From 1932 to 1972, the Tuskegee syphilis study allowed hundreds of African American men to die — all in the name of “science.” In the midst of the Great Depression, the U.S. government appeared to be giving away free healthcare to poor African American sharecroppers in Macon County, Alabama. There was a serious syphilis outbreak there at the time. And it seemed as though the government was helping to fight it....
Dubbed the “Girl in the Closet,” Lauren Kavanaugh was isolated and abused mentally, physically, and sexually by her mother and stepfather between the ages of two and eight. On June 11, 2001, police officers arrived at the home of Kenneth and Barbara Atkinson in Hutchins, Texas. They’d received a call that Barbara’s daughter, eight-year-old Lauren Kavanaugh, was being abused, but nothing could prepare them for what they saw when they walked inside....
Did a disguise made by theatrical costume designer allow Jack the Ripper to carry out and get away with his infamous crimes? Theatrical costume designer Willy Clarkson gained fame as a master of disguise in late 19th- and early 20th-century England. But he has since gained infamy thanks to the theory that he supplied perhaps the most notorious serial killer of all time, Jack the Ripper, with a disguise that had aided in the latter’s horrific Whitechapel murders starting in 1888....
In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead in a pool of blood at the bottom of the staircase in her home. Two years later, her husband Michael Peterson was convicted of her murder — but many believe he didn’t do it. NetflixMichael Peterson (center) during his 2003 trial for the murder of his wife, Kathleen Peterson. In 2018, Netflix released The Staircase, a documentary that catapulted a regional North Carolina murder mystery to national attention....
“They’re saying that this foster care provider is better for the child because she can provide more financially, provide better education, things like that,” an advocate for the couple said. “If we’re going on that train, Bill Gates should take my children.” At what point does the government get to determine who makes a sufficient parent? That’s the question brought to the table in an unusual Oregon custody case. Parents Amy Fabbrini and Eric Ziegler have been fighting for almost four years to prove to the state that they’re capable of raising their two young boys, despite having below average IQ’s....
From elephants to Siamese twins, P.T. Barnum’s collection was controversial, ever-changing, and incredibly extensive. Like this gallery?Share it: Share Flipboard Email And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts: 25 Medical Oddities On Display At The Mütter Museum 33 Unbelievable Vintage Photos From The Heyday Of Alligator Farms 25 Fun Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About P.T. Barnum 1 of 13The Four Legged WomanMyrtle Corbin joined Barnum’s sideshow at 13 years old....
Scientists believe that a version of the extinct dodo could be replicated but some argue that the money and time required to do so would be better spent protecting at-risk species today. Becker/Fox Photos/Getty ImagesA dodo skeleton with an approximate recreation of the extinct bird at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff. 1938. Hundreds of years ago, the last dodo died and the species vanished from the Earth. But a biotechnology and genetic engineering start-up called Colossal Biosciences hopes to bring the lost bird back....
This could be the first time in 300 years that a new human organ has been discovered. The Netherlands Cancer InstituteHigh-definition scan shows a pair of hidden glands tucked underneath the nasal cavity. Even after centuries of study, our anatomy still holds some mysteries. For example, a group of researchers in the Netherlands just uncovered what they claim to be a previously unknown organ hidden inside our heads. According to Science Alert, the team found a pair of unidentified organs inside the heads of hundreds of study patients....
When his wife was killed, Buford Pusser went from a cop hell-bent on fighting crime to a man hell-bent on avenging his wife’s death. Bettmann/Getty ImagesBuford Pusser in 1973. Just before dawn on August 12, 1967, McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser got a call about a disturbance on a side road just outside of town. Though it was early, his wife Pauline decided to accompany him to investigate. As they drove through the small Tennessee town toward the site of the disturbance, a car pulled up alongside theirs....
Known as Snake Island, the viper-infested Ilha da Queimada Grande sits in the Atlantic Ocean about 90 miles off the coast of southeastern Brazil. Flickr CommonsAn aerial view of Brazil’s Ilha da Queimada Grande, better known as Snake Island. About 90 miles off the southeastern coast of Brazil, there is an island where no local would ever dare tread. Legend has it that the last fisherman who strayed too close to the shores of Snake Island was found days later adrift in his own boat, lying lifeless in a pool of blood....
Head deep into the Colombian wilderness to find Caño Cristales, also known as the River of Five Colors, a national technicolor treasure. Source: Distractify Deep in the isolated mountain range of Serranía de la Macarena, Colombia is the river Caño Cristales. For nearly half the year, there is nothing remarkable at all about this particular river, but from July through November a phenomena occurs that would leave one to believe that Mother Nature has hand painted this pristine locale....
Why capture people when you can take photos of storms? Storm chaser photography isn’t for the faint of heart, but the visual rewards are worth the risk. Source: The Daily Mail The line between idiocy and passion is often blurred, and storm photography is perhaps most emblematic of that. These fearless photographers have gone above and beyond in their pursuit of the picture-perfect shot of thunderstorms. They travel miles, risking their lives, scouring sites and waiting patiently for the storm to swell....
The bright green flower Fritillaria delavayi has been harvested by humans for medicinal purposes for the last 2,000 years. Now, it’s turning brown in order to camouflage. Niu et alFritillaria delavayi has scientists wondering what other plants may have been forced to change their coloring in order to avoid humans. In China, one hillside-growing plant has long been harvested to make traditional medicine. But a new study has found that the plant may have evolved in order to camouflage itself from humans....
From bizarre gravity to the devastation of World War II, here are the possible explanations behind the Crooked Forest of Krzywy Las. Just outside the town of Gryfino in western Poland sits a forest that looks like it came straight out of a fairytale. The Crooked Forest Flickr In the Crooked Forest (known locally as Krzywy Las), about 400 pine trees do indeed grow crookedly with full 90-degree curves at their bases that bend towards the north....
Proving the Yeti’s existence has become a lifelong endeavor for some. Whether you believe or not, the stories of how people have attempted to demonstrate the Yeti’s existence are bound to entertain. Just this week, a groundbreaking study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that Earth is home to well over 1 trillion species, 99.999 percent of which have yet to be discovered. While this new study focuses on microorganisms, it’s also reminded everyone that of those trillion-plus species, Earth contains about 8....
Kaavan arrived at Marghazar Zoo from Sri Lanka in 1985 and has spent most of his captivity there alone. TwitterKaavan the elephant has spent 35 years in captivity — most of it alone. Kaavan has never known life outside captivity. The 35-year-old elephant has been stuck in Pakistan’s Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad since 1985, with the world looking on in anguish as he mentally and physically declined. Fortunately, that zoo has now been ordered to close — and Kaavan is finally set for release....
Forget Jack Sparrow. These famous pirates were the swashbuckling, sword-slinging ruffians that originally made the skull and crossbones cool. Like this gallery?Share it: Share Flipboard Email And if you liked this post, be sure to check out these popular posts: Inside Matelotage, The Same-Sex Partnerships Between Colonial-Era Pirates The Story Of Ching Shih, Prostitute Turned Lord Of The Pirates The Ruthless Career Of Calico Jack Rackham, The 18th-Century Pirate Who Terrorized The Caribbean...
After the tragic abduction of Amber Hagerman on January 13, 1996, one woman decided to make a change. It took less than ten minutes for Amber Hagerman to vanish. Just weeks after Christmas in 1996, the nine-year-old took the pink bike she’d received and went for a ride near her grandmother’s house. But in the lot of an abandoned Winn-Dixie grocery store, a man in a black truck grabbed her....
The park’s guidelines urge visitors to remain 25 yards away from large animals. This woman was likely within 10 feet. Wikimedia CommonsMale American bison can weigh up to 2,200 pounds. A 72-year-old California woman visiting Yellowstone National Park last week was gored repeatedly while trying to snap a photo of a bison. According to CNN, Yellowstone National Park guidelines plainly state that visitors must stay 25 yards away from all large animals....
Leighton Dorey IV choked and beat his father to death and police found teeth strewn about the scene, and the suspect hiding in the mountains. Public DomainLeighton Dorey IV was convicted of first-degree murder with a special circumstances allegation of torture. When paramedics arrived at the scene, Leighton Dorey III was covered in so much blood they believed he had been shot. The 71-year-old hadn’t been gunned down, however, and nor was an intruder to blame....
