Author: Ed Hatchet

From Ancient Egypt to the Classical era to the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery, non-heteronormativity has long been a fact of nature. But only recently has sexual and gender conformity been so rejected by the mainstream; the earliest societies didn’t have to. As annoying as “wokeness” can be, it’s only undoing the work of…

With UFOs now part of the mainstream news cycle, it’s time to get acquainted with the pilots — according to the ten silliest encounters we could find. 10. Reptoids Reptoids, or Reptilians, are a race of bipedal humanoid reptiles. Depending on who you ask, they’re from a world orbiting Alpha Draconis in the Draco system…

Earth’s magical ecosystems might be on their way out, but they’re still full of awesome surprises — like these ten animal behaviors, each of which is so totally opposite to what you’d expect that they’re practically oxymoronic. 10. Flying squid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMq89roPycI Often mistaken for flying fish, there are at least six known species of flying…

Between broken nuclear proliferation agreements, warring global superpowers, and impending ecological collapse, the end of the world seems nigher than ever. At such times, humanity turns to religion. But which one to choose? Beyond the big five, there are some religions most have never heard of let alone explored. So here’s a quick run-down of…

Freedom of religion tends to be taken for granted in the West, despite being illusory in practice. Every government in the world intrudes on religion and, contrary to what you might expect, it’s at least as bad today as it has been in the past. It’s just more bureaucratic. Ranked by how widely they’re banned,…

To “hermetically seal” something (after the alchemist Hermes Trismegistus) is to seal it in such a way, usually by magic, that it can never be opened. The following ten mysteries — a mixture of boxes, tombs and scrolls, as well as one letter — aren’t hermetically sealed necessarily, but some of them might as well…

Advances in bio-engineering have made it theoretically possible to do just about anything to plants. In fact, many of the plants we have today have already been modified beyond all recognition from what they used to be. Carrots were originally white, scrawny roots; peaches were salty and cherry-sized; watermelons were small and bitter; and eggplants…

Ireland has a rich tradition of weird and wonderful creatures – but it’s not just fairies and leprechauns. Some denizens of the Irish Otherworld are truly horrifying. Like these 10! 10. The Abhartach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn5-qXAJMNM Long before Irish novelist Bram Stoker came up with Dracula, Ireland had the blood-sucking Abhartach. Once an evil wizard king from…

Civilization is barbaric. Even today, bloodsports remain popular. From tossing wildlife into the air to chasing foxes with hounds, simpletons everywhere still get their kicks from animal cruelty. But animal cruelty kicks back.  In order of ugliness, here are 10 of the worst — and how participants have got their comeuppance. 10. Fox tossing Fox…

We all know about woolly mammoths and saber-toothed cats, but such is evolution that all species have some pretty weird ancestors. Often they look nothing alike. From the least unexpected to the most, here are 10 of the weirdest of all. 10. The short-necked giraffe The giraffe’s prehistoric forebear was roughly the size of a…

The world is noisy, so noisy in fact that even things you thought were silent make all kinds of boisterous noises. Some are strange, others terrifying. Here are 10 of the most unexpected. 10. You, when you think you’re being silent Even master meditators and expert ninjas can’t quite silence the body — at least…

Hands up, who’s got a smartphone? All 2.71 billion of you. Now keep your hands up if you know a) how it was made, b) how it gets disposed of when you’re on to your next one, and c) what it does to your health and freedom in the meantime.  That probably only five people…

In the origins of country names, we find all kinds of surprising hidden histories. America, for example, comes directly from the name of Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci—yet how many people have even heard of him? Sometimes, in light of events since their founding (or “discovery” and naming by colonial powers), national names also conceal a…

In the surveillance state era you might think the Golden Age of organized crime is over, but gangs are very much thriving – even some of the old ones. They’ve just adapted. While some still manage to evade the law, others are enabled by governments. And some are so embedded in the fabric of their…

Who doesn’t like dragons? Despite having never existed, they’ve left their mark on human history. Here are the 10 most culturally important dragons in the world. 10. Zilant You may not have heard of it, but Kazan is one of the most important cities in Russia. Capital of the Tatarstan Republic, an independent khanate, it…

They’re man’s best friend, but how many humans know what makes their dogs tick? Probably not enough, that’s how many. And given how much of their behavior is intended to communicate—with us, no less—we ought to have our tails between our legs.  Here are 10 things you’ve seen your dog do but haven’t the faintest…

Cats aren’t dogs; they’re not man’s best friend. But while it may seem like your cat is an a-hole, they’re an a-hole with excuses at least. From treating you like crap to torturing wildlife, here are 10 things your cat does explained. 10. Sleeping All Day Cats sleep an obscene amount of time by human…

Think of a notorious crime boss from history and you’re probably picturing a man. Al Capone, Pablo Escobar, El Chapo, Lucky Luciano, Carlo Gambino, the CIA…  However, plenty of women have been in charge – and not just as madams of brothels. Here are 10 of the most notorious. 10. Cheng Chui Ping, “Sister Ping”…

How many of us know how the apple got its name, or the onion? We take these words for granted because they slip right off the tongue, but most of us don’t know where they come from. Even the words ‘fruit’ and ‘vegetable’ are thrown around like they sprang up out of nowhere. In fact,…

Think gangsters are godless? Think again! Whether to ease a troubled conscience, secure a place in heaven, or guard against one’s rivals and police, patron saints and deities are common in crime. Some are borrowed from mainstream religions, history, or folklore, while others are entirely new. They also range from good to evil, or at…

Silicon Valley centillionaires and billionaires, the new feudal lords, are apparently big time preppers. It’s understandable. They enjoy the spoils of their deal with the work machine and want to save what they can of the high life. Of course, with all that clout they could save the whole world. But no, here’s how they…

In 1972, Scottish biologist Ivan T. Sanderson described a new geography of the globe: an “energetic planetary grid” based on twelve ‘vile vortices’ or ‘devil’s graveyards’ where “funny things happen”. The Bermuda Triangle was the first on his list. According to Sanderson, hot and cold air and sea currents in this and other regions create…

The most recent addition to the big world religions (more than 25 million followers) was Sikhism 500 years ago. But, social media notwithstanding, it takes time to get so many followers — and the age of the prophets never really ended. The 19th century saw a flurry of smaller new religions, including Jehovah’s Witnesses and…

Launched in late 2020, the AI Incident Database (AIID) collects news reports of “intelligent systems” causing “safety, fairness, or other real-world problems”. There’s no shortage. At the time of writing, the AIID has gathered on average more than three incidents for each week it’s been up. Although many are a question of user/programmer ethics –…