These snails are known for their strikingly beautiful shells, which are covered in bright pink and orange spots that resemble the feathers of a flamingo. Despite their small size, flamingo tongues are an important part of the marine ecosystem, serving as both predators and prey for a variety of other sea creatures.
The Flamingo Tongue Snail (Cyphoma gibbosum) is a species of marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ovulidae. They are found in the western Atlantic Ocean, from Florida to Brazil, and throughout the Caribbean Sea. These snails are named for their distinctive, brightly colored shells, which are covered in a pattern of black spots and stripes on a white or cream background. The spots and stripes resemble the feathers of a flamingo, hence the name “flamingo tongue.”
Flamingo Tongue Snails are relatively small, growing to a maximum length of about 3 centimeters. They are herbivores, feeding primarily on gorgonian corals. The snails use their radula, a ribbon-like structure covered in tiny teeth, to scrape algae and other organic material from the surface of the coral. One unique aspect of the Flamingo Tongue Snail is that the bright coloration of its shell is not actually part of the shell itself. Rather, the snail’s shell is covered in a thin layer of tissue that is brightly colored. This tissue is called the mantle, and it is responsible for secreting the calcium carbonate that makes up the shell.
Physical Characteristics
Flamingo tongues are small, brightly colored sea snails that are found in tropical waters. They are known for their distinctive orange, pink, and yellow coloring, which is often accented by black markings. These markings vary in shape and size, and can be found on both the soft tissue and the shell of the snail. Flamingo tongues are relatively small, with an average size of around 2.5 centimeters in length. They have a foot that is used for movement, as well as a shell that protects their soft tissue. The shell is typically white in color and has a smooth, glossy appearance.
One of the most striking features of the flamingo tongue is its eyes. They are large and located at the base of the tentacles, which are used for sensing the environment. The eyes are black and have a distinctive shape that is similar to that of a football. The soft tissue of the flamingo tongue is also brightly colored, with a range of orange, pink, and yellow hues. This tissue is used for feeding, and is covered in small, hair-like structures called cilia that help to move food particles towards the mouth.
Habitat and Distribution
Flamingo Tongues are found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, particularly in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. They are commonly found on coral reefs, especially in shallow fore reef habitats. They occupy a wide range of tropical habitats, including areas in South America and Brazil. These snails are known to have a preference for gorgonian corals as their host. They are often found on the branches of these corals, where they feed on the tissue. Studies show that they have a high abundance and distribution in these areas.
The distribution patterns of Flamingo Tongues are affected by a number of factors, including the availability of food and the presence of predators. They exhibit density aggregation behaviors, which means that they tend to cluster in areas where food is abundant.
In North Carolina, Flamingo Tongues are relatively rare, but they have been found in small numbers in the southern part of the state. Overall, their distribution is limited to the tropical waters of the Western Atlantic, where they are an important part of the coral reef ecosystem.
Diet and Feeding Habits
Flamingo tongue snails (Cyphoma gibbosum) are carnivorous and feed on a variety of organisms found in their habitat. They are known to feed on soft corals, sea fans, and gorgonian corals. The snails use their radula, a ribbon-like structure in their mouth, to scrape and tear off pieces of the coral’s tissue. They also feed on algae and plankton, as well as small crustaceans like shrimp.
The snails are known for their bright coloration, which serves as a warning to potential predators that they are toxic. The snails obtain this toxicity by feeding on gorgonian corals that contain toxic compounds. These compounds are stored in the snail’s mantle tissue, making them unpalatable to predators. Flamingo tongue snails have a unique feeding behavior where they preferentially feed on the tips of the coral branches. This behavior is thought to be an adaptation to reduce the risk of damage to the coral colony. The snails are also known to aggregate in high densities on certain coral species, which can result in significant damage to the coral colony.
Reproduction and Lifespan
Flamingo tongues are hermaphroditic, which means they have both male and female reproductive organs. However, they cannot fertilize themselves and require a mate to reproduce. During breeding season, flamingo tongues lay their eggs on the underside of gorgonian coral branches. The eggs are small and white and take around two weeks to hatch.
Flamingo tongues have a relatively short lifespan of around two to three years. However, they reach sexual maturity at a young age, around six months old. This allows them to breed multiple times during their short lifespan.
The young flamingo chicks are born with a transparent shell, which they break open with a specialized egg tooth on their beak. The chicks are born with a greyish color and gradually develop their distinctive pink coloration over time. The chicks are cared for by both parents and are fed regurgitated food until they are old enough to feed themselves.
Today is Goldie Hawn’s birthday! She was born November 21, 1945 and has been in tons of movies. My favorite? Overboard! She co-stars with her long-time love Kurt Russell. I found an article on tvovermind.com that details 10 things we might not know about the movie.\
From tvovermind.com:
Forget all the glaring plot holes, that wasn’t the point of this movie. Overboard was all about showing the other half the simpler and in some cases downtrodden part of life that they didn’t realize was going on beyond their fancy lifestyles. Of course, it was also to show the supposedly downtrodden how to appreciate what they had and take care of it as well. As the wise butler in the film pointed out most people tend to go through life with blinders on, knowing just that one station to which they’ve been born. Yet when you take the blinders off and understand that life is in fact a great deal more than your own personal experience, then you have a choice to make. Do you embrace the wider world or stay put in your own little existence?
The movie showed that how you choose to live is not what defines you, it’s how you live with what you have.
10 Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn’s kids were always on set.
Their youngest actually took his first steps on set. It was no doubt comforting to have them there at all times.
9 Russell’s pickup truck was used later on in Christmas Vacation.
Recall the old, beat-up truck that was tailgating the Griswold’s on their way to get a Christmas tree. This is the same truck.
8 The members of the crew on the yacht kept falling asleep.
The rocking motion of the yacht would continually lull them to sleep, making filming a bit difficult.
7 Everything in the film was authentic.
A good example was the bowling alley. Nothing in there was touched, everything is just the way it looks in real life.
6 The Pee Wee Herman voice was improvised.
The character of Joe made this up on the fly since the Pee Wee bit wasn’t in the script at all.
5 The director allowed his actors to improvise a lot.
It’s hard to know just what was improvised and what wasn’t without being told since everything seems to flow so smoothly.
4 Hawn and Russell hosted a BBQ for the whole cast and crew.
You get the feeling that even if they weren’t all close there was a good deal of respect between the crew and cast members.
3 John Candy was considered for the role of Billy.
At the time that he was considered for the role John was filming Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with Steve Martin.
2 One of the kids was so rowdy on the set that the director had to step in frequently.
It would seem that the actor playing Joey wasn’t just acting a lot of the time, he was actually this rowdy. The director had to get after him quite a bit to calm him down.
1 Hector Elizondo has a cameo in the film.
Hector played in the film Necessary Roughness as the head coach, and he’s been seen most recently as Ed on Last Man Standing up until it was cancelled.
This had to be one of the funniest movies ever made and yet it’s got such a great life lesson too.
I found this helpful article on the eatingwell.com website:
Gravy—you slather it on turkey and pool it on top of mashed potatoes. You let its rich and meaty flavor mingle a little with sweet potato casserole and sop up what’s left over with a dinner roll. No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a good old-fashioned gravy. To give you the best shot at success, here are six common mistakes that make gravy less than perfect and how you can fix them.
Mistake to Avoid No. 1: Your Gravy Has Lumps
Nobody likes lumpy gravy. Reasons for lumpy gravy include using a spoon to stir instead of a whisk and dumping your thickener into the gravy without making a roux first. What’s a roux? A roux is a paste made from flour and fat that thickens sauces, and it’s essential to a good gravy. You can make it with fat from the bottom of the roasting pan, butter or oil. Aim for one part fat to one part flour. Heat the fat in a saucepan or directly in the roasting pan. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to bubble (the longer you cook it, the nuttier the flavor—just don’t take it too far or it will burn). Once your roux is nice and bubbly, add your liquid and whisk (don’t stir!) until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Crisis averted. Now, just in case you ignored the whole roux-making step and you have a finished gravy (with lumps), all is not lost. Pouring the gravy through a fine mesh strainer should do the trick.
Mistake to Avoid No. 2: Your Gravy Is Too Thick
So you made a delicious gravy except it’s too thick. It’s gummy, in fact, and you’re not quite sure where you went wrong or how to fix it. No problem! One mistake that can result in gravy that’s too thick is adding too much thickener (or too little liquid). Another mistake is not taking into account the fact that gravy tends to thicken as it cools. When it’s hot, gravy should be thick enough to just coat the back of a spoon, but not so thick that it sticks to the spoon like glue. If your gravy is hot and still too thick, add broth a little at a time to thin it out. Remember to check the seasoning when you’re done and adjust if needed.
Mistake to Avoid No. 3: Your Gravy Is Too Thin
Gravy’s job is to coat mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing (or everything) on your plate with a thin layer of meaty goodness, and it can’t do its job if it pools at the bottom of your plate like water. If you started with a roux and your gravy is just too thin, there are a few things you can do to correct it. If you’ve added too much liquid, you can try cooking it longer. Reducing the volume may be enough to thicken it up. However, if your gravy is thin and the seasoning is where you want it, cooking it down may make it too salty. Here is where you’ll have to make a slurry. A slurry is much like a roux with a less attractive name and a few other minor differences. Like the roux it thickens sauces, but unlike the roux, it uses a thickener (like flour) combined with a little bit of liquid like broth or water instead of fat. Simply whisk your thickener (a couple tablespoons of flour is a good place to start) into 1/2 cup or so of liquid and then whisk that mixture into your gravy. As it heats, it will thicken.
Mistake to Avoid No. 4: Your Gravy Is Greasy
Making gravy straight from the roasting pan is always best, but you’ll need to take some steps to prevent your roasting pan gravy from tasting like an oil slick. What we’re really after from the pan are those browned bits that form at the bottom. They’re a flavor powerhouse. You’ll want them in your gravy, but not the fat that they’re often swimming in. The solution? Deglaze the hot roasting pan with broth (or wine if you want to spare some) and pour the liquid into a fat separator or glass measuring cup. This will help loosen those tasty brown bits from the pan while getting rid of the fat that has also collected at the bottom. You can use the fat that floats to the top of your separator for your roux while saving the liquid for the gravy itself. If your finished gravy is oily, let it sit and try skimming any fat that rises to the top. Whisk any fat that’s left into the gravy and serve immediately.
Mistake to Avoid No. 5: Your Gravy Tastes Burnt
This is perhaps the worst-case scenario in the world of gravy-making. It happens when those deliciously concentrated pan drippings burn, and you decide to make gravy out of them anyway. Your choices are (A) Insist that the gravy tastes fine and everyone else must be mistaken, or (B) Have a backup plan. Let’s entertain Plan B…. If you’re fortuitous enough, you can work on Plan B even before disaster strikes, and here it is: Most turkeys come with a neck and a little packet of other pleasantries like the heart, gizzard and liver stuffed into the cavity. Hold onto these. If your pan is burnt, these will provide you with a much-needed flavor boost for your second attempt. You can sauté them in a separate pan with a bit of mirepoix (onion, carrot and celery) to create some new brown bits to work with, then simmer them in broth to add flavor.
Mistake to Avoid No. 6: Your Gravy Is a Salt Bomb
A well-seasoned gravy complements both sweet and savory elements on the plate, but a gravy that’s too salty can ruin everything it touches. As gravy cooks, it loses volume and concentrates the flavor (and hence the saltiness) of your end product. To avoid gravy that tastes like a salt lick, season it at the end of the cooking process, not the beginning. If you’ve got homemade broth or stock, use that as the body of your gravy. If you’re using broth or stock from a box, opt for a low-sodium option. If your gravy is finished and it’s just too salty, add some broth or water to tamp it down. That will also thin it out, so you may have to thicken it back up again.
What’s that weird wobbly thing on a turkey’s neck?
What Is a baby turkey called?
And what about adult turkeys?
Can turkeys fly?
How long do turkeys live?
Are turkeys named after turkey, the country?
Are turkeys native to the Americas?
How did you do?
Only male turkeys, or toms, can make a call known as a “gobble;” they mostly do it in the spring and fall. It is a mating call and attracts the hens. Wild turkeys gobble when they’re surprised by loud sounds and when they settle in for the night. The wild turkey can make at least 30 different calls!
The average person in the United States will eat 15 pounds of turkey this year.
The loose red skin attached to the underside of a turkey’s beak is called a wattle. When the male turkey is excited, especially during mating season, the wattle turns a scarlet red. The fleshy flap of skin hanging over the gobbler’s beak is called a snood and turns bright red when the bird is excited. The wobbly little thing on the turkey’s chest is the turkey’s beard, which is made of keratin bristles. Keratin is the same substance that forms hair and horns on other animals.
A baby turkey is called a poult, chick, or even turklette.
An adult male turkey is called a tom (an adolescent male is a jake), and a female is a hen.
The wild turkey can fly! (It does, however, prefer to walk or run.) The domestic turkey is not an agile flyer, although the bird will perch in trees to stay safe from predators.
The average life span of a wild turkey is three or four years. It generally feeds on seeds, nuts, insects, and berries. The average life span of a domestic turkey, from birth to freezer, is 26 weeks. During this period, it will eat about 75 pounds of turkey feed.
When Europeans first encountered the wild turkey in Mexico, they incorrectly classified the bird as a type of guinea fowl called a turkey fowl. Turkish traders originally sold guinea fowl from Africa to European markets; Turkey has no native turkeys!
Yes, turkeys originated in the “New World.” Specifically, wild turkeys are native to Mexico. It’s a funny history. European explorers brought wild turkeys home with them in the early 1500s. The birds were domesticated in Europe and later brought to North America by English colonists. Note that domesticated turkeys have white-tipped tails; wild turkeys have dark-tipped tails.
My husband loves Kentucky Fried Chicken bowls and I found a copycat recipe I wanted to share! The bowls contain popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy and cheese. (I can do without the cheese personally.)
Ingredients
24-ounce bag of frozen popcorn chicken
homemade mashed potatoes kept warm
chicken gravy
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook popcorn chicken according to package directions.
Heat gravy.
Place the corn in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon of water and cover with plastic wrap or a microwave safe lid. Microwave for 1 – 1 ½ minutes, or until heated through, stirring once during cooking. Toss with a pinch of salt.*
To serve: spoon about 1 cup of mashed potatoes into the bottom of a bowl. Top with 6 oz of the chicken, a few tablespoons of shredded cheese, ¼ cup of corn and drizzle with gravy. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
(*Pat’s note: if you prefer canned corn can be used. Simply heat as you normally would.)
Today is Gordon Lightfoot’s birthday—born November 17, 1938, died May 1, 2023. One of my most favorite songs is his Sundown. There are many interpretations of what the lyrics mean—a woman who won’t commit? a recovering drunk? Who really knows…but I love it.
I can see her lyin’ back in her satin dress
In a room where ya do what ya don’t confess
Sundown you better take care
If I find you been creepin’ ’round my back stairs
Sundown ya better take care
If I find you been creepin’ ’round my back stairs
She’s been lookin’ like a queen in a sailor’s dream
And she don’t always say what she really means
Sometimes I think it’s a shame
When I get feelin’ better when I’m feelin’ no pain
Sometimes I think it’s a shame
When I get feelin’ better when I’m feelin’ no pain
I can picture every move that a man could make
Getting lost in her lovin’ is your first mistake
Sundown you better take care
If I find you been creepin’ ’round my back stairs
Sometimes I think it’s a sin
When I feel like I’m winnin’ when I’m losin’ again
I can see her lookin’ fast in her faded jeans
She’s a hard lovin’ woman, got me feelin’ mean
Sometimes I think it’s a shame
When I get feelin’ better when I’m feelin’ no pain
Sundown you better take care
If I find you been creepin’ ’round my back stairs
Sundown you better take care
If I find you been creepin’ ’round my back stairs
Sometimes I think it’s a sin
When I feel like I’m winnin’ when I’m losin’ again
The mystery of Roanoke survives today. There are theories of course, but no answers. I found this article about the mystery on the historicmysteries website: (Thanks to Filly for introducing me to this awesome site!)
From historicmysteries.com:
The Roanoke Colony was the first English settlement in America. It vanished. The mystery of the lost colony of Roanoke Island has baffled society for hundreds of years. A group of settlers disappeared into North America with hardly a trace and no one has seen concrete evidence of their existence in centuries. Many theories have arisen over the years as to the fate of these settlers, but nothing is certain. Today, there is only speculation about the Roanoke Colony mystery.
Establishment of a Colony
After hearing news of a lush, beautiful area in the Americas Queen Elizabeth I, of England, decides to name this new place Virginia. Subsequently, she gives Sir Walter Raleigh permission to establish a colony in the area. He was to finance and plan the expedition to what is now North Carolina. Raleigh has 10 years to complete this mission.
In 1585, an expedition comprised only of around 77 men were sent to start the colony. They were led by Sir Richard Grenville. Shortly after the arrival, the men begin to suspect that local Indians have stolen a silver cup from them. In retaliation, they destroy their village and burn the chief alive. Despite the obvious discourse with the natives, Grenville decides to leave the men there to build the proposed colony. He vows to return in April of 1586.
When April passes and there is no sign of Grenville the men decide to hitch a ride home with Sir Francis Drake. Drake had stopped at the colony on his way back from a successful voyage to the Caribbean. Ironically Grenville arrived shortly thereafter. After finding the settlement empty, he decides to leave 15 men there to protect England’s claim.
John White and the Roanoke Settlement
The second group of settlers arrived at Roanoke Island on July 22, 1587. This group contains 117 people, both men and women. They are led by John White. John White’s daughter would give birth to the first English child born in America on August 18, 1587. The child’s name was Virginia Dare. These people would later become known as the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.
The settlers built their colony and tried to make peace with the natives. They were successful in befriending the Croatoan tribe, but other tribes were openly hostile toward the colonists. A settler by the name of George Howe was murdered by natives while hunting crab on the beach. After this incident, the settlers became nervous about their new home and convinced John White to return to England and ask for help. John White reluctantly left. He would never see any of these people again.
When John White arrived in England, he was unable to secure passage back to the colony. He was unable to find a Captain that would sail the Atlantic in the dead of winter, so he was forced to wait. Then the opposing threat of the Spanish Armada forced all available ships to be called to war. Eventually, John was able to secure passage on two small boats. Unfortunately, the owners of these boats were greedy men and they tried to capture other ships during their voyage. They were then captured, in turn, and relieved of their cargo. John White was unable to attempt another crossing for three years.
Nothing Left to Return To
John White finally returned to Roanoke Island on August 18, 1590. His granddaughter’s third birthday. To his dismay, there was no sign of his friends and family. The Roanoke colony had been dismantled and deserted. The only clues to the whereabouts of the colonists were carvings in a remaining post and a tree. The carving on the post read “Croatoan” and the carving in the tree was even more cryptic, it simply said “Cro.”
John took these clues to mean that the Roanoke colony had moved to nearby “Croatoan Island.” Before White’s departure, they had agreed that if the settlers were forced to leave, they would carve a Maltese cross into a tree. In the absence of such a carving, John could only assume that they left of their own volition. John was compelled to search for the colonists but was forced to return to England due to inclement weather. He would never set foot on Roanoke Island again.
Theories
There are many theories concerning the Roanoke colony mystery. They could have left due to weather, food shortage or threat of attack by local tribes. One thing is for sure, nothing is certain. Future settlers and explorers would claim to have spotted natives with light hair and eyes or natives that spoke perfect English. These claims may explain where the settlers went. It is highly likely that they integrated into the Croatoan tribe, but there is no concrete evidence of this.
The Boston terrier is a small non-sporting dog breed from the United States bred to serve as a companion dog. Nicknamed the “American Gentleman,” these well-mannered, bright, affectionate canines make wonderful four-legged friends and family dogs. With their short, smooth, black and white coat that’s patterned to resemble a tuxedo jacket, the Boston terrier is undeniably adorable and can easily be described as dapper.
Boston terriers typically like to be around their humans as much as possible and are eager to please. They tend to get along with just about everyone, including young children who know not to be too rough, other household dogs, and dog-friendly cats. With their friendly, lively, and active personalities, it’s no wonder that the Boston terrier is such a popular breed.
Boston terriers typically have happy, friendly, and affectionate temperaments. Their love of play and comical nature also help to mold their personalities. They’re typically good around people, including kids and strangers, and they often get along well with other pets.
Despite their small size, Boston terriers are active, high-energy canines that tend to do well in dog sports such as flyball and agility. These intelligent dogs can easily be taught tricks, but are sometimes stubborn, so don’t expect your Boston terrier to obey every time you give a command.
This is a brachycephalic breed, meaning that the face is flat, with a somewhat “squashed” appearance. Keep in mind, however, that like other breeds with this facial structure, Bostons can overheat easily and should be allowed to rest when needed.
Surprisingly, the friendly, playful, and sometimes silly Boston terrier is a descendant of dogs that were originally bred for pit fighting and other “blood sports” popular in 19th-century England. However, the Boston terrier today is generally non-aggressive towards humans, nor prone to fighting or aggression with other dogs. Most are outgoing and well-mannered with just about everyone.
The Boston terrier’s story began in the 1860s when a Boston man named William O’Brien purchased a bulldog-white English terrier mix from England named Judge. O’Brien ended up selling Judge to another Bostonian named Robert C. Hooper. Records refer to “Hooper’s Judge” as the father of the Boston terrier breed from which all Bostons descend.
Judge was a muscular, tough, but fairly small dog, weighing in at around 30 pounds. His head was square, and his coat was dark brindle with a white stripe down his face. Judge was bred with a small, white, bulldog-type female, and that launched the selective breeding process. Breeders specifically were looking to create a small, friendly companion dog.
In 1891, the Boston Terrier Club of America was founded. And soon after in 1893, the American Kennel Club first recognized the breed. Since then, the Boston terrier has become quite popular throughout the United States. It’s Boston University’s official mascot, as well as the official dog for the state of Massachusetts.
For the most part, Bostons are a fairly low-maintenance breed. They do require regular exercise, grooming, and training, like any dog, but in amounts that are lower than many other breeds. If left alone too often, however, or not provided with enough mental and physical stimulation, they can become destructive or develop annoying behaviors. Remember that your Boston terrier was bred to be a companion dog and wants to be with you as much as possible.
Exercise
Boston terriers are relatively energetic and should receive about an hour of exercise per day. A couple of daily walks, games of fetch, playing with puzzle toys, and running around in a secure area should suffice. Dog sports, such as agility and rally, can help to burn their mental and physical energy. The key is that Bostons prefer to be active with their humans. If you leave them to their own devices, they might become bored and develop problem behaviors, such as unwanted chewing.
Moreover, due to the Boston’s flat face, the breed is prone to breathing issues. Discuss this with your vet, and know how to spot the signs of labored breathing during exercise.
Between 1485 and 1551, England suffered five outbreaks of a disease so virulent that it could kill an otherwise healthy person in a matter of hours. Its favorite targets seemed to be wealthy adult males; children and elderly people were generally spared, while the aristocracy, members of professional classes, and the clergy seemed particularly vulnerable. The epidemics were short-lived but brutal, and in all but at most a handful of instances the disease did not spread beyond England.
Symptoms came on quickly; according to one account it came with “a sudden great sweating and stinking with redness of the face and of all the body” along with fever, headaches, and delirium. As many as half of those afflicted died within 18 hours. Anyone who made it through the first day would probably recover, but there was always a chance of reinfection.
Whatever the disease was, it vanished as mysteriously as it appeared. The last outbreak was in 1551, and apart from some potential minor appearances in the following decades, we haven’t seen it since—though a similar affliction, known as the “Picardy sweat,” popped up in France a century and a half later, causing nearly 200 small outbreaks before it too disappeared in 1861.
Many theories have been floated over the centuries. It’s been suggested that the English sweating sickness could have been a strain of typhus or influenza, or even anthrax. A more likely answer emerged in 1993, when a similar outbreak occurred in the American Southwest. This disease was caused by a hantavirus, leading researchers to speculate that a hantavirus was also behind the English sweating sickness and the Picardy sweat. Since hantaviruses can be spread by rodents, this could explain why large households and academic institutions were hit so hard by the disease: Well-stocked kitchens and pantries would have attracted mice and rats, and household staff could have aerosolized the virus in their droppings while sweeping. This might be the best solution we get; according to a 2014 paper published in the journal Viruses, a conclusive answer will probably never come.
12 What were the Nazca Lines for?
The Nazca (or Nasca) Lines are an array of geoglyphs carved into the coastal plain of southern Peru. Some are simply straight lines running in all directions, while others depict animals or people.
The lines were studied by researchers traveling on foot in the 1920s, but it wasn’t until commercial pilots began flying over the area in the 1930s that their full scope and elaborate design was revealed. According to UNESCO, the Nazca Lines are “unmatched in [their] extent, magnitude, quantity, size, diversity and ancient tradition to any similar work in the world.” They were built over the course of 1000 years, mostly by removing darker stones to reveal the lighter colored sand underneath.
The question that still puzzles researchers is, why were the geoglyphs made? For decades, some archaeologists believed they served as giant astronomical calendars, possibly linked to constellations or other celestial bodies. Recent research suggests a more earthly purpose: It now appears that the Nazca Lines might have been connected to rituals meant to appeal to the gods for rain. It’s possible they marked processional routes used by pilgrims as they traveled to temples, or that rituals were performed at designated points along the lines themselves.
13 What does the Voynich Manuscript say?
We don’t know when, where, or by whom the Voynich Manuscript was written, but there’s an even larger mystery to solve: We have absolutely no idea what it even says. The text—which is accompanied by astrological charts, illustrations of strange plants and naked, possibly pregnant women emerging from tubes and funnels or wading in green fluid, and other bizarre images—is composed in a writing system that doesn’t appear on any other document or object we’ve discovered so far. Some, including the late U.S. Army cryptographer William Friedman, believe Voynich was written in a synthetic language. Others think the manuscript uses a dead language such as proto-Romance, a precursor of vulgar Latin (though that claim was highly controversial), or that it could be written in some form of code or cipher.
Whatever the case, the book is divided into six sections: one devoted to botanical studies; one that is apparently concerned with astrological and astronomical matters; one that contains elaborate (and super weird) biological drawings; a section containing what Yale University, the book’s keeper since 1969, identifies as “cosmological medallions”; a section dedicated to pharmaceutical sketches; and a text-only portion devoted to what appear to be recipes.
Since bookseller Wilfrid Voynich found the manuscript in 1912, secreted in a bundle of medieval manuscripts he’d purchased from a Jesuit college, the book and its complicated history have been obsessively studied and analyzed. Carbon dating tells us the manuscript’s vellum was sourced in the early 15th century; pigments are consistent with that date as well, so that’s presumably when it was written. We know (or at least we think we know) it’s been owned by a Holy Roman emperor, an alchemist, a famed Bohemian doctor, and possibly Elizabethan occultist and court astrologer John Dee. If any of its previous custodians figured out how to read it, they kept it to themselves, but you’re welcome to give it a go if you’re feeling froggy.
14 Who built Stonehenge?
Since the 17th century, the popular imagination has linked Stonehenge to the Druids, but the timeline doesn’t shake out—the earliest historical references to the Druids date to the 4th century BCE, while Stonehenge was most likely built sometime between 3000 and 2000 BCE. But if the Druids didn’t build it, who did?
There might not be one simple answer. Construction of Stonehenge is thought to have taken place in several phases over the course of about 1500 years. The first monument at Stonehenge simply consisted of a circular earthwork that enclosed dozens of pits and possibly some rocks. The iconic stone slabs were added a few hundred years later—around the same time the Egyptians were building the pyramids at Giza. It’s long been thought that Neolithic hunter-gatherers got the ball rolling, but new evidence suggests Stonehenge’s builders were the descendants of Mediterranean farmers who migrated to northwestern Europe 6000 years ago.
Whoever Stonehenge’s builders were, their accomplishments were astonishing. We’re still trying to figure out how Stonehenge was constructed; some of the stones came from nearby quarries, but others were sourced from a Welsh site 200 miles away. We have no idea how people who didn’t even have wheels were able to transport the stones and hoist them into place.
15 Who killed the Black Dahlia?
History is full of unsolved murders, from the disappearance and presumed assassinations of King Edward V and Prince Richard, Duke of York, in 1483 to the Zodiac killings that terrorized the Bay Area in the 1960s. But none has captivated American popular culture quite like the horrific murder of Elizabeth Short, the young woman who will forever be known by the sensational nickname given to her by the press: the Black Dahlia.
Short’s body was discovered on January 15, 1947, in a vacant lot in Los Angeles. The brutality that had been visited upon her, both pre- and post-mortem, is still shocking: Her face had been grotesquely disfigured, her body cut in half, and some of her organs removed, among other acts of torture and mutilation. No one was ever arrested for Short’s murder, and the case eventually went cold. Recent theories have blamed everyone from Orson Welles to Bugsy Siegel.
The Los Angeles Police Department investigated dozens of suspects, including George Hodel, a surgeon whose social circles included surrealist photographer Man Ray and The Maltese Falcon director John Huston. Upon learning his father had been investigated for the murder, George’s son, Steve, decided to clear his dad’s name after his dad’s death in 1999, only to become convinced that George was indeed Short’s killer. Steve published his findings in a well-received and fairly convincing 2003 book, but later lost some credibility when he also accused his father of being the Zodiac Killer.
In 2018, British author Piu Eatwell also claimed to have identified Short’s killer. In her book Black Dahlia, Red Rose, Eatwell maintains that the culprit wasn’t one murderer but a group of conspirators that included a bellhop and former mortician’s assistant named Leslie Dillon (who had been one of the LAPD’s favorite suspects decades ago), nightclub owner Mark Hansen, and a man named Jeff Connors. Eatwell thinks the police were involved in a cover-up due to their connections with at least one of those men, though she allows that the case will probably never be definitively solved.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/turkey-eyes-58b8d6dd3df78c353c2312da.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/GettyImages-1500664833-3e2bc14c5dfc44d299fac4d0ea95f638.jpg)
Sew Colorful 