Author: Ed Hatchet

As futuristic as it sounds, weapons forged from meteorites date back millennia. In fact, after gold and copper, the earliest metal objects ever made by humans were probably made with outer space iron. In other words, the Iron Age came from the stars. Not just any meteorites can be used, however; they need to be…

Ever wondered what the future of photography might hold? It’s notoriously tricky to pre-empt technological advances but we might get an idea by looking at where we’ve been, where we are, and what we can’t yet photograph—however audacious the expectation that we should be able to might seem. In that spirit, here is the past,…

The natural world is full of reminders of how inferior we are as a species. Not only do we lack (or rely on technology for) superpowers like night-vision, flight, or any meaningful level of strength, we also fail miserably at the most basic of tasks—like feeding ourselves, raising our young, and disposing of waste.  Most…

Continuing our journey into overpowered weapons from mythology, we now look to the Middle East and the three main Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Despite appearances, they have plenty in common—at least mythologically. Adam, Abraham, Moses, and others (most notably God) all feature prominently in their scriptures. Basically, if they were comic books, they’d…

Ever lamented how your favorite childhood board games seem smaller now that you’re bigger? No? Well then here’s a solution you definitely didn’t ask for: board games blown up to life size! In order of spectacle, here are 10 classics… 10. Connect Four https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZSUxdzgA08 Perhaps because it’s so basic, Connect Four attracts a lot of…

Extreme conditions do some pretty weird things to the brain. Here, in order of increasing severity, we look at 10 hostile environments and the unsettling hallucinations each has provoked during prolonged exposure. 10. Space You’d think the novelty of space flight would keep the mind from distraction and fantasy. But hallucinations are common. Described by…

Celtic mythology is mainly from Britain, though not so much England. These are the tales of the druids, the Irish Otherworld, the folklore of Wales and Scotland. It’s also, in part, the basis for Arthurian legend.  Unsurprisingly for tales of gods in battle, there are plenty of crazy weapons. From swords and spears to monstrous…

We’ve done a list on mental illness in other animals, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. As it turns out, we’re nowhere near as unique as greedy religious nutjobs had your ancestors believe; we’re not even the only ones with religion. 10. Knowledge-sharing Knowledge-sharing, especially from one generation to the next, put humans…

In cities the majority of space is off-limits. Parks and streets may account for up to half the total area, but when you factor in the vertical axis—the floors inside buildings (many of them empty)—you get a different picture. And that’s just the space that we know about. Often there’s a lot more underground. In…

We’ve already covered a few animal trials, but there are many more cases worth mentioning. Far from being an oddity, trying animals for crimes was a solemn and frequent affair, especially in medieval Europe. It was also legally important, persuading people that everything was under control—its control. And of course punishing “theft” whatever the species…

In cities the majority of space is off-limits. Parks and streets may account for up to half the total area, but when you factor in the vertical axis—the floors inside buildings (many of them empty)—you get a different picture. And that’s just the space that we know about. Often there’s a lot more underground. In…

‘Insect’, from Latin, literally means “cut into”, referring to the divided bodies of ants, beetles, bees, and so on. But this list isn’t about insects; it has the broader focus of ‘bugs’, a word that somehow—mysteriously—rolls into one that massive diversity of animals most feared by domesticated humans. The origin of ‘bug’ isn’t clear. It…

We’ve all heard of Area 51 but what about its equivalents around the world? Here are ten of the most intriguing, all but three of which are still in operation. 10. Station 13, South Africa (Closed) In the grasslands outside Johannesburg, near the not-quite-rural Bapsfontein, Station 13 was—allegedly—operational from the 1960s to the mid-1980s. But…

We’ve mentioned Monturiol’s Ictíneo before—a pedal-controlled sub launched from Barcelona in the mid-19th century. But he didn’t invent the submarine. In fact, there are precursors dating back more than 2,000 years.  From the earliest submarines to ancient diving bells, here are ten of the oldest—all from 1800 or earlier—ranked in reverse chronological order. 10. Nautilus,…

There’s a reason the state can’t defeat the cartels—and it’s not just that people love drugs. It’s also about technology, which the state no longer controls.  Over the past decade, technologies developed and even invented by Mexican and Colombian cartels have come to challenge not only the state’s monopoly over drug pushing and violence but…

We’ve scoured the internet for ten of the most unusual modes of travel that money can buy (either now or in the not-too-distant future), and ranked them in order of price. 10. Hoverboard (concept) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhCcC2smGMI While it’s clear by now that Marty McFly’s 2015 must have been on an alternate timeline, hoverboards are actually possible…

Are you experiencing symptoms of imbalanced frequencies? Low cellular voltage? Psychic aberrations? Well, sit back and relax. There’s a wellness device just for you—even if you don’t feel diseased. Warning: This list may contain misinformation, if the title wasn’t enough indication already. 10. Spooky2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1IbUVC84Ig Did you know that all medical conditions have specific electromagnetic…

Want to live forever? You’re in weird company. Here are 10 immortalists acting out their fear of death in very peculiar ways. 10. David Murdock Ever since losing his third wife and two of their three sons, David Murdock, the billionaire former chairman of Dole, has been obsessed with extending human life. At 100 years…

Billionaires pride themselves on their bold new ideas, which is probably why people accept them. In the areas that actually matter, however, ideas have been scarce for a long time. Mostly, billionaires are self-serving children with the power to follow their dreams — however ludicrous. Here are ten of the stupidest plans the super-rich are…

Beyond the stereotypes we have for the world, how do other countries see each other? Representing every continent but North America, here are 10 of the most interesting — ranked by mutual animosity. 10. Swedes — Norwegians The Swedish see Norwegians as cheerful, open-minded, naive country bumpkins. They also think they’re beautiful and cute-sounding. It’s…

Industrialists are honest about one benefit of war: it tends to drive innovation. But so does peace. The following ten inventions were all to that end, or at least to minimizing carnage.  It’s not their fault they tended to make things much worse. 10. The United Nations Formed as the League of Nations after WWI,…

Currently, as far as we know, there are nine countries with nuclear arsenals — the nine most dangerous nations on Earth: the US, Russia, China, the UK, Israel, India, Pakistan, France, and North Korea. Collectively, the axis of evil. And madness. And war. And ecocide. And abuse. And vacuity… You get the idea. The point…

Why are modern heads of state seemingly so impervious to old-school assassins? All the old presidents were constantly getting attacked. President Jackson famously, but unfortunately, even fought his assassins off with a cane. Well the truth is attempts still happen. They just get less coverage than they used to. In fact, plots are often foiled…

Despite their knuckle-dragging, backwards-looking territorialism, the war machines of the world are under constant pressure to stay one step ahead of the times. If they don’t, they lose wars. In theory anyway. It doesn’t always hold true in practice. These ten weapons from the distant past have all been deployed on modern battlefields — sometimes…