Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Conventry Street Vampire 

In 1922 a giant bat-like creature had been seen in the vicinity of West Drayton Church.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:57 AM

Read a real-life medical report on three cases of Haitian zombies 

Zombies may seem like the purview of AMC dramas nowadays, but in 1997, English medical journal The Lancet published an intriguing set of case studies detailing three reports of zombification in Haiti.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:42 AM

Thursday, January 05, 2012

These predictions for the future from 1900 are eerily accurate 

In the year 1900, John Elfreth Watkins, Jr. decided to give clairvoyance a go by asking "the wisest and most careful" thinkers from "the greatest institutions of science and learning" what they thought might transpire over the course of the 20th century.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:27 PM

Human Skulls Mounted on Stakes Found at Stone Age Burial Site 

Stone Age hunter-gatherers in southeast Sweden mounted the skulls of their dead on stakes and buried them in a lake, according to a team of archaeologists.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:58 PM

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Lost World Discovered Under Antarctica 

cientists from the University of Oxford, University of Southampton, the National Oceanography Centre, and the British Antarctic Survey have discovered a "lost world" thriving with unknown species under Antarctica, in the East Scotia Ridge.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:13 PM

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Does this finger, long guarded by Himalayan monks, prove Yetis DO exist? 

The myth has it that the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, is a vast creature which inhabits the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet, where tales about Yetis have been passed down through generations.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:49 AM

Thursday, December 22, 2011

1,100-year-old Mayan ruins found in North Georgia 

Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient Mayan city in the mountains of North Georgia believed to be at least 1,100 years old.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:30 PM

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Occult rock: the path of darkness 

When occult rock rose from the darkness 40 years ago, it seemed truly eerie. Maybe its power has been diluted, but new purveyors such as Ghost can still thrill and chill.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:38 PM

Mystery metal falls through roof of Mass. warehouse 

There’s a mystery in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Investigators are trying to figure out what exactly fell through the roof of a warehouse. The object punctured a hole in the roof, and the question is where did it come from?

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:26 PM

Robot hysteria in the 1930s 

“A Robot Has Shot Its Master”

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:01 PM

Arabian Artifacts May Rewrite 'Out of Africa' Theory 

Newfound stone artifacts suggest humankind left Africa traveling through the Arabian Peninsula instead of hugging its coasts, as long thought, researchers say.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:50 PM

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Archaeologists make new Stonehenge 'sun worship' find 

Two previously undiscovered pits have been found at Stonehenge which point to it once being used as a place of sun worship before the stones were erected.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:06 PM

Freak Tofu Explosion Terrorizes Portland 

A female resident of Portland, Oregon was at home cooking tofu when, suddenly and without warning, her kitchen exploded.

Thanks, Andrea!

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:39 PM

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Mexico adds another brick to 2012 Maya legend 

Mexico's archaeology institute downplays theories that the ancient Maya predicted some sort of apocalypse would occur in 2012, but on Thursday it acknowledged that a second reference to the date exists on a carved fragment found at a southern Mexico ruin site.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:57 PM

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Family claim 5-year old son is haunted by the 'man with grey skin' 

A father has told how his five-year-old son claims he has been troubled by visions of a ghostly man with grey skin who speaks to him in the night.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:40 AM

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Police find mummified corpses in historian's apartment 

A historian has been arrested in central Russia after police found the corpses of 29 women, dressed as dolls, in his apartment, authorities said this week.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:19 PM

Was Jane Austen Murdered? 

Nearly 200 years after Jane Austen‘s untimely death, crime novelist Lindsay Ashford has come up with a new explanation: arsenic poisoning.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:17 PM

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Albuquerque residents claim giant owls are eating their pets 

Residents in the foothills of the US city of Albuquerque have claimed that giant owls have moved into the area and are snacking on their small cats and dogs.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:26 PM

Ninth foot washes up in Canada — with a twist 

This one was found in freshwater.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:04 AM

Greeks claim having found Alexander the Great’s tomb, Ark of the Covenant 

Also the Spear of Longinus, Thor's hammer, and King Tut's iPod.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:34 AM

Young Women Nabbed In Bloody Satanic Sex Ritual 

During a subsequent search of the apartment, investigators seized copies of "The Necromantic Ritual Book” and "The Werewolf’s Guide to Life.” The former book promises to enable a reader to “share consiousness with the Angel of Death.”

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:58 AM

Sunday, November 06, 2011

The devil's in the details of a Giotto fresco 

Art restorers have discovered the figure of a devil hidden in the clouds of one of the most famous frescos by Giotto in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:12 PM

Looking for Denver’s heart of gold – panning on the South Platte 

My latest at Big Think.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:29 AM

Meet Homer G. Wells — Famous Memphis Detective and "Bloodhound Man" 

Way back when, Memphis had a real detective in town, a tough guy who not only nabbed plenty of bad guys in his long career, but also cranked out famous true-crime stories for national detective magazines.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:05 AM

Scientists begin tracking the mysterious narwhal through the Arctic 

This tusked "Unicorn of the Sea" is one of the ocean's most interesting oddities.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:01 AM

Renaissance accoustic mystery solved 

Ah, the Renaissance—lots of deep thinkers, gorgeous art, busty maidens, fried dough on a stick (if Ren faires are to be believed), and the liveliest music this side of the Middle Ages. But when you compare the elaborate, up-tempo harmonies of late Renaissance polyphony to the churches where they would have been performed, a serious discrepancy pops up.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:57 AM

Jack the Ripper: Is this six-inch knife used by Victorian serial killer? 

A six-inch blade recently discovered could be the one used by Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper, it has emerged.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:54 AM

Lyall Bay Sea Creatures Wash Up 

The identity of a mystery clump of alien-like creatures found beached in Lyall Bay yesterday has puzzled experts.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:52 AM

Bludgeoned to death on Halloween 

Taylor Van Diest was dressed as a zombie with fake blood when she was killed on Halloween night.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:45 AM

Grisly theory for Holy Land mystery 

A newly proposed solution to an ancient enigma is reviving debate about the nature of a mysterious prehistoric site that some call the Holy Land's answer to Stonehenge.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:42 AM

He sees dead people – and they confess to him 

At three o’clock in the morning, while the world sleeps, troubled souls rouse this priest to relay important messages or confess their sins so they can move on gently and finally to eternity.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:41 AM

Pope told to investigate Vatican murder-suicide amid claims of a cover-up 

A murder-suicide involving the Swiss Guard that rocked the Vatican in a mystery worthy of a Dan Brown thriller is back in the spotlight after Pope Benedict XVI was asked to intervene and reopen the case.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:40 AM

CT Scans of Baby Mammoths Reveal Ice Age Mystery 

Computed tomography (CT) scans of two extraordinarily well-preserved baby woolly mammoths from Siberia have yielded startling new insights into these iconic Ice Age beasts.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:39 AM

Mysterious stones in Alexandria hint at a watery past 

In a flagstone wall by the sidewalk in front of 810 Janneys Lane in Alexandria, there is a small alcove that reads at the top, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” with a Maltese cross.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:38 AM

Mystery jelly baffles experts 

The gloop is thought to be star jelly which according to folklore is deposits from a meteor shower and was first reported in the 14th century. Another theory is that it is the remains of frogs, toads or worms.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:36 AM

River monster alert 

A mystery creature that eats geese in the blink of an eye has returned to haunt murky waters around the £9billion Olympic Park.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:34 AM

The Amherst Poltergeist 

The year was 1878. A young Esther Cox, barely eighteen years old, is brutally attacked and almost raped by a friend of the family. Shortly after, the beginning of a cruel and dangerous poltergeist attack was witnessed and recorded by many. This is the Amherst Poltergeist case.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:31 AM

Saturday, November 05, 2011

The ‘Black Flash’...The Legend Lives On 

It started with the children. Coming home in tears and shaking, the children of Provincetown told of a monster that frightened them on the way home from school. Something big. Something that growled. Something all in black. Something that appeared from nowhere and then took off in a flash.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:10 AM

Air Force developing tiny drones disguised as birds, bugs 

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Actually, it’s sort of both.

With video.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:08 AM

Magical Viking stone may be real 

A Viking legend which tells of a glowing "sunstone" that, when held up to the sky, disclosed the position of the Sun on a cloudy day may have some basis in truth, scientists believe.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:06 AM

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

UFO At NFL Game: TV Camera Captures Strange Object In Flight During Broadcast 

As NBC's cameras returned from a commercial break and focused on the historic, triple-steepled St. Louis Cathedral in the city nicknamed the Big Easy, a couple of lit objects seemed to streak across the darkening sky -- and they've yet to be definitively identified.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:03 PM

UFO At NFL Game: TV Camera Captures Strange Object In Flight During Broadcast 

As NBC's cameras returned from a commercial break and focused on the historic, triple-steepled St. Louis Cathedral in the city nicknamed the Big Easy, a couple of lit objects seemed to streak across the darkening sky -- and they've yet to be definitively identified.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:02 PM

Woman: Picture shows ghosts having sex 

With video, and yes they show the pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:52 PM

Monday, October 31, 2011

Houdini Relative Unlocks Some Family Secrets 

You'd think if you were a relative of someone as famous as Harry Houdini, you'd know it. But George Hardeen, 59, didn't find out he was Houdini's great-nephew until he was a teenager.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:46 PM

Thursday, October 27, 2011

BOO! The tricks of the 'Bridgewater Triangle' 

Paranormal researcher Loren Coleman first dubbed it the “Bridgewater Triangle” in the 1970s, but clearly he wasn’t the first to conclude the Hockomock Swamp is a dark and sinister place where terrifying and mysterious things seem to happen on an inexplicably frequent basis.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:53 PM

Hunting for 'Hauntings' in Long Beach 

“I want nothing to do with seeing anything foggy or eerie when I'm out on the water," said East End surfer Jimmy Cardone. "I won't even look past Lincoln beach until the sun is up and people are around. Ghost or no ghost: I don't want to see to find out."

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:47 PM

Mystery yellow stone found in Belfast hills 

The yellow, honeycomb type stone was found by a member of the public as part of an ongoing open archaeological dig in the Ballyaghagan town land on the Upper Hightown Road in the north of the city.

With pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:43 PM

Billionaire French hotelier shot dead 'in professional hit' 

The lifeless body of Claude Dray, 76, was found with three bullet holes in the neck in Neuilly-sur-Seine, the Paris suburb where President Nicolas Sarkozy built his career and still owns property.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:41 PM

Anonymous Exclusive: Screenwriter John Orloff on Shakespeare Authorship Mystery 

Orloff tells Movie Fanatic exclusively about how, after exhaustive research looking into the mystery, he firmly believes there is no way that William Shakespeare -- an actor and son of illiterates, and the father of children who were also illiterate -- could possibly have written what are considered the greatest works of the English language.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:21 PM

Modern Algorithms Crack 18th Century Secret Code 

Computer scientists from Sweden and the United States have applied modern-day, statistical translation techniques — the sort of which are used in Google Translate — to decode a 250-year-old secret message.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:18 PM

Mystery surrounds Lego man that washed up on Sarasota beach 

An eight-foot-tall Lego Man who washed up on a Sarasota beach may soon be out of police custody.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:09 PM

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Lair of the Beasts: Monster Hot-Spots 

It is one thing to receive reports of a strange creature – whether Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or the Chupacabra – seen in one particular locale. But it’s quite another thing entirely to get multiple reports of several different unidentified beasts from one clearly delineated area!

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:53 PM

Bigfoot Researcher Believes US Forest Service Covers-up Bigfoot 

Bigfoot Researcher and author William Jevning has gone to Twitter to post what he believes to be a possible US Forest Service cover-up in the matters of Bigfoot.

See also: Taxidermist Says 'Bigfoot" is Giant Indian Gone Wild (An oldie from 1958.)

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:51 PM

'Footprints' gives new noir life to urban legends 

It's not a picture but a letter, though, that sends Bigfoot to the Arctic when he receives a note from his brother Yeti that includes a cryptic message: "She's alive." Bigfoot discovers his sibling murdered, so he rounds up a posse to find out what happened to him and also track down the mysterious "Motheresa."

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:48 PM

Monday, September 26, 2011

The (New) Great American Road Trip 

Hey folks. Allow me to apologize for the lack of frequent posting here but I'm on a big road trip so my computer access has been off and on and I've been busy enjoying myself. I'm heading west and investigating strange and mysterious phenomena as I go, hopefully to write a book about my adventures. I managed to write a couple columns for Big Think as I moved along. Here's my first:

The (New) Great American Road Trip

And while in Denver I wrote an article about the innovative farming project at the Denver Green School.

Denver Green School seeds new innovation – growing their own food

Check them out if you are so inclined.

I'm pulling out of Casper, Wyoming, today and will be heading to Douglas, home of the Jackalope, and then into the Pedro Mountains to look into the Nimerigar, the legendary (and violent) little people of Shoshone legend. Hopefully, I won't get a tiny arrow in my butt. I'll post again when I reach civilization. Until then, check out the links and I hope this finds you well.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:26 PM

Friday, September 23, 2011

Insurance for ... zombie attacks? 

Nice.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:21 PM

The Dark Side of the Placebo Effect: When Intense Belief Kills 

While people of all cultures experience sleep paralysis in similar ways, the specific form and intensity it takes varies from one group to the next.

Thanks, Scott!

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:48 PM

Doc tries to decipher mystery left underfoot around U.S. 

The main phrase is always some variation of this: “TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOVIE 2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER.”

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:44 PM

Feds probe mysterious markings on Southwest jets 

The writings -- which some have interpreted as being either Arabic or Arabic-type symbols -- appeared to have been done with a chemical process that reveals the text once an auxiliary power unit is turned on and heats up the outside skin of the aircraft.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:42 PM

Min Min light, the phantom glow that chases confused motorists in Australia 

If you ever visit Eastern Australia, there's a rare chance you may encounter the Min Min light, a spectral luminescence that trails the viewer and is often mistaken for a UFO.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:55 PM

Tintin returns to the mind-melting worlds of H.P. Lovecraft 

Awesome.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:54 PM

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Does Lake Erie Harbor an Underwater UFO Base? 

Around 9Pm on Saturday September 17th 2011 unknown air borne phenomenon was observed over Lake Erie near western Erie County Pennsylvania by two households.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:58 PM

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Five year old girl discovers 160 million year old fossil 

She named the fossil “Spike”.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:29 PM

The mystery continues: What killed the dinosaurs? 

The source of the asteroid that killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago remains a mystery, a new study finds.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:44 PM

Monday, September 19, 2011

Canadian cryptid coins are the most bad-ass currency in the history of legal tender 

I can't top that headline.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:40 PM

Archaeologists in Illinois dig to find civilization that vanished 

The largest excavation of a prehistoric site in the country is poised to solve a riddle about Illinois prehistory that has lingered for a century — where did the Mississippians go?

Thanks, Scott!

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:04 PM

Mysterious 'booms' perplex scientists 

Mysterious booming sounds are occasionally heard on the North Carolina coast, often powerful enough to rattle windows and doors. They cannot be explained by thunderstorms or any manmade sources — their source is a mystery.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:21 AM

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Online gamers crack AIDS enzyme puzzle 

Online gamers have achieved a feat beyond the realm of Second Life or Dungeons and Dragons: they have deciphered the structure of an enzyme of an AIDS-like virus that had thwarted scientists for a decade.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:05 PM

Friday, September 16, 2011

Today's Document from the National Archives 

"Regulations Governing Mountain Climbing Expeditions in Nepal - Relating to Yeti."

Thanks, Scott!

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:08 PM

Visible Only From Above, Mystifying 'Nazca Lines' Discovered In Mideast 

They stretch from Syria to Saudi Arabia, can be seen from the air but not the ground, and are virtually unknown to the public.

With cool pic.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:43 PM

Did zombies roam medieval Ireland? 

They used to call this a "vampire" burial but I guess zombies are more popular these days.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:43 PM

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Nile crocodile is actually two species (and the Egyptians knew it) 

This is what happens when you don't read your Herodotus.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:04 PM

Southland Residents Report Seeing Strange Lights In The Night Sky 

Anonymous: “I was on my cell outside, in City of industry when I looked up and saw the green, orange falling object about 7:40 p.m. As I saw it my buddy was on his way home on the 91 and he saw it at the same time.“

With video.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:31 PM

New species of dolphin discovered 

Around 150 of the dolphins live around the Melbourne area and had until now been assumed to be one of the known bottlenose dolphins.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:23 PM

Dan Aykroyd talks UFOs, recounts phone conversation with Britney Spears interrupted by Men in Black (yes, really) 

If you want real intrigue, you apparently need to get Aykroyd started on unidentified flying objects.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:18 AM

The trailer for "The Hunter" is here 

Willem Dafoe hunts the Tasmanian Tiger.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:11 AM

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Beware of the Big Gray Man 

The mountain is the reputed home of a vile and terrifying man-beast: the Big Gray Man, as it has become infamously known.

posted by Prof. Hex at 11:33 PM

'Wi-fi refugees' shelter in West Virginia mountains 

Dozens of Americans who claim to have been made ill by wi-fi and mobile phones have flocked to the town of Green Bank, West Virginia.

Thanks, Scott!

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:47 PM

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Can animals forecast disasters? 

In the dead of night, dogs howl. Snakes slither away in droves. Moments later, an earthquake upends the landscape. No one sees it coming -- no human, that is.

posted by Prof. Hex at 7:05 PM

Yeats, faeries, and the Irish occult tradition 

With video.

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:57 PM

Is this the face of Jack the Ripper? 

More than 200 suspects have been named. But to Ripper expert Trevor Marriott, a former murder squad detective, German merchant Carl Feigenbaum is the top suspect.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:18 PM

Face of Simon of Sudbury revealed by forensic artist 

A forensic expert has reconstructed the face of a 14th Century Archbishop of Canterbury who met a grisly end during the Peasant's Revolt of 1381.

posted by Prof. Hex at 5:01 PM

‘Pangbourne Panther back on the prowl’ 

A furry scourge of Reading’s countryside might be back – if the legend of the Pangbourne Panther is to be believed.

posted by Prof. Hex at 1:27 PM

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Postcards and maps from America's olden days, filled with monsters and alien dictators 

As someone who spends a lot of time looking at old paper, I really appreciate the attention to detail here. Neat stuff.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:56 PM

Jonny Quest Opening Titles 

So cool.

Jonny Quest Opening Titles from Roger D. Evans on Vimeo.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:19 PM

Rebel and Yank Snowball Wars: Fighting Winter Boredom 

At least four rare wintertime Civil War engagements remain footnotes in history, even though the scope and ferocity of these battles received mention in many diaries and journals of the soldier-participants.

posted by Prof. Hex at 12:44 PM

Friday, September 02, 2011

Rick Perry and the Satanic Statue of Liberty 

My latest at Big Think.

posted by Prof. Hex at 9:12 PM

New study finds pirates of the Caribbean had fascination with fine pottery 

They smoked like the devil, drank straight from the bottle, annoyed the Spanish and had a fascination with fine pottery.

posted by Prof. Hex at 8:52 PM

All Hail The Tiny $25 PC! Coming In November 

Raspberry Pi, a UK-based charity focused on computer science studies, has a slice of really interesting tech goodness on tap — a working PC that’s the size of a credit card, able to connect to a mouse and a keyboard, and can use a TV or even a capacitive display, for a make-shift tablet.

posted by Prof. Hex at 4:51 PM

The Score 

If you have a Kindle or Kindle app you can pick up Richard Stark's The Score now for free. Great book.

posted by Prof. Hex at 2:03 PM

Utah Campers Film Bigfoot? New Breakdown Footage Added 

Apparently Bigfoot is roaming the forests of many North American locales as a new video comes to us from some campers in the mountains of Utah.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:43 AM

Magic blamed for road mishap 

Police checking the damaged car found pieces of human nails and hair tied to each other and wrapped in a handkerchief, which was concealed under one seat.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:38 AM

Beyond Belief and Randi's Million Dollar Challenge 

Firstly: there is something very wrong with an organisation that is supposedly dedicated to raising the public understanding of science and skepticism deliberately obfuscating the fact that its well-known challenge is no real scientific test of the topic and thus says *nothing* about the existence or non-existence of the paranormal.

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:34 AM

The Texas Batman is back! 

At the time, the lady of the household was standing in her driveway having a conversation on her cell phone, when she happened to glance up and spotted what appeared to be a huge, dark winged man gliding through the air!

posted by Prof. Hex at 10:18 AM

Thursday, September 01, 2011

Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza 

Few would be so bold as to suggest that, even today, we know why Khufu ordered the construction of what is by far the most elaborate system of passages and chambers concealed within any pyramid.

posted by Prof. Hex at 3:07 PM

Bigfoot Round Up 

TV crew comes to Carlton County looking for Bigfoot

Sasquatch claims draw TV show to Minnesota

Hunt for Bigfoot continues in Alberta's mountains

Bigfoot in Banff?

Knobby legend lives on: History of bigfoot sightings brings the curious to Casar

posted by Prof. Hex at 6:00 AM