# Mysteries that defy conventional reality... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903 "2003-05-08T14:46:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![ghostrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58f4c7/32.png) [@ghostrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ghostrider)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/101 "2003-07-08T20:21:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > The [Baghdad Battery](http://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/battery2.html) has always intrigued me. > > But, realistically, it was probably just a pencil holder. Actually it was a power source for early WOMD. More seriously, I’m with Chronos & scr4 on this. If you want mysteries, suscribe to _New Scientist_ magazine, you’ll be turned on to a couple of new ones every week. I have a # of Wm Corliss’ books, I think of him more as a compiler of unexplained items rather than paranormal stuff. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/102 "2003-07-09T05:44:24Z")
Wow, who needs Fortean Times (which is 99% crap IMNSHO). **Nanobes** are a modern mystery. [http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/nanobes/nanoimages.html](http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/nanobes/nanoimages.html) Not yet into the domain of pop-science, but very exciting and [reverb]mysterious[/reverb]. Not sure if these are critters, but they reproduce. Some experts say they are alive, others disagree, saying they are too small to contain DNA. Also interesting and exciting and mysterious and sexy: **dark matter** and **junk DNA**. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/103 "2003-07-09T13:16:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Planet of the Shapes \* > \*\*I saw a documentary about this fairly recently. I could have sworn it was Horizon on the BBC, but a quick search of their site doesn’t seem to be bringing up anything. > > Anyway i can’t remember the details, but this model not only predicted how the magnetic field came to be generated, but predicted it to flip too. \*\* It was called “Magnetic Flip”, and was shown on Channel 4. Julie ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/104 "2003-07-09T14:33:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sengkelat \* > \*\*Don’t forget the [Voynich Manuscript](http://www.crystalinks.com/voynich.html), an odd 200-page document from the 1300s, written in an unknown and to date untranslated character set, with drawings of naked women and strange plants. \*\* Perhaps the [Codex Seraphinianus](http://www.io.com/~iareth/codindx.html) of its time? ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/105 "2003-07-09T14:39:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bradwalt \* > Read all of Cecil’s books ! Some of my favorites which Cecil has written about include “spontaneous human combustion”, the mysterious “short-wave radio numbers broadcasts” and Nova Scotia’s “pirate treasure pit.” Nobody has been able to explain these three mysteries despite the ample evidence they exist, and they make great campfire stories! That’s not true. At least the so called “spontaneous human combustion” has been explained quite nicely by the “wick theory.” AFAIK they have conducted a number of experiments with animal carcasses with satisfactory results. [I skimmed through the thread and it looks like nobody has made a reply to this. Sorry if somebody did already.] ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/106 "2003-07-09T18:34:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ranchoth \* > \*\*The [Baghdad Battery](http://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/battery2.html) has always intrigued me. > > But, realistically, it was probably just a pencil holder. \*\* Actually, L. Sprauge DeCamp, in his book, The Ancient Engineers, covers these batteries. He suggested that electroplating was invented, but it was never used for anything further. It’s an interesting concept, and I could quite understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/107 "2003-07-09T19:10:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > \*\*A favourite subject of mine is “ghost lights”, also known as “spooklights”. Searching for some of the more famous ones (such as the Tri-State Hornet Light, Brown Mountain Lights, etc.) can yield only a few scientific articles. There is one up by the Missouri Dept. of Conservation that is interesting: > > [http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/conmag/1997/01/2.html](http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/conmag/1997/01/2.html) > > Fierra and I are thinking of staking out the Hornet Light to do an investigation, but have not decided when. > > Earthquake lights are also pretty cool. > > There is supposedly evidence of copper and iron deposits in the Great Lakes area having been smelted long before the technology should have existed here in NA, and there is a lack of finding any tools resulting from the process. > > Historical cryptozoology can be interesting. There is supposedly a huge rock drawing of a “Thunderbird” along the Missouri river that vanished - due to erosion - reputedly looking exactly like a pteradactyl. I’ve seen a sketch of it that was done in the 1800’s when it was still up, but have no graphic now. I’ve also heard that other rivers claim to have similar rock drawings. \*\* IIRC, there are many areas in the UK that are also subject to strange lights. I can remember a few years ago a program on unexplained phenomena covering it. There was an incident where a whole valley in the Peak District lit up like it was daylight, during the night, warranting a call out to the local Mountain Rescue, after residents of the valley feared a plane had crashed. I’ve heard of several explanations, but most seem to revolve around methane escaping from local peat marshes. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/108 "2003-07-09T23:08:01Z")
Min min lights - Latest theory is light internally reflected in a layer of air over the horizon. Source is usually a fire, planets, headlights or houselights. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/109 "2003-07-10T17:19:32Z")
Here’s a link confirming that my recollection of the account is pretty accurate: [http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Members/ad.johnson/text/bl.htm](http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Members/ad.johnson/text/bl.htm) (First paragraph, about Derbyshire). ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/110 "2003-07-11T05:04:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Snickers \* > \*\*Here’s one - those lights over Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. Remember them? Sure you do - they were on NBC Nightly News, for the love of Mike! I’ve never really seen them explained, ever. A quick search turned up this site that seems to be a little even-handed: > > [http://www.geocities.com/jilaens/phoenixlights.html](http://www.geocities.com/jilaens/phoenixlights.html) > > Be warned - if you do a search, you’ll probably find a lot of UFO sites that aren’t exactly what you’d call fair and balanced. > > I’ve never forgotten about them and I’ve never heard a good explanation. > > Snicks \*\* I’ve seen a debunking show about this…a camera team was sent out to the exact spot where one of the vantage points was shot, only the camera team set up during broad daylight. The two tapes were superimposed, and the lights were clearly seen to drift behind a mountain in the background. It has been proposed that a military figter plane…most likely an A-10 Warthog… was on a training mission and practiced an evasive maneuver by banking left and ejecting a series of flares used to decoy heat seeking missles. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/111 "2003-07-11T12:44:56Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Anthracite \* > [BFierra and I are thinking of staking out the Hornet Light to do an investigation, but have not decided when._\* Save your breath. I lived in Joplin, Missouri for seven years, and made several expiditions to see the Hornet Spook Light. I saw it exactly once. Forgive my anthropomorphizing, but the HSL is, er, _temperamental_. And FTR, it was pretty cool. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![IUHomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90db22/32.png) [@IUHomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IUHomer)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/112 "2003-07-12T03:58:48Z")
Oliver Sacks is good. However, Newton’s Madness is just as good a read if you’re looking for interesting neurology cases. Its by Harold Klawans. He also wrote “Why Michael couldn’t hit”, which is not quite as good but still worth a try. ``` If you want some interesting Inventor stories, Try "Strange Brains and Genius" by Clifford Pickover. He is the same guy that writes the Brain Boggler column for discover magazine. Finally, more of a weird, recent scientific finding than anything else, but it was shows just in this past year that people with so called "perfect pitch" in music (I know nothing about music, but I think this means they hear a pitch or sound and can perfectly recreate it on the first try, or something like that) are just born with the ability. You can get very good at it with practice, apparently, but the ability to do it perfectly is something you either do or don't have when you're born. So they say now, at least. Sorry, I'd have to search for a reference. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/113 "2003-07-12T05:36:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HeyHomie \* > \*\*Save your breath. I lived in Joplin, Missouri for seven years, and made several expiditions to see the Hornet Spook Light. I saw it exactly once. > > Forgive my anthropomorphizing, but the HSL is, er, _temperamental_. > > And FTR, it was pretty cool. 🆒 \*\* How about posting an account of it in MPSIMS? I’d love to read it. Una ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/114 "2003-07-12T07:30:22Z")
I just love it when the gremlins leave the scientific community scratching their heads… ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/115 "2003-07-12T13:55:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > \*\*How about posting an account of it in MPSIMS? I’d love to read it. > > Una \*\* OK. [Here it is.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=197115) ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/116 "2003-07-12T14:12:54Z")
There seem to be many stories of domestic dogs who get lost, and winduptravelling extremely long distances, finally showing up at their owner’shomes months later. Are these stories credible? I recall reading of one such a mutt, who actually was lost by the owner on a camping trip. the dog travelled hundreds ofmiles and arrived at his home months later. My question: how could an animal find his way across mountians, and miles ofunfamiliar territory? I had a dog who got lost two streets awy, and she couldn’tfind her way home! ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903/117 "2003-07-12T20:48:58Z")
Yes, they’re credible, there was a report of one a few months ago in the British press. A few months ago, a dog fell overboard whilst on its owner’s yacht in the English Channel. The owner thought it had drowned after discovering the dog missing. He returned home a few hours later. The following day, the dog had returned home. To do this, it must have swam the 30 miles necessary to the coast, another 30 miles up a large river, onto the beach and through a town back. IIRC, there were some eyewitness reports of the dog leaving the water on the shore, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mysteries-that-defy-conventional-reality/173903.md?page=5)