Crocodiles,by reading the name you would have picturised a massive creature with pointed teeth and a thick skin. The very appearance of them would terrify anyone. We can also call them as living relatives of dinosaurs but still it has always been a mystery on how crocodiles survived the extinction which wept out the entire dinosaurs. Crocodiles shares many common features with dinosaurs but they are different from one another and they have a distinct feature which allowed them to survive the mass extinction of dinosaurs.Though we can’t come up with a perfect conclusion still there are few amazing theories which leaves us wondering.
Crocodile show a slow metabolism which allows them to survive for months without food. They being cold blooded cannot generate own heat due to which they hibernate during colder periods. While hibernating they dig burrows in the side of river banks and go for a long sleep. This particular habit of them would have enabled them to withstand the climatic condition prevailed during the mass extinction. The period that followed the event of mass extinction brought a radical weather change which would have wiped of the remaining dinosaurs whereas crocodiles on the other hand had the ability to hibernate or go dormant adopted to the changes and survived the condition.
Another important characteristics of survival is in the process of reproduction. In this case the crocodiles gave rise to a large number of offsprings at a time whose young one takes quicker time to grow mature thus increases the possibility of survival.
They also have a strong immune system which enable them to fight against deadly diseases thus providing more anchorage to the survival process. They grow slowly and steadily in size adapting to the surrounding and availability of food which was not characteristic of the other creatures that lived during that age. Apart from all others features, crocodiles are smarter creatures which can be seen through the fact on how easily they can be tamed and trained. They understand the changing around them clearly and tend to adapt to it. All these factors together has assisted crocodiles to escape and thrive through the mass extinction.
There is an undefined beauty in the film, filled with mystery and unexpected events. It drives most of us crazy when we don’t know what will happen next. When watching a mystery movie, the scenario is completely different. We love watching movies where it is impossible to predict. A mystery film becomes even better when the flavor of thriller is added to it. Thrillers are also about plausibility. Once magic or science-fiction works its way into the storyline, the film becomes less about normal people surviving harrowing situations and more about the mechanics of the fantasy world it now inhabits. The events of a thriller may be highly unlikely but they could, at least in an impressionistic way, happen in the real world. That’s what makes them captivating. It could happen to you. keeping this in mind I had prepared the list of best rated mystry thriller movies. The list consists of both , Hollywood as well as bollywood movies. The Movies are mostly numbered on the basis of their ratings, reviews from critics and public response. This is not a universal list in this genre, just take it as some suggestions if you wanna watch on this genre.
20. Prisoners (imdb- 8.1)
Prisoners is a 2013 American thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay written by Aaron Guzikowski. The plot focuses on the abduction of two young girls in Pennsylvania and the subsequent search for the suspected abductor by the police. After police arrest a young suspect and release him, the father of one of the daughters takes matters into his own hands. It was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2013, and at the 86th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Cinematography.Gyllenhaal received the Best Supporting Actor of the Year Award at the 2013 Hollywood Film Festival for his “truly compelling, subtly layered” performance as Detective Loki.
19.kahaani (IMDb-8.1)
Kahaani is a Indian Hindi-language thriller film co-written, co-produced and directed by Sujoy Ghosh. It stars Vidya Balan as Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant woman searching for her missing husband in Kolkata during the festival of Durga Puja, assisted by Satyoki “Rana” Sinha and Khan. Kahaani garnered generally positive reviews from critics. The film won several awards, including three National Film Awards and five Filmfare Awards. The latter included trophies for Best Director (Ghosh) and Best Actress (Vidya).
18.A Wednesday (IMDb-8.1)
A Wednesday! released on 5 September 2008 is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language thriller film written and directed by Neeraj Pandey.It stars Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher. Set between 2 pm and 6 pm on a Wednesday,the film depicts an about-to-retire police commissioner (Anupam Kher) narrating a sequence of events that unfolded on a particular Wednesday. There does not exist any written record. The awareness of the incident exists only in his mind and in those of several individuals who were involved, willingly and unwillingly, and how those events affected the lives of all the concerned people. it won a number of awards including the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director at the 56th National Film Awards.
17.The sixth sense (IMDb- 8.1)
The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American supernatural psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist whose patient (Haley Joel Osment) can talk to the dead. The film established Shyamalan and introduced the cinema public to his traits, most notably his affinity for surprise endings.It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Shyamalan, Best Supporting Actor for Osment, and Best Supporting Actress for Collette. It was the second-highest-grossing film of 1999, taking about $293 million in the US and $379 million in other markets.In 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked the screenplay #50 on its list of 101 Greatest Screenplays ever written.
16.The memory of a murder(IMDb-8.1)
Memories of Murder is a 2003 South Korean crime thriller film co-written and directed by Bong Joon-ho. It is loosely based on the true story of Korea’s first confirmed serial murders, which took place between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.The film has earned critical acclaim for its twisted tone, cinematography, editing, score, Song’s performance, and Bong’s direction and screenplay. Since its release, it won numerous national awards and has been regarded by many to be one of the finest films of the 21st century. It received screenings at several international film festivals, including Cannes Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, London International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival and San Sebastian International Film Festival, where Bong Joon-ho won the Best Director Award.
15.Talvar (IMDb- 8.2)
Talvar is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language thriller drama film directed by Meghna Gulzar and written by Vishal Bhardwaj. Produced by Bhardwaj and Vineet Jain, the film is based on the 2008 Noida double murder case involving a teenage girl and her family’s servant. Starring Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi, the film follows the investigation of a case from three different perspectives in which her parents are either guilty or innocent of the murder charges by the police investigation, the first CBI probe and an investigation by a different CBI team.Talvar received a positive critical reception.Bhardwaj received the Best Adapted Screenplay Award for Talvar at the 63rd National Film Awards, and Prasad received the Award for Best Editing at the 61st Filmfare Awards.
14.Andhadhun (IMDb-8.2)
Andhadhun is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language black comedy crime thriller film co-written and directed by Sriram Raghavan, produced by Matchbox Pictures, and distributed by Viacom18 Motion Pictures. The film revolves around Akash, a piano player pretending to be visually-impaired, unwittingly becomes entangled in a number of problems as he witnesses the murder of a former film actor.Critics highlighted the writing, and Khurrana and Tabu’s performances. It won four awards, including Best Director and Best Screenplay, at the Screen Awards ceremony and five Filmfare Awards, including Best Film (Critics) and Best Actor (Critics) for Khurrana. It also won three National Film Awards: Best Feature Film in Hindi, Best Actor for Khurrana, and Best Screenplay.
13.The secret in their eyes (IMDb-8.2)
The Secret in Their Eyes is a 2009 Argentinian crime drama film directed, co-written, produced and edited by Juan José Campanella.The film depicts a judiciary employee and his boss, a law clerk, in 1974, played by Ricardo Darín and Soledad Villamil, as they investigate a rape and murder case, while also following the characters 25 years later reminiscing over the case and unearthing the buried romance between them.The film received awards in both Hollywood and Spain, notably the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards, making Argentina, with 1985’s The Official Story, the first country in Latin America to win it twice. In 2016, The Secret in Their Eyes was ranked No. 91 by international critics for the BBC’s 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century.
12.shutter island (IMDb- 8.2)
Shutter Island is a 2010 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Laeta Kalogridis, based on Dennis Lehane’s 2003 novel of the same name. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Deputy U.S. Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels, who is investigating a psychiatric facility on Shutter Island after one of the patients goes missing. Mark Ruffalo plays his partner and fellow deputy marshal, Ben Kingsley is the facility’s lead psychiatrist, Max von Sydow is a German doctor, and Michelle Williams is Daniels’ wife. Released on February 19, 2010, the film received mostly positive reviews from critics, was chosen by National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2010, and grossed over $294 million worldwide.
11.Drishyam (IMDb- 8.2)
Drishyam is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language thriller film directed by Nishikant Kamat. The film is a remake of the 2013 Malayalam-language film of the same name. The film was jointly produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak, Ajit Andhare and Abhishek Pathak, and stars Ajay Devgn, Tabu and Shriya Saran, and also features Ishita Dutta and Mrunal Jadhav. The movie revolves around Desperate measures that are taken by a man who tries to save his family from the dark side of the law, after they commit an unexpected crime.
10.memento (IMDb- 8.4)
Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, and produced by Suzanne and Jennifer Todd. It revolves around a man who, as a result of an injury, has the inability to form new memories) and has short-term memory loss approximately every fifteen minutes. He is searching for the people who attacked him and killed his wife, using an intricate system of polaroid photographs and tattoos to track information he cannot remember.Memento received numerous accolades, including Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.The film is now widely regarded as one of Nolan’s finest works and one of the best films of the 2000s.
9.The lives of others (IMDb-8.4)
The lives of others is a 2006 German drama film written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck marking his feature film debut. The plot is about the monitoring of East Berlin residents by agents of the Stasi, East Germany’s secret police. It also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language and European Film Award for Best Film, while was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
8.oldboy (IMDb- 8.4)
It is a 2003 South Korean neo-noir action thriller film, co-written and directed by Park Chan-wook. The film follows the story of Oh Dae-su, who is imprisoned in a cell which resembles a hotel room for 15 years without knowing the identity of his captor or his captor’s motives. When he is finally released, Dae-su finds himself still trapped in a web of conspiracy and violence. His own quest for vengeance becomes tied in with romance when he falls in love with an attractive young sushi chef, Mi-do.
The film won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and high praise from the President of the Jury, director Quentin Tarantino.
7.The usual suspect (IMDb- 8.5)
The Usual Suspects is a 1995 American neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie.The plot follows the interrogation of Roger “Verbal” Kint, a small-time con man, who is one of only two survivors of a massacre and fire on a ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles. Through flashback and narration, Kint tells an interrogator a convoluted story of events that led him and his criminal companions to the boat, and of a mysterious crime lord—known as Keyser Söze—who controlled them. .The film was shown out of competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.It received favorable reviews and was eventually given a wider release. McQuarrie won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and Spacey won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
6.The prestige (IMDb -8.5)
The Prestige is a 2006 science fiction psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan, written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Christopher Priest. It follows Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, rival stage magicians in London at the end of the 19th century. Obsessed with creating the best stage illusion, they engage in competitive one-upmanship, with fatal results. It got Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.
5.The. Departed (IMDb- 8.5)
The Departed is a 2006 American crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. The film takes place in Boston. Irish Mob boss Frank Costello (Nicholson) plants Colin Sullivan (Damon) as a mole within the Massachusetts State Police; simultaneously, the police assign undercover state trooper Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) to infiltrate Costello’s crew. When both sides realize the situation, Sullivan and Costigan each attempt to discover the other’s identity before they are found out.
The Departed was a critical and commercial success, and won several awards, including four Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing, becoming Scorsese’s first win for Best Director; Wahlberg was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
4.The silence of the lambs (IMDb- 8.6)
The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American psychological horror[ film directed by Jonathan Demme. It revolves around a young FBI trainee who is hunting a serial killer, “Buffalo Bill” (Ted Levine), who skins his female victims. To catch him, she seeks the advice of the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. The film also features performances from Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald and Kasi Lemmons.
The Silence of the Lambs is regularly cited by critics, film directors and audiences as one of the greatest and most influential films. It won Academy Awards in all the top five categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
3.seven
Seven is a 1995 American neo-noir psychological crime thriller film directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker. It stars Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, R. Lee Ermey and John C. McGinley. The film tells the story of David Mills (Pitt), a detective who partners with the retiring William Somerset (Freeman) to track down a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as a motif in his murders.itwas the seventh-highest-grossing film of the year, grossing over $327 million worldwide. It was well received by critics and was nominated for Best Film Editing at the 68th Academy Awards.
2.parasite (IMDb -8.6)
It is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller film directed by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won.It revolves around a poor family who scheme to become employed by a wealthy family and infiltrate their household by posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals.
Parasite premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2019, where it became the first South Korean film to win the Palme d’Or. Among its numerous accolades, Parasite won a leading four awards at the 92nd Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
1.inception (IMDb-8.8)
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets. He is offered a chance to have his criminal history erased as payment for the implantation of another person’s idea into a target’s subconscious.Inception received critical praise for its screenplay, direction, themes, action sequences, visual effects, musical score, and ensemble cast. It won four Academy Awards in Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects and was nominated for four more: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction, and Best Original Score.
The Bermuda Triangle is an imaginary area in the Atlantic Ocean bordered by Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico where scores of ships and aeroplanes have vanished. Some of these incidents are shrouded in mystery, such as one in which the pilots of a squadron of US Navy bombers became disoriented while flying over the area; the planes were never discovered. Other boats and planes appear to have departed from the area in fair weather, without even transmitting distress signals. However, despite the fact that a plethora of fantastic theories have been suggested on the Bermuda Triangle, none of them establish that strange disappearances occur more frequently there than in other well-traveled areas of the ocean. In reality, individuals navigate the region without issue every day.
THE BEGINNING-The Bermuda Triangle, sometimes known as the Devil’s Triangle, covers approximately 500,000 square miles of ocean near the southeastern coast of Florida. When Christopher Columbus sailed through the area on his first voyage to the New World, he reported seeing a gigantic flame of fire fall into the water one night and a weird light arise in the distance a few weeks later. He also wrote of inconsistent compass readings, maybe because the Bermuda Triangle was one of the few sites on Planet where true north and magnetic north lined up at the time.William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest,” which some academics believe was inspired by a real-life Bermuda disaster, may have added to the area’s mystique. Nonetheless, until the twentieth century, accounts of mysterious disappearances did not fully attract the public’s attention. The sinking of the USS Cyclops, a 542-foot-long Navy cargo ship carrying over 300 soldiers and 10,000 tonnes of manganese ore, occurred in March 1918, somewhere between Barbados and the Chesapeake Bay. Despite being able to do so, the Cyclops never sent out an SOS distress signal, and an exhaustive search turned up no wreckage. “Only God and the sea know what happened to the mighty ship,” later stated US President Woodrow Wilson. Two of the Cyclops’ sister ships vanished without a trace along nearly the same route in 1941.
PLANE VANISHED-A pattern purportedly began to emerge in which watercraft navigating the Bermuda Triangle either vanished or were discovered abandoned. Then, in December 1945, five Navy bombers carrying 14 personnel took out from an airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to practise bombing missions over local shoals. However, because his compasses appeared to be malfunctioning, the mission’s leader, known as Flight 19, became seriously lost. All five planes flew aimlessly until they ran out of fuel and had to land at sea. On the same day, a rescue plane and its 13-man crew vanished. After a large weeks-long search yielded no results, the official Navy report stated that it was “as if they had gone to Mars.”
THEORIES AND COUNTER THEORIES– By the time author Vincent Gaddis invented the moniker “Bermuda Triangle” in a 1964 magazine article, more inexplicable mishaps had occurred in the area, including three passenger flights that crashed despite sending “all is good” communications. Charles Berlitz, whose grandfather founded the Berlitz language schools, fueled the legend even further with a sensational bestseller on the subject in 1974. Since then, scores of other paranormal writers have blamed the triangle’s supposed lethality on everything from aliens, Atlantis, and sea monsters to time warps and reverse gravity fields, while more scientifically minded theorists have pointed to magnetic anomalies, waterspouts, or massive eruptions of methane gas from the ocean floor. However, there is unlikely to be a single theory that solves the mystery. Trying to find a same cause for every Bermuda Triangle disappearance, as one sceptic put it, is no more plausible than trying to find a common cause for every vehicle accident in Arizona. Furthermore, while hurricanes, reefs, and the Gulf Stream can make navigation difficult, Lloyd’s of London, the world’s largest maritime insurance company, does not consider the Bermuda Triangle to be particularly dangerous. Neither does the United States Coast Guard, which claims that “after a review of many aircraft and vessel losses in the area over the years, nothing has been revealed that would indicate that casualties were the product of anything other than physical causes.” There have never been any unusual factors discovered.”
Experiences are always fun to talk about, right? Let’s do a quick refreshing. Adventure, gut-wrenching, adrenaline gush. Try to map these three words to a single entity. Your mind, involuntarily would picture the obvious risk driven bungee jumping or skiing or other such outdoor activities. What if I told you, all I can picture is a cozy couch and a cup of steaming coffee? This sounds calm, not dangerous, you may think. But beware, a good murder mystery or a thriller book clutched within your hold, can shake the living hell out of you!
What happens physically when reading a murder mystery?
Without moving an ounce of your flesh, you get to experience a whirl wind of emotions. Reading a thriller book gives you the best experience. These sort of books give us a unique sensation that books of other genres can never do. They are all packed with suspense, waiting to burst within the hands that pick them. Let me explain you what happens when you reach the core of a thriller book:
The back of our throat wanting to fill with bile, our stomach flutters, lungs struggle to get more air, our heart racing at a tremendous 120 km/hr. speed. Amidst all this, our brain trying to declutter the plethora of meaning underlying in a single sentence while at the same time, convincing our body that we our still positioned at our room’s couch, not on a wild goose chase of a psychopath of our imaginative, yet so realistic world.
Huh, I am gasping for air for just typing this out!
In addition to the chaos and turmoil bubbling inside, we can actually feel our hands go numb and our spine getting chilled. Its absolute wonder that a mere combination of 26 alphabets of a language can give you such trills. It is an amalgamation of so many things: excitement, terror, horror and what not?
Sonder
Apart from the train of random feelings, and a rollercoaster of emotions, these books actually provide a deep unfathomable impact and realization of the complexity of life. There exists a beautiful word in English for explaining this feeling and from the moment I heard it, I fell in love with it. Sonder.
Sonder: Meaning
Movie or book?
Many a times, you may argue that a movie adaptation of a thriller book can give you the same experience. Let me tell you, you will miss one major escapade which can be experienced only by reading books, and not visually seeing a movie adaptation of the same.
When we see a movie, we do not give our brain enough time to contemplate what is going on. We adapt to the perspective of the director instead of developing our own. But when reading about the vivid description of a place, or about the character build, our brain gives life to the book. It tries to imagine the place, gives a face to the character and adsorbs the essence of the scene. This virtualization becomes impossible when we watch a movie as that work is already being done for us.
The good and evil within
Good and Evil
Thriller books and murder mystery books keep us guessing about the suspects and without our knowledge, our mind penetrates into the mindsets of both the protagonist and into that of the villain. This introduces us into the duality of the human mind. We astonishingly try to relate with the good and the bad simultaneously. We try to seek justice for the light and the dark, putting us in a unique juxtaposition.
We are like water, taking the form of whatever we are poured into. It is up to us to stay true to who we are and lead our life absorbing the positive vibes only. So apart from the unique experience, thriller books also convey a beautiful truth about life, good needs evil to survive. Without mistrust, you will not grasp onto faith. Without rain, you will not appreciate the sun. So put your faith in the right things, lead your life with happiness. My dear fellow crime junkie, I’ve got your alibi (Wink).
Good and bad is not black and white but a million shades of grey.
India is a land of countless mysteries that have puzzled the rest of the world. Perhaps the most enduring of these mysteries is that of the ‘Indian rope trick’. In the classic version of Indian rope trick, a rope is thrown into the air where it remains rigid. A young boy then climbs the rope, only to disappear at the top. The performer quickly follows him only to disappear when he reaches the top of the vertical rope! Shortly after, pieces of the boy’s body fall from the sky and land on the ground at the bottom of the rope. A few seconds later, the performer is seen climbing down the rope with a blood stained knife in his hand. On reaching firm ground, the performer utters a magic word and the rope falls limp to the ground. He then gathers up the pieces of the boy’s body and bundles them under a sheet. Within seconds, the sheet is lifted and the boy appears completely whole and unharmed! Travellers to India have described this amazing trick for over 600 years, but there is considerable doubt as to whether the trick is fact or fantasy.
• Shroud of Turin
The shroud of Turin is reputedly the cloth in which Jesus Christ was wrapped and buried. The shroud is 4.34 meters long and it bears the image of a man with wounds similar to those suffered by Jesus Christ. The shroud is unquestionably old. Its history is known from the year 1357, when it surfaced in the tiny village of Lirey, France. Today, it is kept in a silver chest in the Cathedral of Saint John, the Baptist in Turin, Italy, where it has been since 1578.
Does the shroud really show the face of Jesus? No one really knows. Although, many scientists have expressed doubts about the accuracy of the image, millions believe it to be divine and it has been a religious relic since the middle ages.
• Loch Ness monster
As far back as the 17th century, people have reported seeing a monster in the Loch Ness in Scotland. Loch means lake in Scotland. This is the largest freshwater lake in the UK. But, rather than being known for its size, it is famous for the mysterious legend of the Loch Ness monster or Nessie.
For thousands of years, people have reported catching glimpse of a huge creature. This creature is said to have a small head, a long neck and an immense body with flippers. Some people have shared photos they claim to have taken of this huge creature. The legend is so great that even scientists have been intrigued and many have conducted experiments and come up with theories to try and explain what people could be witnessing.
One explanation is that the monster could be a prehistoric creature called plesiosaur, an animal that has been considered to be extinct. Maybe one of these creatures managed to survive in the Loch Ness Lake, who knows?
The Bermuda triangle is a region of the Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and Florida, where ships and planes have mysteriously disappeared. Vincent Gaddis, who wrote about the disappearance named the region: ‘the deadly Bermuda triangle’.
The legend of the Bermuda triangle was uncovered when E.V.W. Jones, a reporter penned an article on a strange occurrence he had stumbled across. It seemed that an unusual number of planes and ships had been disappearing in the ocean between Florida and Bermuda. Over the years more than 200 separate mysterious disappearances have been attributed to the Bermuda triangle. No trace was ever found of the crafts or their passengers. The disappearance of Flight 19, ranks at the very top of Bermuda triangle lore. In 1945, five Navy planes vanished while on a routine training mission over the Atlantic. The media really went over board putting forward theories as to what might have happened at Bermuda triangle. The theories range from attacks by sea monsters to freak killer waves and kidnappings by aliens. However, later studies reveal that most of the incidents have been inaccurately reported and many agencies have declared the number and nature of disappearances in the region is similar to any other area of the sea.
•Islands that vanished mysteriously
Have you heard of the Aurora islands? Even if you have, you are unlikely to ever see them, for they have vanished from the face of the Earth! The story begins in the 18th century when the captain if the ship sailing in the South Atlantic waters saw three small islands called the Aurora Islands after the name of the first ship. They soon became a common landmarks for the Spanish ships that routinely went to south America and then suddenly, the islands disappeared!
Since most islands are produced through volcanic activity, they can appear and disappear just as quickly over time and leave no trace for sea explorers to find. This maybe the explanation why another phantom island, Isla Grande, which lay just to the North of Aurora islands, has now vanished too. However, this explanation does not hold good for the disappearance of islands called Davis’ Land. There is even an island named the Isle of Brasil, which keeps appearing off and on near the coast of Ireland.
• Uniqueness of Stonehenge
On the misty green plains of Salisbury, in southern England, stands one of the most mystical of the megaliths- Stonehenge. The beauty of these stones take one’s breath away. The 3.96 meters high stones are unique in that unlike the other megaliths, each stone has been artificially shaped into a curve. As a result, when they were assembled, they formed the outer line of a circle, when seen from above. At the same time, each stone has a slight bulge, so that when seen from below, they appeared to be in a straight line! Amazing isn’t it?
The astonishing scale and beauty of the stones, the great care and labour in construction and the mystery that surrounds their original purpose are just some of the reasons why Stonehenge is one of the most popular sights in England. Stonehenge is a magical experience indeed.
Books, a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for such a physical arrangement is called as codex. Books and tomes are an important part of our lives. They help us gain knowledge and pen it down for future generations. Thus, it is important for them to be understandable not only to the present generation but also to the future generations. However, there are certain tomes and books out there that are in the form of code or ciphers. Most of them are pursued relentlessly so as to be decipher them by both trained officials and the general public enthusiasts. Yet there seem to be many indecipherable mysterious books that seem to stump any who try to decode them. One such book can be found in the Yale university’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript library. There lies the only copy of a two forty-page tome, known as The Voynich Manuscript.
Its mostly referred to as the worlds most mysterious book, because to date there has been little to no progress made in being able to understand this tome. Its vellum pages feature a looping handwriting, and hand drawn illustrations that seem to be out of some dream. It contains many weird images such as real and imaginary plants, floating castles, bathing women, astrology diagrams, zodiac signs and suns and moons with faces upon them, all of which are accompanied by text. At first glance it seems like something out of a stoner’s hallucination, but this 24×16 centimetres book is one of history’s biggest unsolved mysteries. Its name originates from Wilfrid Voynich, a polish bookseller who came across this soon to be world famous document at a Jesuit College in Italy in 1912. Having purchased it from the cash-strapped priest of the college, he eventually brought the book to the US where experts have subsequently puzzled over it for more than a century. Many cryptologists agree that the writing has all the characteristics of a real language, just one that no one has ever seen before. What makes it seem real is that in actual languages we often see letters and groups of letters appear with consistent frequency which the language of the Voynich manuscript follows, thus eliminating the possibility for it to have been generated by any random language generator. Other than that, so far, we know little more that what we can see. What makes it interesting is that it is littered with scroll like embellishments and that it seems to have been written by two or more hands and illustrated by yet another. Over the years three main theories have emerged, each with its varied following amongst the populace. The first theory establishes that it is written in cipher, with a secret code that is meant to hide a secret meaning. The second theory puts forward that it is a hoax, written in gibberish, to make money off a gullible buyer. Many believe that this is the work of a medieval con man, while some believe it was Voynich himself. The third theory which so far has the most backing within the cryptology department is that this manuscript contains an actual language but in an unknown script. Perhaps its medieval authors were trying to create letters for a language that was spoken but not yet written. In such a case the Voynich manuscript could be like the rongorongo script from Easter island, which is unreadable now as the culture that made it has collapsed. However, a few breakthroughs have been seen, the first in carbon dating. Its provenance can be traced to Rome in 1612, while its carbon dating of the vellum pages shows it to be around 1420. Also, linguistic researchers have recently proposed a few provisional identifications of a few words from the tome.
The question remains, what will we find when we finally decode this manuscript? The dream journal of an illustrator, a bunch of nonsense or the lost knowledge of a forgotten culture?
This triangular shaped area has been under the radar for many years due to the suspicious activities and multiple missing cases of humans and airplanes. Many state that all the mystical phenomenons which have occurred in the Bermuda triangle are obscure and esoteric.
The Bermuda triangle is known by multiple names many call it Devil’s Triangle, it’s also called Hurricane alley as that area always experience violent weather characterised by hurricanes, cyclones and wild winds which is said to be one of the causes behind the missing cases of ships and aeroplanes. It’s located towards the extreme south eastern part of North America.
Location of The Bermuda Triangle.
The term was coined by Vincent Gaddis (author) in 1964.Many claim that there is no region called Bermuda triangle and all the theories associated with it are absolutely fake and most of the incidents have been created for controversial purposes.
Scientists state it all started when Christopher Columbus was out exploring the sea and in search of new land he saw paranormal activity(fire balls crashing in that sea) in that area.
One of the very first cases which came to light was when a US Navy ship went missing in that triangle.
Charles Berlitz and his theory-
Theorist even claim the existence of extra-terrestrial beings from outer space and also claim the existence of an underwater city called Atlantis, Charles Berlitz was the one who propounded this theory, he supported all the claims toward the existence of Atlantis and also extra-terrestrial beings as part of this city. In his book ‘The Bermuda Triangle’ he expresses his hypothesis stating that Atlantis was a real city in the Bermuda Triangle.
High Magnetism-
Some claim that unlike others surfaces that area is characterised by high magnetism which leads to the sinking of ships and Airplanes due to strong gravity. Some theorists who are supporters of Charles Berlitz’s theory claim that the city is made of stones and special crystals which is characterised by vigorous gravity due to which planes, ships and helicopters drown in the ocean.
Illogical Claims-
Some of the illogical claims made by many theorist stated that the extra-terrestrial beings from outer space have their base located within the triangle and hence destroy everything and anything that passes over their base. Though this is mostly a bogus theory with hardly has any proofs or references.
Overactive Environment –
Many also claim due to the overactive environment, feral winds and other natural activities which are violent in nature have caused the destruction of ships and airplanes. Also because of a strong gravitational pull within the Bermuda Triangle it causes humongous waves which could have engulfed anything coming in its way.
Larry Kusche and his theory-
Though Critics like Larry Kusche claim that these all manmade theories have been hyped to create terror and controversies amongst people and also because it adds up to the fake news which becomes a part of continuous loops and is always under observation. In his book ‘The Bermuda Triangle – Mystery Solved’ he claims all of these enigmas surrounding the missing cases to be absolutely fraudulent.
Though researchers are continuing with their search to know the exact reason behind the weird phenomenons.Nature really never fails to amuse us.
Almost every well-known piece of art has a mystery behind it, a unique story that we want to reveal. Even the masterpieces that everyone knows about have their own secrets.Whether a Picasso or Da Vinci, every canvas holds brushstrokes that might conceal something else: a secondary painting, perhaps, or a mystery. Every art tries to deliver a message though some can create big controversies too.
Lets look at some of the paintings by these great artists of all times and unfolding the mysteries and controversies attached to these paintings.
1. Guernica by Pablo Picasso, 1937
Pablo Picasso’s huge 1937 mural Guernica, which depicts the massacre of a Basque village in 1937, has since become a representation of every city ever bombed. It is one of the most powerful artistic decries against fascism, and has been a point of contention throughout the years due to its strong, critical message. Picasso refused to have it on display in Spain until justice had been restored there, and when it was on display at the MoMa in 1967, artists petitioned for it to be removed as a protest against the Vietnam War. In 2003, a tapestry version of Guernica was covered up at the United Nations. Probably Picasso’s most famous work, Guernica is certainly the his most powerful political statement, painted as an immediate reaction to the Nazi’s devastating casual bombing practice on the Basque town of Guernica during Spanish Civil War.Guernica shows the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians.
2.Piss ChristbyAndres Serrano, 1987
Piss Christ is a 1987 photograph by Andres Serrano, depicting a small plastic crucifix submerged in a glass tank of Serrano’s urine. The piece caused a huge scandal and outrage from senators because Serrano had received taxpayer-funded support from the National Endowment for the Arts, and because many found the piece to be unholy. In this period, Serrano received death threats and hate mail. In 2011, a print of the piece was vandalized during an exhibition in Avignon, France.
3.Self by Marc Quinn, 1991
Self is a self-portrait of Marc Quinn. However, it is one created by using the artist’s own blood in a cast of his head. Every five years, over the course of five months, Quinn pours five litres of his own blood into the cast. As such, he created an ongoing self-portrait that takes into account change and the passing of time. Many people consider this work to be hair-raising and gruesome. Others herald it for its bold contribution to the self-portrait genre.
4.The old guitarist by Pablo Picasso
If you look closely at The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso, you can see a dim female silhouette behind the man’s head. After taking infrared and X-ray images of the painting, researchers from the Art Institute of Chicago discovered a few other shapes hidden underneath. Most likely, the artist didn’t have enough money to buy new canvases and had to paint over old ones.
5. The starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh
The famous Dutch painter Van Gogh painted The Starry Night while in an asylum in Saint-Rémy, is believed to be, not only one of the best works from the artist, but also one of the most significant pieces of western art. But it was only recently that experts found out that Van Gogh didn’t just draw a beautiful sky.
Scientists found a distinct stormy structure amazingly close to a math equation hidden in many of Van Gogh’s works. Somehow, he was able to perceive and portray one of the most complicated concepts nature has ever created (the turbulence concept). In fluid dynamics, turbulence, or turbulent flow, is fluid motion when a powerful vortex appears which leads to the appearance of smaller vortexes and so on. It is hard to express this phenomenon in math but it can be drawn, which is what we see in the painting.
6.Who is Banksy?
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist .The artist, Banksy, has been around since the early 1990s, creating striking and highly recognizable street art in public places His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humor with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. His works of political and social commentary have been featured Yet their identity remains a mystery. Who is Banksy? “Over the years several different people have attempted to ‘unmask’ Banksy,”.
7.Scott Tyler, Dread, 1989
In 1989, Scott Tyler was just a high school student at the Art Institute of Chicago. There, he presented his first artwork titled what is the appropriate way to display the American flag? The US flag was displayed lying flat on the floor. It was placed in a strategic way so that patrons wanting to read the hanging manual would have to step on the flag.
Several visitors were arrested for outrage and, of course, the artist himself. He was violating the Flag Desecration Amendment. Even President Bush criticized the artwork as shameful, as did many others. However, there were opinions of all kinds. With this work, Scott Tyler wanted to demonstrate the weakness of one important human right: The freedom of expression.
8. Self portrait of Bandaged ear by Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear depicts the artist with an injured right ear. In reality, he cut off his left ear. The discrepancy is explained by the fact that van Gogh used a mirror to create the picture of himself.
Growing up you solve so many puzzles – picture puzzles, riddles, and word quizzes – so that your mind gets accustomed to questioning everything around you. This develops in you an inquisitive nature and you start to see mysteries in everyday things around you. You try to question the existence of some things and the non-existence of others. In this world full of mysteries, one such mystery is that of the Bermuda Triangle.
Also known as the Devil’s Triangle, the Bermuda Triangle is a section of the Atlantic Ocean, roughly bounded by Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. Mythical literature revels in the stories of ghost ships, of airplanes disappearing forever, and of instruments going haywire around the Bermuda Triangle. But these are just fanciful theories; there is no solid proof that these types of mysterious disappearances occur less in the other well-traveled sections of the ocean than they do in the Bermuda Triangle. As a matter of fact, there are many people who navigate the Bermuda Triangle on a daily basis without any incident. So why do we still think of Bermuda Triangle as an unsolved mystery?
Covering about 500,000 square miles of the ocean, the area was sailed through by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage. He reported that a great flame of fire crashed into the sea which was probably a meteor. Also, his observations about the erratic compass readings could be explained by the fact that at that time a sliver of the Bermuda Triangle was one of the few places on earth where the true north and the magnetic north aligned together.
Reports of unexplained disappearances started capturing people’s interest around the early twentieth century when the USS Cyclops, a 542-meter long navy ship with 300 men and thousands of ton of manganese onboard, sank somewhere between Barbados and the Chesapeake Bay in 1918. Although they were equipped to do so, the Cyclops never sent an SOS distress call and the extensive search yielded no wreckage.
After that, an alleged pattern started to form when five navy bombers carrying 14 got severely lost in the area in 1945. The nave bombers were forced to ditch at sea when they ran low on fuel. A rescue plane with 13 men also disappeared while searching for them. Even a weeks-long investigation failed to turn up any evidence.
In a 1946 magazine article, author Vincent Gaddis coined the phrase “Bermuda Triangle” for the first time after which it became a sensational legend with reports of planes going down despite having just sent “all’s well” messages. Paranormal writers blamed the triangle’s lethality on everything from aliens and Atlantis to time warps and reverse gravity fields while scientific theories, on the other hand, pointed to magnetic anomalies, waterspouts, and methane gas eruptions from the ocean floor.
In all probability, however, many don’t recognize the Bermuda Triangle as a hazardous place. There is no single theory that solves the mystery but there has been nothing discovered indicating the casualties were a result of anything other than physical harm. No extraordinary factors have ever been identified.
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