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Dr. Franklin Ruehl has been receiving questions from many fans since his
acclaimed appearances on MTV's The New Tom Green Show!
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 Back in 1958, data from America's very first successful satellite, Explorer I, confirmed that our planet is girdled by an inner belt of high-energy particles from outer space, trapped by the earth's magnetic field. An outer belt was later identified, and both were named after discoverer Dr. James Van Allen of the University of Iowa.
Not only do these trapped, highly-charged cosmic rays disrupt the performance of orbiting manned spacecraft and unmanned satellites, but they also pose a lethal threat to astronauts passing through them on missions to outer space! Intriguingly, an American firm, Tethers Unlimited, Inc. (Lynnwood, WA) has proposed deploying humongous 62-mile long electrically conductive tethers into space from satellites to defuse the Belts! These tethers, charged with a high voltage, would create powerful electric fields which would draw out the Belt particles, causing them to fall into the lower atmosphere where friction would harmlessly disintegrate them. Scientists calculate that five such tethers could reduce the content of the Belts by a whopping 99% in just six months! As a future potential application, such tethers conceivably could be utilized to reduce the atmospheric radiation of other planets, such as Jupiter and Uranus, enabling man one day to terraform them into habitable sites for human colonization! |
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Most assuredly! Because most microwave ovens are characterized by so-called "hot spots," which are bombarded by microwaves, and "cold spots," which are free of them, an ant (or any other small insect) has a decent chance of surviving. This is tied into the problem of uneven heating due to "standing waves" formed when microwaves are reflected off of the oven's walls.
However, newer, more sophisticated models have minimized this problem, leading to more thorough cooking... and a reduced chance for the ant's survival within one! |
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Typically, as a basic principle of thermodynamics, materials expand when heated. However, a few enigmatic compounds have been discovered that actually shrink upon heating, a phenomenon technically termed "negative thermal expansion."
Significantly, one compound, zirconium tungsate, a compound of zirconium, tungsten, and oxygen, has been found to exhibit an extremely consistent rate of contraction, unlike any other known material, when exposed to higher temperatures-- even up to 1420 degrees Fahrenheit! Several applications for it are already being proposed, such as a substitute material for dental fillings, which currently have an unpleasant tendency to expand and crack when repeatedly exposed to hot beverages. Other potential uses include as bases for silicon chips in computer circuits, as materials for ceramic dishes used in ovens, and as components in high-heat Formula One racing autos. Intriguingly, zirconium was mentioned in the Scriptures under such names as jargon, jacinth, and hyacinth. |
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Traditional angiography, performed in a hospital, entails the painful injection of a special dye that circulates in the coronary arteries, which are then X-rayed to reveal a picture of any potentially lethal blockages. However, the procedure does not actually produce an image of the working heart, and carries with it a 1% death rate! Moreover, it is rather costly at $10,000 a pop!
But fortunately, a new approach, Electron Beam Angiography (EBA), has been developed. It consists of the introduction of a dye by a simple IV in the arm, which is followed by a rapid electron beam scan of the heart once the dye begins circulating. This yields a series of highly-detailed 3-D shots of the heart in action in a harmless procedure. As a bonus, EBA costs only $1,000, and is covered by insurance. Dr. John Osborne, spokesman for Via Scan (Las Colinas, TX), developer of EBA, asserted: "Electron beam angiography has really helped us to be able to make it easier and simpler, and safer and cheaper, as a way, in certain people, to look at the blood vessels and help determine if those blood vessels are still open." |
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Such mirror-- or "double"-- images result from a phenomenon known as the "gravitational lens effect." This occurs when a massive object, such as a galaxy, or black hole is positioned near the line of sight of light being emitted from a distant celestial object, whether it be a nebula or another galaxy. The massive object's gravitational field acts as a lens to bend the light, producing one or more bright images of that original object. Hence, a nebula (humongous cloud of interstellar gas) could be appear as a doublet to an observer on earth.
Intriguingly, while a terrestrial astronomer observing a particular object might observe this double image, an alien observer on another world viewing the very same nebula at that exact same moment might not, because it is entirely dependent on the viewer's perspective. On a fascinating note: more than two mirror images can be generated by this effect. Indeed, in 2001, Dr. David Rusin of the University of Pennsylvania announced the extraordinary discovery of a six-fold gravitational lensing. Specifically, the image of a galaxy some 11 billion light-years removed was divided into six separate images by the G-fields of a trio of galaxies some 7 billion light-years removed, situated along the line of sight. (The entire gravitational lens array has the designation CLASS B1359+154.) Gravitational lenses of a more complicated nature can be created by galactic clusters or black holes (massive dead stars). Conceivably, a single image might be split into 12,15, perhaps even 20 separate images! These spectacles may be discovered by tomorrow's ultra-sophisticated telescopes. |
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According to the "stardust hypothesis," the first generation of stars formed when the universe began with the "Big Bang" some 14 to 20 billion years ago. Within their broiling cores, heavier elements needed for human life, such as iron, were fashioned. As these stars died off, many as explosive supernovae, they yielded a reservoir of material in the form of titanic clouds of dust and gas from which succeeding generations of stars evolved, such as our own sun, with residual rings of material encircling them that ultimately coalesced into planets.
Hence, the planets, such as earth, should be composed of stardust. And accordingly, all life on such planets, including human beings, is hypothesized to be comprised of the essence of long dead stars! While cosmological doctrine does hold that our sun evolved from gargantuan globules of cosmic dust and gas, there has been a debate as to whether those clouds were composed purely of stardust or of dust from rocky bodies, such as asteroids, that never were part of a star, or a combination of the two. Intriguingly, astronomers have been analyzing interplanetary dust particles, or IDPs, which were retrieved from the earth's upper atmosphere by special NASA planes dubbed "High Altitude Dust Collectors." Incredibly, each IDP consists of approximately 100,000 individual minuscule grains, each only nanometers in diameter (billionths of a foot). Utilizing the new French NanoSIMs ion microprobe, astrochemists have thus far identified six grains that were definitely stardust originating from beyond our solar system. Amazingly, they came from at least three different stars: a red giant; a metal-poor star; and a metal-rich star, perhaps a supernova. Overall, they determined that approximately 1% of interstellar dust is composed of actual stardust. So it appears that we may owe a small part of our human condition to stardust, but not all of it. Obviously, further research is called for and is actually being conducted. For instance, the space probe Stardust, launched in February, 1999, has already collected several IDPs and has a rendezvous with the comet Wild 2 slated for January 2, 2004, where it will accumulate cometary particles, returning its cosmic sampling to earth after that time for a first-hand detailed analysis. Ruehl Fact: In his book, "Vital Dust," Nobel Prize-winning chemist Christian De Duve argued that cosmic dust particles bearing organic compounds may have provided the basic building blocks for life on planets throughout the cosmic backdrop! |
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Heartburn, technically known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occurs when gastric acid refluxes, or moves back up from the stomach into the esophagus, resulting in a painful sensation.
A mind-boggling new approach entails using a device known as an "Endostitch" to sew up the esophagus at the so-called "Z-line" which separates the esophageal mucosa from the gastric mucosa (i.e. the border between the esophagus and the stomach). An endoscope is threaded down the patient's throat into the base of the esophagus, with the surgeon employing an attachment to add one to three stitches to narrow the opening to lessen the risk of acid splattering upward! The procedure requires only a local anesthetic and takes under an hour, with subjects able to return to a normal routine within a day! Dr.David Carr-Locke of Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston, remarked: "By putting one, two, or three stitches that are brought together and perhaps narrowing that area, we think we can stop reflux from occurring. "So far, in the 110 patients we've treated, we see an absolutely perfect response in about 65%. "In other words, patients come off all medications and don't need to take anything." The Endocinch approach appears to be safe, and has been approved by the FDA. Ruehl Fact: An estimated 25 million Americans suffer heartburn on a daily basis, and another 60 million experience the unpleasant condition once a month! |
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. Incredibly, chicken dung may soon be utilized to clear up polluted water!
Researchers have recently created activated carbon pellets from fowl waste that have displayed a remarkable ability to absorb contaminant metals, such as copper, from water. Use of chicken manure would combat two problems: the increasing cost of coal, which has provided the basis for activated carbon filters, and the disposal of chicken droppings which, up until now, have been of no commercial value. Dr. Isabel Lima, research chemist at the Commodity Utilization Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service's Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, asserted: "It's turning poop to gold." It should be stressed that the chicken pellets have been absolutely sanitized and would pose no danger whatsoever to the water they would be used to filter! (However, TABLOIDBABY.COM editor Burt Kearns snarled: "I would sooner swallow a mouthful of arsenic than drink water that had been, ha, purified with chicken poop!") Ruehl Fact: A group of chickens is a "peep." |
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Those tails are analogous to the stabilizers on the tails of airplanes. They serve to stabilize the kite in the air, preventing it from rolling, spinning-- and crashing to the ground.
Ruehl Fact: Kites were being flown by the Chinese at least as early as 1000 B.C.! |
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A question from devoted reader Daniel Huffines:
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Back in 1917, German and English troops waged a fever-pitched battle at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kenya, with numerous fatalities on both sides. Indeed, the British, outnumbered 2-to-1, fought valiantly, but ultimately were totally decimated.
Since then, locals have claimed to see a re-enactment of this carnage waged between phantom troopers once a year at the foot of the grand peak! And an eerie incident in 1942 offers dramatic testament to the veracity of these reports. Paul Smiles, a British army lieutenant stationed in Kenya, decided to go lion hunting one evening below the towering mountain. A guide, Simbia, had told him of a pride of lions that had been targeting local cattle, so Smiles stationed himself in a shooting stand, waiting for his opportunity. Suddenly, he spotted them and was about to take aim when gunfire in the distance spooked them, ruining his chances for a trophy. Angrily, he accused Simbia of dispersing the felids. But the guide denied ever firing, instead directing Smiles to a clearing about 500 feet away, where he witnessed and heard phantom German and British infantrymen, attired in the garb of three decades earlier, fighting a ghostly engagement! And representing objective witnesses to this supernatural clash were the lions, who bolted when hearing those paranormal shots! Several other battle sites around the globe are marked by the appearance of phantom soldiers, supporting the hypothesis that individuals whose lives are taken so prematurely, so violently, tend to linger at, or haunt, the scenes of their untimely deaths! |
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A question from loyal reader Spikey:
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In 1585, the English established the colony of Roanoke on an island off of the North Carolina coast. But when a supply ship arrived in 1590, the colonists had enigmatically vanished, leaving only a single clue, the word "Croatoan" inscribed on a tree. That may have indicated a local tribe of Indians that had either offered them shelter as their rations dwindled-- or massacred them in retaliation for infringing on their territory.
Another hypothesis is that as provisions ran low, they became desperate, killing each other off, with the last remaining colonist dumping the others' cadavers in the water and then committing suicide by drowning. And some ufologists have speculated that those colonists were actually America's 1st UFO abductees, having been spirited away to an undersea UFO bivouac in the nearby Bermuda Triangle. However, countering that was the discovery in 1607 by colonists in Jamestown, Virginia, about 100 miles north, of Indians with blue eyes, blond hair and English surnames, factors suggesting that the Roanoke settlers migrated north and integrated with a local tribe! While we may never learn the true answer, the mystery of "The Lost Colony of Roanoke" is endlessly fascinating and absorbing! |
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A question from staunch reader Roy Allen:
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Maybe!
According to Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity, the speed of light, designated by the Letter C, has an immutable value of 186,282 miles per second. However, this concept is being challenged by the new VSL (or Varying Speed of Light) Theory, enunciated by Dr. Joao Magueijo of Imperial College in London, which argues that C can exceed that value. Specifically, he proposes that light was initially much faster at the time of the Big Bang which created our island universe some 14 to 20 billion years ago. Importantly, such a greater value of C can account for the cosmos' flatness and isotropy (i.e. uniformity in all directions). While these factors are also explained by the Inflationary Theory, this is an extraordinary concept which contends that our universe grew from the size of a microscopic subatomic particle to immense proportions in a fraction of a second, and makes the VSL concept plausible. While the VSL Theory is still admittedly highly controversial, one recent analysis of 68 deep-space quasars that are some 12 billion years old indicates that, indeed, light did travel faster during the earliest stages of our cosmos. Follow-up studies are being planned to test the validity of this observation. One intriguing consequence of the VSL Theory is that residual "cosmic strings," or narrow bands of energy, left from the Big Bang, may still exist throughout the celestial expanse which would permit spacecraft traveling along them to move at faster-than-light speeds, thereby allowing for the exploration of distant sectors of the heavens in relatively short trips. Terrestrial astrophysicists of tomorrow may well develop a method to identify and exploit them. And of course, advanced ETs on other worlds may have already learned how to tap into these galactic pathways, perhaps even visiting earth by way of one of them! Aside from tapping into "cosmic strings," advanced technologies, perhaps analogous to the warp drive of "Star Trek," may well be perfected in the future. On an interesting note, Einstein's equations actually forbid only travel at precisely C, which results in a singularity mathematically expressed by dividing by zero. But travel at beyond C yields equations involving so-called "complex numbers" whose physical interpretation is the subject of endless debate. But in view of all of the evidence, including certain stars that appear to be moving at superluminal velocities, I expect that humans of the future will exceed C, and that advanced aliens elsewhere in the cosmos have already done so! Ruehl Fact: One ramification of the Theory of Relativity is time dilation, whereby the faster an object moves, whether it be an astronaut, spaceship, or electron, the slower time passes for it, that is, time for it is dilated, or stretched out. As an example, if a terrestrial spaceship traveled to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, some 4.3 light years removed, at 99% of the speed of light and returned to earth, the astronauts aboard it would have aged 8.6 years while the earth would have aged 432 years! |
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| No! This myth developed when someone saw an ostrich with its head in the ground searching for water, which the bird does during droughts. Actually, the ostrich is a powerful bird that can kick and bite to defend itself, or run off quickly, when faced with danger, but definitely not bury its head in the sand! |
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| While numerous fascinating hypotheses abound as to the site of the celebrated Lost Continent, such as in Bolivia and off of the England's Cornish coast, I find the arguments for the "Crustal Shift Theory" most compelling!
According to paleoarchaeologist Rand Flem-Ath, author of the absorbing book, "When The Sky Fell" (St. Martin's Press), icy Antarctica was actually Atlantis! When it flourished some 12,000 years ago as the mecca of culture and learning, it was literally at the center of a single global ocean. But when a catastrophic crustal shift occurred, it carried lands in temperate climates, such as Atlantis, several thousand miles south. Atlantis was pulled down to the South Pole where it froze over, dooming the mighty civilization that existed upon it! Flem-Ath detailed the tragedy: "About 12,000 years ago, the entire outer shell of the earth's crust moved about 2,000 miles south. And when the crust shifted, all of Atlantis was encapsulated by the polar zone, becoming the continent of Antarctica we know today. At the same time, North America was released from the Arctic Circle and became temperate. So we had ice melting in North America, ice forming in Antarctica, that is, Atlantis." Hence, what was Atlantis' loss was America's gain. If we could penetrate the icy crust of Antarctica today, perhaps down to a depth of two miles, possibly with a hi-tech laser drlll, we might well discover ancient artifacts from Atlantis, confirming the veracity of this unusual hypothesis! |
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| An excellent candidate for this title was William McKinley, our 25th President, who always wore a bright red carnation in his lapel for luck.
However, on one fateful Friday, September 6, 1901, he made the mistake of giving his "charm" to an enchanting little girl while on a visit to Buffalo, NY for a business conference. Later that day, divested of the protection of his favorite flower, he was mortally wounded by crazed assassin Leon Czolgosz! |
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| Surprisingly, as early as 1901 when few people even had cars! New York State began requiring drivers to place large, homemade I.D. tags on their cars that featured their own initials! It wasn't until several years later that states began to make and issue official license plates in a codified manner. |
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| Yes!
He carried with him a lifelong phobia of the date, January 24, the day
his father died in 1895.
He worried throughout his life that he would die on that date, and sure enough, in 1965, he succumbed on January 24. Was this pure coincidence, an act of destiny, or a self-fulfilling prophecy whereby he mentally willed himself to die on that fateful day? You have
read the evidence... I will let you decide the answer! |
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Intriguingly, that process of transforming other worlds into terrestrial clones, technically known as "terraformation," has been in our technological grasp for some time!
With respect to Venus, rockets from earth could seed the planet's luxuriant cloud cover with 100s of megatons of the hardy blue-green algae known as nostoc, which would conduct photosynthesis on a widespread basis, gradually decreasing the carbon dioxide count while simultaneously increasing the oxygen volume! Over time, perhaps on the order of a century, the Venusian temperature and pressure would undergo significant reductions while its oxygen and water percentage would soar, creating a habitable world for humans! The transmogrification of Mars could readily be conducted by simultaneously melting both its polar caps, releasing trapped water that would create verdant fields and produce an atmosphere with a greater oxygen content. That crucial melting could be triggered in several ways, such as by detonating strategically-placed thermonuclear warheads or orbiting solar mirrors above both poles to direct sunlight that would gradually dissolve them. And to render the soil more conducive to growth, shiploads of a terrestrial microorganism could be deposited on the surface. Indeed, noted microbiologist Dr. Imre Friedmann of NASA's Ames Research Center (CA) has recently nominated the resistant bacterium Chroococcidiopsis as the ideal candidate for this astroengineering project. Hopefully, scientists will defer these terraformation programs until these two bodies have been thoroughly investigated for any indigenous bioforms, which may range from low-level lichens to highly advanced entities! Only if they prove to be devoid of any native life should we undertake to colonize them! Of course, the converse scenario also exists, whereby aliens might wish to transform our planet to one compatible with their needs through climatological warfare! For instance, ETs might endeavor to Venusicate us, not they would necessarily be from Venus, but rather, a high-temperature planet, where the transformation process would entail suffusing our atmosphere with gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, which would accelerate the greenhouse effect. Or ETs might intend to Martianize us, again not they are from Mars, but rather, a colder planet, where the process could be accomplished by releasing gases, such as nitrous oxide and dioxide, into our atmosphere which would reflect impingent sunlight back into space, engendering a cooling trend. And in this context, the current rash of volcanic eruptions globally, which spew cooling compounds into the air, could be part of a long-term alien plan for the Martianization of terra firma! Indeed, a UFO was recently photographed in the vicinity of Mexico's volatile Mt. Popo! |
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| These holes actually fit over tiny bumps within each socket, which makes for a tighter fit so the plug is less likely to fall out. Those holes also allow for small safety locks to be attached to prevent unauthorized use of appliances and other devices when unplugged!
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| No! As far as anyone knows, buffalo were never in upstate New York! Rather, early French settlers in the region named a nearby magnificent river, "Belle Fleuve," which translates as "beautiful river."
Later English arrivals corrupted that pronunciation to "Bell-flow," and ultimately to the current "Buffalo." |
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| It originated in the South, being a clipped form of the word "brother." While sometimes used in a disparaging sense today, it began as a term of endearment! |
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| Skeptics
maintain that since the future has not yet occurred, there would be no
way according to scientific principles to possibly tap into it. However,
distinguished English physicist Julian Barbour has hypothesized a contrary
universe, in which all time periods, past, present, and future, are immutably
fixed for eternity! His version of reality certainly allows for the possibility
of discerning future events! Telepathy offers one potential avenue of approach at divining the future. A psychically-gifted individual might, for example, be able to read the thoughts of someone, say a presidential assassin envisioning exactly how he planned to carry out his evil act, and issue a reliable prediction based on that paranormal insight. And on a more mystifying level, a study by Dr. Steven Broudie, professor of philosophy at the University of Maryland, determined that an inordinate number of train travelers have cancelled their reservations just prior to a crash, suggesting some type of precognitive ability at work. Additionally, clinical psychologist David Ryback, author of "Dreams That Come True," declared: "Approximately one out of 12 Americans has experienced a psychic dream! "The psychic vision can occur either while the event is actually taking place or within a few days or a week of it."
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Quite the contrary! The vessel, whose official name was the U.S.S. Constitution, was made of oak! But during the War of 1812, a sailor saw a shot from a British warship literally bounce off of one side, and asserted that it had sides made of iron. That mistaken assumption then became entrenched in American mythology with the publication of Oliver Wendell Holmes' popular poem, "Old Ironsides."
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| A clever king of Siam once routinely gifted rivals with rare white elephants in an attempt to bankrupt them. Because they were considered sacred, these pachyderms had to be given special food and attention, costing considerable money, and of course, could never be used as drudge animals. The hapless recipient had no choice but to accept the burdensome present or risk offending the monarch! The term then entered the popular vernacular as anything expensive and useless! |
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| An amazing
new pain-free dental drill uses water-- yes, I said water-- to remove
cavities. Dubbed the "water laser," the new device employs a high-speed
spray of water to do needed cutting. Not only can it be employed to remove
cavities, but also to reconfigure gums and even carry out dreaded root
canals! Dr. Ken Kirkaham of Fort Worth, Texas, asserted: "The cutting of the teeth is done with water molecules!" Not only are the "water laser" procedures relatively pain-free, but also faster than standard techniques. For example, Dr. Kirkaham is able to fill two cavities for one patient in less than 10 minutes! However, there is a down side, as the "water laser" is not suitable for use on crowns or teeth with silver or amalgam fillings. But at the pace dental technology is moving, some other fast, pain-free methodology may be developed for them in the near future. Ruehl Fact: "Algophobia" is the fear of pain! |
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. No! One cuff tends to wear out at a faster rate. It is on the sleeve that covers the wrist on which a man wears his wristwatch. Over the course of a day, as he repeatedly moves his arm, the cuff is passing back and forth over and against the watch, which typically has a metal wristband and metal edges. Over the period of several months, the inner part of that cuff will begin to show signs of wear. Now, this deterioration will be significantly more pronounced for heavier flannel shirts (aka "lumberjack shirts") than for thin cotton and polyester blends, as the heavier material will be pressing more forcefully against the watch.
The effect will be more noticeable for someone who regularly wears a coat, as the coat sleeve forces the shirt cuff against the watch. Intriguingly, because most people tend to wear their watch on the wrist of the hand they DO NOT write with, the right sleeves of lefties and the left sleeves of righties should deteriorate at a faster rate. Fellows can easily verify this phenomenon by examining the insides of the cuffs of any long-sleeved flannel shirts they own! Obviously, this is not a problem for men who wear short-sleeved shirts or typically roll up their sleeves! Ruehl Fact: The name "cotton gin" used for the cotton seed removal device invented by Eli Whitney was a contraction for "cotton engine." |
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| Occasionally, an unstable atom will spontaneously undergo fission, splitting into two, typically uneven, fragments. Our island universe can be viewed as a gargantuan atom, with an inherent instability produced by opposing forces of expansion, provided by the so-called mysterious "dark energy," and contraction, produced by the equally mysterious "dark matter."
Hence, the idea that it could at some future date undergo spontaneous fission into two, or possibly three, distinct segments that would fly off in different directions in a "Big Split" certainly appears viable. But the universe's inherent isotropy, or symmetry in all directions, seems to weigh in against that possibility. However, a new analysis (carried out by Dr.Max Tegmark of the University of Pennsylvania, utilizing the Wilkinson Anisotropy Probe) of the background cosmic microwave radiation that was originally created at the time of the "Big Bang" some 14 to 20 billion years ago when the cosmos was born, indicates that there exists a barely discernible anisotropy, or asymmetry, in this radiation. While surprising, this result suggests that for some unexplained reason, one direction is slightly favored in terms of the distribution of this radiation. That factor, in turn, could indicate that a subtle instability exists in the cosmos which could set the stage for an eventual spontaneous fission. So instead of endlessly expanding outward equally in all directions, or ultimately slamming back against itself in a so-called "Big Crunch," the universe we know today could one day indeed undergo a "Big Split"! Ruehl Fact: A "parsec" is a measure of celestial distance, equal to 3.26 light-years, or 19.2 trillion miles! |
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Vehicles of tomorrow may well have frames constructed of carbon fiber and polyester composites, or "compos, " which are lighter than steel, yet actually stronger! Indeed, a new fleet of 20 so-called "Compo-buses" just made its debut on the streets of Los Angeles, courtesy of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, or MTA. Each bus weighs about 2,100 pounds (slightly more than a ton) less than a standard steel-frame bus.
Their lighter bodies mean that they not only will get better mileage, reducing fuel costs, but also will have faster acceleration and improved engine performance. And, importantly, they will experience less wear and tear on their brakes because of their reduced weight! Moreover, their stronger bodies will render them more resistant to damage from side impacts. Additionally, their corrosion-resistant bodies will last longer, perhaps 16 to 18 years as opposed to the current life expectancy of 12 years. The present test will help determine if any unforeseen problems exist with compo vehicles, but other cities are already expressing interest in adding such buses to their metropolitan fleets. And if they prove to be as good as they look on paper, we should expect such composites to begin being utilized in the manufacture of everyday automobiles and trucks! Ruehl Fact: Steel is primarily iron-fortified with traces of carbon and sometimes other elements, such as manganese, chromium, and/or nickel! |
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| According
to exhaustive research conducted by Dr. Ralph Allison, a senior psychiatrist
at the state prison in San Luis Obispo, CA, a number of supposedly mentally ill patients are actually possessed by evil beings! He asserted: "My conclusion after 30 years of observing over 1,000 mentally disturbed individuals is that some patients act in a bizarre fashion due to possession by spirits! The spirit may be that of a human being who died. Or, it may be a spirit entity that has never been a human being and sometimes identifies itself as an agent of evil. "Possession
should be considered as a possible cause whenever a |
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| An excellent
candidate would be the 1834 case of two Maori females who were aboard a canoe that sank in New Zealand's Cook Strait. Just as they thought they were doomed to a watery grave, a whale carcass floated by. They both grabbed hold of a harpoon embedded in the cetacean's back, tenaciously clinging to it until it was finally washed ashore, a perilous journey of some 80 miles over rough seas! |
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| Chemotherapeutic
agents are designed to zero in on rapidly dividing cells, the key characteristic of cancer cells. But hair cells also fall into this category, and thus are also targeted. But there
is hope looming on the horizon, as a new enzyme-inhibiting drug (being
developed by Glaxo Wellcome Research & Development) has shown promise
in temporarily stopping hair cells from dividing so they Nausea and
vomiting are similarly induced by chemotherapy, as the drugs destroy
rapidly dividing cells in the stomach and intestinal wall. Drugs to
inhibit their growth may alleviate these devastating side effects in
the future! |
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| Originally,
these men were other boxers who were prepared to enter the ring for a
"second" bout if there was a quick knockout in the first match!
Considering how fast some championship bouts end on pay-per-view, this
sounds like a great idea! |
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| Surprisingly,
not a single one!
That is the mind-boggling conclusion of Egyptologist Dr. Dominic Montserrat of London's Open University, author of the intriguing book, "History, Fantasy, and Ancient Egypt." He determined that no curses whatsoever were placed on royal tombs to discourage robbers! The concept of such a deadly incantation apparently dates back to a bizarre 1821 "burlesque" show near London's Picadilly Circus, wherein mummies on stage were slowly unwrapped before cheering audiences! The following year, author Jane Webb, perhaps motivated by this, penned "The Mummy," a novel concerning a homicidal mummy revivified in the 22nd century, bent on revenge. And a specific curse was detailed in the 1869 work, "The Mummy's Curse," written by the celebrated American novelist Louisa May Alcott of "Little Women" fame. (While this may seem a bit out of character for Alcott, it should be noted that she had an abiding interest in occult matters with a strong belief in reincarnation. She once wrote: "I seem to remember former states and feel that in them I have learned some of the lessons that have never since been mine here. And in my next step, I hope to leave behind many of the trials I have struggled to bear here and begin to find them lightened as I go on.") When Tutankhamen's tomb was opened in 1922, Scottish authoress Minnie MacKay conjured up the idea that all involved in the desecration were cursed. The abrupt and mysterious demise of expedition leader Lord Carnarvon two weeks later certainly seemed to validate the concept of "the mummy's curse." And five others intimately involved in Tut's unearthing died within ten years. But on the other hand, twenty others lived well beyond that, challenging the reality of the curse. Incidentally, the noted mystic and palmist Cheiro had warned Carnarvon that death would be his punishment if he dared violate the burial chamber, but he obviously paid no heed to that admonition. The notion
that mummies can be reanimated after centuries of burial defies logic
as they were traditionally eviscerated, with all of their organs (including
the brain) removed and placed in sacred coptic jars. When Universal
produced 1932's "The Mummy" starring Boris Karloff, they skirted
this problem by noting that he had been given a dishonorable live burial,
without being gutted and embalmed, allowing him to walk and talk again.
In the quartet of Universal sequels, the mummies were similarly disgracefully
interred, but had their tongues cut out so they could only groan in
their revivified state (as was the case with Christopher Lee in Hammer's
1959 remake, "The Mummy"). |
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| Amazingly,
a new analysis by Drs. James Head and Jay Melosh of the University of
Arizona indicates that on average, a Martian fragment strikes the earth
every single month! Basically, meteoritic and asteroidal impacts on the
Martian surface over the eons have catapulted material from it into space.
With time, which can range from a few years to literally millions of years,
some of those rocky chunks are ultimately captured by the earth's gravity
and land here. Calculations indicate that objects which are at least 150
feet in diameter hit Mars once every 200,000 years, spewing off a considerable
amount of material each time.
Dr. Head stated: "This works out to about one Martian meteorite landing on Earth each month." Thus far, geologists have recovered only 26 such Martian objects, with the most celebrated being the Allan Hills meteorite (ALH84001),which has shown definite traces of microbial life. A second such meteorite, EETA79001, less well-publicized, has evinced similar life signs. Obviously, future such discoveries may prove once and for all that at least low-level bioactivity has taken place on the Red Planet, and probably continues to this very day! Indeed, one theory is that such meteorites delivered the basic building blocks that jumpstarted life here, that, indeed, we terrestrials are actually Martian in origin! Intriguingly, meteoritic and asteroidal impacts here similarly drive off hunks of terra firma into space. An earlier University of Arizona computer analysis indicated that, of 1,000 such fragments, 165 would fall back to earth, 17 would go on to Mars, 291 would head for Venus, 20 would travel inward to Mercury, 14 would soar outward to Jupiter, and one would even make it as far as Saturn! Another 492 would be kicked entirely out of our solar system by gravitational nudges from Jupiter and Mercury. And again, the idea of such bio-bearing material argues for the "seeding" of other worlds with the rudiments of life, thereby triggering biogenesis throughout the cosmos! Ruehl
Fact: Mars' gravity is only 36% of the Earth's, meaning that approximately
three times as much material escapes into space with each asteroidal
impact! |
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| A promising
new animal study from the University of Rochester (NY) indicates that
the spice turmeric (also spelled "tumeric") which is an essential
ingredient of curry, protects the skin of cancer patients from such burns and blisters. Basically, a compound in turmeric, curcumin, appears to be the key protective substance. Researcher Dr. Ivan Ding commented: "There were far fewer blisters or burns on the mice who had been given curcumin." While this was only a mouse study, it is hoped that the same effect would be realized in humans. And obviously, consuming curry prior to radiation therapy appears to be safe, and certainly worth trying. With further research, it is foreseeable that curcumin capsules might be administered to such patients as a matter of routine. Ruehl Fact:
In 483 B.C., Buddha (Prince Siddhartha Gautama), at age 80, consumed
a large meal of curried pork and died a few days later of intestinal
hemorrhaging! |
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A recent report concerning the Pentagon's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program indicates that a number of highly imaginative proposals have been put forward, in various stages of development. One class of such weapons would target the physiology of soldiers in the field, rendering them virtually incapacitated, as one unnamed source revealed: "There
are non-lethal weapons ranging from Another category of futuristic weapons would utilize genetically-engineered micro-organisms to zero in on the enemy army's basic infrastructure, such as in the following areas: -
Organisms that would eat away metal, -
Microbes that would dissolve organic molecules -
Biota that would disintegrate polyurethane, -
Entities that would corrupt cement and asphalt, Considering the accelerated pace of genetic technology, all of these bioweapons appear to be well within the realm of feasibility. Delivery to targets conceivably could be by ground-based bombardment and/or aerial dispersion. Obviously, wars of tomorrow may well be unlike any of yesteryear! Ruehl
Fact: Ancient military saying: "The archer is known by his aim,
not by his arrows." |
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| Originally,
the lapels were designed so that the collar could be wrapped around the
neck to keep the neck warm in frigid weather, with the notches fitting
together to help keep it in place.
The slit, or buttonhole, in the left lapel was added to allow the collar to be fastened with a button placed behind the right lapel. Today, that button is no longer included, with the slit being merely a holdover from a past tradition. (Personally, I like to be able to button up my collar on a gelid day, so I have sewn buttons behind all of the right lapels on my coats!) Ruehl Fact:
The expression, "wearing a dirt overcoat," is a picturesque
allusion for death! |
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The
Gap (AZ) Of course,
other towns bear "El," the Spanish form of "the"
(such as El Monte, CA) and "Le," the French form of "the"
(such as Le Blanc, LA), as well as the plural forms Los (such as Los
Angeles, CA) and Las (such as Las Vegas, NV).
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| Of course,
guinea pigs are rodents, not pigs! And they do not hail from Guinea, but
from South America!
Their actual name is "cavy," and they were raised for food by Peruvian Indians centuries ago! When slave traders (dubbed "Guineamen" because they transported Africans from Guinea, West Africa to South America) discovered the furry little creatures, they brought some back to England. As the critters tend to squeal like pigs at feeding time, they were christened "guinea pigs." Intriguingly,
these rodents, which have come to symbolize lab animals, are used by
medical researchers far less than mice, rats, chicks, and rabbits! |
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| Most
assuredly! According to noted ufologist George Filer, editor of the highly-respected weekly online UFO report, "Filer's Files," clouds are mentioned 156 separate times in the Good Book, compared to just 27 references to birds. The term "cloud" apparently was used as a general description for anything strange in the skies! Several citations in both the Old and New Testaments appear to refer to possible extraterrestrial vessels, as follows: "And
the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud "And
the Lord said to Moses, "The Lord rides on a cloud." (Isaiah 19:1) "He
(Christ) was still speaking, when lo, "And
when He (Christ) had said this, "Then
I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, "Then
they heard a loud voice from heaven In each instance, these "clouds" sound as though they are vehicles conveying occupants, that is, spacecraft! But I urge you to study these fascinating passages and decide for yourself if they could indeed be possible references to UFOs! |
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| Hens
do not actually sit on their eggs to induce hatching. Rather, they squat just above them, with the eggs nestled inside a V-shaped indentation within the hen's underside that provides needed warmth and protection! |
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| No.
In fact, none are!
The term
"igloo" technically means "snowhouse," and is loosely
applied to any of a number of dwellings used by Eskimos, such as tents
made from animal hides and semi-subterranean dwellings composed of mud
and logs. The true Incidentally, if you ever find yourself stranded in the wilderness, cover yourself with snow to prevent hypothermia and frostbite. We don't want to lose a single loyal reader! |
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| There
is tangible evidence that King Abubakari II, the adventurous ruler of
Mali in West Africa, beat Columbus to the New World by almost 200 years!
According to researcher Gaoussou Diawara, author of the fascinating new book, "The Saga of Abubakari II," the king did the unthinkable and voluntarily relinquished his throne to his younger brother in 1311 A.D. to undertake a transoceanic quest to find out what territory might exist on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. He set out on his death-defying venture with a fleet of approximately 2,000 pirogues, or large canoes, filled with provisions including water and livestock. Departing from the coast of present-day Gambia, his contingent arrived in Brazil in the coastal region known today as Recife in 1312 A.D. Proof of this landing came in part from Christopher Columbus himself, who reported encountering black traders in the Western Hemisphere. And gold tips on arrows and spears used by some Native Americans has been traced to Africa! In addition, there exists a 14th century Arabic account of this fabulous expedition. So it appears
that Columbus was actually a Johnny-come-lately to the Americas! |
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| Surprisingly,
the wooden barrel of the pencil initially consists of two grooved longitudinal
sections. The "lead," which is actually a combo of graphite
and clay, is placed in the groove in one of the halves, with the other
half then glued on. The pencil is then sanded and painted to hide any
traces of the seam between the two parts! |
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Ruehl Fact: A contingent of pigs is a "farrow." |
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A question from our loyal reader, Donnie Perdue...
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| There
are a limited number of documented cases of Tibetan mystics having conjured
up mental beings known as "tulpas," which can actually interact
with living humans!
And in the West, an intriguing experiment to develop a psychic entity was conducted back in 1972 by eight Canadian parapsychologists with the Toronto Society for Psychical Research. As an initial step, they christened him "Philip Aylesford," and created a fictional outline of his "life," including his birth in 1624, military service beginning at just age 15, knighthood at 16, an adventurous career as a spy for Charles II, an unhappy marriage, a tragic love affair with a gypsy girl, and suicide at age 30. Next, they endeavored to awaken his spirit through a series of meditative sessions where each member concentrated for hours on end visualizing him. With no initial success, they then began conducting formal seances, sitting at a table with their hands touching, trying to establish mental contact with him. Suddenly, on the fourth attempt, the table began to levitate and tapping sounds were heard! From then on, they were able to regularly communicate with "Philip" through a series of coded raps. However, he never made any visual manifestation, and the project was ultimately abandoned in 1977. Skeptics contend that "Philip" never existed, that the members' own psychokinetic powers were actually coming into play, producing the table tilting and enigmatic sounds. However, at least the other contingents of paranormal researchers have reportedly summoned similar ethereal beings who had no prior existence in the physical realm, so the issue is still up for debate.
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| The
idea dates back to approximately 600 B.C., to the ancient Celts of Europe
who were intrigued with rabbits because they lived in underground burrows
where it was believed that they communed with subterranean spirits known
as "numina" who would possess their bodies. As carrying an entire
rabbit around would have posed an inconvenience, the poor critter's foot
was selected as a talisman of good fortune! (Obviously, it is not lucky
for the rabbit!) |
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| They
were members of an ultranationalist Japanese secret faction known as "The
Black Dragon Society"(also called "The Amur River Society"
or Kokuryu-kai). Founded in 1895 by Ryohei Uchida, they set about achieving
world dominance for their country through murder and warfare. Members
typically dressed in long black overcoats and large oversized black hats,
and even pasted false black beards on their chins!
Dragons assassinated politicians who opposed Japanese expansion, often fanatically committing suicide after the nefarious deed, not unlike today's terrorists. As their members gained political power, they first instigated the 1905 Russo-Japanese War, then later the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Many were tried for war crimes after WW2, but others formed the nucleus for the crime syndicate known as the Yakuza. The 1942
film, "Black Dragons," depicted their (presumably fictional)
plot to replace key American industrialists with society members who
were transmogrified by a Nazi plastic surgeon portrayed by Bela "The
Count" Lugosi! |
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| I would
nominate the 117,000-volume collection of the 10th century A.D. Grand
Vizier of Persia. Whenever he travelled by caravan, his books were packed
on camels in alphabetical order, and the beasts of burden were taught
to retain their same position in line irrespective of the trip's duration! |
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| According
to a British study from the University of London (England), it may trigger
a broad spectrum of gastrointestinal maladies! Once a person ingests soap
residue during eating and drinking, the detergent can tear off outer cellular
layers of the digestive tract, leaving cells susceptible to microbial
attack. Over time, with continued consumption of even only trace amounts
of soap, an individual may ultimately develop such ailments as gastroenteritis
(inflammation of the stomach and small intestine) colitis (inflammation
of the colon, or large intestine), esophageal injury, and even the serious
digestive condition known as Crohn's disease.
To avoid
such potential problems, you are advised to use a minimum of detergent
during dishwashing, and to throughly rinse all items so washed, paying
particular attention to objects with crevices, such as forks (where
soap accumulates between the tines). And if any item, be it a glass,
plate,or spoon, has a soapy taste to it, re-rinse it! We don't want
any of our loyal readers getting sick, not even for a day! |
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| Without
a doubt, it is "ball lightning," where the lightning actually
assumes a spherical shape. Researchers at the Tokyo Metropolitan College
of Aeronautical Engineering created ball lightning in the lab to study
its characteristics. They determined that it is typically 2 feet in diameter,
hovers or floats in the air, and is short-lived, with a longevity of approximately
just one minute. It usually dies out quietly, like a match extinguishing,
but can occasionally end with explosive force.
Incredibly, it has been reported to move through solid matter, such as the walls of a building, and can glide in and out of water. In one dramatic case, passengers aboard an airliner were amazed to see one such sphere pass through the pilot's cabin and float down the aisle after the plane was struck by lightning. It suddenly evaporated, without leaving a trace! But in a recent case (December 7,2000) from Salisbury, NH, ball lightning is suspected of landing in the woods and igniting a small fire! |
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| In Greek
mythology, the towering Atlas was the leader of the humongous Titans,
depicted as bearing the heavens on his powerful shoulders. Accordingly,
the first map books pictured Atlas on the cover holding up the earth,
leading to the term "atlas."
Intriguingly, a tribe of blond Berbers lives in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa, named after him. |
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But the most compelling report comes from ancient India, where most of the Hindu gods are depicted as having blue-tinged skin, such as Krishna, often portrayed playing his celebrated flute. One fascinating hypothesis suggests that these "gods were actually survivors of the sinking of Atlantis, and may have in reality been advanced ETs who had established a bivouac on terra firma. Three ancient Sanskrit texts (the "Rig-Veda," "Ramayana" and "Mahabharata") present powerful evidence for this idea, clearly describing aerial vessels known as Vimanas ("flying cars") being piloted by the god Indra and others 12,000 years ago. These Vimanas were technologically sophisticated, being appointed with the equivalent of radar scopes, X-rays, and laser beams. They also fired so-called "darts" at ground targets, causing rivers to burst into flame and elephants and humans alike to disintegrate. The destruction they wrought on villages mirrors that caused by the 1945 A-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, indicating that these were in fact nuclear weapons! Moreover, tangible medical evidence that blue-skinned humanoids can and do exist comes from, of all places, Kentucky! Back in 1804, French émigré Martin Furgate married a local red-headed woman and moved to the Cumberland Plains. Amazingly, six generations of his descendants living there have had a blue cast to their skin. When a scientist from the University of Kentucky at Lexington analyzed blood samples from family members, he discovered that they lacked an enzyme that converts blue methemoglobin into red hemoglobin. While this condition is not medically harmful, it does impart a bluish tonation to the skin. Accordingly, it is certainly within the realm of feasibility that an advanced colony of blue-skinned humans or ETs, such as in Atlantis and India, flourished in the past, and that today, on some alien worlds, blue-skinned humanoids are indeed the dominant species!
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| Absolutely
not! It is a myth that they are loaded with valuable nutrients. Rather,
potato skins contain toxins known as glycoalkaloids which are produced
in response to insect attacks, sunlight, and bruising. You should always
peel potatoes before cooking them, such as boiling or frying.
While this
is not feasible with baked potatoes, you should avoid eating any of
the appetizing crisp skin, as an experiment at the University of Maine
a few years back clearly demonstrated. Several members of the food science
department deliberately ate the skins |
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| This
derives from the observation that swans, which normally do not emit musical
sounds, actually make beautiful songlike notes just before dying. |
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| Intriguingly,
some individuals suffer from a psychological disorder dubbed the "five-year
burp syndrome," where they experience a bout of burping approximately
every five years! The burping can persist for several months, then suddenly
subside as quickly as it began.
The malady
has been traced to profound anxiety, which causes Often, a
checkup by a physician giving them a clean bill of physical health reduces
their anxiety, thereby alleviating the burping. But over time, their
anxiety grows again, leading to another spate of It is estimated
that some 25,000 Americans are afflicted with this rare syndrome...
perhaps someone you know! |
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| Quite
possibly, but not how you might imagine!
Also known as the "Seven Cities of Cibola," they were first described by Cabeza de Vaca, a sailor who had been shipwrecked in 1528 off of the coast of present-day Texas. After wandering westward for eight long years, he sighted seven magnificent golden structures from a distance near Cullican in northern Mexico. He assumed that they were cities, and informed the Viceroy of New Spain, who in 1538 dispatched Marco de Niza to seek them out. He, too, saw them, but enigmatically, they were then 300 miles southeast of the original site! In 1540, the celebrated explorer Francisco Coronado, with a contingent of 1,000 soldiers, commenced a search for them. But after several fruitless years, he abandoned the hunt. In 1550, territorial governor Francisco de Ibarra journeyed to southern Mexico, some 800 miles south of the original location, to personally verify a new sighting of the cities. Although he never sighted them, he was told by Indians that seven enormous golden spheres had indeed descended from the sky, landed there-- then ascended! To commemorate the event, the locals had inscribed a nearby mountain with seven gold-colored spheres surrounded by several stars. Such depictions have now been discovered in many areas of Mexico. Dr. Helmut
Kroller, director of the Extraterrestrial Research Institute (Zurich,
Switzerland), has hypothesized that the so-called "cities"
were in actuality seven golden UFOs, accounting for their various locations
throughout Mexico! |
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| On January
20, 1795,during a battle between France and the Netherlands, a French
calvary unit led by General Charles Pichegru rode into Amsterdam during
freezing weather. They chanced upon the bizarre circumstance of the entire
Dutch fleet locked in place by ice.
So Pichegru
seized the moment, ordering his troops to capture not just one, but
all of the enemy vessels. This brilliant maneuver brought a quick surrender
from the Dutch, engendering perhaps the oddest end to a conflagration
in military history! |
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Dr.
Ruehl, what happens to socks lost in the dryer? |
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| Nothing!
Contrary to popular mythology, socks are NOT lost in the dryer! Rather,
over time, as socks are repeatedly washed and dried, they change both
shape and color. For instance, the washing process can stretch socks and
alter their colors while the drying process can shrink them. But these
changes do not occur uniformly with both members of a pair of socks, so
that after perhaps 20 or 30 wash-and-dry cycles, one sock may become longer
and paler than its mate, making it appear that they no longer belong together,
and that a sock is missing!
(Ruehl Fact: Artist Cheryl Capezzuti of Pittsburgh, PA creates imaginative sculptures from... dryer lint!) |
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Dr. Ruehl, is it possible that a so-called "killer star" was
responsible for mass extinctions on Earth in the past? |
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| Situtated
aproximately 6 billion miles from the sun (three billion miles beyond
the most distant planet, Pluto) is the Oort Cloud, a titanic nest of perhaps
a million comets. One hypothesis is that a star dubbed "Nemesis" periodically passed near the Oort Cloud in the distant past, deflecting comets via gravitational interaction toward the inner solar system. Periodic mass extinctions on terra firma, such as the demise of the dinos some 65 million years ago, resulted as these comets came slamming into our planet. Fortunately, the star, which has never been identified, appears to have moved on. However, our own sun could do likewise if it ever passes near another planetary family or even a giant molecular cloud. Indeed, not only could it deflect comets into another planet, but also pull comets from the other system into our own domain of space. For instance, the Oort Cloud may have resulted from such a galactic acquisition! So, a cometary exchange of this type could ultimately result in another mass extinction here! |
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Dr. Ruehl, what is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? |
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| In the
U.S., there is absolutely none, as all yams here are actually sweet potatoes.
Of three basic types of sweet potato, the one that is called a "yam"
has a deeper gold coloration and an oilier flesh than the other two. It
is especially popular in the South, sometimes being termed a "Louisiana
yam."
While the sweet potato (dioscrea esculenta) is a member of the morning glory family, the true yam (Ipomoea batatas) is a tropical plant growing primarily in Africa. Efforts to introduce it in America have been less than successful. |
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Dr. Ruehl, why does the traditional sailor's cap have its odd shape? |
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| Surprisingly,
it has a very utilitarian function: to save a drowning sailor!
When wet, the canvas headpiece is virtually airtight. A sailor overboard in the ocean can simply pull the brim down and use the cap to snare an air bubble that can enable him to stay afloat until rescuers arrive! Interestingly, the broad flat collar on the sailor's uniform originated from the time when many men of the sea wore pigtails, which they treated with powder and even tar. The large collar protected the rest of the uniform from being soiled by these additives! And the sailor's bell-bottomed trousers serve a specific purpose, too. They allow him to easily roll up his pantlegs so he can swab the deck of a ship without messing up his uniform! |
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Dr. Ruehl, what is the strangest burial marker on in existence? |
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| A strong
candidate for this title would be a stone cross dubbed the "Wolfstone"
on a grave in the Fichtel Mountains of Germany. In the 18th century, a
local shepherd hired a hunter to kill a strange, huge wolf which had been
devouring lambs in his flock. But when the marksman took aim and fired
at the predator, the bullets had no apparent effect although at least
one hit the creature straight on.
However, the next day, the shepherd observed that an old woman, long suspected of practicing witchcraft in the area, was hobbling down the street, as though wounded. He deduced that she was a female werewolf, transmogrifying herself into a large wolf at night to attack his sheep. So he reported her to the local authorities, who arrested her and chained her to the floor of a dingy cell. But when they went to interrogate her the next day, she had mysteriously vanished! Two nights later, while the shepherd was out in the woods with the huntsman searching for her, the killer wolf, who had been lying in wait, sprung at them! Fortunately, the hunter had a silver knife with which he was able to slash the beast. As soon as its blood began to flow, the wolf, writhing on the ground in intense agony, morphed into human form-- namely, that of the old witch-- absolute proof that she indeed had been a female werewolf! They buried
her an unprecedented 20 feet beneath the ground and marked her grave
with the Wolfstone cross in hopes of sanctifying it. But to this day,
locals claim that eerie phenomena, such as enigmatic lights, are seen
near that accursed site! |
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Dr. Ruehl, is sewage always harmful? |
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| According
to the late oceanographer Willard Bascom, human sewage is actually spawning
the growth of sea life! Indeed, what we humans regard as inedible garbage
represents gourmet food to the denizens of the deep! He once stated:
"You're putting food out, you're feeding animals. You get a rise in the number of sea animals around these discharge pipes. The environmentalists hate to hear that, but it's true." And he strongly
lobbied against treating sewage discharged into the ocean, fearing that
the added chemicals might make it unpalatable for marine entities! |
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Dr. Ruehl, how long do clouds last? |
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| First,
it should be stressed that clouds consist of suspended particles of liquid
water as opposed to gaseous water vapor. A typical cumulus cloud takes
approximately 10 to 15 minutes to condense, or form, from these particles,
triggered by a process known as convection. Then, over the period of roughly
30 minutes, these cloud particles mix with the surrounding drier air,
gradually dissipating into virtually invisible water vapor.
And at night, as our planet cools, the convection process decreases so that by early morning there are no clouds in the sky, with cloud formation then beginning anew for that day. Ruehl Fact:
The study of clouds is known as "nephology," and one who loves
clouds is a "nephophile." |
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Dr.Ruehl, are there any ways to cultivate latent psychic ability that
we all may have? |
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| While
skeptics decry the existence of a so-called "sixth sense," many
parapsychologists assert that all humans possess innate psychic ability.
Now that the human genome has been virtually completely deciphered, a genetic analysis of individuals displaying psychic skills can be made, perhaps sponsored by the government, with the possibility of genetic manipulation being carried out on volunteers to create a corps of psychics to mentally tune in on the thoughts of our nation's enemies around the globe. A feasible alternative approach could entail studying the brains of psychically-gifted individuals, such as with new hi-tech scans, ascertaining precisely which sections of the brain are responibble for this ability, and enhancing the brains of ordinary mortals with electrodes, either implanted or worn externally, to stimulate those key areas of the brain to form a legion of psychics. Significantly, some experts assert that psychic ability can actually be nurtured by simply practicing special mental exercises. Indeed, noted psychotherapist Belleruth Naparstek, author of "Your Sixth Sense," recommends the following stratagems for activating your paranormal aptitude: * Begin by sitting in the same place each day at the same time, such as in a comfortable chair in a quiet room for approximately 15 minutes. This is designed to place you in a state of altered consciousness where your latent psychic powers can be tapped into. * Purge your mind of so-called "mental noise," such as worry and anger, by breathing deeply a few times, saying a prayer, visualizing a tranquil scene, or recalling a pleasant memory. * Adopt a positive attitude that you can indeed manifest psychic ability. Studies confirm that individuals who believe that they can cultivate psychic powers consistently score higher on tests of psychic proficiency! * Affirm aloud or think silently about your intention of drawing out your psychic talent, at both the beginning and end of your activation session. * Express love for your relatives, friends, pets, etc. This pronouncement of love helps to put your mind in a receptive framework for psychic development. * Mentally focus on a specific question or problem you wish answered. For example, if you want to know if someone you are attracted to has a mutual feeling for you, visualize that individual in every detail, even mentally painting their picture on the canvas of your mind, and, must importantly, imagine them answering the question. * Pay careful attention to any messages your inner voice may deliver, jotting them down, such as in a journal. Intriguingly, studies indicate that the act of regularly recording such mental communiques, both hits and misses, appears to enhance the sixth sense! * Endeavor to pay attention to everything around you at all times, taking in as many details as possible, even minute ones. Becoming more observant, more aware of your surroundings contributes to psychic empowerment. * Do NOT become discouraged if you don't achieve overnight success. Like any skill, continued practice is essential for developing mastery. Ruehl Fact: Telekinesis (also known as psychokinesis) is the ability to move objects through sheer mental power. |
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Dr. Ruehl, do maverick planets exist? |
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| A maverick,
or free-floating, planet simply moving through space unattached to any
star was discovered in 1998. Dubbed TMR-1C, it is 450 light-years removed
from terra firma. The massive object, about 3 times the size of Jupiter,
appears to have been expelled from 1 of 2 stars involved in a head-on
collision. It is situated approximately 130 billion miles from the pair,
or 1,400 times the distance the earth is from the sun.
And just recently, astronomers identified another 18 free-floating planets in the constellation Sigma Orionis, 1,200 light-years from earth. Some appear to have been evicted from their solar systems while others may have been born in the void of space. Indeed, cosmologists are now theorizing that such loners may exist throughout the cosmic backdrop. While these celestial rogues are not being heated by any star, they may still be warm enough to support some form of life. For example, they may possess internal energy generators similar to those within the cores of Jupiter and Saturn that would provide the energy for biogenesis. Or they may be encapsulated by thick atmospheres that trap radiant energy for life processes. Indeed, although those thus far discovered are relatively young, other, older mavericks may well be playing host to even advanced bioforms that have evolved intelligence and a technological capability! |
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Dr. Ruehl, how does dust get into closed drawers and locked rooms? |
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| Incredibly,
every cubic centimeter of air surrounding us contains literally billions
of microscopic dust particles. You can see larger such fragments when
a beam of light enters a darkened room, but that reveals only a tiny fraction
of the number actually present. They derive primarily from soil in the
ground and salt from the oceans.
As they are continually in motion, being carried by wafts of air, it is only a matter of time before these miniscule particles are able to pass through even the tiniest of openings in a door or room, which in an ordinary setting are never completely airtight. And yes, I am sorry to report, some of that dust also settles on your skin during the course of a day. So, the next time you use a dust cloth, be sure to brush yourself off with it, too! |
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Dr, Ruehl, how did the notion that breaking a mirror will lead for seven
years of bad luck originate? |
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| In the
past, there was a widespread belief that a person's soul was reflected
in his mirror image.
Hence, it was thought that a vampire, who had surrendered his soul, would cast no reflection in a mirror. And accordingly, breaking a mirror was thought to prevent the soul from reuniting with the individual, certainly setting him up for ill fortune in life. The time
period for such bad luck was established at seven years, based on the
popular ancient Roman concept that a person's life runs in positive
or negative cycles spanning seven years. |
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Have fishlike aliens ever been reported by human contactees? |
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| Intriguingly,
one of the strongest cases for ETs in the annals of UFOlogy involves piscatorial
entities! In his highly-regarded work, "The Sirus Mystery,"
Dr. Robert Temple has persuasively argued that ETs landed on terra firma
some 5,000 years ago. Their origin was a planet orbiting the companion
of the bright star Sirius, some 10 light-years (roughly 56 trillion miles)
removed from earth.
Analyzing the mythology of the Dogon, a tribe native to legendary Timbuktu in Mali in West Africa, Temple found that their lives appear to be centered about the worship of Sirius, the "Dog Star." But upon closer scrutiny, he determined that the true object of their veneration is not Sirius, but a virtually invisible companion star designated by astronomers today as Sirius B, situated southwest of the brighter body when observed from the U.S. Tribal high priests there are cognizant of key details of Sirius B's orbit, and are aware of the fact that it is extremely small and phenomenally heavy. Furthermore, such information has been handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. Since Sirius B is a white dwarf, a star of immense density yet of miniscule dimensionality, the question immediately arises as to how ancient tribesmen could possibly have been in possession of such facts about a stellar entity modern astronomers have been able to study only in recent years. Legends of the Dogon, as well as those of three neighboring tribes, are steeped in the lore of a race of intelligent semiamphibians-- half-men,half-fish-- who journeyed to our planet from the region of Sirius B, instructing the Dogon forebears in the secrets of the cosmos. Paintings and wood carvings serve to reinforce this hypothesis with their depiction of this traditional tale. But Temple has backtracked these fishlike entities to ancient Babylon, the homeland of the original Dogon ancestors, where a fish-human hybrid demigod, Oannes, was worshipped. By day, he schooled humans in mathematics and science; by night, he retreated to the waters. And in a possible fascinating link, Italian artist Rapuzzi Johannis, in 1947, observed a glowing red saucer-shaped UFO on the ground in the forest between Italy and Yugoslavia. Standing beside it were two midget aliens with large green FISHLIKE heads! One fired a stun gun at Johannis, temporarily paralyzing him as they fled to their craft. This sighting
raises the intriguing possibility that these amphibian ETs have been
scanning our planet since before the Biblical era through to the present! |
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Is sneezing good or bad for you? |
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| On the
positive side,11-year-old Sophie Cooper of Iowa accidentally jammed a
drapery hook up her nose back in 1986 (ouch!). Doctors felt that trying
to remove it surgically could prove dangerous, so she walked around with
it in her nose for the next 15 months.
Then one day, she had a sneezing fit and the hook came flying out of her nose! But on the negative side, adventurer Alan Hinkes was scaling Nanga Parbat, the ninth tallest peak in the world in 1997,attempting to become the first mountaineer to climb six of the world's 12 highest mountains in a single season. But during a snack break, he began munching on a chapatti-- an Indian fired cake dusted with flour. Inadvertently, he inhaled some of the flour, which tirggered a sneezing bout. He sneezed so hard that he actually fractured a vertebra in his spine and had to end his quest! So you have the facts before you...I will let you make the final call as to whether sneezing is good or bad! (By the way,
sneezing is technically termed "sternutaton"...remember that
in case you are ever on "Jeopardy" or that "Millionaire"
show!) |
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Why were schoolhouses traditionally painted red? |
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| During
the early 19th century in New England, many farmers prepared the oxide
base. This inexpensive concoction proved to be an excellent preservative
for wood, so it was used to coat everything from barns to sheds to schoolhouses.
The iron oxide content imparted the characteristic red coloration. |
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Are mysterious hums being heard anywhere outside of the U.S.? |
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| While
the hums beneath Taos, New Mexico and Hueytown, Alabama, are the best-known,
the phenomenon has been reported elsewhere in America, such as Cottonwood,
Arizona and Portsmouth,Maine.
These enigmatic sounds have also been heard in areas of England, such as Cornwall. As with the U.S. cases, the "Cornwall Hum" drives some individuals to distraction while others remain totally oblivious to it. Scientists investigating the hum have ruled out underground pumps, running water, and other phenomena as potential causes. One intirguing theory is that aliens have established underground bivouacs around the globe, with the hum representing an inadvertent by-product of their activities. Others theorize that the ETs are deliberately directing the hum at humans as a form of mental warfare or mind control. Most assuredly,
a thorough investigation of all such subsurface hums is called for by
a joint military-scientific task force, just in case visiting extraterrestrials
are the responsible! |
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What is the origin of the question mark? |
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| . Centuries
ago, questions in Latin ended with the word "questio," Latin
for "question." But to save space, "QO" began to be
substituted for "questio."
However, as this 2-letter combo often became miscontrued as part of the last word in the sentence, the Q was placed atop the O, and this was ultimately contracted to the standard symbol for interrogatives-- "?"-- that we use today. So the next time you see ?, remember that it is actually a version of Q over O! |
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What is the most unuusal form of defense a plant uses against predators? |
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| In a
fascinating form of what is termed "plant mimicry," the Passiflora
produces growths on its stems that resemble the eggs of butterflies which
ravage the plant. When a pregnant butterfly notices the counterfeit eggs,
she assumes that another female has already staked out that particular tree and flies on to find a less crowded spot to deposit her eggs. Rivalling
this act of deception is the Hakea trifurca, a shrub which produces
fruit that resembles its own green leaves. This confuses birds which
might otherwise devour the valuable seed-bearing fruit. |
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Did ancient Egyptians ever explore the Western Hemisphere? |
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| A. Abundant
evidence strongly suggests that they indeed did! For example, Dr. Barry
Fell, emeritus professor of marine biology at Harvard University, conducted
extensive analysis of several Native American languages from the region
of the lower Mississippi River, such as of the Tunica, Chitimacha, and
Atakapa tribes. He discovered numerous words in their vocabularies that
bore absolutely no relationship to any North American tongues, but which
were distinctly Egyptian in nature. Among those were words for "float,"
"cure," "fear," "flow," and "sink."
His intriguing conclusion was that an Egyptian expedition had journeyed up the Mississippi River and established a bivouac in the area before the time of Christ! Interaction with the locals led to the formulation of these hybrid words. Additionally,some 400 miles west of the Mississippi in Brady, Texas, around 1900, a teenaged girl unearthed an archaic Egyptian medallion in a field! It bore the Sphinx and the three Great Pyramids on one side and an unidentified pharaoh on the other. And in 1914, while excavating Mayan ruins in the town of Acajutla, Mexico, Professor M.A. Gonzales discovered two Egyptian statuettes representing the sacred god and goddess, Osiris and Isis. This treasure
trove of evidence strongly suggests that Christopher Columbus, rather
than being the discoverer of the New World, was a decided latecomer! |
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Is it dangerous to walk past a mine opening? |
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| Definitely!
Back on February 11, 1995, 60-year-old Donald Tollett and his dog were
passing an abandoned mine in Widdington Station, Northumberland, England.
Suddenly, both man and canine began to struggle to breathe, quickly suffocating to death! A bizarre weather phenomenon known as a "stythe" triggered an abrupt decrease in air pressure in the area, drawing out a tremendous quantity of carbon dioxide from the mine, which the unlucky pair breathed in! While an
admittedly rare occurrence, all Tabloidbaby.com readers are strongly
advised to avoid walking past mines. We cannot afford to lose even a
single one of you! |
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What is the origin of the countdown for space launches? |
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| Surprisingly,
the countdown dates back to the 1929 German silent sci-fi flick, "The
Girl in the Moon" ("Die Frau Im Monde"), directed by Fritz
Lang.
To add drama to a realistic launch to the moon, technical advisor Dr. Hermann Oberth (who later worked on the 1950 American classic, "Destination Moon") incorporated a reverse countdown, with the numbers being flashed on the screen, beginning with 10. Originally
156 minutes in length, the film was reduced to 97 minutes for its initial
American release in 1931. Early rocket scientists, most of whom were
German, were impressed with the film and the reverse countdown, and
began to use it for true-to-life blastoffs! |
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What is the most intriguing theory concerning the Shroud of Turin? |
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| One
recent hypothesis advanced is that it bears the image of the last French
Grand Master of the Templar Knights. In 1118 A.D., nine French knights
formed an allegiance they named the "The Poor Knights of Christ,"
vowing to protect religious pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. But
once in Jerusalem, they set up headquarters atop the ruins of Solomon's
Temple and expanded their name to "The Poor Knights of Christ and
the Temple of Solomon," which was contracted to the "Knights
Templar."
Instead of shielding pilgrims, they burrowed beneath the temple, extracting vast quantities of treasure and religious artifacts, returning to Paris in 1127 A.D. fabulously wealthy. Over the ensuing 200 years, they became extremely powerful, acting as bankers to Europe's elite. But along the way, they of course made enemies, including King Philip IV of France. In 1307, when his puppet, Clement V, became Pope, they conspired to charge the Templars with heresy. A raid on their Paris headquarters at dawn, Friday the 13th, of that year netted them very little, as the Knights had advance word of the duplicitous act and fled with most of their treasure to Scotland, where it is now enshrined in Rosslyn Chapel south of Edinburgh. However, according to researchers Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, authors of the absorbing book, "The Hiram Key, the Templars' last Grand Master, Jacques DeMolay, was arrested and tortured, having the wounds that Christ suffered on the Cross inflicted upon him. Then his body was wrapped in a shroud onto which his bloodied image was imprinted. As evidence of this, the authors note that the Shroud did not materialize until the year 1389 when it went on display in the French hamlet of Lirey. It was donated by the de Charny family, which had strong ties to the Templars! Another recent theory propounded is that the Shroud was created by the illustrious Leondardo da Vinci, with the image being a self-portrait of the Italian genius himself. This argument is detailed by anomalists Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince in their fascinating new book, "Turin Shroud: In Whose Image?" |
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What is a "flea coat?" |
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| During
the Middle Ages in Europe, many people were literally crawling with fleas,
lice, and other vermin (eek!). In an effort to divest themselves of these
unwanted hangers-on, folks would actually put on a fur-lined coat or cape
to lure the little beasties away from their skin and hair. Typically, they would don it for fifteen to thirty minutes before retiring so they could enjoy a bite-free snooze, as well as any other time when the nipping became unbearable. Wolf's fur was most often used for the flea coat but virtually any other type of fur would work. Any of our readers who have such a flea problem might wish to try this remedy and report to me on any success they have with it! |
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Was a building ever inspired by a ghost? |
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| At the
beginning of the 20th century, a fairly successful architect, George Wyman,
turned down a commission to develop a new structure, the Bradbury Building,in
downtown Los Angeles. He was grief-stricken at the time over the untimely
death of his beloved brother. Then he attended a seance and heard a phantom
voice tell him,"George, take the Bradbury Bulding. It will make you
famous!"
Wyman heeded the advice from beyond the grave and created a magnificent edifice, characterized by stylish ornamental ironwork,that became known as one of America's most beautiful buildings. It was used as a setting for several motion pictures, such as "D.O.A." in 1946 and "Blade Runner" in 1982, and many TV shows, such as the episode of "The Outer Limits" entitled "Demon With A Glass Hand." The building underwent complete restoration in the early 1990s. |
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Can an ant survive being zapped in a microwave oven? |
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| Most
assuredly! Because most microwave ovens are characterized by so-called
"hot spots," which are bombarded by microwaves, and "cold
spots," which are free of them, an ant (or any other small insect)
has a decent chance of surviving. This is tied into the problem of uneven
heating due to "standing waves" formed when microwaves are reflected
off of the oven's walls. However, newer, more sophisticated models have minimized this problem, leading to more thorough cooking...and a reduced chance for the ant's survival within one! |
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Is there any way to destroy the deadly Van Allen Radiation Belts? |
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| Back
in 1958, data from America's very first successful satellite, Explorer
I, confirmed that our planet is girdled by an inner belt of high-energy
particles from outer space, trapped by the earth's magnetic field. An
outer belt was later identified, and both were named after discoverer
Dr. James Van Allen of the University of Iowa.
Not only do these trapped, highly-charged cosmic rays disrupt the performance of orbiting manned spacecraft and unmanned satellites, but they also pose a lethal threat to astronauts passing through them on missions to outer space! Intriguingly, an American firm, Tethers Unlimited, Inc. (Lynnwood, WA) has proposed deploying humongous 62-mile long electrically conductive tethers into space from satellites to defuse the Belts! These tethers, charged with a high voltage, would create powerful electric fields which would draw out the Belt particles, causing them to fall into the lower atmosphere where friction would harmlessly disintegrate them. Scientists calculate that 5 such tethers could reduce the content of the Belts by a whopping 99% in just 6 months! As a future potential application, such tethers conceivably could be utilized to reduce the atmospheric radiation of other planets, such as Jupiter and Uranus, enabling man one day to terraform them into habitable sites for human colonization! |
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Are there any materials which contract upon heating? |
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| Typically,
as a basic principle of thermodynamics, materials expand when heated.
However, a few enigmatic compounds have been discovered that actually
shrink upon heating, a phenomenon technically termed "negative thermal
expansion."
Significantly, one compound, zirconium tungsate, a compound of zirconium, tungsten, and oxygen, has been found to exhibit an extremely consistent rate of contraction, unlike any other known material, when exposed to higher temperatures, even up to 1420 degrees Fahrenheit! Several applications for it are already being proposed, such as a substitute material for dental fillings, which currently have an unpleasant tendency to expand and crack when repeatedly exposed to hot beverages. Other potential uses include as bases for silicon chips in computer circuits, as materials for ceramic dishes used in ovens, and as components in high-heat Formula One racing autos. Intriguingly,
zirconium was mentioned in the Scriptures under such names as jargon,
jacinth, and hyacinth. |
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Have any recent advances been made in angiography? |
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| Traditional
angiography, performed in a hospital, entails the painful injection of
a special dye that circulates in the coronary arteries which are then
X-rayed to reveal a picture of any potentially lethal blockages. However,
the procedure does not actually produce an image of the working heart,
and carries with it a 1% death rate! Moreover, it is rather costly at
$10,000 a pop!
But, fortunately, a new approach, Electron Beam Angiography(EBA), has been developed which consists of the introduction of a dye by a simple IV in the arm,which is followed by a rapid electron beam scan of the heart once the dye begins circulating. This yields a series of highly detailed 3-D shots of the heart in action in a harmless procedure. As a bonus, EBA costs only $1,000, and is covered by insurance. Dr.John Osborne, spokesman for Via Scan(Las Colinas,TX), developer of EBA, asserted: "Electron beam angiography has really helped us to be able to make it easier and simpler, and safer and cheaper, as a way, in certain people, to look at the blood vessels and help determine if those blood vessels are still open." |
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