When you think of a building that leans, the Leaning Tower of Pisa instantly pops into mind. Yet the world is peppered with a handful of structures that tilt even more dramatically—each with its own quirky backstory. In this roundup we present the 10 naturally leaning towers that out‑tilt the Italian icon, proving that gravity isn’t always the boss.

10 Naturally Leaning Wonders Around the World

10 Minaret Of Jam: Ghor, Afghanistan

Constructed in 1194, this 65‑metre‑high (213 ft) minaret sports a modest 3.47‑degree slant—still less than Pisa’s famous lean—but it towers nine metres (30 ft) above the Italian structure, and it predates Pisa by more than a century.

The Ghurid empire, which stretched from modern‑day Iran to Bengal, commissioned the tower. Their capital, Firozkoh—often translated as “Turquoise Mountain”—has vanished from the map, yet scholars believe it once hovered near the minaret’s present site.

The tilt stems from a water‑logged foundation. Two mountain gorges converge nearby, leaving the ground only faintly level and unable to support the massive stone column.

Reaching the minaret is an adventure in itself: a twelve‑hour trek over rugged tracks, once plagued by bandits and now overseen by the Taliban. Seasonal floods further complicate visits, keeping the monument relatively obscure.

9 Nuri: Mosul, Iraq

The Great Mosque of al‑Nuri, erected in 1172 at the behest of Nur al‑Din Mahmoud Zangi, once dominated Mosul’s skyline. Zangi, a fervent Sunni leader, is famed for his campaigns against Crusader forces, notably the capture of Damascus.

Although the original mosque fell to time, its 45‑metre‑high (150 ft) minaret—known locally as al‑Hadba, or “the humpback”—still stands. Observers have recorded its lean since the 14th century, but the exact moment it began to tilt remains a mystery.

Folklore claims the minaret tipped when the Prophet Muhammad flew overhead en route to heaven—an obviously anachronistic tale, as Muhammad died centuries before the tower’s construction. More plausible explanations point to relentless winds, weak plaster binding the bricks, or uneven solar heating on one side.

During the Iran‑Iraq War, bombings damaged underground pipes, allowing sewage to seep into the soil and further destabilise the foundation, worsening the tilt.

UNESCO warned in 2012 that the structure faced imminent collapse, a prophecy that was abruptly fulfilled when ISIS demolished the minaret in 2017 to impede advancing Iraqi forces.

8 Leaning Tower Of Suurhusen: Suurhusen, Germany

This quirky spire holds the Guinness World Record for the most unintentionally leaning building on the planet, tilting a striking 5.19 degrees—well beyond Pisa’s 3.99‑degree lean. The tower forms part of a medieval church, perched in the low‑lying, swampy terrain of Suurhusen.

Builders of the Middle Ages anchored the foundation by burying oak trees in the soft earth. For centuries the structure remained perfectly upright. When the surrounding marshes were drained in the 18th century, the oak trunks dried out, shrinking and causing the tower to tip.

By the 1970s, engineers feared a catastrophic collapse. Government officials even floated demolition plans, but local residents rallied fiercely, preserving the tower. Since then, the community has taken stewardship, maintaining the tower as a heritage attraction.

Today, the church and its leaning counterpart are closed to interior visits. A safety perimeter surrounds the tower to keep onlookers at a safe distance, ensuring that even if the structure were to fall, no one would be harmed.

7 Leaning Tower Of Zaragoza: Zaragoza, Spain

Rising 80 metres (262 ft) into the Aragonese sky, the Tower of Zaragoza tilted immediately after its 1504 completion. Historians suspect a rushed construction schedule compromised the tower’s structural integrity, prompting an early lean.

The slant grew over the centuries, sparking fears of a sudden collapse. In 1878, city officials attempted to correct the angle by removing the tower’s spire, but the effort proved futile, and the lean persisted.

Eventually, the council opted for demolition in 1892, a decision that disappointed locals who had grown attached to the iconic silhouette.

6 The Leaning Tower Of Bad Frankenhausen: Bad Frankenhausen, Germany

Standing 56 metres (183 ft) tall, this church steeple leans at a pronounced 4.8 degrees—surpassing Pisa’s tilt. Records indicate the slant has been evident since at least 1640, and the tower has long teetered on the brink of collapse.

The underlying cause lies deep in the region’s geological past. Roughly 250 million years ago, Bad Frankenhausen lay beneath an ocean. As waters receded, thick salt deposits formed, later buried beneath layers of earth. Around 95 million years ago, the Kyffhäuser hills rose, placing the town on the southern slope of this uplift.

Over time, the hills fractured, allowing water to infiltrate and dissolve the buried salt. This process created cavernous voids beneath the surface, eroding the ground’s stability and prompting the tower’s tilt.

Fearing an imminent collapse, the municipal council seized ownership of the structure. A federal stabilization program now funds extensive reinforcement work to safeguard the leaning landmark.

5 The Leaning Tower Of Teluk Intan: Teluk Intan, Malaysia

Erected in 1885, the Teluk Intan tower originally functioned as a water reservoir for the town’s residents. Shortly after, a massive clock—operated by the local timekeeper—was affixed, converting the structure into a dual‑purpose clock tower.

The tower’s funding came directly from the townspeople. Its architectural style bears a distinct Chinese influence, reflecting the heritage of the chief engineer and the majority of the community at that time.

Built from a combination of wood and brick, the tower’s materials proved insufficient to support the heavy water tank. Coupled with exceptionally soft soil, these factors induced a persistent left‑ward lean that remains visible today.

4 Due Torri: Bologna, Italy

“Due Torri,” meaning “Two Towers,” refers to the Asinelli and Garisenda towers, both of which tilt more sharply than Pisa’s famous structure. Garisenda even claims the title of Italy’s most inclined tower.

These stone giants sprang up in the 12th century, financed by rival noble families eager to showcase wealth and power. While primarily defensive in purpose, the towers also served as status symbols during a period of intense civic rivalry.

At the time, Bologna was split between the Guelphs—supporters of the Pope—and the Ghibellines—champions of the Holy Roman Emperor. This political schism spurred a building frenzy, with dozens of families erecting towers to cement their dominance. Ultimately, only Asinelli and Garisenda survived, each boasting a dramatic lean.

3 Huzhu Pagoda: Shanghai, China

Commissioned in 1079 by General Zhou Wenda, the Huzhu Pagoda was built to house five Buddha statues gifted by Emperor Song Gaozong. The structure began to tilt shortly after its completion, a problem that intensified after a 1788 fire sparked by celebratory firecrackers.

In the 19th century, a wave of local superstition prompted villagers to dig a hole at the pagoda’s base, convinced that buried gold lay beneath. The excavation left a conspicuous bite‑shaped void on the side opposite the lean, further destabilising the edifice.

Today, the pagoda leans a dramatic 7.1 degrees—almost double Pisa’s angle and surpassing Suurhusen’s record. Despite its steep slant and centuries of damage, meticulous conservation work has ensured the tower remains stable, earning it the nickname “Won’t Topple in a 1,000‑Year‑Old Ancient Tower.”

The prevailing theory attributes the tilt to a dual‑layered soil foundation: one stratum of soft clay beneath a firmer sand layer, creating uneven settlement that nudged the pagoda off‑center.

2 Oldehove: Leeuwarden, Netherlands

The Oldehove began construction in 1529, intended as a soaring, curved bell tower attached to a grand church. By 1533, the foundation gave way, and the tower started to tilt, prompting builders to abandon the project entirely.

Jacob van Aken, the original architect, attempted a clever fix: he introduced a subtle curvature to counteract the lean. Unfortunately, the technique failed, and the tower remained stubbornly askew.

Originally envisioned to reach a staggering 120 metres (400 ft), the tower was halted at just 48 metres (157 ft). Although the accompanying church never materialised, the Oldehove found new life as a storehouse, a time‑keeping device, and an observation post. Today, it serves as a beloved tourist attraction, drawing visitors eager to witness its quirky tilt.

1 Leaning Tower Of Torun: Torun, Poland

Constructed around the turn of the 14th century as part of Torun’s defensive city walls, this tower originally featured three walls, leaving one side open to facilitate the hoisting of ammunition to the upper levels.

The lean originates from the tower’s foundation on soft, sandy soil. Over the centuries, the slope has inspired a wealth of folklore, including a tale that God tipped the tower after the famed astronomer Copernicus challenged religious doctrine.

Another legend tells of a remorseful knight who, after falling in love with a forbidden maiden, was sentenced by the monarchy to build a leaning tower as punishment for his dishonour. Supposedly, honest visitors who press their backs and legs against the tower can remain upright, while dishonest ones find themselves wobbling.

In the 18th century, the tower’s defensive role ended, and a fourth wall was added, converting the structure into a women’s prison. Subsequent centuries saw it serve as a gunsmith’s workshop and later as residential quarters. Today, the tower houses a lively pub and an office for the Municipal Institution of Culture, preserving its historic charm.

While most people think of Egyptian sarcophagi when they hear “mummification,” Mother Nature has her own knack for turning a corpse into a timeless relic. The following top 10 naturally preserved bodies showcase how ice, salt, peat, and even deep‑water reservoirs can halt decay for millennia. Dive in and discover the astonishing stories behind each find.

Why These Form the Top 10 Naturally Preserved Mummies

10 Sleeping Beauty

In 2018, divers uncovered the remarkably intact remains of a young woman beneath a Russian reservoir, a discovery that suggests she had lain undisturbed for roughly two thousand years. Archaeologists christened her “Sleeping Beauty” because of the eerie serenity of her pose and the pristine condition of her silk skirt.

Clutched in her hand was a tiny pouch of pine nuts, and because her tomb was hewn entirely from stone, parts of her flesh escaped the usual decomposition process. Instead, the stone enclosure created a sealed environment that facilitated natural mummification, preserving both her body and a trove of grave goods.

Among the high‑value artifacts recovered were a beaded belt, a gemstone‑encrusted buckle, a Chinese‑style mirror, and a compact make‑up box. Researchers hypothesize that she may have been a youthful Hun noblewoman. Her remains were exposed along the Yenisei River after a hydroelectric dam upstream caused a dramatic drop in water level. Dr. Marina Kilunovskaya of St. Petersburg’s Institute of History of Material Culture noted, “The lower part of the body was especially well preserved. This is not a classic mummy—in this case, the burial was tightly closed with a stone lid, enabling a process of natural mummification.”

9 The Mummies Of Llullaillaco

High atop the Llullaillaco volcano in Argentina, three children were discovered in a state of extraordinary preservation. Dubbed the “Maiden,” “Llullaillaco Boy,” and “Lightning Girl,” the trio dates to roughly five centuries ago and represents a chilling example of Incan ritual sacrifice.

Scientific analysis revealed that the children had been deliberately drugged as part of a year‑long ceremonial series culminating in their sacrifice. Hair samples showed they had been given coca leaves and fermented corn beer, while their diets consisted mainly of vegetables, with a final meal of elite foods just before death.

The freezing temperatures and the dry, thin air at the volcano’s summit acted as natural freezers, keeping both the bodies and their clothing impeccably intact. These mummies are the most well‑preserved Incan remains ever found, allowing scholars to confirm historical accounts of child sacrifice by examining how the children were treated, how they died, and what they ate in their final hours.

8 The Inuit Baby Of Qilakitsoq

In the 1980s, two adventurous brothers stumbled upon a tragic tableau near the abandoned Inuit settlement of Qilakitsoq. Their discovery included six women, a two‑year‑old boy, and a tiny infant—each remarkably mummified by the frigid Arctic conditions.

The infant, initially mistaken for a doll, turned out to be a six‑month‑old baby when examined more closely. Forensic analysis indicated that the child had been buried alive, likely because his mother had perished and no one else could care for him. The bodies were arranged in two separate graves, stacked atop one another and separated by layers of animal skins.

The two‑year‑old boy displayed signs of Down’s Syndrome and appears to have been left to die of exposure, a grim practice among the Inuit at the time when resources were scarce and individuals unable to contribute to the group’s survival were often abandoned.

7 Cashel Man

Bog bodies—corpses recovered from peat bogs—offer a window into ancient preservation methods. The acidic, low‑oxygen, and cold environment of peat bogs can keep flesh remarkably intact while partially dissolving bones.

Among the most ancient of these is Cashel Man, whose remains date back roughly 4,000 years to around 2000 B.C. His body showed multiple violent injuries: a shattered spine in two places, a broken arm, and repeated axe blows to the back.

Archaeologist Eamonn Kelly of the National Museum of Ireland believes the injuries point to a ritual sacrifice, a common practice for young men linked to kingship rites. Cashel Man, estimated to be between 20 and 25 years old, was deliberately covered with peat after his death and was uncovered in 2011 when a peat‑milling machine partially exposed his remains in the Cashel bog.

6 The Ice Maiden

Between 1450 and 1480, a teenage girl, aged roughly 12 to 15, was offered as a sacrificial victim to the Incan deities. Her frozen remains were uncovered in 1995 atop Mount Ampato in southern Peru, where sub‑zero temperatures and low humidity preserved her body in astonishing detail.

The Ice Maiden’s skin, organs, blood, hair, and even stomach contents were all exceptionally well‑preserved, granting scientists a rare glimpse into her final moments. Scans revealed she had consumed a vegetable‑rich meal six to eight hours before death, and she was wrapped in a burial tapestry topped with a cap made from red macaw feathers.Her clothing suggests she hailed from the Incan capital of Cusco, and forensic analysis indicates she died from blunt force trauma to the head—a typical method of child sacrifice in the empire. Today, the Ice Maiden—also known as “Momia Juanita”—is displayed at the Catholic University of Santa María’s Museum of Andean Sanctuaries in Arequipa, Peru.

5 The Saltmen

Between 1993 and 2010, archaeologists uncovered six male skeletons within the Chehrabad salt mines of Iran. These men met their end when the mine shaft they worked in collapsed, and the desiccating properties of the salt preserved their bodies for centuries.

Not all the Saltmen died simultaneously. Three of them date from between 247 B.C. and 651 A.D., while the remaining three belong to an earlier period ranging from 550 to 330 B.C. The salt’s drying effect halted decomposition, leaving the bodies remarkably intact despite the traumatic injuries from the collapses.

DNA analysis of a 1,700‑year‑old specimen revealed one individual possessed type B+ blood, while another showed tapeworm eggs in his intestines—making it the oldest known evidence of an intestinal parasite in Iran. Accompanying artifacts included three iron knives, a woolen half‑trouser, a leather rope, pottery shards, a silver needle, a walnut, and a grindstone. Salt Man 1’s head and left shoe (still attached to the leg) are on display at the National Museum of Iran in Tehran.

4 Spirit Cave Man

The oldest naturally mummified human discovered in North America emerged from Spirit Cave near Fallon, Nevada, in 1949. Radiocarbon dating places his death around 7430 B.C., rendering him approximately 9,400 years old—the oldest known naturally preserved corpse on the continent.

Workers from the Nevada State Parks Commission uncovered the body while surveying the area for potential guano‑mining hazards. He was wrapped in tule matting, wore moccasins, and was encased in a rabbit‑skin blanket. The cause of death appears to have been a skull fracture or severe dental infection, and he likely suffered a fatal blow shortly before his interment.

Initially misidentified as being only 1,500–2,000 years old due to his excellent preservation, the remains were stored at the Nevada State Museum for half a century. In 1997, mass‑spectrometry provided a more accurate age estimate, and by 2016, legal action returned the remains to the Fallon Paiute‑Shoshone Tribe, identified as his descendants. The tribe reburied him according to traditional customs.

3 Ginger

Before the sophisticated Egyptian embalming techniques emerged, some ancient peoples unintentionally mummified their dead by exploiting natural conditions. One such case is the predynastic mummy discovered at Gebelein, Egypt, in 1896, affectionately nicknamed “Ginger” because of his striking red hair.

Ginger, who lived between 3351 and 3017 B.C., was aged roughly 18 to 21 at death. He was interred in a shallow grave, placed in a fetal position, allowing his body to contact hot, dry sand containing naturally occurring natron. This mineral absorbed bodily moisture, effectively desiccating his remains and creating a natural mummy.

Now on display at the British Museum, Ginger’s body reveals tattoos and evidence of violent death—likely a stabbing with a flint or copper blade at least five inches long. While it is possible his burial was intentionally designed to promote preservation, it remains a fascinating example of early, accidental mummification.

2 Tollund Man

When the peat bog of Bjældskovdal in Denmark yielded a remarkably intact corpse in 1950, initial observers believed they had uncovered a recent murder victim. In reality, Tollund Man lived during the 4th century B.C., making him one of the best‑preserved bog bodies ever found.

He was discovered beneath six feet of peat, positioned in a fetal pose, and dressed in a pointed sheepskin cap fastened under his chin, a hide belt, and a thong. Most strikingly, a noose of animal hide was tightly looped around his neck, indicating he was likely hanged as part of a sacrificial rite.

Although much of his soft tissue had decayed, his head remained astonishingly intact, preserving distinct facial features. Analysis of his final meal showed he had consumed a grain‑based porridge roughly 12–24 hours before death. Today, his head is displayed at the Silkeborg Museum in Denmark; the rest of the body was reconstructed for exhibition purposes.

1 Ötzi

Discovered in the Ötztal Alps in 1991, Ötzi the Iceman dates to between 3400 and 3100 B.C., making him the oldest natural human mummy found in Europe. The freezing alpine environment preserved his body in extraordinary detail, allowing scientists to piece together the circumstances of his death.

An arrowhead lodged in his left shoulder would have been fatal, leading researchers to conclude he likely died from a violent encounter. Stomach contents revealed a last meal of ibex meat, while his intestines contained red deer, herb bread, and chamois meat. He also suffered from a whipworm infection and had been ill for months before his demise.

Ötzi bore 61 tattoos ranging from simple dots to elaborate lines, possibly serving therapeutic or symbolic purposes. His clothing ensemble—comprising a cloak, coat, belt, leggings, loincloth, and waterproof shoes—demonstrates sophisticated textile work, suggesting the presence of cobblers in the Copper Age.

Genetic analysis uncovered a rare mutation (G‑L91) linking Ötzi to 19 living relatives, indicating a common ancestor who lived 10,000–12,000 years ago. Today, his remains are curated at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy, where visitors can marvel at this ancient, naturally preserved individual.

The world is full of unnatural things that humans have created for better or worse reasons. We make plastic; we make Pepsi; we make poisons. Some of the unnatural substances we create make the world a better place, like medicines. Others, like your average chemical or nuclear weapon, are devastating. Good or bad, however, there are a number of things that it really seems like humans made on their own which actually do occur in nature without our help at all, even if it’s pretty rare. 

10. The Drug GHB Is Made In Your Brain

GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, has been a fairly well known party drug for some years now. It produces a sense of euphoria and overall good feelings, at least with careful dosing. It’s also used to treat conditions like narcolepsy and even alcoholism.  That said, one of the biggest dangers with GHB is that it can also cause extreme drowsiness, memory loss, unconsciousness and muscle control problems. For those reasons it has also been nefariously used as a date rape drug. 

Despite all the effects and dangers associated with GHB, it can also be lethal in high enough doses, it’s not just some lab creation from a mad scientist. Your body naturally produces GHB in small amounts. It’s produced in your brain through the synthesis of the neurotransmitter GABA. You can find it in your hypothalamus, thalamus and other portions of the brain where it still works as a depressant, just a natural one. 

9. MSG Occurs Naturally in Many Foods

For many years, no food additive was more maligned than monosodium glutamate. Most frequently associated with Chinese food, there was a long campaign against the flavor enhancers as being a dangerous, processed additive that could cause terrible health problems which included headaches and cancer. 

There’s no actual evidence that MSG causes any significant health issues. A lot of the MSG backlash may have actually been based on little more than racism, especially since there was even something called “Chinese restaurant syndrome” which allegedly gave people issues after eating foods prepared with MSG in Asian restaurants. 

What many people lamenting MSG likely never realized was that, despite the chemical-sounding name, it was still a natural product. MSG is found naturally in many foods ranging from cheese to tomatoes. It was initially derived from seaweed. 

The FDA lists MSG as generally safe to eat and has pointed out that, even with people who label themselves as sensitive to MSG, in clinical testing there are no differences between those who consume MSG and those who have a placebo. 

8. Carbonated Water Occurs In Some Springs

SodaStream hit the market a few years ago, giving people the option to make carbonated drinks right at home with just a bottle of water and whatever flavoring they wanted. They’ve also tried to push the idea that their product is healthy because it can give you plain, calorie-free sparkling water just as easily, no need for sugar or chemical flavorings. 

The average American drinks just under 43 gallons of soda per year, so there’s clearly a love of carbonated beverages out there. And while Coca-Cola and Pepsi are making a killing off of what they sell, carbonated water is by no means a product that was just concocted to make drinks more of a novelty. It happens in nature all on its own.

Carbonated water is what you get when you manage to combine CO2 and water. Out in the wild, when volcanic gasses dissolve naturally in water it creates the same fizz you’d get if you forced those gasses into the water with your SodaStream. The major difference is that, a naturally carbonated spring, would likely be very mineral rich as well. 

7. Nuclear Fission Reactors Can Occur in Nature

Of all the things that man has done in the world, it seems like splitting the atom and creating a fission reactor would have to be one of the most unnatural, and yet here we are. Make no mistake, this is incredibly rare and significantly different from what humans can do with a controlled reaction in a planned out nuclear power plant. That said, when you look at the nuts and bolts of it, a nuclear fission reaction can play out in the wild in a similar way to what happens in a reactor. 

Gabon, Africa is famous for once being home to naturally occurring fission reactors some two billion years ago. There were 17 of them in Gabon and their output was very small compared to a modern reactor, around 100 kilowatts. The conditions that allowed the reaction to occur were incredibly rare and precise and required uranium of the right kind to allow for spontaneous fission, plus precise conditions to hold but not interfere with such a reaction, and a moderator to slow down the neutrons. Despite the odds against all of those conditions being met, Gabon proved to have everything in the right place at the right time. The reactors likely ran for a million years, and the waste material managed to be safely stored in the earth.

6. Asphalt Forms Naturally in Tar Pits

Do you spend a lot of time thinking about paving? The US produces about 350 million metric tons of asphalt every year. Over 94% of America’s 2.6 million miles of road are paved, so there’s lots of need for the stuff. And, as luck would have it, it doesn’t need to be produced in a factory. Asphalt is produced in nature and people have been using it as far back as ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Places like Pitch Lake in Trinidad are natural lakes full of asphalt and tar. Ten million tons of the stuff have been mined from the lake since 1867. The asphalt is used all around the world for paving but mining has greatly decreased. This is due, in part, because asphalt is the most recycled product in America. Nearly 70 million tons of it was reclaimed in 2013 alone and almost all of it was recycled and reused. 

5. Antimatter is Made in Bananas

Few things sound more like science fiction than the concept of antimatter. It’s matter, but somehow the opposite, and if matter and antimatter collide, then both will be destroyed. Yes, the science is a lot more complex, but that’s pretty crazy stuff no matter how you slice it. And even more crazy is that antimatter is being on Earth, right this second, and maybe sometimes you even eat it because it’s made by bananas.

Bananas are known for being a good source of potassium but not all potassium is created equal. Potassium-40, an unstable isotope, degrades slowly over time and part of that degradation involves releasing antimatter in the form of positrons. A single banana will release a positron every 75 minutes, more or less. 

The positrons emitted are likely destroyed almost instantaneously when they hit a random electron, but there’s a chance that means they’re emitting photos as well, so there could be tiny, technically visible antimatter explosions around your banana bowl all the time. The numbers are extremely low, in case you’re worried, and can’t pose a threat. 

4. ElectroMagnetic Fields Occur in Oil Pipelines

We know that the Earth has a magnetic field and so do, you know, magnets. So the idea of a natural magnetic field on its own isn’t unusual or unexpected. That said, a natural electromagnetic field and electrical currents forming in oil pipelines does sound unusual. Despite that, it’s a natural phenomenon and sometimes an unintended consequence of how oil pipelines are made and laid out.

Some companies currently offer solutions to demagnetize pipeline as the problem can make welding nearly impossible. But already produced pipelines also have a problem of becoming magnetized and carrying current thanks to conditions like auroral electrojet in the ionosphere, a current that flows above the North Polar region. There’s an electrojet at the South Pole and around the equator, as well. During periods of moderate electromagnetic activity, a current of 50 amps was measured in the Alaskan pipeline. 

3. Eternal Flames Occur Naturally All Over the World

The concept of a universal flame is actually very common. They exist in countries all over the world, usually built and lit as a tribute or monument to something. In Canada, the Flame of Hope was lit in 1989 by Queen Elizabeth with the intention of burning until diabetes is cured. In 1993, Bill Clinton lit one at the United States Holocaust Museum. Belarus has one that was lit back in 1961.

While many of these flames have actually gone out accidentally or, sometimes, been snuffed out intentionally, they were all designed to keep burning so long as someone pays the gas bill. But nature has its own set of eternal flames all around the world that occur thanks to natural gas deposits. 

Erie County, New York has a famous eternal flame at Eternal Flame Falls. To be fair, the flame does go out sometimes since it’s right under a waterfall and people do need to relight it now and then. It’s also a bit of a mystery how that particular eternal flame even exists as the rock in the area isn’t hot enough to have produced the conditions needed, at least as far as we understand how these things work, which means something else produced the gas deposit somehow. 

2. Mechanical Gears Exist in Insects

A gear seems like a simple and utterly fabricated thing. We can trace gears back to the third century in Europe and even earlier in China and the innovation has allowed for some amazing inventions up to the present day including clocks and mills and far more complicated machines.

As remarkable yet seemingly simple as a gear it, it does seem wholly manufactured. You need to cut pieces to fit together in a way that allows for movement and function. It was surprising to learn that nature has created its own gears, something scientists reported in 2013.

A tiny insect called Issus coleoptratus is just three millimeters long and gets around by hopping about. The mechanism that allows them to jump is not the same as what you’d find in a grasshopper, though. Instead, the rear legs of this remarkable creature have naturally formed mechanical gears that allow the legs to lock and rotate as one, then propel the little creature forward. 

To succeed at jumping, the action needs to be precisely coordinated between both legs. The insect is able to launch both legs within 30 microseconds, or 30 millionths of a second. The bug’s brain is not even advanced enough to do that, so instead its skeleton does it automatically, providing the gears to make it happen as it needs to happen. 

1. Benzos/Valium Occur Naturally in Many Staple Crops

Benzodiazepine, sometimes called benzos, are depressant drugs used as sedatives. They can be used as sleeping pills or sedatives and sometimes they are prescribed for anxiety disorders as well. The drugs were hugely popular and, by 1977, benzodiazepines were the most prescribed drugs in the world. People were using them to treat alcohol withdrawal, as a surgical preparation, and for muscle spasms. 

The drugs were gradually replaced with more modern medications that were considered less harmful, at least at the time. Not that benzos no longer exist, they’re just far less popular. But you can also get a natural hit of the drugs and research indicates mammalian brains contain natural amounts of the drugs. 

Turns out, potatoes and wheat both produce substances that are extremely similar, chemically speaking, to benzos as well as others like diazepam, better known as Valium, and lorazepam, better known as Ativan.