman who likely died in 1996 and was over the age of 21. Authorities believed the woman to be the victim of a murder, but after re-interrogating the two men who had been attempting to sell the mummy, they determined that the men most likely had obtained the corpse from illegal grave robbers and removed her internal organs. 

The case remains unsolved to this day.