Ultra Marine

In far eastern Indonesia, the Raja Ampat islands embrace a phenomenal coral wilderness.

Text and photographs by David Doubilet

What scientists found when they surveyed the waters of the Raja Ampat Islands six years ago set off an international alert for their preservation. The archipelago's reefs were not just rich—the region would prove

Not a single story of alien contact has ever been verified, however, each year thousands of people claim to have been contacted or abducted by aliens. The reasons explaining the likelihood of such an event are interesting in themselves; however, it is marginally possible that you might one day find yourself ‘beamed up’ to communicate with curious extra terrestrials. You would suddenly become the ambassador for all humanity. This is a tremendously important position to be in and it is crucial you do the right things. You must make sure that you and humanity survive and learn as much as possible from these advanced beings. So what should you do when you meet them? Here are ten tips for hopefully ensuring a friendly relationship.

 

10. Don’t Hide Valuables

 

A cryptic is a creature or plant whose existence has been suggested but is unrecognized by scientific consensus and often regarded as highly unlikely. Many of them are still debated today, such as sasquatch and chupacabra. Meanwhile, some has been proven to exist, such as the okapi and kangaroo. Unfortunately, some has been proven to be merely a hoax or a misidentification. We will look at 10 cryptids that have been proven not to exist. Note: I only included those that have been fully disproven and considered by the cryptozoological community to be non-existent. Because of these, bigfoot and aliens are not included.

 

10. Rods

 

Molecules make up all the matter around us. Their interactions allow us to think, move, and feel, and provide us with countless spectacles of nature. Some are simple whereas others are hugely complex. In order to keep track of all of these, molecules follow strict naming rules which describe their shapes, properties, or how they were discovered. This affords little room for fun names, but every so often one slips through.

 

12. Arsole

 

Robbery is a crime which has been perpetuated throughout history in an array of high-profile instances. Some examples include the famous Brinks Mat Robbery of 1983, or the Lufthansa Heist which took place in 1978. Many of such memorable incidents have been romanticized in Hollywood movies and TV

Kermit the Frog sang that “It ain’t easy being green.” How about, “It ain’t easy being a conjoined-twin forced into a humiliating form of circus-slavery,” or “It ain’t easy having no limbs.” Being green is the least of these people’s worries (in fact, it might be nice to be culturally-beloved for a change). At the turn of the last century, entertainment was a different species than it is today, having no T.V. nor radio nor action movies; you had to witness a living miracle in order to be fully entertained, and circuses provided that very thing. Showcasing hoards of deformed and mutant varieties of humans – that freak-collectors like P.T. Barnum rounded up and whipped into shape – the world marveled at what it so often sought to sweep under its own carpet. Circus sideshows might have been a cruel form of psychological abuse for any of the so-called “freaks” placed under contract (or a kind of indentured slavery), but some of these individuals also went on to profit greatly off what no one else would hire. So as you ask yourself, “Was being a circus freak actually a bad thing?” – given the duality of the situation – step right up and ogle at these 10 freaks of nature:

 

10. The Hilton Sisters, Violet and Daisy Hilton

 

The Middle Ages, also known as the Medieval Period, spanned between the fifth and fifteenth centuries, ending with the death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Given the brutality of the time period, the idea of death was viewed very differently than the modern perception, and average life expectancy was significantly lower than today. War and savage violence was extremely common and as such, untimely deaths were not considered unusual. This list encompasses some of the most famously bizarre deaths in recorded history.

 

10. Richard I, 1199

 

They say that the only guarantee in life is death. This completely fascinates me. Some of us see it coming, some of us don’t. Some of us choose how and when it happens, and some of us barely experience life before it’s taken away. There have been a slew of deaths in the last decade that I feel are exceptionally horrible ways to leave this earth. None of them are particularly worse than another, however that’s up to you to decide. I’m also almost certain none of these will be repeats as I’ve read all lists, especially the ones about death, dozens of times. I hope this list will leave you wondering why, if there is a reason, these people chose or were chosen to die this way.

10. Savannah Hardin, 2012

 

If you are looking for an article that examines a wide range of topics and controversial subjects then this list is for you. The world is full of people, ideas, laws, theories, and events that are secretly connected in some way; events that show a causal relationship or common factor. For a wide variety of reasons, some topics are not discussed by international media organizations, federal governments, and business populations. Here is a collection of ten topics that share a common factor.

10. Super Hornio Brothers and Nintendo

A cryptid is a creature whose existence has been suggested, but not accepted by the scientific community. The term was coined in 1983 by a man named John E. Wall. Hundreds of cryptids exist around the world with some of the most famous being the Yeti, Loch Ness Monster, and El Chupacabra. In order to study reliable accounts of unexplained creatures you often need to visit some of the most remote places on Earth, including the Amazon Rainforest, Papua New Guinea, Antarctica, sections of Canada, Russia, Vietnam, and the Congo. This article will examine ten stories about cryptids. I have focused on large animals, with Sasquatch making multiple appearances.

10. Gigantopithecus

 

Each word in the English language has a strictly defined meaning in the dictionary. Many words have one or two official meanings, while others can be used in numerous ways to describe different situations. “Evil” is an example of a word that has a more ambiguous definition. After all, what one person thinks is evil may not be considered truly evil by another person.

This is an important factor to keep in mind when thinking about the 10 most evil businessmen from modern history. Leaders of businesses large and small have committed acts that can be considered evil time and time again, but only a handful of them have gained the notoriety their crimes deserve. Evil acts from businessmen can range from directly taking a life, sanctioning evil practices that lead to loss of life, or even deceiving employees and the public while defrauding a company of millions of dollars.

The following men have committed acts that made them worthy of inclusion on a list of the Top 10 evil businessmen in modern history. They’ve been ranked from 10 to one and their crimes range from fraud to the sanctioning of massive loss of life. Without further ado, here are your evil businessmen.

 

10. Dennis Kozlowski, CEO Tyco

 

Have you always wondered what eccentrics really collect besides creepy jars of suspended liquids like the movies might show? There are plenty of boring, ordinary collectibles like shot glasses or teaspoons, but here are the top 10 collectibles that you can actually pick up yourself without spending a fortune on Elvis’ eyelashes or getting in trouble with the law! If you are more keen on collectibles that are downright weird and likely to make your friends avoid you, check out our other lists Top 10 Bizarre Collectibles and Top 10 Macabre Collectibles.

 

10. Antique Silver

 

The fast-disappearing Amazon rainforest harbors some amazing creatures. Most of us have heard of vampire bats, piranhas and the anaconda, but among the forest’s inhabitants are weird and wonderful animals just as bizarre as the more famous ones, if not more so. Here are 10 of the most bizarre Amazon rainforest animals you’ve likely never heard of.

 

10. Kinkajou

 

A list was published last year titled, “Top 10 Unusual Trees” and although it was a great list, I thought there were some truly bizarre trees that could have been included. That is why I decided to forge this list detailing 10 more unusual/bizarre trees from around the world. Enjoy.

 

10. Bottle Tree

 

eBay is one of the most famous e-commerce sites. E-commerce is short for Electronic Commerce. Just as the name implies, it is a market in which transactions are made electronically. You can buy anything from food to vehicles with just a couple of clicks. Thousands of transactions are made every day, most of them are pretty normal. However once in a while, a bizarre and unexpected item is put into auction. In this list, we will look at 10 of the most unusual and bizarre items that were put up for auction.

 

10. Golf Balls from a Snake’s Gut

 

I once had a naive childlike notion that the probability of a zombie outbreak was minuscule, even impossible. As time goes by (and scientists continue to develop super viruses just-cos-they-can), the likelihood of this potential global disaster seems more and more possible; unlikely perhaps, but still possible.
Literature and film have taught us that chances of survival in a zombie outbreak are slim, but if you manage to have time to get prepared, your likelihood of lasting a while increases. As I wear glasses, I began to wonder if wearing glasses could provide any benefits to surviving this sort of apocalypse. You will be pleased to know that it turns out glasses can actually up your chances of avoiding being eaten by zombies. After all, glasses can do much more than just help correct our vision.
In a survival situation, glasses can be a valuable asset. You just need a little creativity and forethought and you’re good to go. So let’s think this through: could glasses actually help you fight off zombies?
Yes! Let’s take a look at the top 10 ways you might use glasses to help increase your chances of survival in the midst of a zombie apocalypse:

10. Amulet

 

Carl Tanzler also known as Count Carl von Cosel (February 8, 1877 – July 23, 1952) was an American radiologist of German decent who became morbidly obsessed with with one of his young patients, Elena Miagro “Helen” de Hoyos (1909 – 1931). At the time Tuberculosis was still a dreaded disease that took the lives of many who suffered it. Tanzler’s job meant that he came into a lot of contact with TB sufferers which is how he met Elena. He fell in love with her – after seeing an apparition of his future love (a dark-headed woman bearing a striking resemblance to his patient).

The History

Newcomers to the world of wine ought to at least know the answers to some of the most basic questions about the liquid that has been immortalized by writers from Aristophanes to Ernest Hemingway. Here are 10 facts that every wine lover ought to know:

 

10. A Brief History

 

Bog Bodies, or the Bog People, are extremely well preserved and ancient corpses that have been discovered all over northwestern Europe. Typically Bog Bodies are found when workers drain sphagnum bogs and extract the peat moss. No one knows for sure how many Bog People have been uncovered in the past. Today, documented discoveries of Bog Bodies number around 700.

The Bodies

I can’t help myself when it comes to facts and misconceptions – I love them. It is probably my favorite Listverse category in fact. We already have a huge number of lists dealing with this topic but there is always room for more. Below we look at 15 misconceptions previously not covered here. Enjoy.

 

Misconceptions 1 – 5

 

The Amish church started as a breakaway from the Annabaptists (adult baptizers) in Switzerland in 1693, led by Jakob Ammann. They are very distinctive due to their simplicity of dress and lifestyle and their shunning of modern technology – preferring to drive in horse-drawn buggies than cars. This list looks at ten aspects of the Amish people.

10. Bundling

 

So often during the 1980s we all felt on the brink of a third world war – most likely nuclear in nature. With the nineties, the idea waned a little but with all of the unrest happening in the Middle East over the last year or so the possibility returns again more strongly to our mind. This list looks at ten potential causes for a third world war.

10. China

 

The market on wholesale cruelty towards the inhabitants of German concentration camps was not, it is safe to say, monopolized by women. In fact, during the course of the war around 5,500 females served in various guard positions in German camps. Below is a list of those who “attacked” their job and their charges with a ferocity which was likely the envy of their male counterparts.

10. Dorothea Binz, La Binz

 

Most people suffer from the occasional nightmare, and some seem to experience them almost every night. What exactly do these night terrors mean? Although nightmares can sometimes be random creations of the subconscious brain with no particular deeper interpretation, in many cases nightmares actually do have specific causes or meanings behind them. They can allow you to look deeper into your thoughts and feelings to get a better gauge of your current mental or emotional state. Listed below are ten of the most common types of nightmares that people tend to experience as they sleep, along with insights into what they most often mean.

10. Natural Disasters

 

When the time comes each autumn to stock up on loads of trick-or-treat candy, craft a costume and trot around door-to-door demanding treats of neighbors, you can thank a culture from 2,000 years ago for starting the whole thing. How did this bizarre practice of passing out Halloween candy to any stranger who asked for it get started in the first place?

 

Old Traditions

It is human nature to test the limits and with the close of the Winter X Games last month and the start of the Iditarod next month, Cheapflights’ experts have compiled a list of the most extreme sporting events in honor

Archeology is a fascinating science; the more it discovers, the more mysteries it unfolds. The more answers it gives, the more questions are raised. But that just provides us with the impetus to keep on trying to unlock the secrets of the past. This list investigates ten of the most important and incredible archeological discoveries in history.

10. Bulla of Baruch

 

Having already covered controversy in movies, it is time to move on to controversy in literature. I have intentionally left off books that have been dealt with in other lists. Links are included for the purchase of any of the books on this list courtesy of Amazon.com. This list also includes a competition. The details can be read at the bottom of the list.

10. The Hoax of the 20th Century, Arthur R. Butz

 

7. Dorangel Vargas, Venezuela



In 1957, Dorangel Vargas was born in Venezuela. As a child, he was said to be violent and bizarre. Due to his behavior, Dorangel’s family believed he was possessed by “evil spirits.” By 1995, Vargas was homeless and living in the city of San Cristobal, Táchira State, when he started a deadly killing spree. Vargas claimed

15. Peter Bryan, England.



In 1969, Peter Bryan was born In London. His parents were immigrants from Barbados. In 1994, Bryan was sent to Rampton Secure Hospital after admitting to the unlawful killing of a 20-year-old shop assistant

Source Image;

There is nothing as disgusting as people who torture, murder, and cannibalize humans. In the past, humans have practiced cannibalism in many parts of the world. Today, the Korowai are one of the few tribes believed to eat human flesh as a cultural practice. In most countries, the act of human cannibalism is not

Silver bells, sleigh rides and mistletoe are on the not-so-distant horizon, giving travelers around the world loads to look forward to this holiday season. But, before the festivities get underway, there are flights to catch, security lines to endure and delays to tolerate. Making it to your destination in the last weeks of the calendar year and the first of next’s – whether home for the holidays or away for a winter escape – can be

With ski season revving up and thoughts turning to getting away for some downhill action, the travel experts at Cheapflights have selected their favorite resorts from around the world for skiers of every skill. From Killington’s approachable slopes to Red Mountain’s death-defying vertical terrain, we’ve categorized our

The mingled aromas of glühwein and gingerbread, thousands and thousands of starry lights and stalls heaving with handcrafted gifts. There’s nothing like a German Christmas market to put you in the holiday spirit.
So enchanting is the German vision of Christmas that a visit to one is a tradition for many families each year. Cities worldwide are replicating the festivities, giving travelers a chance to sip mulled wine and nosh on

Duty-free shopping may conjure up images of cigarette cartons, discount liquors and high-end candy for some travelers, but frequent international fliers know well that hubs around the globe are stepping up their retail game. Every breed of traveler – from fashionistas to perfumologists to techy types – can cash in this

 

It’s the question you hope you’ll only ask once, so getting both the romance and the “Wow!” factor right is key. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day – and Leap Year – Cheapflights’ romance experts select their favorite

In honor of International Women’s Day (March 8), the team at Cheapflights is offering a very grateful thanks to women globetrotters and adventurers who’ve paved the way for us all. The global day of recognition, a national holiday in many countries like China and Russia, celebrates the economic, political and social

Cheapflights takes a look at Easter traditions around the world:

To mark the launch of our snazzy new Facebook quiz, the Cheapflights film fiends have selected their favorite movie locations, destinations with more than a touch of tinsel.

All eyes are currently on the athletes en route to London this summer for the XXX Olympiad. We’re waiting with utter anticipation for the world’s best competitors to take the stage and, to bide our time, have identified

Few voyages have captured the imagination like that of RMS Titanic. Almost 100 years ago she sailed from Belfast on her maiden trip. The rest is common knowledge – the “unsinkable” ship collided with an iceberg on the night of April 14, 1912 and sank in two-and-a-half hours with the loss of more than 1,500 people.

The environmental cost of traveling is seemingly on everyone’s mind. Luckily, there are ways to reduce footprints and increase sustainability without buying carbon offset credits or resolving to stay home. More and more travelers are concerned about the consequences of what they carry with them, as well as the

As Kate and William approach their first wedding anniversary, Cheapflights lists its picks for the best destinations for couples, of all styles, types and ages, to celebrate their marriage.

Forget the beer, socks and novelty tie. This Father’s Day (Sunday, June 17), let your Dad rediscover his boyish passions with one of these adrenaline-fueled experiences.

School’s letting out soon, which means moms and dads will be looking for kid-friendly things to do. This summer, consider visiting one of the world’s most impressive zoos. Doubling in most cases as research facilities, these zoos protect endangered, rare and downright adorable animals, from pandas to monkeys to

The steadily increasing stream of states and countries legalizing gay marriage has dramatically changed the lives of LGBT people and their loved ones in recent years. Although lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have been getting married in their own private ceremonies for many years, that they can now have

This June, the Queen of England celebrates 60 years as Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth. To mark the Diamond Jubilee, a number of show-stopping events will take place in London and abroad, as members

Summer is the best season for enjoying a cold drink, whether it’s on the beach, roof deck, your favorite bar – even at home. With endless combinations of spirits, mixers and ingredients, along with regional tastes and specialties, there’s a wide array of options to imbibe with. Whether it’s a version of centuries-old Spanish

With Memorial Day around the corner and spring temperatures rising, the time to plan that long-dreamed-of camping adventure is now. For ideas and inspiration on where to pitch your tent next, check out our list of

Sunday night aired the 66th Annual Tony Awards, a celebration of the best theater to hit the Broadway stage this year. To pay homage to great performances – in musicals, straight plays and more – we’re offering our