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Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 49
December 27, 2022
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Military Members Reported Hundreds of UFO Sightings in 2022
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The Pentagon’s brand-new All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has received “several hundred” reports of unidentified flying objects since July, according to the AP. The office was created over the summer to monitor instances of UFOs in the sky, space, and underwater. It also tracks objects that can traverse between one domain and another. These UFOs are officially referred to as “unidentified anomalous phenomena” (UAP), according to the Department of Defense.
Normalizing SightingsThe agency set up AARO for military pilots and others who may be hesitant to report the presence of UFOs/UAPs. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence reported in 2021 that between 2004 and 2021 there were 144 UFO reports. AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick explained that there have been many more reports since 2021. While he didn’t provide an exact number, he said it was “several hundreds.” More specific details are expected to be released by the end of 2022.
U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicolas A. Myers
The influx of additional reports may be due to the outreach AARO has undertaken to destigmatize the observations. In addition, each military branch has developed its own reporting system. “[We’re] working with the military departments and the Joint Staff to normalize, integrate and expand UAP reporting beyond the aviators — to all service members — including mariners, submariners and our space Guardians,” Kirkpatrick said.
Safety FirstWhile AARO’s mission is partially to examine the possible existence of extraterrestrial life, it was also created because UFO encounters can be a security risk for military aircraft and installations. Congress held a hearing in May 2022 on the issue, which looked at whether these objects were alien in nature or unfamiliar technology being used by China, Russia, or other countries. These objects may also be items such as weather balloons.
According to Ronald Moultrie, under secretary of defense for intelligence and security, while it’s still early in the office’s creation, there’s no evidence that the objects spotted “are of alien origin.” However, unauthorized objects are viewed as “a threat to safety.”
B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley
He added that AARO aims to improve its means of identifying UFOs. Drones, future stealth bombers/stealth fighters, and hypersonic missiles developed by the United States and China could be confused as UFOs. AARO is working with the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence to acquire the signatures of American technology to eliminate those particular aircraft or drones, according to Kirkpatrick.
Public TransparencyAARO is regularly submitting updates to Congress about anomalous phenomena sightings and plans to be transparent with its findings.
“The department takes public interest in UAPs seriously,” Moultrie said. “As I said to congressional leaders in May, we are fully committed to the principles of openness and accountability to the American people. We are committed to sharing as much detail with the public as we can.”
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: Military Members Reported Hundreds of UFO Sightings in 2022
December 22, 2022
Mimi Choi’s Unbelievable Makeup Illusions
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Mimi Choi traded in her day job as a preschool teacher to pursue a career in illusion makeup, and the eye-twisting results appear straight out of Salvador Dalí’s playbook!
Makeup ManipulationMimi has gained acclaim for her 3D makeup effects, enhanced by her ability to create illusions that look shockingly realistic.
Mimi often uses her own face as a canvas, sharing her creations on social media. Her posts see her painting entire city landscapes on her face, splitting her face into layers and even challenging her audience to determine which set of eyes are real and which are painted! Though her viral looks, Mimi has garnered an audience of millions and gone on to do work for major events like the Met Gala!
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Watching Mimi transform her face time and time again is truly an amazing feat, as no two ideas look the same. Mimi seems to have no limits when it comes to thinking up new illusions. Aside from garnering inspiration from surrealist artists like Salvador Dalí and M.C. Escher, she has an even more intriguing way of coming up with ideas.
A Makeup Wake-upBelieve It or Not!, many of her pieces are inspired by her struggle with sleep paralysis. Mimi’s website states, “During these bouts, she experiences vivid and often frightening visions which have inspired many of her more morbid and distorted face looks.”
Her mind-boggling skills and trippy take on fashion have caught the attention of many in the industry. She boasts partnerships with Make Up For Ever and MAC, and if her more than 1.9 million followers on Instagram are any indication, we’ll be seeing a lot more of her eye-catching creations.
Escape the Ordinary With Ripley’s Latest Book!View this post on Instagram
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Find this story and more inside Ripley’s all-new book! Escape the Ordinary‘s 256 pages spark curiosity, challenge perception, celebrate differences, and curate a sense of wonder for the weird world around us! Available now on Amazon and at most major retailers.
Three Ways Cleopatra Contributed to Science and Medicine
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Cleopatra remains a favorite of Hollywood epics and Halloween costumes. One of the most celebrated movies to explore the late, great Egyptian pharaoh’s life was 1963’s Cleopatra, starring Elizabeth Taylor. The historical figure reimagined has also appeared in TV shows like 2005’s Rome. Moreover, she’s slated for recreation by Gal Gadot in the forthcoming — you guessed it! — Cleopatra.
Depictions of Cleopatra emphasize her great beauty and highly seductive ways. We can attribute this to the Romans, who cast her as a dangerous temptress. The fact she hooked up with two of their most influential leaders, Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, didn’t help her reputation any.
But there was more to the queen than met the eye. Here are three reasons why scholars now see her as a scientist rather than a seductress.
A New Perspective on CleopatraBefore diving into how Cleopatra contributed to science and medicine, it’s essential to understand why modern perceptions of her have changed in recent years. For centuries, everything we knew about the queen came from Roman accounts, and the Romans weren’t ones to shy away from propaganda, especially in times of war.
As she transitioned from Julius Caesar’s concubine and the mother of his heir to an enemy of the Roman state, Cleopatra’s public perception changed, too. Roman accounts emphasized her alleged debauchery and promiscuity.
Cleopatra showing Octavius the bust of Julius Caesar. Via Wikimedia Commons.
These accounts proved highly successful in tarnishing her legacy. But a deep dive into medieval Arabic texts reveals a different picture of the queen. They describe Cleopatra as a philosopher, chemist, and early mathematician. Instead of focusing on her ability to charm men, Arabic writers listed her achievements.
Cleopatra as a ScientistWho wrote about Cleopatra? Everyone from Yaqut to Al-Bakri, Ibn Al-Ibri, Al-Maqrizi, and Ibn Dumaq. These scholars praised the queen’s brain and not her good looks, per Okasha El Daly’s Egyptology: The Missing Millennium, Ancient Egypt in Medieval Writings. Besides scientific experimentation and observation, the queen spearheaded impressive building projects, perhaps including the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Western researchers wouldn’t learn about the queen’s brilliant legacy until El Daly uncovered and translated a treasure trove of unknown Arabic documents. Based on this research, he argues that some Arabic scholars had access to Cleopatra’s firsthand writings. Sadly, these documents perished in the Library of Alexandria fire.
One of the first mentions of Cleopatra came from Al-Masudi circa A.D. 956. Al-Masudi wrote of the mythic queen, “She was a sage, a philosopher who elevated the ranks of scholars and enjoyed their company. She also wrote books on medicine, charms and cosmetics, in addition to many other books ascribed to her which are known to those who practice medicine.”
Three Ways Cleopatra Changed the WorldBut how exactly did Cleopatra impact science and medicine? Scholars like El Daly point to three primary fields: 1) toxicology, 2) chemistry, and 3) medicine. The one caveat to all of this is that the name “Cleopatra” was used extensively throughout the Egyptian royal family. So, some of these mentions may refer to different women within the same dynasty. But assuming the Cleopatras mentioned all refer back to Cleopatra VII, the lady kept busy!
1. Toxicology
There’s no way around it — Cleopatra liked playing with poisons. Some believe fear of eventual imprisonment and death at Romans’ hands motivated this obsession. And these fears were well-founded. While history says the queen died from a poisonous asp bite, not all scholars agree. Others claim she downed a concoction of opium and hemlock.
Whatever the case, the girl knew how to pick her poisons. Horrifically, she tested the tinctures on unlucky subjects and slaves, recording their symptoms and torturous deaths. The sadistic monarch presented these excruciating experiments as dinner entertainment to her husband, Marc Antony, and guests.
2. Chemistry
Besides poisoning people for fun, Cleopatra had a major thing for chemistry. One of the most fascinating stories about her scientific experiments involved a bet with Marc Antony. She claimed she could stage a banquet for 10 million sesterces, a massive sum. Antony took her up on the offer, assured the splurge was impossible. The next evening, the queen hosted the banquet, and Antony smugly enjoyed the first course.
But during the second, she commanded a servant to bring her a glass of vinegar. Into the vinegar, she dropped a pearl earring. Three minutes later, the acid in the glass had dissolved it, and she drank the liquid. The pearl came in at 10 million sesterces or more. Interestingly, the pearl would have reacted with the vinegar, neutralizing its acidity and making it more palatable. Lucius Plancus, a Roman senator, judged Cleopatra the winner. Although some scientists remain skeptical about the story, it illustrates how the queen potentially harnessed chemistry.
3. Medicine
Besides scientific experimentation as entertainment, Cleopatra also dabbled in medicinal cures. One of her most famous cures targeted balding. Ingredients included deer marrow, bear’s grease, reed bark, burnt mice, horse’s teeth, rags, and honey. Whipped together, it created a salve applied to hairless heads until luscious locks reappeared. (We’re guessing this took a while … like forever.)
Cleopatra testing poisons on condemned prisoners. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Cleopatra also worked on formulas to brighten complexions and heal skin wounds. She penned cosmetic books, preserving Egyptian beauty practices like black eyeliner. Researchers today know that the black makeup used had negligible levels of lead. This lead stimulated the production of nitric oxide, protecting against bacterial eye infections.
But perhaps one of her most significant achievements was the invention of an early painkiller. This invention brings us back around to her many experiments rooted in toxicology. Remember how she feared dying at the hands of the Romans? Her ultimate solution may have been the recipe for the painkiller. Some believe this dulled the agony of self-administered poison to avoid getting paraded through Rome as a prisoner.
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON! Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!Source: Three Ways Cleopatra Contributed to Science and Medicine
December 21, 2022
Watch the Trained Rats and Cats of Cirque du Sewer!
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Instead of elephants and clowns, Cirque du Sewer is revamping the concept of a circus by featuring the perfect furry assistants: cats and rats!
You have never seen a circus act quite like this one — Melissa Arleth and her assistant Vitaliy have trained her furry friends jump through flaming hoops, complete obstacle courses, and walk on a rope for an unbelievable finale.
Acrobats with Rats and CatsCats and rats can be trained — Believe It or Not! The animals are the stars of this show, performing their own tricks alongside collaborative stunts and comedy bits by Melissa and Vitaliy.
Courtesy Melissa Arleth and Joseph Frazz Photography
Melissa’s animals are all rescues, and they travel the country with her to perform at various fairs and festivals under the name Cirque du Sewer.
Flipping OutSome of the stunts her feline and rodent costars can do include balancing acts, jumping through flaming hoops, and racing through obstacle courses. Besides the cute antics of her creatures, Melissa also performs slack rope walking, acrobatics, juggling, and more.
Courtesy Melissa Arleth and Joseph Frazz Photography
When they aren’t on the stage or the road, you might find Cirque du Sewer on the screen! They have performed on NBC’s America’s Got Talent and Nickelodeon’s Unleashed, to name a couple, as well as ABC’s The Gong Show with one of her adorable — and talented — rats. Check out the performance below and get a feel for the incredible training and work both Melissa and her rat have put in to showcase such mind boggling stunts.
Want to stay up to date on this talented troupe’s latest stunts (or just see some cute pictures of cats and rats)? Follow Cirque du Sewer on Instagram to see behind the scenes of their circus life and to find out when they’ll be performing near you!Escape the Ordinary With Ripley’s Latest Book!Find this story and more inside Ripley’s all-new book! Escape the Ordinary‘s 256 pages spark curiosity, challenge perception, celebrate differences, and curate a sense of wonder for the weird world around us! Available now on Amazon and at most major retailers.
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