This is true for several of today’s technologies—from our phones to USBs, air conditioners, sirens, and blockchains, which form the backbone of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Most were not invented for the uses they have today. And those that were didn’t end up as intended. 10 The USB Was Supposed To Be Flippable The average person requires 2–3 tries to insert a USB into his computer. Ajay Bhatt, the inventor of the USB, was aware of this problem when he created the USB....

Many people are only familiar with the popular culture version of amnesia, whereby someone forgets their past but can remember new things with no trouble; this is indeed a real condition, and is known as retrograde amnesia. Of course, the movies in which someone gets a bump on the head, forgets everything, and then remembers it later with another bump, are absurd. There is also a second form of amnesia most people haven’t heard of called anterograde amnesia, and this one is arguably much worse than the first one....

This fatal attraction has taken many forms throughout history. The ancient Egyptians had the most famous cult of death, but lesser-known faces of death are also displayed in ossuaries, charnel houses, crypts, and catacombs around the world. 10 Eggenburg CharnelEggenburg, Austria The small town of Eggenburg, Lower Austria, houses one of the most unique charnel houses in Central Europe because of the completeness of its contents. Even so, this is one of the least known charnels....

Although most of us will never need to solve a House-like medical mystery or pretend to be a pilot to escape from Tom Hanks, we can still learn to tell the difference between confusing things. We’ve previously looked at 10 animals that are commonly confused, so here are 10 more to add to your knowledge. 10 Octopus/Squid To the untrained eye, an octopus and a squid are almost indistinguishable. But fortunately, there are a few easy ways to spot signs that will help you identify what you’re looking at....

These “murderers” are usually charged under controversial laws that hold them liable for murders that occurred during crimes they were involved in or had aided or encouraged. Many do not understand how a person who didn’t kill anyone could be charged with murder, hence the controversy. These laws remain a gray area of justice where even the innocent can earn long jail terms. 10 Lakeith Smith In 2015, 16-year-old A’Donte Washington was killed during a shootout with Alabama police officers....

SEE ALSO: 10 Strange Beauty Secrets Of History’s Most Beautiful Women 10Yucatan Cenotes and the Chicxulub Asteroid The many cenotes (sinkholes) that pepper the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico are unique. Their turquoise waters rest beneath sky lit caves. Lush plants grow along their high walls, opening to azure skies. Yet, the true magic happens in the water beneath the limestone sinkholes. The cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula are meromix aquifers....

10 The Serial Shooter Phoenix was not a good place to live in 2005 and 2006 because it had not one but two serial killers active at the same time. One of them, dubbed the Serial Shooter by the media, performed drive-by shootings on pedestrians seemingly targeted at random. The killings went on for more than a year before the Serial Shooter was apprehended in August 2006. By then, he’d claimed eight victims but was also considered a viable suspect in dozens of other shootings in the Phoenix area....

Once begun, battles are expected to continue until a victor is decided. Sometimes, though, something so weird and intriguing is introduced that the resulting spectacle stops or at least pauses the battle while the soldiers gape in awe at whatever oddity stands in front of them. These are 10 such true cases from history. 10 Fistfight In Saunders Field Battles between governments are events with thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people all trying their best to kill....

10 Tsar Peter III Of Russia185 Days As ruler of Russia from January 5 to July 9, 1762, the unpopular Tsar Peter III was barely able to speak Russian and pushed for many pro-Prussian policies. His wife, the German-born Princess Sophie, led a coup which had Peter III deposed and eventually assassinated. She succeeded him to the throne as Catherine II (aka Catherine the Great). Their marriage had been both loveless and sexless....

10 King James II Of Scotland James II ruled Scotland for 23 years between 1437 and 1460. His reign is generally looked upon favorably. Acts such as the foundation of the University of Glasgow made him a popular king, but he was also responsible for reprehensible acts such as the murder of the Earl of Douglas. In fact, James showed that he was willing to get rid of anyone who threatened his rule....

We have a few interesting animal tales this week, talking about fat bears, perfume-loving tigers, and butt-dialing geckos. There are also a couple of compelling space stories, an auction with an unexpected finale, and an ill-advised game of hide-and-seek. 10 Giant Ice Spikes On Europa Future missions to Europa just got more difficult, according to a new study published in Nature Geoscience. Researchers from Cardiff University assert that the surface of the moon is covered in giant, jagged “ice spikes....

This week, we have a tale from Japan and a tail from Japan. There is a grand cheese heist in Canada, a creepy statue in New Zealand, and a nasty crocodile in a Swedish aquarium. A German town challenges us to prove it doesn’t exist, and a scorned English husband takes revenge with a giant heap of manure. 10 A Smear Campaign In an apparent act of revenge, an unidentified person dumped a giant pile of manure outside a country inn in Hampshire, England, alongside a sign accusing the pub landlord of sleeping with his spouse....

In the popular animated series Kim Possible, Kim’s sidekick Ron Stoppable has a small, super-smart, super-cute hairless pink rodent named Rufus as a pet. It was the only pet he could have as his father was allergic to anything furry (and he probably didn’t like reptiles either). At least in this case, the show did mention to which species Rufus belonged. He is a Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber). These rodents are found in Africa, live in underground colonies ruled by a queen (just like termites!...

It was the time of mobsters and bank robbers. Like the Wild West, people had a tendency to romanticize criminals of that period. Many outlaws like Bonnie and Clyde or John Dillinger became pop culture icons. But the era was filled with many other villainous figures who have almost been consigned to oblivion today. 10 The BarkersThe First Family Of Crime The Barker gang enjoyed its fair bit of notoriety thanks mostly to its alleged leader and criminal mastermind, Kate “Ma” Barker....

However, the anticipation suddenly turns to anger if it is discovered that there was no actual kidnapping and the entire incident was nothing more than an elaborate hoax. Whether it be for monetary gain, publicity, or attention, some people have actually gone to the trouble of fabricating phony kidnapping stories that fooled the world. 10John Factor During the Prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s, gangster Roger Touhy ran a very successful bootlegging operation in Chicago....

SEE ALSO: 10 Fascinating Facts About the World of Chocolate Here, we document 10 of the most notorious scandals involving Nestlé and encourage you to dig deeper. Public backlash has resulted in Nestlé changing its stance on certain issues over the years. Don’t turn a blind eye. Let’s continue poking Nestlé to be better. 10 Baby Formula Boycott Natural breastfeeding isn’t always possible for mothers. However, studies show that it is preferable to formula for a baby’s development....

10Exploding Head Syndrome The condition known as EHS causes sufferers to perceive “a sense of explosion in the head, confined to the hours of sleep, which is harmless but very frightening for the sufferer.” The perception of explosion often occurs as the sufferer is falling asleep but may also cause the sufferer to violently awaken in the middle of sleep. Other symptoms include flashes of light, an intense feeling of heat, chest pain, and the feeling of an electrical sensation throughout the body....

It makes us wonder what we might be capable of surviving. How could someone survive days in a sunken ship? Is it possible to survive getting sliced in half by a moving train? Can someone live through having their throat slashed? Yes! Learn about 10 remarkable people (and animals) who experienced pure horror and lived to tell the tale. 10 Tim Lancaster Shortly after 8:20 am on Sunday, June 20, 1990, the co-pilot of British Airways Flight 5390 handed control of the aircraft to 42-year-old Captain Tim Lancaster....

SEE ALSO: 10 Conspiracy Theories About MK-ULTRA You May Not Know 10 Paul Bennewitz In the 1980s, Paul Bennewitz owned a humidity equipment company that had a number of contracts with Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bennewitz lived near the base and said he saw UFOs flying over it. According to special agent Richard Doty of the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and backed up by documents discovered using the Freedom of Information Act, Bennewitz was actually encouraged to believe that he saw real UFOs....

10Robert Murat Life was good for this British property consultant. He lived comfortably in southern Portugal, enjoying his work, the mild climate, decent prices, and delicious food. Then, the story about the disappearance of little Madeleine McCann swept the globe, and the notoriously sensationalistic English tabloids smelled blood—Murat’s, to be precise. A British journalist convinced the Portuguese police to include Murat on the list of suspects with a variety of wild accusations, including tips that Murat had been seen outside the McCanns’ vacation home, incriminating DNA had been found, and his home contained a secret chamber....