Mayan civilization

An incredible new technology is being used to take the lid off the mysteries of the Mayan civilization. Using advanced light detection equipment and techniques scientists have virtually removed the jungle canopy to reveal a sprawling city with over 60,000 structures. It’s given us a window into their culture and daily lives like never before and may finally offer us a clue as to what exactly happened to a civilization that was collapsing by the time European explorers arrived.

1. What happened to the Mayans?
 The Mayan civilization was enormous. Anywhere from 7 to 11 million people lived within its expansive kingdom. Though the popular opinion is that the Mayan civilization was conquered by Spanish Conquistadors, we don’t actually know what led to the decline of their society. However, there are many theories. The Mayans peaked long before European explorers arrived (roughly 1,200 years ago, while Columbus only arrived about 500 years ago). New laser technology is giving
archaeologists clues about what made Mayan civilization decline to the point that it was largely undefended when the Spanish arrived. So if the Spanish didn't wipe them out, then who or what did? 

2. Once a city, now it’s a jungle Ancient Maya has been studied by mainstream archaeologists and historians since the culture was rediscovered in 1843, but not until recently has the exploration of Mayan culture gone full throttle. In 2018 alone tens of thousands of structures have been found and dozens of miles of roads, canals, and causeways connecting the massive society. The year 2018 has
been especially kind to researchers, and new technology is enabling a renaissance of finds that show us the real Mayan culture. The next photo shows us just how incredible the technology is, as it peals back the layers of the photo above, and reveals how the jungle made it so difficult to learn Mayan secrets. 

3. Archaeologists used to walk the jungle to find Mayan ruins For over 150 years archaeologists have been exploring ancient Mayan ruins in much the same way. While flying technology allowed for a nice aerial view of Mayan ruins that poke through the thick canopy, much of the real work and discovery was done on the ground. But the jungle is a thick mangled mess of vegetation that enables just 2% of sunlight to weave its way to the ground. That means that plant life has to grow, fast, to reach the light of the sun. That growth swallows anything in its path and buries it deep. It’s not science fiction, but scientists are flipping the script by opening the lid on the jungle canopy using new laser technology. 

4. People flying over Mayan civilization couldn’t see much Jungle vegetation has literally covered up an entire civilization, leaving future generations unable to discover how Mayans truly lived. Only the most massive of structures poke their tops through the jungle canopy, and if it weren’t for UNESCO and the Mexican government they would still be completely covered. For 1,200 years the jungle slowly ate away at ancient Maya. In 1929 Charles Lindbergh took his wife Anne for ride over the
Yucatan Peninsula, offering a view of the jungle rarely seen before. In her diary she wrote, “unspeakably alone and majestic and desolate — the mark of a great civilization gone.” Too bad she didn’t have a LiDar laser, because this next bit gets a little interesting to say the least. 

5. Newly discovered pyramid Historians and archaeologists will likely continue to make theories only to see them debunked by new discoveries. The new technology that is making this all possible is something called LiDAR (“Light Detection and Ranging”) imaging, and it’s responsible for the over 60,000 structures just discovered in September 2018, which includes a pyramid that is seven stories high! The team responsible for the imaging covered an area of almost 800 square miles and fired
pulses of laser at the ground at a rate of 900,000 times per second that gives such an accurate picture of the topography that any man-made structures stand out against the natural jungle. 
By 
Ekshaw.T

JACK THE RIPPER

                                     

Serial killers tantalize, terrify and even entertain the public. Since at least the 1970s they have been frequent and chilling actors on center stage in the news and entertainment media. Massive and highly stylized news coverage of real-life serial killers such as David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam,” Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer transforms them into ghoulish popular culture celebrities.


 Similarly, fictional serial killers such as Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs and the “Tooth Fairy” in the Red Dragon have also become popular culture icons. More recently, the tremendous success and acclaim of the Showtime television series Dexter and The Millennium Trilogy global media phenomenon based on author Stieg Larsson’s book The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo demonstrate how eager the public is to be frightened by serial killers. Interest in serial killers is hardly new. Public fascination with serial killers dates back to the late 1880s when a series of extremely brutal, unsolved prostitute murders occurred in the Whitechapel area of London, England, and those killings gained worldwide notoriety.


In the fall of 1888, a series of five grotesque murders were committed in London by an unknown individual who legend has it called himself Jack the Ripper in letters he allegedly sent to the London police and took credit for the crimes. Prior to the Jack the Ripper letters, the London newspapers called the unknown killer “Leather Apron” based on a suspicion that the killer was a local b Significantly, the Jack the Ripper murders represent the first rudimentary application of criminal profiling techniques. London physicians George Phillips and Thomas Bond used autopsy results and crime scene evidence in the fall of 1888 to make informed predictions about legendary serial killer Jack the Ripper's personality, behavioral characteristics and lifestyle. In his written report after examining the available forensic evidence, including the bodies, Dr. Thomas Bond concluded that “all five murders no doubt were committed by the same hand… the women must have been lying down when murdered and in every case the throat was cut first.” Moreover, Dr. Bond stated that Jack the Ripper had no medical training or knowledge of anatomy, despite the killer’s extensive cutting and mutilation of his victims. This bold statement by Dr. Bond directly opposed what law enforcement authorities had previously concluded—that Jack the Ripper was either a physician or had medical training due to the fact that he had removed internal organs from some of his victims. Dr. Bond reached his conclusion after noting that the gaping wounds inflicted by the Ripper were not consistent with the training of a medical expert or “even the technical knowledge of a butcher or horse slaughterer.” In Dr. Bond’s opinion, the murderer must have been “a man of solitary habits, subject to periodic attacks of homicidal and erotic mania, and the character of the mutilations possibly indicating satyriasis” or uncontrollable sexual desire.


The infamy of Jack the Ripper lives on. As noted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in its 2005 report titled Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators, the name Jack the Ripper has become synonymous with serial murder over the years. This case has spawned many legends and myths concerning serial homicide and the killers who commit them. More than 125 years after his killing spree abruptly ended without his capture, the murders of Jack the Ripper continue to haunt and tantalize the world. In many ways, the Ripper killings remain the greatest unsolved mystery of all time.

BY: E.KANMANI

THE MYSTERY OF JODHPUR BOOM

                                          
On a fine morning of December 18, 2012, precisely at 11:25 AM, people of Jodhpur, India were startled by a deafening sound that appeared out of nowhere in the sky. The sound resembled the sound caused by a jet plane crossing the speed of sound. This phenomenon is known as sonic boom but the problem with Jodhpur Boom was that the sound was far more profound and deafening.

 While the sound sounded like a massive explosion, what really added to the panic wave that struck the people of Jodhpur was the thought of Earth coming to an end as per the Mayan Calendar which predicted that Earth will be destroyed in 2012.

Rumors quickly spread that the sound was an outcome of a sonic boom caused by a new breed of aircrafts tested by the Air Force or perhaps it was caused by an explosion in the ammunition storehouse of the nearby army area. Army personnel however declined the possibility of ammunition explosion.

Col SD Goswami – defense spokesperson openly said that the sound was not an outcome of any explosion. He went on saying that sonic boom caused by testing aircrafts was also not a possibility because sonic boom is completely forbidden in township areas. He explained that when an object travels through air at a speed greater than that of sound, an enormous amount of sound energy is released which sounds very much like an explosion but since sonic booms in township areas are capable of inflicting enormous property damage such as crumbling of window panes, sonic booms are always tested at least 60 kilometers outside the town areas where there is no population.

 While no explanation has been found for this sudden deafening Jodhpur Boom that appeared out of nowhere crashing in the sky, it was not a singular incident. These sounds or booms were actually taking place all over the world including USA and UK. Geologists reported that the seismic readings during the booms were unlike anything ever recorded before.

BY: E.KANMANI

THE MYSTERY OF MAGNETIC HILL AND ROAD IN LADAKH

                                          
Magnetic Hill is located on the Leh-Kargil-Baltic National Highway in the Trans-Himalayan region. Sindhu river flows to the east of Magnetic Hill and makes the surrounding a picture perfect frame. Blessed with amazing natural beauty and mysterious magnetic abilities, the magnetic road in Ladakh is where travelers stop by to experience the strange, gravity-defying phenomenon. A yellow box marked on the magnetic road, few meters away from the Magnetic Hill indicates that the vehicle must be parked in neutral gear. It is from here that the vehicle starts to move at a speed close to 20 kmph. The strange world that we live in, there are plenty of theories backing this strange wonder of nature. All of them propose a different logic and are backed by strong reasoning, barring superstitions like ‘the magnetic road is a straightaway to heaven’. Here’s a look at what each of these beliefs and theories have to say.

 The superstition –

Villagers residing in Ladakh believe that there once existed a road that led people to heaven. Those who rightly deserved were pulled to the path directly while those who didn’t deserve could never make it there.

The magnetic force theory –

Next comes a sensible theory, which is also the most widespread. It states that there is a strong magnetic force emanating from the hill that pulls vehicles that are within its range. The strange occurrence on the Leh-Kargil highway has been experienced and testified by travelers from across the world. As a matter of fact, the notorious hill has caused planes of Indian Air Force to divert their route in the past to avoid magnetic interference on them.

The optical illusion theory –

Another widely accepted theory says that the hill is no source of magnetic force, rather it’s just an optical illusion that makes the downslope of the road leading to the Magnetic Hill look like an upslope. So, when you see the vehicle going uphill, it is actually going downhill.

Another theory is that false perspective might also play a role. Objects far away may seem smaller or larger than they really are. This is a remarkably common illusion that is found in numerous locations around the world. Usually, it is a stretch of road in a hilly area where the level horizon is obscured.

BY: E.KANMANI

THE MYSTERY OF SUICIDAL BIRDS

                                       
Jatinga is a small village located in Assam, a state in northeastern India. The village is lush green and scenic, surrounded by serene mountains. But that’s not what it’s famous for. In fact, Jatinga is well-known for an entirely different reason – its Bird Mystery. The Bird Mystery is a unique phenomenon that occurs at Jatinga between September and November each year. During these late monsoon months, several migratory and local birds commit mass suicide at the village. Just after sunset, between 7 and 10 pm, hundreds of birds descend from the sky, plummeting to their deaths by crashing into buildings and trees. Since birds aren’t known to be suicidal, the phenomenon has baffled villagers, visitors and scientists alike. For many years, locals believed that evil spirits living in the skies were responsible for bringing down the birds . Of course, this isn’t true. After several scientific studies and experiments, it has been concluded that the birds are generally disoriented by the monsoon fog. So they are attracted by the village lights and fly towards them, sometimes hitting walls and trees during the descent. Some of the birds die, while others are grievously injured, becoming easy prey for the villagers to capture.

 These birds are often dazed and disheveled, and do not put up any resistance when villagers attack them with catapults or bamboo sticks. Studies also show that the birds come in only from the North and land only on a well-defined strip in the village – that’s 1.5 km long and 200 meters wide. Lights placed along the southern side of the village have failed to attract any birds. The victim birds aren’t long-distance migrators. 44 species have been identified as ‘suicidal’ and most of them come from nearby valleys and hill slopes. These include Kingfishers, Black Bitterns, Tiger Bitterns and Pond Herons, among others. A few more interesting discoveries were made by scientists and bird watchers. It seems most of the suicidal birds lose their natural habitats due to flooding during the monsoon season. So they appear to be migrating to other places, and Jatinga is in their migratory path. But it isn’t clear why the birds fly at night, or why they get voluntarily trapped at the same place every year. Studies also show that the birds come in only from the North and land only on a well-defined strip in the village – that’s 1.5 km long and 200 meters wide. Lights placed along the southern side of the village have failed to attract any birds. The victim birds aren’t long-distance migrators. 44 species have been identified as ‘suicidal’ and most of them come from nearby valleys and hill slopes. These include Kingfishers, Black Bitterns, Tiger Bitterns and Pond Herons, among others.

A few more interesting discoveries were made by scientists and bird watchers. It seems most of the suicidal birds lose their natural habitats due to flooding during the monsoon season. So they appear to be migrating to other places, and Jatinga is in their migratory path. But it isn’t clear why the birds fly at night, or why they get voluntarily trapped at the same place every year. The Jaintias aren’t entirely wrong. After all, the phenomenon has captured the interest of wildlife circles and tourists, making the village of Jatinga world famous. The birds alone are responsible for a boost in tourism during the monsoon months. And they’re quite delicious; locals relish these exotic delicacies. The villagers deliberately switch on lights and lanterns to attract the birds and capture them every year. To promote tourism, district authorities have created a festival around the bird suicide, called the Jatinga Festival.

BY: E.KANMANI

THE MYSTERIOUS VILLAGE OF TWINS

                                           

At first glance one might not notice anything particularly odd about the village of Kodinhi. It is a small, remote village located in the Malappuram district in Kerala, India. With only 2,000 families, it is a sleepy, quiet place that one could drive by without giving a second thought. It is a backwater, nondescript village not unlike countless others dotting the Indian countryside. However, spend enough time walking through its modest streets you may start to notice something peculiar about this village. You may start having a case of seeing double, for there are twins everywhere, of all ages, both identical and fraternal. In fact, there almost seems to be a pair of twins for practically every family in the village. Kodinhi has the distinction of having the most unusually high rate of twin births in the world. In a village of only 2,000 people, there are reportedly over 220 pairs of twins. It was reported that in 2008 alone, 15 pairs of twins were born in the village. This may not seem like a high number when talking about a big city, but it is bizarrely high for such a small, relatively sparsely populated town. To put it into perspective, it is said that the rate of twin births globally is around 6 out of every 1,000 live births, whereas in Kodinhi it is more like 42 out of every 1,000 births, a striking contrast to the norm.

 In fact, the rate of twins in this sleepy, tropical town is around 6 times the global average. Local doctor Krishnan Sribiju has spent a great deal of time studying the twins of Kodinhi and he believes that the rate of twin births is even higher than official records suggest. He also has found that the rate of twin births in the village is increasing every year, and that the number of twins in Kodinhi has doubled in the past decade. Dr. Sribiju is also quick to point out that the phenomenal rate of twin births in the village is particularly impressive considering that sub-continantal Asia has a typically lower rate of twin births than most of the world, and India has the lowest twinning rate in Asia. Indeed, generally India has one of the lowest twinning rates in the world, making Kodinhi even more of a curiosity. It is said that the twinning phenomenon in Kodinhi started around 60 to 70 years ago, and the exact cause remains unknown. Doctors have long been baffled as to why this village has so many twins, and no one as of yet has been able to unravel the mystery. Adding another layer of odd to the puzzle is the fact that even those who marry outsiders and move away from the village exhibit a substantially higher than normal rate of having twins. Researchers have delved into genetic, biological, molecular, hereditary and climatic factors and still have not come to a satisfactory conclusion to this enigma. Pollutants or chemical factors have been mostly ruled out since the vast majority of twins born in Kodinhi are perfectly normal and healthy, without birth defects. In addition, artificial insemination or other fertility treatments are not a factor as the villagers are too poor to afford the prohibitively high costs of such procedures. Genetic problems have also mostly been discounted since the effect is localized in this one village. Dr. Sribiju speculates that the answer lies in something the villagers are eating or drinking, but none has been able to isolate the substance that could be responsible. Further compounding this theory is that the eating habits of the villagers of Kodinhi don’t seem to be any different than other villages in Kerala. Dr. Sribiju has said he plans to continue research in Kodinhi with more detailed biochemical analysis equipment, but for now the abnormal number of twins here remains an unexplained anomaly.

 Fortunately for the villagers here, the twinning phenomenon has had no real negative effects except for perhaps people not being able to always quickly ascertain just which twin they are talking to. School teachers here like to joke that they are never sure if a student is really the one attending the class, or their twin. Mistaken identity is probably a real headache here, yet for the most part there have been no health concerns and the village even seems to be proud of their unique status. In order to bring wider attention to the peculiar problems twins here face, around 30 pairs of twins in the village started an organization called “The Twins and Kins Association.” It is reportedly the first such association of its kind in India and it is hoped that the group will be able to raise awareness of Kodinhi’s plight and the unique lifestyles of twins.

BY: E.KANMANI

PRAHLAD JAIN,THE MAN WHO LIVED WITHOUT FOOD AND WATER FOR 70 YEARS

                                                
Prahlad Jani, a yogi from Gujarat's Ambaji, wears red clothing and is referred as "Mataji". The 88-year-old claims to have been living without food or water for decades and has piqued the curiosity of scientists from around the world.

MEHSANA (GUJARAT):

International community calls him a "breatharian" - a person who lives only on air. Meet 88-year-old Prahlad Jani, a yogi from Charod village in Gujarat's Mehsana, who claims to have spent over seven decades of his life without food or water. The octogenarian, who wears red clothing and is referred as "Mataji", is fighting fit and has piqued the curiosity of scientists from around the world. They are left totally stunned by his unusual way of living. Several medical examinations have been conducted on him. Among the scientists who carried a study on him was former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Tests were also conducted on the plants in his ashram, but scientists and the doctors were unable to connect the dots and explain his way of life.

In 2010, an observational study was conducted on Prahlad Jani by Defence Institute Of Physiology And Allied Sciences (DIPAS) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), where he was observed in strict isolation and under continual video monitoring for 15 days. He was taken out for MRI, Ultrasound, X-Ray and exposure to sun under continuous video recordings. Periodic clinical, biochemical, radiological and other relevant examinations were also conducted.

 The conclusion of the study was that Mr Jani "has some extreme form of adaptation to starvation and water restriction as evident from serum Leptin and Ghrelin levels that have been estimated." "Mataji", who is devoted to Goddess Amba, says he meditates and that's what gives him the energy to carry on. Disciples visit his ashram - Ambaji - from far and wide. They come there with their problems and the yogi assists them without charging any fee. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other influential political leaders have visited his ashram to seek his blessings.

BY: E.KANMANI