From lost golden cities to pirate loots: 10 treasures worth looking for

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Everyone has, at some point, imagined stumbling across a hidden chest of gold or a mysterious jewel lost for centuries. Most of us only strike gold in our dreams, but history is filled with treasures that have yet to be discovered. While some are probably tall tales, others may be buried just beneath our feet. Here are 10 of the most curious (and glittering) mysteries still unsolved.

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Centuries ago, there was an entire city gleaming with gold, hidden deep in the thick, uncharted jungles of South America. In the 1500s, Spanish conquistadors became obsessed with this dazzling vision, driven by tales of a great ruler who offered invaluable treasures to the gods and covered his body in gold dust.

The promise of limitless wealth lured expedition after expedition into dangerous territories, where many lives were lost along the way. Yet, despite many years of searching, El Dorado was never found. Was there truly a golden kingdom, or was it nothing more than the world’s most extravagant legend?

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In 1216, King John of England somehow managed to lose an entire royal treasure convoy while crossing a tricky inlet in the North Sea known as The Wash. According to lore, the heavy wagons were swamped by the incoming tide and never resurfaced. Crowns, jewels, and priceless relics disappeared into the muck. Historians estimate the haul would be worth millions today.

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The Wild West outlaw Jesse James became famous for robbing banks and trains with style, but the bigger mystery is what happened with the priceless loot. Did he tuck away the money for a rainy day? Campfire tales insist he buried it in caves, canyons, and lonely hillsides, supposedly leaving behind cryptic maps and clues.

Generations of treasure hunters have chased after the myth, shovels in hand, hoping for a jackpot that never turns up. If James is chuckling somewhere, it’s likely at the sight of modern folks still poking around the prairie, convinced his ghost left them a scavenger hunt to play.

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When conquistadors captured the Incan emperor Atahualpa in 1532, he made an offer that could outshine any ransom in history: a chamber packed floor-to-ceiling with gold and silver. While some of that treasure was taken, much of it mysteriously vanished after the Spaniards executed the king anyway. And we’re not talking mere trinkets; historians estimate hundreds of thousands of pounds of precious metal. To this day, no one knows where the rest of the bounty is.

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Back when pirates ruled the world, British privateer Henry Morgan became famous for plundering Caribbean towns, carting off gold, silver, and whatever else he could find. Rumor has it, he didn’t spend it all but stashed mountains of riches on remote islands. San Andrés locals will even guide you to "Morgan’s Cave." Spoiler alert: it’s totally empty—unless you count bats and sea breeze. Treasure or not, the cave’s real prize is probably the tall tale itself.

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In the 1500s, a Portuguese ship set sail carrying what can only be described as a floating fortune—around 120,000 pounds of gold, along with crates of jewels, spices, and other exotic goods from the East. But before it could reach Europe, a violent storm struck near Sumatra, sending the vessel and its priceless cargo to the bottom of the sea. Despite centuries of searching, the wreck has never been located. For modern treasure hunters, it remains the ultimate fantasy.

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Legend has it that during the 1940s, Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita secreted away thousands of tons of gold somewhere in the Philippines. Over the years, treasure hunters have dug, scanned, and explored, occasionally uncovering small trinkets but not the vast bulk of the WWII loot. True or not, the story continues to fuel the imaginations of swashbucklers who keep exploring jungles and tunnels, leaving local hardware stores empty of shovels, metal detectors, and digging gear.

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When Spanish forces conquered Mexico, the vast treasure said to belong to Emperor Montezuma seemed to vanish into thin air. Chronicles speak of mountains of gold, silver, and dazzling artifacts, yet none were ever officially recovered. Some legends claim the riches were hidden away in secret caves, while others insist the treasure was dumped into Lake Texcoco.

The truth remains a mystery, but the allure hasn’t faded. And who knows? If you happen to stumble across a golden mask or bright jewel while wandering the streets of Mexico City, you’ll have uncovered one of history’s most tantalizing legends.

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Pirate William Kidd’s name is forever tied to the rumor that, before his capture, he secretly buried a fortune somewhere along his sailing routes. Ever since, countless maps have surfaced, each claiming to point the way to his hidden gold, with locations ranging from the Caribbean islands to the rocky shores of New England. None of these supposed guides has ever led to the treasure, yet that hasn’t stopped adventurers from trying their luck.

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A fleet of twelve Spanish galleons once departed from Havana, Cuba, their holds packed to the brim with gold, silver, and sparkling gems destined for Europe. But fate had other plans. An unforgiving hurricane smashed the ships against reefs and dragged their cargo to the ocean floor off Florida’s coast.

Over the centuries, divers and fortune seekers have managed to recover scattered coins, jewelry, and fragments of the wreck; yet, the vast majority of the treasure remains hidden beneath the waves. So, if your next vacation to the Sunshine State involves a trip to the beach, it might be worth bringing along a snorkel!

The living machine

Discover 12 of the most fascinating (and surreal) facts on the human body

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The human body is an incredibly sophisticated machine, full of mysteries. Throughout history, science has revealed fascinating facts about how it works, yet lesser-known curiosities continue to surprise and challenge our understanding. Are you ready to discover 12 fascinating quirks about your body that will leave you speechless?

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A person inhales and exhales over 2,000 gallons of air daily, taking roughly 21,000 breaths a day. We perform this action almost unconsciously, but it is vital to absorb oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.

Now, did you know the right lung is slightly larger than the left lung to make room for the heart? And that the lungs contain over 300 billion tiny blood vessels called capillaries that, if unfolded, would extend to 1,500 miles? Don't worry, you learn something new every day!

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The primary function of nails is to protect the fingertips, which contain a high concentration of nerve endings. In fact, this is one of the most sensitive areas of the human body.

Because they are more exposed, fingernails grow at a much faster rate than toenails. Fingernails grow about 1/8 inch per month, while toenails grow about half as much. Nail growth is also determined by factors such as weather, often speeding up during the summer. If you happen to lose a fingernail, it may take up to six months to grow back from base to tip.

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The stomach is a fascinating organ with many peculiarities. For example, it produces hormones that influence appetite and sleep, and it can stretch to hold up to 50 ounces of food when we eat.

But perhaps its most incredible feature is its production of hydrochloric acid, which kills bacteria and aids digestion. This acid is so potent that it can even dissolve metals such as zinc. Fortunately for us, the stomach has a protective layer of mucus that is renewed every three to four days. If this lining weren’t continually replaced, it would dissolve. In other words, your stomach would digest itself.

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Your thigh bone, or femur, is the largest bone in your body, accounting for about a quarter of your total height. But did you know that human height can vary throughout the day and with age?

Every morning when you wake up, you are about 0.5 to 0.75 inches taller than when you go to bed at night. This is because the soft cartilage between your bones gets compressed by the force of gravity when you stand or sit. Starting in your forties or fifties, people gradually lose nearly half an inch of height per decade due to bone density loss, disc compression, and other age-related factors.

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On an average adult, skin covers an area of about 20 square feet and has multiple functions. The outer layer, called the epidermis, consists of dead cells that help regulate temperature and protect the body from dirt and germs. But did you know that your body is constantly losing and replacing these cells?

Every minute, you shed more than 30,000 dead skin cells. In fact, the entire surface of your skin is replaced every month, which, in other words, means that you will lose around 40 pounds of skin and have around 1,000 different skins in your lifetime.

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We all remember what we learned in school: the human body has 206 bones. However, at birth, humans have approximately 300 bones, many of which fuse as we grow, resulting in the 206 bones found in adults. More than half of these bones are located in the hands and feet, with 27 bones per hand and 26 per foot.

Another interesting fact about human bones is that they are as strong as granite. A small piece of bone can support up to 9 tons of weight!

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The eye is one of the most complex and fascinating organs of the human body. It can distinguish up to 10 million colors and adapts so quickly that it can adjust to extreme light conditions within seconds. Plus, your eyelids blink 15 to 20 times per minute, equivalent to roughly 10% of the time you spend awake!

If you have blue eyes, you are among the 8 to 10% of the world's population. Blue eyes result from a mutation that reduces pigment in the iris. Researchers believe this mutation first appeared in a person living in Europe 6,000 to 10,000 years ago, which means that all blue-eyed people living today share a common ancestor.

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The human body needs food and water to survive. In fact, water makes up approximately 50% to 70% of body weight, depending on age, sex, and body composition. While the body can survive up to seven days without food, it can only last about two days without water.

Have you ever wondered how much food and drink we consume? Here's the answer: The average person eats roughly 55 tons of food and drinks about 11,000 gallons of liquid during a lifetime.

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We know that factors such as age, diet, physical activity, illness, and the time of day can influence temperature. In fact, body temperature tends to be lower in the morning and higher in the evening.

But here's the most surprising fact about body temperature: in just 30 minutes, the human body produces enough heat to boil half a gallon of water. Now that’s a figure you probably didn’t expect!

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For its size and composition, the tongue is the strongest and most flexible muscle in the human body. It is covered with roughly 10,000 taste buds, each containing up to 100 cells that help you detect flavors ranging from sweet to spicy. As you age, some taste buds die and are not replaced, which is why younger people often have a more sensitive sense of taste than older individuals.

But here's a fact that will blow your mind: your tongue print is as unique as your fingerprints. From the impression of a tongue, it is possible to identify a human being with similar accuracy as with fingerprints or the iris of the eyes. Luckily, it’s not a technique commonly used by forensic police!

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Did you know that the human body contains about 60,000 miles of blood vessels, enough to circle the Earth two and a half times? Additionally, an average adult has roughly 1.2 to 1.5 gallons of blood circulating through the body. So why do veins look blue?

If you look at your wrists, you can probably see blue veins under your skin. It may sound strange, but the reason for this is to do with the way your skin absorbs light and reflects it back to your eye. So, now you know, nobody has blue blood, not even royalty!

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Your inner ear contains fluid that helps send information about balance and movement to your brain. This fluid is also the reason you sometimes get motion sickness. When you look out of a car window, your eyes signal to your brain that your body is moving, but because you are actually sitting still, your brain becomes confused, which can make you feel queasy.

Earwax is produced by your body to protect your ear canal from dirt, insects, and bacteria. Although we commonly call it "wax," it is actually a substance largely composed of dead skin cells and other secretions. By the time it reaches the outer ear, earwax has been inside your ear for about a month!