When people speak of weather control and cloud seeding, many minds turn to conspiracies and dark corners of the world’s governments looking to cripple their enemies with a flood, hurricane, or both. And, as limited as it is, there is some documentation showing that government departments have at least looked at the possibility of such

We take many things for granted. In fact, there are a lot of modern conveniences that we just accept as part of life. Most people reading this have toilet paper, toothbrushes, running water, and electricity—and they don’t really have to figure out how to get by without them. But there was a time when these

You probably spend a lot of time in your bedroom. You might not be conscious for most of it, but you’re there. For many, the bedroom is the last thing they see at the end of one day and the first thing they see the next morning. We often take the welcoming warmth of our

September 15, 2017, marked the release of writer-director Darren Aronofsky’s new horror-thriller mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem as a couple whose relationship is tested when uninvited guests, played by Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer (among others), arrive at their home and disrupt their tranquil existence. The movie was shot under a veil of

Life can be tough. Between work, daily tasks, families, and other various activities, it can be somewhat overwhelming. Now imagine having to live a full and complex life without the use of limbs. Many might fear that losing limbs would limit their abilities to do many things. However, throughout history, there have been many people

Many religious artifacts, predominantly statues or images of the Virgin Mary or Jesus Christ, have been subject to claims of miracles or divine events. While the vast majority of these are exposed as hoaxes designed for monetary gain or even to attract more people to the church, some are still without explanation. Perhaps the fact

History has been plagued by outrageous bans. Governments often claim that their attempts to control the lives of their citizens are done for good and honorable reasons, such as national security, morality, or personal safety. Even so, many actions or items have been banned for unjustifiable or downright silly reasons. Certainly, there’s an element of

A lot of movies are open to interpretation. Sometimes this is due to the director’s vision; other times it’s due to the director’s lack of vision. Even if a movie seems straightforward, that won’t stop dedicated fans from debating things others consider a foregone conclusion. That leads to the appearances of many fan theories that

Suicide is a tragic reality that will affect most of us at some point in our lives. Those of us who have already had experience with suicide often struggle to understand how it reached that point, but we also know how Earth-shattering and devastating it can be for those left behind. But as difficult as

After years in the making, Mama director Andres Muschietti’s remake of Stephen King’s IT was released on September 8, 2017. Like many of you out there, we made sure to grab our tickets in advance and hit the first screening available to the public. Truer to the source material than the 1990 miniseries starring Tim

Pets have become a near-ubiquitous part of the human condition, and most pet owners will talk at length about the joy their pets give them. Some animals have even been known to do extraordinary things, such as save their owners in emergency medical conditions or put killers behind bars. But there’s also a darker side

Over the years, psychopathy has been depicted extensively in popular culture. Whether these people are in movies, books, or television programs, we’re never too far from encountering a psychopath in a fictional sense or otherwise. As they’re portrayed, they’re not going to be the people you invite for dinner. The media paints psychopaths as cold,

For most, history class in grade school was a dry, tedious affair. Memorize names, memorize dates, repeat. But as any veteran Listverse reader can tell you, that’s only because the good parts would never fly in a school curriculum. No matter how many times we learn about the scandalous side of history, there’s always a

We all know that statues can bring good luck. Just go to any city around the world that draws in tourism, and you will find statues that require you to touch, kiss, or interact with them in some way. Some have an old legend attached to them, and others do not. In fact, it can

The world’s oceans make up around 70 percent of this planet, and only 5 percent of them have been explored. That means that the vast majority of Earth is made up of deep, dark waters with mysteries waiting to be discovered. Even with the small amount of ocean exploration that has been completed, some incredible

Scientists frequently uncover unusual and intriguing fossils, but some finds are more spectacular than others. Recent ones include a slimy, slug-like hermaphrodite that exudes disgusting mucus; a balloon-shaped organism with a spiked body, mysterious lizards; and a decidedly bizarre filter feeder. One strange animal is even reminiscent (to paleontologists, at least) of a character played

Whenever celebrity meltdowns are mentioned in the media or even just in casual conversation, people almost immediately think of the music industry first. And who could blame them; just think of the past antics of Britney, Kanye, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, and Justin Bieber. However, the movie industry has had its fair share of insane

The saying goes that history is written by the victors, and that holds very true when it comes to World War II. It is often referred to as the good war, with the Allies depicted as the shining white knights who came to save the entire world from the evils of Hitler and the Japanese.

Natural disasters reveal something about humanity. When a storm sends 49 billion kilograms (108 billion lb) of water flying through 251 kilometer-per-hour (156 mph) winds straight into your backyard, you learn something about who you really are. When hurricanes break through the coastline and wreak havoc on people’s lives, human nature also gets uncovered. Sometimes,

The ever-prolific field of archaeology continuously churns out new and significant discoveries. When you imagine such finds, perhaps you envision scientists down in the dirt, using small brushes to uncover tiny bone fragments or shards of pottery. Such seemingly insignificant bits can, of course, rewrite history. Archaeologists have been cataloging discoveries that can fit in

Do you remember 2012, or more accurately, the decade or so beforehand filled with prognostications of the coming apocalypse? Obviously, the world didn’t end. But failed doomsday predictions have never stopped new ones from being made. So take heed: You don’t want to make plans, tell everyone you’re coming, and get dressed up to the

Many believe that patients before the early 20th century had to endure dental repairs, tooth extractions, or general surgery in agony, largely unrelieved except by slugs of whiskey or wine. Archaeology suggests that such was not the case—at least, not for everyone. Some of our ancient ancestors were quite creative when it came to medicine.

A starry sky on a warm summer’s night is a beautiful view to behold. We tend to focus mainly on the wonders of space—how it could save our planet, how we could make contact with other friendly civilizations, and how we could learn about natural marvels that we can only begin to imagine. However, behind

Since the late 1800s, hypnotism has fascinated the general public. People from all over the world either experimented with it or experienced it. In fact, it was a common subject covered in newspapers worldwide on an almost daily basis. Professional hypnotists would travel the continents and perform astounding acts by hypnotizing entire groups of people

IT has finally arrived. Yes, today finally marks the release of the first installment of Mama director Andres Muschietti’s epic R-rated two-part feature film adaptation of Stephen King’s massive novel IT. And while we all wait in anticipation to see just what the new Pennywise and the filmmakers have in store for us on this

Keeping up with the news is hard. So hard, in fact, that we’ve decided to save you the hassle by rounding up the most significant, unusual, or just plain old mind-blowing stories each week. Hurricane Harvey was the major story of last week. Now we’re hoping that it wasn’t just the opening act for an

Whatever your take on the story of Jesus might be, the fact that such a person existed at the time claimed is most likely true. Who He actually was and whether He was divine or not, however, is very much a matter for discussion—as is, it would seem, whether or not the story of His

There is no doubt that science has made incredible breakthroughs in the past 100 years. This is especially true in medicine and biological engineering. From lifesaving vaccines to revolutionary surgeries, science has vastly improved our quality of life. Progress requires researchers to innovate new solutions to age-old problems. Behind every medical discovery, there’s a laboratory

China is an amazing country. One of the oldest continuing civilizations on Earth, it has gone from a centuries-old, primarily agrarian society to an industrial economic powerhouse. In the span of 50 years, the reforms that China has put in place have made it the second-largest economy on Earth, and it is soon expected to

There are many thousands of UFO sightings on record. Similarly numerous are accounts of alleged encounters with cosmic beings from another world. But when incidents are reported that share such a particular and precise detail as being paralyzed by a laser or light beam, it not only lends a certain amount of credibility, but it