When you see the familiar American Humane Association (AHA) badge that reads “No animals were harmed in the making of this movie,” you probably assume it’s a universal guarantee for every blockbuster. The reality, however, tells a very different story. Below we uncover the grim reality behind ten films where creatures met unfortunate ends on set, proving that the AHA seal isn’t always the full picture.

10 Animals Harmed in Film History

10 Rats—First Blood (1982)

The inaugural entry in Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo saga, First Blood, forged the 1980s action legend of John Rambo, a tormented Vietnam vet battling corrupt sheriffs. While most on‑screen deaths were achieved with clever camera tricks— even the dogs that die were created by special effects—one scene tells a far grimmer tale.

During a tense sequence, Rambo finds himself trapped in an abandoned mine teeming with rats. As the rodents crawl onto his back, he violently snaps them, crushing and slamming them against the tunnel walls. This wasn’t a staged illusion; the American Humane Association documented that real rats were physically harmed and killed by Stallone himself, both during takes and in between them, while the director and crew watched.

When an AHA representative tried to intervene, she was told to wait until the film’s release and then report the abuse to the Canadian Film Board. The incident highlighted a glaring gap in on‑set animal protection during that era.

9 Cockroach—Vampire’s Kiss (1988)

Director Robert Bierman gave us a wildly eccentric Nicolas Cage in Vampire’s Kiss, a film that chronicles the delusional yuppie Peter Loew, who convinces himself he’s a vampire. Cage, ever the method actor, stayed in character off‑camera, chasing bats and even munching on cockroaches for breakfast.

When the script called for Peter to swallow a raw egg yolk, Cage thought it too tame. He proposed something far more unsettling—a live cockroach. Although producer Barbara Zitwer initially refused, the production’s doctor cleared the stunt, and Bierman signed off, allowing Cage to eat not one but two live roaches on camera, just to see how far he could push the envelope.

The scene remains a notorious example of an actor’s willingness to consume a living insect for the sake of a performance, underscoring the extreme lengths some productions will go to achieve shock value.

8 Pig & Goose—Weekend (1967)

French New Wave maestro Jean‑Luc Godard pushed cinematic boundaries with Weekend, a chaotic blend of horror, absurdity, and social satire that depicts a France rebelling violently against consumerism. The film is littered with car crashes and surreal vignettes, but its most disturbing moments involve actual animal slaughter.

Near the climax, a cannibalistic gang captures the protagonists, and a butcher proceeds to kill, butcher, and cook several humans off‑screen—then turns his blade on a pig and a goose right before the camera. The two animals are shown being fatally wounded, struggling in terror as they die.

Godard claimed he wanted audiences to feel a greater shock at the death of a pig than at a human, a statement that remains both controversial and unsettling, illustrating how artistic intent can sometimes eclipse compassion.

7 Horses—Jesse James (1939)

Henry King’s lavish western Jesse James may have flopped at the box office, but it earned its place in history as the film that forced the AHA into Hollywood. The 1930s western arena often treated horses as expendable props, leading to frequent injuries and deaths.

In a particularly harrowing sequence, two horses are forced over a 70‑foot cliff into a body of water, resulting in their deaths—whether they broke their backs or simply drowned in panic remains debated. The public outcry over this cruelty spurred the Motion Picture Association of America to grant the AHA authority to supervise animal use on sets, establishing the first formal guidelines for animal welfare in film.

6 Bees—Candyman (1992)

Bernard Rose’s horror classic Candyman introduced the terrifying notion that saying his name five times summons a vengeful spirit. To give the film’s supernatural bee‑summoning scene maximum realism, Rose employed a staggering 200,000 live honeybees.

Actor Tony Todd, portraying Candyman, endured 27 stings during the shoot. Each bee died after stinging him because the barbed stinger becomes lodged in human skin, tearing the abdomen as the insect tries to withdraw, ultimately gutting and killing the bee.

This gruesome detail underscores how a pursuit of authenticity can exact a lethal toll on even the smallest of creatures.

5 Rabbit—Nekromantik (1987)

Jörg Buttgereit’s cult shocker Nekromantik revels in taboo content, featuring necrophilia and graphic gore. The film’s unsettling atmosphere is amplified by real animal cruelty: a rabbit is brutally killed and skinned on camera.

Buttgereit defended the act, saying he wanted viewers to confront the reality of what they were watching, hoping it would force them to question why they were drawn to such disturbing material. The rabbit’s death remains a stark reminder of the ethical lines some filmmakers are willing to cross for shock value.

4 Goat & Donkey—Land Without Bread (1933)

Luis Buñuel’s documentary‑style film Land Without Bread depicts the destitution of Spain’s Las Hurdes region. Though presented as a raw look at poverty, many scenes were staged for dramatic effect, including a goat being dropped from a cliff and a donkey being stung to death by bees.

Instead of using props or dummies, Buñuel filmed the actual deaths: the goat plummeted off a steep slope, and the donkey was smeared with honey before a hive was knocked over, resulting in a painful, lethal swarm attack.

These choices highlight a disturbing willingness to sacrifice animal lives to enhance a narrative of human suffering.

3 Octopus—Oldboy (2003)

Park Chan‑wook’s critically acclaimed thriller Oldboy includes a chilling sushi‑house scene where the protagonist, Oh Dae‑su, eats live octopus. While raw octopus is a Korean delicacy, the film takes it a step further.

Actor Choi Min‑sik chews the heads off several live octopuses, holding the writhing limbs aloft before discarding the bodies into a spit bucket off‑camera. The graphic nature of the act emphasizes the film’s brutal tone and raises ethical concerns about using live creatures for shock.

2 Muskrat, Monkeys, Giant Sea Turtle & Others—Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Ruggero Deodato’s exploitation horror Cannibal Holocaust pushed the envelope of on‑screen violence, including real animal cruelty. The production’s Amazonian shoot resulted in the deaths of numerous creatures: muskrats, monkeys, and notably a giant sea turtle—an endangered species.

Deodato defended the graphic content, claiming it catered to the “Oriental market.” The film’s legacy is marred by its blatant disregard for animal life, sparking worldwide condemnation.

1 Cow—Cow (2021)

Andrea Arnold’s documentary‑style drama Cow offers an unflinching look at the life of Luma, a dairy cow on a Kent farm. The filmmaker eschewed a script, allowing events to unfold naturally, from insemination and calving to the eventual slaughter.

In the film’s final moments, a farmer uses a captive‑bolt gun to deliver a fatal headshot, after which Luma is skinned and bled for meat—mirroring the fate of roughly 900,000 dairy cows each day in the United Kingdom.

The stark realism of Arnold’s work forces viewers to confront the often‑hidden realities of animal agriculture.

These ten unsettling examples reveal a darker side of cinema where the quest for authenticity or shock sometimes trumps compassion. While industry standards have improved, the legacy of these films reminds us to stay vigilant about animal welfare in entertainment.

Here are 10 bizarre ways you’re probably making yourself miserable. Religion, retail therapy, a meat‑free diet— the Internet is full of people trying to shill “cures” for depression with all the grace of a salesman hawking his last bottle of snake oil. Google “ways to be happy” and you’ll find a million lists reassuring you that all it takes to reach nirvana is a cup of green tea and plenty of fish. Aside from the fact that depression is far too complex to be treated with something as dumb as, say, getting a new pet, most of these so‑called cures aren’t even cures at all. In fact, there’s a very real chance that they’re making things worse.

10 Bizarre Ways to Sabotage Your Happiness

10 Having Lots Of Sex

Having a great sex life is supposed to be the high score bonus on the game of life. Not only are you obviously charming, attractive, and witty enough to be bedding a string of supermodels, you’re also having lots of really good sex. So let’s say you looked at the psychological makeup of a modern Casanova, what would you expect to find?

How about a seething mass of anxiety and depression? A recent study surveyed 3,900 college students about their mental well‑being as well as their tendency to leap into bed with strangers. They found elevated levels of anxiety, social anxiety, and depression among those who frequently engaged in casual sex.

Before you all write in complaining we’ve ruined yet another pastime for you, we should point out that this is a bit of a “chicken and egg” scenario—the researchers didn’t determine whether sex caused depression or depression triggered a desire to lose yourself in sex. Whichever way around it is, it means there’s a very real possibility that Hugh Hefner is the most miserable man on Earth.

9 Being Filthy Rich

Right after “an incredible sex life,” the second thing most of us would probably wish for if we ever met a genie is to be absolutely, stinking rich. After all, money may not be able to buy happiness, but it sure makes misery a lot more comfortable, right?

Sorry, wrong again. We’ve all heard the horror stories about the lottery winners who wound up utterly miserable, but current research suggests even those who start out rich are prone to mental illness. Specifically, children of parents earning over $159,000 a year have been found dangerously prone to anxiety, depression, self‑harm, and drug abuse. Only kids from the very poorest families were found to be more at risk than these real‑life Richie Rich’s, so what’s going on?

It comes down to the sort of people who are likely to wind up earning over $150,000 a year—highly motivated, ruthlessly driven types with little time for failure in others. In other words, the exact sort of people who are likely to gift to their children a great big bag of neuroses from their first Little League game onward. All this pressure to do well and become a major stockbroker like Daddy manifests itself in a crippling fear of failure.

8 Being Vegetarian

While it may not quite rank up there with winning the lottery or being chased by crowds of screaming groupies, a vegetarian diet is thought of as shorthand for “wholesome and healthy.” By circumnavigating the excess fat and cancer‑giving properties of meat, vegetarians seem to be in an ideal position to live long, happy lives making tie‑dye shirts and voting Democrat and whatnot—except science suggests otherwise.

A recent German study analyzed the diets and mental health of 4,000 participants using people from all walks of life. The results were surprising, to say the least. Vegetarians were more likely to suffer from anxiety, hypochondria, depression, and even stuff like body dysmorphia than their meat‑eating counterparts.

This wasn’t just a mild statistical anomaly, either—the study participants were twice as likely to be mentally ill as the general population, and three times more likely than the study control group. Again, no one’s sure if vegetarianism causes all this misery, or if miserable people are just more likely to ditch the meat, but if you’ve ever needed a scientifically‑backed excuse to justify your five‑steak‑a‑day habit, this is it.

7 Not Getting Drunk

Alcohol and depression go together like Glenn Beck and populist extremism. Aside from being a depressant, our favorite liquid drug is also highly addictive, incredibly damaging to the body, and more socially damaging than even crack or heroin. It makes sense to assume, then, that teetotalers will be free from the fog of guilt and misery that binge‑drinkers are forced to wade through every Saturday morning. Well, prepare to be shocked.

A Norwegian study recently compared the mental health and drinking habits of an astonishing 38,000 people. Although the research team found that heavy drinking corresponded to high levels of anxiety, the opposite was true of depression. The respondents who exercised rigorous self‑control were apparently less happy than those who woke up each morning in a pool of vomit.

The theory goes that those who never drink but live in “drinking cultures” are less likely to forge strong social bonds with people than those who are happy to relax a little with a beer. While we’d never recommend that anyone do a Nic Cage in Leaving Las Vegas, it does seem that total abstinence is a recipe for disaster.

6 Being Religious

We’re used to thinking of religion as a great comfort. After all, when little Timmy’s dog dies, is he gonna feel better hearing that he’s now in doggy heaven, or that he’s a cold and lifeless husk you’ll probably throw out with the trash? For all atheists like to find fault with all aspects of it, surely religion at least has a net effect on happiness.

It’s a nice thought, but that’s sadly all it is. A study published earlier this year followed 8,000 people from different religions, countries, and socioeconomic backgrounds for over six months and charted their vulnerability to depression. It found that the more strongly religious someone was, the more likely they were to experience major depression. At the same time, those whose beliefs changed during the course of the study were also assessed. The ones who dumped their religion to become atheists generally got happier, the ones who dumped their atheism to become religious generally got sadder. On almost every criteria, the devout were shown as being worse off than those who were either secular or “weakly” religious. In short, it seems that any faith claiming to be a path to happiness is unfortunately mistaken.

5 Playing Sports

Exercise is supposed to have a positive effect on the brain, and team sports are surely good for at least making friends and feeling part of a group. So what’s all this nonsense about sport causing depression?

Specifically, researchers looked into the mental health of current and former college athletes and found that those still “in the game” were up to twice as likely to be depressed as those who had graduated. In their hypothesis, the researchers stated that they expected to find former stars—now deprived of their teammates, coaches, and the thrill of the game—struggling with major depression. But their findings suggested the complete opposite.

Like the rich kids one above, it more than likely comes down to the insane pressure college athletes are under. Aside from having to deal with studying, they’ve also got to play their best, not let their team down, and try to reach the very top—all goals that can cause major stress if missed. In spite of what common sense may tell you, sport is no more a guaranteed key to happiness than, say—buying a new pair of Levi’s.

4 Going Shopping

You’ve probably heard of “retail therapy,” the idea that the best way to unwind from a stressful week is to go and splurge your paycheck on a really expensive pair of shoes. It’s a staple of consumerism, the driving force behind stuff like Christmas and 80 percent of all Sex and the City storylines—and according to science, it’s making you totally miserable.

A recent study in the Netherlands followed 2,500 people over six years to gauge their shopping habits and happiness. They found that materialistic people were more likely to be lonely, because shopping creates a “loop of loneliness” that makes them more depressed the more they do it.

The problem comes down to our culture of consumerism. Thanks to decades of advertising, we’re taught to associate certain values with certain products. When we’re unable to afford one of these items or have to spend more than we should to get it, we wind up feeling anxious, isolated from our peers, and miserable. It turns out that retail therapy is less cathartic and more systematically destroying any chance you have at happiness.

3 Listening To Music

It’s not uncommon to hear nostalgic music critics talking about the song or album “that saved their life.” It’s a feeling everyone can understand—that moment when you hear a snatch of song that somehow reminds you that things aren’t quite as crappy as they often seem. Therefore, it can come as a bit of a shock to learn listening to music can apparently make you prone to depression.

In 2011, a University of Pittsburgh study categorized teens by the amount of time they spent listening to music and compared it to their mental well‑being. They found that for every increased level of listening, their risk of depression increased by 80 percent. This is almost the exact opposite effect that reading had, with teens becoming 50 percent less likely to be miserable with each level of increased reading time. In fact, music was found to be the pastime most linked with depression, beating out even TV in the sadness stakes.

Why would this be? Are all the teens in Pittsburgh listening to non‑stop Radiohead or something? Well, that’s the thing—we don’t know. Perhaps modern music is just too consistently miserable, or perhaps depressed teenagers are simply more likely to try to escape through music. All we can say for sure is that the bouncy guy on the bus with happy hardcore blaring out his earphones is probably more depressed than the girl sat next to him reading the collected works of Franz Kafka.

2 Voting Democrat

According to The New York Times, conservatives are measurably happier than liberals and have been for years. A 2006 Pew study found self‑professed conservatives were 68 percent more likely than left‑leaning Democrats to say they were “very happy,” with single, childless liberals being the most miserable of all. A similar partisan happiness gap has been consistently reported for decades (LINK 16). In other words, the simple fact that you’d take Ronald Reagan over Bill Clinton means you’re less likely to be depressed.

So what causes all this liberal misery? Well, no one’s really sure. In 2008, Pew suggested it might be because Republicans are more likely to be rich and religious—a statement that flatly contradicts two items in our list so far. Others have claimed conservatives simply have a sunnier outlook, while yet others have noted that liberals are statistically less likely to get married.

However, before you GOP types start celebrating, you should be aware that there’s one type of liberal happier than you are. According to the same studies, people on the extreme left are happier than everyone except the craziest right‑wing extremists, meaning that both the Tea Party and Occupy are enjoying life far more most of us in the middle.

1 Being Social On The Internet

Are you the type of person who will finish reading this, scroll down, and leave a comment? We’ve got some bad news—you’re objectively more likely to be lonely and miserable than the guy who just skims and moves on.

A recent study analyzed the Internet usage of a cohort of depressed and non‑depressed people and found that unhappy people use the Internet differently from anyone else. Specifically, they were more likely to engage in peer‑to‑peer usage like sharing photos, music, and opinions through Facebook, chat rooms, and message boards. Healthy people, on the other hand, were less likely to obsessively check their email, spend time on social networks, and sit up late at night reading list‑based articles.

This kind of goes against everything we think we know about the Internet. The whole social media interaction thing is supposed to make us less lonely and more connected—hence, everyone seeming to have more Facebook friends than there are people on the planet. However, a huge body of research suggests this view is outdated nonsense. So there you have it: The secret to happiness on the internet is to simply ignore all the angry idiots out there and get on with own thing. Who’d have thought it?

Everything in moderation, as the old adage goes. As it turns out, 10 surprising ways the modern world is making us sick, and research keeps unearthing how our daily environment is quietly eroding our health. We may be living longer than our ancestors, but the present era isn’t exactly a health haven.

10 Feeling Guilty Can Damage Your Health

Every January, people worldwide set resolutions to ditch bad habits and kick‑start self‑improvement. A few weeks later, many start feeling a pang of guilt for slipping up. While a little guilt can be a motivator, too much becomes harmful. Feeling guilty isn’t just uncomfortable—it can actually suppress your immune system. Researchers at Hull University discovered that guilt‑laden individuals showed lower levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A in their saliva. So, if two friends unwind with wine and trashy reality TV, the one who feels guilty is more prone to catching viral and bacterial infections. In short, that “guilty pleasure” may be the reason you catch colds more often than a peer who simply calls it a pleasure.

9 Light Pollution

Astronomers say most Americans under 40 have never truly experienced darkness. Urban “sky glow”—where artificial light scatters off water droplets—creates a luminous dome over cities. Even inside homes, tiny LEDs on alarm clocks and TVs stay lit 24/7, and our bodies weren’t built for constant illumination. Light pollution in developed nations now reaches a point where it harms health. Physicist Eric Vandernoot notes that humans are hard‑wired for a light‑dark cycle; excess evening light is linked to diabetes, obesity, depression, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.

Sleep disorders are another major fallout. Light pollution may have reshaped how we sleep. Before the Industrial Revolution, people often slept in two four‑hour blocks separated by an hour or two of quiet wakefulness. Studies show that once artificial light is removed, many revert to this biphasic pattern. Even if you buy blackout curtains, streetlights still bathe neighborhoods in light. Turning off streetlights has been found to dramatically reduce crime—because even criminals need to see—but it also protects your circadian rhythm.

8 Added Sugar Is Worse Than You Realized

Sugar itself isn’t evil—glucose fuels the brain and body. The problem is that we now consume far more sugar than ancestors ever did, and too much of a good thing is dangerous. While our forebears got sugar from fruits and grains, today most added sugar sneaks into processed foods. The average American swallows about 27.5 teaspoons of added sugar each day. The brain’s satiety trigger gets blunted, making it harder to know when to stop.

Only recently have scientists fully grasped sugar’s damage. In the 1970s, public concern over dietary fat led manufacturers to replace fat with sugar, causing a spike in consumption worldwide. Excess sugar is now tied to high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, premature skin aging, dementia, brain damage, poor metabolism, and liver disease. Some researchers even suggest added sugar may damage DNA, putting it on par with alcohol and tobacco as a health hazard.

7 Climate Change

We know climate change is sickening Mother Earth, but it also threatens human health. Warmer oceans boost toxic algal blooms, such as Alexandrium catenella, which can poison seafood and cause vomiting to paralysis. Drier conditions lift dust into the seas, fostering dangerous bacteria; Vibrio‑related seafood poisoning has risen 85 % since 1996. Rapid urbanization strains sewer systems—Milwaukee, for instance, sees overflow with just 4.3 cm (1.7 in) of rain in a day. As flooding becomes more common, water‑borne diseases could re‑emerge in developed regions.

6 Lack Of Sleep

It’s a cliché, but in our fast‑paced world many people simply don’t get enough shut‑eye. Researchers warn that chronic insomnia, especially under six hours per night for men, dramatically raises early mortality. One study found 51.1 % of male insomniacs died within 14 years versus just 9.1 % of regular sleepers. The effect appears gender‑specific; women with chronic insomnia show only a slight mortality increase, perhaps because men experience more severe insomnia.

Insomnia isn’t lethal on its own, but it erodes health by denying the body time to recover. Long‑term sleep loss can cause irreversible brain damage by killing neurons. Night‑shift work further harms health, and “catch‑up” sleep on weekends doesn’t offset weekday deficits. In short, skimping on sleep is a silent killer.

5 Phones And Tablets

Beyond insomnia, the glow of smartphones, tablets, and e‑readers before bed sabotages sleep. Harvard Medical School ran a study where participants read a paper book for five nights, then swapped to an iPad for the next five. The iPad dramatically delayed sleep onset and reduced REM sleep, leaving participants groggy the next morning.

On a cellular level, bright screens postpone melatonin release by about 90 minutes, confusing the brain’s circadian pacemaker. According to Pew Research, 61 % of Americans aged 18‑29 keep their phones by the bedside to avoid missing updates. If you need a nighttime tech fix, consider a non‑illuminated Kindle, which won’t interfere with melatonin production.

4 Suppressing Anger

Refusing to voice constructive disagreement can wreak havoc on health. Bottling anger spikes stress hormones, shortening lifespans. While healthy anger can be adaptive—fueling risk‑taking—chronic, explosive anger links to high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, strokes, cancer, heart disease, and digestive trouble. A University of Michigan study found couples who suppressed anger faced higher mortality than those who argued it out.

Learning to manage anger effectively is vital, yet many people lack the tools, leading to low self‑esteem and broader mental‑health issues. Properly expressed anger can actually be a protective mechanism.

3 Antibiotics Can Kill Helpful Bacteria

The 20th‑century miracle of antibiotics saved countless lives, but it also carries unintended side effects. Humans host roughly ten times more bacterial cells than human cells, and antibiotics indiscriminately wipe out both harmful and beneficial microbes. Gut bacteria aid digestion and bolster immunity, so antibiotics often trigger diarrhea and stomach upset.

New York University researchers showed that newborn mice given antibiotics later developed metabolic disorders, as early‑life gut colonization was disrupted. This suggests that infants exposed to antibiotics may be predisposed to obesity and diabetes later. While judicious use remains essential, awareness of collateral damage is crucial.

2 Noise Pollution

A sudden loud bang can damage hearing, but the constant hum of modern life—traffic, sirens, fans—creates pervasive noise pollution. About 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous occupational noise annually, and many more endure “secondhand” noise. Hearing loss can lead to communication breakdowns, discrimination, reduced academic or work performance, loneliness, and depression.

Low‑frequency vibrations from traffic raise stress hormone levels, and the World Health Organization flags noise as a risk factor for heart disease. Chronic exposure also spikes blood pressure, disrupts sleep, provokes breathing problems, and can alter brain structure. Children exposed to high noise levels show diminished cognitive performance.

1 Retiring

Many Americans dream of working hard, then retiring to relax, but health‑wise the equation isn’t simple. A job you hate can damage mental and physical health; only 13 % of Americans say they enjoy their work. Even satisfied workers who log long hours—average workweek now 47 hours, with 21 % clocking 50‑59 hours and 18 % exceeding 60 hours—face health risks.

Retirement itself can trigger a decline in wellbeing. Compared to age‑matched peers who keep working, retirees are up to 40 % more likely to develop clinical depression and 60 % more likely to have a diagnosed physical ailment. While some ailments may prompt early retirement, the data underscores the importance of balance: neither over‑working nor extreme idleness is optimal for health.

Kristance is a freelance writer and travel addict living in Argentina. She’s that person who blurts out facts at awkward moments, blogs about her adventures on diggingtoroam.com, and adds quirky posts to instalaugh.tumblr.com. Her most exciting moment in 2014? Jewel retweeted her. Follow Kristance on Twitter for more.

Products come and go, and there are plenty of fascinating examples of 10 interesting things that vanished from store shelves. Whether a bold design misread the market, a quirky ingredient baffled shoppers, or an eco‑concern sparked backlash, each story reveals how quickly consumer tastes and technology can shift. Below we dive into ten distinct items manufacturers stopped making, exploring the twists and turns that led to their ultimate disappearance.

10 Interesting Things to Remember About Discontinued Products

10 The Ford Edsel Fiasco

The Ford Edsel rolled out in 1957 with the promise of bridging the gap between Ford’s mainstream and luxury lines. Its most eye‑catching feature was a vertical grille that split opinions; some loved the futuristic look, while others found it off‑putting. Early production suffered from quality‑control hiccups, earning the car a reputation for unreliability that further dampened enthusiasm.

Launching amid an economic recession didn’t help. Buyers were cautious, and the Edsel’s premium price tag felt risky for an unproven model. Despite a massive advertising blitz, sales fell far short of forecasts, and production halted after just three model years in 1960, achieving less than half the projected volume.

In hindsight, the Edsel serves as a textbook case study: a mix of bold styling, timing missteps, and shaky economics can derail even a well‑funded auto venture. Today collectors prize the Edsel as a quirky relic of an era when daring ideas sometimes missed the mark.

9 The Rise and Fall of Pepsi Blue

Pepsi Blue burst onto the scene in 2002, a berry‑flavored cola that turned heads (and eyes) with its electric blue hue, achieved through the food‑grade dye Blue 1. The goal was to capture younger drinkers looking for something beyond the classic cola palette.

Even with a high‑profile marketing push featuring celebrity endorsements and prime shelf placement, the drink struggled to find a loyal fan base. Many consumers described the berry taste as overly artificial, and sales never hit the targets set by PepsiCo. After just two years, the product was pulled from shelves in 2004.

Pepsi Blue’s brief lifespan underscores that eye‑catching color and bold flavor aren’t enough; consumer acceptance hinges on taste authenticity and lasting appeal. While the bottle still shows up in nostalgia collections, the lesson remains clear—innovation must resonate on multiple levels to survive.

8 The Curious Case of Clairol Touch of Yogurt Shampoo

Clairol’s Touch of Yogurt Shampoo arrived in 1979, aiming to ride the wave of natural‑ingredient trends in personal care. By infusing real yogurt into the formula, the brand hoped to attract health‑conscious shoppers seeking a fresh, protein‑rich cleanse.

However, the concept proved puzzling for many buyers. The notion of using a breakfast staple in a hair wash was unfamiliar, and the packaging failed to clarify that the product was strictly for external use. Some consumers even wondered if the shampoo was edible, leading to confusion and hesitancy.

Sales lagged, and safety concerns about the formulation eventually prompted Clairol to discontinue the line. The yogurt shampoo remains a quirky footnote in hair‑care history, illustrating how essential clear messaging and consumer education are when launching unconventional products.

7 The McDonald’s McDLT: A Hot and Cold Failure

The McDLT hit the fast‑food scene in the 1980s, boasting a clever two‑compartment Styrofoam container that kept the hot patty and cheese separate from the cool lettuce and tomato until the moment of bite. This packaging innovation promised a fresher, more satisfying burger experience.

Unfortunately, the environmental climate of the era was shifting. Growing awareness of waste and the ecological impact of Styrofoam sparked public outcry. Despite the McDLT’s culinary ingenuity, its packaging became the focal point of criticism, eclipsing the burger itself.

Facing mounting pressure from eco‑activists and a changing consumer mindset, McDonald’s retired the McDLT. It lives on more as a case study in how sustainability concerns can outweigh product novelty, reminding brands to balance innovation with environmental responsibility.

6 Microsoft Zune: The Failed iPod Rival

Microsoft entered the portable media arena in 2006 with the Zune, a sleek device that offered wireless syncing and a subscription‑based music service. Its design aimed to differentiate it from Apple’s dominant iPod, promising a fresh alternative for music lovers.

Yet the Zune struggled to capture market share. Apple’s entrenched brand loyalty, a powerful iTunes ecosystem, and superior marketing left little room for a newcomer. Early software glitches and a lack of third‑party app support further hampered its appeal.

After five years of underwhelming sales, Microsoft discontinued the Zune in October 2011, transitioning its digital content services to Xbox Music and Xbox Video the following year. The Zune’s story highlights that even well‑engineered hardware can falter without a robust ecosystem and strong brand momentum.

5 The Rise and Fall of Google Glass

Google unveiled Glass in 2012, a lightweight wearable that projected a tiny heads‑up display above the right eye. The device promised hands‑free access to navigation, messaging, and real‑time information, sparking excitement about the future of augmented reality.

However, privacy concerns quickly surfaced. The built‑in camera made it easy to record others without consent, earning wearers the unflattering nickname “Glasshole.” Coupled with a steep price tag, limited functionality, short battery life, and occasional overheating, the product struggled to gain mainstream acceptance.

By 2015, Google ceased sales of the Explorer Edition, though it continued refining Glass for enterprise use in specific industries. The saga of Google Glass serves as a reminder that cutting‑edge tech must also address societal and practical hurdles to thrive.

4 Sony Aibo Robot Dog: A High‑Tech Pet That Couldn’t Fetch Success

Sony introduced Aibo in 1999, a robotic canine capable of learning tricks, recognizing faces, and responding to voice commands. The high‑tech pet combined companionship with advanced robotics, quickly becoming a symbol of futuristic home entertainment.

Despite its innovations, Aibo faced steep barriers. With a launch price near $2,000, it was out of reach for many households. Moreover, while the robot could perform programmed behaviors, it couldn’t replicate the unpredictable warmth of a living pet, limiting its emotional appeal.

Sony halted production in 2006, citing financial pressures and a strategic pivot toward other ventures. Support for the final ERS‑7 model ended in 2013, and repairs ceased in 2014. Today, Aibo enjoys a cult following among collectors and remains a milestone in consumer robotics.

3 Apple Newton: Ahead of Its Time, but Still a Flop

The Apple Newton debuted in 1993 as one of the first personal digital assistants, featuring a touchscreen and pioneering handwriting recognition. Apple envisioned it as a revolutionary tool for managing both personal and professional tasks on the go.

Unfortunately, the Newton’s handwriting software proved notoriously inaccurate, becoming a target of jokes and skepticism. The device was also bulky and pricey, making it a hard sell compared to emerging competitors in the PDA market.

Apple discontinued the Newton in 1998 after five years, but its influence lived on, laying groundwork for later breakthroughs like the iPhone and iPad. The Newton remains a fascinating footnote in Apple’s history—an ambitious concept that paved the way for future successes.

2 Nintendo Virtual Boy: A Visionary Misstep

In 1995, Nintendo launched the Virtual Boy, a daring attempt to bring virtual reality to home gaming. Its distinctive red‑and‑black 3D graphics and head‑mounted display promised an immersive experience unlike any other console.

The device suffered from a range of drawbacks: an uncomfortable form factor, eye strain from the monochrome display, a limited library of games, and a high price point. These issues, combined with the rise of more powerful gaming systems, led to poor sales.

Within a year, Nintendo pulled the Virtual Boy from the market. While it remains a cautionary tale about the risks of pioneering new tech, it also stands as a testament to Nintendo’s willingness to experiment, influencing later ventures into immersive gaming.

1 Cab‑Over Trucks: The Decline of an Iconic Design

Cab‑over trucks, once a staple on American highways, featured a flat‑front cab perched directly over the engine, offering superior maneuverability and a compact overall length—advantages for urban deliveries and meeting strict length regulations.

Over time, safety concerns grew, as the design provided less frontal crash protection compared to conventional trucks. Advances in aerodynamics also made traditional cab‑over models less fuel‑efficient, while the larger cab space of conventional designs improved driver comfort on long hauls.

These factors led to a steady decline in popularity throughout the 1980s. Though still used in niche applications, the shift away from cab‑over trucks reflects broader industry trends prioritizing safety, efficiency, and ergonomics, marking the end of an era for this once‑iconic configuration.

With modern medicine, we often grow overly confident, assuming we can defeat any illness. Yet the resurgence of 10 deadly diseases proves that complacency is dangerous. Recent flare‑ups across the globe remind us that no one is immune.

10 Deadly Diseases on the Rise

1 Cholera

Cholera is a severe diarrheal illness. Before 2010, Haiti had gone a century without a cholera outbreak, but that peace shattered when the disease surged along the Meille River. Over 400 UN peacekeepers, fresh from a cholera‑stricken Nepal, were stationed nearby, and their waste contaminated the river.

The United Nations eventually apologized, but it was too late for the roughly 10,000 Haitians who died. Experts estimate that a simple $1‑per‑patient treatment could have cut the epidemic by 91 percent.

Cholera isn’t confined to distant, impoverished regions. South Korea reported its first homegrown case in 15 years. In the 19th century, cholera devastated the peninsula, claiming about 400,000 lives—nearly half the population. Officials there believe the recent incident may stay isolated, yet certainty remains elusive.

2 Dengue Fever

Dengue fever is ravaging tropical zones, transmitted by mosquitoes and causing fever, joint pain, and occasionally death. In late 2016, a 13‑year‑old girl in Karachi became the fourth fatality in Pakistan’s recent outbreak.

In 2015, Pakistan alone recorded 40 dengue deaths, while worldwide the disease claims roughly 20,000 lives each year. The United States isn’t immune either; Hawaii experienced its largest post‑statehood outbreak in 2015, with 261 confirmed cases.

The newly launched vaccine Dengvaxia, after two decades of development, carries a paradox: because dengue exploits a phenomenon called antibody‑dependent enhancement, the vaccine can sometimes worsen the disease if given to someone who has never been infected. It works best for those who have already survived dengue.

Thus, careful administration is crucial; otherwise, the vaccine could lead to more hospital visits rather than fewer.

3 Leprosy

Officially called Hansen’s disease, leprosy can cause disfigurement, blindness, and even death. Though often thought of as an ancient scourge, it still afflicts the United States, averaging about 150 cases per year.

Many assumed these infections arrived from distant, endemic regions, but recent research uncovered a surprising domestic source: armadillos. Studies revealed that the bacterial strain infecting humans in the southern states matches the one found in local armadillos.

Investigators examined 25 human patients and 28 armadillos, discovering a genetic overlap. Fortunately, when caught early, leprosy responds to antibiotic therapy.

4 Bubonic Plague

The bubonic plague, infamous for the Black Death that wiped out 60 percent of medieval Europe, still haunts humanity. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, swollen lymph nodes, and nausea.

A recent fatal case forced Chinese officials to quarantine the entire city of Yumen. In the previous year, Madagascar suffered an outbreak that claimed 39 lives. In the United States, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico serve as hot spots, with an average of seven cases annually, though 2015 saw more than double that number.

The culprit, Yersinia pestis, remains treatable with antibiotics, reducing mortality to roughly 16 percent when therapy starts promptly. Untreated, the fatality rate can soar to 93 percent. Alarmingly, antibiotic‑resistant strains have been identified, raising concerns among epidemiologists.

5 Polio

The World Health Organization has declared the Americas, Europe, the western Pacific, and Southeast Asia polio‑free, creating a false sense that the disease belongs only in history books. In reality, it persists.

Just as the WHO prepared to label Africa polio‑free, two cases erupted in Nigeria’s Borno State, a region dominated by Boko Haram. Health workers can only vaccinate residents when militants temporarily abandon an area. Similar “wild” polio outbreaks have surfaced in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Ukraine also experienced a recent surge, but this time the virus originated from the weakened strain used in oral vaccines. With only about half of Ukraine’s population immunized, the situation could become dire.

6 Typhoid Fever

Typhoid fever, a deadly bacterial infection related to food‑borne salmonella, claims 600,000 lives annually out of 16–30 million cases worldwide. The disease thrives in densely populated regions with poor sanitation.

Transmission usually occurs through contaminated water or food, leading to high fever, abdominal pain, headaches, and nausea. Children are especially vulnerable, and infant mortality remains high. Improved sanitation, safe drinking water, and better hygiene can curb the spread.

Even in the United States, the disease is resurging. Oklahoma reported an outbreak north of its capital, traced to a single family that likely contracted the illness abroad. Florida has also seen a rapid increase in cases.

7 Diphtheria

In 2015, Spain recorded its first diphtheria case in 28 years—a young boy from Catalonia whose parents chose to forgo vaccination despite the country’s free, widely available program.

The disease has a grim history on the Iberian Peninsula, with devastating outbreaks in the 16th and 17th centuries, one famously dubbed the “year of strangulations.”

Diphtheria, caused by Cornynebacterium diphtheriae, primarily targets young children and adults over 60, killing roughly one in ten infected individuals.

The bacterium produces a toxin that creates a dead membrane coating the throat, making breathing and swallowing painful. If the toxin enters the bloodstream, it can damage internal organs.

8 Measles

In 2000, the United States declared measles eliminated, but a massive 2014 outbreak ignited at California’s Disneyland, eventually infecting 84 people across 14 states.

By late 2016, Arizona alone reported 22 confirmed cases, doubling the nation’s typical annual tally. Measles can cause encephalitis, blindness, and death.

The resurgence stems from two forces: importation of cases from abroad and the anti‑vaccine movement. Each year, 22 million people worldwide contract measles. Epidemiologists traced the latest U.S. flare‑up to the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona, suspecting the index patient arrived from outside the country.

From the 1960s onward, a robust vaccination campaign kept measles at bay, but growing vaccine refusal now threatens that progress. When unvaccinated individuals encounter the virus, the consequences can be severe.

9 Syphilis

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—unless it’s a sexually transmitted infection. A recent spike in syphilis cases in Sin City has exposed a fresh vulnerability to this age‑old bacterial disease.

During its early stage, syphilis is easily cured with penicillin. Left untreated, however, later stages can unleash a terrifying array of symptoms: loss of muscle control, dementia, rashes, blindness, and even death.

Researchers attribute the surge to shifting sexual habits. Smartphone hookup apps make anonymous encounters more common, and the success of HIV treatments has led some to forgo condoms.

Most reported infections involve gay men. Currently, Las Vegas holds the highest syphilis rate in the western United States, surpassed only by Washington, DC, on a national scale.

10 Leptospirosis

In 2009, the Philippines suffered a double blow: tropical storm Ketsana flooded the nation, followed by an outbreak of “rat fever,” or leptospirosis. This bacterial illness spreads through contact with animal urine, and the post‑storm floodwaters created a perfect breeding ground.

The outbreak claimed 157 lives, producing symptoms such as severe headaches, fever, kidney failure, and massive lung bleeding. Mortality rates typically hover between five and ten percent, but a 2015 surge in Mumbai saw a staggering 33 percent death rate.

Leptospirosis isn’t limited to tropical floods. In the United States, canine cases emerged in 2015 across California and Colorado, while sea lions on Oregon’s coast were devastated in 2009. Raccoons serve as major carriers, and up to 90 percent of urban rats harbor the bacteria.

How long before this pathogen jumps from animals to a broader human population in the United States?

Further Reading

These diseases aren’t the only things making a comeback! So are these lists from the archives:

10 Dreadful Symptoms Of Deadly Diseases
Top 10 Gruesome Disfiguring Diseases
Top 10 Odd Diseases With No Known Cause
10 Horrifying Diseases You Definitely Don’t Want To Catch

Abraham Rinquist is the Executive Director of the Winooski, Vermont, branch of the Helen Hartness Flanders Folklore Society. He is the coauthor of Codex Exotica and Song‑Catcher: The Adventures of Blackwater Jukebox.

Trends behave a lot like the seasons – they arrive, they linger, and sometimes they burst back onto the scene with renewed vigor. In 2020 we’re witnessing a wave of retro‑style revivals that prove the old can feel fresh again. From analog music gear to classic hairstyles, the past is proving surprisingly popular among today’s consumers.

Why These Top 10 Things Matter in 2020

10 Record Players And Vinyls

For decades, spinning a vinyl disc was the premier way to experience music. Those who grew up with turntables often reminisce about the thrill of browsing record‑store aisles, hunting for fresh releases, and adding them to ever‑growing collections.

When digital formats arrived, tapes and CDs quickly displaced records, and by the early 2000s streaming services had rendered physical media almost obsolete. The convenience of downloading or streaming became the dominant listening habit.

Fast forward to 2020, and sales figures show a noticeable resurgence in both turntable units and vinyl records, especially among younger listeners. Collectors now value the tactile experience of owning a tangible album, even if the record is four or five decades old.

Today, many artists release limited‑edition vinyl alongside their digital drops, turning the format into a premium offering rather than a relic. Some fans even regret discarding their old crates, opting instead to rebuild their collections from scratch.

9 Classic Video Games

Over the past ten years, a handful of classic video titles have been resurrected, though not every effort has turned into a blockbuster. The most ambitious revival slated for 2020 is Square Enix’s full‑scale remake of the beloved Final Fantasy VII, scheduled for an April launch.

This remake follows a recent pattern where legacy franchises such as Crash Bandicoot and Spyro have received polished remasters. Should the Final Fantasy VII reboot achieve commercial success, it could spark a wave of similar projects for other iconic games.

Additionally, many older titles fell out of favor when analog connections like SCART gave way to HDMI. While emulators kept some games alive, developers are now porting these classics to iOS and Android, ensuring new generations can enjoy them without the need for legacy hardware.

8 Mullets

The mullet—a hairstyle synonymous with the 1980s—has resurfaced in the fashion world. Rugby star Jack Goodhue of the All Blacks has become a modern ambassador for the “business in front, party in back” look, proving the cut’s enduring appeal.

Shows like Stranger Things have helped re‑ignite interest, while London salons report a steady stream of customers requesting the style. The Guardian notes that barbers are now trimming at least one or two mullets per week, a clear sign of growing demand.

Its resurgence is tied to a broader cultural shift toward gender‑neutral aesthetics. The mullet’s ability to straddle professional and rebellious vibes makes it a perfect fit for today’s more inclusive attitudes toward personal grooming.

7 Unions

In the 1950s and 1960s, labor unions boasted massive memberships in the United States and United Kingdom—roughly 35 percent of American workers were unionized at the height of the movement.

Today that figure has slipped to about 10‑11 percent, and many millennials admit they lack a clear understanding of what a union does. The service‑oriented economy has made organizing more difficult than during the manufacturing boom of previous decades.

Nevertheless, recent years have seen a revitalization of union activity. According to AFL‑CIO President Richard Trumka, the movement is “stronger than it has been in decades,” and Gallup data from 2015 shows 58 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of unions.

If this sentiment translates into new memberships, we could be witnessing a genuine renaissance of collective bargaining and workplace solidarity.

6 Stephen King

Master of horror Stephen King reached his zenith in the 1970s and 1980s with classics like Carrie, The Shining, and It. Those novels spawned blockbuster films, cementing King’s reputation as a cultural juggernaut.

Following that peak, the late 1990s and early 2000s saw King focusing on the sprawling Dark Tower series, and his mainstream visibility waned. Adaptations of his work slowed, leaving a generation of millennials relatively unfamiliar with his oeuvre.

The explosion of streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu has reignited interest. Recent years have delivered high‑budget adaptations like It (and its sequel), The Dark Tower, Pet Sematary, In the Tall Grass, and the hit series Castle Rock. Additional shows—11.22.63 on Hulu and The Outsider on HBO—have further amplified his presence.

This torrent of new content has given King a second wind, ensuring that even those who missed his 80s fame are now introduced to his storytelling through modern media.

5 Houseplants

During the 1950s and 1960s, indoor greenery was a staple of home décor, adding life to living rooms and bedrooms. By the 1990s, however, the trend faded as technology and flashier interior options took precedence.

In recent years, plants such as spider plants and snake plants have surged back into popularity. The Royal Horticultural Society reports a 60 percent jump in houseplant sales during the latter half of 2019, a spike largely driven by Instagram’s visual culture and the desire to showcase lush interiors.

The rise aligns with heightened awareness of vegan lifestyles and climate concerns, prompting people to favor living décor over static ornaments. Millennials, in particular, enjoy caring for something tangible in an increasingly virtual world.

4 Shag Carpets

The 1970s celebrated shag—thick, fluffy rugs that dominated living‑room aesthetics and even appeared on walls in some avant‑garde designs. Iconic films like Austin Powers and the TV series Mad Men captured the era’s love for tactile, bold textures.

By the 1990s, the shag craze gave way to beige rugs and laminate flooring, signaling a shift toward minimalism. Today, however, designers are re‑introducing shag in contemporary palettes, offering a cozy, statement‑making alternative for modern homes.

While the exact patterns of the ’70s are evolving, the renewed interest in plush, tactile flooring suggests a broader desire for vibrant, Instagram‑ready interiors that break away from the sterile aesthetics of the past.

3 Social Boundaries

Before the age of pervasive social platforms, people lived with clearer personal boundaries. Strangers rarely knew where you’d been, what you’d eaten, or even your profession, and there was no instant way to slide into someone’s direct messages.

The digital era shattered those walls, making every facet of daily life publicly visible. Yet 2020 marks a noticeable backlash: users are actively deleting accounts, muting or blocking contacts, and even high‑profile athletes and celebrities are stepping away from platforms citing mental‑health pressures.

This shift reflects a growing appetite for minimalist, privacy‑first lifestyles that echo pre‑digital norms. Concepts like “Joy of Missing Out” (JOMO) are gaining traction, offering a counter‑balance to the relentless “Fear of Missing Out” (FOMO) that has dominated social media culture.

2 Tea Strainers

Before the invention of the convenient tea bag, tea enthusiasts relied on infusers and strainers to brew loose‑leaf blends, believing the method produced richer, more nuanced flavors.

In the early 20th century United States, silk‑lined bags began to be used for packaging loose tea, and consumers soon started dipping the bags directly into hot water. This convenience pushed traditional strainers onto the sidelines, and the tea bag became the dominant brewing tool.

Recently, a renaissance of loose‑leaf brewing has emerged as younger consumers gravitate toward less‑processed, artisanal experiences. This trend dovetails with a broader move toward supporting local, high‑quality products, prompting a renewed interest in elegant tea strainers.

1 World Division And Mistrust

Not every comeback on this list is uplifting. In 2020, geopolitical tensions have resurfaced, echoing Cold‑War‑era suspicion and division. Political polarization in the United States, Brazil, and elsewhere has amplified narratives of mistrust.

Social media platforms have become fertile ground for spreading racial intolerance and disinformation, contributing to a sense that the world is moving backward. Climate change debates are often downplayed or dismissed, further deepening societal fractures.

State actors such as Russia continue covert operations aimed at destabilizing international politics, feeding into a climate of paranoia. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has warned that the Doomsday Clock now sits at a record‑low 100 seconds to midnight, underscoring the perilous state of global affairs.

While this grim outlook contrasts sharply with the lighter revivals above, it serves as a reminder that not all trends point toward progress, and collective vigilance remains essential.

Researchers forecast that the international market for video games will grow at nearly 13% a year until, by 2030, it will be worth around $580 billion. With such an incredible amount of money at stake, game developers are constantly trying to find a game that will capture the public’s imagination and be the next big thing.

Ever-developing technology means that games are more and more sophisticated. Companies are spending huge sums in the hunt for success. Games appear and quickly disappear without leaving much of a mark. Yet, despite technological progress, some older games persist and become popular again.

We have recently seen board games (Monopoly is an example) surge in popularity. And some of the reasons why this is true of board games also apply to old video games. Nostalgia is one reason. People remember playing something years ago and want to take another look at it. Often, they are interested in something other than the latest version of an old favorite—they want to play the same game they played way back when. Familiarity is comforting.

Another motive connected to nostalgia is that players know what to expect. They remember the game and know how to play it. They don’t have to study a manual or watch videos on YouTube to learn how to play. A third reason is that these games are often simple and straightforward. The task is clear, and a player doesn’t get bogged down in complexity.

Our list contains games of various types, from challenges to role-plays. Some have never entirely disappeared, and some have made comebacks that seem surprising. Here are ten classic video games making a comeback.

Related: 10 Bizarre Video Games That Actually Exist

10 Pac Man

First released in 1980, Pac-Man became the iconic game of that decade. Because video games were a novelty, almost any game would find players. But Pac-Man’s simple but attractive graphics, loveable characters, and simple game plan turned players into addicts.

It might have been easy to play, but it was tough to master. A player could always try to get a higher score next time. And players spent an endless amount of quarters trying to outscore themselves and their friends. You could never win at Pac-Man because there was no end-point.

So far, Pac-Man has raked in over $14 billion and sold around 48 million copies. In 2005, Guinness World Records named it the most successful coin-operated game of all time.

Its popularity waned as more sophisticated games appeared, but constant tweaks and its wide availability drew in new generations of fans.

9 World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft came onto the market in 2004 and was an immediate hit. Critics and players loved it, and it quickly became the most successful multiplayer online role-playing game ever, with an astonishing 12 million subscribers in 2010.

The developer, Blizzard Entertainment, released World of Warcraft to build on the Warcraft franchise that had started with the release of Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994. This real-time strategy game reached a wide public, but the public turned away from these types of games in the early 2000s. World of Warcraft was the answer that reached a new audience and ensured that the world of Azeroth continued to draw people in.

Expansion packs keep the game fresh and ensure that having made one comeback, it won’t need another.

8 Doom

Doom is a phenomenon. Originally released in 1993, it’s had its ups and downs but remains popular. When Windows released the Windows 95 operating system, more computers had Doom loaded on them than Windows 95. Over the years, the creators have released new versions of the Doom franchise. But the original keeps coming back.

Other first-person shooter games came onto the market, but Doom was always the one they had to beat.

People still find the original Doom entertaining because it’s easy to navigate and not over-complicated.

7 Dragon Quest

It’s said that when a new edition of Dragon Quest appeared on the market in Japan, people would call in sick to get their hands on a copy before their friends. True or not, the tale shows how popular Dragon Quest was in its native country.

Dragon Quest first came out in 1986 and was very popular in Japan. This popularity didn’t spread to the United States, where sales were sluggish despite good reviews. In the States, the game was called Dragon Warrior until the release of Dragon Quest VIII in 2005. Then, Americans started looking at previous releases.

The developers claim that its popularity relies on the fact that anyone can play it at the level that suits them best. You don’t need to plow through a manual before you start playing; it’s intuitive and fun.

6 Myst

A game that gives a player little information, no clear reason to play, and no obvious enemies is destined for the scrap heap. But Myst was a surprise hit, and critics call it one of the best video games ever made.

Players must work out what they should do and explore Myst’s interactive world. There are puzzles that the player has to solve, but there is no shooting. Myst is a mind game that players love.

People loved its impressive graphics and the challenge, but other games came along and overshadowed Myst. But it keeps coming back. The original version is still a challenge and still fresh. Some people turn back to Myst for nostalgic reasons, and new generations of players have a look at it to see what all the fuss was about. But once in, they are hooked.

5 Chrono Trigger

Some reviewers have described Chrono Trigger as a masterpiece. Square, the developer, released the original in 1995 and clearly had invested a lot of time and love in creating what was an immediate success. This role-playing game has a team of adventurers traveling through time to prevent a catastrophe. Gamers loved it.

Despite its age, the graphics still look great today. The well-developed characters and the soundtrack keep the game fresh, and it still compares well with more modern games.

Chrono Trigger has remained popular through the years, but there are regular surges of new gamers discovering it for the first time.

4 EarthBound

Perhaps American gamers didn’t like being parodied in EarthBound. This Japanese role-playing game was set in Eagleland, a fictional parody of the United States. This 1994 game was a success in Japan—where it was known as Mother 2—but made little impact on American gamers. The developers changed the name in the United States because Mother 2 was the sequel to a game that never appeared on the American market.

The game was intentionally flaky and marketed in the U.S. under the slogan “This Game Stinks.” Americans took the creators at their word and didn’t buy it.

Or most Americans didn’t. It developed a small cult following and made its comeback largely through word of mouth. Critics, most of whom had originally panned the game, came to see it as interesting and different. Its popularity increased, and people are still playing it today.

3 Quake

Sinister and dark, Quake is a first-person shooter game developed by id Software. In the single-player mode, the gamer tries to stop an alien known as Quake. Quake has taken over a human-designed teleporter and is using the device to send kamikaze squads into our world to test our ability to fight back.

When it was originally released in 1996, critics praised Quake, which was immediately popular with gamers. Quake was the successor to Doom and did well for many years as new versions came out.

The original game looks dated, but people have been giving it another look even though it is unsophisticated by modern standards. Perhaps people turn back to it precisely because it’s dated and fairly simple. It’s video gaming’s answer to comfort food.

2 Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog has scuttled from video consoles to appear in books, comics, and films. Add merchandise to these media, and you have a cultural icon. First released in 1991 by Sega, Sonic and his battles with the evil Doctor Eggman were, for many, their introduction to online gaming.

When it came out, Sonic was the obvious competitor to Mario and became just as popular. Later versions of Sonic have yet to be as well-received as the original. But Sonic has remained a favorite since the beginning.

A recent boost in popularity is perhaps because the first Sonic fans now have children of their own and are introducing them to Sonic’s world.

1 Tetris

The Tetris website modestly claims:

“Tetris is the addictive puzzle that started it all, embracing our universal desire to create order out of chaos.”

Originally designed by Soviet software engineer Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris has been frustrating players since 1984. Like Pac-Man, Tetris is a game you can’t win; it will always beat you. The best that a player can do is to better their previous score.

Tetris never went away, but it faded into the background. It was a game that everyone knew, but few played. This has changed. Its availability on virtually all platforms means you can play it anywhere, anytime, when you have a few moments to fill.

It’s simple and addictive. And this is the reason why it’s coming back.

When making donations, it can be hard to find the right charity. You want a charity that supports a worthwhile cause, but you also want your money to have the most impact. To help you in your search, we have compiled a list of ten little charities making big impacts on the world. (Be prepared to have your heartstrings tugged.)

So, whether you are making a large donation or a small one, choosing a charity carefully can help your money reach a good cause and go a long way. This list is in no particular order; these are all worthwhile charities that will continue to benefit others. Let’s get into it!

10 Acadia Center

The first organization on our list is based in Maine but has offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island too. Named for the national park, the Acadia Center is focused on research, advocacy, and generally planning to find ways to mitigate changes to the earth’s climate.

According to its website, this organization “Forms strategic alliances and engages all stakeholders—legislators, business and community leaders, advocacy and environmental justice groups—to press for next-generation solutions and ensure long-term results.”

The Acadia Center’s targets include:

• Replacing gas cars with electric cars
• Advancing environmentalist policies
• Pushing for a transition to non-traditional energy sources

They also state a specific goal with a specific deadline. Acadia Center’s overall goal is for the Northeast United States to cut carbon dioxide creation by half or more by 2030.

9 Puppies Behind Bars

Who doesn’t love puppies? The Puppies Behind Bars charity helps in several ways, but its adorable name references the gist of its mission. Puppies Behind Bars trains inmates to raise dogs for the following services:

1. Service dog for wounded veterans and first responders
2. Law enforcement dog to detect explosives
3. Therapy dogs for police departments

Inmates are provided with a puppy to train; at just eight weeks old, the puppy is taught basic skills and commands. At 24 months old, the puppy is returned to Puppies Behind Bars for further assessment and training and eventually is placed with its full-time handler.

Inmates can learn valuable skills from caring for a Puppies Behind Bars puppy, such as providing love and care to someone else. They also learn to provide something positive to their community rather than negative. The final benefit of Puppies Behind Bars includes the services the dog provides to their full-time handlers.

If you love dogs and their services to others, Puppies Behind Bars is a great organization to support.

8 Charity: Water

This charity, as it sounds, is focused on providing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. Their founder, Scott Harrison, transitioned from a nightclub promoter to the founder of a non-profit after a life-changing experience near Liberia, where he saw the dangerous effects of dirty water.

Since Charity: Water was founded in 2006, they have funded over 90,000 projects, serving more than 14 million people across 29 countries. What we find refreshing is they are upfront about where their donations go and what they have achieved because of the donations.

7 To Write Love on Her Arms

The next charity on our list relates to something that affects almost every single one of us to some degree. Over the last decade or more, mental health has become a greater focus for our society. Many of the stigmas surrounding mental health have lessened or disappeared entirely. This organization, To Write Love on Her Arms, is a charity with mental health goals in mind.

Their website states that they aim to find help and present hope to people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. To Write Love on Her Arms was founded in 2007 by Jame Tworkowski and named for a story he wrote about his friend (who was struggling with mental illness) on the website MySpace. Since its small beginnings, To Write Love on Her Arms has donated over $2.5 million to treatment and recovery from mental illness, depression, addiction, and self-harm.

While the charity’s work is impressive, we know that they have more work to do. Mental health issues are something that many people struggle with daily, and this great organization aims to continue its work.

6 FSHD Society

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a rare genetic muscle disease that affects the muscles of your child’s face, shoulders, upper arms, and lower legs. These muscles weaken and shrink (atrophy).” Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition.

Fortunately, however, the FSHD Society is there for patients and families to turn to. Since being founded in 1991 by two FSHD patients, Steve Jacobsen and Daniel Perez, this charity has grown a lot, investing more than 10 million dollars into determining the causes of FDHD.

According to the FSHD website, they have four main goals:

1. To solve the biological disease process
2. Build infrastructure to accelerate research
3. Improve nationwide patient care
4. Expedite treatment development

FSHD has already accomplished a great deal since its founding in 1991. However, there is still no cure for this disease, and this organization can always benefit from additional support and more people learning about its efforts.

5 India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF)

The next charity on our list is based in North Bethesda, Maryland. Despite its location, the organization focuses on India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. India Development and Relief Fund emphasize national empowerment in these areas. In their words, “Our method puts power, not charity, in the hands of the poor.”

Charity efforts often make more difference when they are locally supported and run. IDRF subscribes to this idea. In the countries of Sri Lanka, Nepal and India, the IDRF is fighting several issues. They are fighting poverty, lack of westernized education, lack of infrastructure, and more. This fantastic organization has won its fair share of awards for transparency and accountability.

4 Pencils of Promise

Pencils of Promise is an impactful organization with a great origin story. Their founder Adam Braun asked a young boy in India what he wanted most in the world, and the boy told him he wanted a pencil. The boy’s desire for a pencil inspired Braun, and he made it his life’s mission to help provide education and educational supplies for those in need.

Since then, Pencils of Promise has supported teachers, training more than 3,000 around the globe. Furthermore, they have helped to build or improve schools in poor areas. Having a clean workplace is vital for students to do their best.

Across Laos, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Guatemala, over 100,000 students are currently enrolled in their programs. From a simple pencil to providing many teachers and students with support! Despite being a little charity, Pencils of Promise has made a very big impact.

3 Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)

Due to the huge wealth involved, many environmentalist charities exist these days, but the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide is unique. ELAW is focused on law. Boasting members across 80 countries, this organization truly is globalist.

ELAW was founded in 1989, making it one of the longest-running organizations on our list. They concentrate on their goals through the use of advocates, such as scientists and environmental lawyers. ELAW has over 300 advocates involved, including 13 who have won the prestigious Goldman Prize for grassroots environmentalists, dating back to 1990.

2 Oxfam International

Another international organization, Oxfam International, includes 17 organizations. These 17 organizations collaborate with local communities in more than 90 countries worldwide. Oxfam has shown a commitment to grassroots organizations that work to fight poverty.

Oxfam helps raise awareness, provides support, and responds to crises. Along with poverty, Oxfam International aims to take on all the latest things. With such a broad umbrella, it is no wonder that Oxfam International has been helping people since World War II. As they put it on their website, “We believe in equality. That’s it. Plain and simple.” I think that is a message that we can all get behind.

1 National Pediatric Cancer Foundation

The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation was founded in 1991 by two mothers, Melissa Helms and Risa Tramel. The two met in Florida under sad circumstances. At the time, both of their daughters were infants and undergoing treatment for cancer. Fortunately, their daughters both recovered, but the story does not end there. Because of this shared experience, Helms and Tramel recognized the need to fight pediatric cancer. So they formed the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Years later, in 2005, they formed Project Sunshine, a program designed to identify top doctors and researchers and expedite a potential cure for pediatric cancer. Since Project Sunshine began in 2005, they have dedicated more than 30 million dollars to research for pediatric cancer and have funded four clinical trials. This is quite an impact for a charity that just started with two mothers in a crisis.

People sometimes talk about that eureka moment when something occurs to them, and a great discovery is made. And it’s called a moment because it seems like it happens instantly. But if you spend years working on something before that moment, did it really happen instantly? Or was it a discovery years in the making? History is full of examples of discoveries that took an incredibly long time, some might argue too long, to make. In some cases these discoveries took decades.

10. The Mystery of Bobby Dunbar

Bobby Dunbar disappeared in the summer of 1912 when he was just four-years-old. His family had gone camping in Louisiana and the boy wandered off in the night sometime. At first it was assumed he’d drowned in the lake, but his hat was later found much further away. Suddenly, the idea that he had been kidnapped came to mind. What started as a tragic tale soon became more and more bizarre.

Nearly a year later, a drifter traveling with a young boy in Mississippi was arrested. The boy was about Bobby’s age and the man’s story made no sense. He said he’d been traveling with the boy for a year but his mother, Julia Anderson, had given permission. Anderson agreed, but she said it had just been for a few days. The Dunbar family went to see the boy and accounts of whether the boy recognized them vary. But finally, Mrs. Dunbar identified the boy as Bobby based on some moles and a court agreed. The Dunbars took custody of the boy and returned home.  

Suspicious that things were hinky, a newspaper paid to bring Anderson to town. She was shown Bobby and four other boys of the same age. She couldn’t identify the one that was supposedly her son and none recognized her. The next day she was able to identify him but by then it was too late. She went home alone.

Bobby Dunbar was raised by his parents, became a man, had a family of his own, and died in 1966. Years later, the granddaughters of Dunbar and Anderson met up to put the story to rest. Through DNA testing they were able to confirm Bobby Dunbar was not actually Bobby Dunbar at all. He really had been the son of Julia Anderson and the real Bobby Dunbar had never been found. 

9. A Missing Ring Turned Up After 47 Years

Losing a ring is not all that uncommon an event. People probably lose jewelry all the time, and it has to be upsetting in the moment but you eventually get over it. Debra McKenna no doubt got over losing her class ring in a Maine department store back in 1973 when she’d taken it off to wash her hands and forgotten about it by mistake. Since it was just a class ring and not something like an engagement ring, though the man she eventually married gave it to her, she probably never thought about it again until 2020. 

The ring showed up in the mail in 2020 after it was found by a man named Marko Saarinen. Saarinen didn’t find it in that department store, however. Nor did he find it in Maine. He was using a metal detector in a forest near a town called Kaarina in southwest Finland. 

The man read the inscription, SM, and looked up the school’s alumni association. They tracked down the owner, and his wife, and got the ring back to its rightful owner. 

8. The Greatest Ball Game of All-Time

The 1960 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees has been called the greatest world series of all-time. The Yankees were seen as the dominant powerhouse team but the Pirates took them all the way to game seven when Bill Mazeroski of the Pirates hit a game winning home run in the 9th inning to take the series. It was the first time a series had been won with a home run; it was an incredible upset and it was down to the wire. It was everything sports fans love. And it seemed like it was lost. 

For years there were no tapes whatsoever of that final game. VCRs didn’t exist in 1960 so fans were not recording it at home. TV stations reused tapes back in the day so all old games from before the 1970s had been erased. Fortunately, no one had accounted for how big of a baseball fan Bing Crosby was.

Crosby, who was part owner of the Pirates, was afraid to watch the game live. He thought he’d jinx their chances. Instead, he went to Europe and had the game recorded so he could watch it later. Then he stored the tape in his wine cellar where the precise temperature and humidity perfectly preserved it until 2010 when it was discovered again. The game was restored and transferred to DVD and can now be watched by fans once more.

7. The De-Extinction of the Lord Howe Stick Insect

Species go extinct at an alarming rate with some estimates saying a few dozen species vanish every day. One of the species we came to terms with losing in 1983 was the Lord Howe Island stick insect.That was when it was officially declared extinct, though no one had seen one since about 1920.

The bugs were discovered in 1918 with a shipwreck on the very tiny, mostly desolate island. Rats from the ship are believed to have invaded and eventually killed off the native insect population and that, as they say, was that. 

Despite their apparent extinction, in 2001 some of the insects were rediscovered on a tiny little volcanic outcropping called Ball’s Pyramid, 23 km off the coast of the main island. The island has barely any vegetation on it at all but what it does have turned out to be a habitat for the bugs. They identified just 24 of the bugs. 

One breeding pair was rescued and taken to Australia. From them, 13,000 eggs were harvested and now a breeding program has been set up in zoos around the world.

6. Glass Sponge Reefs 

The world below the waves is still a mystery and every day we discover new creatures that live in the ocean’s depths. By that same token, we lose many species as well. One thing we thought was long since dead is the glass sponge. These sponges are known to build reefs, growing up to nearly 46 centimeters tall, and the reefs they create become habitats for all kinds of fish and other marine species. They use silica dissolved in the sea water to build delicate skeleton-like structures, which is where the glass name comes from.

Obviously this is a good thing for the ecosystem and the sponges are a species worthy of protection. That’s ironic, of course, because up until recently they were thought to be extinct. And not just a little extinct, either. It was believed they had died off about 100 million years ago. Their remains, called mummies, are well known and a 2,900-kilometer reef of ancient glass sponges stretches from Spain to Romania.

In 1987, off the coast of BC in Canada, new reefs of living glass sponges were discovered, proving the ancient species had not vanished as once thought, they were just deeper than anyone expected them to be.

5. Randy Bachman’s Missing Guitar

Randy Bachman was famous for his work in ’70s rock bands Bachman Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who. His most famous songs include “Takin’ Care of Business” and “American Woman.” He wrote that last one on a 1957 Gretsch guitar that he’d bought as a teen and was basically his signature instrument. He learned how to play guitar using it and he played it all the time. Until 1977 when someone stole it from a hotel room. 

Bachman said he was remarkably possessive of the instrument. He slept with it and he chained it to hotel toilets so no one could steal it. But it was the day that his road manager took it, just long enough to check out of their hotel and then pick up the band, that someone managed to steal it for real.

For decades Bachman lamented the loss and was hopeful he’d find it again one day. In 2020, a fan named William Long who’d heard about the loss in a YouTube video figured he could help out with his own skills as an investigator. Remarkably, after learning the guitar inside and out and scouring the internet for images, Long discovered the guitar in Japan where a musician named Takeshi had bought it in 2016. He had no idea it had been stolen but agreed to trade Bachman for another one.

In the summer of 2022 at the Canadian embassy in Japan, Bachman met with Takeshi and traded him another guitar for the stolen one. He went out of his way to find a nearly identical guitar, in fact, made the same week and with a nearly identical serial number. 

4. A Car Discovered After 20 Years

Imagine how frustrated and angry you’d feel if you discovered someone had stolen your car. That happened in 1997 to a man in Frankfurt, Germany. He parked in a garage, went about his day and came back to find the car missing. Twenty years went by and then the garage was set to be torn down but the owners had one small snag – there was a car parked in it still. It was that man’s car.

Turns out the man had forgotten where he parked. For 20 years his car hadn’t moved at all, and so he discovered it exactly where he’d left it all those years ago. By that time it was rusted out and immobile, but definitely not stolen.

3. The Glowing Wounds of Civil War Soldiers

A lot of crazy things can happen in war but you rarely expect to hear about wounds glowing blue and healing faster than normal, at least not outside of science fiction. But that happened at the Civil War Battle of Shiloh and for years it remained a mystery.

The massive battle saw 40,000 Confederate soldiers square off against the Union with as many as 16,000 casualties. As The wounded waited up to two days in the mud for treatment,some began to glow blue at night. It was noted that those who did glow had a better survival rate. 

It wasn’t until 2001 that a non-supernatural explanation was discovered. A bioluminescent bacterium called Photorhabdus luminescens that lives in soil, which inhibits pathogen growth by secreting an antibiotic compound, could have been growing in the wounds and inadvertently saving the lives of the soldiers. 

2. Twins Accidentally Swapped at Birth

About 1 in 250 natural pregnancies results in twins. Fraternal twins are more common than identical twins and about two-thirds of those pregnant with twins will have fraternal twins. So there’s not necessarily any reason to be shocked if you have twins and they don’t look alike. Certainly, in 1974 in the Canary Islands when twins Begona and Delia were born, their mother wouldn’t have been suspicious.

It would be 28 years before anyone realized that there was a third baby at the hospital that day. A girl named Beatriz was accidentally swapped for Delia and the two sisters, who were identical, were now believed to just be fraternal since of course Beatriz didn’t look like her sister. 

The women only found out when a friend of one of the twins met the other, got confused, and arranged a meeting. A DNA test soon followed, and the twins realized the truth of what happened. Despite that, they were reluctant to share the news. Their biological mother learned first but the mother who raised Delia wasn’t told for almost 9 years. She didn’t take it well. 

1. Relocating Bouvet Island

You may have heard that buying land is a good investment because no one makes it any more. That’s mostly true, but it doesn’t mean you can still discover land every once in a while. Sometimes it just gets lost and needs to be re-found, which is what happened to Bouvet Island.

Bouvet Island is the most remote place in the world and 1,750 kilometers from Antarctica, its closest neighbor, and an island no one would or should ever want to visit. It was discovered in 1739 and consists of rock and ice and a handful of penguins. Plus it’s where Alien vs Predator was set. Explorer Jean-Baptiste Bouvet de Lozier discovered it on an Antarctic exploration mission and then promptly mislabelled it on a map such that it went missing again for another 69 years because no one knew how to find it. 

When it finally was rediscovered, it was hundreds of kilometers from where Bouvet had recorded it so no one was even sure if it was the same place. It wasn’t until 1898 when it finally had a fixed location on maps.

Viruses are a particularly fearsome “germ.” Though viral infections may resemble bacterial infections, antibiotics are useless against viruses. There are very few dedicated antivirals to kill them off. But who even knows if ‘kill’ is the right word to use for something that stretches the definition of ‘alive’? Viruses: they’re like microscopically tiny zombie-robots, hijacking cells and turning them into factories for themselves. But humanity can exploit viruses’ supremely odd workings and sneaky ways for their own purposes.

10. Blue Eggs

If you’ve ever wanted to find some green eggs for some Dr. Seuss-style green eggs and ham, you’re in luck. Thanks to a virus, you don’t even need the eggs of some exotic wild bird.

Most chicken eggs are white or brown, but a few chickens lay eggs that are green or blue. These breeds include the Chilean Mapuche breed, its descendant breed, the Araucana, and the Chinese Dongxiang and Lushi breeds.

Two things are responsible for the colorful eggs: viral infections and blood. Long ago, a Mapuche fowl was infected by a retrovirus, a virus which can insert its genetic code into the host’s. The retrovirus’s effect was to trigger the buildup of biliverdin in the eggshell, a breakdown product from a part of hemoglobin that can cause a greenish tint to bruises.

The Dongxiang and Lushi breeds developed their colorful eggs independently, but from the same viral cause. According to historical evidence, the Dongxiang breed has had the bluish-greenish egg mutation since at least 500 years ago, and the Mapuche fowl since between 200 and 500 years ago. The trait is autosomal dominant, so chickens need only one parent with the mutation to lay the colorful eggs. However, those who have both copies of the gene variant lay darker-colored eggs.

9. Tulip-breaking virus

For the beauty of a virus-infected egg, one only has to pay a little more than usual. But for a beautiful virus-infected tulip in the Netherlands of the 17th century, one had to pay a lot more.

Back then, some tulips mysteriously had beautiful streaking and feathering patterns. These are called “broken” tulips. They were so expensive, they could leave their owners “broke” too, as well as the whole Dutch economy.

In 1623, some bulbs were sold for 1,000 florins, when the average annual income was 150 florins. Due to their high price, it cost less for some citizens to get still-life paintings of “broken” tulips than the tulips themselves.

Their beauty was short-lived, as the broken tulips’ bulbs shrank over successive generations. Eventually, it could no longer flower, and soon died. No one knew what caused tulips to break. People turned to all sorts of odd things, such as pigeon dung, to try to reproduce the pattern.

It was later discovered a virus called a potyvirus made the tulips break. The infection spread through aphids or by contact with an infected tulip.The virus worked by affecting the distribution of the pigment anthocyanin.

Today, such tulips are still costly, but for the damage potyvirus poses to gardens rather than their beauty. Potyvirus-infected tulips, once so valuable, are now carefully weeded out of gardens. Now there are specially-bred tulips that mimic the patterns of a “broken” tulip, without the virus.

8. Electricity-Making Virus

Computer viruses were named after their biological counterparts. Now, biological viruses lead back to electronics.

Some solids build electric charges when compressed. This is called the piezoelectric effect, and it’s most well-known in quartz watches. The piezoelectric effect has several applications, but materials used to make piezoelectric devices are toxic and difficult to work with. This limits the widespread use of the piezoelectric effect.

Berkeley Lab scientists could change that with a virus. They used the M13 phage virus, which targets bacteria and is harmless to humans. It’s useful for several reasons: it multiplies itself by the millions, naturally arranges itself into orderly films like chopsticks in a box, and is easy to genetically engineer. The ease in genetically engineering it helps scientists boost its voltage, and its self-arrangement helps with the goal of self-assembly in nanotechnology.

The Berkeley Lab scientists tested their approach by making a generator. The generator works by tapping a finger on a stamp-sized electrode patch coated with viruses. The viruses then turn the force of the tap into electricity, producing enough current to operate a liquid-crystal display (LCD).

With this technology, future devices could be charged from the vibrations of everyday tasks, such as climbing stairs or shutting doors.

7. Battery Virus

Some computer and smartphone owners worry about viruses that can overclock their devices’ batteries and leave them with a useless metal brick. But biological viruses could do the opposite: make batteries better.

In 2006, scientists at the University of Massachusetts (MIT) used a virus called M13 to make part of a battery. This part, the anode, is part of a pair of poles in the battery with opposite electrical charges. In 2009, the scientists completed the tricker task of making the anode’s counterpart, the cathode.

To make it work, the scientists had to tweak two of the virus’s genes. The first gene made proteins in the virus’s coat. The modifications allowed bits of iron phosphate to stick to it and bulge “like tiny fists all along the length of the virus,” in the words of study co-author Angela M. Belcher. The second gene let carbon nanotubes attach, forming a network of millions of electricity-conducting viruses.

To make similar technologies, extremely high temperatures of about 660 degrees Fahrenheit (350 degrees Celsius) were needed. However, the researchers could turn M13 into a battery-making tool at or below room temperature.

According to Belcher, a third of an ounce (10 grams) of the virus battery could power an iPod for 40 hours. However, she believes it is more suitable for large, high-power things like electric cars.

In 2013, progress was made on that goal. With viruses, lithium-air batteries of electric cars could be greatly improved. The M13 virus was used to make manganese-oxide nanowires for lithium-air batteries. Unlike typically-made nanowires of the metal, the virus-made wires had a rough, spiky surface, which greatly increased the wires’ surface area. The increase in surface area could be a big advantage in the batteries’ charging rate. The process has other benefits, too, such as increased electrode stability and less need for expensive metals like palladium for the batteries.

6. Cancer-Fighting Viruses

Herpes and cancer: two diseases people really don’t want to talk about. But using herpes to fight cancer is definitely worth discussing.

Imlygic is a new anti-cancer drug. On average, it extends melanoma patients’ lives by less than four and a half months. This is barely statistically significant, but Imlygic is special: it’s made using a virus. To be specific, it is a live, infectious, modified version of HSV-1, the herpesvirus variety that’s the usual cause of cold sores.

Though Imlygic is not especially effective by itself, its flu-like side effects are mild compared to chemotherapy. When cells turn cancerous, their virus-fighting machinery breaks down. Herpesvirus prefers to attack cancer cells. When it attacks, the debris of burst-open cells alerts the immune system, and the immune system then targets the cancer cells.However, it is unclear whether the immune system targets all the cancer cells of the body, or only those infected by the virus.

Though Imylgic is the first to get approval in the US as a cancer treatment, it is not the only one in development. Tumor-killing viruses are a popular topic among scientists, and the idea has been around for decades. More virus-based cancer treatments may join Imlygic in the future.

5. Orange Virus Vaccine

It’s tradition to treat colds (which are caused by a virus) with orange juice. But, using viruses, the orange trees themselves can fight off bugs spread by bugs.

Citrus greening (or huanglongbing, to use the Chinese name) is a deadly disease for citrus trees. It is caused by the bacterium C. liberibacter, which is spread by sap-sucking insects.

Before citrus greening came around, the most devastating orange virus was the citrus tristeza virus. (or CTV) The virus was named after tristeza, a Portuguese word meaning “sadness”, for the sadness that came from the virus’s arrival.

Now these two major citrus pests will be pitted against each other, with the fate of the USA’s orange juice hanging in the balance.

Bill Dawson, a plant pathologist from the University of Florida, modified a local strain of CTV. With this, anyone could insert new bits of DNA into the virus’s genome and make it a protein factory. One of the world’s largest orange juice manufacturers, Southern Gardens Citrus, licensed the viral vector from Dawson’s lab. With the virus as a needle, all Southern Gardens needed was something to inject. The company chose genes from spinach, which coded for antibacterial proteins called defensins.

Southern Gardens plans on infecting trees with a harmless strain of CTV. Branches from CTV-infected trees would then be grafted onto other trees to spread the virus. As the virus copies itself, it becomes a spinach defensin factory, and the defensins destroy C. liberibacter.

Since the biology of the tree is not modified, orange juice from these plants would not have to carry a genetically-modified label. This makes getting regulatory approval much easier, sidestepping the issue of distrust of genetically-modified plants.

4. Food Poisoning Protection

It’s terrible to hunch over a toilet, waiting to throw up, and idly wonder which of the things you ate was germ-filled. Intralytix, founded in 1998, has a plan to give germs a taste of their own medicine, so to speak: it uses viruses to infect (and kill) bacteria that cause food poisoning.

Each of its products has a mix of viruses that target the same bacteria species.The company’s first product, ListShield, was approved in 2006. It is aimed at Listeria bacteria, which cause listeriosis, a kind of food poisoning with a death rate of about 20%.  ListShield is meant to be applied to ready-to-eat meats, such as deli meats and hot dogs. To kill off Listeria, ListShield is sprayed on meat and the drains, floors and other surfaces of a food processing plant.

Intralytix’s second product, EcoShield, is for the O157:H7 strain of E.coli. EcoShield is sprayed on meat before it is ground into hamburger to kill E. coli. In studies with government investigators, Sulakvelidze showed the product killed 95-100% of the E.coli strain within 5 minutes.

The two treatments are odorless, tasteless, invisible and non-corrosive. The concentration of phages in the liquid spray is 0.001%, making the product as harmless as water to anything but target bacteria.

Later, another company, Micreos BV, made its own phage treatments, Listex (P100) and Salmonelex. Listex (P100) targets a Listeria species, while Salmonelex targets Salmonella.

3. Antibiotic Viruses

Bacteriophages (or “phages”) are the natural enemy of bacteria. They copy themselves inside bacteria, and the bacteria eventually burst open with viruses.

In the 1920s and 1930s, doctors treated a variety of infections with phages. However, phage therapy had some problems. Scientists at the time did not know phages had to be matched precisely with bacteria targets to work, which made phage treatments unreliable. In addition, people sometimes became sick from the treatments because they were not purified properly.

After World War II, antibiotics were mass-produced. They were more reliable than phages, so interest in phages declined. Though phages were mostly forgotten in the United States, they weren’t forgotten in the Soviet Union. Due to the Iron Curtain blocking access to some of the best antibiotics of the West, the Soviets made do with phages and made phage therapy more effective. In the modern day, phage therapy administered in several forms, such as tablets, liquids, and injections, and remains a standard treatment in Poland, Georgia and Russia.

Unlike antibiotics, phages are very precise and leave the “good” bacteria of the body alone. With the rise of antibiotic resistance, phages might make a comeback in the English-speaking world.

2. Viruses killing other viruses

Ever heard the expression “fighting fire with fire”? Well, in this case it works, if by “fire” one means HIV.

In 2011, scientists at the University of California-San Diego and UCLA made a harmless version of HIV that relies on HIV to reproduce. This virus was called a therapeutic interfering particle, or TIP. By slowing the replication of the HIV virus, TIPs might give someone five to ten extra years before AIDS sets in.

The TIP’s genetic code was stripped to one-third of its original size, and it lacks important pieces needed to copy itself. The TIP can only copy itself by sneaking into HIV’s genetic code and copying when it does. TIPs also contain HIV-inhibiting sequences and compete for the same proteins as HIV. Leor Weinberger, the leader of the team that made TIPs, likens it to a “virus of a virus.”

According to Weinberger, TIPs could help with HIV “superspreaders.” These people, such as drug users, are responsible for a disproportionately large amount of HIV infection.

In 2016, scientists orchestrated another virus-on-virus match, this time between reovirus and hepatitis C. During childhood, reovirus can cause colds, but by adulthood most have been exposed to it and are immune. It’s like an early-game enemy: inconvenient at first, but a piece of cake once one’s gotten stronger.

In comparison, hepatitis C is like a final boss, one some find unbeatable. Hepatitis C is a common cause of liver cancer, and cancers originating from the liver is the third-highest cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

When this early-game enemy is pitted against the final boss…well, it’s the player (or rather the patient) who wins. When introduced to the body, reovirus stimulates a signal protein called an interferon, which activates a kind of white blood cell called a Natural Killer cell. In experiments on human cancer samples and mice, the Natural Killer cells then kill the tumor and cells infected with hepatitis C. The reovirus therapy could also be used for other cancers associated with virus infections, like Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoma.

1. Humans Made by Viruses

In The Matrix, bad guy Agent Smith likens humanity to a virus, a disease of the planet. In real life, he’s right… to a degree.

More than 45 million years ago, a mammal was infected by a retrovirus. By turning their RNA-based code to DNA, retroviruses such as HIV can sneak their instructions into the host’s genome. Whenever the host’s cell copies itself, it also copies the virus. This ancient retrovirus happened to infect a germ line cell and so could be spread to the primate ancestor’s offspring.

17 years ago, in 2000, a team of Boston scientists discovered a strange gene in humans. This gene, called syncytin, coded for a protein made only by cells in the placenta.

The two events are related: syncytin comes from the virus.

While the virus used that gene to fuse with a host cell, a developing fetus uses the gene to fuse some placental cells into one single-celled layer. This layer is essential for the fetus to draw nutrients from its mother.

The syncytin protein comes in two varieties, the previously mentioned being syncytin 1. Reflecting its viral heritage, syncytin 2 tamps down the mother’s immune system and prevents the immune system from attacking the developing fetus.

HERV-K inserted itself as recently as 200,00 years ago, making it the newest of all retrovirus genes in humans. It activates important genes that help with embryo development, and its viral particles and proteins help protect very young embryos from infection by other viruses.

It is estimated that over 8% of human DNA came from viruses.