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Throughout human history, some very, very long prison sentences have been handed down. Mandatory sentencing guidelines, jury recommendations, victim statements, and judicial discretion combine to occasionally levy severe sentences on convicted felons. Take the case of Thailand’s Chamoy Thipyaso. The military wife ran an infamous pyramid scheme in that south Asian nation that drained hundreds

When most of us set out to learn a new language, our biggest worries are usually how to conjugate verbs and construct a proper sentence. The last concern on our mind is that the language will disappear entirely! However, perhaps that concern should be a bit higher up on our priorities list. Thanks to digitization,

Many graves have the message “Rest in Peace” carved on them. For most of us, this will probably come true as our dead bodies are unlikely to be disturbed before they have rotted to nothing. For famous people, however, there is a long history of their bodies being dug up, desecrated, or generally mishandled. Even

The kiss cam is a staple at modern sporting events. And if you don’t know what that is, the name says it all. The camera literally pans to couples in the audience and peer-pressures them to share a kiss. And the crowd eats it up! While most people find it a fun and harmless game,

Paleontologists typically study for years to get their master’s degree or Ph.D. in paleontology. This extensive academic background enables them to start a career searching for and studying ancient animal and plant fossils. It’s exciting work that also explores the relationship between ancient living things and their modern-day relatives. So it’s always big news when

We instantly recognize famous landmarks—the Great Pyramids, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Golden Gate Bridge, and other architectural and engineering marvels. They are images that come with easy familiarity. But imagine an alternate reality where the names are attached to structures that are bafflingly strange and unrecognizable. Well, let’s take a tour of such

At a staggering 200,000 acres (80,937 hectares), Shenandoah National Park in central and southern Virginia offers steep mountains that rise approximately 3,000 feet (914 meters). While the park appears subdued at first glance, it has the potential to be a place full of staggering peaks, deep gorges, wild rivers, and unexpected waterfalls. Cutting through the

There are many songs with deep lyrics that listeners can pore over and analyze; then there are songs with lyrics that are utter nonsense. For the purposes of this list, songs with non-lexical vocables, which in English are sounds like “la la la” or “na na na,” don’t count. Neither does scat singing or doo-wop,

Genocide is one of the most horrific acts of violence that can be perpetrated. It involves the systematic destruction of a particular ethnic, racial, or religious group. Its awful intention is to wipe out that minority group entirely. The scale of human suffering that results from genocide is unimaginable. As students of history know, it

In the course of our history, many different codes and ciphers have been discovered by humans. Many times these codes are cracked; other times, they are not. Our list today includes cases when our ingenuity has led us to amazing discoveries of wealth or in deceiving our enemies with hidden meanings behind secret codes. Unfortunately,

Welcome, fellow adventurers, to a journey through some of the world’s most fascinating sinkholes! Sinkholes are nature’s way of showing off, and these geological wonders never fail to impress. These mysterious openings in the ground have captured the imaginations of people around the world. Some sinkholes are filled with crystal-clear water, perfect for swimming or

Before we list some all-time great jingles, the question of what qualifies as a great jingle comes to the back of our minds. Great jingles are timeless, catchy, easy to recognize, and enjoyable to sing or hum along to. We hear them enough times, and every time we hear the jingle, the company or product

Many today still refuse to allow a black cat to cross their paths, and even if killing a ladybug is considered highly unlucky, most believe it’s not very nice to begin with. Whether they increase a person’s luck or rudely rip it away, there are countless superstitions still floating about in the zeitgeist. Though nowadays,

In the past, people who had difficulty fitting into mainstream society because they were mentally ill or developmentally challenged were often hidden away in institutions or elsewhere by their families. Because of the stigma that was attached to psychiatric problems and intellectual disabilities, sometimes, the more prominent a person was, the more anxious they were

The 1990s brought us some of the greatest one-hit wonders in all of popular music. Of course, the 1980s can say the same thing, with hair metal bands and synthesizers all the rage. But by the early ’90s, all that was on its way out, and grunge, punk, and retro rock were back in style.

National parks attract millions of visitors every year, but with adventure comes risk. The beauty these national parks offer often overshadows the fact that mother nature can be just as dangerous and deadly as it is breathtaking. Over the years, there have been many incidents in our national parks that have resulted in fatalities. From

As many as 180,000 slaughtered. Two cities burned to the ground, including London. All thanks to a failed rebellion against Roman rule led by the British warrior queen Boudica, sometimes spelled Boadicea. Yet this woman is revered by the British, a key part of their national lore. There’s even a massive bronze statue of her

The Appalachian Mountains are a region rich in folklore and legends, with numerous tales of mysterious creatures and supernatural entities. From the Virginia Devil Monkey to the Flatwoods Monster, the lore of Appalachia is full of cryptids and otherworldly beings that have captivated the imaginations of locals and tourists alike. These creatures have been the

All over the world, people love movies. Film is not only one of the biggest international industries there has ever been, but it’s also been that way for about a century. Movies like The Godfather, Gone With the Wind, and Casablanca are known by millions as outstanding cinematic achievements. They take our breath away every

Listen up, Marvel fans! We all know that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is bursting at the seams with superheroes. But let’s be real. There’s always room for more. Whether you’re a die-hard comic book fan or a casual moviegoer, there’s one question on everyone’s mind: who’s next? Well, fear not, citizens! We’re here to save

New Orleans has a reputation for being a particularly dark city. Its battles with yellow fever, the high crime rate, and being in the direct line of many hurricanes have led it to accumulate one of the highest death rates in United States history. Many know of the above-ground tombs that appear throughout the city

Do you remember the toys that changed your childhood? They sparked imagination, promoted creativity, and offered endless hours of fun. But not all toys are created equal. Some have been the subject of controversy, causing arguments among parents, educators, and child safety advocates. From the classic Barbie doll to the more recent Hatchimals and even

The hieroglyphic writing of the ancient Egyptians has fascinated outsiders for millennia. One ancient Greek visitor to Egypt left a graffito on the tomb of Ramses V that complained, “I cannot read the hieroglyphics.” Using pictorial images called hieroglyphs, the Egyptians carved, painted, and wrote a vast number of texts. But for almost 1500 years,

Since the earliest days when the new-fangled movie industry was inventing itself, talented women have played significant roles in developing both the art and craft of telling stories on the screen, breaking new ground, and defying gender norms along the way. Many who were artistically and technically influential in their time are all but forgotten

Money will forever be a topic of debate. Some claim it can buy happiness. Others argue the opposite. In reality, the impact of money on living the good life is (a little bit) more nuanced. For many, it depends on how it is acquired. Some people become wealthy through their professional success, hard work, or

History is the way that humanity understands its past. In fact, the word breaks down quite easily into two others: his story. And history is just that. The history we are told about the past rarely comes from firsthand or even secondhand accounts. Instead, stories are passed on, sometimes modified and embellished, and eventually, history

Firearm-related offenses are no laughing matter. Understandably, law enforcement takes firearm offenses seriously, given the danger to human lives. People who are at risk of being caught in the act of these crimes often go to desperate measures to hide the instruments involved with the criminal offense. This means some people have hidden their guns

Prince Harry has finally published his long-awaited memoir, Spare, and as one can expect from anything slathered with royal honey, it’s selling like hotcakes. The book is supposed to tell his side of the story, how his family’s rule has shaped him, his time at war, and his well-documented exit from royalty hand in hand

The death penalty has been a controversial aspect of American history for centuries. With it, California’s San Quentin State Prison has been the country’s most well-known death row for many years. The first execution of a prisoner took place in the prison way back in 1893. For the next several decades, San Quentin was the

Hollywood media thrives on sensationalism, exaggerating common human experiences and much of the world around us into something exciting, fun, and sometimes scary. This isn’t inherently a bad thing—entertainment is meant to entertain. That fact, alongside some natural human biases, did, however, cause many of us to look at much of North America’s not-too-dangerous fauna