Shot in the head by a particle accelerator.

It’s surprising what people are capable of surviving. This little article is dedicated to three people who survived some truly amazing circumstances, from jumping out of a five story window (Twice), to being shot in the head with a particle accelerator beam, and more importantly- how they survived.

They say that lightning never strikes the same place twice. Tell that to Roy Sullivan, who was struck a total of Seven Times In his life.

He was struck in 1942, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1976 and 1977. Supposedly, he developed a case of paranoia after the third time and became convinced a higher power was out to get him. Mind you, considering the odds of being struck by lightning ONCE in 80 years are 576,000 to one, and the odds of being struck by lightning seven times are 10^25 to one, can you blame him?

Strangely it was not the lightning that killed him. He killed himself over unrequited love.
The Facts

I’m afraid I’ve mislead you somewhat here, as the odds of surviving a lightning strike are actually not all that bad. A bolt of lightning is a truly phenomenal piece of nature, a bolt lasts only a split second, but is hotter than the surface of the sun. Individual bolts are also not that large, in effect being struck by lightning is in many respects like being shot- with the added bonus that the wound is instantly cauterized.

Reports of people surviving lightning strikes abound, the most common injury is usually a burn, which while very painful and debilitating, is not usually fatal. Those who have had a direct strike land on their bodies often have holes or other full blown wounds to show for it, and if the strike passes through a vital organ, it will of course destroy it. The point is that being struck by lightening is not like being electrocuted per se (Although I wouldn’t handle electronics without a wriest strap immediately after a strike), it’s more like being shot with a high energy beam that burns through your body rather than relying on the kinetic energy of a bullet. Speaking of which…

Here's your linkey to the rest of the piece.

Google Maps Sparks Japanese Race Row.

Back in the feudal days, Japan was divided by caste. The lowest of these castes where the Burakumin, those whose jobs involved death. They where butchers, tanners and grave diggers, and in the highly ordered society of Japan with it's own unique cultures and laws, those who worked these jobs where considered tainted.

Even today, the descendants of these people, or those who live on the sites of old Burakumin villages face prejudice. Some companies refuse to hire the Burakumin, and the sites of the old villages are often targeted by graffiti and hate crimes.

Now, using old Japanese maps, google has added a new layer to its records of the region to show how Japan has changed throughout history. These maps also include details of the sites of old Burakumin villages, so now these places can be identified far more easily, and the Japanese government is concerned about the potential backlash against these communities.

Read the whole story here.

3 Bizzare Books

Every so often when browsing a book shelf, your eyes will glance over a title and you’ll double take. Or you read a blurb and suddenly your eyes are out on stalks wondering what the hell the author was taking when writing this book. This article is dedicated to three such titles, the odd, bizarre and the downright insane.

Read it here.

5 Common Falacies and Urban Myths Revelaed!

Christopher Columbus thought the world was round.

Islam discovered that the world was round long before even the birth of Jesus. The ancient Greeks calculated the weight and circumference of the planet, as well as the distance to the sun and moon.

Why would a culture going through a renaissance, much less one with a huge navy, suddenly forget these important lessons? You can see the world is round just by watching a ship coming over the horizon. The top of the mast appear first, then the rest of it, then the bulk of the ship.

He actually thought it was pear shaped.

read the whole list here