fascinatingphenomena

[fascinatingphenomena]

Teratomas

Even if science has all the answers to something, that doesn’t make it any less interesting... or in this case, creepy. “What am I talking about today?” you may be wondering. Well I’m taking a look at something medical, something which happens to people all the time. Something that could grow on you. A tumor.

Are those teeth? Is that a mouth? No, that’s not a mouth. Yes, they are teeth. How is that possible? Well, teratomas are actually found near the reproductive areas. They form when your body has a complication with its germ cells, the cells responsible for the growth in your body. Because of this, teratomas form, which grow things not usually found in that area.

Due to the fact that the tumor starts to grow random things, this can include muscles, bone, brain cells, hair, teeth and even eyes. None of these are actually functional, though, so don’t worry, your not just going to have some monster being grow onto your side.

[fascinatingphenomena]

Liminal Spaces

Can you believe it? 2020 is already coming to an end, and throughout this year, we’ve seen quite a lot of internet trends rise and fall seemingly out of nowhere. During the summer, you may have noticed one popular trend, Trevor Henderson art, and the “Siren Head” legend behind it. Right before it started to die off, there was a small spark of that trend which evolved into something completely different, liminal spaces. You know the videos; “Nostalgic photos with creepy music” “Nostalgic music over places we’ve all been to” Although you may not have known at first, the photos in those videos are all liminal spaces.

Now, liminal space images come in many different types. Some take place outdoors. Some take place indoors. Some aren’t even real places, and are from movies or video games. But despite all of the different varieties, there are definitely some universal rules that make an image a liminal space, and make some more effective than others. A liminal house looks like a house we’ve all been to when we were younger. We’ve all been to a mall which looks like a liminal mall. The same goes with something like a subway station. But why? Well, first off, the images can’t be noisy or specific. It wouldn’t be a liminal space if it was filled with items and people. No, no, no, that would just be a random picture. But liminal space images are mostly barebones of anything except the basics. Things like furniture are kept to a minimum, and if done right, can help enhance the feelings given. People is also a liminal ruiner. No people. The “no people” rule also ties in with the creepiness factor. Perhaps there is something there... watching us... just out of sight...

Liminal spaces are also unique because of the lighting associated with them. They can’t be too bright. Most liminal space images take place in the dark, with minimal light sources, like a street light or a lamp or something. This is to give an even stronger emphasize on the minimalism of the images and the fact that your not really supposed to be focusing on too much. If something is bright to where it could affect the vibe, it’s usually placed in the background. Different areas of the image have different lighting than others, even drastically sometimes. Coupled with the usually low quality image and grainy atmosphere, it evokes this strange feeling in us reminiscent of nostalgia with a mixture of eeriness. 

Personally, I find liminal spaces and the images of them very interesting and intriguing. I suggest you check out the subreddit r/liminalspace if you want to see some more images of liminal spaces. One other thing; to give you guys a surprise, I will never tell what the next post will be about, so you’ll have to keep your eyes out. I’ll see you... on the next one.

[fascinatingphenomena]

Ball Lightning

I’m kicking off the first post of this blog with a banger (pun intended). There are certain things that science can just not explain, whether that be for a variety of reasons. We may find the answers to these questions some day, but for now, these phenomena remain mysterious. One of these is a weather occurrence known as ball lightning, a.k.a my profile picture.

Ball lightning is a weather phenomenon which has been reported by people for many centuries. It is reportedly a glowing ball of varying sizes that occurs alongside thunderstorms. The balls last for some time, far longer than your typical lightning strike.

One report in recent history comes from a family living in Gwinn, Michigan, in August of 1980. Joe and Rosa Vachon were in their house with a group of friends, when the lightning, supposedly the size of a soccer ball, came hovering a foot off the ground through their hallway and into the living room. It touched their television, where it imploded, disabling the TV. The ensuing bang of the implosion shook the house. Joe claims it was blue and white in colour.

One of the earliest known accounts comes from 1638, in  Widecombe-in-the-Moor, England. The church of St Pancras was hit with what was seen as a large ball of lightning, causing havoc to the building. This resulted in the deaths of four people and the injuries of 60. Now, this one seems a bit more outlandish and untrustworthy than other sightings. A dog apparently ran out of the church, and was carried by what was like a small tornado. The lightning ball was said to have split in two, with both of the balls either disappearing in the church or leaving through a window. The entire incident was blamed on the devil punishing two men playing cards during the sermon. Something definitely happened that day, but the details are a bit sketchy.

Many of the lightning ball “sightings” are misinterpretations (and some are even fabrications), but scientists can agree that lightning balls do in fact exist. But the variety of theories and the rarity of viewings make them very hard to explain. But despite that, there are many distinct characteristics that people can generally agree upon.

They are bright enough to be visible during the day.

The balls are spherically shaped (hence “balls”) with fuzzy edges.

Encounters last from one second to just over a minute.

They move a few meters per second.

They typically appear like normal lightning.

They have reportedly strong odours.

There are a few theories as to what lightning balls might be. The first is that lightning balls are made of vaporized silicon which is being burned through oxidization. Another is that these are made of buoyant plasma, and a third is that ball lightning is potentially a glow discharge driven by microwave radiation. There are of course tons of more theories, and I could go into way more detail about the ones discussed, but that would take too much time and effort as this shit is actually huge once you get into it.

So, yeah, that’s my first entry into my new blog, Strange Occurrences! I really hope you enjoyed reading this! I’ll be making more, and if you’ve got any weird facts or phenomena, feel free to tell me and I might just make a blog about it! I’ll see you... on the next one.