We still don’t know

An immortal jellyfish? 10 spooky and unanswered questions about the sea

Some people are scared of the ocean. Can you blame them? Though waters cover 70% of our planet, scientists are still scratching their heads about certain unanswered questions. How long can blue whales actually live? What substance makes some waters glow eerily white at night? And what’s with the self-rejuvenating, immortal jellyfish? These are some of the mysteries we’ll explore in this article!

Found abandoned in 1872 with sails set, cargo intact, and dinner still on the table, the Mary Celeste is the poster child for maritime enigmas. The whole crew vanished without a trace and was never heard of again.

Mutiny? Rogue wave? Alcohol fumes? Giant squid? No theory fully fits. It's a fascinating tale that has been the subject of documentaries, theatre plays, novels, and movies.

For centuries, sailors have reported seeing entire portions of the ocean surface glowing white at night, like a ghostly reflection.

An explanation could be massive blooms of bioluminescent bacteria, but no one knows how they coordinate light across such huge distances or why the phenomenon lasts for hours. Even with satellite detections, it remains one of the ocean’s eeriest light shows.

Tales of a giant squid have been alive for centuries, but it was only in 2004 that humanity was able to photograph this fabled creature. In that year, a Japanese team captured a live one on camera in its natural habitat and finally proved that the creature behind centuries of sea-monster legends was very real.

And yet, we still know shockingly little about its life cycle, breeding habits, or how something that big stays so well hidden.

You’d think the largest creature ever to exist would be the easiest to study. Nope. We still struggle to track migration patterns, understand their communication system, or explain the full recovery timeline after they were nearly hunted to extinction.

Turritopsis dohrnii cheats death by reverting its adult cells back to a juvenile state when stressed. It’s like if a human under pressure suddenly turned back into a toddler.

This regeneration process is wildly complex and not fully understood, and scientists hope that cracking its secret might reveal insights into aging itself.

The stretch between Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico has inspired endless theories. Unexplained disappearances, bizarre compass behavior, and strange weather patterns have contributed to building the legend.

Scientific explanations abound, from methane hydrates to violent storms, but the Triangle’s mythic aura refuses to die.

The Challenger Deep, the trench’s lowest point, plunges almost 7 miles. Only a handful of people have ever explored its bottom, including filmmaker James Cameron in 2012.

What lives down there? What geological processes unfold under such pressure? Every new expedition reveals creatures that look like they belong in fever dreams.

Off the coast of Japan lies a submerged stone structure with terraces, pillars, and sharp geometries that seem carved… Unless they were shaped by strange phenomena of nature.

Some believe it’s the remains of an ancient city, sunken after an earthquake; others argue it’s purely geological. Today, it’s a riddle lying quietly under turquoise waters.

In 1918, a massive US Navy collier vanished without a distress call while crossing the Caribbean. More than 300 people disappeared with it, the single largest non-combat loss of life in U.S. Navy history.

No wreckage has ever been found. Storm? Structural failure? Something stranger? The sea has kept its mouth shut.

This line gets repeated a lot because it’s shockingly true. With sonar mapping still incomplete and most of the ocean floor left untouched by human eyes, researchers say we’ve charted only about a quarter of it in detail.

Mars, by contrast, has been mapped in full thanks to satellites. The ultimate plot twist is that we might understand another planet better than our own.

LATIN LEGAL LINGO

Do You Want To Sound Like a Lawyer?

Image: Tingey Injury Law Firm

In the field of legal speech, Latin expressions are of everyday use. And it’s no surprise that more than just aqueducts and conquering empires, the Romans also laid the groundwork for modern-day law one expression at a time. That’s right, Latin may be a dead language, but its influence in the legal world is still going strong.

Grab your gavels and don your thinking caps as we explore ten Latin expressions that continue to shape the world of law today.

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Let’s kick things off with a legal heavyweight: habeas corpus. This Latin phrase translates to "you shall have the body," and it is all about protecting an individual’s right to be free from unlawful detention by compelling authorities to produce the detained individual before a court, thereby ensuring their right to challenge the legality of their imprisonment.

From the Magna Carta to modern-day constitutional democracies, habeas corpus remains a cornerstone of due process and the rule of law.

Image: Emil Kalibradov

Life is not always easy, and some groups are more vulnerable than others. Regardless, we might all go through a process that we need but can’t afford. That is when "pro bono" comes into play. This Latin expression refers to lawyers serving the cause of justice without expectation of monetary reward. In other words, they work for free.

The literal translation is "for the good," pro bono work embodies the noble ethos of providing legal assistance to those unable to afford it. Whether advocating for marginalized communities or social causes, lawyers uphold the spirit of pro bono as proof of commitment to equality.

Image: Saúl Bucio

You have surely heard the saying "Actions speak louder than words." And this is also the case in the world of court and justice. But in this case, "actions" can be changed for "evidence" because evidence can speak for itself, that is the essence of this saying.

This legal doctrine shifts the burden of proof onto the defendant when an injury or accident is so inherently indicative of negligence that no further evidence is required. From medical malpractice to product liability cases, res ipsa loquitur serves as a powerful tool in the pursuit of justice.

Image: Kenny Eliason

Have you ever felt your teacher, or your kids’ teachers, were a second mom or dad? Well, that is because they are often acting "in loco parentis." This expression describes how institutions like the school are granted the authority and responsibility to act in the place of parents.

Whether supervising students on a field trip or disciplining a wayward pupil, educators assume the role of surrogate parents exercising care and authority in loco parentis.

The Latin expression maxim underscores the delicate balance between parental rights and institutional duties in shaping the minds and futures of the next generation.

Image: Cytonn Photography

More often than not, things are different in practice than they are on paper, and for those cases, we are to thank the Latin language for giving us the "de facto" expression. Beneath the veneer of legal formalities lies the undeniable truth of "de facto" arrangements, which acknowledges the practical reality of a situation, despite the lack of official recognition.

For example, we all know that couple who has been living together for ages, but they aren’t married. This expression sheds light on the gap between legal status and lived experiences, urging policymakers and jurists to confront the complexities of social dynamics beyond mere legal constructs.

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Have you ever heard the expression "First impressions are everything"? Well, that’s the essential idea behind "prima facie." Translated, this Latin expression means "at first sight," which is why we think of first impressions.

Prima facie describes a fact or a presumption of fact that is, in itself, regarded as true unless it can be disapproved or rebutted later in the process. For example, in the case of evidence, prima facie evidence is considered true but it is subject to further investigation.

From civil lawsuits to criminal prosecutions, presenting a prima facie case lays the foundation for subsequent legal proceedings.

Image: Dayne Topkin

Have you ever wondered what happens when the judge and one lawyer have a private chat? In the hushed corridors of legal proceedings, "ex parte" motions and communications unfold away from the prying eyes of opposing parties.

Latin for "from one party," ex parte interactions occur when one side seeks relief from the court without the presence or participation of the other party.

While it is necessary in certain urgent or sensitive circumstances, this is synonymous with having secret meetings, so it raises concerns about fairness and transparency.

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Think of your favorite dish or your favorite recipe, there is always that one ingredient you can’t do without, isn’t that so? Well, that is the sine qua non of the recipe. In the legal world, "sine qua non" stands for those elements which are crucial, and without which the entire case would crumble.

From contract law to causation analysis, identifying the sine qua non of a case claim clarifies the essential link between cause and effect. The sine qua non elements are those that are indispensable and make everything come together because they are absolutely necessary.

Image: Scott Graham

We all have problems and, since each problem is unique, each solution has to be so in some way. That is when you need an "ad hoc" approach**, a customized solution to fit your needs perfectly**.

In the field of legal proceedings, this approach is essential and flexibility is paramount. Ad hoc, which translates to "for this situation", describes those custom-tailored solutions arranged for specific issues or requirements that arise in the process.

Whether forming ad hoc committees or crafting ad hoc agreements, legal practitioners take this approach to demonstrate adaptability and resourcefulness.

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This list will end with a caution: caveat emptor! When you are shopping for something, it is always a good idea to keep your eyes open for any tricks, which means, you are responsible for checking things out before you pay any money.

This Latin expression translates to "let the buyer beware" and it places responsibility on consumers as they should exercise caution and discretion. Even if consumer protection laws offer some safeguards, caveat emptor reminds us that informed buyers are empowered buyers.