Author: Ed Hatchet

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 –…

Campaign slogans have to be memorable, but not for all the wrong reasons. Accidental innuendo, intentional threats, saucy come-ons, and plain old apathy have all been attempted in pursuit of political power. From presidential candidates to small town mayors, here are 10 to remember. 10. “He does things” What makes Senator A.D. Stephens’ campaign slogan…

The best supervillains have believable backstories, even if they start in outer space. They’re multidimensional, flawed, plausibly motivated. Crucially, they’re relatable, much more so than heroes – however unsettling that is. It’s no wonder so many are based on real people. And often it’s more than just looks. In order of their closeness to real-life…

Throughout history, birds have been symbols of our highest ideals. From songbirds to soaring eagles, they embody the beauty of nature, the devotion of parents, the freedom of the spirit… But are they really so aloof from our mucky, ground-bound ways? Here are 10 birds with a surprisingly horrifying dark side. 10. Parasitic Jaeger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fRkz36LdGU&ab_channel=HealthApta…

It’s hard to imagine a world without superheroes, but believe it or not it existed. There wasn’t always the heaving mass of perpetually recyclable IP we have today. In the old days, people called “artists” came up with “ideas” – sometimes even based on real life. 10. Constantine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W_6J9esLYY&ab_channel=WarnerBros.Entertainment When Alan Moore took over writing…

Artists nowadays like to shock. But that’s not especially new. While it’s easy to imagine older art was constrained by the (presumed) delicate sensibilities and puritan morals of the time, many classical works put horror films to shame. Here are ten of the most disturbing. 10. The Garden of Earthly Delights – Hieronymus Bosch, ca.…

People disappear all the time. But rarely do they appear out of nowhere—unidentifiable, strange, and mysterious. From the middle ages to the last 20 years, here are 10 of the best… 10. Kaspar Hauser Kaspar Hauser’s famous 1828 appearance in Nuremberg remains an unsolved mystery to this day.  The confused young boy claimed to have…

Whether it’s done for the press or for personal growth, performance art can get out of hand. From graphic sexual acts to life-threatening violence, the most extreme examples tend to escape the art world and horrify the public at large. Here are 10 of the most notorious. 10. ‘100. Aktion’ by Hermann Kitsch (1998) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxv7z0ququM…

Now that the US government has acknowledged UFOs exist, modern skeptics and others with a faith in mediocrity may want to reexamine ‘ancient aliens’ evidence. The following 10 classical close encounters range from lights in the sky to craft on the ground and even sightings of the pilots. And most of them were identified by…

You may have noticed this list makes no sense: color isn’t color til you see it. But let’s not get into all that. By ‘color’ we mean not only wavelengths but pigments and figments as well. When it comes to sight, though, we’ll be really, really pedantic! A lot of these you’ll think you know.…

Derived from Greek, utopia means “no place,” as in a place that couldn’t exist. But so desperate have humans been throughout history that even impossible dreams are believed. Hence most of the following mad visions were thought to be real in their day—or at least within our reach. 10. The Peach Blossom Spring At least…

First off, the vast majority of crop circles are definitely manmade. Many are commissioned for advertising and the artists are proud of their work. Yet crop circle enthusiasts and pilgrims, known as “croppies”, still flock to southern England each summer. For them, the truth—or some it anyway—is still very much out there. Here’s why. 10.…

Obviously security is the point of all prisons, but some are just over the top. With emerging technology now geared for control, they’re only becoming more extreme. Here’s a rundown of the 10 worst offenders, as well as some ways to get out… 10. Mumbai Central Prison (aka Arthur Road Jail) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsUfHf0WxfM Built by the…

Nowadays we take colors for granted, but historically they’ve been hard to come by. Pigment-makers have long gone to great lengths to find new hues, and many paints have pretty weird origins. Even today we’re looking to broaden our palette. Meanwhile, we’re exploring entirely new approaches to paint-making that don’t involve pigment at all. From…

On the whole, humans like to eat animals that have suffered—be it “humanely,” in state-of-the-art slaughterhouses, or more “traditionally” in sadistic culinary rites. Examples of the latter abound on every continent, but perhaps none more so than Asia—especially in the vicinity of China. Here are 10 of the worst. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZduc6gQE-s This is an encore of…

Nowadays we take colors for granted, but historically they’ve been hard to come by. Pigment-makers have long gone to great lengths to find new hues, and many paints have pretty weird origins. Even today we’re looking to broaden our palette. Meanwhile, we’re exploring entirely new approaches to paint-making that don’t involve pigment at all. From…

Speculation as to what the government might be hiding from us is an easy way to bring a conversation to an end. But very often the truth is stranger than fiction. Here are ten declassified secrets—things our governments actually did then went out of their way to cover up–that make many conspiracy theories look tame.…

You’re no doubt used to sensationalist headlines, especially when it comes to bad science. But you might want to take a deep breath. Because… 10. There’s a “zombie apocalypse” waiting to happen In 1986, British beef was found to be infected with BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) after cattle were fed cows and powdered sheep. Against…