In 1749 a scientist, Emilie du Châtelet, feared that bearing a child at 42 would be the last thing she did. She worked furiously on a magnum opus that would eventually change the world of physics. Within days of completing her work, she gave birth to a daughter and died soon after.
beliefs
Residents of Shingo, Japan believe…
Residents of Shingo, Japan believe Jesus did not die on a cross in Jerusalem, but instead he fled to their town and became a rice farmer.
On a trip to Nepal, Apollo astronaut…
On a trip to Nepal, Apollo astronaut Stu Roosa met Nepalese who believe the spirits of their dead reside on the Moon. Roosa could not understand why a few of the local citizens treated him like a god, nor why they were distressed when he told them he saw no one else on the Moon.
In the mid 19th Century…
In the mid 19th Century, the belief persisted that weather was completely unpredictable. When one MP suggested in the Commons in 1854 that recent advances in scientific theory might soon allow them to know the weather in London “twenty-four hours beforehand”, the House roared with laughter.
People used to believe toothaches…
People used to believe toothaches and other dental problems were caused by “tooth worms” that lived in our teeth and consumed them from the inside out.
Jews believe God has a 72 letter name that allows…
Jews believe God has a 72 letter name that allows the speaker supernatural powers. This name allowed Moses to part the Red Sea.
Finnish people were believed to be able to control…
Finnish people were believed to be able to control weather. This resulted in reluctance to accept Finnish Sailors aboard ships from the Vikings all the way until the 1900s.
The reason people believe breaking a mirror brings…
The reason people believe breaking a mirror brings 7 years of bad luck is due to ancient Romans believing life renewed itself every 7 years and that breaking a mirror would damage one’s self until the next 7 year renewal period.
There is a psychological phenomenon called…
There is a psychological phenomenon called the Backfire Effect. Essentially, the more you try to convince someone they are wrong using facts and figures, the more convinced they become that their preexisting beliefs are correct.
In 1984, a 1-year-old received a heart transplant from…
In 1984, a 1-year-old received a heart transplant from a baboon but ended up dying 21 days later due to rejection. When questioned with why a baboon and not a primate more closely related to humans, the surgeon said he didn’t believe in evolution.