Sunday, February 27, 2011

Man spends 30 years creating model of Herod’s Temple 

Cool. Check it out.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:50 PM

Medicinal beer? New study shows maybe the ancient Nubians were onto something 

Anthropologists have found that thousands of years before the 1928 discovery of penicillin, people in ancient Nubia were using beer as an antibiotic to treat everything from gum disease to infected wounds.

Is there anything beer can't do?

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:07 PM

Thursday, February 24, 2011

'Bear-Wolf' Stalks Southern Wisconsin 

"I seen it come up out of the brush from one side of the road. And it come across the road," he said. "The head was really round and the ears were kind of pointy. I never seen nothing like that."

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:37 PM

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

‘Columbo’ creator solves his own family mystery 

Interesting article, especially for Columbo fans.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:54 PM

Scientists ‘step closer’ to solving Stonehenge mystery 

Scientists are today one step closer to solving the 4,000-year-old mystery after making their most significant discovery in 15 years.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:46 PM

‘Amazing’ trove of Thomas Jefferson's books discovered 

Dozens of Thomas Jefferson's books, some including handwritten notes from America's third president, have been found in the rare books collection at Washington University in St. Louis.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:51 PM

Monday, February 21, 2011

From the Field: Cryptozoology 

Cryptozoologists investigate sightings of cryptids on nearly every continent, from the famous long-necked lake monsters of Lake Champlain and Loch Ness, to the gigantic Mokèlé-mbèmbé lizards of Africa.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:38 PM

Where did all the world's giants go? 

Did you know that there's a subfield of cryptozoology that deals with massive hominids, sequestered on our planet's hidden places? Let's take a look at some curious cases of Brobdingnagians amongst us.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:37 PM

"Monsters in Texas?" Meet the man who wrote the book 

Ken Gerhard, a cryptozoologist (a person who studies hidden animals), held a lecture Friday night in North Austin to a group of about 25 people who wanted to hear more about the unexplained.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:36 PM

Dashiell Hammett finally gets his say 

Earlier this year, when Andrew Gulli was clicking through an online archive of the works of Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961), author of tough, taciturn and influential crime novels such as "The Maltese Falcon" (1930) and "The Thin Man" (1934), he came across a batch of short stories that didn't sound familiar.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:36 PM

Film Reveals Names of Long-Unidentified Triangle Fire Victims 

The identities of the six has long been the enduring mystery of the tragic fire that claimed the lives of 146 blouse makers, most of them young Jewish and Italian immigrant women, who were trapped by flames on March 25, 1911.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:26 PM

Silvano Vinceti: no 1 art detective? 

He’s found the bones of Caravaggio and unmasked the Mona Lisa. What next for art’s mystery man?

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:25 PM

Amelia Earhart - DNA research targets mystery 

Research set to begin in a Simon Fraser University forensic lab could produce the first DNA profile of aviation's most celebrated woman, Amelia Earhart.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:23 PM

Friday, February 18, 2011

The Battle Of Los Angeles making Hollywood History 

Over a million people witnessed our military firing at a huge UFO that hovered over Culver City California for more than an hour and a half.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:24 PM

Is this Windermere's mysterious Bownessie monster? 

This atmospheric photograph, captured by IT graduate Tom Pickles, 24, reveals a strange humped shape gliding through the still waters of the lake.

With pic. A slightly larger version is here.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:11 PM

Burmese Python in Urbana, Missouri 

With video.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:52 AM

Hunter gets photo of eight mountain lions congregating in central Washington 

With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:42 AM

RIP Len Lesser, Uncle Leo on ‘Seinfeld’ 

One of the Professor's favorites.

"I was at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, watching people put notes in the wall, it’s an esoteric day, very silent, very nice. All of a sudden: ‘Uncle Leo, where’s the watch?’"

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:04 AM

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

West Wales 'cult' trial man denies charges 

An “evil” cult leader tried to force a pregnant schoolgirl to give birth so the secret occult group could claim the child as its own, a jury heard today.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:28 PM

The mystery of London’s pyramid hat man 

Q. What do you call a man with a metal pyramid on his head?
A. Dominic, apparently.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:32 AM

Mystery of wild cat remains as city workers find carcass missing 

Mountain lion? Bobcat? Taxidermist?

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:27 AM

A New Mystery In Warren’s Long-Lost Letter 

There’s a new wrinkle in the story of Joseph Warren’s long-lost letter, and it doesn’t come until the tiny postscript. In that letter, Warren reports Continental victories at Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point.

If you follow the link you can decide for yourself.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:22 AM

Scientists solve mystery of Van Gogh's colours changing hue 

It is hard to imagine some of Vincent van Gogh's signature works without the vibrant strokes of yellow that brightened the sky in The Starry Night and drenched his sunflowers in colour.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:17 AM

Voynich manuscript: Mystery book gives up a secret 

The most mysterious book in the world is finally slightly less mysterious: it has an age.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:15 AM

Remains of Raymond Chandler’s wife interred next to him 

Follow-up.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:14 AM

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Kinkajou Found In Texas: An Exotic Animal Mystery 

With video.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:13 PM

Shakespeare authorship questioned at Lee College event 

Some of literature's most famous questions are associated with William Shakespeare. But at a Lee College event tonight, the Bard himself will be the one being questioned.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:11 PM

Mystery of the Black Madonna 

Many scholars say that the Black Madonna is a link to religions that existed long before Christianity.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:09 PM

Anthrax Letters After Sept. 11 Attacks: National Research Council Not Sure Dr. Brice Ivins Was Sole Source 

A review panel said that the FBI overstated the scientific evidence that linked the anthrax flask controlled by Dr. Bruce E. Ivins to the anthrax used in the 2001 attack letters.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:58 PM

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Aspatria Cist Stone 

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:24 PM

Can Our DNA Electromagnetically 'Teleport' Itself? One Researcher Thinks So 

DNA Teleportation Nobel Prize winner Luc Montagnier describes a phenomenon in which DNA emits electromagnetic signals of its own construction, "ghost DNA" that can be mistaken by enzymes as the real deal and replicated in another place.

Cool. Thanks, Scott.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:16 PM

Centuries-Old Cave Reveals Secrets of Ancient Humans 

Tools and teeth found in Israel could be oldest ever discovered.

Thanks, Tima!

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:12 PM

Funeral pyres an option in Colo. mountain town 

Great article. Thanks to Scott for the tip.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:08 PM

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Silent films recovered: These new releases are oldest in a long time 

In a large mahogany box embellished with silk pockets and Cyrillic lettering, 10 lost pieces of America's cultural heritage recently landed in Culpeper, Va. - thanks, in a roundabout way, to the Soviet Union and a bureaucratic penchant for filing.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:09 PM

Friday, February 11, 2011

Experts determine age of book 'nobody can read' 

Using radiocarbon dating, a team led by Greg Hodgins in the UA's department of physics has found the manuscript's parchment pages date back to the early 15th century, making the book a century older than scholars had previously thought.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:39 PM

Giant rats lead scientists to ancient fossils in East Timor cave 

The experts were digging in Timor's Lene Hara cave, a treasure trove of fossils and rock art, when they chanced upon a group of stylised human faces etched in the rock.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:58 AM

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Parcheesi and Planchette 

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:51 PM

Massive Bigfoot Search Gains Momentum 

About an hour east of Charlotte, Troy, NC has a population of just over 3000, residents say everyone knows their neighbor. That was until super bowl Sunday when someone spotted a hairy beast.

See also: Does Bigfoot exist?

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:48 PM

Russian expedition seeks to unlock Arctic mystery 

Two amphibious all-terrain vehicles will set on an expedition around the world on February 17 via remote Arctic regions in Europe, Asia and North America. It is hoped that the Russian expedition, Polar Ring, will solve the mystery of Sigizmund Levanevsky’s ill-fated Arctic flight.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:41 PM

Did Ferris Bueller really take TWO days off? 

Does anyone have the answer? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:28 PM

J. Michael Straczynski Speaks On His Doyle/Houdini Screenplay 

Voices spins a roaring ’20s mystery thriller out of the real-life friendship between Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle and escape artist Harry Houdini.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:26 PM

Mob war over memorabilia 

With not one but two Mob museums planning to open this year, a fight for Chicago Mob memorabilia is now on.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:22 PM

DNA Could Solve 170-Year-Old Mystery Of Fate Of Central Texas Pioneer 

Experts from the Smithsonian institution will spend Thursday and Friday taking DNA samples from remains found in a grave in a slave cemetery in Falls County that’s believed to be the final resting place of early Texas Ranger and Central Texas pioneer James Coryell.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:21 PM

75-year-old mystery quilt sends Nebraska woman on voyage of discovery to Santa Cruz 

She says that it was like finding King Tut's tomb, and maybe she's right.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:20 PM

Raymond Chandler and wife to be reunited after death 

Two Chandler aficionados from Malibu have moved heaven and earth to reunite Philip Marlowe’s creator, who died here in 1959, with the love of his life, wife “Cissy,” who had succumbed five years earlier.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:18 PM

Did mystery object cause Morpeth rumble? 

People described how their homes were shaken violently, with doors banging and windows rattling. The noise was compared to thunder by some, while others said it sounded like snow falling off the roof, but there was no snow on the roof.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:11 PM

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Sinister Sites - The Denver International Airport 

The airport facilities themselves raised a ton of questions regarding the true purpose of the mega-structure.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:44 PM

Dashiell Hammett's lost works found in Texas 

A cache of unpublished works by famed writer Dashiell Hammett, often seen as the father of hardboiled detective fiction, has been found and is set to be unveiled in America.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:42 PM

Monday, February 07, 2011

Jack the Ripper victims to feature in art exhibition 

Portraits of the victims of Jack the Ripper are to feature in an exhibition in Chelmsford later this year.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:25 AM

Ghost Horse Caught on Tape During Egypt Protests Sparks Theories of Biblical Proportions 

The "Ghost Horse" appears at about 1:18 in the video. It looks like an effect from the Haunted Mansion.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:17 AM

Smith and Wesson 

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:08 AM

Indian documents ancient science of Anthro-Biometry 

A mystic Indian has successfully documented the ancient science of Anthro-Biometry, the science that incorporates a universal system of Sacred Geometry to predict the rise and fall of man's activities and that of civilisations.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:08 AM

Fate of ancient Egyptian library a mystery 

Ancient Alexandria lies under modern Alexandria and into the Mediterranean Sea as well. If you want to see the city of Alexander and Cleopatra, you will have to dig or dive.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:08 AM

Paine’s missing remains make macabre list 

What do Thomas Paine, Maori tribespeople and St. Francis Xavier have in common? Far-flung body parts.

See also: Top 10 Famous Stolen Body Parts

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:06 AM

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Oregon Mysteries of the Sea 

Includes famous "exploding whale" video, which, really, is not that mysterious. Hysterical, sure, but not that mysterious.

Also: Author Stan Allyn of Tradewinds Sportfishing fame was a witness to a sight so unusual it was four years before he related it to anyone. Gazing out to sea from his beachside home he noticed something at the water's edge. As he watched, several yellow tentacles came out of the surf and groped around on the beach.

Remind me to never camp on an Oregon beach again.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:37 PM

Snowy sea serpent a hit at Quincy shipyard rotary 

Cute. With video and wicked awesome accents.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:30 PM

Hitler aide Bormann ‘escaped to Latin America’ 

Top Nazi Martin Bormann, who German authorities say died in 1945, escaped Berlin and lived in Latin America disguised as a priest, a former Belgian collaborator said in an interview published Saturday.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:40 PM

Saturday, February 05, 2011

RIP, Tura Satana 

Tura Satana, the actress whose authoritative presence, exotic looks and buxom frame commanded the attention of viewers of Russ Meyer’s 1965 cult movie “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!”, died on Friday evening in Reno, Nev.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:50 PM

Friday, February 04, 2011

The Major Oak, Sherwood Forest 

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:42 PM

Why was Edgar Allan Poe kicked out of West Point? 

Poe tried hard to get kicked out of West Point, and in 1831, he succeeded. Rumor is that the final straw came when he reported for drill wearing belts for his cartridges, a smile and nothing else, but did he actually do it? It’s time for a visit to The Rumor Doctor.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:41 PM

Searching for ‘Bigfoot’ 

It appears that the Uwharrie National Forest has become the hot spot for “Bigfoot” sightings, especially if you leave a Zagnut candy bar around.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:22 PM

Dog that can "sniff out bowel cancer" 

This study investigated whether a trained dog could differentiate between stool and breath samples from people with and without bowel (colorectal) cancer.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:20 PM

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Drink Bhud Tiffin of Bungaloe! 

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:32 PM

Prehistoric standing stone falls over 

The thaw has caused the distinctive 4000-year-old standing stone near Kirriemuir to topple over.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:13 AM