Many of the greatest minds in physics and engineering have spent considerable time thinking about interstellar travel. They have come up with detailed concepts and designs for spaceships that are capable of sending humans to the stars. Each design has its own way to overcome the main challenge of interstellar travel: the distance to the stars.

At 4 light-years away, Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Earth (other than our own Sun, of course). With conventional rocketry, it would take around 137,000 years to get there. The goal of these designs is to accelerate the ships to a fraction of the speed of light to allow the trip to be completed in less than a human lifetime. All these designs have been proposed as feasible solutions that may actually be put to use in the future.

10 Ion Propulsion

Ion propulsion is a type of engine that has undergone serious development over the past few years. Rockets based on ion propulsion produce far less thrust than conventional rockets.

Although conventional rockets stop accelerating as soon as they leave Earth, ion propulsion rockets can continue propelling the rocket for decades on end. The idea behind this engine is to constantly accelerate the rocket so that it will attain a significant velocity up to 145,000 kilometers per hour (90,000 mph) after several years.

Even so, this is not nearly enough speed to reach the nearest stars. This spacecraft would be better suited for exploring the outer solar system.

Ion propulsion works by taking advantage of the electrostatic properties of particles (the tendency for particles with like charges to repel and opposite charges to attract). The process starts by injecting an inert gas, usually xenon, into an ionization chamber. Then a stream of electrons is injected into the chamber using simple electricity generated by solar panels or nuclear reactors.^[1]

As the electrons collide with the xenon atoms, the xenon atoms have some of their electrons knocked off, making a positively charged atom (a positive ion). The like charges of the ions in the chamber push against each other, accelerating the ions.

Using a negatively charged grid, the ions are attracted toward holes at the end of the chamber. There, they are shot out of the spacecraft at tremendous speeds, pushing the spacecraft as they do so.

As a propellant, xenon is extremely efficient and can be stored in vast quantities, making it an amazing fuel source. In addition, ion propulsion systems glow bright blue, making them look exactly like the spaceships in space operas.

9 Nanotechnology

Researchers at the University of Michigan have made an improvement to ion propulsion. The technology is called nanoFET. Instead of xenon atoms, the propellants are large, man-made particles called carbon nanotubes. They can be charged and accelerated just as easily as xenon atoms, if not better. But they are far more massive, meaning their ejection will give the spacecraft a much bigger push.

However, this process is messy and very complex. A spacecraft would require trillions of these particles to be ejected constantly. NanoFET has a long way to go.^[2]

8 Nuclear Bombs

Yes, this is real. Nuclear bombs could actually be used for interstellar spaceships. It may sound barbaric, but it is one of the most practical designs on this list.

Every three seconds, a small nuclear bomb, or bomblet, would be ignited at the rear of the spacecraft. The energy from the explosion would be absorbed by shock absorbers on a “pusher plate” that would accelerate the spacecraft to 3 percent of the speed of light.

You might expect that the passengers of these spaceships would experience the worst turbulence of their lives. However, the energy of the bombs is expected to be transferred quite nicely and the trip would be smooth.^[3]

7 Ramjets

Nuclear fusion is a process that occurs in the cores of all stars and is the source of each star’s heat. Fusion happens when atoms are subjected to extreme temperatures and pressures. Under these conditions, light atoms fuse together to make heavier ones. A by-product of this reaction is tremendous amounts of thermal energy.

Fusion is a far more powerful and energetic process than fission (when nuclear bombs split atoms). The most common form is hydrogen fusion, which creates helium. Several designs for interstellar spacecraft capitalize on hydrogen fusion.

Using high-powered lasers or magnets, hydrogen is compressed and heated until fusion ignites. The thermal energy released from the fusion is transferred to the surrounding atoms, accelerating them. These are expelled from the spacecraft by a nozzle, accelerating the spacecraft to a ridiculous 90 million kilometers per hour (55.9 million mph).^[4]

The hydrogen can be stored on board or collected from the interstellar medium (the matter and radiation that exists between stars) as the ship travels. Spacecraft that scoop up hydrogen as they go are called ramjets.

6 Antimatter

A particle of antimatter has the opposite properties of its regular matter counterpart. A proton has a positive charge, and an antiproton has a negative charge.

What does antimatter look like? You have never seen it because it is only synthesized in laboratories. The reason: If a particle of antimatter comes into contact with a particle of regular matter, they will annihilate each other in an astonishing explosion. One hundred percent of the particles’ mass is converted into a tsunami of energy.

To give you perspective, the largest nuclear bombs today convert 0.1 percent of their mass to energy. However, before all the mass has been converted to pure energy, a few short-lived particles are created as products of the reaction. A majority of these particles are called pions.

In an antimatter rocket, these pions would be used as a propellant and then expelled from the ship before they completely convert to energy. It is estimated that a ship propelled by antimatter annihilations could travel at 40 percent of the speed of light. Unfortunately, antimatter is incredibly difficult to synthesize. At present, we do not have the technology to create sufficient amounts of it.^[5]

5 Solar Sails

You may have seen them in Star Wars, but solar sails are a reality. Tests of these spacecraft have already been conducted by NASA and The Planetary Society.

The spacecraft works like a sailboat. Instead of wind, however, the propellant is sunlight. The ship consists of a small payload attached to a massive, ultrathin mirror, sometimes 30 meters (100 ft) across.

Pressure is exerted on the sail as vast amounts of photons are reflected off the surface of the mirror. Over time, the pressure builds and the spacecraft can reach speeds up to 241,000 kilometers per hour (150,000 mph).^[6]

While fast, these spacecraft do not go anywhere near the speeds required for interstellar travel. However, as you will see soon, the concept of solar sails can be modified to reach some of the fastest speeds on this list.

4 Laser Beams

The idea to propel spacecraft to extreme speeds using powerful laser beams has received the support of many powerful people, including Mark Zuckerberg and the late Stephen Hawking. The proposal, called Breakthrough Starshot, would send thousands of tiny probes 4 light-years away to Proxima Centauri, the closest star to Earth other than the Sun.

Besides its distance, Proxima Centauri is a prime target because it contains an Earthlike exoplanet called Proxima Centauri b (aka Proxima b) orbiting in the habitable zone. The goal of the project is to take photos and collect other valuable data on the exoplanet and send it back to Earth to see if Proxima Centauri b is indeed habitable or, even better, already inhabited.

The probes will be tiny, pellet-like wafers containing many valuable instruments and weighing only a few grams each. Like solar sails, they will be connected to “lightsails” and sent into space.

From a station back on Earth, large arrays of ultrapowerful lasers will shoot 100 gigawatts of focused laser beams at the lightsails, propelling them at 20 percent of the speed of light—over 160 million kilometers per hour (100 million mph). At that speed, even the tiniest obstacles in space, such as dust, can destroy a probe.^[7]

Thousands of probes will be sent to ensure that at least a few will reach their destination. The probes from Breakthrough Starshot should be able to make it to Proxima Centauri b in 20 years.

3 Beamed Particle Propulsion

One of the flaws in Breakthrough Starshot is an effect called “beam spreading.” This is the tendency for beams of light to spread out as they move. Beam spreading threatens to reduce the power that lasers can have on a lightsail. Some scientists have proposed using jets of particles instead of lasers. However, these also suffer from beam spreading.

Scientists at Texas A&M have come up with a novel solution: Use both lasers and particles. Their project is called PROCSIMA. Beam spreading can be eliminated in the laser by manipulating the properties of particles and eradicated in the particles by manipulating the properties of light.^[8]

2 Gas Station On Saturn’s Moon

Traditional rocket fuel uses liquid hydrogen and an oxidizer, usually liquid oxygen. Besides being toxic, the fuel is difficult to store as it is not very dense, meaning you cannot stockpile a lot of it. In addition, it must be stored at -252.9 degrees Celsius (-423.2 °F).

For those reasons, rocket pioneers such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have shifted toward the new methane fuel. Methane (CH₄) is nontoxic, can be stored at much higher temperatures, and is denser than hydrogen—allowing for a lot more of it to be stored.

There is one caveat, though. Although common on Earth, methane is not easily accumulated. However, a place nearby has lakes of liquid fuel waiting to be taken. Titan is Saturn’s largest moon. Besides Earth, Titan is the only known place in the universe with a liquid on its surface. Titan has vast lakes of ethane, propane, and, best of all, methane.

If we could build a launchpad on the surface of Titan, we could fill the rocket with vast amounts of methane fuel. Furthermore, Titan’s gravity is much lower than that of Earth. As a result, far less fuel would be required for liftoff, which consumes more fuel than any other phase of the trip. Launching a spacecraft from Titan could take us to the stars.^[9]

1 Black Hole Starship

Of all the spaceships on this list, the black hole starship is obviously the most unrealistic. Nonetheless, it is an intriguing idea. It takes advantage of Hawking radiation, a phenomenon discovered by Stephen Hawking.

Hawking radiation is what happens to a black hole when it evaporates. Over its lifetime, a black hole will emit radiation and shrink. For starships, the key lies in the fact that the process speeds up as the black hole becomes smaller. Therefore, by artificially creating a microscopic black hole, the Hawking radiation from the black hole can be used as a propellant by reflecting the radiation away from the spacecraft.^[10]

Tovi Sonnenberg is a high school student in New York and an amateur astronomer affiliated with the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). Follow him on Instagram and YouTube.

Psychopaths are a rare breed; they account for approx. 1% of the general population, which is a good thing considering the level of cruelty to others they are capable of.

Dr. Kevin Dutton, who has spent a lifetime studying psychopaths, explains their personality characteristics include: ruthlessness, fearlessness, impulsivity, self-confidence, coolness under pressure, charm, charisma, reduced empathy, and lack of conscience. They are able to wreak havoc and, often, kill without any signs of remorse.

Yet psychopaths on the big screen are not always accurate. In 2014, Belgian psychiatry professor Samuel Leistedt and his team set out on a mission to watch more than 400 movies, spanning from 1915 to 2010, in three years and report back which characters truly embodied psychopathy.^[1]

In total, they found 126 believable psychopathic characters – only 21 were female. Surprisingly, Leistedt said Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho,” Norman Bates in “Psycho,” and Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs” don’t quite fit the psychopath archetype – he explained they are more of a “universal boogeyman.” So, if these terrifying characters don’t make the cut for real psychopathy, then these following characters really are truly evil.

10 Monumental Malignantly Narcissistic Sociopaths

10 Alonzo Harris

“Training Day” (2001) is the ultimate good cop meets bad cop movie set against a backdrop of paranoia, gang culture, and police corruption in South Central Los Angeles. Over a 24-hour period, Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) attempts to teach rookie cop Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) the ropes. Alonzo puts Jake through a series of moral tests to measure his strength his character.

One of the many psychopathic traits Alonzo possesses is his ability to overstep all kinds of professional and personal boundaries. Psychopaths typically do not respect social norms and look for weaknesses in others they can exploit. Whereas social interactions are a normal pleasantry for most well-adjusted individuals, psychopaths tend to use interactions with others to “get one over them.”

Kibeom Lee, a professor at the University of Calgary, explained “(A study of psychopaths) adds to the research showing that certain personality traits can predict the tendency to exploit other people. Traits such as deceitfulness and conceitedness – as opposed to honesty and humility – involve a willingness to take advantage of others when the opportunity arises.”^[2]

Denzel Washington has frequently said that Alonzo Harris is his favorite character that he’s played.

9 Catherine Tramell

Catherine Tramell in “Basic Instinct” (1992) is a highly intelligent, manipulative, and charismatic novelist. Portrayed by Sharon Stone, both of her parents died in a boating accident leaving her with an inheritance of $110 million.

In “Basic Instinct 2” (2006), Dr. Michael Glass, portrayed by David Morrissey, reveals in his analysis that Catherine is addicted to risk. “I believe Ms. Tramell’s behavior is driven by what we might call a risk addiction. A compulsive need to prove to herself that she can take risks and survive dangers that other people cannot. Especially the subsequent encounters with the police, the powers that be. The greater the risk, the greater the proof of her omnipotence,” he explains.^[3]

Most high-functioning psychopaths have a genetic predisposition to fear. It takes a lot, if anything at all, to make them feel afraid, so, they take higher risks to get their kicks. This often results in innocent people becoming tangled in their game playing and, unfortunately, they come out worse for it.

In the words of Catherine herself: “I have a degree in psychology, it goes with the turf… Games are fun.”

8 Gordon Gekko

Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) in “Wall Street” (1987) is the epitome of the corporate psychopath. He is a successful businessman, having founded the investment corporation Gekko & Co., and has a fictional net worth of $650 million. As Gordon announces during a seminar, “Greed is good.”

At the very top of the corporate ladder is where you will statistically find the most psychopaths; roughly 4% to 12% of CEOs exhibit psychopathic traits, which is staggering if you consider the rate of psychopaths found in prisons is roughly 15%. According to psychologist Kevin Dutton, the top four career choices for psychopaths are CEO, attorney, media personality, and salesperson.

In their ground-breaking book “Snakes in Suits,” Paul Babiak and Robert Hare revealed that most of the workplace conflicts stemmed from having a psychopathic leader at the top. They write, “Psychopathic workers very often were identified as the source of departmental conflicts, in many cases, purposely setting people up in conflict with each other. ‘She tells some people one story, and then a totally different story to others.’”^[4]

These psychopaths at work are essentially the ‘puppetmaster’ and Gordon Gekko is a perfect example of this.

7 George Harvey

In “Lovely Bones” (2009), the murder of 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) leaves her spirit watching over her devastated family. Susie tries to communicate from the “the in-between” that the real killer is George Harvey (Stanley Tucci).

There are many creepy traits about George who prefers to be alone obsessing over his collection of dollhouses. We soon discover that near the school is his underground lair where he lures young girls to their death. Yet George is a typical psychopathic serial killer as he is “hiding in plain sight.”

Former FBI agent John Douglas explained, “We can’t get past the preconceived notion that these violent offenders should be drooling or have a third eyeball. They get away with murder in (the U.S.) 20 to 50 serial killers are on the loose at any time, killing three or more victims.”^[5]

To prepare for the role, Tucci spent two days role-playing with Douglas in an FBI agent/serial killer scenerio. The aim was to show psychopaths as they really are; more human than monster. It clearly worked as Tucci was nominated for an Academy Award for his authentic performance.

6 Sergeant William James

“The Hurt Locker” (2008) introduced us to Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) and his work in the Explosives Ordnance Disposal unit. Sgt. James creates tension within his team due to his reckless disposal methods and laidback attitude in the face of fatal injury.

Despite these high-intensity situations, he is able to compartmentalize the weight of this stress in his mind and move on to a new task seemingly unaffected. This is in contrast with his teammate, Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), who visits a psychologist to help deal with the stress of combat. Sure, being able to focus under pressure is helpful for a bomb disposal technician but this is also one of the signs of psychopathy.

In the essay “What Psychopaths Can do that Everyone Else Can’t”, Dr. George Simon explains, “I argue that even more insidious than the lack of conscience and empathy that characterizes most psychopaths, is the ability of some to compartmentalize emotion. They look like they can feel, hurt, and empathize just like anyone else. What a shock it is (sometimes a deadly one) when it becomes apparent how easily they can switch off any caring.”^[6]

10 Insanely Common Misconceptions About Psychopaths

5 Hedra Carlson

Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is the main antagonist in “Single White Female” (1992). Like Catherine Tramell, Hedra uses male lust to her advantage. Leistedt’s research team found that many on-screen female psychopaths are portrayed “as scheming manipulators whose main weapons are sexual.” They are able to use male sexual desire to their own advantage.

Hedra is also a pathological liar and, like most psychopaths, she is able to lie so well that the listener begins to doubt themselves, even in the face of contrary evidence. Psychopaths behave this way so they have all the power in the relationship.

Preston Ni, author of “How to Communicate Effectively and Handle Difficult People” writes, “In their desire for ever more power (over relationships) psychopaths will literally make up and say anything in order to achieve their aims. Blatant lies, distortions, deceptions, broken promises, and blaming the victim are just some of the common devices used to enable the psychopath to advance his or her aggressive and unscrupulous schemes.”^[7]

4 Annie Wilkes

In the 1990 film adaption of Stephen King’s “Misery”, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) traps famous writer Paul Sheldon (James Caan) in her home because she is his “number one fan”. The character of Annie is characterized by violent mood swings – either overbearingly sweet or flies into a violent temper. Also, she is a complete narcissist.

Annie reveals the full extent of her narcissism when she forces Paul to burn his new manuscript because she does not like foul language. She is also furious he has killed off her favorite character so she insists he rewrites the novel and brings the character back to life.

Not all psychopaths are narcissists and not all narcissists are psychopaths; yet it’s Annie’s scheming and manipulative ways that show her psychopathic side. She will stop at nothing to get what she wants. You can also test if your partner is a psychopath by making them watch the hobbling scene and if they don’t look away, well, they just might be.^[8]

3 Hans Beckert

In the opening scene of “M” (1931), Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) lures a little girl to her death. The city of Berlin is in panic as the police reveal there is a sadistic pedophile and serial killer on the loose. This German thriller is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time.

Due to his charismatic personality, Beckert is capable of killing without detection for long periods of time. Like George Harvey, he is able to adopt a chameleon-like effect and blend in with society; all whilst continuing his monstrous deeds.

“Lorre portrays Beckert as an outwardly unremarkable man tormented by a compulsion to murder children ritualistically,” the researchers who identified him as a psychopath wrote.^[9] Psychopaths are incapable of ignoring their own impulsive desires. They are addicted to sensation-seeking and are often motivated by a desire for excitement; even if the only thing that is capable of exciting them is extreme violence.

Once his true evil is revealed, Beckert pleads, “Who knows what it is like to be me?”

2 Henry

“Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer” (1986) is based on real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. Michael Rooker stars as the killer is released from prison for murdering his own mother and it’s not long before he returns back to his violent ways. Alongside his partner in crime, Otis Toole (Tom Towles), they both head off on a killing spree which they are able to plan with meticulous detail.

In reality, Lucas was convicted of murdering 11 people; however, he claims to be responsible for killing more than 3,000 victims. He picked off his victims at random in the early 1980s whilst drifting across several states with Toole by his side.

Lucas blamed his own mother for his psychopathy claiming she would humiliate him and force him to wear girl’s clothing. On one occasion, she would beat him so badly he needed hospital treatment. By the year 1960, he could no longer his mother’s abuse; he struck her with a broom then stabbed her in the neck. He was sent to Ionia State Hospital but made parole ten years later.^[10]

Rooker’s portrayal of Henry in the film is considered one of the most memorable performances on his career.

1 Anton Chigurh

More than 400 movies later, the experts revealed they found the most believable on-screen psychopath is Javier Bardem’s character Anton Chigurh in “No Country For Old Men” (2007). The researchers wrote, “He seems to be effectively invulnerable and resistant to any form of emotion or humanity.”

This adaption of Cormac McCarthy’s novel follows the intersecting lives of war veteran Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad and $2 million in cash, and professional tracker Anton Chigurgh. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the film won four awards at the 80th Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Bardem later revealed, “(Anton) is a guy of his word, in a way, and a symbol, a violent fate that you have called for, the genie out of the lamp. And when violence shows up, it’s impossible to destroy, it only creates misery and pain, and doesn’t get you anywhere. So I said okay, it’s not that I like the guy, but I like the idea behind the guy, I like what he represents.”^[11]

Top 10 Disturbing Films Featuring Sociopaths

The first intentional human artwork was cave paintings from 30,000 BCE. The first photograph was taken sometime in the 1820s; the first movie was shot in 1888. What is thought to be the first true video game ever created was Tennis for Two by physicists in 1958; the first (and also eerily similar) commercial video game, Atari’s Pong, was released in 1972. 

Since then, there have been wireless controls, rumble packs, motion controls, audio feedback, effective VR, etc. These immersive experiences achievable by previously unimaginable technological innovations are picking up at an exponential rate, leaving us without proper time to truly digest just how capable the most recent generations of video games are at mirroring reality. And mirror reality they do. 

Here are ten of the most realistic video games out there, in one way or another.

10 Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Think back to March of last year (2020), but just for a moment! We know it’s painful. Quarantine began around the world, but there was one glimmer of hope: the newest release of Animal Crossing for the Switch! So instead of feeling down, stuck indoors with no promise of a return to the norm, you spent your time decorating your island with your favorite animal villagers and literally reaped the land for the moolah to pay off your debts!

If we go back farther, you’ll see Animal Crossing isn’t just some one-hit-wonder but has been a popular Nintendo Staple since the early oughts. Why is that? The collective millennial childhood dream fueled by all of the ‘what do you want to be when you grow up ‘ from our elders was laid waste by various world events. We can see that Nintendo has been (hopefully unwittingly) cashing in on the broken promises of our youth with this beloved series. 

9 Amnesia

In 2010 game developer Frictional Games screamed into the void: “video games just aren’t scary enough!” The void screamed back: “make those poor saps wear headphones and play in total darkness…darkness…darkness,” and the game Amnesia: The Dark Descent was born. Playing as Daniel, you are dropped into the middle of labyrinthine Castle Brennenburg with no recollection of how you got there. But before you intentionally erased your memory (as it turns out), you also left yourself this note: find and kill the baron of the castle. Navigating the many layers of puzzles in the dark increases in difficulty as your sanity meter decreases.

This is where the headphones come in: phantom footsteps audibly track from behind and through you, your heartbeat increases, your vision starts to blur, all of it mimicking real fear. Thought that was bad? When it gets worse, you even begin to grind your teeth. Better find some light, fast.

8 Tamagotchi

Tamagotchi still being a popular accessory for kids nowadays is strange. It’s even stranger that it ever existed at all, back in the early ’90s when developers could only achieve handheld gaming with pixelated black and white screens. But companies knew their target demographic well and, with limited technology, simulated all the joys of pet ownership for the young and inexperienced.

Forget the romantic notion of forming lifelong pet friendships and bonds beyond the level of speech. Instead, delve into the reality of ill-timed reminders of the pet’s need to poop, be cleaned of poop, cleanup said poop, or eat to make more poop. If even one goldfish was saved a neglectful starvation death upon realizing that pets are hard, we can thank the Tamagotchi, muffled at the bottom of some random garbage drawer, for the lesson.

7 Who’s Your Daddy

What Tamagotchi is to teaching the children the virtues of owning a pet, Who’s Your Daddy is the lesson to first-time parents: your baby will try to hurt/maim/kill itself in every possible way, and you are the only force between them and getting a nasty call from Child Protective Services.

Play as either the suicidal baby or the father left in charge while his wife, the more responsible parent, is absent (we don’t restrict ourselves to heteronormativity here). Watch out for classics such as downing a full bottle of bleach aperitif followed by other kitchen cleaners, licking batteries, fork in the outlet, and the classic “don’t tase me, bro.” Though many games are meant to be escapism, Who’s Your Daddy is just a harsh lesson on the realities of child safety.

6 Devotion

Let’s do a full 180 and focus on those good parents out there who will do anything for their child to succeed. Not some things, not the easy things, not the right things, ANYTHING. Cue father Du Feng Yu, a failing screenwriter whose eyes we see through in Devotion. 

In it, Yu struggles to maintain control over his beloved movie-starlet-turned housewife, Gong Li Fang, and rising-star daughter, Du Mei Shin, who dislikes the spotlight. Freely roam between three different versions of your apartment at three different times to unlock clues to your obsession with treating Mei Shin’s condition once 1980’s medicine fails you.

As Feng Yu, you go to extreme lengths to see Mei Shin well again, somehow leading to an extremely graphic and realistic scene in which you have to rip out your tongue and gouge out your own eyes (yes, there is actually a button for that). The whole scene is so visceral and uncomfortable because it presents the situation as 100% real and makes you feel every bit of what’s happening. It’s the type of realism you didn’t know you wanted… and maybe actually don’t.

5 Mario Party

Who doesn’t look forward to monthly family game nights where the slim line of binge drinking is the only separation between “getting along” and screaming at your unemployed basement-dwelling cousin as they spend over half an hour referencing the board game rule book on why your last move was illegal? Doesn’t that sound like fun? So why not turn your ceaseless suffering into a video game where you have even more of your agency taken away! Enter: Mario Party.

Don’t get along with your siblings? Learn to curse the very ground they walk on with the invention of 3 vs. 1 mini-games where they relentlessly pound on you. At the same time, you develop a palm blister from the improper use of the joystick (see: the very real New York vs. Nintendo Lawsuit and their sad apology via the Nintendo protective glove release). Teach your niece or nephew the newest swear word unintentionally while the computer player is randomly spawned in front of the star for the second time in a row. It really is the complete authentic board game experience. The only downside is there is no board game-laden table you can flip before you make your untimely exit. 

4 Outlast 2

Outlast 2 is a phenomenal psychological horror survival video game by Red Barrels. You are forced to find your escape through a backwoods cultish hell in the American Southwest after being dumped there via plane crash. But you probably have your typical beam sword, physics gun, oversized bludgeoning key, and sexy AI lady to help you on your way, right? No, sir, not here.

The finite list of what you can do to avoid death and dismemberment from crazy religious nutcase as investigative journalist Blake Langermann is as follows: crouch, run, jump, walk, and most importantly- hide. Hide in lockers, barrels, wardrobes, beds, pools of water, tall grass, cornfields, inside of houses, wherever you can. You cannot fight back. It makes the horror experience less like the Hero’s Journey and more like the Actual-Person’s Journey. 

You have a limited stamina meter, too, just like we did when we skipped cardio day last week, the week before that… and let’s be honest, for all of 2020, But you can record the catastrophe befalling you for some nice home movies to enjoy later if you survive. So there’s that consolation.

3 American Trucking Simulator

These days there is a simulator for just about every kind of experience out there. And why not? The internet has been an illuminating source of minuscule niches and virtually undiscoverable hobbies for as long as people have been typing in chatrooms. But to make a simulator that is accurate, enjoyable, and which sells over 2 million copies on Steam? Well, that is true art, and that art is American Trucking Simulator.

Spend hundreds of hours driving a 1:20 scale major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Boise, Denver, etc., on many thousands of miles worth of in-game roads. Customize your truck for the cargo you want to haul and try not to cause too much damage, as that all factors into the money you may or may not take home at the end of the day. That’s right- the point of the game is to drive a commercial vehicle safely, under the speed limit, without causing damage to yourself or others: violent video games, my bum.

2 Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Even the most obsessive fan who buys multiple tickets to their local Renaissance Festival every summer to live out their LARPing fantasies knows deep down that no, elves, dwarves, and filthy “hobbitses” are not actually real. But there is something genuine about the game Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, Shadow of War: The Nemesis System.

On top of the awesome title that should clearly have already been the name of some nerdy indie band, The Nemesis System was and still is a technological feat. Its purpose is to tweak the artificial intelligence of non-playable characters to react accordingly to prior interactions with the main protagonist. That means the orc warrior that survives a big battle can get promoted in Sauron’s Army and therefore be stronger when you face them again. Conversely, if you send them home cryin’ to their momma, their stats will drop, and they’ll lose face among their peers. They can be demoted and even take on a new, belittling name due to the mockery of their peers. The game treats orcs like real people with real lives, making killing them… even better.

1 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Have you ever locked eyes with a random stranger in an open-world action fantasy series after a long day of goblin-slaying and magic crystal-hunting and thought, “Boy, I wonder what things you do after I save my game once, save it again because I wasn’t paying attention, then turn it off?” Well, you can thank Oblivion for that.

For Oblivion, Bethesda developed a Radiant AI system, which enabled their non-player characters to make choices and engage in behaviors much more complex than in past titles. If thwarting the Mythic Dawn cult in their plans to open portal gates to a demonic realm isn’t your style, go ahead and follow a fully voiced NPC—a first for the series—and see their own fully unique day plans. They wake up when they need to, walk to their work, tend the ye old shoppe, eat their meals, walk home, do chores, and sleep. It’s a bit frightening how accurately mundane their lives are, sort of like the game is holding up a judgmental mirror to my own life.

Video games, TV shows, and films all portray modern-day warfare in a variety of ways, but which ones are the most realistic?

When it comes to the war and military genre, the field is ripe for the picking. Oversaturation in various media forms provides a litany of portrayals—some accurate and some a complete departure from the realities and horror that is combat. The following is a compilation of video games, movies, and TV shows that provide an accurate (okay, let’s go for mostly accurate) depiction of the realities of war. No documentaries were included on this list—for obvious reasons.

Related: 10 Facts Everyone Forgets About World War II

10 Blackhawk Down (Movie)

Based on the United States mission to Somalia amid its civil war in 1993, Black Hawk Down is a cinematic masterpiece that reflects the courage and heroism of soldiers when faced with the worst situation. Revolving around a task force comprised of the Army Rangers (Third Battalion, 75th Regiment), CAG (Delta Force), and the 160th SOAR, this is more than just a war movie. The heroism depicted is based on true events, including the medals of honor awarded to Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart for sacrificing themselves to protect an injured pilot in a downed helicopter.

However, the movie’s realism can be distilled into a singular moment in which a Ranger, James Smith, is shot in his thigh, which severs his femoral artery, causing a vast amount of blood loss. The ensuing struggle for Smith’s life and his passing is one of the most visceral and bloody moments portrayed on the big screen.^[1]

9 Lone Survivor (Movie)

The 2005 mission to kill or capture Ahmad Shaw in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan became highly publicized due to the book Lone Survivor and the movie of the same name. A four-man U.S. Navy SEAL reconnaissance element was sent into the mountains to locate and identify a Taliban leader responsible for the death of a number of American servicemen. During their stay in the mountains, the four-man recon team was discovered by shepherds, who, when let go, informed the Taliban of the SEAL team and their location.

The ensuing firefight left three of the four men dead, badly wounding the final member. A rescue attempt was shot down, killing another 16 Special Operators. It was several days before the lone survivor, Marcus Luttrell, was located and rescued. The singular most heart-wrenching moment of the film’s 121-minute runtime is when Lieutenant Michael Murphy places the needs of his men above his own, putting himself in harm’s way and exposing himself to enemy fire—which mortally wounds him—to place a call to command for a rescue party. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his selfless act, which saved his teammate’s life.^[2]

8 Medal of Honor (Video Game)

Based on real-life missions, Medal of Honor centers around the initial push into the Shai Khot Valley in Afghanistan in 2002. Operation Anaconda was a cooperative effort between SEAL Team 6, Delta Force, the 24th STS, the Rangers, and other infantry units.

The game reflects many real events with members of 6 being thrown out of helicopters on the way to an observation post, gunfights on the mountain, helicopter crashes, and the military hierarchy structure interfering with the on-the-ground decision making, causing the loss of service members lives. The brutal gunfight that ensued after a member of SEAL Team 6, Neil Roberts, was thrown from the helicopter is depicted in great detail in the game.^[3]

7 SEAL Team (TV Show)

A handful of TV shows have done justice to the special mission unit world, and even fewer had technical advisers that have been there, done that. SEAL Team distances itself from the rest with its technical competency, real-world situations, and attention to detail. The show’s lead technical advisor and supporting actor—Tyler Grey, a former member of CAG’s A Squadron—does an excellent job of ensuring the believability of the members of the Bravo team’s portrayal of DEVGRU operators.

Having switched over to the streaming platform, Paramount+, the gore and language have ratcheted up several notches, but the quality of plot and gritty realism have remained the same.^[4]

6 The Hurt Locker (Movie)

Kathryn Bigelow’s 2008 film The Hurt Locker is a quick study of the high-octane world of Explosive Ordinance Disposal Specialists who disarm IEDs and other explosive devices with a hands-on approach. Critics loved the crisp narrative filled with emotional gut punches and resounding victories of yet another bomb taken off the streets.

The fluctuation of highs and lows inside a war zone accentuated by an adrenaline junkie disposal expert and his team, set against the backdrop of mid-GWOT Iraq, make for an explosive mix—pun intended. From suicide vests and buried mines to snipers and rowdy fraternal bonding, the movie is a rollercoaster of emotion and an in-depth look into a different kind of warrior.^[5]

5 Sicario (Movie)

Denis Villeneuve’s 2015 titan of an action thriller comes in at number five on the list. Starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin, the film—written by Taylor Sheridan—delves deeply into the drug war on the U.S. southern border and the multitude of U.S. agencies and faculties involved.

The brutality displayed by the cartels and returned by paramilitary operatives working in conjunction with U.S. forces is gut-wrenching. The non-stop thrill ride opens with the discoveries of bagged, decaying corpses in the wall of a house and fails to slow down through the entirety of its journey. From underground gun battles, shootouts with gang members and special activities division officers, and extermination of entire families, Sicario is hailed by many as an accurate depiction of the war on drugs.^[6]

4 Band of Brothers (Miniseries)

Beginning as a book written by Stephen Ambrose, Band of Brothers recounts the tale of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division. This true story is filled with tales of heroism, true leadership, cowardice, heartbreak, and fearlessness in the face of overwhelming odds. In a singular engagement, Easy Company sustained 47% casualties, nearly half of its effective fighting force wounded or killed.

From Normandy, Bastogne, and Operation Market Garden, Band of Brothers tells a tale of tightly knit warriors who suffer unspeakable horrors together in foxholes, trenches, and parachute sticks, wearing a purple heart as a membership badge rather than an award. The mortar attack scenes in the Bastogne forest, causing several of the toughest men to mentally break as they watch their friends killed, depicts the helplessness and chaos of war best.^[7]

3 SIX (TV series)

Rarely will you find a series in the military or action genre that is deeply rooted in a unit’s culture and persona. SIX is a deep dive into the culture of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, DEVGRU for short, or SEAL Team. The team culture, the war crimes, the in-house coverups, the hierarchy amongst the boys, and PTSD are all topics on the table in this high-intensity manhunt-centric series.

From the jungles of Africa to the mountainous regions of Eastern Europe, the series is filled with gun battles, explosions, debilitating injuries, and inside jokes that show the realism of a tight-knit community of tier 1 professional soldiers.

As a viewer, we sympathize with trying to be father and team leader Joe Graves, laugh at carefree Caulder’s antics, and respect the quiet professionalism of Buddha. Traumatic brain injury, gunshot wounds, post-traumatic stress, and drug addiction all face these warriors on the homefront, making it one of the few series to bring the war home with the boys. No matter how hard these men train, they aren’t invincible to the ravages of war on the battlefield and the homefront.^[8]

2 Full Metal Jacket (Movie)

I would be remiss if I did not bring up the 1987 Vietnam-era classic Full Metal Jacket. Directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick, it follows a platoon of U.S. Marines from boot camp all the way through the Tet Offensive. Mental health plays a massive part in the movie’s theme, initially demonstrated by an overweight private in boot camp being bullied until he commits atrocities during a mental breakdown.

The movie then proceeds to take darker and darker turns, as members of the squad are killed off during deployment through booby traps, snipers, and other enemy tactics. Members of the marine squad succumb to their darker sides and join the base inhumane level of warfare. The violence and gore of the movie are truly chilling, then add the pack mentality of young men thrown into the violence of epic proportion that is on full display. The execution of a sniper is a pivotal moment in the movie as the executioner is now considered a man for this act.^[9]

1 Saving Private Ryan (Movie)

Though this tends to be at the top of most lists regarding most realistic war movies, it remains the pinnacle and standard. The opening sequence of the assault on Omaha beach displays the raw carnage and chaos of combat on a spectrum that is impossible to fathom. Set amid true events, the epic saga of a squad of men looking to bring one of their own home is heart-wrenching in its emotional depth and beautiful in its cinematographic storytelling.

Tom Hanks’s character, a captain of a squad who was a school teacher prior to enlisting, must lead a squad of various personalities across Western Europe searching for a young man who has lost all of his siblings to war. Between the gore and violence of many of the battle scenes to the sheer and utter sensory overload of combat, veterans cite it as the most realistic and accurate war movie. It even resulted in the need for a veteran’s PTSD hotline for those experiencing symptoms while watching the movie. A cinematic masterpiece with a cross-over into the tangible.^[10]

Visual media tends to be an outlet or way of escapism, for fantastical journeys we as individuals can take without having to leave the comfort of our homes. However, the media sources listed portray some of the most horrific occurrences in mankind combatted with heroism on a scale to match. These movies, TV shows, and video games are not real but do an excellent job portraying what many of us hope never to face ourselves.

We’ve come a long way from fearful predictions of artificial intelligence taking over humanity, and futuristic renderings of robots that look like CP3O had a baby with Rosie (the robot maid from The Jetsons).

Engineers have crafted silicon skin that mimics human skin texture; they are perfecting the subtleties of expression. They’ve even crafted autonomous-minded conversationalists with the ability to learn and store information based on interactions with humans and other robots.

No, robots and AI haven’t taken over the world yet, but their brains are in our technology, and the robot model can be so realistic it’s terrifying. Here are ten realistic robots that will freak you out.

Related: 10 Interesting Facts About The Rise Of Sex Robots

10 Ai-Da

Ai-Da recently made news when she was stopped from boarding a flight. Why? Because she’s a robot, and the country in question suspected that she might be a surveillance robot. Now, she’s no James Bond, nor is she even the webcam on your laptop that you cover up with a sticky note so the government can’t spy on you. No, Ai-Da is an artist, darnit! Let her fly, let her paint!

Ai-Da’s programming is so sophisticated that it allows her to process everything she needs to sculpt, paint, and draw. Her torso and up are all very developed, and engineers gave her a fitting female voice. What entirely gives her away as a robot is her pair of exposed, mechanical arms.

Her claim to fame is being the first AI to create self-portraits. Did she self-portrait herself because she wanted to? No, her creators programmed her to do that, and there’s no sign of sentience—yet. But this accomplishment still shows the potential of a robot to infiltrate more than computers and numbers. Even art is on the table.

9 Sophia

Sophia the robot hit the scene in 2016 and almost immediately went viral. She is pretty badass, especially with her Mojo Jojo-esque brain. Developed by Hanson Robotics, she is incredibly realistic, with very human-like responses and facial expressions. I mean, just watch her speak. It’s the eyebrows, the way she moves her head when she speaks, even the quality and texture of her skin…it’s crazy.

Sophia’s ability to hold entire conversations with people has led to several appearances on late-night talk shows and other platforms of interest. With a shirt and a wig on, you’d probably have no idea you were speaking with an intelligent AI, maybe someone who is just a little bit odd.

Outside of looks, because it’s the inside that counts, Sophia provides the blueprint for innovative research into robot-human interaction and the future of AI in general.

8 Geminoid DK

Not for nothin’, but this next guy sounds like Frank Zappa named him. Geminoid DK is an ultra-realistic robot modeled after Danish professor Henrik Scharfe (down to the way he shrugs his shoulders). DK acts as Scharfe’s surrogate, and Scharfe operates it remotely.

Geminoid was originally unveiled in 2011 as a way to study the interactions between humans and robots. However, we can’t help but obsess over how realistic engineers and artists crafted its face. Out of all the robots here, this is the one you’d never guess was a robot (until you see that his bottom half is hooked up to all sorts of computers).

I guess this would be more fascinating than freaky if it weren’t for the fact that some of the robot’s facial transitions aren’t quite perfect. If you watch the YouTube video for this section (you watch the videos, right?) and skip to around 0:16, its sudden open expression is a hell game version of peek-a-boo. 

I don’t like it.

7 Jennie the Robo Dog

Jenny, I want your numbah!

This isn’t that, Jenny. This is Jennie. Jennie is a robot therapy dog for people who cannot care for pets. It runs on batteries and doesn’t have to go to the bathroom. Unlike many robotic animals that are mostly exposed to the “bones,” Jennie is modeled after a fluffy golden retriever and was given all the cute nuances.

Kind of.

Its face is a little like a taxidermy project gone wrong, but it’s real enough to be convincing from a distance…it’s pretty creepy. Still, the creator has gone to great lengths to meet a need, and he’ll probably be a very rich man one day. Even if robot dogs aren’t man’s best friend.

6 Nadine

We covered the robot emotional support dog, but what about an emotional support robot human? Nadine, who was developed in Singapore by Professor Nadia Thalmann, is what robotics folks call a “social robot.” That means she is capable of conversation, remembering things you tell her, and learning. Her design isn’t half bad, and engineers even gave her hands! The only thing is that her hands are different (some OG Michael Crichton Westworld right there).

Like, you know how you’re supposed to dance the robot with Barbie hands? They’re like that. Go in for a handshake, and there’s no firm grip, just a weird robot hand with thick fingers.

Nadine’s potential to become a prototype companion robot is pretty high, and her purpose is noble. But she is a little freaky looking—only because she’s a robot. I’m sure she’s a lovely human being.

5 Henn na Hotel Workers

I guess this is what robot-fearing people mean when they say that robots are taking over human jobs. The Henn na Hotel in Japan is staffed almost entirely by AIs. These AIs are not only friendly and experts in hospitality, but they are also multilingual. There’s even an English-speaking dinosaur robot. This is great for business as the robots have entirely opened up the hotel to the world’s travelers and unique hotel enthusiasts.

However, I can only imagine what kind of paranoia would surface being humans at the mercy of robots. Will the hospitality staff turn on the tourists? Is this where the robot revolution will begin? Yes, that’s right, get them comfortable, and when they’re asleep in their rooms at night, robots attack!

Ahem, anyway. The hotel’s concept is centered around technological evolution, but no room service, no microwaves. There is Wi-Fi, though. Maybe in the future, humans won’t need to eat.

4 U.S. Air Force Nano-drone

Up until now, in this list, engineers have developed these robots for more innocuous reasons: art, support, hospitality. This one, though, was built to be a spy/DNA-taking mosquito. Not only did the U.S. Air Force help a team of researchers create something to invade your privacy, but they also made it one of the most hated creatures on the face of this planet.

This micro aerial vehicle (MAV), or nano-drone, was designed to fly and land perfectly on someone’s skin. An operator controls it from afar. The MAV has eyes and ears, too (a camera and a built-in microphone). Now, I guess, yeah, that’s freaky. But that’s regular spy stuff. What you should really be worried about is the fact that this thing can “bite” you, take a DNA sample, and inject an RFID chip underneath your skin. That is a tracking device.

Today, it’s tracking devices. What is it going to be tomorrow, terminal illnesses?

3 PETMAN

Militarize robots, they said. It’d be a good idea, they said. Actually, for the sake of testing how well a soldier’s clothes and protective gear can withstand hazards, yes, it’s a good idea. Developed by Boston Dynamics, PETMAN was made for just that, and yes, he was engineered to move like a soldier, too. It can squat, jump, do push-ups, and maintain homeostasis.

If we rewind to middle school science classes, homeostasis used to be the thing that defined a “living being.” Of course, that has changed, and maybe because of, you know, robots being able to maintain homeostasis, too.

Though PETMAN isn’t a skinned robot, when put into military gear, you can’t tell. It makes you wonder how soon robots we’ll be fighting our wars for us or instilling peace.

2 Diego-san

Diego-san is a one-year-old robot baby developed by UC San Diego, Kokoro, and Hanson Robotics in 2013. Its baby purpose is to help researchers study cognitive development. You could put clothes and a wig on it, and that would do just fine to cover up its pneumatic actuators. 

The problem is that it has an oddly large head. The head stores all the hardware to run instructions and the 27 servo-motors that control Diego-san’s facial expressions. It can also interact with humans the way a one-year-old would. 

1 HRP-4C

Outside of the awful name, HRP-4C is a neat robot. Why? It can dance! In fact, it can full-on entertain, sing, and perform alongside humans. The robot’s full female body, however, is a little strange. Though engineers and artists have come a long way with facial expressions, they still haven’t mastered the art of fluid movement. 

Listen, HRP-4C can dance, but if I want jazz hands, I’m not going to get jazz hands. And her arms seem strangely long. The more you look at HRP-4C, the freakier she gets, and the more you question whether or not an Austin Power’s fan made her emulate Fembots.

Hyperrealistic cakes started hitting the meme scene a handful of years ago, ultimately culminating in a TikTok challenge to guess if it’s cake or real. And while we “oh and ah” at these cake achievements, sometimes, when you see that cross-section, you don’t really want to eat it. Not to mention that most of these cakes are loaded up with fondant, which isn’t that tasty. That said, let’s start the list. Here are ten realistic cakes that you don’t want to eat.

Related: Top 10 Bizarre Cakes You Won’t See On The Great British Bake Off

10 Cigarette Cake

The war on tobacco, or rather cigarettes, is certainly no deterrent to conjuring up cool by using the image of the cigarette. But it really only works when a good-looking celebrity is the one smoking—and when you don’t see any of the carnage associated with it. Truly, one of the nastiest things out there is an ashtray with smushed-up butts, left out for days, wafting its stale smoke-laden scent into the room. So, why would you want to order or eat a cake with a fondant ashtray, complete with cigarette butts on top?

YouTuber Seller FactG had a reason, and I guess it was to show us all how to make it. Yes, they did a great job, and yes, this cake maker is talented. But no amount of talent would make me want to eat a cake with cigarettes and an ashtray on it. Someone else can fill that niche and their pie (cake) hole.

9 Sneaker Cake

Not going to lie. This next cake is really impressive, way more than the cigarette cake. Cakes StepbyStep shows us how to make a colorful sneaker cake, although I’m not sure how an amateur baker would be able to pull this off, even with the tutorial. More like step-by-step, you suck at making cakes, let me show you how it’s done, okay?

The cake maker manages to make a beautifully formed shoe mold out of a blue cake and adds shoe texture (because that exists) to the fondant. I barely even know how to tie my shoes.

As much as I bow down to the cake Lord on this one, I definitely would not want to eat it. Not only do I have little interest in eating a shoe, but I also have zero interest in eating fondant and ruining someone’s art.

8 Bloody Human Skin Cake

Fondant hatred aside, this cake may be obvious as to why you wouldn’t want to eat it. It is one of the most horrific, gruesome things I’ve ever seen in the baking world. Epic Confections designed this cake to be a Halloween centerpiece, and boy, did they hit the mark!

There is skin sewn together, bones, guts, a slimy, bloody glaze. It reminds me of dissection in Anatomy & Physiology in high school. The baker really did what they set out to do because I’m not touching this cake with a 10-foot pole, let alone eating it.

I do need to talk about fondant, though, because the intestines are made of it. Fondant is this marshmallowy, sugary icing that you can mold and dye to your liking. But it just tastes like this strange, soft, sugar comforter. It really is like eating a cake blanket. Now imagine a tube of that, in the shape of intestines. So if you are going to eat this cake, peel of the intestines first.

7 Cockroach Cake

Cockroaches are a living nightmare and an unfortunate fact for urban apartment dwellers. And you know that where there’s one, there’s hundreds of them lurking in the darkest corners of your house and crawling up your drains. However, with shows like Fear Factor, cockroaches have become less of a threat and more of a challenge. How long can you hold one? Can you put one in your mouth? Can you make a hyperrealistic cake of a cockroach?

Yes, to that last one. The answer is yes.

Cake maker Katherine Dey is an expert at hyperrealistic cakes, often crafting unusual picks. Scrolling through her Instagram, you’ll see a snail, larva, a liver, skulls, bats, and a human brain with the spinal cord attached to it. So, of course, she just had to make a cockroach cake.

Presented to a group of Buzzfeeders with terrible cockroach backstories, it is understandable that they freaked out when they first saw it. The detail is so incredible that it actually looks like the cake cockroach is alive. They eventually ate the cake but watching them slice it, you expect bug guts to come gushing out. Blah.

6 Kitty Litter Cake

When I was an innocent fourth-grade student, our class had a Halloween party. Every student had to bring in something to eat, which, in itself, is a potluck disaster. But this one kid brought in a dessert called kitty litter, complete with Tootsie Roll cat poop and all. It looked like kitty litter, all right.

Now, I thought that would be the first and last time I’d have to look at a kitty litter confection, but oh, I was wrong. I present to you the kitty litter cake. Going by a Try Guys “Without a Recipe” rubric, it is definitely a cake. But the cake is in a bin. And crushed butter cookies make the litter. And the poop even has those wrinkles in them. I’m not sure if the end product is supposed to be a cake or an actual litter box.

I don’t even know if we’re supposed to eat this cake or gawk at it and try to scoop out the cat poops.

5 Pig Head Cake

Nobody harmed any pigs while making this cake.

Going back to Katherine Dey, because there’s just so many good ones to choose from, we have the pig head cake, presented with a garnish on a silver platter. Though head cheese, as it’s officially called, is well-loved by some, when you’re literally given the full, unprocessed pig head on a platter, actually eating pig head becomes way less desirable.

It could be a good, somewhat cruel joke, though. As Dey captioned the official photograph of it, “Made a birthday cake for a vegan.”

4 Croc Cake

There are just some cakes you don’t want to eat because you actually don’t know it’s a cake and why would you eat that anyway? One example can only be introduced by a Vine of social media past: “What are those?!” “Those are my crocs!”

This cake looks so real that you’d probably assume your foot goes in it, not that you put the shoe in your mouth. If you skip to 0:26 in the video, you’ll see the full detail the baker, Tuba Geckil, added to the shoe. The croc holes are perfectly round; the texture of the croc sole is perfectly bumpy. So why would you ever want a croc in your mouth that doesn’t belong there in the first place?

(Cue jokes.)

3 Pimple Cupcakes

Most of the reason you don’t want to eat these cakes is psychological. It’s the thought of eating something that isn’t cake that psychs you out. And this cake falls into this category.

Technically a cupcake but still a cake. These pimple cupcakes are so obscene that no popaholic would be able to comfortably stomach the sight and eating process of them. They probably taste amazing, but I won’t be finding out anytime soon. I mean, the head of the zit is even red and inflamed, with some sort of substance oozing out of it. Oh yeah, the baker’s went in hard with this one. You can even squeeze the top, and pus, the frosting, will come out of the zit. And then you’re supposed to eat the frosting. It is accurate, clever, and inedible just by sight.

But tell me how it tastes because, again, it probably tastes really good.

2 Dead Head Cake

If your initial thought is that a Dead Head cake is a Grateful Dead, LSD-laced cake, you’re wrong. Sounds fun, but no. This is a cake literally made to look like someone’s severed, bloody head, eyes rolled back and all. So even though this cake has a buttercream frosting and red velvet cake base, I just can’t get over the idea of eating someone’s head, gushing with fake blood.

1 Human Body Cake

This one takes the cake. Though it may not be the most hyperrealistic, it’s pretty messed up, and one can only imagine the type of cannibalistic fantasies the bakers are trying to fulfill with this one.

A Chinese street food vendor made a cake shaped like a human torso, complete with arms. Then, someone with face paint sits underneath the cake and pretends to writhe as if their body is being eaten alive. It’s savage, mayhem, and someone else’s taste.

Hungry customers ask for pieces of the cake, and vendors dig right on in. You don’t know what it means when everyone wants a piece of you until someone turns you into a cake.