The man eating anaconda

Most outlandish rumours throughout history have been manifested in a similar way. Somebody will propose a belief which is incredible by normal standards and then the theory, due to its sensationalist nature, gains popularity. Once realised, there will inevitably be hordes of people attesting to similar tales and admissions, despite the existence of any substantial proof lending them authenticity. In the field of wildlife, there exists a perfect example of such a tale and this is in relation to snakes and specifically, a belief in their capacity to ingest a human being. Ever since man discovered the Amazon jungle and carved his way through thick green undergrowth, he encountered colossal specimens of anacondas which could easily explain the birth of such claims, simply as a result of their enormous size and strength, with carefully documented reports on certain specimens proving sizes of up to six metres in length. These we know of, but there are also wilder claims of such beasts reaching staggering sizes of fifty metres which are almost certainly born out of the exaggeration principle, where a size observed becomes double or even triple the value it was when relayed as a story.


As wild a claim as it might be, there are certain details in regards to the snakes physical structure and also in the observation of it's dietary preferences, that leads people to believe this urban myth may not be based purely in the world of fiction. Snakes in the past have successfully killed wild game such as antelope, boars, alligators and goats, with the scale of such animals as large as and in some cases, larger than humans, lending credence to the claims of the legendary man eater. Once it's prey has been neutralised, the serpent has then attempted to swallow and ingest it, sometime with success and other times resulting in a premature death as the prey proves to be too large and subsequently becomes trapped in the jaws of the creature. On other occasions, due to the combined efforts of the prey's size and a slow digestive system, the meal cannot be processed in time and decays inside the body of the creature, causing the same unfortunate fate. Their ability to bring down and then feast upon creatures many times their own size is realised by their bodies ability to expand to a fantastic extent, evidenced by their bloated appearance after devouring a meal. Their jaws are also designed with this process in mind, with the lower not connected by bone to the upper. In it's place, there exists a flexible tendon on each side, resulting in an ability to open it's mouth much wider than almost any other animal in existence. All these attributes lend themselves rather amicably to a theory of man eating.


The proof many people desired seemed to have been found a few years ago when a particular photograph began to circulate over the internet. It showed a large anaconda at rest on a tiled floor inside a building, located in India. It's appearance was bloated around the middle of it's body, obviously a result of swallowing a very large victim. Despite the insistence from certain elements that the victim was of human origin, it was later concluded a hoax, with the person's identity changing relative to the site it was read from. In some cases, it was a woman residing in South Africa and yet in others he was an Indian man from his country of origin. The original source of the photograph is still unknown, with the only verifiable information proving it to be a real picture, with a genuine snake visible in it. Although the unknown identity of the victim is disappointing, it could be used as evidence for a snake's capacity to eat a human as it's size is very similar in scale to an average person.

How strong are chimpanzees?

One question that has circulated ever since man encountered the beast with which it shares ninety eight percent of its DNA, is "Just how strong are chimpanzees in relation to humans?" There are a wealth of answers provided by animal doctors and biologists to draw conclusions from, with a considerable amount of variety and disagreement in their results. One of the most popular theories in relation to this question is that an adult chimpanzee is approximately four times as strong as a fully developed human. As commonplace as this thought may be, that's not to say it doesn't have its critics, with many believing it to be exaggerated and a more accurate figure estimated to be around two. Despite this mystery remaining under intense scrutiny for a considerable length of time, it has never the less retained its popularity due to a combination of man's curiosity of extreme physical strength and no definitive answer being provided.


While not providing scientific data or results, evidence of a chimpanzee's raw strength has been witnessed during numerous, shocking attacks against humans. There exists an inherent difference in size with humans on average, being taller and bigger built in comparison, confusing many who hold the belief that size relates to strength. There are many examples that conform to this theory, but it is not a rule without exceptions with such attacks verifying this. These events have been witnessed many times before, with primates showcasing superior strength whilst breaking bones and tearing great chunks of flesh from their victims, with the unfortunate individual having little capacity to defend themselves against such assaults due to their power and intense aggression. In fact, due to the savage nature of such an event, a human being is considered lucky to be breathing after enduring such unbridled ferocity.


One man with a belief in the figure of four, is evolutionary biologist Alan Walker, a former employee of Pennsylvania state university who relayed the following information. Despite humans and chimpanzees having muscles comparable in size in some instances, the underlying reason as to why the latter are so much physically stronger, can be found in the structure of the muscle fibre, especially in the area connected to the bone, ultimately responsible for the overall strength of the animal. The primate's are much longer and denser, giving them a large, evolutionary advantage over man. One reason for this differential is in regards to the animals natural habitat and it's inclination to scale and swing from trees, with the creature having to employ numerous physical pulling motions in order to navigate it's way around such areas. Being predisposed to such a method of movement, evolution naturally equipped it with the necessary strength required and in the process, making it four times as strong as man. One interesting experiment conducted which gives credence to this figure, had both man and ape pull on a metal ring connected to force measuring equipment, with a male primate producing a one handed pull of eight hundred and fourty seven pounds, compared to a human's paltry two hundred and ten, conclusively proving ape's superiority over man.

The plausibility of superhuman strength

With many being supported by proven, verifiable records and others just the result of a vivid imagination, most of us will have heard the urban tales of people displaying super human strength, relevant to a crisis style situation. For example, there are numerous accounts pertaining to mothers involved in car crashes where, as a result, their child becomes trapped under the vehicle and calling upon physical strength which would be beyond their normal capacity in a calmer scenario, manage to lift the vehicle from one end a number of inches off the ground, freeing the child. One such tale, this time involving a male, is that of Tom Boyle. Being in the right place at the right time, he was in close proximity to a road crash involving a biker and a car. The two had collided, resulting in the bike and owner being trapped under the latter. Boyle was successful in lifting the back end, despite the enormous weight and was ultimately successful in freeing the victim. An interesting story, but less spectacular than some when considering his powerlifting background and naturally large frame. A simple search on the internet will result in numerous tales of such physical feats and yet that is not conclusive proof in of itself as many of these are not backed up with relevant sources or records of any nature.


One such theory put forward for these impressive feats are in the bodies use of adrenaline. This naturally occurring drug is produced in excessive amounts when an individual is confronted with a situation causing fear and anxiety. It is the famous response of fight or flight. The results are beneficial, with an increased level of concentration, a larger volume of blood being fed to the major organs and muscles and extra strength being evident. However, is this enough to explain the superhuman strength required to lift a vehicle? Some believe so. In a book written by Vladimir Zatsiorsky on the subject of weightlifting, he presents a theory of professional weightlifters having two differing limits for the amount of weight they can potentially lift, these being their maximum weight and absolute weight. Their maximum is the largest amount they can possibly lift under normal conditions, which is considerably lower than the largest theoretical load and the absolute refers to the latter.


The second of these is never feasibly attainable as it's the very limit of an individuals capability, which would result in bones breaking and fibres being damaged. However, Zatsiorsky stumbled upon a phenomenon amongst professional weightlifters where, as a result of  the flight or fight response kicking in due to the emotion and noise displayed from raucous crowds, could consistently achieve weights coming between both limits. For example, If a person's maximum deadlift record happened to be five hundred pounds, their absolute might be in the region of seven hundred. In a competitive scenario with the relevant criteria met, this lifter may theoretically attain a weight of six hundred and fifty pounds. In a situation where you have a body trapped underneath a vehicle, it's plausible to conceive that it might bring about the exact same response, enabling somebody to lift a car weighing many hundreds of pounds, which would prove impossible at any other time.

Krakatoa's eruption

The devastating eruptions emanating from volcano's have become the stories of legend. There have been many instances of such events throughout history and although each one has differed in terms of size and ferocity, one trait they all  inevitably share is untold destruction of everything that comes within their vicinity, be it natural formations or living creatures. While most people have the preconceived notion that the only destructive effect of a volcano is the ejection of magma from it's crater, there are in reality a whole host of potentially deadly consequences of a violent eruption. The explosions contain massive amounts of force and energy and if one such incident manifests in a volcano which has slept dormant for many years, the build up of rock and debris filling it's crater will be forced skyward, along with the accompanying magma. These chunks of rock, evidenced from past eruptions can be many metres across and weigh several tonnes, testament to the power of the eruption. The smoky emissions excreted can also prove deadly, especially to humans unfortunate enough to inhale from them, causing it to mix with the natural fluids of the body and as a result, hardening, essentially concreting a person's internal organs.

The most destructive volcanic explosion ever recorded was inflicted upon Krakatoa in 1883. It had always been a very active crater with numerous accounts of eruptions prior to the largest and most damaging of these. In the years preceding this, as if building up to a grand climax, there had been many instances of smaller explosions with general activity becoming increasingly prevalent. On this memorable date, however, the fiercest of these episodes took place, almost destroying the island completely in it's severity. The pressure wave produced as a result, was so impressive it was recorded for up to five days after the event took place. Another fascinating aspect of the explosion was the noise created which was recorded as being the loudest ever known in history. Scientists came to the conclusion that anyone within a ten mile radius of this noise would have been rendered deaf. The explosion itself was the equivalent force of four of the largest known atomic devices to have ever been detonated, namely the tsar bomba, which was tested by Russia in 1961.

The most negative impact of this event, however, was the inconceivable toll on human life, with thirty six thousand people dying and many theorising that the real figure far exceeded that, potentially being as high as one hundred thousand, due to a theory of bodies being lost at sea or washed away by the force of ocean tides. One macabre observation made after the event, was in relation to the appearance of floating volcanic chunks of rock with human skeletons resting on their surface, with stories of such anomalies being recorded for up to a year afterwards. The underlying reason for all of Krakatoa's devastation can be found in it's specific form as due to it's enlarged magma chamber and wide crater, it's potential far outweighs that of a conventional volcano. It's scientific name is a caldera and it differs not so much in appearance, but in sheer size. They are formed from a volcano's magma chamber rising up and applying pressure to the material and crater above, thus weakening it. When the magma descends, it then collapses away, enlarging the opening and capacity of the chamber and in the process, converting it in to one of nature's most potent weapons of destruction, far exceeding any damage inflicted on earth by man made means.

The perils of a powerful memory

The general consensus of a powerful memory is that it's a true blessing from nature and something that all people desire in their own lives. Those that suffer with various memory related problems will tell of the frustration of an inability to recall specific events, whether these be recent, or from many years ago. Even if fortunate enough to go through life without experiencing such a problem, you will be aware that the ability of your memory will naturally diminish as you mature, leading to many of the same symptoms. If there is to be an occurrence of such an affliction in this area of brain function, it is always in regards to forgetting events and never the reverse, which would be remembering too much. On the surface, this supposed example may seem positive and beneficial, but upon deeper inspection, if every minute detail of your life could be remembered, even inconsequential events such as reading a newspaper or turning on a mechanical device, your mind would be so preoccupied with such things that it would be difficult to pick out important memories which should obviously take precedence over these.

This is the very affliction that haunts the mind of a woman from California. Exhibiting an ability which would not be out of place in a gifted savant, she can recall nearly every event in her life and in chronological order. This ability of hers has been evident since childhood and as alluded to before, has been a hindrance rather than an advantage in life. After deciding to seek help in relation to her affliction, she contacted specialists at the university of California in the hope that they could provide a solution to this rare problem. For obvious reason, they were dubious of her claims initially, but after routinely testing her on the details of events from the distant past, with the aid of a historical almanac, came to the conclusion that she was genuine. Every question posed was answered correctly, with her memory so accurate and with such fine attention to detail that she even corrected certain mistakes printed in the book itself.

She describes the ability of her memory as being akin to a movie, with every event recorded in staggering detail, giving her the power to recall them from years ago. In a televised interview, she gave insight into this phenomena stating  that while talking at that particular time, she could also be reminiscing on obscure events which occurred way back in 1982. One painful effect pertaining to this is her ability to recall emotional responses in conjunction with the events surrounding them, whereas in a normal person, a portion of these emotions, such as the hurtful, negative variety would be easily forgotten. The human mind has a fantastic ability to bury hurtful emotions deep in the recesses of our mind and for good reason as nobody wants to recall such things. If this is absent, it's easy to imagine the negative impact that these constantly recurring, negative emotions could induce on a person.

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The rapid ageing effects of progeria

Premature ageing is a condition which will concern anybody who has a fair degree of vanity. The thought of a receding hair line, or developing early facial wrinkles induces fear in many people who routinely go to extraordinary lengths to retain their youthful looks. Symptoms such as these may give the impression of a person being ten to twenty years older than they are in reality and yet, that's usually the limit to it's severity. To put this minor concern into context, it pales in comparison to the rapid ageing process of an extremely rare condition affecting a small minority of children. This is known as progeria.

This genetic disorder is so rare in fact, that it only occurs once in every eight million births worldwide, giving the sufferer the look of somebody much older than they actually are. The appearance of the disease is not evident after the initial birth of a child, but symptoms begin to manifest after a few months. The onset of the condition is not too dissimilar to malnourishment, with the subject appearing lighter than they should with a general appearance of fragility. The extreme conditions for which it has become infamous develop later in life and become more pronounced throughout the ageing process. There are a whole host of these, including a look of advanced age, arthritis, various respiratory problems and kidney failure.

This gives the curious impression of an elderly person residing in the body of a small child with a whole host of age related medical problems to accompany it. Unfortunately, the ageing effects are not just restricted to the visual, they also take their toll in a physical manner with the body suffering as though it were the same age as it's deceptive appearance, making it susceptible to everything from hip displacement to general muscle atrophy. There is no known cure for the disease at this time, despite experiments in a variety of medical fields which unfortunately have not proven successful. It is said that the accelerated ageing rate of the disease is between eight to ten times faster than that of an average person and as a result, very few afflicted with it live beyond the age of thirteen years. One curious fact to ponder, however, is that as the body ages in this manner, the mind may potentially follow suit with the sufferer displaying an intelligence that is recorded as being between average to high, this has not been conclusively proven however.

Real voodoo curse, or nocebo induced harm?

Many people believe in a theory where the body can be effected in both positive and negative ways depending on the mental thoughts of a person at that specific time. Although it's effects have been perceived before, it's not considered a real science and in some sceptic's eyes, there is no evidence proving otherwise. The version most people are familiar with is the practice of producing thoughts to bring about positive physical effects, known almost universally as the placebo. Many experiments have been undertaken and have followed the same pattern, with a group of people suffering from a particular ailment being split into two smaller groups, with one given a genuine medicine, proven to be effective in treating their affliction and the second with nothing other than sugar cubes injected with water masquerading as the very same thing. The first group were cured as expected, but in many cases the second also arrived at the same result, despite the absence of the same proven medicine being administered. Even though the water was essentially useless, it's the patients own unshakeable belief that it will cure them that brings about the positive change. That is a placebo.

With the positive side of this belief having only the ability to help the patient meant that it could be tested medically, safe in the knowledge that no harm would come to him. But the same cannot be said for its polar opposite which is the lesser known nocebo. As a result, information regarding it is scarce. A fine analogy of this reaction, however, would be the voodoo curses of various African tribes. The curse is purely fictional, but the victim's belief in it induces the body to act as though it's a reality, with real physical harm being the inevitable outcome. The best account of this curiosity is the alleged curse of Vance Vanders. Despite many attesting to the truth of the tale with four medical professionals being in attendance during the event itself, recorded details were either not taken or simply lost, leading many to the false conclusion that the event was purely a work of fiction.

Vance Vanders was an Alabama local who had the misfortune of getting involved in an unfortunate altercation with the resident witch doctor. He was a man with a firm belief in voodoo from the outset and so was understandably shaken when presented with an open bottle and told after inhaling it's contents, that he would suffer an untimely demise as a result of the alleged curse. With no doubt in his mind as to the reality of the situation, Vance quickly deteriorated and became bed stricken. Days later, he was taken to hospital, but to no avail, as doctors could not arrive at the source of his problems. After a belated admission from his wife pertaining to the curse, a certain Dr Drayton Doherty came up with an ingenious idea to turn the nocebo's effects on their head.

The Doctor deliberately lied to Vance's family, stating that he had confronted the man responsible and after physically choking him, made him confess to implanting lizard's eggs in his stomach, with both hatching and yet only one surviving. He told them that the only way to lift the curse was to extract the remaining lizard. Despite it being non existent, he gave Vance the impression of performing a real operation in which he administered an emetic to help him pass the creature in a natural manner. Incredibly, he shot up and proceeded to gag, culminating in physical sickness. The doctor, using the distraction to his advantage, bought out a lizard which had been obtained previous to the event and promptly displayed it as evidence of a successful operation. The trick, suffice to say, had the desired effect with Vance making a full and rapid recovery. Is it conclusive evidence of the influence the mind can obtain over the body? After all, how do you explain Mr Vanders sudden deterioration and his prompt recovery after two events manifested through fiction? The power of the mind may be more influential than you think.

The curious relationship between male and female Angler fish

On the surface, there seems to be a very plausible reason for the inclusion of the deep sea angler fish into this blog, namely it's curious, grotesque appearance which seldom fails to fascinate. However, despite the obvious, there are a further two reasons which are relatively unknown to most, but are equally impressive. The first of these is in relation to the strange protrusion emanating from it's forehead. This thin, curved spine ending in a bulbous growth is used as a specialised lure to draw the creatures prey towards it, a useful tool considering the fishes predisposition to slow movement through the water. It is also highly maneuverable, however, with the fish often remaining stationary in the water and waving it in numerous directions, ensuring it's food source comes to it, rather than resorting to traditional hunting methods.

Without doubt, the most fascinating aspect of this species is the relationship between the male and female, with the former being much smaller in scale and often coloured black, in contrast to the red of the opposite gender. With the male reaching maturity, it's digestive system is rendered useless and must seek out a partner for both self preservation and reproduction. Once located, the male bites into the body of his partner and releases an enzyme which essentially melts and fuses his mouth, to her flesh, resulting in a lifelong union between the two, with the male receiving nutrition from her food intake and becoming a kind of curious parasite, of sorts!

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The colossal honey mushroom

When pondering the question of what could be the largest living organism in the world, I'm sure certain creatures will spring instantly to mind for obvious reasons, with the undisputed colossus of the seas, the whale, on the lips of many people who falsely believe they've stumbled across the correct answer. To arrive at such a conclusion is understandable, considering their impressive physical size and yet, they would be wrong. There does exist a definitive answer to this, which due to it's shock value, is always guaranteed to surprise many people. The organism in question is Armillaria Ostoyae, more commonly known as the Honey Mushroom.

The main part of its body is located beneath the earth, which consists of a tangled mass of ever extending tentacles called rhizomorphs which the species uses to invade neighbouring trees for the purpose of extracting nutrients. What's visible on the surface, however, belies it's gargantuan size, presenting itself as just another mushroom with no relevant difference to any other species you may have come across. It's subterranean section is known for rapid expanse over hundreds of miles as it continues it's never ending quest for food sources, a result of the fungus killing off anything in it's vicinity and having to  continually extend it's search over a wider radius.

One such impressive fungus was known as being the largest for quite some time, spawning across an area of approximately six hundred hectares in the state of Washington, until the discovery of a gargantuan colony residing in the Malheur National Forest in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon, which dwarfed it in terms of size, measuring some eight hundred and ninety hectares across. It was identified after a large area of the forest's trees began to die off mysteriously, with the fungus identified as the eventual culprit. This number itself, hardly does the scale justice with a mentally visual comparison required to fully comprehend its enormity. For this purpose, it is equal to one thousand six hundred football fields which is an incredible area for one organism to occupy.

Although it's not fully understood how the species attains such a size, it's theorized that the dry weather conditions could be a decisive factor as these prove detrimental to the fungus, killing off many newly formed colonies and leaving the larger, older and more established ones to thrive without competition. There seems to be a delicious irony in the tale as the humble mushroom is always perceived as being diminutive in nature and yet one of it's many species proudly holds the title of the world's largest living organism!

The tragic tale of Edward Mordrake

Throughout history, there have been numerous accounts of human deformities, some so extreme that they never cease to fascinate. There have been many varying types from conjoined twins to people with extra limbs. Some of these unfortunate people have actually attained a modicum of celebrity status from their afflictions and in some cases, have created careers deriving from their differences, becoming financially prosperous as a result. Those in question have become common knowledge amongst the public, one fine example being Joseph Merrick, otherwise referred to as the Elephant Man, due to his extreme facial deformities which were routinely observed as he toured with various circus freak shows early in life.

There exists one case, however, which is relatively unknown to most, but due to the nature of the deformity, must rank as one of the most intriguing and yet, macabre examples ever discovered. The person in question was Edward Mordrake who was born an English nobleman to a wealthy family of nobility. The story takes us back to the nineteenth century but other details regarding it are scarce with a lot of the background history lost in the annals of time. As a result of little verifiable evidence and conclusive photographic material, a long standing argument remains active as to whether this was a real event or an urban myth bought about by a vivid imagination.

Edward was born with a second "parasitic" face located on the back of his head. It was smaller in nature than his own and resembled a malevolent female of sorts. Supposed proof of his parasite's evil characteristics were displayed at times of upset and grief for young Edward as whenever he cried or whimpered, his demon accomplice was seen to laugh or snigger in reply, with no evidence of empathy or compassion for him. One contradiction in the story relates to it's inability to speak, with it's lips murmuring constantly as if doing so, but without sound. Yet Edward would tell of his mental anguish every night as it deprived him of sleep by talking incessantly about "things from hell" and other nightmarish horrors.

Edward committed suicide at the tender age of twenty three, with some accrediting it to the mental torture he endured at the hands of his demon face and it's ceaseless taunts haunting him every night. In life he begged surgeons and doctors to remove the affliction, but as a result of it's anatomical location, this was impossible. So horrified of it's existence, Edward couldn't even contemplate the thought of sharing his body with his demon partner in death which is evidenced by a short passage in his suicide note which read “ lest it continues its dreadful whisperings in my grave” Whether real or a work of fiction, the story will always retain a certain "haunting" quality to it.

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The stunning black rose of Halfeti

Although there are many varying shades, tones and colours of roses throughout the world, the classic red species is the staple image that comes to mind when on the subject of this popular flower. However, there is a region within Turkey, close to the Euphrates river by the name of Halfeti, which happens to be the indigenous home of the world's only black rose. This rare beauty wouldn't be possible without the unique soil conditions and rare composition of ground water running in from the aforementioned river. The local people of the region have contrasting beliefs about this flower. Some say it is a symbol of mystery, while others denounce it as a prophecy of death!

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