UNSOLVED RIDDLES

The world is still full of real mysteries. Did you know about these 10?

Image: Marek Piwnicki

Get ready to delve into the realm of the unexplained and unresolved. From eerie disappearances to uncharted phenomena, some of these unsolved mysteries defy logic and will leave us scratching our heads.

In this article, we will explore 10 mind-bending enigmas that continue to elude explanation despite all attempts to elucidate their perplexing nature.

Image: Charlie Hales

The infamous Bermuda Triangle, spanning between Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, is considered by many to be a hot spot for unexplained disappearances of both ships and aircraft since at least 1840. However, despite extensive research, the reasons behind the vanishings remain elusive. Some attribute the apparent phenomenon to magnetic anomalies, while others point to human error or natural explanations.

Image: Sohaib Al Kharsa

Dating back to the 15th century, the Voynich Manuscript is a handwritten book filled with bizarre illustrations and an unknown script referred to as Voynichese. Scholars and cryptographers have attempted to decipher its contents for centuries, yet its mysterious language remains uncracked. While some believe it was conceived as a work of fiction or, perhaps, a joke, the manuscript's true origin, purpose, and the meaning of its intricate drawings remain one of history's greatest linguistic conundrums.

Image: Ben Wicks

In 1977, a radio signal was detected from deep space by Ohio State University's radio telescope. The strange signal lasted 72 seconds and was dubbed the "Wow! Signal" because it bore the expected hallmarks of extraterrestrial origin. But despite numerous attempts, scientists have still been unable to trace its source or explain its origin. The signal's sudden appearance and unique frequency continue to fuel speculation about life beyond the Earth.

Image: K. Mitch Hodge

The prehistoric monument of Stonehenge, an imposing circle of colossal stones in the middle of a grassy field, has puzzled archaeologists for centuries. The purpose of its construction as well as the exact technology used by its ancient builders - who did not leave written records behind - remain mostly an enigma. However, many researchers have pointed out that the monument could have functioned as a sort of early astronomical observatory.

Image: Farhan Azam

In 1948, an unidentified man was found peacefully dead on Somerton Beach in Australia. Police found a scrap of paper that read Tamam Shud (meaning "finished" in Persian) in his pocket, later found to be a torn page from Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, a 12th-century Persian poetry book. The man's identity, cause of death, and the meaning behind the mysterious phrase remain unknown to this day. A baffling case that could have easily been ripped off the pages of an Agatha Christie book, The Somerton Man continues to mystify investigators, spawning numerous theories but offering no concrete answers.

Image: Fran Jacquier

In 1987, during two separate incidents, an unknown individual wearing a Max Headroom mask hijacked television broadcasts in Chicago. The bizarre intrusions featured distorted audio and peculiar visuals, leaving viewers bewildered. Following the broadcast intrusion, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a criminal investigation. However, despite numerous inquiries and widespread speculation over the ensuing decades, the culprits behind the intrusion remain unidentified to this day.

Image: Hendrik Morkel

In 1959, a group of experienced hikers in the Ural Mountains (then part of the Soviet Union) met a mysterious and tragic end. Their tent was found slashed open, and the hikers were scattered in various states of undress, some with internal injuries. The cause of their deaths and the strange circumstances leading to the incident remain unsolved, with the prevailing secrecy of Soviet authorities at the time further complicating inquiries. The tragic incident has sparked numerous theories, from natural disasters to military experiments, but definitive answers remain elusive.

Image: Ethan Wright-Magoon

Residents of Taos, New Mexico, have reported a persistent low-frequency hum, known as the "Taos Hum," since the early 1990s. Despite investigations, the source of this mysterious sound, which can only be heard by a small percentage of the population, remains unknown. Similar phenomena have been reported in other parts of the world, leading researchers to believe local sources or even biological auditory effects might be the cause.

Image: Jamie Morrison

In 1872, the ship Mary Celeste was discovered adrift in the Atlantic Ocean with its crew mysteriously missing. Surprisingly, the ship was intact, with all its food and valuables untouched. Insurance fraud, mutiny, waterspouts, and giant squid attacks have all been proposed as possible explanations, but no convincing evidence was found to prove any of these theories. Despite exhaustive investigations, the fate of the crew and the reason for their sudden disappearance remain one of maritime history's most enduring enigmas.

Image: Gregory Pappas

During the early 20th century, a mysterious illness known as Encephalitis lethargica struck half a million people around the world, causing affected individuals to enter a prolonged state of lethargy or sleep. While the exact cause remains unknown, one of the leading theories suggests that brain inflammation triggered by an autoimmune response to a certain strain of bacteria or viral infection could have been responsible for the observed symptoms.

Athletics and vocabulary

Game on! These 10 idioms and terms come from the world of sports!

The world of sports is definitely ripe with unique terms and idioms. Not only that, but some of these words eventually make their way into our wider vocabulary. Have you ever stopped to think about how many sports idioms we use in our daily lives? In any case, we've decided to take some time to analyze 10 sports terms and what they truly mean. Maybe, with a bit of luck, we can finally understand what makes these idioms so unique. What we can guarantee, though, is that we’ll have fun in the process. Enjoy!

We’ll start with one of the most baffling sports terms: have you ever wondered why a score of 0 in tennis is called "love"? This word has been synonymous with zero since the 1800s, and the reason for this is that the English word "love" sounds phonetically similar to "l’oeuf," which in French means "the egg," a common metaphor for the number zero.

The story behind the idiom "to have something in the bag," which means certain victory or success in a specific situation, comes from the world of baseball—more specifically, from the New York Giants, a team that played in the Big Apple during the 1910s. This team had a good luck tradition of taking away their ball bag whenever the Giants were in the lead, as this symbolized that victory was metaphorically "in the bag."

This one is rather self-explanatory: who doesn’t know what a home run is or where it comes from? Regardless, it is perhaps the quintessential sports term. We often describe a particularly successful meeting as "a home run." When you think about it, it makes perfect sense—the feeling of watching a baseball fly out of the stadium is the perfect representation of what great success feels like.

The phrase "off the clock" is commonly used to describe times when we are not working. It can refer to downtime or be used to remind someone that you are now in your personal time. In a similar sense, the world of swimming uses this phrase as well. Swimmers all around the world describe a swim that is not being timed as off the clock, and for the love of the sport.

In the world of tennis, an ace is one of the most difficult and satisfying points you can score. This term describes when a player wins a point with only their serve. As you would expect, "acing" something means doing an extremely good job in a particularly stressful situation. For instance, you can ace a job interview, an assignment, or a difficult exam.

Let’s continue with one of the most adorable sports terms out there. For such a demanding and stressful sport, golf definitely has some of the most rewarding names for a high score. Case in point: whenever you score one stroke under par, that shot is known as a "birdie." Not only that, it’s followed by an "eagle" (two under par) and the even rarer "albatross" (three under par).

In soccer, a "hat-trick" occurs when one player scores three goals in a match. The term actually originated in 1858 cricket, when a bowler was awarded a physical hat for taking three wickets in a row. The accomplishment was seen as a rare, impressive "trick" worth rewarding. Today, this "magical" idiom is a staple of soccer, hockey, and even baseball lore.

While resistance and stamina are also essential, some boxers make their name in this sport thanks to their speed and cat-like reflexes. These boxers usually live by the simple truth of hitting the other fighter before they hit them, living up to the phrase held as a sacred text by boxers everywhere: "You need to beat your opponent to the punch." As you would expect, this idiom is now synonymous with reaching an objective or goal before someone else.

In American football, an audible is an often-improvised call that changes or replaces the previously planned play. As you would expect, the term "to call an audible" comes from this practice. It describes completely improvising a solution on the spur of the moment, without major certainty about whether the decision will be beneficial or not.

Horse racing is definitely a short but exciting sport. There’s a reason why the Kentucky Derby is widely known as "the most exciting two minutes in sports." In that sense, the outcome of this fast-paced sport is often decided at the very last minute. These races are commonly characterized as "down to the wire," in reference to the wire stretched across the finish line. Nowadays, those of us who are not fortunate enough to be involved in horse racing still use this expression to describe everyday situations that are resolved at the last second.