10. Escot Gardens Maze (UK)

Created in 2004, this maze consists of over 4,000 beech trees as well as flying bridges and switch gates that change the route as you go along. It was designed by Adrian Fisher, who has planned over 600 mazes worldwide as well as writing puzzles for British newspapers.

It’s part of the Escot estate in East Devon, which also contains a manor house and a nature reserve. So, as well as getting lost in a maze you can meet wild boar and beavers. As long as you find your way out, that is…

9. Mirror Labyrinth at Glacier Garden (Switzerland)

Also known as Gletschergarten, this labyrinth in Lucerne, Switzerland was modeled after the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, which is famous for its ornate architecture. It contains 90 mirrors and visitors have to walk with their hands in front of them in case they walk into one of them. It was created in 1896 for the National Exhibition in Geneva and it moved to Lucerne 3 years later.

The mirror maze is part of a bigger attraction built around a set of glacial potholes, which used to be the base of a glacier. So, there’s a natural phenomenon to visit as well as the manmade maze of mirrors. And apparently a pen of rabbits as well…

8. Ashcombe Maze (Australia)

Set on the Mornington Penisula, near Melbourne Ashcombe has not one but 3 different mazes – the hedge maze (above), which is the oldest one in the Southern Hemisphere, the lavender labyrinth and the rose maze. The hedge maze was planted in the 1970s, with over 1000 cypress trees and comprises the South Maze, the Centre Garden and the North Maze. Each bit if the maze has a different layout, so it’s easy to get lost. As the website says “any tricks you worked out while making your way through the first part, mean absolutely nothing in the other.”

Then there’s the circular rose maze, with 1200 rose bushes and the lavender labyrinth which has a floating pathway through 4000 lavender plants. It’s a sensory treat to wander through the scented plants and there are woodland gardens to visit too. Worth a visit if you’re ever in Melbourne.

7. Cow in the Field (Germany)

Now, this isn’t particularly complicated as mazes go, but deserves its place for sheer ingenuity. It’s a maze cut into the shape of a cow’s stomach and it appeared in a field in Marienfelde, Germany. It was created by the Federal Institute of Risk Assessment, which studies the risks caused to the environment by chemicals and modern living. It aimed to explain how a cow digests food and raise awareness of healthy eating. I’m not entirely sure how it does that, but it’s certainly an interesting tourist attraction. In case that hasn’t satisfied your appetite for cow-themed mazes, there’s another one cut into a field near Holt in the UK.

6. Hampton Court Maze (UK)

Dating from 1700, this was described as “the most famous Maze in the history of the world, and immeasurably the one most visited” by Ernest Law in 1926. It still remains popular and is a unusual trapezoid shape, with inbuilt speakers projecting 1000 sounds from a sound installation called “Trance”. There are even benches in the center of the maze, which make subtle noises when sat on.

Hampton Court Palace sits near the Thames, on the outskirts of London. It was a favorite of Henry VIII’s but it was a much later king – William III – who commissioned the maze. It was designed by George London and Henry Wise and was originally planted with hornbeam. Some say that Cardinal Wolsey also had a maze on the site, during Henry VIII’s time but there is no trace of this left.

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10. Iran Hostage Crisis

For those born in the 1990’s, it may (or may not) come as a surprise to learn that there have always been issues between the Middle East and the United States of America. The Iran Hostage Crisis was a key feature of the pre-First Gulf War relations between these two areas of the world, and saw the unlawful detainment of some 90 people in the US Embassy, Tehran- for over a year. Following the disposition of the Western approved Iranian leader, Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi, by a revolutionary Islamic Government in the initial months of 1979, many Iranian students overran the US Embassy in their nation’s capital city later in the year, in response to their disgraced former leader being granted aid by the West. The situation soured and resulted in several deaths, as well as several very powerful men losing their jobs. It eventually ended in January 1981, after 444 days.

9. Patty Hearst

The story of Patty Hearst and her use as a hostage is one both compelling and outright entertaining. The daughter of a wealthy Californian media mogul, Patty was kidnapped in 1974 by the self-styled ‘Symbionese Liberation Army’. Held hostage for a short time whilst the SLA conducted negotiations with the 19-year-old Patty’s family, she is said to have been kept in close confinement, as well as sexually assaulted and brainwashed. Her kidnapper’s wishes of re-appropriating the wealth of their home state by demanding Patty’s father supply the poor of California with food though fulfilled, were carried out to a sub par level according to the SLA. Not like it mattered anyway, by this point Patty had announced herself as a fully-fledged supporter and member of their ranks and for the next couple of years participated in their anti-establishment activities. Patty’s case is considered to a prominent example of Stockholm syndrome.

8. Moscow Theatre Hostage Crisis

One of two cases on this list to include confrontation between two well-known belligerents in recent decades, Chechnya and Russia. This is an example of an extremely precise and brutally dealt with hostage situation. Also known as the Nord-Ost siege, the Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis began on October 23^rd 2002, when between 40 and 50 armed Chechen rebels stormed a busy Moscow theater  claiming over 800 hostages in the process. After a very brief two days of negotiations the Russians minds were made up, and Spetsnaz troops entered the building, after pumping its ventilation systems full of disabling gas first, of course. All of the insurgents were killed, along with most of the innocent hostages.

7. Roy Hallums

One of several hostage victims of the recent Iraq War, Roy Hallums is an American contractor who, on November 1^st 2004, was kidnapped by Iraqi militants after a troop of around 20 gunmen stormed the compound in which he was based. Captured alongside a Philippine colleague, as well as a Nepalese one and three native Iraqis, Hallums soon found himself the only one left un-liberated. Despite various international pressure movements and publicized pleas, Hallums remained in captivity until September 2005. His release coming as a result of a US Army Delta Force raid on the farmhouse just south of Baghdad wherein he was being kept.

6. Air France 8969

In the midst of the Algerian Civil War (1991-2002), the militant Islamic opposition (GIA) to the French Algerian government hijacked an Air France flight destined for Paris. Taking the aircraft by first gaining unquestioned armed access disguised as policemen, the insurgents soon took control of the craft and eventually mastered its take off from Algiers some 39 hours after initially boarding. Though their initial aim was to head for Paris, insufficient fuel supplies resulted in a stop off in Marseilles. Once on the runway here, and collaborative French/Algerian Special Forces group successfully raided the aircraft, killing each of the four militants and causing no further death. In total, three passengers died over the course of the hijacking.

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10. Chubbles

On the surface, Chubbles appears as a perfectly normal toy bear, or ‘teddy bear’. According to the above picture we have reason at all to think otherwise. Oh how wrong we all are. The truth is, Chubbles has a secret, a very dark and sinister secret in fact- he talks. Well, I say talk, what I really mean is that he makes a weird bleeping noise which lands somewhere between an over-excited Ewok (which is fitting as I suppose he does look a bit like one) and an alien space craft. Activated either light or noise, I can think of few worse things than being awoken by Chubbles’ screaming in the dead of the night.

9. Lawn Darts

Now, hailing from the UK I was only ever aware of Lawn Darts from that Jim Carrey movie ‘Me, Myself and Irene’. That was until I began research for this list. In the movie, Hank, Mr Carrey’s aggressive alter-ego, purchases Lawn Darts as part of his survival kit with which he intends to save Ms Renne Zellweger, in this scenario the plucky damsel in distress, alongside a bottle of red wine and a dildo. Whilst this does imply that Lawn Darts may have a dark streak to them, I was shocked to discover that they are intended as toys for children aged 3 and above. Further reading uncovered the chilling information that upon their release, three kids died in the US as a direct result of injuries caused by the ‘toys’.

8. Baby Laugh-a-lot

There’s really not much I can say about this particular toy. As can be imagined, it is a baby doll which possesses the unique and charming ability to laugh. Sounds nice eh? Well, it’s really really not nice, or at all acceptable. YouTube the TV commercial, you won’t believe it.

7. Living Dead Dolls

This collection of intriguing doll models first appeared on store shelves in the late 1990’s. They are unique amongst the other candidates on this list, solely in the sense that they are completely designed to be creepy. Manufactured by Mezco Toyz since 2000, the original handmade models fetch a fairly decent price amongst collectors and are rumoured to have inspired the creators of smash horror movies such as ‘Chucky’ and ‘Saw’.

6. Blippy in the Box

Call me soft, but Blippy is a character likely to stay deeply rooted in my subconscious for the rest of my now cursed life. We’re all I’m sure aware of the ancient concept of the ‘jack in a box’, with many of us likely to spend the ensuing seconds reminiscing on the good times spent alone in the company of our old surprisingly surprising friends. Now if I can have your attention back for a minute, I’d like to state my case as to why Blippy, and all evidence to show that he ever existed, should be wiped clean off the face of the planet. Basically, I’ve narrowed it down to any one of two likelihoods: a) he’s an evil alien plotting the end of the human race one uninvited room intrusion at a time, or b) he’s an alien spy device sent to keep tabs on us/brainwash our kids. You choose.

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10. Camel Wrestling

This ancient tradition is indigenous to the Aegean region of Western Turkey, and is believed to have originated with the Turkic tribes of the area over 2,000 years ago. Basically, it involves exactly what you may already think it does- 2 camels wrestling. Whilst the practice may seem a little unethical in our current politically correct climate, it is widely popular across much of Eurasia and is undeniably defended by the fact that camels are extremely prone to such activity whilst in the wild. Wrestles usually involve two males, who are encouraged into conflict through mutual introduction to a female on heat. We’re not so different, so it would seem.

9. Thumb Pointing

Indonesia is a nation rich in history and culture. Spanning across over 17,000 islands of varying size, the country is a Republic, and has a population of some 238 million people- making it the fourth most populous nation on the planet. Despite subject to Dutch Colonialism for a large part of its recent history, Indonesia is nonetheless a nation which has managed to thrive in an independent light- especially since its independence following the Second World War in 1945. Home to a large number of ethnic groups, religions and did I mention OVER SEVENTEEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, Indonesia has developed many pioneering customs and inventions. One which I particularly like however is the substitution of the forefinger with the thumb when pointing at another person. In Indonesia it is practiced heavily, as the classic way is deemed rude.

8. Lentils to see in the New Year

Not many can argue with the opinion that Lentil soup is both tasty and wholesome, however I, as I’m sure many of you, have encountered those who never fail to try. Such is the reputation of the bean (at least in its soup-form) in the South American nation of Brazil, that it is tradition to see in each New Year with a meal based around the dish. Whilst a menu item somewhat unfitting with Brazils colourful and fun-loving character, it is deemed to be a symbol of wealth amongst the countries natives. Hence, ushering in each new year is seen as placing a positive omen on a family for the imminent 12 months ahead.

7. Gurning

A strange yet undeniably hilarious custom, gurning is a practice believed to have originated in rural England. The concept is rather simple: put your head through a horse collar and pull the most ridiculous face you can. Whilst far from being the most innovative or life altering of creations to have arisen from the UK, gurning has reached a worldwide level, with men, women and children from all areas of the world even competing at a World Gurning Championship. And just to clarify, yes- I am being serious.

6. Zwarte Piet

A particularly bizarre character, Zwarte Piet is native to Dutch/Belgian folklore. Accompanying Santa Claus (or Sinterklaas) on his mission to bring love, joy and festive cheer to the children of these nations, the characters translates to ‘Black Pete’, and, as you may have gathered from the image above- he often finds himself at the centre of the odd controversy or debate. Originating from an era of the Dutch nation’s inherently racist and prejudiced past, in which it was deemed perfectly fine for a white person to adopt ‘blackface’ in the name of celebration of performance, Zwarte Piet is looked upon with much more animosity these days. Understandable, really.

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Real life has to be better than that, right? There have to be some motels out there that are pleasant, clean and give you a higher-than-average chance of making it through the night? Well, there may well be some but it seems like there are also some really scary ones. Cockroaches, stains and hookers…there are all in our list of the Top 10 Scariest Motels (with some help from the reviews at tripadvisor.com)

10. Adobe Motel, Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara is a pleasant, picturesque resort on the Californian coast, sometimes referred to as “The American Riveria”, by the tourist board anyway. What they fail to mention is that it’s also home to a “very scary” hotel. Close to the calm and beautiful harbor (above) lies the Adobe Motel. According to some it’s OK, but one reviewer “SERIOUSLY REGRETTED MY DECISION” (sic) to stay there and said it was only OK for junkies and homeless people. Someone else agreed that the clientele seemed mainly of the drug-using persuasion and that the staff were rude. Well, who wouldn’t be when you’re dealing with junkies all day long?

9. Alpena Motel, Alpena, MI

And now to the pretty town of Alpena, close to the shores of Lake Huron. At first glance, Alpen (above) is all white, wooden houses and clean wide streets but head down Highway 23 and you’ll find the Alpena Motel, described by some as a “nice and quiet motel”. But a blogger who visited in 2010 had slightly different ideas – he said it was “Brown. Brown wood panelled walls, brown carpet, brown bed sheets, brown pictures on the walls, brown ceiling. Even the TV is brown.” That’s once you’ve scraped off the layer of dead insects the blogger talks about (possibly also brown) and wrestled with the toilet that floods the bathroom whenever it flushes.

As far as I tell, he didn’t have any problems with noise, so we can agree that it’s quiet. Whether it’s also “nice” is a matter of debate.

8. Brookhurst Plaza Inn, Anaheim, CA

A second Californian entry, and we’re close to the magic of Disneyland, the happiest place on Earth. Sadly, things aren’t so happy at the Brookhurst Plaza Inn, which one visitor described as a “dump”. It’s available to hire for conferences and events, but reviews suggest that there are a fair few “events” going on there already and some conferences between prostitutes and their clients. Opinions on the motel range from “spotless” to “filthy”, but the “filthy” lobby seem to have the louder voice. There also the odd mention of mice, bugs and the occasional unexplained white stain. But it’s close to Disneyland, so that makes the rest of not so important….right?!

7. America’s Best Value Inn, Chickasha, OK

There’s a certain beauty in simplicity and the message you get from the Yellow Pages review of this motel certainly is simple – don’t go there. The single review describes “poor upkeep and felthy bath” (sic) and drawers full of cockroaches. Meanwhile, tripadvisor reviewers don’t hold back, with tales of disgusting sheets, rotten bananas and bedbugs. That’s before you get started on the personal hygiene of the staff members. Chickasha holds an annual “Festival of Light” but this place can only be described as dark-side.

6. Knights Inn, Orlando, FL

If we learn nothing else from the “America’s Best Value” reviews, it’s that you can’t always depend on chain motels for a great experience. Knights Inn may have the motto “Every Knight. Just Right” but some reviews of their Orlando location may suggest that some Knights get it wrong. “This is a BAAAD MOTEL” (sic) shouts one review, while another paints quite the word-picture with tales of roaches (again!), drug dealers and pimps hanging about. The new manager has replied to every negative review personally, with the best intentions so it may be that it’s much improved, but the reviews certainly give a scary impression. But if nothing else has managed to send a shiver down your spine, maybe this line will:

“My husband did have a gun with us and I for once thought it was a good idea.”

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10. Vietnamese Police Chief

The Vietnam conflict of the 1960’s and 70’s was in many ways the first ever war to be covered by the popular media. Beneficial in the sense that it allowed for the first time, public insight into the nature of modern warfare, this aspect cemented the conflicts undying place within contemporary history. Alongside the revolutionary air which was slowly reaching apex in the US during the war, there are a whole range of astonishing photographs that help bring this prominent era to life half a century later. This powerful image depicts a Saigon Police Chief about to kill a Vietcong prisoner at point blank range in the streets of the Vietnamese Capital. The prisoner is captain of a ‘revenge squad’, who earlier on this day in 1968 led a mission to execute a number of innocent citizens, whilst the executor is the, now notorious, General Nguyen Ngoc Loan. Photographer Eddie Adams won a 1969 Pulitzer Prize as a result of his capturing of this symbolic image.

9. Skyscraper Lunch

The origins of many of the world’s most impressive skylines and others urban environments are all too commonly overlooked. Whilst construction of skyscraper buildings may have slowed down somewhat in the past 50 years, or at least slowed to the point of becoming less notable thanks to their sheer popularity in the 20th century, much evidence of our towns and cities earlier days remains intact. This photograph is arguably one of the more notable amongst a whole host of collections documenting the extraordinary work that has gone into constructing the world around us. Taken on September 29th, 1932- it shows 11 workmen taking their lunch hour atop a constructional girder as their feet dangle above the streets below.

8. Afghan Girl

Afghanistan is a nation which has been ravaged with warfare for a large proportion of its very existence. Though the host of many an ancient battle, the Asian country has been famous amongst recent generations as the located of two large scale international invasions, not to mention two lengthy and untidy occupations. Namely the Soviet invasion of the 1980’s, and the US led UN invasion of the early 2000’s, it is hardly surprising that a fair few journalists have managed to become acquainted with the nations during this time. This iconic photograph was taken by Steve McCurry at a camp full of Afghan refugees just across the Pakistani border. Seizing the rare opportunity to fully photograph an Afghan female, the vivid image was featured on the cover of National Geographic in 1985, a year after it was taken.

7. The Burning Monk

An image which became known to me through its appropriation as the cover artwork for Rage Against the Machines self-titled debut album, this photograph is famous amongst so many more people than fans of political rap metal bands, I’m sure. Taken on June 11th, 1963- the image depicts a Vietnamese Buddhist monk by the name of Thich Quang Duc self-immolating at a ‘busy intersection’ in downtown Saigon. His reason for carrying out such an act was in protest to Catholic repression upon Buddhist ideals amongst citizens of the troubled nation.

6. Water Fountain Segregation

Previous to the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and 1950’s the United States of America, along with much of the rest of the western world, was built upon a series of fundamentally and inherently racist and unequal societies. Whilst nowadays things are a lot more balanced, we can all too often forget the degree of prejudice fully active just 40 or 50 years ago. This photograph was taken in North Carolina in 1950, and shows a ‘coloured’ gentleman taking a drink from a segregated public water fountain. It was captured by photographer Elliot Erwitt and remains amongst some of the most famous images from this era, simple yet tastefully shot, and of course- completely effective in outlining the barbarity and backwardness of racial segregation.

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In monarchies, things aren’t that simple. Succession is governed by an archaic and complex set of rules  – in Britain, for example, Roman Catholics are excluded from the succession for reasons dating back to Henry’s VIII’s wandering eye. There hasn’t been a change of monarch since 1952, but the modern system seems to be that the crown passes along the family line, without any need for battles or anyone cutting anyone else’s head off. By which I mean, things haven’t always been this civil. So, I present the Top 10 Most Dramatic Battles for the English Throne.

10. Mary I vs Lady Jane Grey

Let’s start with a battle between two ladies, and you have to feel slightly sorry for both of them. As Henry VIII’s eldest child, and his daughter by Katherine of Aragon, Mary (pictured) fell in and out of favor depending on her father’s whims. At one point, she was made to wait on her half-sister Elizabeth, daughter of the King’s second wife Anne Boleyn. So, she had a difficult upbringing and Henry’s constant angst about having a male heir can’t have helped her self-confidence. By the time Henry died, he thought his line was secure with the crown passing to his son, Edward VI, but he didn’t know that the young king would die in his teens, leaving the crown to pass to his sister in an unprecedented move.

The problem with this was that the country was Protestant at the time, thanks to Henry’s Reformation, and Mary was very staunchly Catholic. Protestant factions opposed her becoming Queen and instead set their own candidate – Lady Jane Grey – up on the throne. The young girl reigned for just 9 days before being overthrown by Mary’s forces and sent to die in the Tower of London. Really, you feel a bit sorry for both women. Mary had an unhappy life, reigning for just 5 years before dying childless. The throne passed to yet another one of Henry’s children, Elizabeth, the half-sister with whom Mary had always had a rivalry, and her reign was considered one of the greatest in history.

9. Henry IV vs Richard II

To continue the theme of family rivalries, here are a pair of cousins who had what you might call a difficult relationship. Richard II ascended to the throne at the age of 10 after the death of his grandfather, Edward III (Richard’s father had died already, causing the succession to pass to the next generation). He had a difficult reign, including an uprising of noblemen called the Lords Appellant. One of the lords involved was Henry of Bolingbroke, later to become Henry IV (above). While other nobles were executed for their part in the rebellion, Richard seemed to forgive Henry and even promoted him. But in 1398, 11 years after the uprising, a chance remark that Henry made against Richard was interpreted as treason and Henry was exiled.

The following year, Henry’s father and Richard’s uncle (John of Gaunt) died, and Richard passed laws that stopped Henry from inheriting his father’s lands. While Richard was off on a campaign in Ireland, Henry returned to England and seized the throne. Richard was put into prison, where he eventually starved to death. Whether he was deliberately starved at Henry’s command or whether he starved himself as an act of defiance is unknown. But Henry IV definitively won the prize of the throne.

8. Edward the Martyr vs Ethelred the Unready

Another pair of boys with an uneasy relationship, Edward and Ethelred (sometimes written Æthelred) were half-brothers and sons of Edgar the Peaceful. Edward (pictured) was the older, and possibly illegitimate, and he took the throne after his father’s death in 975, at around the age of 13. Ethelred was even younger but his claim was considered by some to be the more valid, as he was legitimate. When Edward was murdered at Corfe Castle 3 years later, Ethelred became king, with his age estimated at between 10 and 13.

It was a tempestuous reign – being a young boy, he was not directly suspected of Edward’s murder but his attendants certainly were, and his nickname “Unready” is a corruption of an Anglo-Saxon term that is closer to “ill-advised”. He certainly was. As the legend of Edward the Martyr grew, he was portrayed as a saint, and Ethelred’s faction were deeply unpopular. His rule lasted 38 years, littered with conflict with the Danes and his death led to yet another succession mess involving his son Edmund.

7. Edmund Ironside vs Cnut the Great

The turmoil of Ethelred’s reign spilled over into the period after his death. In his later years, Ethelred had been overthrown and exiled by Sweyn of the Danes, but had later regained his crown when Sweyn died. The fight then passed to Sweyn’s son, Cnut (above) who then fought Ethelred’s son Edmund Ironside when Ethelred also died. Edmund had ascended to the throne, but had to fight to keep it and eventually lost the Battle of Assandun to Cnut in October 1016, just a few months after Ethelred’s death. In recognition of Edmund’s skills as a warrior, Cnut agreed to divide the kingdom between them, with Edmund taking Wessex (the most southerly part of the country). However, Edmund died the month after Assandun, and Cnut was able to seize control of the whole country, establishing a short-lived new dynasty of Danish Kings of England.

6. William III vs James II

William III (above) was many things – Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of Holland and eventually King of England. James II was the last of the ill-fated Stuart Kings. Upon Charles II’s death in 1685, they were both candidates for the throne. James, as Charles’ brother, succeeded to the throne, despite his Roman Catholicism technically excluding him from the line of succession. Protestant factions opposed this and devised a plan to replace him with his son-in-law and nephew (the royalty of the time were keen on inbreeding), William of Orange.

3 years after James’ ascension, William invaded England and took the throne jointly with his wife Mary, James’ daughter. Keen to avoid the deposed King becoming a Roman Catholic martyr, William chose to banish him rather than execute him and James died 13 years later in France.

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10. The Land Snail, Quantula Striata

While there are plenty of glowing aquatic molluscs, there is only one snail on land known to produce light: the tropical species, Quantula striata. In fact, it is the only land gastropod (among thousands of snails and slugs) known to be bioluminescent. It is so elusive (as many snails are) that a picture in the dark could not be procured. The eggs have been observed as having globules that glow in the dark continuously. Juvenile and adult snails can produce short bursts of green light. While many land snails communicate through pheromones, it is suggested this tropical species may also use its bioluminescence as a form of communication.

9. Antarctic Krill

Antarctic krill are among the most important animals in the Antarctic food chain, ranking right under the phytoplankton on which they feed. When krill congregate in an area (called a swarm) during the warmer months, animals from all parts of this bitter cold region get ready for a feast. This is because krill affects life from every angle in Antarctica. Krill densities can reach as high as 30,000 individuals per m³! That’s a lot of krill and food for predators! With krill comes hungry fish that are gobbled by species such as seals, penguins, and birds. Krill have numerous organs which can glow a yellow-green light for up to 3 seconds at a time. It is not known exactly why krill glow, but it is thought by some scientists that krill illuminate to avoid predators from the deep by blending into the brightness of the sky and ice above the surface. As important as krill are in the food chain, it would make sense they developed such a tactic to blend in and try to avoid the inevitable.

8. Millipedes in the Genus Motyxia

The only millipedes that glow in the dark are all the species in the genus Motyxia (in which there are eight total). They are known as Sierra luminous millipedes and have been recently discovered to emit a greenish-blue light, especially when disturbed. Some species have only a faint glow while others glow incredibly bright. There are very few photos of these millipedes getting their glow on, but the one pictured above (Motyxia sequoiae) was demonstrated through recent partnered research at Tulane University and the University of Arizona. These millipedes are only found in California forests. Another cool little tidbit is that they can’t even enjoy their own light shows: because they’re blind! While these millipedes rely on other senses to hunt for rotting debris, their predators are usually mammalian hunters such as rats. Like other poisonous creatures, the cyanide-containing millipedes had to find a way to display their toxic status to predators through visual cues. Since Motyxia millipedes are nocturnal, having bright colors like some venomous snakes isn’t very helpful in the dark, so these little creatures have evolved bioluminescence to send a clear message.

7. Crystal Jelly (Aequorea Victoria)

Crystal jellies are nearly transparent, floating with the ocean currents. While they look delicate, these graceful creatures are carnivorous. They consume other jellyfish as well as zoo plankton and small crustaceans. They are able to emit a green-blue glow with over 100 tiny, light-producing organs surrounding their outer umbrella. Crystal jellies are collected for their luminescent photo-proteins which are used as bio-markers in research studying genes and detecting calcium.

6. Dinoflagellates – Blue Ocean Glows

Dinoflagellates consist over 2,000 protists species including the toxic red tide. While they can be found in both fresh and salt water, the majority of dinoflagellates live in marine environments making up a large portion of phytoplankton. Certain species can produce a brilliant bioluminescence. When these microorganisms are disturbed, either naturally or by man-made waves (boats, swimmers, fishermen wading, etc.), the water’s surface lights up in a beautiful blue ocean glow. Noctiluca scintillans, known as “sea sparkle”, is a free-floating marine species of dinoflagellate, most likely the species displayed in this photo. The glow acts as a defense mechanism that may warn off predators or attract hunters even higher up on the trophic scale. The end result of this effect is that these little critters ingeniously help make prey out of the predators that would otherwise be stalking them.

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10. Man’s Wedding Ring Deflects Bullet

It is becoming a common debate whether the institution of marriage is growing outdated. For Donnie Register, his marriage literally saved his life. Mr. Register was at the register when two armed men stuck him up. Confusion happened and Donnie lifted his left arm towards his assailants. A gun was leveled at his head and went off. The bullet hit his wedding band and was redirected away from his vital area. Pieces of the bullet remain lodged in nonthreatening locations of his finger and neck tissue. Donnie’s experience proves that the life-saving capabilities of cherished valuables are not simply a tv show cliché. This experience might not be as miraculous as the rest of the list, but it serves as an example of where luck meets the astounding in everyday life.

9. Mary Appears on a Florida Finance Building

It seems that the Virgin Mary is always getting her jollies through this miracle thing. Sometimes she shows up in the most random of places. This is exactly what happened in 1996, when she decided to pop her image on an office building in Clearwater, Florida. Her image started dull and grew in distinction over a series of months. The image stuck in the glass windows and the building was soon purchased by Shepherds of Christ Ministries. A statue was erected outside and visitors poured in by the truckload. Sadly, all good miracles come to an end and someone eventually knocked out the glass panes bearing Mary’s head with slingshot. Whether religious or not, most people believe that this manifestation was a curiosity that should have been preserved. Our world is so much more interesting with effigies on office buildings.

8. Boy Comes Back Alive For a Short Time

Imagine you are at a wake for a loved one while a eulogy is being read. Suddenly, the same lifeless body that had been laid out all day suddenly rises, asks for water, and lays back down dead as ever. This roller coaster of emotion is precisely what happened to the family of Kelvin Santos, in Brazil, 2012. Kelvin miraculously sat upright looking to his father for something to drink. The resurrection was miraculous, but it ranks low on our list because of what happened next. Before his father could fathom seeing his son alive again the moment was robbed from him. What followed is a dramatic protest of the hospital that had initially pronounced him deceased. The truth behind the events that transpired in this episode are so far unexplained, and so remain a bittersweet, modern miracle.

7. Nature is Miraculous: The Kiwi Gives Birth

Let us not overlook the inconceivability of nature’s design. Natural systems, unseen energies and a huge collection of evolutionary curiosities have scientists searching for answers and then more questions that those answers beg. From creatures that glow in the dark to frogs that can be frozen only to unfreeze and hop away alive as happy as can be. There are many bizarre things that nature throws our way, but I have chosen the kiwi’s process of birth. The kiwi lays the largest egg (and probably the largest anything) per body mass on earth. This egg is almost the size of an emu’s, the largest bird in Australia. The egg weighs 16 oz! The above image speaks for itself. Nature provides us with some truly phenomenal stuff.

6. Incorruptible Corpses: Rita of Cascia

The incorruptible corpse is a truly phenomenal, if not painstakingly long to decipher, event. Basically, someone dies, and for whatever reason their corpse is either unburied, uncovered, or otherwise observed. The catch is that when these bodies are viewed they look as if they had literally just died. Even more surprising is that there are a number of these corpses, many of them even being over a thousand years old. The competition to make this list was stiff, but ultimately Rita of Cascia took the prize due to the lore surrounding her. It has been reported and verified that her body actually moves from time to time. The extent of this spectacle is skeptically debated, but there are indisputably times where her face needs to be readjusted, usually her eyebrows and eyes that have a habit of opening.

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From the forests of Romania to obscure corners of the internet, vampire hunters pop up everywhere. Some are hunters in the active, going-out-and-slaying sense, others are vampire enthusiasts, hunting out information rather than looking for a kill. But they all have one thing in common – their rock-solid belief that vampires are real and living among us humans.

Look at the evidence presented, and make up your own mind as you read our Top 10 Real-life Vampire Hunters.

10. “Lynne”

Here’s a prime example of a modern day, cyber-aware vampire hunter. “Lynne” appears on a website run by her friend Steve, who claims to be a vampire. In this letter, she talks about being a slayer and how she doesn’t kill vampires unless they’re making trouble, hence being friends with a vampire for so long. According to the site, vampires don’t kill for blood – they use donors and just take a little at a time – and slayers help facilitate this so that the vamps don’t go crazy and start having to kill people. But they never let you drink their blood, or drink any themselves. So now you know!

9. Unnamed Grandmother, Romania

Another modern example, and one captured on film by American filmmaker Justin Blair in ” Across the Forest”. In it, he meets a Romanian grandmother who talks in detail about killing vampires, or “strigoi” as she calls them. Strigoi are similar to vampires, but share some characteristics with ghosts, as they can make themselves invisible but also drain their victims’ blood. According to Romanian folklore, red-headed men are more likely to become strigoi, as are seventh sons. So a red-headed seventh son would often be buried with a stake through the heart as a precautionary measure.

In the interview with Blair, the strudel-baking grandmother describes killing a strigoi in her youth, with a needle broken off a loom, hammered in to the corpse’s heart by her friend with a piece of firewood. When it was staked, the corpse spoke in the “Voice of Satan” and blood flowed from its mouth. She may not look like Buffy, but this grandmother is someone the forces of darkness should be afraid of!

8. Stephen Kaplan

An academic who always maintained he was studying rather than killing vampires, Stephen Kaplan died mysteriously in 1995, at home with “front door unlocked, eyes open, a look of horror on his silently screaming face”. The head of the Vampire Research Center of America had been studying vampires since 1972 and had met a number of people claiming to be vampires in order to study them. As his work progressed, he was keen to establish that he was not a vampire hunter, more of a census taker, but even so he became increasingly paranoid about meeting new people and eventually was found dead at home, of an apparent heart attack. Did his work catch up with him in an unexpected way? We’ll never know…

7. Onna

Here’s another modern girl claiming to be a real-life vampire hunter. In her video, she sets out for the evening, carrying two wooden swords for battle and then…goes clubbing. True, it’s a vampire-themed club called “Fangtasia” (nice “True Blood” reference), but she says at the start of the video that there are no real vampires there and she spends the rest of the video dancing around in latex, failing to do anything that resembles real-life vampire hunting. She also says in her description that she carries “with two wooden bokun swords to steak out the bloodsuckers just in case…”. Shouldn’t that be “stake”? Would you trust a vampire slayer who got confused between those two things? You don’t want to be at a crucial point if battle and see the slayer reach for a nice bit of sirloin….

So, she may be a real-life vampire hunter but her own video does nothing to prove it…

6. Bulgarian Vampirdzhija

And so onto the more traditional type of vampire hunters from Bulgaria. The vampirdzhija tracked down the graves of suspected vampires, while carrying religious icons like the one above. They would then either impale the body or burn it. Bulgarians believed that vampirism occurred when there were problems with the burial – certain rituals not being followed, or a cat or dog jumping over the body – and that those problems would block the spirit’s passage to the next life, so they would come back to this one as a vampire.

Most of these vampires were dealt with by the traditional stake, but some were bottled – lured into a bottle with their favorite food – and there was special treatment for a particular type of vampire known as a ustrel. A ustrel was a child who was born a Saturday but died before baptism, and they rose from the grave 9 days after burial. They would find some farm animals to drink, feast all night and return to the grave. After 10 days of this, they would be strong enough to be able to survive the day without returning to the grave and from then on, they lived wherever they could, mainly on animals.

In order to get rid of a ustrel, the whole village had to participate in a ritual called the “lighting of a needfire”, where the animals had to walk between two bonfires and the ustrel would supposedly drop off and be left for the wolves. The vampirdzhija oversaw this process and kept their villages vampire-free. They may still operate today, but the government try to play down the supernatural traditions of the country, so they may kept very quiet.

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