We’re all prone to acts of laziness. Maybe we should be washing the dishes, but we’ve instead elected to get drunk and play foosball. Maybe we’re supposed to be writing another article for the list-based website we work at but have instead fallen asleep face-down in a plate of nachos. Whatever. The point is, every single one of us occasionally indulges our lazy side.

But there’s indulging your lazy side, and then there’s dedicating your life to extreme acts of procrastination. The following people all have one thing in common: They took one look at your average lazy person and decided, “I can do better . . . as soon as I can be bothered.”

10 The Oxford English Dictionary Outdated Itself Before Release

Compiling the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) was always going to be a monumental task. The last word on British English, the complete OED contains around 228,130 words spread over 20 volumes. When it first received a publishing contract in 1879, it was expected to take 10 whole years to compile. But those stumping up the money hadn’t counted on one fatal problem—the ability of academics to procrastinate like a total boss.

Five years into writing the OED’s first complete edition, the compilers had only gotten as far as the word “ant.” This should have been the wake-up call everyone needed to get them working harder. It wasn’t. Instead, 1889 came and went, and those involved were nowhere near the letter “z.” After 10 years, they’d barely edged out the start of the alphabet.

By the time someone finally sat down and wrote the entry for “Zzz,” the 19th century had ended, Queen Victoria had died, World War I had come and gone, jazz had stepped into existence, and the Wall Street Crash was about to hit. It was 1928, and the newly published complete OED was already out of date. Thanks to their epic bout of procrastination, the editors were forced to immediately get started on the second edition.

9 Jamestown’s Colonists Were Too Busy Partying For Executions

One of the guys who helped establish the colony at Jamestown, Virginia, John Smith was also the Englishman who first met Pocahontas, thereby ensuring Disney immortality for himself. He was also extremely unpopular. Twice during his time at Jamestown, his fellow colonists decided to execute him. Twice, they failed.

The first time, Smith escaped when his name was drawn from a locked box that had been sealed before setting sail from England. Those named were the colony’s new governors, and it was thought better to keep him alive. The second time, the lucky Brit escaped not through the divine machinations of fate or thanks to his own quick wits. He escaped because his executioners were too busy partying.

The only survivor of a Powhatan attack, Smith had been blamed and sentenced to hang. At the time, Jamestown was struggling to fend off mass starvation, and the idea of one less extra mouth to feed must’ve seemed pretty tempting. The night of the execution, the whole town gathered . . . only for 100 new settlers to suddenly arrive with much-needed supplies.

In the wild celebrations that followed, the colonists decided to defer Smith’s execution. Only, they never got round to carrying it out. Thanks to their party-hard tendencies, Smith survived to map 4,000 kilometers (2,500 mi) of territory, shaping future explorations of the New World.

8 Richard Sheridan Redefines Missing Deadlines

In the second half of the 18th century, Richard Sheridan was the toast of London. An Anglo-Irish playwright, Sheridan made his name with light comedies such as School for Scandal. He was almost as famous for his procrastination. Sheridan turned missing deadlines into a kind of extreme sport.

We don’t just mean he handed his manuscripts in late. We don’t even mean he handed his manuscripts in at the last possible second. We mean he handed his finished play to the actors for the first time while it was in the middle of being performed on opening night.

Sheridan had already finished the first two acts of School for Scandal and kept promising the actors that they’d get the rest. He kept promising even as he procrastinated, right up until opening night. When it was time to raise the curtain, and it became apparent that Sheridan really hadn’t finished the play, a borderline crazy plan was devised. Sheridan would keep writing as the play went on, rushing lines down to the actors waiting in the wings. So long as he could keep ahead of the performance, the audience would never know.

Incredibly, this ridiculous non-plan worked. School for Scandal became a massive hit, eventually inspiring the plays of Oscar Wilde.

7 The Crematorium Owner Who Made Laziness Terrifying

Imagine, for a moment, that you are a crematorium owner. Now also imagine that your crematorium has just broken. What do you do?

If you said, “Pay to have it fixed,” congratulations—you’re a sane human being. Ray Brent Marsh was evidently neither of those things. When the oven of his Georgia crematorium gave up the ghost in the late 1990s, Marsh decided that it’d be less of a hassle to just secretly bury the corpses in his backyard and give the families urns full of concrete dust so they wouldn’t notice.

That’s right: Marsh was so lazy that he preferred to do the much harder job of digging a pit and burying bodies than the much easier one of picking up the phone and ringing for a crematorium repair guy. He just didn’t just do this once or twice, either. When police finally raided the premises, they found over 320 sets of human remains that had essentially been left to rot. For his epic display of laziness, Marsh was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He’s expected to be released sometime in 2016.

6 Britain’s Laziest Prime Minister

In Britain, class is everything. It’s often said that you can be a talentless no-good, but if you’re born in the aristocracy, you’ll still do well. The case of 19th century prime minister Lord Melbourne proves this. Possibly the laziest man in history, Melbourne became PM by accident and then slept his way through seven years of British history.

In all his long life, Melbourne failed to do pretty much anything. Before becoming prime minister, he’d married the nightmarish Lady Caroline Ponsonby and stayed with her out of sheer lethargy. As he lazed around the house, Lady Caroline went out and had public affairs with men like Lord Byron and then wrote scandalous “tell-all” books about the sex they’d had right under her stupid husband’s nose. It took Lord Melbourne 20 years to get around to divorcing her.

His ascension to the highest office in Britain was no less auspicious. Lord Grey had turned down the post, and Lord Melbourne was the only man the House of Commons’s warring factions could agree on, precisely because he never did anything. In the post, Lord Melbourne spent every single meeting, debate, gathering, and sermon sleeping, usually snoring so loudly that others couldn’t hear themselves speak. Benjamin Disraeli said that he would “lounge away an Empire.” The only reason the lazy PM stayed in office so long was because he had the hots for Queen Victoria, and his post meant that she was obliged to frequently meet him. He was finally replaced in 1841, to the relief of the entire country.

5 The ISIS Jihadi Who Was Too Lazy to Fight

Members of ISIS are many despicable things (callous, cruel, genocidal, anti-Semitic, homophobic), but one thing they’re not is lazy. At least, most of them aren’t. In January 2015, middle-aged Abu Ali crossed from Turkey into Syria to join the death cult. Recruited as a potential jihadist, Ali turned out to be so lazy that he wound up costing the Islamic State money.

There’s a passage in the Quran where Muhammad quite clearly says that if a Muslim doesn’t want to fight, no one can make them. Ali had evidently taken this to heart. When ISIS accepted him into their ranks, Ali demanded a desk job. When they told him to shut up and wage some jihad, he waved the Quran verse at them. Suddenly, ISIS were stuck with a fat, middle-aged idiot whom their own interpretation of Islam forced them to care for.

Over the next few months, Ali chilled out in Syria, watching Rambo on TV and getting fat off the ISIS teat. As carnage unfolded around him, this terminally lazy oddball spent his time downloading music videos and chatting with the jihadists around him. When ISIS finally forced him to go to the front, he invented a medical condition. Eventually, Ali found himself being shunted around from commander to commander, draining resources and driving the terrorists insane with his dedication to living like the Islamic State’s own personal welfare queen.

Finally, those in charge got so fed up with Ali that he began to fear for his safety. He escaped back to Turkey and immediately took up his old life again, having spent four months draining ISIS funds. We can’t tell if he’s genuinely an idiot or a clever undercover plant sent by the CIA to drive some jihadists up the wall.

4 Douglas Adams Procrastinates Right Into Productivity

Douglas Adams is one of the greatest and laziest writers to have ever lived. His Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a seminal book in both sci-fi and British literature. But Adams was famously prone to procrastination. At one point, he gave a Hitchhiker’s book a cliff-hanger ending purely because he couldn’t be bothered to keep typing to the end of the paragraph.

But his greatest act of procrastination undoubtedly came in the mid-1990s. Contracted to do a book called the Starship Titanic, Adams kept putting it off for years on end. Eventually, his procrastination grew so extreme that, according to Terry Jones, he created an entire computer game just to avoid doing work on his novel.

Bear in mind this was the 1990s, when creating a playable computer game in your bedroom was something that maybe only six and a half people could do. Yet Adams still wound up creating a sprawling point-and-click adventure which he triumphantly dumped in front of his publishers as an alternative to writing. His publishers took one look, agreed to release it, and then said that they’d still need the novel. With only five weeks to go, Adams called up Monty Python member Terry Jones and begged him to write it instead. Jones obliged, claiming later that he wrote the whole thing in the nude. (Because why not?)

3 George Akerlof Turns Procrastination Into An Academic Field

Any man can put off doing something for as long as feasibly possible, but it takes a special kind of man to be curious enough about their own laziness to write an academic paper on it. Meet George Akerlof. A respected economist, Akerlof managed to turn his own procrastination into a Nobel Prize–winning career.

The setting is India, and the date is the early 1990s. Akerlof was living on the subcontinent at the time when his friend Joseph Stiglitz came to visit. When his vacation ended, Stiglitz left but forgot to pack some shirts. He asked Akerlof to mail them over to him. Akerlof agreed, only to keep putting it off. He put off mailing the box for eight whole months and finally came to two conclusions: Stiglitz probably no longer wanted to be his friend, and procrastination was something worth rigorous academic study.

The thing was, Akerlof had the best of intentions. He really did mean to send the box, yet he didn’t. His breakthrough was to realize that this strange, irrational action could be applied to behavioral economics. In a 1991 paper called “Procrastination and Obedience,” Akerlof used his own tardiness to make assumptions about how populations might act in certain situations. The academic world went wild.

In the years since, procrastination has become a vast field of study, both within the realm of economics and without. Akerlof went on to win the Nobel Prize in 2001 for his contributions. And Stiglitz, you’ll be happy to know, eventually got his shirts back.

2 Buddha’s Disciple Can’t Be Bothered To Ask Vital Questions

Born before Christ was even a twinkle in Joseph’s eye, Siddhartha Gautama (aka the Buddha) created a global religion, with some 500 million people worldwide adhering to his every utterance. With his words at such a premium, you might expect his disciples to have asked him about everything in minute detail. You’d be wrong. Thanks to the laziness of a guy named Ananda, there are still super-important things that we don’t know about Buddhist vows to this very day.

Toward the end of his life, the Buddha dropped a theological bomb on his disciple Ananda: From then on, the minor vows wouldn’t be needed in ordination, just the major ones. This is kinda like St Peter calling the future pope over and saying, “Know those Hail Marys? I’ve chatted with the big G, and we’ve decided to drop them.” The only problem was, Ananda didn’t know which were the major vows and which were the minor. He deciding that asking could wait for later. He kept on thinking that right until the Buddha died, taking the answer with him.

As a result of this one lazy disciple, no one in the past 2,500 years of Buddhism has had any idea if they’re saying the right vows or not. No one wants to accidentally skip a major one, so they just say the whole lot, painfully aware that a good chunk of it is totally unnecessary.

1 Da Vinci Turns Procrastination into Genius

The Mona Lisa is one of the greatest portraits in history. It’s so iconic that we don’t even have to show you a picture; you can imagine it already. It’s also kind of small: The canvas measures only 76 centimeters (30 in) by 53 centimeters (21 in), about the size of a smallish TV. But given that it’s a masterpiece, you’d probably expect it to have taken a while to paint. How long do you think? Six months? A year?

Try 15 years. For a decade and a half, da Vinci failed to finish his iconic portrait, not because it was so difficult, but because he was so lazy. That’s not us being judgmental. On his deathbed, the great man himself even admitted to his chronic procrastination when he apologized “to God and Man for leaving so much undone.” For comparison, it took Michelangelo a mere four years to paint the entire Sistine Chapel. The area his masterpieces covered? Around 1,100 square meters (12,000 ft²).

But a lazy genius is still a genius, and da Vinci was probably the biggest genius of them all. Although it took him forever to finish artworks (the Virgin of the Rocks took 25 years to finish, from a seven-month commission), he put his procrastination to great use. It was in his downtime that he filled his notebooks with doodles and ideas. Some of those doodles would later turn out to be inventions that could have changed the course of history.

You’ve probably heard that da Vinci invented the helicopter, tank, scuba gear, and parachute. Well, this was when he did it—when he should have been working. Some of the greatest examples of human ingenuity only came about because da Vinci was too lazy to stick with his painting. Remember to tell your boss that next time he catches you binge-watching Game of Thrones when you should be working.

“It’ s a long way to the top if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll.” Any successful rocker will tell you that it takes years of practice, hard work, and maybe even some luck if you want to reach the top of the music charts. Surprisingly, some of those famed rockers also found themselves interested in other subjects besides music. Some rockers were college graduates before they found fame, and others went back to school after their fame to pursue degrees in engineering, literature, science, and other fields. Here is a list of ten popular rock musicians that also have impressive college degrees.

Related: Ten Famous and (Sometimes) Strange Musical Alter Egos

10 Tom Scholz

Tom Scholz is the founder and only remaining original member of the American rock band Boston. The multi-talented musician can play the guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums, but the rocker is also an MIT-trained engineer. Scholz earned his master’s degree at MIT, and after that, he went on to work for Polaroid as a product design engineer. While working for the company, he built a personal recording studio in the basement of his apartment.

During this time, Scholz started writing and producing music, which ultimately led to the creation of Boston. Scholz said that he had no interest in rock and roll music when first attending MIT, but bands such as the Yardbirds and Kinks opened his mind to the genre of music. If he had never earned his degree at MIT, we probably wouldn’t have hits like “More Than a Feeling” and “Peace of Mind.”^[1]

9 Gregg Graffin

In 1980, Gregg Graffin co-founded the punk rock band Bad Religion. He is the lead vocalist and the only constant member of the band that is known for its politically charged lyrics. Graffin also embarked on a solo career in 1997 and released three solo albums. He isn’t just a hardcore rocker, though; he is also an evolutionary biologist and has lectured several courses on the subject.

Graffin earned his master’s degree in geology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He then continued his studies at Cornell University and earned a Ph.D. in zoology. Graffin briefly returned to both universities for short teaching stints in natural science courses. He has also published several books about science and religion.^[2]

8 Rivers Cuomo

Rivers Cuomo is best known for being the lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter for the band Weezer. The American rock band produced hits such as “Say It Ain’t So,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Island in the Sun.” Cuomo wanted to be more than just a musician after getting bored on tour, so he enrolled at Harvard after the band’s debut album was released. He eventually dropped out, but he decided to return to the Ivy League school after their album Make Believe. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in English in 2006.^[3]

7 Jeff Schroeder

Jeff Schroeder rocked out with the Smashing Pumpkins from 2007 to 2023. He is the former guitarist of the alternative rock band and the third-longest-serving member of the band. He was also a member of the Violet Burning and the Lassie Foundation bands.

Before joining the Smashing Pumpkins, Schroeder worked to earn a Ph.D. in comparative literature at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and his research focused on East Asian and American literature. The diverse education provided him with a better understanding of cultural and literary traditions that helped influence the way he looked at music.^[4]

6 James Williamson

In the 1970s, James Williamson started touring with rock band The Stooges as their guitarist. Williamson co-wrote many of the band’s songs during this time with the lead singer, Iggy Pop. The Stooges disbanded in 1974 after the members wanted to chase new opportunities. Williamson would take this opportunity to pursue a higher education degree.

After The Stooges split, he continued to work with Pop as a songwriter and producer. Williamson continued this work for about a year before he decided to leave the music business entirely after disagreements with Pop, other musicians, and others in the industry. He immediately enrolled at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and earned an electrical engineering degree.

He then moved to Silicon Valley and began designing microchips for 15 years before becoming Sony’s vice president of technical standards. When Willaimson retired from Sony, he found himself back on stage playing the guitar after receiving a surprising call from Iggy Pop asking to join him on tour.^[5]

5 Tom Morello

One of the most popular metal rock bands of the 1990s was Rage Against the Machine, which was founded by Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello. Morello is best known for his creative guitar playing and strong political views. He was even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023 as a member of Rage Against the Machine.

Morello was also a member of the bands Audioslave, Prophets of Rage, and Lock Up. He was even once a touring member of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band. Before becoming a famous rocker, Morello graduated from the prestigious Harvard University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. His degree helped shape his political views and the music that he wrote.^[6]

4 Art Garfunkel

One half of the folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel was singer Art Garfunkel. The pair released hit songs such as “Mrs. Robinson,” “The Sound of Silence,” and “The Boxer.” The pair eventually split, but Garfunkel saw success in a solo career with one top 10 hit, three top 20 hits, and six top 40 hits. He and Simon were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

However, before his rock fame began, Garfunkel initially attended Columbia University in New York, where he majored in architecture. In 1965, he earned a bachelor’s degree in art history from the same university, followed by a master’s degree in mathematics education. Surprisingly, he completed these tough tasks during the height of Simon & Garfunkel’s career.^[7]

3 Milo Aukerman

Milo Aukerman joined the band Descendents after the release of their first single, but he only stayed with the band until the release of their first album, Milo Goes to College. He then decided to pursue a degree in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego. After leaving college, he would find himself going back and forth between the band and biochemistry.

He rejoined the Descendents several times over the next few years after college, but he made the choice to permanently leave again after their tour finished in 1987. He didn’t decide to officially rejoin the band again until 1995. After the next album’s tour, he returned to his career in molecular biology. He would rejoin the band intermittently, but he made the decision to leave his career in 2016, citing burnout, and would rejoin the band full-time as a singer and songwriter.^[8]

2 Dexter Holland

Dexter Holland was the co-founder, singer, and songwriter for the popular punk-rock band the Offspring. Before the band found success, Holland was looking to be a scholar of mathematics. He graduated from high school as class valedictorian, and he attended the University of Southern California, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in molecular biology.
He suspended his studies, though, after the Offspring found success. They are still known as one of the most popular punk bands of the 1990s, with more than 40 million records sold from their 10 studio albums. Their album Smash gained the band mainstream success and went six times multi-platinum, and their songs have been used in several movies and TV shows. Holland eventually resumed his studies and earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology in 2017.^[9]

1 Brian May

Brian May is most known for being the co-founder and lead guitarist for the universally-known band Queen, but he is also a record producer, animal rights activist, and astrophysicist. In 1968, May graduated from Imperial College London with a bachelor’s degree in physics. He stepped away from completing his Ph.D. to pursue his music career, which would turn out to be a very good decision. With hits such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” We Will Rock You,” and “We Are the Champions,” the band was sure to find fame.

Queen had 53 Top 40 singles, and six of them reached the number 1 spot. The band was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004, and awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

May eventually returned to school and completed his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Imperial College London in 2007. He has authored books on astronomy, was appointed chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University for about five years, and went on to collaborate with other astrophysicists to analyze data from NASA. May has truly lived a life full of rock and science.^[10]

Human beings have been using natural methods of disease control like medicinal plants for centuries, but so have animals. It is such a common phenomenon that it has its own name, zoopharmacognosy. Whether it involves utilizing the healing properties of other animals, plants, or even trash, animals will do whatever they can to keep themselves healthy. Numerous species exhibit this behavior, from tiny insects to large apes. Here are a few of the most intriguing examples.

10 Times Scientists Got Animals High To See What Would Happen

10 Elephants

Animals care about their young just as humans do, though some species are more attentive parents than others. They also work to have as healthy a pregnancy as possible. Pregnant animals use plants the same way an expectant human mother would take medication.

There are numerous reasons for speeding along gestation, from potential birth defects to a pregnancy that takes a large physical toll on the mother. African elephants are known to eat labor-inducing plants that local humans use for the same purpose. The elephant gestation period is long, and even when there is no medical necessity to accelerate the pregnancy, the poor creatures may simply be tired of being pregnant.

9 “Geophagy”

The entire process of animal self-medication has a name, as previously mentioned. However, there are more specific processes numerous species of animals use to ease their pain. Due to the frequency of their observation, they are also given a name. Some may seem odd, but they have justifiable benefits.

Most animals self-medicate by carefully choosing what they eat. Many species, such as apes and elephants, utilize geophagy, which involves eating dirt and rocks. The process has numerous benefits for the animals who practice it. It can maintain stomach health, make up for nutrients they may be lacking, and more. The next time a human observes an animal eating dirt, they should consider the potential medical benefits instead of writing it off as a weird quirk of the species.

8 House Sparrows and Finches

Most examples of animal self-medication involve natural elements like plants and other animals. However, animals are resourceful creatures that will use whatever they can find in their environment to improve their own health. Some species may even use human trash for medicinal purposes.

Birds now often live in environments that are full of humans and their garbage. Fortunately, this may occasionally be an asset to the animals. One study suggests house sparrows and finches place discarded cigarette butts in their nests because the nicotine deters mites. A bird that is not infected with mites will obviously be healthier. While it is still not advisable to callously throw cigarettes on the ground, it is impressive that an animal could find a way to use the things humans discard to improve their health.

7 Wood Storks and Starlings

The same plant can be useful for easing numerous ailments and for many different species. The same medicines can treat many different diseases, and humans can feel the same positive effects by copying an animal’s self-medicating behavior. This is true of the almost identical behavior of two different species of birds.

The wood stork and the starling may look very different, but they share a desire to stay as healthy and infection-free as possible. Starlings use herbs to ease a host of skin problems like ulcers, sores, and eczema, and wood storks will reuse the starlings’ old nests, filling them with the same plants. The birds improve their own health and that of their offspring with this behavior. Humans have also picked up on the potential benefits. Pharmacists use herbs similar to the ones chosen by wood storks and starlings in their own skin medications. It is like a medicinal cycle, able to benefit three different species at the same time.

6 Orangutans

Animals end up with tired limbs just as humans do. This is especially true for those who have to carry a baby around constantly. Apes are smart creatures and have found ways to ease their own pain.

Orangutans have developed a method to ease the strain of carrying a baby through the jungle. The mothers (and occasionally males) chew the leaves of a medicinal plant into a paste, rubbing it onto their aching arms like a pain-easing balm. Any tired human mother would understand the motivation behind this behavior.

5 Wood Ants

Numerous animals live in colonies or groups, working for the benefit of one another. This is often true in insects, a well-known example of which is the hive of the honeybee. Ants are known for building mounds and living together, and they also exhibit behaviors that provide medicinal benefits to the entire colony.

Living in close-knit communities can increase the spread of diseases. Because wood ants are prone to pathogens, they use conifer resin in their nests to fight off parasites and other harmful microorganisms. This increases the health of the entire colony, like a human town agreeing to vaccinate their children to prevent the spread of disease. All the ants who use the resin-coated nests are less prone to infection.

4 Woolly Bear Caterpillars

Some animals may seem to lack the brainpower required to engage in self-medicating behavior. However, even the smallest creatures can improve their own health, including insects. One example was observed in a study of woolly bear caterpillars.

Most animals seem to know exactly what is available in their environment to improve their health. The caterpillars in the study foraged for plants containing toxins that kill parasitic tachinid flies. These small insects serve as an example that almost any animal can self-medicate.

3 Monarch Butterflies

Woolly bear caterpillars are not the only insects that can improve their own health. With such short lifespans, these species need to increase their odds of survival in any way possible. Another example of a self-medicating insect is the beautiful monarch butterfly.

Parasites are a common problem for numerous species, even butterflies. They eat milkweed because it contains chemicals that combat the parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha. In doing so, they increase their own survival odds as well as that of their young.

2 Chimpanzees

Apes are close genetic relatives to humans. This may be why most of the research on zoopharmacognosy has been focused on them, as it can then be more readily applied to humans. Orangutans are not the only apes that self-medicates, as chimpanzees are known to engage in similar practices.

Chimpanzees are smart creatures, so it may not come as a surprise that they are able to ease their own ailments. In Africa, they eat the same bitter pith that local residents use to control nematode infections. It is unknown which species used the plant first, but it is clear that they are both capable of medicating themselves.

1 Sheep

Parasite infections are a common influence behind animal self-medicating behavior. This is the case in sheep. When left to their own devices, they will choose foods that will keep them healthy and infection-free.

Sheep are usually guarded by a shepherd, but there are certain natural behaviors in the animals that should not be interfered with. When infected with parasites, they eat foods high in tannins to kill the invaders. There is even some evidence that this trait may be passed down to young. Lambs also ate tannin-rich foods, suggesting they instinctively knew it would prevent infection. They may not be known for their intelligence, but the sheep do show enough foresight to take care of their own health.

Top 10 Animals Given High Honors

About The Author: My name is Perrri Chastulik. I am a graduate of Messiah College with a digital media degree and a creative writing minor. I have loved to write since the day I got a writing crutch coming up with stories as a child. My areas of expertise are film, television, animals, video games, theater, and music. I love a good story, especially when it is told visually.

There’s nothing particularly interesting about bridges, until you – like us – look up the best bridges around the world and realize that you’re actually really into bridges. These works of art and engineering have taken bridge-building from its mere utility of connecting two elevated points to something far greater.

10. Magdeburg Water Bridge (Germany)

The water bridge – or aqueduct – in Magdeburg, Germany was planned as a solution to a particular problem with the region’s waterways. It connects two canal systems – Elbe-Havel Canal and the Mittelland Canal – with the Elbe river and each other. Previously, the journey took a seven-mile detour and multiple locks to lower and raise ships between varying elevations. 

Now, it’s barely a few minutes of waiting, as you get lowered or raised on to any of the waterways you want and be on your way. The bridge – originally conceived in the 1930s but only built after the Cold War was over – is actually a set of multiple bridges with their own lock systems. Thanks to it, ships can now seamlessly move between the inner harbors of Berlin and ports along the Rhine river, essentially connecting the eastern and western parts of the country’s vast waterway network.

9. Pont du Gard Aqueduct (France)

Few civilizations have dabbled in the high art of bridge-making as the Romans, exemplified by their near-obsession with aqueducts. The Roman aqueduct network was intricate and spread out across its vast territory, providing its distant, arid colonies with a steady supply of water. That involved building bridges of all kinds, as the aqueducts had to be connected over many different types of natural obstacles.

While most of that network is now lost to history, we can see glimpses of it in structures like the Pont du Gard. One of the most-visited tourist destinations in France, the Pont du Gard – or ‘Bridge of the Gard’ – towers over its surroundings at a height of 155 feet, which is pretty high for even modern bridges. It’s made up of three levels with multiple arches of their own, with the topmost one dedicated to the once-functional water conduit. 

8. Dragon Bridge (Vietnam)

At its most basic, there are only two ways to effectively build an impressive, timeless bridge. One is carefully studying the topography and weather conditions of the region, doing some calculations involving advanced concepts of architecture, and then meticulously putting it all together with the help of the construction team over the course of the next few years. The other is just building a regular bridge and putting a giant, fire-breathing dragon on it.

Authorities in the Vietnamese city of Da Nang clearly believed in the latter, when – back in 2013 – they unveiled the Dragon Bridge. Built to mark the 38th anniversary of the liberation of Da Nang during the Vietnam war, Dragon Bridge connects Da Nang airport with other major roads of the city. The dragon itself – running across almost the entire length of the bridge – is fitted with over 2,500 LED lights for special occasions, along with what we can only assume is a giant, custom-built flamethrower at its mouth. 

7. The Helix (Singapore)

The Helix is a pedestrian bridge in the Marina Bay area in Singapore, connecting multiple office and commercial establishments with each other over the Singapore river. It’s like most pedestrian bridges you’d have seen, only built in a complex, double-helix structure of DNA strands.

First revealed to the public in 2010, the Helix was planned as a lighter, better-looking alternative to the vehicular bridge right next to it – the Bayfront Bridge. During the day, canopies of perforated steel at strategic spots provide multiple spots of shade, making it an ideal lunch spot for office-goers nearby. At night, the double helix outline is lit up and emphasized with thousands of multi-colored LED lights, giving the whole thing an organic-yet-modern look. 

6. Royal Gorge Bridge (USA)

The Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado is the highest bridge in the country and one of the highest in the world, soaring about 956 feet above the Arkansas river. Built in 1929, the bridge connects the two ends of the Royal Gorge – one of the deepest canyons in the USA – and provides a spectacular view of the unique, sprawling landscape.

The 1,260-foot-long bridge takes the usual canyon experience one step further – by putting you on top of it rather than the base – though one can always opt for the picturesque railroad routes at the base of the gorge, too. The bridge attracts quite a few visitors from across the country throughout the year, as it also offers multiple adventure activities like bungee jumping and zip lining in a sort of a bridge-cum-adventure-park setup. 

5. Nanpu Bridge (China)

At a total length of about 5.15 miles, the Nanpu bridge near Shanghai in China is easily one of the longest bridges in the world. On its own, however, the bridge itself isn’t anything special, as the skylines of modern Chinese cities are dotted with other, far-more-impressive bridges. Its main attraction, rather, is the circular network of ramps on its Shanghai side to ease the flow of traffic during rush hours.

It’s a giant, multi-level ramp with smaller ramps of its own, connecting many different roadways with each other and the bridge. It’s quite similar to large intersections in other cities around the world, only with the sole, specific purpose of smoothly diverting traffic over to the bridge. 

Before it was opened for public use in 1991, the only way to get across the Huangpu River was on a ferry. Now, it’s one of the busiest roads in Shanghai, as the bridge has allowed for rapid development and industrialization of the districts located on the other side.

4. Twin Sails (UK)

The Twin Sails Bridge in Dorset, United Kingdom is a double-leaved bascule bridge – a type of bridge that uses single or double spans, or leaves, that can be lowered and raised to provide clearance to boats. It’s not a particularly unique bridge design, as bascule bridges can be found all over Europe – another example being the Tower Bridge in London. 

What is unique, however, is the shape of its leaves. Instead of the usual rectangles, Twin Sails leaves are triangular in shape, making it the first triangular-leaved bascule bridge in the world. When open for water traffic, the entire structure looks like the sails of two giant yachts passing each other on the open seas. When it’s shut, however, it’s difficult to tell the bridge apart from any other bridge in the vicinity.

3. Si-o-se-pol (Iran)

Si-o-se-pol – or ‘The Bridge of 33 Arches’ in Persian – was originally conceived as both a bridge and a dam on the Zayandeh Rood river in Isfahan, Iran. Completed during the early part of the 17th century, Si-o-se-pol remains one of the best-preserved examples of bridge architecture from the Safavid era.

Over the years, though, the bridge-cum-dam has turned into a really long heritage building, as the lower reaches of the river have almost-entirely dried up due to various reasons. It now exists as a popular recreational spot, with shopping malls, hotels, cafes and other tourist attractions on either side to keep the visitors busy.

2. Veluwemeer Aqueduct (Netherlands)

The Veluwemeer aqueduct challenges the popular notion that bridges should be built over water bodies and not the other way around. Perhaps the only bridge of its kind in the world, the aqueduct – completed in 2002 – passes over the N302 highway in the Netherlands. One of the busiest roads in the country, the N302 connects the mainland city of Harderwijk with Flevoland – the largest artificial island in the world.

Technically speaking, it’s an entire lake built around a highway, with a connection between its two sides to keep the traffic flowing on both levels. It’s a unique solution to a common landscaping problem, usually solved by structures like drawbridges, tunnels, ferry terminals, and overpasses – all of which were found to be costlier and more disruptive for the highway than the aqueduct. It’s a small – yet scenic – part of the larger Flevoland project, as the Veluwemeer is one of the three artificial lakes that surround the 931-square-mile island. 

1. Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge (Brazil)

The Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge – named after the 21st president of Brazil – is only one of the many modernist architectural wonders scattered across the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, though it still manages to stand out on its own. Close to 4,000 feet in length, it’s a freeway arch bridge made with steel and concrete, and was first opened to general traffic in 2002. 

On a clear day, the bridge could be seen from many other spots in the city, thanks to its three crisscrossing, asymmetrically-placed arches that can’t be mistaken for anything else, each over 200 feet in height. It connects the eastern shore of Lake Paranoá with Brasilia’s city center, serving as an important road link as well as an Instagram-worthy landmark for the city’s 4.8 million residents.

In recent years, the world has seen the essence of innovation. Innovation has made everything evolve, making life easier for people and organizations. As such, educational institutions embrace activities that allow students to do extensive research.

Science fair projects are part of the exciting activities that students take part in at their schools. They are instrumental as they allow the students to explore and be inventive. However, it may be challenging to develop a successful science fair project. In such scenarios, some impressive ideas can help kickstart your journey. So let’s leave the erupting chicken-wire volcano and vegetable batteries in the past and try something a bit different.

Here are some top 10 remarkable science fair projects you can try.

10 Sun Tracking Solar Panel

The main objective of the device is to keep the flat panel that holds the solar cell facing the sun as it shifts position in the sky. The incoming light must be perpendicular to the panel for maximum electricity generation by solar panels.

The essence of a solar tracker is to rotate the panel. The rotation happens along two axes so that the panel is always perpendicular to the incoming light. The energy output may increase by up to 25% compared to a fixed panel.

Aside from the panels, the trackers also help coordinate the collectors. The trackers ensure the collectors are aligned to face the sun directly. Collectors are inefficient enough if they are not aligned entirely with the sun’s direction.

Some items you may need for this project include an Arduino board, power supply, USB cable, straight pins, wires, servo, and mounting screws.

The project is unique and also beneficial because it serves the people appropriately. Anyone with a solar panel would like to receive maximum energy from the sun. The system makes it possible to experience that as a need or a want.

9 POV Clock

POV is an acronym for “persistence of vision.” It is an excellent optical illusion where a digital representation remains even after the light stops entering our eyes. You may decide to showcase any text or image you would like.

A textual representation of what happens is when a beam of light periodically stops for very brief moments. During that time, light does not enter the eyes. POV occurs, causing a visual image to appear to exist continuously.

The human eye can only process ten or fewer images per second. We see the visuals in motion when several images, over ten, are displayed quickly, one after the other. A POV clock is fascinating and attractive, putting it among the top science fair projects you could try.

Here is a list of components and supplies that you may need for this science fair project:

• Arduino Nano R3
• Soldering iron
• DC Motor (It could be generic)
• Slide switch
• Resistor 220 ohm
• LED
• Linear Regulator
• 9v Battery

8 Smart Irrigation System

Everyone, including farmers, can benefit from worthwhile projects such as the smart irrigation system. Irrigation gives plants regulated amounts of water at necessary intervals. In dry locations and during times of below-average rainfall, irrigation comes in handy for the growth of crops. Irrigation also helps maintain ecosystems, stabilize soil, and revegetate damaged soils.

The science fair project’s goal is to use a Node microcontroller to create an automated watering system that is time and money efficient. Immediately the soil moisture sensor utilized as the center core detects inadequate moisture levels, and the envisioned system kickstarts the process of watering the plants.

With true innovation, it may be possible to integrate the system into the internet. The process will make it possible to operate everything from an application to a smartphone. The idea behind this project is to allow landowners to oversee and monitor the development of their crops and farm.

The Smart Irrigation System Using IoT is impressive and beneficial because it simplifies farmers’ lives. Farmers do not have to constantly check their farms when the realization of such projects can do all the monitoring and essential work needed.

7 Smart Alarm Clock

The Internet of Things has enabled the development of beneficial, cost-effective systems. A smart alarm clock using IoT is an impressive project since the clock has numerous advantages. It is possible to place a sensor anywhere around the bedroom area. The sensor can determine the number of hours one sleeps and whether an individual is getting enough sleep.

One of the essential things that improve the quality of sleep is posture. Sleeping in a bad posture can make you wake up feeling grumpy or in a low mood. A smart alarm clock can determine your sleep posture, which means it is a quality sleep enhancer.

Lastly, selecting a tune of your choice is possible with a smart alarm clock. It allows you to decide what kind of tunes you want to hear when you wake up.

There is a massive difference between a traditional clock and a smart clock. A traditional clock goes off based on the time set by the user. However, a smart clock only goes off based on whether the individual has had enough rest.

These are some of the items you need to come up with a simple and effective smart alarm clock:

• LED Lights
• LCD Display
• Breadboards
• Speakers
• Cables And Connectors

6 Magnetic Slime

Magnetic slime is an impressive science fair project for teenagers and children. It is possible to develop a magnetic slime. Iron makes up magnetic slime, which is drawn to powerful magnets. The slime is stretchy, making it fun, especially for teenagers or even adults. The current recipe for the slime is more enjoyable with less mess.

Here is what you need to gather to make magnetic slime:

• Measuring spoon
• Measuring cup
• Plastic spoons
• Bowls
• Liquid starch
• Elmer’s glue
• Iron Oxide powder
• A neodymium magnet

Neodymium magnets are pretty powerful. When attempting to detach the magnets, fingers are prone to get pinched. Ensure you keep all your gadgets away from the magnet. If you purchase small disk magnets, keeping them away from children would be best. The magnet may pose a significant danger when swallowed.

Generally, there are better projects for young children who are curious enough and still eat everything.

Breathing iron oxide powder is also not recommended. You can mix the iron with glue to avoid any risks. Aside from the disclaimers, the science fair project is recommendable.

5 Water Alarm Project

A water alarm can help you prevent significant and expensive water damage by warning you of leaks in your household’s most vulnerable areas. Minor and major water leaks are expensive for homeowners and house insurance companies. It is even sad because the situation is avoidable as water alarms can help detect anything water-related that has gone amiss.

Fortunately, putting one or more water alarms in a home can save homeowners from paying for expensive repairs and hassle. The detection is made possible by a sensor in the alarm. The sensor causes the control unit to raise the alarm either loudly inside the house or via a connected phone. Water alarms are low-risk for any household concerned about leaks because they are typically affordable.

It is recommended to place the water alarms in areas where water consumption happens often. For example, some areas include under sinks and near washing machines or washing areas.

Check out some of the items you will need to create a water alarm:

• PCB 1 Perforated
• Solder wire
• Soldering iron 1
• Battery 1 3v-5v
• Copper Plate 2 L-5cm B-2cm
• Solder flux

4 Rain Alarm Project

The Rain Alarm Project is a straightforward but beneficial project that automatically senses rain and sets off an alert. Water is essential in our everyday life. It’s crucial to conserve water and use it properly. The project aims to assist people in preserving water. Anytime the alarm sounds, it indicates rain, and a user can find ways to collect and preserve the rainwater.

Some components of coming up with a rain alarm include:

• Beadboard
• Battery
• Connecting wires
• Buzzer
• Resistors
• Ceramic capacitor
• Rain sensor
• Transistor

One of the ways to make your project easier is by coming up with a circuit diagram for guidance.

3 Water Dispenser from Cardboard

Making a water dispenser from cardboard is an impressive science fair project. A water dispenser may be necessary when filling a bottle or other vessel with water. You can make a water dispenser from many materials, but cardboard is durable compared to the rest. 

You need the following items to make a decent water dispenser from cardboard:

• Three cardboards
• A plastic water bottle
• Clear water glass
• Origami paper
• Melting glue
• Straw
• Sharp knife
• Metal scale

First, you need to determine the size of the water dispenser you want to make. Ensure it is of considerable size for efficiency. You also need to have something like glue to bind the cardboard together.

The straw acts as the dispenser tap like an ordinary dispenser usually has a regulator. The water bottle will be the one holding water; therefore, it has to be over one liter. The one liter can cater for water you can use for some time.

The project is impressive because it shows anyone can own a water dispenser. The project is cost-effective and beneficial, especially to individuals from struggling backgrounds.

2 Air Cooler Working Project

Hot days are long gone with this simple project. Here are the essential tools needed for the science fair project:

• Small Fan
• DC motor
• Battery
• Wires
• Hot glue gun
• Scissor
• Box cutter

The project is simple, and you only need to follow a few steps to develop something tangible. You need to find or purchase a large plastic jug. A box cutter will be instrumental in the process. Cut the lid of the jug and ensure the measurements you use are from a DC motor. Mark the upper part of the lid in a specific pattern that you will use to make the holes.

In the following steps, you may need another small jug. The small container will go into one side of the larger one. Use the measurements of the small container to cut the side of the jug. The small container has to fit on the side of the large jug perfectly.

After fixing the plastic jugs, connect the wires, the battery, and the switch. Do not forget the DC motor in the process. The connected materials will go through the hole made on the jar lid. An air cooler needs a fan that you will connect to the DC motor. Add ice cubes to the jar and test the homemade air cooler.

1 Earthquake Alarm

We deal with a lot of natural disasters throughout the year. Earthquakes are among the most common disasters. An earthquake detector or alarm is a system that detects earthquakes and informs people. It can help save lives because, most times, everyone needs an alert to take action. Some actions could be running to secure places or seeking emergency services.

Some of the materials you need to make your earthquake alarm include:

• Cardboard of different sizes
• Buzzer
• Metal nuts
• 9-volt battery
• Metal scale
• Color paper
• Metal glue