Shaman, healer, medicine woman… it doesn’t matter what you call them – these people have always existed in just about every culture around the world. And while their roles vary from one another, they all have that one thing in common: a strong connection to the otherside. But for every legit psychic with actual paranormal abilities, there are about 150 scammers whose only real talent is spinning a web of lies. Want to know how to avoid becoming one of their victims? Then take a look at some of the dirty tricks a fake psychic could be using on you.

1. They Ask You Questions

The whole point of being a psychic is being able to pick up on information without having any previous knowledge about it. So why on Earth would someone with those abilities need to ask you a whole lot of questions? Sounds fishy, doesn’t it? The obvious answer is that they’re a fraud, and they do this to get you to spill the beans about your life on your own. It’s the only way for them to string together a convincing story, one that will keep you coming back so they can make more money.

2. They Make a Claim and Then Wait

When fake psychics aren’t asking you a whole bunch of personal questions, they’re making wild claims, then pausing in between. It’s usually something mundane or general like “You’ve had a stressful month.” Then they’ll use your verbal or non-verbal reaction to build up on the rest of the reading. The only reading they’re doing is cold reading and this allows them to know if they’re on the right track or not. If you see a psychic doing this, just remember that it’s a huge red flag.

3. Flattery and False Claims

We humans love getting our egos stroked. Fake psychics are very much aware of this and use it to their advantage. That’s why they use flattery and false claims to lure in more customers, especially the vulnerable and desperate. They’ll say something along the lines of: “you have such a magnetic aura. I see much success and great love in your future. You should come back for an advanced reading.” The truth is, you’re probably not the only one they’ve said this to. So don’t waste your time.

4. Past Lives as Famous People

As mentioned above, we humans can be a bit self-important. And most people who believe in reincarnation always claim to be some important person. You know, like Cleopatra, Alexander the Great and Abraham Lincoln. Most likely they heard it from a psychic, a fake one of course. And the gag is, the fake psychic most likely told that to at least 15 other clients. Oh, and for a little extra something, they’ll even help you connect with said past life. Don’t waste your time, it’s nothing but lies.

5. Positive Claims With a Few Negatives

A fake psychic’s reading will be 97% positive with just enough negativity sprinkled in. Why? Well for one, if it was all bad news, then you wouldn’t want to come back. So in an attempt to make themselves look genuine, they’ll say something like: “ You’ve recently lost something of great importance to you.” This could be anything. And the reason it’s so vague is because they want you to fill in the blanks yourself and give them more information, then repeat the cycle of getting more readings.

Spielberg is known for some pretty out-there movies and today we’re paying tribute to him by suggesting some unreal fungi he could use (or possibly has already used) in his films. These fungi are so strange that they could easily find a home in Jurassic Park or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. They’re weird, scary and probably should not be on this planet. And if the title of this article wasn’t enough to prepare you, here’s a disclaimer: turn back if you’re squeamish!

1. Bleeding Tooth Fungus

Not only is the name of this fungus enough to make us cringe, but so is its appearance. When the fungus is young, it has an off-white or beige color with many dotted pores (trypophobes beware!) which ooze out a dark red liquid that looks a lot like blood. In actuality, this vampire’s lollipop is just sap – a potentially helpful one at that. You see, it contains an acid (thelephoric acid) that’s currently being studied as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s. And despite us calling this a “lollipop,” it’s far from sweet; it’s non-toxic but extremely bitter and thus, inedible. 

2. Black Brain Fungus 

Also known as black witches’ butter fungus, this particular microorganism matches its name exactly – it looks like a black version of the gyri and sulci (folds and grooves) of the brain. It can be found in North America and Europe, typically growing on fallen branches and other dead wood. As expected, it has a soft, squishy texture, like one might expect a brain to have. It’s neither classified as edible or inedible so the safe bet would be to just steer clear.

3. Shaggy Ink Cap 

Now this is the type of mushroom you’d expect to find outside the Gingerbread Hag’s (the witch who tried to eat Hansel and Gretel) house and possibly in her cauldron too. Also called the lawyer’s wig, it looks like a normal mushroom except for the black top, that looks like its dripping some equally dark goo that’s very reminiscent of the Mind Flayer’s goo from Stanger Things. Despite the scary factor, the mushroom is edible but must be eaten quickly after being collected as its gills and caps are known to autodigest. 

4. Chicken of the Woods

Chicken of the Woods doesn’t look special in the grand scheme of things, but it does have a particularly wonderful quality – one that baby vegans will love. It tastes like chicken! Now we know that people have the tendency to say every wild and exotic thing tastes like chicken, we’re not kidding or exaggerating in this case; one of its nicknames is “the fried chicken mushroom.” It’s often used a substitute for the meat in vegan and vegetarian diets but in some cases can cause mild reactions like swollen lips, nausea and disorientation. 

5. Bearded Tooth Mushroom

If we took the Whomping Willow, shrunk it, added more volume and made it an all-white mushroom, this is what we would get – minus the desire to destroy everything in its vicinity. The bearded mushroom looks cool yet dangerous, with its mysterious cascade of spines. But despite its appearance, this fungus is a good one since its used in food as well as medicine; it’s actually used in traditional Chinese medicine. Today, we know that it can help with memory loss, depression and other neurological disorders.

The human mind, for all that it’s capable of doing, can really struggle with basic things. In these scenarios, our reptilian brain takes over and makes things a lot harder than they really are. It’s not our fault though, we’re just trying our hardest to make sense of the world around us. Sometimes we laugh it off or sometimes, we’re too busy trying to keep our lunches down. Below are a couple of simple things that are messing with your mind.

1. Motion Sickness Is Mistaken for Poison

If you’re one prone to throwing up during long rides, then take solace in the fact that your brain is simply trying to keep you alive. When the signals don’t line up, like sitting still but also moving, your brain gets confused and can’t decide on what’s really happening. So it freaks out and tells your stomach to get rid of the “toxins” by puking. And according to scientists, the brain does this because it has a deep fear of being poisoned.

2. Eye Contact Freaks Out the Brain

Next time someone fails to hold eye contact during a conversation, don’t be so quick to assume they’re acting shady. It’s more likely that their poor brain’s all jumbled up as it’s trying to multitask. One possible explanation for this is that our brains use the same regions for talking, thinking and maintaining eye contact. Trying to do all those things at once during a conversation creates a lot of confusion. So the brain tries to reduce the number of tasks by making you avert your eyes. 

3. Color Changes When the Brain Bumbles Light

Do you remember that viral post back in 2015 that had people debating the correct color of a dress? Were you team blue and black or team white and gold? If the former, then congrats, you were right, but you already knew that. So why all the commotion? Well, when we look at something, the brain filters out the source of light and tries to extract more light frequencies from the object itself, hence why some people saw the dress as blue and black. But those who focused more on the source of light around the dress perceived it to be white and gold. Talk about a good ole optical illusion.

4. The Good Looks Bias

Our brain is somewhat shallow and superficial. Not you as a person, but your reptilian brain. And the statistics prove it. Attractive people get shorter sentences, more votes and they are generally viewed as more honest, kind, and intelligent. As mentioned earlier, our brains are really bad at multitasking during conversations. So when talking to a good-looking person, it immediately assumes that their character matches their appearance. We know that is usually far from true, hence the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover.”

5. Crossed Arms Can Bring Pain Relief

Ever wondered why some people curl up in a ball when stricken with pain? That’s the brain’s way of creating relief. Crossing your arms has the same effect too! This was proven in a small study back in 2011 where 20 people agreed to have their hands zapped by a laser. When instructed to cross their arms, the participants reported that they felt better and this was reflected in their brainwaves. One possible explanation is that because the brain uses the left hand to touch the left side of the world and the same with the right and the right side – it gets tricked into sensing a weaker pain awareness.

Throughout much of our history, humans have found ways to modify their bodies. And they aren’t just for cultural reasons, since many of us get our ears pierced or tattooed just because we want to. But many societies go to great lengths to alter their appearance, in ways that will leave you speechless. This article highlights some of the most incredible examples of body modification in various cultures.

1. Head Shaping

Head shaping or artificial cranial deformation is exactly as it sounds, where a significant amount of pressure is applied to the skull to change its natural shape. It is only done on babies for up to two to four months, particularly before their fontanel closes during the normal growth process. Doing this ensures that the skull retains its new shape when the sutures close. This was particularly common among the Egyptian royals but was also seen in many other cultures including the Mayans, Incas and a few Native American tribes.

2. Lip Plates

The practice of stretching one’s lips with a disk goes all the way back to 8700 BC in Africa, with tribes in Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea still keeping the tradition alive. For the Mursi and Surma people of Ethiopia, it’s part of a rite of passage usually done about six months before a marriage. A wooden peg is inserted into the lips between the ages of 15 and 18, then slowly replaced by larger pegs and finally a wooden or clay disk. The disk can be any size, with the largest one recorded thus far, measuring an impressive 23.4 inches.

3. Neck Elongation

So far, you’ve learnt what people do with their head and lips, all in the name of beauty. But that’s not all. There’s also neck elongation, and it’s the standard in many African and Asian tribes. This is where women place a number of rings around their neck to create the illusion of a long neck. The reason it’s only an illusion is because they don’t physically lengthen their necks, but rather twist and push the clavicle and ribs much lower than where they should be. Removing them is possible, but also really painful and could even lead to death, so many women simply live with it.

4. Fingertip Removal—Dani Village, New Guinea

Body modification isn’t always done to fit beauty standards. Sometimes it’s simply part of a culture’s supernatural belief system. Take for instance the Dani people in the jungles of Indonesia where female members willingly cut off the upper half of their fingers whenever a loved one dies. This is known as Ikipain and it’s part of a ritual meant to ward off evil spirits. The tradition has since been banned by the Indonesian government, though their members in Western New Guinea haven’t given it up yet.

5. Foot Binding

Foot binding was an old Chinese custom that hasn’t been practiced since the 20th century. It is believed to have originated during the 10th century among the upper-class dancers. Women were the sole practitioners and would begin binding their feet from a very young age, usually four years old. It was often done during the winter so their feet could be numbed by the cold. Then it was soaked in a mixture of herbs and animal fluids, followed by binding the toes against the soles until both the arches and toes were broken. This would then be repeated for several years until the desired shape was achieved.

Food plays a huge role in our everyday lives. After all, without it, we’d barely be able to function. But it’s not only for survival reasons, we also eat for the pure pleasure of it. There’s a wide range of popular foods out there, some with unexpected and shocking origins that you would have never thought of. So why don’t you do the foodie in you a favor and take a look at the weird origin stories of these popular foods.

1. Bacon

If it wasn’t for the Ancient Chinese, then we’d be missing out on the deliciousness that is bacon. See, in 1500 B.C., they were curing their pork bellies with salt and accidentally gave birth to something amazing. The Romans and Greeks learned of the technique during their conquests and wasted no time incorporating it into their culture. It originally went by many names, but the name bacon may have come from the French word “bako” and the Germanic word “bakkon,” which all refer to the back of a pig.

2. The Hot Dog

This popular American food is anything but American. The credit belongs to the Germans, where they were known as “daschund,” little dog sausages and frankfurters. So just how did any of these names become the hot dog? Rumor has it that a group of drunk college students were behind it. While munching on some frankfurters one day, a genius figured out its original German name. He (or she) then went around exclaiming that frankfurters were made from dog meat, leading to its current name. True or not, it definitely makes for a funny story.

3. The Hamburger

If you think that hamburgers were invented in Hamburg, Germany, then you’re partially right. They started out as Hamburg steaks that were basically spiced meat patties made from the Hamburg cow and various spices. However, the real hamburger didn’t show up until much later during the Industrial Revolution where factory workers were fed Hamburg steaks. One brilliant worker, whose name is unknown, started putting the meat between two pieces of bread to make it easier to eat while working. It’s because of him that we get to enjoy this awesome sandwich today.

4. French Fries

No one can blame you for thinking that French fries have some sort of connection to France. But they don’t. The only thing French about french fries is the language spoken in Belgium, where they were invented. One theory is that villagers near the Meuse River replaced their regular fried fish with fried potatoes when the river froze up during the winter. American soldiers caught on to the delicacy, giving it its current name because of the country’s official language. There are other theories, but this one seems to be the most plausible.

5. Mac and Cheese

Who doesn’t love a good ‘ole mac n’ cheese? The Italians were the originators of this dish, though it initially resembled lasagna rather than what we’re used to today. But the American version has a different origin story. According to some sources, mac and cheese started as a casserole dish known as “macaroni pudding” that was commonly served for supper in a New England church. Then Thomas Jefferson, an alleged foodie, had his wife make it for him. She initially used parmesan cheese but Jefferson later substituted it with cheddar cheese. And voila! The very first, real mac and cheese was born.

If you want to know more about pirates, it’s best to crack open a history book because Hollywood’s portrayal of them is far from accurate. We’re talking about you, Pirates of the Caribbean scriptwriters. Yes, we know it’s just entertainment, but these films were popular enough to influence our perception of the fearsome sailors of the Seven Seas. Here are some of Hollywood’s exaggerated or straight-up lies about pirates.

1. Pirates Said “Argh” and “Shiver Me Timbers”

Sorry to ruin this one for you, but pirates did not have a special way of speaking. It makes sense since they were just regular sailors. So where did their distinct vocabulary come from? Well, it started with Robert Barrymore improvising the line “arrrgh!” during the 1934 version of the Treasure Island film. Then actor Robert Newton liked it so much that he did the same in the 1950 version of the film, and even infused some of his country accent and slang into the script. And that was all it took for these phrases to be embedded in our memories.

2. Pirates Wore Eyepatches

Next time you dress up as a pirate for Halloween, be sure to ditch the eyepatch. That’s because there’s barely any historical evidence to suggest that eyepatches were part of the pirate starter-pack. In fact, there’s only one pirate who’s been known to wear one, but that’s because he lost an eye in battle. If you’re still in disbelief, maybe this theory will put you at ease. Some people believe that pirates wore eye patches so that one eye could become accustomed to the dark, because it takes the human eye nearly 25 minutes to adjust from bright sunlight to total darkness.

3. Pirates Buried Their Treasure, Regularly

Pirates weren’t keen on saving, so burying their hard-earned loot was the last thing on their minds. The loot wasn’t always silver and gold, sometimes it could’ve been fabric, cocoa and spices. And once they got their hands on it, the crew quickly divided it among themselves according to their ranks, with the captain getting the largest share. The only time they did bury their treasure was so they could hide it from their enemies. Like that time English pirate Sir Francis Drake hid tons of gold and silver from the Spanish by burying it along the Panamanian coast, only to retrieve it later once they were gone.

4. Pirates Walked the Plank

Theatrics weren’t part of the pirate lifestyle. If they wanted to punish someone, they’d resort to flogging, marooning, throwing them overboard and even downright murder. Taunting their victims to jump off a plank just wasn’t their style, plus most pirates could swim since they worked at sea. The idea of pirates walking the plank came from the 1724 Robinson Crusoe novel by Daniel Dfoe, whose work influenced other writers and filmmakers to do the same. If it wasn’t for him, then maybe Hollywood wouldn’t run those plank scenes to the ground.

5. Pirate Ships Were Enormous

When you think about pirates sailing the Seven Seas, you’d imagine them doing so with large, three-masted galleons accompanied by a bunch of cannons. Pirates may have found them to be inconvenient as they were large and sunk deep below the waterline. So smaller, single-masted sloops were their vessels of choice, as it made for much quicker getaways. Hollywood, on the other hand, preferred to equip their pirates with larger vessels because it made filming easier as they had more room for the equipment and actors. And it made the pirates seem more intimidating, don’t you agree?

Today, anyone looking for a free meal could easily be fed by a charity or shelter with no hassle. But it wasn’t always that simple, especially in the UK. There were (and still are) some really odd ways of feeding those who wanted food, and it was, in some ways, pretty similar to Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games, no pun intended. This article highlights some of the craziest ways you could get fed for free in the UK.

1. Bull Baiting

What was supposed to be a simple feeding program as per the will of a deceased butcher, turned into something completely unexpected, and not in a good way. When George Staverton passed away in 1661, he left behind some money so that the underprivileged people of Wokingham would receive beef and leather. Instead of just using the bulls as they normally would, the poor animals were pitted against dogs in a vicious fight that left both badly wounded. And it was only then that the locals would get their free meat. The tradition ended in 1821 but the free meat continued, with the bulls receiving a more humane ending.

2. Cheese Rolling

So, you’re standing near Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester when a horde of people start rolling down the hill like stowaway logs. No, they weren’t threatened or pushed, but willingly flung themselves over for the chance to win a regular cheese wheel that was just sent down the hill. And it’s not just the locals who partake. The event draws participants from all over the world including Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Nepal. As you can imagine, many people are left nursing bruises and broken bones, even to this day.

3. Scrambling Cakes

The citizens of Twickenham during the late 1360s had a very strange way of celebrating Easter Sunday. For some reason, the local church decided to replace their previous food distribution of peas or beans with throwing two “great cakes” at the poor. You can imagine the riots that ensued. Eventually, the Parliament of 1645 banned the tradition due to its disruptiveness and suggested that the church hand out loaves of bread instead of cake. The celebrations certainly became quieter after this!

4. Beating the Bounds in Leighton Buzzard

If you’re feeling for some hot, steamy buns, then take a trip to the All Saints Church in Leighton Buzzard during the Rogation Days. The tradition was started by a man named Edward Wilkes who built ten almshouses in honor of his father to provide food and shelter for the needy. On his deathbed, he requested that beer and bread be given out every Rogation Tide. It was a hit among the townsfolk and thousands of buns were consumed every year, making it hard for the bakers to keep up with. So, the church took over the bun distribution and has ever since.

5. St. Briavels

In the mood for small cubes of cheese and bread, but don’t want to spend your own money? Then don’t worry, the Anglican church in the small village of St. Briavels has you covered. Every year, following a sermon from an invited vicar, select locals take baskets of the aforementioned goods, climb to the top of a wall, and pelt it at the crowd below. Some even use upturned umbrellas so they won’t have to pick it off the ground. What’s even stranger is that some people don’t even eat it, but use it as a good luck charm that they place under their pillows.

Volcanic eruptions are some of the most terrifying yet fascinating natural disasters that happen on Earth. They’re capable of wiping out entire towns and creating new islands, leaving us mere mortals to just watch in awe, albeit from a safe distance. But while we think that we may have a good grasp on how eruptions work, most of us really don’t. There are all sorts of misunderstandings and misconceptions surrounding volcanoes that we are all guilty of. This list below will help shine a light on what some of them are.

1. Eruptions Start at the Top of a Volcano

Now, we can’t exactly be blamed for assuming this one; after all, there have been countless sightings of magma and ash being expelled from a volcano’s crater. But this isn’t always the case. The molten rock flowing inside a volcano will exploit any zone of weakness it meets. One such example was when Mount St. Helens exploded sideways in 1980 after a landslide weakened the surrounding walls. This type of eruption can be way deadlier than regular ones because there’s usually little to no warning that the volcano is about to erupt.

2. Molten Rock Powers Eruptions

Many of us assume that because magma explodes out of volcanoes that it must be what powers eruptions. Science says otherwise, though; it’s actually gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide that have been dissolved in the molten rock. The gases bubble out of the magma as it gets higher since the pressure is decreasing because there is less rock. This speeds up the rising melt, causing a chain reaction that leads to an eruption – but only if the gases don’t run out and or if they don’t encounter some sort of barrier along the way.

3. Lava Always Erupts in Flows

Some volcanoes give us a couple of warning signs before letting it all out. But others will violently explode in a spectacular plume of molten rock. Either way, the eruption isn’t always a Hawaiian-style flow. As mentioned earlier, volcanoes are powered by natural gases, which build up a lot quicker in magma with high levels of silica, leading to more internal pressure. The more pressure, the less likely you’ll see the slow flow that we see in so many movies. All that’s left is for the volcano’s rock to give way, even just a little bit and then… BOOM! It goes off, like removing the cork of a champagne bottle that’s been shaken.

4. Volcanoes Erupt Smoke

That towering cloud of smoke often seen expelled from a volcano? Those are actually tiny bits of jagged stone and natural glass that can do serious damage to both your body and nearby buildings. They can get into the lungs if inhaled and even behind contact lenses. And it’s heavy too, with just four inches of this plume weighing a shocking 120-200 pounds per square yard – which is probably more than enough to collapse your roof. Electronics are also at risk of getting damaged, since volcanic ash is a conductor of electricity.

5. Any Super Volcano Eruption Means the End of the World

The word “super volcano” sounds really intimidating, which is why many people believe that such a volcano exploding would be some kind of apocalyptic-level event. In reality, these kinds of eruptions are actually rare and occur every few thousand years. The last known super eruption took place at least 630,000 years ago. But smaller ones do happen pretty often. Take for example the Yellowstone Volcano in Wyoming where every two or three years, it has a small hydrothermal explosion. And according to scientists, it’s next explosion will either be a hydrothermal blast or a lava flow.

It is human nature to want to push one’s limits, to want to be the first to complete something and to be the best in their field and that is why there is an entire organization dedicated to recording such historical events. Breaking or setting a world record is a great accomplishment, but there are some records that beg the question, “why” and rather than give the person the glory and fame they deserve, they’re met with side eyes and scorn. Here’s a list of some of the most pointless world records set, according to the internet. 

1. The Most Tattooed Person

Long before tattoos became a popular form of self-expression, tribes around the world used them to mark a person’s status or rank, as a pledge of love and protection and even for spiritual devotion. An Australian man named Gregory Paul McLaren, who goes by Lucky Diamond Rich, may not have factored the original meanings of tattoos when he covered his entire body in ink. In 2006, he took the title from Tom Leppard after having every inch, yes, every inch, of skin covered in tattoos. He achieved the feat by tattooing onto previously tattooed skin, with 3-4 layers in some place. He’s said it’s an honor and a privilege to hold the title. 

2. The Loudest Scream

While most might have thought that this record would be held by a rock singer, the record was set by Irish teacher Annalisa Flannagan in 1994 when she screamed an amazing 120 decibels – the loudness of a plane taking off. Six years later, another teacher, Jill Drake, this time in Britain, broke that record by screaming at 129 decibels. According to the CDC, noise above 70 decibels over a long period of time can lead to damage, but loud noise above 120 decibels can cause immediate harm to one’s ears. 

3. Furthest Distance Traveled Across LEGOs

Kevin Strahle, better known as L.A. Beast, is a YouTube sensation with millions of followers. In November 2020, Strahle broke the record for the longest distance walked over LEGO pieces. Why? We’re still wondering ourselves. He traveled approximately 3,886.3 meters or 12,750 feet, beating out former record holder Salacnib Molina by just over 50 feet. At the end, he was unable to walk for several days after he broke the record. The entire process was recorded and can be found on his YouTube page. 

4. Most Objects in a Beard 

Quite a few Guinness World Records were broken during the pandemic, but none may have been as “interesting” as Joel Strasser breaking several records for the most objects in a beard. Currently Strasser holds records for, but not limited to, the most chopsticks, the most golf tees, the most straws and the most Christmas ornaments in a beard. According to Strauss, it’s all about the technique; he says that he stacks the objects in such a way that they stay in his beard. 

5. Most Live Snails on the Face

While some people train for months in order to get into the Guinness World Book of Records, others just go outside and put slimy mollusks on their faces. 11-year-old Fin Keleher from Sandy, Utah broke the previous 2007 record for the most snails on the face (36). After gathering the snails from his neighbors’ gardens, several snails were placed on Fin’s face as he sat back in a reclining chair. The snails that stayed on after 10 seconds were counted. The current record is 43.