Things that are utterly bloody fascinating

Just the thought that the earth is suspended in an infinite universe and we are tiny tiny specks of life. It can drive me nuts thinking about it, I mean WHAT is the universe doing there in the first place? I know it's Big Bang and all that, but something had to be there to make that happen......

The Swiss ring watch was debunked, it was a digitally edited fake: metro.co.uk/2015/02/18/8-times-photoshop-has-fooled-the-world-be-honest-did-these-get-you-5068756/#:~:text=4)%20The%20time%2Dtraveller's%20watch,is%20a%20digitally%20edited%20fake.

And the story of the Taured man has also been debunked: www.snopes.com/fact-check/man-from-taured-parallel-universe/

Emotionalsupportviper (I have serious username envy here! 😆) YES! That documentary about the NZ volcano was just a masterclass in how to maintain purpose and hope in one’s living after losing EVERYTHING. A real ‘my barn burnt down. Now I can see the moon,’ reminder of our ability as humans to grow, despite destruction and loss. That young man who lost his entire family and endured a hellish (ongoing) recovery blew me away with his composure and ability to want to heal and be alive in every sense, despite the loss he’ll never get over. That was a beautiful, heartbreaking documentary.
Thank you for sharing the story of Henrietta Lacks. It’s an awful, uncomfortable truth. As an American, I have to say, we’re miles away from taking collective responsibility for our past, which is still too close. We haven’t done our work. Germany, for example, has a heinous history. But the continuous work that is being done to try an atone for unforgivable, unforgettable atrocities should be an example to the States. But we’re still punching down. We have a long way to go. We have an unbelievably awful history. We really encouraged negative eugenics and then wagged our moral finger at other countries practicing the methods of negative eugenics we ourselves put out there.

I can't find the one I watched now but it wasn't on Disney.

It was about the aftermath of an avalanche and the Sherpa's feelings about working on the mountain. It was really interesting

I’m not sure we watched the same documentary because Aftershock isn’t about one singular person’s story but the experiences of several people In Kathmandu and on Everest.

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Stalin was casual, Hitler was calculated. Certainly, Stalin was brutal, but the Ukrainian Famine was from Collectivisation. All food was stored centrally, with no means of redistributing it.

He saw the Ukrainians as dangerous and rebellious and didn't give a shit about them starving.

In Kazakhstan, they collectivised the animals of the nomadic population. They had thousands of years of herding them in different seasonal pastures, but the Soviets decided that everyone should have an equal number, the animals starved and so did the people.

The Kazaks lived on dairy, horse and mutton, with the better of villagers hosting regular feasts, people stuffed their clothes with leftover meat. (There was no agriculture to speak of). At least 8 million people starved to death, there are no accurate figures.

Currently 16 million, it's thought that the population is still lower than it was in the 20s.

My wife's maternal grandmother was the 13th of 15 children, the first 12 died, during Collectivisation. And these weren't even State Enemies, they embraced Communism happily.

Things were different after the war, when many Kazakhs became "subversive."

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a fascinating book.

She was a Black American woman who suffered and died from cancer. Without her knowledge or permission, some of her cells were taken from her because they had a unique quality - they replicated under laboratory conditions and were multiplied, used, sold on and exploited in cancer research. They are still an important resource today (the HeLa cells)

Meanwhile, Henrietta herself died of her cancer aged only 31. Her family remained in poverty even though the organisations exploiting her terrible condition made millions, if not billions of dollars from her "donated" cells.

A fascinating and salutary read. Henrietta couldn't have been saved, but there is no reason why her family couldn't have had some recognition, and hard cash, from the organisations that exploited and made millions out of her. It was shameful.

The casual use of Black people as unwitting subjects in medical research in the USA was appalling (eg the Tuskagee experiment).I hope that things have improved.

It is a superb documentary.

There is another about a volcanic eruption on one of New Zealand's smaller islands, too, which is worth watching. Cant't remember the title - sorry

I have a great interest in the Holocaust and the psychology of Nazi Germany - and indeed of Europe at the time.

I've read and watched some dreadful stuff - but I can honestly say that the worst cruelties I've ever read about were perpetrated during the Russian Revolution, and then later by Stalin. I physically could not read some of them, they were so sickening, and God knows there is plenty of competition.

The Holocaust will always be unique in the annals of horror, but Stalin's purges, and the Holodomor (the deliberate murder by starvation of millions of people, particularly Unkrainians, in the early 1930s) is also heartbreaking reading. It explains much, too, about the determination of Ukraine never again to be ruled by Russia.

Yes - she was fortunate.

After Henry's death it came to light that he was looking at getting rid of her, too, and had been exploring his options for some time. She was probably days away from the axe.

He even had an agent become ill, die, have an obituary in the paper and then a pension paid to the non existent widow.

Shades of Shadwell and the Witchfinder Army! 😂

This is the best thread I've ever read - I've learned so much and found so many interesting things to read about.

I shall try that.

I've experienced lucid dreams but never been able to programme myself to have one.

What a thread! Is it in Classics yet?

For those who are interested in post WW2 London, Sarah Waters' The Night Watch is a fab read. Obviously it's fiction but it's a fascinating look at what it was like after the war. Also it's written 'backwards' which is interesting.

www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/swiss-ring-watch-003312 modern, Swiss watch found in ancient, Chinese tomb.

wwar1.blogspot.com Harry Lamin's story told in 'WW1' real time with postcards as received by family - did he survive?

english.newsnationtv.com/offbeat/news/taured-mystery-the-man-who-vanished-253965.html The man who vanished who came from 'Taured' the country no one knew.

Bugger!

@DailyMaui I vaguely remember seeing on Newsround many moons ago (well I am guessing 90s?)that St Helena got TV for the first time and they were going to follow the effects of how TV was on children as they grew older.
I am curious how that went.... might have to Google that one.

My friend's parents both come from St Helena. And they met here in the UK.

@Podgedodge David Livingstone was attacked by a lion and probably died from severe haemorrhoids. Probably not the most fitting memorial, but that’s life I suppose. I can't think of a worse way to die!! Ouch!!

David Livingstone was attacked by a lion and probably died from severe haemorrhoids. Probably not the most fitting memorial, but that’s life I suppose.

😂😂😂

It might have looked like a lion but how do we know it wasn't identifying as a tiger? It might have been ahead of the game.

David livingstone was attacked by a lion, not a tiger.

There are no tigers in Africa - Just checked this! Blow me, I had no idea.
Up yours, Livingstone!