Unexplained curiosities, mysteries, phenomena, etc. that I find fascinating, Part II.

The Screaming Mummy.

This man was mummified with his face clearly etched with agony. What is peculiar about this chap is that all of his organs were intact and it is believed that he was poisoned due to the indented stomach area. Some believed 'Man E' was the traitor son of Rameses III, who'd been involved in a coup to remove him from the throne, others that he was an Egyptian governor who had died abroad and been returned to his homeland for burial. Some believed the unconventional manner of his mummification showed that he was not Egyptian at all, but a member of a rival Hittite dynasty, who had died on Egyptian soil.

Further Reading: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1083945/Mystery-screaming-mummy.html

The Disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley.

Amy Lynn Bradley was a 23 year old American who went missing on a cruise. Last reports of Amy state that she was drinking in the dance club with the ship's band. A band member stated that they partied until 1am. Her father, Ron, spotted her sleeping on the deck at 5:30am. By 6am, she was gone, never to be seen or heard from again.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Amy_Lynn_Bradley

The Curious Malady of Shanyna Isom.

Shanyna Isom suffered an asthma attack in 2009 that doctors promptly treated with steroids. She had an allergic reaction to the meds, which caused her to develop bumps on her leg and her skin tone began to darken. Shortly after these conditions developed, her hair started to grow oddly. It turned out that for some reason, the hair on her body stopped growing as hair and started growing as fingernails.

Further Reading: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/09/shanya-isom-grows-nails-head-hair_n_1760293.html

The Voynich Manuscript.

This manuscript is an illustrated codex hand written in an unknown language. It has been carbon-dated to sometime in the early 15th century. Bizarrely, it features mentions of astronomy, spacecraft and other topics previously thought to be unknown to that time period.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voynich_manuscript

The Tulsa Race Riots.

On May 31 and June 1, 1921, members of the white community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, participated in a riot, killing some 300 black people. The attack, carried out on the ground and by air, destroyed more than 35 blocks of the district, then the wealthiest black community in the nation. More than 800 people were admitted to hospitals and more than 6,000 black residents were arrested and detained, some for as many as eight days. The official count of the dead by the Oklahoma Bureau of Vital Statistics was 39. Truely a forgotten piece of American History. (Big ups to LompHoofd for this tidbit.)

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_race_riot

The Hypothetical Particles (Tetraneutrons).

This cluster of four neutrons is not actually acknowledged as real by current models of nuclear forces. However, the Marques Experiment fired atomic nuclei at carbon targets and observed the spray of particles from the resulting collisions, and found them! Not been seen since though... hmmm.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraneutron

Macroglossia.

The peculiar condition whereby the child is born with an adult sized tongue. Very sad event, causes a lot of problems unless it is rectified quickly.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macroglossia
Bonus Video (very unsettling, poor child.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJkyakjiE7c

The Antikythera Mechanism.

The Antikythera mechanism was discovered in 45 metres (148 ft) of water in the Antikythera shipwreck off Point Glyphadia on the Greek island of Antikythera. The wreck was found in April 1900 by a group of Greek sponge divers, who retrieved numerous artefacts, including bronze and marble statues, pottery, unique glassware, jewellery, coins, and the mechanism. Clearly this thing is an artefact that is very advanced and ahead of its time.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism

The SS Ourang Medan.

According to widely circulated reports, in June of 1947 — or, according to alternate accounts, February of 1948 — multiple ships traversing the trade routes of the straits of Malacca, which is located between the sun drenched shores of Sumatra and Malaysia, claimed to have picked up a series of SOS distress signals. The unknown ship’s message was as simple as it was disturbing: “All officers including captain are dead, lying in chartroom and bridge. Possibly whole crew dead.” This communication was followed by a burst of indecipherable Morse code, then a final, grim message: “I die.” This cryptic proclamation was followed by tomb-like silence.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ourang_Medan

The Baghdad Battery.

The Baghdad Battery is believed to be about 2000 years old (from the Parthian period, roughly 250 BCE to CE 250). The jar was found in Khujut Rabu just outside Baghdad and is composed of a clay jar with a stopper made of asphalt. Sticking through the asphalt is an iron rod surrounded by a copper cylinder. When filled with vinegar - orany other electrolytic solution - the jar produces about 1.1 volts.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad_Battery

The Centennial Lightbulb of Livermore.

In 1901, this lightbulb was fired up, and never turned off. It has burned ever since. It is at 4550 East Avenue, Livermore, California, and maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. Due to its longevity, the bulb has been noted by The Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, and General Electric. It is often cited as evidence for the existence of planned obsolescence in later-produced light bulbs.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Light

The Dancing Plague of 1518.

The Dancing Plague (or Dance Epidemic) of 1518 was a case of dancing mania that occurred in Strasbourg, Alsace (then part of the Holy Roman Empire) in July 1518. Around 400 people took to dancing for days without rest, and, over the period of about one month, some of those affected died of heart attack, stroke, or exhaustion. Some people believe it was an outbreak of religious ecstasy. I believe that it was the discovery of some real Ectasy.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Plague_of_1518

The Patomskiy Crater.

The bizarre tale starts with an expedition in 1949 into the furthest reaches of Siberia by the geologist, Vadim Kolpakov, who embarked on a mission to draw up a geological map of the region. When he reached the northernmost part of the remote Irkutsk region, Kolpakov was confronted with tales of an “evil” place sequestered away within the woods that the native Yakut people referred to as the “Fire Eagle Nest,” which they warned was so saturated with an evil force that deer and a lot of other wildlife refused to go near it. It was also claimed that anyone who went near this place experienced severe symptoms of nausea, and that some who had ventured there had simply never returned.

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patomskiy_crater

The Oak Island Money Pit.

Located off the shores of Nova Scotia, along Canada's Atlantic coast, Oak Island is among approximately 360 islands dotting Mahone Bay. To the casual observer, the 140-acre island appears like many in this part of the province. Rocks and sand skirt the perimeter of the landmass while native forest and brush cover much of its interior. At first glance, the seemingly mundane island conceals any evidence of historical importance. However, appearances can be deceiving. Despite the natural scenery and serene setting of Oak Island, the story of this island's past is replete with mystery, intrigue and even tragedy. The potency of the story that follows has captured the human imagination and has driven men to their graves. From academics to adventurers, many have grappled with trying to explain the mystery, but none have been able to get to the bottom of the Money Pit of Oak Island. (Big ups to LompHoofd for this too!)

Further Reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Island

The WOW! Signal.

Way back in 1977 something amazing happened (apart from the release of Star Wars obviously). Astronomer Jerry Ehman was using the Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope to sweep the sky for possible signals from extraterrestrial civilisations. He found something.

While pointing towards a grouping of stars called Chi Sagittarii on 15 August, he received a powerful blast of radio waves that lasted for 72 seconds. He circled it on the readout and wrote: “Wow!”

Further Reading: https://www.theguardian.com/science/across-the-universe/2016/apr/14/alien-wow-signal-could-be-explained-after-almost-40-years