"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare
The purpose of this page is twofold:
1) All of these case studies are exercises in logical deduction, analysis, and critical thinking.
The guiding principle is Occam's Razor. Willem of Occam was a Dutch philosopher who lived hundreds of years ago. His famous theorem is as follows: "Given multiple possible answers or explanations, the simplest is most likely to be true."
2) All of these incidents are just absurdly interesting. They challenge a person to ask, "What if?"
*As you read these, ask yourself: "What is the most probable explanation?" Be skeptical. Be doubtful. Be logical. You might be surprised at the answer!
1) All of these case studies are exercises in logical deduction, analysis, and critical thinking.
The guiding principle is Occam's Razor. Willem of Occam was a Dutch philosopher who lived hundreds of years ago. His famous theorem is as follows: "Given multiple possible answers or explanations, the simplest is most likely to be true."
2) All of these incidents are just absurdly interesting. They challenge a person to ask, "What if?"
*As you read these, ask yourself: "What is the most probable explanation?" Be skeptical. Be doubtful. Be logical. You might be surprised at the answer!
EXTRA CREDIT/ENRICHMENT/DIFFERENTIATION:
You can also use 1 of these menu options to research 1 of the people from the Heroic People page, Hispano American History page, the Spring of Nations page, or the World War 2 page.
Menu options:
1) Complete an ABC taxonomy using vocabulary from one of the case studies.
2) Create a full sentence ABC taxonomy using concepts related to 1 or 2 of the case studies.
3) Draw a picture (with 5-10 details) about 1 of the case studies.
4) Write a 1 page short story in the 1st person (I, you, me, we, us), about 1 of the case studies.
5) Write a 1 to 2 page essay giving your opinion about 1 of the case studies. Writing prompt: What is the most likely explanation for this phenomenon? Remember to mention Occam's razor and how you used it to arrive at your conclusion.
6) Using a Venn diagram (see "Graphic Organizer" page) compare and contrast any 2 of the case studies. How are they similar? How are they different? You should have a minimum of 3 items in each part of the diagram. Also write a synthesis paragraph explaining the similarities and differences.
7) Create a vocabulary flip book with relevant terms from the case study (minimum of 10 words). Vocab word goes on the outside, on the inside you write the definition and then use the vocabulary term in a sentence.
You can also use 1 of these menu options to research 1 of the people from the Heroic People page, Hispano American History page, the Spring of Nations page, or the World War 2 page.
Menu options:
1) Complete an ABC taxonomy using vocabulary from one of the case studies.
2) Create a full sentence ABC taxonomy using concepts related to 1 or 2 of the case studies.
3) Draw a picture (with 5-10 details) about 1 of the case studies.
4) Write a 1 page short story in the 1st person (I, you, me, we, us), about 1 of the case studies.
5) Write a 1 to 2 page essay giving your opinion about 1 of the case studies. Writing prompt: What is the most likely explanation for this phenomenon? Remember to mention Occam's razor and how you used it to arrive at your conclusion.
6) Using a Venn diagram (see "Graphic Organizer" page) compare and contrast any 2 of the case studies. How are they similar? How are they different? You should have a minimum of 3 items in each part of the diagram. Also write a synthesis paragraph explaining the similarities and differences.
7) Create a vocabulary flip book with relevant terms from the case study (minimum of 10 words). Vocab word goes on the outside, on the inside you write the definition and then use the vocabulary term in a sentence.
Case study 1: Stonehenge and Carnac
Stonehenge sits broodingly on Salisbury plain in England. No one is really sure who built Stonehenge or why it was built. Modern academicians theorize that Stonehenge was an ancient calendar, built in such a way as to celebrate the solstices and the equinox.
equinox: those 2 days of the year when there is equal numbers of daylight and equal numbers of sunlight. An equinox is the moment in which the plane of Earth's equator passes through the center of the sun, which occurs twice each year, around 20 March and 23 September. On an equinox, day and night are of approximately equal duration all over the planet. (retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
Solstice: The Solstice occurs twice each year (around June 21 and December 22) as the sun reaches its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. The seasons of the year are directly connected to both the solstices and the equinoxes. (retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
Stonehenge sits broodingly on Salisbury plain in England. No one is really sure who built Stonehenge or why it was built. Modern academicians theorize that Stonehenge was an ancient calendar, built in such a way as to celebrate the solstices and the equinox.
equinox: those 2 days of the year when there is equal numbers of daylight and equal numbers of sunlight. An equinox is the moment in which the plane of Earth's equator passes through the center of the sun, which occurs twice each year, around 20 March and 23 September. On an equinox, day and night are of approximately equal duration all over the planet. (retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
Solstice: The Solstice occurs twice each year (around June 21 and December 22) as the sun reaches its most northerly or southerly excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. The seasons of the year are directly connected to both the solstices and the equinoxes. (retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
The earth during the winter solstice
The large stones at the Stonehenge complex are called either megaliths or sarsens. The largest are 30 feet tall and weigh up to 25 tons. Given that Stonehenge is thousands of years old, it remains a big mystery as to how Stonehenge's builders were able to cut and transport these giant stones without the help of modern mechanical and engineering equipment. It's believed the Stonehenge megaliths came from a distance of 25 miles away. So not only does the carving of these giant rocks remain a mystery, their transport is completely unknown as well.
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The earth during the summer solstice
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As impressive as Stonehenge is, the Carnac complex is positively mindblowing! "The Carnac stones (Breton: Steudadoù Karnag) are an exceptionally dense collection of megalithic sites around the village of Carnac in Brittany, consisting of alignments, dolmens, tumuli and single menhirs. More than 3,000 prehistoric standing stones were hewn from local rock and erected by the pre/proto-Celtic people of Brittany, and form the largest such collection in the world. Most of the stones are within the Breton village of Carnac... The stones were erected at some stage during the Neolithic period, probably around 3300 BCE, but some may date to as early as 4500 BCE." (retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
It should be stressed that we have no idea how the Carnac stones were built, why they were built, or how they were transported without modern technology.
It should be stressed that we have no idea how the Carnac stones were built, why they were built, or how they were transported without modern technology.
This is an excellent chance to use Occam's Razor. Is it just coincidence that Stonehenge and Carnac are aligned longitudinally? Or were the ancient builders of both sites more advanced than we give them credit for?
Case Study 2: the Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni
The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni is an underground religious complex with literally perfect acoustics. It was built around 2,500 BCE in the modern nation of Turkey. The remains of 7,000 people were found inside, indicating some religious or sacrificial aspect. "The three-level underground structure is made entirely out of megalithic stones, and was built who knows when. What surprised people even more was when they found out that male voices could reverberate throughout the entire complex if the person was standing in a certain spot. But here's the kicker -- the effect only worked if the speaking voice was in the 95 to 120 Hz range, so women's voices don't usually generate the same effect. Whoever built the Hypogeum actually invented sexist architecture. It gets weirder: If you're a man chanting at roughly the 110 Hz frequency, the entire temple complex turns into this bizarre trance-inducing room that seems able to stimulate the creative center of the human brain.
Simply put, by merely standing inside that temple complex while someone was chanting in the proper location, you actually enhanced your religious experience. And that's all we really know about this place. We have no idea who built it or how they pulled it off. All we know for certain is that they had a knowledge of acoustics that is still baffling scientists to this very day."
(retrieved from cracked.com)
Simply put, by merely standing inside that temple complex while someone was chanting in the proper location, you actually enhanced your religious experience. And that's all we really know about this place. We have no idea who built it or how they pulled it off. All we know for certain is that they had a knowledge of acoustics that is still baffling scientists to this very day."
(retrieved from cracked.com)
Case Study 3: Dorothy Eady And Omm Sety
Dorothy Eady was a toddler just like any other. She ran, played, and laughed all day, and was a treasure to her doting parents. Then, the unthinkable happened. One morning, Dorothy was running down the stairs at her home near London when she slipped and fell. So severe was the fall that the three-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene.
But then something very unexpected happened: Dorothy woke up. For another four years, her parents had their beautiful daughter back. In 1908, however, everything changed.
On a regular outing to the British Museum, Dorothy’s parents first became aware that the girl was behaving strangely. As soon as they reached the Egyptian section of the museum, Dorothy was transfixed. She couldn’t get enough of the artifacts and sat with a glass-enclosed mummy for a long time, refusing to go home with her parents. Her parents even caught a glimpse of her running around the statues and kissing their feet.
After this incident, things took a turn for the worse. Dorothy became almost depressed and would stare at photos of ancient Egypt insisting that the country was her home and she needed to return to it. A picture of the “Temple of Seti the First at Abydos” got her especially excited one day. She rushed to her father and shouted that this place was her former home.
Before she found the picture of the temple, Dorothy had dreams in which she saw the buildings and greenery of ancient Egypt. Her interest and love for Egypt skyrocketed, and she joined study groups to learn more about reincarnation and spirituality.
She finally moved to Cairo after marrying an Egyptian man and gave birth to a baby that she named Seti. She herself would now be known as Omm Sety. Omm’s marriage didn’t last. Her habit of going into a trance and scribbling random hieroglyphics at night about her spirit guide completely freaked her husband out.
Her writings eventually amounted to around 70 pages and detailed Omm’s life in ancient Egypt. It stated that she was a priestess at the Kom El Sultan temple and had a child by Pharoah Seti at the young age of 14. However, she had broken a priestess vow by losing her virginity and took her own life to prevent the Pharaoh from being punished for this crime.
The hieroglyphics also contained accounts of spiritual encounters with Seti and plans to reunite with him in the Egyptian underworld.
This fantastical story has been discarded by many as the ramblings of a crazy person, up until the day that Omm Sety helped archaeologists find the exact location of the Temple Garden. She also led them to an undiscovered tunnel at the north side of the Temple. Omm Sety died in 1981, after having lived the rest of her days at the Temple of Abydos. No rational explanation for her memories, dreams, and knowledge of Egypt has been offered, and many skeptics find themselves wondering if Dorothy Eady was in fact the reincarnation of the ancient Egypt priestess, Omm Sety.
(retrieved from www.listverse.com)
Dorothy Eady was a toddler just like any other. She ran, played, and laughed all day, and was a treasure to her doting parents. Then, the unthinkable happened. One morning, Dorothy was running down the stairs at her home near London when she slipped and fell. So severe was the fall that the three-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene.
But then something very unexpected happened: Dorothy woke up. For another four years, her parents had their beautiful daughter back. In 1908, however, everything changed.
On a regular outing to the British Museum, Dorothy’s parents first became aware that the girl was behaving strangely. As soon as they reached the Egyptian section of the museum, Dorothy was transfixed. She couldn’t get enough of the artifacts and sat with a glass-enclosed mummy for a long time, refusing to go home with her parents. Her parents even caught a glimpse of her running around the statues and kissing their feet.
After this incident, things took a turn for the worse. Dorothy became almost depressed and would stare at photos of ancient Egypt insisting that the country was her home and she needed to return to it. A picture of the “Temple of Seti the First at Abydos” got her especially excited one day. She rushed to her father and shouted that this place was her former home.
Before she found the picture of the temple, Dorothy had dreams in which she saw the buildings and greenery of ancient Egypt. Her interest and love for Egypt skyrocketed, and she joined study groups to learn more about reincarnation and spirituality.
She finally moved to Cairo after marrying an Egyptian man and gave birth to a baby that she named Seti. She herself would now be known as Omm Sety. Omm’s marriage didn’t last. Her habit of going into a trance and scribbling random hieroglyphics at night about her spirit guide completely freaked her husband out.
Her writings eventually amounted to around 70 pages and detailed Omm’s life in ancient Egypt. It stated that she was a priestess at the Kom El Sultan temple and had a child by Pharoah Seti at the young age of 14. However, she had broken a priestess vow by losing her virginity and took her own life to prevent the Pharaoh from being punished for this crime.
The hieroglyphics also contained accounts of spiritual encounters with Seti and plans to reunite with him in the Egyptian underworld.
This fantastical story has been discarded by many as the ramblings of a crazy person, up until the day that Omm Sety helped archaeologists find the exact location of the Temple Garden. She also led them to an undiscovered tunnel at the north side of the Temple. Omm Sety died in 1981, after having lived the rest of her days at the Temple of Abydos. No rational explanation for her memories, dreams, and knowledge of Egypt has been offered, and many skeptics find themselves wondering if Dorothy Eady was in fact the reincarnation of the ancient Egypt priestess, Omm Sety.
(retrieved from www.listverse.com)
Case Study 4: The Disappearing Diplomat
British diplomat Benjamin Bathurst vanished into thin air in 1809. Bathurst was returning to Hamburg with a companion after a mission to the Austrian court. Along the way, they had stopped for dinner at an inn in the town of Perelberg. Upon finishing the meal, they returned to their waiting horse-drawn coach. Bathurst’s companion watched as the diplomat stepped over to the front of the coach to examine to horses – and simply vanished without a trace. (retrieved from listverse.com)
Case study 5: Francis Leavy’s Handprint
Francis Leavy was a dedicated firefighter during the 1920s. He loved his job, and his peers loved him. He was a pleasant man, always ready with a smile and a helping hand. On April 18, 1924, Francis’s colleagues became aware of a change in his demeanor. Suddenly, he was an unsmiling, grunting guy washing a large window at the Chicago Fire Department, not looking at anyone or talking.
After a few minutes, Leavy suddenly announced that he had a strange feeling—a feeling that he might die that very day. At that very moment, the phone rang and broke the heavy atmosphere brought on by the fireman’s words. A fire was raging at a building quite a long way from the fire department, and no time was to be wasted.
In just a few minutes, Francis Leavy and his fellow firefighters were on the scene, assessing the situation and helping those trapped on the top floors. Everything seemed to be on track to rescue everyone from the building. Then, suddenly, the flames engulfed the lower part of the building, and the roof caved in. As soon as this happened, the walls came crashing down, pinning many people under the rubble—including Leavy. Leavy’s grim premonition came true. He lost his life that day trying to save others.
The very next day, trying to come to terms with the loss of Leavy, his colleagues sat at the firehouse thinking about the events of the previous day. Suddenly, they noticed something strange on one of the windows. It looked like a handprint smudged onto the glass. Eerily, it was the very same window that Francis Leavy was busy washing the day before.
The firemen cleaned the window again, but the print stubbornly refused to disappear. For many years, the handprint remained on the window in spite of chemicals used to try and remove it. The strange mystery remained unsolved, but came to an abrupt end when a newspaper boy threw a paper against the window in 1944, causing it to shatter into pieces. (retrieved from listverse.com)
Francis Leavy was a dedicated firefighter during the 1920s. He loved his job, and his peers loved him. He was a pleasant man, always ready with a smile and a helping hand. On April 18, 1924, Francis’s colleagues became aware of a change in his demeanor. Suddenly, he was an unsmiling, grunting guy washing a large window at the Chicago Fire Department, not looking at anyone or talking.
After a few minutes, Leavy suddenly announced that he had a strange feeling—a feeling that he might die that very day. At that very moment, the phone rang and broke the heavy atmosphere brought on by the fireman’s words. A fire was raging at a building quite a long way from the fire department, and no time was to be wasted.
In just a few minutes, Francis Leavy and his fellow firefighters were on the scene, assessing the situation and helping those trapped on the top floors. Everything seemed to be on track to rescue everyone from the building. Then, suddenly, the flames engulfed the lower part of the building, and the roof caved in. As soon as this happened, the walls came crashing down, pinning many people under the rubble—including Leavy. Leavy’s grim premonition came true. He lost his life that day trying to save others.
The very next day, trying to come to terms with the loss of Leavy, his colleagues sat at the firehouse thinking about the events of the previous day. Suddenly, they noticed something strange on one of the windows. It looked like a handprint smudged onto the glass. Eerily, it was the very same window that Francis Leavy was busy washing the day before.
The firemen cleaned the window again, but the print stubbornly refused to disappear. For many years, the handprint remained on the window in spite of chemicals used to try and remove it. The strange mystery remained unsolved, but came to an abrupt end when a newspaper boy threw a paper against the window in 1944, causing it to shatter into pieces. (retrieved from listverse.com)
Case Study 6: Time Tunnel
In 1975, a man named Jackson Wright was driving with his wife from New Jersey to New York City. This required them to travel through the Lincoln Tunnel. According to Wright, who was driving, once through the tunnel he pulled the car over to wipe the windshield of condensation. His wife Martha volunteered to clean off the back window so they could more readily resume their trip. When Wright turned around, his wife was gone. He neither heard nor saw anything unusual take place, and a subsequent investigation could find no evidence of foul play. Martha Wright had just disappeared.
In 1975, a man named Jackson Wright was driving with his wife from New Jersey to New York City. This required them to travel through the Lincoln Tunnel. According to Wright, who was driving, once through the tunnel he pulled the car over to wipe the windshield of condensation. His wife Martha volunteered to clean off the back window so they could more readily resume their trip. When Wright turned around, his wife was gone. He neither heard nor saw anything unusual take place, and a subsequent investigation could find no evidence of foul play. Martha Wright had just disappeared.
The advent of fields such as quantum physics have led scientists to postulate the existence of multiple dimensions, even multiple universes that co exist with our own. Is is so far fetched to think that these disappearances could be the result of temporary portals that open between our dimension and another?
Case study 7: The Voynich Manuscript
The Voynich manuscript is an illustrated codex hand-written in an unknown writing system. The vellum on which it is written has been carbon-dated to the early 15th century (1404–1438), and it may have been composed in northern Italy during the Italian Renaissance. The manuscript is named after Wilfrid Voynich, a Polish book dealer who purchased it in 1912.
Some of the pages are missing, with around 240 remaining. The text is written from left to right, and most of the pages have illustrations or diagrams. Some pages are foldable sheets.
The Voynich manuscript has been studied by many professional and amateur cryptographers, including American and British codebreakers from both World War One and World War Two. No one has yet succeeded in deciphering the text, and it has become a famous case in the history of cryptography. The mystery of the meaning and origin of the manuscript has excited the popular imagination, making the manuscript the subject of novels and speculation. None of the many hypotheses proposed over the last hundred years has yet been independently verified.
In 1969 the Voynich manuscript was donated by Hans P. Kraus to Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where it is catalogued under call number MS 408. (retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
The Voynich manuscript is an illustrated codex hand-written in an unknown writing system. The vellum on which it is written has been carbon-dated to the early 15th century (1404–1438), and it may have been composed in northern Italy during the Italian Renaissance. The manuscript is named after Wilfrid Voynich, a Polish book dealer who purchased it in 1912.
Some of the pages are missing, with around 240 remaining. The text is written from left to right, and most of the pages have illustrations or diagrams. Some pages are foldable sheets.
The Voynich manuscript has been studied by many professional and amateur cryptographers, including American and British codebreakers from both World War One and World War Two. No one has yet succeeded in deciphering the text, and it has become a famous case in the history of cryptography. The mystery of the meaning and origin of the manuscript has excited the popular imagination, making the manuscript the subject of novels and speculation. None of the many hypotheses proposed over the last hundred years has yet been independently verified.
In 1969 the Voynich manuscript was donated by Hans P. Kraus to Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where it is catalogued under call number MS 408. (retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
Case study 8: The Marfa Lights
The Marfa lights, also known as the Marfa ghost lights, have been observed near US Route 67 on Mitchell Flat east of Marfa, Texas, in the United States. They have gained some fame as onlookers have ascribed them to paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, UFOs, or will- o'-the-wisp, etc. However, scientific research suggests that most, if not all, are atmospheric reflections of automobile headlights and campfires. (retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
nota bene: While the campfire theory isn't without merit, the 1st sightings of the Marfa lights go all the way back to 1883. This tends to disprove the car headlight theory. (retrieved from https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/lxm01)
nota bene: While the campfire theory isn't without merit, the 1st sightings of the Marfa lights go all the way back to 1883. This tends to disprove the car headlight theory. (retrieved from https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/lxm01)
Case study 9: The Taos Hum
The town of Taos, in north-central New Mexico,...is a small, laid-back artsy community that is also home to an unusual mystery: a resident hum of unknown origin, the so-called "Taos Hum."
A variety of theories have been offered as an explanation, ranging from the mundane to the fantastic, the psychological to the paranormal. Stoned hippies, secret government mind control experiments, underground UFO bases and everything in between have been blamed.
The hum seems to have first been reported in the early 1990s. Joe Mullins, a professor emeritus of engineering at the University of New Mexico, conducted research into the Taos Hum. Based on a survey of residents, about 2 percent of the general population was believed to be "hearers," those who claimed to detect the hum. Sensitive equipment was set up in the homes of several of the "hearers," measuring sounds and vibrations but after extensive testing nothing unusual was detected.
The research revealed, however, that there was not a single identifiable Taos Hum but instead several different ones that people reported; some describe it as whir, hum or buzz. The fact that not everyone heard the same thing was puzzling, and suggests that they may have been reporting subjective experiences instead of objective sounds. (retrieved from livescience.com)
The town of Taos, in north-central New Mexico,...is a small, laid-back artsy community that is also home to an unusual mystery: a resident hum of unknown origin, the so-called "Taos Hum."
A variety of theories have been offered as an explanation, ranging from the mundane to the fantastic, the psychological to the paranormal. Stoned hippies, secret government mind control experiments, underground UFO bases and everything in between have been blamed.
The hum seems to have first been reported in the early 1990s. Joe Mullins, a professor emeritus of engineering at the University of New Mexico, conducted research into the Taos Hum. Based on a survey of residents, about 2 percent of the general population was believed to be "hearers," those who claimed to detect the hum. Sensitive equipment was set up in the homes of several of the "hearers," measuring sounds and vibrations but after extensive testing nothing unusual was detected.
The research revealed, however, that there was not a single identifiable Taos Hum but instead several different ones that people reported; some describe it as whir, hum or buzz. The fact that not everyone heard the same thing was puzzling, and suggests that they may have been reporting subjective experiences instead of objective sounds. (retrieved from livescience.com)
Case study 10: the Jersey Devil
"It was about three feet and half high, with a head like a collie dog and
a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and
its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hooves.
It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws
on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while we were watching.
My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the
window and say, 'Shoo', and it turned around barked at me, and flew away..." -Nelson Evans
This is a fascinating cryptozoological case with instances occurring both in the United Kingdom and the United States. Sightings of the Jersey devil go back centuries in England. The Jersey devil is said to inhabit the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. While most associate New Jersey with industrial ugliness, the Pine Barrens actually occupy a very large part of southern New Jersey.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Jersey devil involves something as mundane as footprints. One account told of cloven hoofprints approaching a house, (the prints were left in snow), no prints on the roof, and then the hoofprints appearing on the other side of the house. Prints have been seen to just stop suddenly in snow covered fields.
"It was about three feet and half high, with a head like a collie dog and
a face like a horse. It had a long neck, wings about two feet long, and
its back legs were like those of a crane, and it had horse's hooves.
It walked on its back legs and held up two short front legs with paws
on them. It didn't use the front legs at all while we were watching.
My wife and I were scared, I tell you, but I managed to open the
window and say, 'Shoo', and it turned around barked at me, and flew away..." -Nelson Evans
This is a fascinating cryptozoological case with instances occurring both in the United Kingdom and the United States. Sightings of the Jersey devil go back centuries in England. The Jersey devil is said to inhabit the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. While most associate New Jersey with industrial ugliness, the Pine Barrens actually occupy a very large part of southern New Jersey.
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Jersey devil involves something as mundane as footprints. One account told of cloven hoofprints approaching a house, (the prints were left in snow), no prints on the roof, and then the hoofprints appearing on the other side of the house. Prints have been seen to just stop suddenly in snow covered fields.
Case study 11: Mothman
This one of the more disturbing case studies on this page. I say that due to the sheer number of witnesses involved and their level of credibility.
A book and an equally chill inducing movie have been promulgated about this case study.
On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge, a suspension bridge connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Gallipolis, Ohio, collapsed killing 46 people. Spanning the Ohio River, this eyebar-chain bridge, built in 1928, met its fate during rush hour as people were returning home from work and families were going into town to begin their Christmas shopping. What caused this well-traveled bridge to collapse wasn’t a mystery; a defect in one of the eye-bar links caused a crack to form which led to the catastrophe. The real mystery was the appearance of a strange visitor sighted several times by the citizens of Point Pleasant during the months leading up to the tragedy. This strange visitor was known as the Mothman. (retrieved from http://www.blumhouse.com/2015/12/01/the-real-story-of-the-mothman-prophecies-part-one/)
Click on the picture below to access the full story.
This one of the more disturbing case studies on this page. I say that due to the sheer number of witnesses involved and their level of credibility.
A book and an equally chill inducing movie have been promulgated about this case study.
On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge, a suspension bridge connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Gallipolis, Ohio, collapsed killing 46 people. Spanning the Ohio River, this eyebar-chain bridge, built in 1928, met its fate during rush hour as people were returning home from work and families were going into town to begin their Christmas shopping. What caused this well-traveled bridge to collapse wasn’t a mystery; a defect in one of the eye-bar links caused a crack to form which led to the catastrophe. The real mystery was the appearance of a strange visitor sighted several times by the citizens of Point Pleasant during the months leading up to the tragedy. This strange visitor was known as the Mothman. (retrieved from http://www.blumhouse.com/2015/12/01/the-real-story-of-the-mothman-prophecies-part-one/)
Click on the picture below to access the full story.
Case study 12: the Mary Celeste
The mystery of the Mary Celeste is so famous and so well known it has wondered into pop culture icon territory. Any person associated with any maritime industry or occupation can tell you about the Mary Celeste. It is painfully well documented. And the facts of this case study will give you chills.
On November 7, 1872, the 282-ton brigantine Mary Celeste set sail from New York Harbor on its way to Genoa, Italy. On board were the ship’s captain, Benjamin S. Briggs, his wife, Sarah, and their 2-year-old daughter, Sophia, along with eight crewmembers. Less than a month later, on December 5, a passing British ship called Dei Gratia spotted Mary Celeste at full sail and adrift about 400 miles east of the Azores, with no sign of the captain, his family or any of the crew. Aside from several feet of water in the hold and a missing lifeboat, the ship was undamaged and loaded with six months’ worth of food and water.
(Retrieved from http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/what-happened-to-the-mary-celeste)
The mystery of the Mary Celeste is so famous and so well known it has wondered into pop culture icon territory. Any person associated with any maritime industry or occupation can tell you about the Mary Celeste. It is painfully well documented. And the facts of this case study will give you chills.
On November 7, 1872, the 282-ton brigantine Mary Celeste set sail from New York Harbor on its way to Genoa, Italy. On board were the ship’s captain, Benjamin S. Briggs, his wife, Sarah, and their 2-year-old daughter, Sophia, along with eight crewmembers. Less than a month later, on December 5, a passing British ship called Dei Gratia spotted Mary Celeste at full sail and adrift about 400 miles east of the Azores, with no sign of the captain, his family or any of the crew. Aside from several feet of water in the hold and a missing lifeboat, the ship was undamaged and loaded with six months’ worth of food and water.
(Retrieved from http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/what-happened-to-the-mary-celeste)
Read the full story by clicking on the picture below:
Case study 13: the Flying Dutchman
This case study is arguably even more famous and legendary than that of the Mary Celeste. This phenomena no doubt inspired, to some degree, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Among nautical myths and legends, few are as famous as the Flying Dutchman. Many have claimed to see the ghostly vessel of Captain Hendrick van der Decken (the Dutchman) since it sank in 1641. It is because of his brash attitude in the face of God’s stormy wrath that Captain van der Decken and his crew are cursed to sail the high seas until doomsday.
Captain van der Decken had made the perilous journey from Holland to the Far East Indies in order to purchase lucrative goods like spices, silks, and dyes. There had been close calls of course but they eventually arrived. After purchasing as much as the hull could hold and having made the necessary repairs to the ship, captain van der Decken set out for Amsterdam. As his ship rounded the coast of Africa, captain van der Decken thought of how convenient it would be if his employers, the Dutch East India Company, made a settlement near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to serve as a respite from the turbulent waters. (retrieved from http://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/field/image/Legend-of-The-Flying-Dutchman.jpg)
Click on the picture below to access the full story of the Flying Dutchman:
Case study 14: the 1908 Tunguska (Siberia) anomaly:
In 1908 in Siberia a powerful anomaly flattened first growth pine forests for miles around. Modern scientists have tried to explain the event. The most common theory is that a black hole somehow struck this remote part of Russia.
On 30 June 1908, an explosion ripped through the air above a remote forest in Siberia, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska river.
The fireball is believed to have been 50-100m wide. It depleted 2,000 sq km of the taiga forest in the area, flattening about 80 million trees.
The earth trembled. Windows smashed in the nearest town over 35 miles (60km) away. Residents there even felt heat from the blast, and some were blown off their feet.(retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160706-in-siberia-in-1908-a-huge-explosion-came-out-of-nowhere)
Click on the picture below to access the full story:
In 1908 in Siberia a powerful anomaly flattened first growth pine forests for miles around. Modern scientists have tried to explain the event. The most common theory is that a black hole somehow struck this remote part of Russia.
On 30 June 1908, an explosion ripped through the air above a remote forest in Siberia, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska river.
The fireball is believed to have been 50-100m wide. It depleted 2,000 sq km of the taiga forest in the area, flattening about 80 million trees.
The earth trembled. Windows smashed in the nearest town over 35 miles (60km) away. Residents there even felt heat from the blast, and some were blown off their feet.(retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160706-in-siberia-in-1908-a-huge-explosion-came-out-of-nowhere)
Click on the picture below to access the full story:
Case study 15: the Diatlov Pass Incident:
Of all the case studies presented on this page the Diatlov Pass Incident is arguably the most chilling and disturbing. Of all the pictures available the one above is the least graphic one I could find. Yes, it really is that bad.
In January 1959, a group of Russian hikers from the Ural Polytechnic Institute embarked on a trip to Otorten Mountain in the northern Urals. As wintry conditions worsened, one hiker was forced to turn back due to illness, unaware that he would be the last person to see his companions alive. After two weeks without word from the hikers, a search team set off to investigate their disappearance. At the camp, the tent was discovered to be cut from the inside with the hikers belongings left undisturbed. Their bodies were found nearly a mile away. They seemed to have fled the tent insufficiently clothed, most of them without their shoes. Several had violent injuries such as fractured skulls and ribs. Investigators later found puzzling evidence, including possible signs of radiation and a final cryptic photograph taken by the hikers. With no witnesses and an inconclusive investigation, the question of how this team of experienced hikers met their tragic death would continue to confound authorities for over a half-century, and give rise to conjecture and theories that continue to stoke global interest in this mystery. (retrieved from http://deadmountainbook.com/true-story).
Click on either picture to access the rest of the story:
Of all the case studies presented on this page the Diatlov Pass Incident is arguably the most chilling and disturbing. Of all the pictures available the one above is the least graphic one I could find. Yes, it really is that bad.
In January 1959, a group of Russian hikers from the Ural Polytechnic Institute embarked on a trip to Otorten Mountain in the northern Urals. As wintry conditions worsened, one hiker was forced to turn back due to illness, unaware that he would be the last person to see his companions alive. After two weeks without word from the hikers, a search team set off to investigate their disappearance. At the camp, the tent was discovered to be cut from the inside with the hikers belongings left undisturbed. Their bodies were found nearly a mile away. They seemed to have fled the tent insufficiently clothed, most of them without their shoes. Several had violent injuries such as fractured skulls and ribs. Investigators later found puzzling evidence, including possible signs of radiation and a final cryptic photograph taken by the hikers. With no witnesses and an inconclusive investigation, the question of how this team of experienced hikers met their tragic death would continue to confound authorities for over a half-century, and give rise to conjecture and theories that continue to stoke global interest in this mystery. (retrieved from http://deadmountainbook.com/true-story).
Click on either picture to access the rest of the story:
OOPA (Out Of Place Artifacts)
An out of place artifact is simply that- some kind of device or artifact that seems dramatically out of place from its surrounding locations. A few examples follow:
An out of place artifact is simply that- some kind of device or artifact that seems dramatically out of place from its surrounding locations. A few examples follow:
Case study 16: the Antikythera mechanism:
The Antikythera mechanism is an ancient Greek analogue computer used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendrical and astrological purposes, as well as a four-year cycle of athletic games that was similar, but not identical, to an Olympiad, the cycle of the ancient Olympic games. Found housed in a 13 in × 7.1 in) × 3.5 in wooden box, the device is a complex clockwork mechanism composed of at least 30 meshing bronze gears. Using modern computer x-ray tomography and high resolution surface scanning, a team led by Mike Edmunds and Tony Freeth at Cardiff University peered inside fragments of the crust-encased mechanism and read the faintest inscriptions that once covered the outer casing of the machine. Detailed imaging of the mechanism suggests it dates back to 150-100 BC and had 37 gear wheels enabling it to follow the movements of the moon and the sun through the zodiac, predict eclipses and even recreate the irregular orbit of the moon.
(retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
The Antikythera mechanism is an ancient Greek analogue computer used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendrical and astrological purposes, as well as a four-year cycle of athletic games that was similar, but not identical, to an Olympiad, the cycle of the ancient Olympic games. Found housed in a 13 in × 7.1 in) × 3.5 in wooden box, the device is a complex clockwork mechanism composed of at least 30 meshing bronze gears. Using modern computer x-ray tomography and high resolution surface scanning, a team led by Mike Edmunds and Tony Freeth at Cardiff University peered inside fragments of the crust-encased mechanism and read the faintest inscriptions that once covered the outer casing of the machine. Detailed imaging of the mechanism suggests it dates back to 150-100 BC and had 37 gear wheels enabling it to follow the movements of the moon and the sun through the zodiac, predict eclipses and even recreate the irregular orbit of the moon.
(retrieved from en.wikipedia.org)
Case study 17: 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. There is no written record as to the exact function of the jar, but the best guess is that it was a type of battery. Scientists believe the batteries (if that is their correct function) were used to electroplate items such as putting a layer of one metal (gold) onto the surface of another (silver), a method still practiced in Iraq today. (retrieved from https://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/battery2.html) So what, you ask? Well, electricity has supposedly only been known for about 120 to 130 years. So how did an ancient civilization understand electrical currents and then develop the necessary tools harness that energy? What does Occam's razor tell you? Click on the picture to read the full story: |
Case study 17: the Baghdad battery: