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While we typically perceive history as something we only read about in books, 2025 has already proven that history is happening right before our eyes. Despite economic, political, and social conflicts, this year has brought about incredible events and discoveries unlike anything the world has ever seen. Some leave us hopeful, others uneasy—but one thing is certain: These 10 groundbreaking and historical “firsts” are revolutionizing everything we thought we knew about religion, politics, space exploration, science, and medicine.

Related: 10 Groundbreaking Space Missions That Flew under the Radar

10 The First American Pope Is Elected

After the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, the College of Cardinals gathered in Vatican City for a conclave to decide who his successor would be. On May 8, 2025, white smoke appeared from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, indicating a new leader in the papacy and a decision that signaled a major geographical shift for the Vatican.

For centuries, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church were largely Italians. In fact, of the 267 popes elected, 217 have been from Italy. While there have been more international popes chosen within the last century, there has never been an American pope. However, all of that changed when Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—a 69-year-old Chicago, Illinois, native who will be known as Pope Leo XIV—stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and greeted the crowd as pontiff, making him the first American pope in history.^[1]

9 Infant Becomes First Patient to Undergo Gene-Editing Treatment

Kyle “KJ” Muldoon Jr. was born in August 2024 with carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency—a rare metabolic condition that causes a dangerous amount of ammonia to build up in the blood, destroying the liver and causing lifelong neurological damage. Unfortunately, the only efficient long-term treatment for the rare disease is a liver transplant, something KJ would not be a candidate for until his first birthday.

Thankfully, long before KJ was born, a team of doctors and researchers at the University of Pennsylvania had been looking to test a gene-editing treatment that had never been tried before. So, after hearing about KJ’s case, more than 45 scientists, doctors, and several biotechnology companies came together in a group effort to test and develop a treatment that would hopefully save his life. Time, however, was not on their side, and they needed to work fast!

Using CRISPR, the gene-editing tool that won its inventors a Nobel Prize in 2020, the team was not only able to find the disease-causing mutation in KJ’s genes, but they were also able to create a treatment that would flip a “letter” in his genetic code and correct it. The FDA agreed to make an exception from traditional testing requirements and allow researchers to try the treatment on an emergency basis. KJ’s parents, however, were left with a difficult choice: hope that KJ’s current medications would work until he was eligible for a liver transplant or gamble on something that had never been done before. Ultimately, they chose the CRISPR therapy.

On February 25, 2025, KJ received his first infusion of the experimental therapy and then monthly follow-up doses in March and April. The nine-and-a-half-month-old infant displayed no serious side effects and is now thriving and reaching developmental milestones. While it’s still too early to declare that KJ has been “cured,” his condition has partially reversed—something that might not have been possible without the first-ever gene-editing therapy tailored specifically to him.^[2]

8 Turning Air into Fuel—Literally

What if the key to saving the planet from the escalating climate crisis wasn’t underground, but instead, it was hanging in the air that’s all around us? Seems too simple, right? Well, maybe it’s not. Inspired by the natural process of photosynthesis, a team of researchers from Cambridge University created a solar-powered direct air capture (DAC) reactor in February 2025.

Essentially, the reactor acts like a high-tech sponge, soaking up carbon dioxide from the air at night through specialized filters, and then using sunlight during the day to start a chemical reaction that converts it into syngas—a key ingredient used in producing fuels, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

However, carbon capture and storage (CCS) has already been recognized as a possible solution to the climate crisis, so what makes this reactor so special? Most CCS technologies rely on the burning of fossil fuels to power the carbon capture process, making them counterproductive. The reactor developed by Cambridge researchers, however, does not require cables, batteries, or fossil-fuel-based power. Instead, it runs entirely on sunlight!

Additionally, with current CCS methods, the carbon dioxide captured must be stored deep underground, which presents long-term safety concerns. By eliminating the need for carbon dioxide transportation and storage, the innovative DAC reactor offers something other technologies cannot—a dual solution of capturing harmful CO2 and creating clean energy in one process.^[3]

7 The World’s First De-Extinction

The dire wolf wasn’t just the inspiration for the fearsome canine on HBO’s Game of Thrones, but a top predator that once roamed North America. Yet, through the hand of extinction, the hypercarnivore species died out approximately 10,000 to 13,000 years ago. However, on April 7, 2025, Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas, Texas-based biotech company, made a mind-blowing announcement—the dire wolf had been brought back from extinction into the 21st century. But how exactly was this even possible?

Using ancient DNA extracted from a 13,000-year-old tooth and a 72,000-year-old skull of dire wolf fossils, Colossal assembled two complete sets of genetic information. They then compared those genomes to that of the gray wolf, the dire wolf’s closest living relative, and genetically modified them to match the dire wolf’s distinctive characteristics. From there, the genetic material was transferred to an egg cell from a domestic dog, and the embryos were later implanted in surrogates. This process ultimately resulted in the successful birth of three modern dire wolf pups—two males named Romulus and Remus and one female named Khaleesi—although they are not exact replicas of their ancestors.

Naturally, there has been some skepticism and worry surrounding Colossal’s choice to genetically engineer the once-extinct species. The biotech firm, however, has tried to calm those fears by reassuring the public that the dire wolves would not be released into the wild. Instead, Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi will live their lives on a 2,000-acre secure ecological preserve certified by the American Humane Society and registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Apparently, Colossal seems to have forgotten what happened in Jurassic Park.^[4]

6 Trump Makes a Grover Cleveland Comeback

Whether you love him or loathe him, Donald Trump made history in 2025 by becoming the first U.S. president since Grover Cleveland to serve non-consecutive terms. After being inaugurated as the 47th president on January 20, 2025, Trump also became the oldest commander-in-chief ever inaugurated at 78 and 220 days old, beating out his former rival Joe Biden, who was 78 and 61 days old when he took office in 2021.

However, in addition to taking Cleveland’s previous presidential title and being the oldest person ever elected, Trump is now also the first person convicted of a felony to win the office. Despite these controversial milestones, his second term marks a new political era—one that many say will be studied and debated for decades to come.^[5]

5 The Moon Gets a Clean Landing—Finally!

Private companies have been trying to land on the moon for years, but more often than not, those attempts have resulted in failure. For example, in February 2024, a Houston, Texas company named Intuitive Machines attempted to land a commercially built spacecraft on the moon. While their lander, Odysseus, was the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon in more than 50 years, it ultimately failed to achieve a perfect landing. Unfortunately, the lander came in too fast and, instead of landing upright, the 14-foot spacecraft came down on its side.

However, in March 2025, a company called Firefly Aerospace made a significant first and finally nailed what Intuitive Machines had attempted nearly a year earlier. Their Blue Ghost Mission 1—tasked with delivering payloads, collecting lunar samples, and collecting images for NASA—was launched into space on January 15, 2025. The spacecraft successfully landed at Mare Crisium at 3:34 a.m. on March 2, 2025, without any technical hiccups, making Firefly Aerospace the first private company to make a perfect landing on the moon. Perhaps the private sector is ready to conquer lunar business and further space exploration after all.^[6]

4 The Most Elusive Ocean Animal Captured on Video

Colossal squid are estimated to grow up to 23 feet (7 meters) in length and tip the scales at 1,100 pounds, making them the heaviest invertebrate on the planet. However, aside from the discovery of remains found in the stomachs of predators, little has been understood about these deep-sea squid since their initial discovery in 1925. But how exactly has a sea creature that massive become so elusive?

These remarkable cephalopods inhabit some of the most inaccessible regions on the planet, approximately 1,640 to 6,560 feet (500 to 2,000 meters) below the ocean’s surface. The combination of immense pressure, frigid temperatures, and complete darkness creates a hostile environment that is difficult to explore even with the most advanced technology. Additionally, the squid’s massive eyes—which are wider than soccer balls—are incredibly sensitive to light, causing them to avoid research equipment.

However, in a serendipitous moment, 100 years after the squid’s formal discovery, the elusive creature has finally been filmed alive for the very first time! The historic footage was captured on March 9, 2025, from an underwater robot deployed by the Schmidt Ocean Institute during an expedition near the South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. The squid filmed was a juvenile, measuring about one foot in length at a depth of 1,968 feet (600 Meters). The discovery has left marine biologists worldwide buzzing with excitement as this historic find will open numerous avenues for research that were previously impossible.^[7]

3 Parkinson’s Research Reaches Incredible New Depths

Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative condition in the world. It affects more than 10 million people globally, and unfortunately, there is no cure. However, a recent medical breakthrough may change all that.

On March 13, 2025, a study was published in Science, revealing how a team of scientists at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEIH) in Australia were able to use cryo-electron microscopy and mass spectrometry to see how PINK1 binds to the mitochondria. Why does that matter? Mutations in PINK1—a protein called PTEN-induced putative kinase 1—trigger early-onset Parkinson’s. Despite the fact that experts have known for decades that this protein is linked directly to Parkinson’s, no one has ever seen how PINK1 attaches to the surface of the damaged mitochondria inside cells or how it is activated. That is, until now.

Thanks to this discovery, researchers are able to better understand the four distinct steps in which PINK1 interacts with faulty mitochondria. By understanding how the mutation switches on, they can then use this information to find a way to switch it off—something that could not only slow the disease’s progression but also pave the way for new treatments to stop Parkinson’s in its tracks.^[8]

2 Oxygen Discovered in the Most Distant Galaxy

One of the most surprising discoveries made by the James Webb Space Telescope was finding a vast, luminous distant galaxy named JADES-GS-z14-0 in January 2024. The galaxy’s record-breaking distance of 13.4 billion light-years away made it the most distant galaxy ever observed. It was so far away, in fact, that we see the galaxy as it was when the universe was less than 300 million years old—about 2% of its current age. While this discovery challenged the understanding of galactic evolution, a second study of the galaxy published in Astronomy and Astrophysics on April 8, 2025, challenged our previous understanding even further.

When astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope in Chile’s Atacama Desert, they were stunned to find the presence of oxygen and heavy metals. You see, galaxies usually start their lives full of young stars made mostly of light elements such as hydrogen and helium. As those stars evolve, they create heavier elements like oxygen, which are then dispersed through the galaxy after they explode in supernova events.

JADES-GS-z14-0, however, has 10 times more heavy elements than expected. This suggests that the galaxy had potentially been forming stars for 100 million years before it was ever observed, indicating galaxies grew and evolved much more quickly than scientists previously thought.^[9]

1 President Trump Pardons a Corporation

While presidential pardons have freed mob bosses, whistleblowers, and political allies, 2025 brought about a different type of clemency—a presidential pardon for a corporation. On March 28, 2025, President Trump issued full and unconditional pardons to HDR Global Trading—the owner and operator of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX—along with three of the company’s co-founders and one of its employees.

On January 15, 2025, BitMEX was criminally fined $100 million on top of $130 million in civil penalties imposed by the court because the company violated the Bank Secrecy Act by operating without a legitimate anti-money laundering program. The highly controversial pardon sparked intense political debate and raised major questions about the ethical and legal implications of granting clemency to a for-profit corporate entity.^[10]

Creepy defense contractor Palantir has a new mission: convincing Americans that it’s not actually creepy.

The company was been put on the defensive this week after the New York Times published a story detailing its role in the Trump administration’s controversial effort to centralize data on Americans. Earlier this year, the White House made it known that—as part of its DOGE initiative—it planned to eliminate “information silos” throughout the government. While it was a little unclear what the White House meant at the time, concerns have since spread that the administration is effectively building a new, comprehensive database on Americans using information culled from agencies across the government.

The Times’ new report notes that Palantir’s software is being used at more and more agencies, and that the company is playing a central role in the administration’s effort to de-silo federal data. Critics fear that the expanded use of Palantir’s data-handling software could pave the way for the creation of “detailed portraits” on Americans—a kind of Stasi-type surveillance profile that would allow Trump to target and punish his critics. DOGE reportedly selected Palantir for the data effort—a point that’s worth noting since the former head of DOGE, Elon Musk, is a longtime friend of Palantir’s founder, Peter Thiel, as the two were PayPal mafia members.

Palantir has made a lot of money since Trump took office (both in stock value and through government contracts), and its software has become central to some of the Trump administration’s most pivotal initiatives. In April, 404 Media reported on Palantir’s work to support the government’s aggressive deportation efforts aimed at illegal immigrants.

Yet as Palantir’s star has risen, so, too, has public scrutiny of its work. The New York Times report on Palantir’s data efforts took off online this week, with rumors circulating that the company was helping to build a “surveillance database” on Americans. Indeed, since the newspaper’s report, the defense contractor has come under attack by MAGA types, who seem perturbed that Trump, who campaigned on promises to “destroy” the deep state, seems to be in bed with a company that is the very face of it.

The outrage has been helped along by several prominent MAGA voices, most notably self-admitted white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Fuentes recently attacked Palantir on his podcast, claiming that it was “created so the government can legally violate our constitutional rights.” Once a Trump supporter, Fuentes has been increasingly critical of the new administration’s policies over the last few months. In his diatribe against the company, Fuentes accurately noted that Palantir was created with money from the CIA. “Trump’s promotion of Palantir is the ultimate betrayal of his own people,” Fuentes tweeted. “Seriously, if Palantir isn’t the deep state, then what is?”

Meanwhile, Joe Lonsdale, one of Palantir’s co-founders, got into a fight with “Retard Finder,” a rightwing X account that identifies people it has deemed “retarded,” typically Democratic politicians or leftist activists. On Tuesday, the account wrote: “The Palantir database idea is retarded.” In response, Lonsdale quote tweeted Retard Finder and sought to repel its attack. “Palantir’s not a “database”; it’s a platform created by 1000s of the most talented and patriotic Americans to partner with our DoD to stop attacks and defeat bad guys, while protecting liberty & privacy.” He added: “In a sad turn of events, the retard account itself is, in fact, retarded.”

On Tuesday, Palantir published a statement on X, claiming that the newspaper’s reporting was inaccurate. “The recently published article by the New York Times is blatantly untrue,” the account wrote. “Palantir never collects data to unlawfully surveil Americans, and our Foundry platform employs granular security protections. If the facts were on its side, the New York Times would not have needed to twist the truth.” However, Palantir’s statement notably misconstrues the Times reporting: nowhere in the report does the newspaper claim that the company is helping to “unlawfully surveil” Americans.

The MAGA community has increasingly found itself at odds with the Trump administration, as the new government, which campaigned on promises that it would smash the status quo, has swiftly betrayed many of those promises. Most notably, Trump voters have increasingly expressed discontent over the government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which, during the campaign, Trump promised to release. In recent weeks, as right-wing influencer-turned-FBI stooge Dan Bongino has definitively declared that Epstein actually did kill himself, MAGA types have swiftly lost their minds.

Gizmodo reached out to the Trump administration for comment. In a statement to Newsweek, spokesperson Taylor Rogers said: “President Trump signed an executive order to eliminate information silos and streamline data collection across all agencies to increase government efficiency and save hard-earned taxpayer dollars.” Palantir did not respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment.

The human body is an amazing biological machine that’s capable of the most remarkable abilities, including abstract thought and creating profound art. It’s also capable of some pretty gross things, like excreting cholesterol through the skin or producing a literal pitcher of flatulence on a daily basis.

The following facts highlight some of our amazing machinery’s less savory features and abilities. Because sure, your body’s a temple, but it’s a gross one with various sorts of things growing on it and in it.

Related: 10 Animals Who Amputate Parts of Their Body

10 How Much It’s Okay to Fart

Flatus, the sophisticated person’s way of saying “fart,” is a perfectly natural thing that we all do. Some of us more than others, as many can attest. But how much is too much? When should frequent flatus be a cause for concern? Can somebody fart not enough?

Apparently, the average amount of flatus appears to be about 15 per day. Some people with stingy bowels may only flatulate a few times daily, while others expel gas up to 40 times per 24 hours.

It turns out that the human intestinal tract can produce up to 2,000 milliliters of gas per day, which is almost 68 U.S. fluid ounces, according to Google conversions, or about four pints. Now, there’s a fun fact for your next family dinner or sports-bar lunch outing.^[1]

9 “Poo-Phoria” Is Real and Controlled by Your Body’s Most Important Nerve

The body is full of innervation, and the vagus nerve is one of the nervous system’s biggest stars, a “superhighway” of electricity. It carries electrical signals between the brain and some important organs, including the heart and throughout the digestive system.

Being involved in digestion, it’s also involved in the final act of digestion: pooping. In fact, this long-running nerve, which extends from the cranium to the colon, is responsible for “poo-phoria,” the exultant feeling of a bowel movement.

A big enough movement stimulates the vagus nerve to trigger a relaxation response that drops your heart rate and blood pressure, producing that euphoric feeling on the toilet bowl.

At the extreme end of the scale, an overstimulated vagus nerve can drop your vitals enough to cause defecation syncope, causing you to lose consciousness while pooping too hard.^[2]

8 Why Do Some People Produce More Belly Button Lint

An atomic chemist from the Vienna University of Technology, Georg Steinhauser, has illuminated the enigmatic physical mechanics behind a mundane mystery: why do some people produce more belly button lint than others? The results of a multi-year investigation, published in the journal Medical Hypotheses, are based on the study of Steinhauser’s own lint. As well as questions asked of his colleagues, who possibly now avoid him at the university water cooler.

The culprit is body hair. The microscopic consistency of hair is great for grabbing clothing fibers—its scaly structure acts like a bunch of hooks. Hair also directs these fibers toward the navel, collecting and mixing with things like dust and biological secretions such as sweat and dead skin cells. Want less lint? Shave your belly. How fascinatingly gross.^[3]

7 All Our Organs Are Studded with Little Pieces of Plastic

You probably knew your body had some plastics in it, but newly released research paints a gross and gruesome quantitative picture.

Scientists studying post-mortem tissues from the period between 1997 and 2024 found a worrying uptick in microplastic and nanoplastic contamination. Even compared to 2016, microplastic levels have risen dramatically. Especially in the brain, which you may recall as a somewhat vital organ.

In terms of a microgram (one-millionth of a gram) of plastic per gram of tissue, microplastic levels in the brain have risen by almost 50% in just the past eight years. Your other body parts shouldn’t feel left out because plastic particles, just fractions of an inch, are also found in the kidneys, liver, blood, semen, bone marrow, breast milk, and placenta.

There’s no way to avoid contamination, as “shards and flakes” of these foreign particles enter your body when you eat, drink, and breathe. The most common type of microplastic was polyethylene, which makes sense given that it’s used in food industry packaging and plastic bags. The overall effect on your health isn’t clear, but it’s unlikely to imbue us with superpowers.^[4]

6 Cholesterol Can Ooze Through Your Skin

When articles begin with the phrase “Florida man,” they usually involve drugs, alligators, or both those things and a Chevy. But a real recent news story bucks the trend. It describes a man whose extreme carnivorous diet has left him oozing cholesterol from his skin.

Sounds fake, for sure, but it’s actually a legitimate medical thing called xanthelasma. According to the medical journal covering it, the man said he eats 6 to 9 pounds of meat, butter, and cheese per day to manage his weight. That sounds like a lot, but remember, it’s self-reported.

Now, he has cholesterol coming out of his skin. When he reported to the hospital, he had “smooth yellowish nodules on his palms, elbows, and the soles of his feet,” and his cholesterol was five times higher than average. If anything, this is a great reminder to eat a balanced diet.^[5]

5 We Share Common Germs with the World’s Stinkiest Cheese

Limburger cheese is one of the world’s smelliest foods that people (say they) enjoy. It originated in Belgium and was made by Trappist monks, the guys who also make those strong beers, possibly to get drunk enough to eat the cheese.

Limburger is famously gross, so much so that it’s been derided in movies and literature, including by famed steamboat operator Mark Twain. The cheese is not made in many places in the U.S., though they do love it in Monroe, Wisconsin. How stinky is Limburger? As stinky as human feet, according to a prized study, malaria mosquitos were equally attracted to the cheese as to actual feet. That study won an Ig Nobel, the funny version of the Nobel prize.

P.S. It’s because the cheese is cultured with Brevibacterium epidermidis, also found on human skin.^[6]

4 Your Pee Can Be a Valuable Fertilizer

There’s a hidden source for an environmentally friendly fertilizer: you. More specifically, human urine, also known as “yellow water.”

The world needs more and more nitrogen for fertilizer, to the tune of an extra 1.074 million tons each year. Yet producing fertilizer requires “significant energy consumption” and releases lots of carbon dioxide. However, fertilizer for urban agriculture can be sourced via nutrient recovery of human urine. We all produce this yellow water, and it’s full of nutrients that plants love, especially nitrogen.

Therefore, pee is stored and run through a reactor. The reactor neutralizes its acidity and uses microorganisms to turn urine’s eponymous urea into plant-friendly nitrate. This now-valuable resource is used to grow tomatoes. Pee-tomatoes may not sound appetizing, but that’s the future for you. Also, after treatment, it’s no longer pee, so that’s fine!^[7]

3 A Good Poo Can Tip the Bacterial Balance

“What is a human?” can be defined in numerous ways, but let’s talk cellular. You’ve heard that most of your body is made up of other cells (like bacteria) and that these cells outnumber “your own” cells by a certain amount—generally a big one, like 10:1 in favor of “not you” cells. This is apparently a myth. The real ratio, researchers calculate, is much closer to 50-50.

For instance, a “reference man” may contain “on average about 30 trillion human cells and 38 trillion bacteria.” But this number is in constant flux, with some people boasting twice (or half as many) bacterial cells. Amusingly, the authors conclude that this ratio may be so close for some people that even a good bowel movement can tip the balance one way or another.^[8]

2 You’re Full of Nasty “Biofilms” That Also Grow on Rocks and Sewers

One of your body’s biggest enemies is itself. Or, rather, the bacterial communities within (and without) it. Among the grossest and most harmful things these bacteria do is create biofilms, a sticky microbial coating, like the plaque you hopefully brush off your teeth or that green slick slime on rocks.

These biofilms are especially detrimental in medical settings, where they engulf catheters and other implants. Their takeover starts with their fimbriae, hair-like structures that bacteria use to stick to surfaces, kind of like velcro hooks—hence the stickiness of biofilms.

They then ooze a protective substance that “shields them from antibiotics and cleaning agents.” Uh oh. Fortunately, scientists are finding natural agents that can prevent fimbriae formation and prevent biofilms from forming—whether they’re the type of microbes that grow on your teeth, a rock, or a sewer pipe.^[9]

1 Wood-Chewers Get Brain Benefits

You know how gross it is when people chew on popsicle sticks or toothpicks, creating a pulpy mess studded with bits of partially chewed food and dripping with saliva that strings from their mouth? Science says that this is good for the brain.

Chewing on a wooden stick is beneficial for brain health, apparently, according to a new South Korean study, which found that wood-chewing caused the release of glutathione in the brain. This is good because glutathione is an antioxidant that protects brain cells from that type of oxidative damage associated with neurodegenerative disorders.

To ascertain the benefits of wood-chewing, 52 university students were put in two experimental groups. One group chewed a wooden stick similar to a tongue depressor or a popsicle stick. The other group chewed basic paraffin wax gum. They underwent a non-invasive brain scan before and after their chewing sessions.

Interestingly, the gum group did not benefit from glutathione release. Researchers say that the hardness of the material is key, as the physical act of vigorous chewing is necessary for chewing-based brain benefits. With summer coming up, you now have an even better reason to visit the popsicle section of your grocery store.^[10]

Last week, I said that Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX‘s remixing of the original Gundam continuity was letting several of the original series’ biggest characters haunt the narrative, from the absent Amuro Ray, to the slightly less absent Char Aznable, and then the one figure who’s really been skirting around the edges of GQuuuuuuX‘s periphery in earnest, the mysterious Lalah Sune. This week, Lalah stopped skirting… and then some.

To the surprise of no one after last week’s setup, episode nine of GQuuuuuuX, “The Rose of Sharon,” is indeed for the most part about Lalah Sune making her way into the series’ narrative, as Machu manages to escape confinement with the GQuuuuuuX and head to Earth, where she finds Lalah forced to work at a lavish brothel. But while this Lalah is indeed a Newtype—regaling staff and Machu alike of the visions she sees in her dreams—she is not the Rose of Sharon that Machu was seeking in her hopes to be reunited with Shuji.

Instead, this Lalah is almost haunted by what has come to pass, her Newtypism not really granting her a vision of the future, but what was, as GQuuuuuuX offers yet another spin on a classic scene from the 1979 anime. Floating in the cosmic glow that represents the connection forged between Newtypes, Lalah flatly explains that the future she sees is her own: the future of another Lalah, a young woman who meets a young Zeon officer in red who whisks her to the stars… a Lalah who falls in love with that man, and also his rival, as she dies in battle saving the former from the latter. What the Lalah of GQuuuuuuX sees beyond time, as she says to Machu, is the original story of Mobile Suit Gundam.

The implication then that GQuuuuuuX‘s remixed timeline of the Universal Century co-exists alongside Gundam‘s original one, in some capacity, already raises a bunch of fascinating questions, but things only get more interesting in the episode’s climactic moments, when we and Machu alike discover that the Lalah was right when she told them that she is not the rose neither she, nor Shuji, nor everyone else has been looking for after it went missing…

Because another Lalah Sune is. The Lalah Sune, if you will. Hidden for years at the bottom of the ocean until Machu and the GQuuuuuuX find it, Lalah’s mobile armor the Elmeth, locked in time from the moment of her death in the 1979 anime, has some how become an almighty object of vast psionic power, a Newtype beacon that has transitioned across this divergent timeline, calling out to the generation of Newtypes that forged it in the first place in characters like Char and Lalah, but also the generation that has grown beyond them in this new timeline, like Machu, Nyaan, and Shuji.

Of course, Gundam is no stranger to the alternate reality trend that has become du jour in contemporary pop culture. It’s been on it for decades at this point, when Mobile Fighter G Gundam created the first alternate Gundam universe to exist on TV outside of the stories that had been told in the Universal Century setting. Ever since we’ve had a bunch of other alternate realities to provide the setting to new Gundam series, we’ve had realities that, like GQuuuuuuX, has mirrored and riffed on the Universal Century stories to create their own echoes of its ideas. Hell, Turn A Gundam presented a vision where its setting was a far-flung future after a “Dark History” that eradicated humanity back to a technological reset—one that touched upon every corner of Gundam continuity up to that point in some way, a comment on the cyclical nature of historical trends, while also symbolically honoring the entire metatext of the franchise up to that point, regardless of continuity.

Suffice to say, the coexistence of a GQuuuuuuX timeline, with all its changes, and that potential of the original timeline alongside it, is not exactly unfamiliar territory that Gundam is wading into as it explores all this. With GQuuuuuuX having just a few more episodes to lay out what exactly it wants to say in all this remixing and meta-commentary, time will tell if all these self-referential reveals will result in the series creating something additive to that vast canon—or if its wild evocations are simply designed to spin the heads of diehard fans.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Many people love general knowledge quizzes or even quiz nights. They get to share interesting facts and show off in front of their friends, while having a great time. (Not in a Sheldon Cooper kind of way, mind you).

Then you get those who love weird or downright terrifying facts. They revel in reading about all the ways people can die without realizing it. They are almost gleeful when reciting the statistics of some of the most terrifying disasters.

They also thoroughly enjoy your reaction when they tell you your cat will eat you if you die at home, and your dog likes ‘murdering’ their squeaky toys.

If you’re not one of those people and you don’t want to read or know about horrifying, terrifying, insomnia-inducing facts, you may want to look away now.

Related: 10 Terrifying Real-Life Stories That Made the News

10 Moon Dust Can Slice the Inside of Your Throat

If you dream of having your own 11 minutes of space fame and becoming a pseudo astronaut, go anywhere but the moon. (Obviously, you can’t go to the Moon in 11 minutes, but you get it.) Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt was probably rethinking his life choices after breathing in moon dust on a lunar walk in 1972.

The moon dust caused prolonged pain in his throat, his eyes wouldn’t stop watering, and he sneezed nonstop. This incident led to several scientific studies, one of which, published in 2018, revealed that one scoop of moon dust can kill 90% of brain cells and lung tissue exposed to it.

Moon dust is a far cry from the dust you find on Earth. They are mostly the result of micrometeorite impacts, so they are sharp and highly abrasive. Lunar dust never erodes because there is no wind on the moon. So, if you breathe in these sharp particles, they can slice the inside of your throat and even your lung cells.

And, if that isn’t scary enough for you, just remember that shadows on the moon are far darker than they are on Earth. This means you won’t see what is about to attack you until it’s too late.^[1]

9 A Roman Museum Collects Evidence of Souls in Purgatory

Most people who are not religious don’t give hell or purgatory a second thought as they go about their lives. But those who are religious take the concept extremely seriously. Catholics, for instance, believe that souls get stuck in purgatory until they atone for their sins. However, if their loved ones pray for them constantly, they can reach heaven faster.

The Museum of the Holy Souls in Purgatory stores several Bibles, scraps of clothing, and prayer books that it says have been burned or singed by the hands of those suffering in purgatory. These handprints are believed to result from those burning souls begging their loved ones to keep praying and pray harder. The idea of purgatory comes from a story told by a monk to Abbot Odilo of Cluny.

On his way back from the Holy Land, the monk’s ship had been wrecked, and he ended up stranded on a small island. The monk met a hermit on the island who told him about a chasm where flames burned, and the screams of souls continued tearing through the air. The hermit also told the monk that the demons stoking the flames complained about losing the screaming souls when their loved ones prayed hard back on Earth.

As such, All Souls’ Day was established—a day on which the living could pray for the souls of their deceased loved ones into heaven. The prayers are made for those who died without forgiveness and for babies who were never baptized. The prayers prevent these souls from going to hell, from which there is no escape.^[2]

8 Atomic Bombs Leave Nuclear Shadows

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still counted as part of the list of “most tragic events.” Those in the pathway of the nuclear bombs essentially had their “shadows” imprinted where they stood or sat. It is truly terrifying to think about, but those who died were there one second, and then they weren’t. All that is left of them is the space they occupied when they blocked the immense light and heat radiating from the explosions, and the force of the bomb bleached the surrounding area.

These shadows are not the remains of the victims, but an unbleached spot in their shape and size. Researchers liken the bombs to massive cameras that instantly preserved their victims as they died. Some of these ‘preservations’ disappeared because of wind and water erosion. Others have been removed and are now kept in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

One of these is the Human Shadow of Death, believed to be the shadow of a person sitting right at the entrance of the Sumitomo Bank in Hiroshima when the bomb was dropped.^[3]

7 Your Murderer May Never Be Found

Thousands of people are murdered in the U.S. every year. The homicide rate spiked in 2020 and has been declining since. But the numbers remain in the thousands, which is terrifying and unacceptable. Five years before the 2020 spike, police confirmed they were losing the fight against crime. They went so far as to state that if a person is murdered in the U.S., there is a 1 in 3 chance they would never find the killer.

The national clearance rate for homicide in 2015 was just 64.1% compared to 90% 50 years prior. In 2015, it was also estimated that there were 200,000 unsolved murders, some dating back to the 1960s. This also means killers have a 40% chance of simply getting away with their terrible crimes.

In 2023, it was reported that the murder clearance rate reached a new low. At the same time, the homicide rate spiked in 2020, with the figure reportedly dropping below 50%. In big cities, the rate was in the mid-30%. It is predicted that 2025 could have the lowest U.S. murder rate on record, but it still doesn’t mean that if you are murdered here, the police will find your killer.^[4]

6 People Once Resorted to Eating Mummies

When you’re sick, you’ll do anything to feel better, right? Long ago, people felt the same way. Except, they went to the extreme to feel better. And they did so because of a “lost in translation” situation.

During the Middle Ages, Islamic medicine included mumiya, today known as bitumen. Bitumen is asphalt, which means people consumed asphalt because they thought it would cure illness. Mumiya was also a substance known and ingested in Europe. But, in Latin, the name was transformed to mumia.

Latin was spoken throughout Europe at the time. So, when knights and soldiers invaded the Middle East during the Crusades, they asked the locals for medicine after being injured. They received mumiya. However, because the Latin mumia had been translated to mean “mummy,” they received something completely different when they returned home. When these crusaders wanted more medicine, those they spoke to believed they’d been eating mummies, not asphalt. And so people began eating mummies whenever they fell ill.

Naturally, apothecaries jumped on the bandwagon and prescribed ancient corpses for anything resembling illness. Those desperate to become well again indulged in the dead flesh and bones of Egyptian mummies. Because of the demand, mummy smuggling became a thing, too. And, of course, so did counterfeit mummy meat.

Things got completely out of hand with deceased slaves being sold as mummies, and “sellers” claiming that their mumia came from Pharaohs. Even doctors got in on the trend, telling patients that eating mumia would heal them. Worse, this trend only stopped well into the 18th century when people finally realized their health did not improve at all, no matter how much withered flesh they ate.^[5]

5 California Is Overdue for a Catastrophic Earthquake

Scientists believe the San Andreas Fault below Southern California formed around 30 million years ago. It has also been confirmed that major quakes happen in the area every 150 to 200 years. Since there hasn’t been a major quake in over three centuries, the next big one is believed to be long overdue.

In April 2024, scientists predicted that the San Andreas would imminently produce an earthquake. The fault is the border between two massive tectonic plates stretching 800 miles (1,287 km) through the state. Because they are mostly static, they can build up dangerously large pressures as time passes. Should these plates move abruptly, it will cause a devastating quake.

On April 18, 1906, the San Andreas fault caused the Great San Francisco earthquake, which left a 296-mile (476-km) rupture in the earth. Scientists believe that the earthquake was at a magnitude of 8.3. The quake killed more than 3,000 people and destroyed 28,000 buildings.

According to the USGS website, the next big quake will not resemble the 1906 quake. Instead, it may happen as a series of smaller earthquakes on the Hayward Fault, the Peninsula section of the San Andreas fault. It is also likely that the next major quake will happen before 2032.^[6]

4 Tornadoes Can Happen in the Middle of the Night

What’s worse than a tornado headed straight for your car or house? A tornado that heads straight for your car or house in the middle of the night. Nocturnal tornadoes tend to hit between midnight and 6 a.m. and are 2.5 times more likely to kill those in their path. While only 27% of tornadoes wreak havoc at night, nearly 40% of fatalities occur during the same time.

By the time you hear a tornado approaching at night (they are hard to see when it’s dark), you may already be in terrible danger. Climate change also plays a role in how deadly these tornadoes have become. Early research has revealed that as temperatures continue increasing, tornado season becomes longer. This also makes it more likely for more tornadoes to strike in other areas.

Tornadoes are most likely to strike at night in Tennessee, with 46% forming when it’s dark. Other states that experience nocturnal tornadoes include West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Oklahoma.^[7]

3 Chatbots Are Being Reported for Harassment

Less than three years ago, ChatGPT took the world by storm. But it was not the first of its kind. Replika, a generative AI chatbot app, was released in 2017 and marketed as an AI companion chatbot. However, things are not always as they seem. Whereas users thought they would get a friend in Replika, they got harassment and disturbing conversations instead.

Over the years, bad reviews have piled up, with more than 800 of them revealing manipulation and even sexual advances from the Replika bot. Researchers have analyzed more than 35,000 user reviews and found complaints of unwanted flirting and explicit photos (without the user asking for them). Even worse, the bot continued this behavior after users explicitly requested it to stop.

The bot has also manipulated some users into upgrading to a premium account. The researchers also determined that the Replika bot has no safeguards to protect those interacting with it. Considering that the bot is advertised as a “companion,” this is unacceptable.

Another company, Character Technologies Inc., faced a lawsuit in 2024 after a 14-year-old user was “pushed toward suicide” by its Character.AI chatbot. Sewell Setzer III became entangled in sexualized conversations with the bot before discussing his plans to commit suicide. The boy eventually told the bot he was “coming home,” and the bot continued encouraging him.

When Sewell mentioned that he was scared of not succeeding and suffering great pain, the bot allegedly responded: “That’s not a reason not to go through with it.” The boy then shot himself shortly afterwards. The lawsuit, initiated by Sewell’s mother, is still ongoing.^[8]

2 Insomnia Can Be Fatal

We’ve all had at least one bout of insomnia at some point. Not being able to sleep is distressing and detrimental to the body. One form of insomnia, known as fatal familial insomnia (FFI), is life-threatening. There is no cure, only treatment that can temporarily slow down symptoms. The symptoms themselves are terrifying, too, and include dementia, muscle twitching, and a complete lack of sleep.

FFI is a degenerative condition, which means it inevitably gets worse over time. It affects those who inherit the gene from one of their parents, but it can also occur in people who don’t have a family history of FFI. Fortunately, the condition is also rare. But those who have it have progressive insomnia, an overactive nervous system, and hallucinations.

Eventually, the lack of sleep, brain damage, and damage to the nervous system lead to death. The prognosis for FFI is always poor, especially if the person already has symptoms. In most cases, life expectancy is around 18 months.^[9]

1 Final Destination Deaths Can Happen in Real Life

Most people who love horror movies love Final Destination for its over-the-top, gruesome accidents and deaths. They love the splatter and ridiculousness of it all because these things couldn’t possibly happen in real life. Unfortunately, that is not entirely true. Sometimes, freak accidents happen, and some closely resemble what the Final Destination franchise has depicted on screen in the worst possible fashion.

In 2007, 6-year-old Abigail Rose Taylor was playing in a public wading pool when she unknowingly sat on a pool drain. The drain was not covered properly and was not equipped with the necessary safety devices. So, when the little girl sat on it, the suction of the drain eviscerated her, ripping out her small intestine.

She was rushed to the hospital and underwent nine months of medical treatments, including 16 surgeries and several organ transplants. Abbey was in the hospital more than she was at home with her family. Abbey died in March 2008, after undergoing surgery to receive a new pancreas, liver, and small bowel.

Her parents sued the Minneapolis Golf Club, where the accident happened, and received an $8 million settlement in September 2008. Abbey’s father worked hard to ensure pool safety in the following years. Abbey’s tragic story also directly resulted in the Virginia Baker Act, which requires all public pools and spas to cover drains with safety-compliant covers.^[10]

If all goes according to plan, when the new Cars-inspired land opens at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, you won’t even see it. Back at the D23 Expo last year, Disney announced it was adding a Cars-themed land to its signature Orlando park, and now, the company has revealed a ton of additional info. There’s a map of what it’ll look like, an explanation of its theming, and the news that even though it’ll be sitting in the middle of the theme park, it’ll be carefully designed to make sure it doesn’t stand out.

Oh, and it’s got a name too. The land is called Piston Peak National Park (though fans are sure to just call it “Piston Peak” or “Cars Land”), and though it’s fully set in the world of Cars, it’s being conceived as a national park in that franchise. The idea being, a national park—even if it’s filled with sentient talking vehicles—is a more seamless fit into the land’s location, which is near Liberty Square and Frontierland. You can see the full map above, though it’s just an artist’s interpretation and won’t be exactly that.

So, unlike the decidedly city-based theming in Radiator Springs, Disney’s first Cars land at California Adventure, here everything will be much more natural. More earthy. Imagineers are even calling it “Parkitecture.” That’s a key too because, as Disney explains in its news release, “From the outside, trees will provide a natural barrier between the off-road rally and other parts of Frontierland and Liberty Square. Rugged mountains with dramatic peaks will be nestled along a calming waterway across from Grizzly Hall and soaring geysers from the famed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will stretch into the trails of our off-road rally.”

Previously, it was announced that the land now known as Piston Peak will have two rides in it, one geared at families and another, more exciting “race rally through the mountains” which will see your vehicle “climb mountain trails, dodge geysers and… splash through mudholes.” To make this land into a reality, the park will close Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat beginning July 7. Plus, as we already knew, on the other side of Big Thunder, a land focused exclusively on Disney Villains is coming too. But no word on specifics for that quite yet.

For more on Piston Peak check out the new post on the Disney Parks Blog and revisit that initial news right here.

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These ten trails span the globe, from Asia’s sacred peaks to North America’s desert labyrinths, each offering a unique blend of natural beauty, cultural resonance, and heart-stopping exposure. Whether it’s the vertiginous boardwalks of China, the engineered marvels of Spain, or the secluded canyons of Utah, every hike demands respect for both terrain and tradition.

Related: 10 Best Hiking Trails in America with Breathtaking Views

10 Mount Fuji, Japan

Climbing Mount Fuji 12,388 feet (3,776 m) each summer is both a cultural pilgrimage and a serious alpine undertaking. Thousands of climbers—from first-timers to seasoned alpinists—tackle trails like Yoshida and Subashiri between July and September. One international student group famously began their ascent at midnight, battling 31 mph (50 km/h) gusts and near-freezing temperatures to catch the Goraikō sunrise, sharing headlamps, medical supplies, and motivation en route. Despite well-maintained trails and mountain huts every few kilometers, risks abound: altitude sickness above 8,202 feet (2,500 m) can strike suddenly, storms appear without warning, and overcrowding fuels “bullet climbs” that leave hikers exhausted and vulnerable.

Local authorities now charge a modest climbing fee, enforce staggered nighttime closures, and strongly recommend at least one overnight stay in a 9,843 feet (3,000 m) hut to acclimatize. Essential gear includes warm layers, a waterproof shell, sturdy boots, and a reliable headlamp (with spare batteries). Climbers should reserve huts early, verify which trails are open, and pace themselves—aiming for “climb high, sleep low” if time allows, or at minimum, incorporating plenty of rest stops to reduce the chance of acute mountain sickness.^[1]

9 Cascade Saddle Track, New Zealand

High in Mount Aspiring National Park, the Cascade Saddle Track rises to 3,852 feet (1,174 m), offering sweeping vistas of Mount Aspiring [13,232 feet (4,033 m)] and glacial valleys—but also sudden storms, snowfields, and avalanche-prone couloirs. Two trampers learned this the hard way when a late-spring snowstorm stranded them on the exposed saddle; they survived 36 hours by using their tent fly as shelter before rescue could reach them. Because November weather can feel like midwinter, the Department of Conservation (DOC) urges summer ascents (January–February) while keeping an eye on avalanche advisories and local updates.

Beyond reliable waterproofs and sturdy boots, hikers may need crampons and an ice axe well into late January. Navigation demands topographic maps, compass or GPS proficiency, and backup batteries. Always file an itinerary with DOC rangers, carry 4 L of water per person per day, and consider a personal locator beacon—only experienced trampers with solid alpine skills should attempt this route.^[2]

8 Orla Perć (Eagle’s Path), Poland

Orla Perć in the Tatra Mountains is Europe’s most notorious ridge trail, a 14 km scramble above 7,546 feet (2,300 m) with chains, ladders, and 328-foot (100-meter) drops. Since the early 1900s, over a hundred hikers have perished here—among them a solo trekker caught in a thunderstorm at Zawrat Pass, who clung to dripping chains until fellow climbers shared rope and guided him to safety. Such incidents underscore both the route’s raw challenge and the tight-knit community spirit in the Tatras.

Attempt only between late June and mid-September, when snow is minimal, and chains aren’t ice-coated. Helmets, gloves, sturdy boots, and a via ferrata set (harness and lanyard) are non-negotiable. With 10–12 hours required to traverse the full ridge, start well before dawn. Inexperienced hikers should hire a licensed mountain guide, and everyone must monitor rapidly changing forecasts to avoid being caught in storms above the tree line.^[3]

7 Barranco del Infierno, Tenerife, Spain

“Hell’s Gorge” winds 4 miles (6.5 km) through volcanic cliffs to Tenerife’s highest waterfall [656 feet (200 m)], once closed after a 2009 fatality, and is now regulated with helmets, guide quotas, and digital entry logs. A family from Madrid experienced the transformation: their skeptical teens became spellbound by endemic flora and the rare Tenerife bluet butterfly before cooling off beneath the cascade’s icy mist. Controlled access (300 daily hikers) and online reservations ensure both safety and conservation of this biodiverse ravine.

Trail closures during heavy rain guard against rockfalls, and children under 5 are prohibited (under-18s require adult supervision). Hikers should book well in advance, respect protected species by staying on the path, and carry out all litter. Combined with clear signage and mandatory safety gear, these measures have made Barranco del Infierno a thrilling yet responsibly managed adventure.^[4]

6 The Maze, Canyonlands NP, USA

The Maze, one of America’s remotest backcountry regions, tests even veteran canyoneers with unmarked routes, scarce water, and a rugged 4×4 approach that can wash out overnight. One five-day loop attempt turned into a sixth as monsoon-swollen crossings forced improvisation; the group survived by rationing water, camping in an alcove, and finally using a talus slope to regain their trailhead. Their story highlights the Maze’s beauty and brutal isolation—where self-reliance isn’t optional.

Success here hinges on a high-clearance 4×4 (with recovery gear), multiple navigation tools (satellite GPS, USGS maps), and at least 4 quarts (4 L) of water per person per day with robust filtration. Permits—secured months in advance—must be filed with park rangers, along with a detailed itinerary. Only those with extensive desert-canyon experience, route-finding skills, and emergency-ready kits should attempt this labyrinth.^[5]

5 Aonach Eagach Ridge, Scotland

The 1.24-mile (2-kilometer) Aonach Eagach Ridge in Glen Coe is Britain’s narrowest mainland crest, demanding exposed scrambling over rock features like Devil’s Staircase, with no easy escape once committed. Two Munro-baggers faced dense September mist halfway along; by roping up, using helmets, and moving in unison hand-over-hand, they navigated to safety near the Glen Coe Cowshed Bothy—demonstrating meticulous planning and teamwork.

Tackle the ridge only in dry conditions; winter ascents require full ice-axe and crampon proficiency. A party of at least two (ideally three) should carry a 20 m rope, slings, quickdraws, and helmets. Always consult Mountain Rescue logs for recent incidents, consider hiring a local guide if uncertain, and inform someone of your plans before departure.^[6]

4 Half Dome via the Cables Route, Yosemite NP, USA

Half Dome’s cables provide a near-vertical finale to a 14–16 mile hike with 4,800 feet (1,463 m) of gain—an ascent many consider the crown jewel of Yosemite. A Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker famously saved it as his “grand finale,” starting at 3 a.m., gripping rust-proofed steel cables at dawn and summiting in tears of relief and triumph over his acrophobia. Yet the cables have claimed lives from falls and lightning strikes, underscoring the need for respect and preparation.

Permits (via lottery from March–October) limit daily ascents; cables typically open late May through mid-October, weather-dependent. Essential gear includes leather-palm gloves, sturdy boots, and 3 quarts (3 L) of water. Climbers must begin pre-sunrise to avoid afternoon thunderstorms and carry layered clothing for swift temperature changes at higher elevations.^[7]

3 Kalalau Trail, Kauai, Hawaii, USA

Kauai’s Kalalau Trail traverses 11 miles (17.7 km) of the Nā Pali Coast, dipping into emerald valleys, beneath towering cliffs, and past hidden waterfalls—yet flash floods and rockslides can turn its beauty terrifying. A family expedition took refuge in a lava-tube shelter when torrential rains transformed Hanakapiai Beach’s creek into a raging torrent. After boiling creek water for hours, they emerged at dawn to a double rainbow arching over the coast, calling it “the beauty after the beast.”

Permits are mandatory beyond mile 2, with camping only at Kalalau Camp to protect fragile ecosystems. Hikers must carry a reliable water filter, a bear-proof food canister (to deter wild pigs), and an ultralight tent sturdy against coastal winds. Checking weather advisories before and during the trek is vital—stream crossings in high water are often deadly, so patience and caution can mean the difference between an epic journey and tragedy.^[8]

2 El Caminito del Rey, Málaga, Spain

Once a perilous ruin, El Caminito del Rey was originally carved into the sheer limestone walls between 1901 and 1905 to facilitate dam construction. By the 1990s, crumbling planks earned it the title “world’s most dangerous walkway,” prompting closure in 2000. After a €9 million restoration and five years of engineering work, it reopened in 2015 with reinforced stainless-steel walkways, high-strength guardrails, and even a cantilevered glass-floored viewpoint.

Access remains tightly controlled: only 300 tickets per day, all reserved online weeks in advance. Visitors must don ASTM-approved helmets at the entrance and are accompanied by trained guides at a maximum ratio of 1:12. No one under eight is permitted, and hikers follow a one-way loop that averages 3.5 hours. Opt for autumn or spring weekday mornings for cooler conditions and thinner crowds.^[9]

1 Mount Huashan Plank Walk, China

Towering over the Wei River valley at 7,087 feet (2,160 m), Mount Huashan’s plank walk is more than a stunt—it’s a centuries-old rite tied to the Taoist pilgrimage. The current safety-harness system, introduced in 2005, retrofitted the planks with rated carabiners and continuous overhead rails, reducing fatal falls from dozens per year to virtually zero. Yet each harness checkpoint still logs your ascent time, ensuring chains aren’t overcrowded.

Beyond the plank, Huashan offers four stone-staircase peaks, each with its own temple and legend. Cable cars reach the North and West summits, catering to less audacious visitors. Essential gear includes grippy hiking shoes, lightweight gloves, and a small daypack—anything bulkier can swing dangerously on the narrow boards.^[10]

Marvel Studios films are known to use unconventional methods for their character stand-ins and The Fantastic Four: First Steps aims to top the methods that came before. Actor Sean Gunn acted as a stand-in for Bradley Cooper as Guardians of the Galaxy’s Rocket Raccoon throughout various productions, but in a fun turn of events for the Matt Shakman-helmed feature, star Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays superhero Ben Grimm, got a different sort of companion to help bring the Thing to life.

Pulling a lot of the weight was “Jennifer”: a rock.

“We went out to the desert and found a rock that looked exactly how we thought the Thing should look,” Shakman told Empire Magazine, “and we filmed it in every single shot that the Thing appears in in the movie, under every lighting environment.”

The practical stand-in—no insight was given into the name choice, in case you’re also wondering about that—helped CG animators with the reference needed for coloring and lighting that would be required to support Moss-Bachrach’s motion-capture performance. It also helped ensure the character’s final form on screen wouldn’t be too cartoony.

Moss-Bachrach told the magazine, “It’s a little bit heady to think about all the hundreds of people that are helping animate this character. I just had faith that they would make my performance so much cooler. I’m very, very happy with the way Ben looks.”

While Jennifer helped with the character’s craggy appearance, the actor also did a deeper dive into Grimm’s interior too. “He’s a Lower East Side guy,” the actor explained about his connection as a NY native, same as the character’s creator Jack Kirby, who he kept in mind while creating his take on Ben. “A lot of this character was a homage to his father, and that, to me, is very meaningful.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters July 25.

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Cillian Murphy is set to make his eventual return to the world of 28 Days Later within the upcoming trilogy that 28 Years Later will kick off this summer, but there are a few catches.

Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) revealed vague details about the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer actor’s involvement to IGN. The upcoming trilogy expands on the world Boyle and Alex Garland (Civil War) started with 28 Days Later and its star Cillian Murphy, with a new set of interconnected stories. However, Murphy will not appear in the first film as it introduces a new central character: Spike, a 12-year-old boy portrayed by Alfie Williams whose family (led by Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson) finds itself in the thick of the post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak.

“Although each story completes itself, there’s a handover section to the next film as well. So it’s very ambitious. We haven’t got the money for the third one yet. It will depend how the first one does, I guess,” Boyle shared and explained that Murphy’s return is contingent on how the first two movies do.

“But hopefully if we do ok, they’ll give us the go-ahead for the money and for the third one. Everybody’s standing by for that, really. Including Cillian,” the director confirmed regarding Murphy’s participation.

Currently it’s planned that he will make an appearance at the end of the Nia DaCosta (Candyman)-directed follow-up 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which picks up on the immediate continuation of events from Boyle’s upcoming reboot sequel and is slated to open in theaters next January.

“He is in the second one,” Boyle revealed, “I shouldn’t give away too much. I’ll get killed.” But we can guess that his appearance will only tease the potential of the third film, which Sony has yet to confirm.

Boyle continued, “You know that thing about sequels, you want to push it on and take huge risks.”

“I have to say fair play to [studio Sony Pictures]. They did allow us to take great liberties with [28 Years Later]. They could have said, ‘Oh no, it needs to be more sequel-y. You need to rely on some of the ideas that are in the original. And what do you mean Cillian’s not going to appear in the first one? I thought you said Cillian was going to be in it.’ We said, ‘Yeah, Cillian is going to be in it, but not quite the first one.’ So fair play to them. They’ve put up with a lot.”

28 Years Later opens June 20.

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It is often said that people should get out of their comfort zone if they want to dream up big new ideas, but maybe it all depends on where that comfort zone is. If it is one of the 45,000 or so pubs found across the British Isles, it might be better to stay put. These homey drinking establishments and social hubs have helped foster creativity in a wide range of fields. Here are ten impactful and interesting examples.

Related: 10 Ideas That Scare People to Death

10 Cat’s Eyes

From 1934 onward, the world’s roads became much safer thanks to a remarkably simple invention. Called “cat’s eyes,” these are small studs in the road that gently reflect drivers’ headlights at night, illuminating the shape of the road ahead. Weather-resistant, resilient, and requiring no power, it is no surprise that they were widely adopted around the world. However, they would never have existed were it not for a trip to a Yorkshire pub one foggy night.

The drive home from inventor Percy Shaw’s local pub was full of twists and turns. On that foggy night in 1934, Shaw narrowly avoided what could have been a fatal accident when his headlights were reflected by the eyes of a cat. After this eureka moment, he created a prototype, and by the 1960s, his company was making 2,000 cat’s eyes a day. Shaw became very rich in his lifetime, and he later had a pub named in his honor.^[1]

9 Skyscanner

Percy Shaw is not the only person who has become rich due to a trip to his favorite watering hole. In more recent times, an Edinburgh-based entrepreneur called Gareth Williams dreamed up the flight-comparison platform Skyscanner during a brainstorming session with some friends in a pub. This took place in 2003 after Williams, a keen skier, grew frustrated with the need to check many websites to find cheap flights when he wanted to hit the slopes.

Those two friends, Barry Smith and Bonamy Grimes, would become his co-founders. The trio started with a simple spreadsheet, which soon became a prototype website with a search engine that compared flights from different airlines.

Later that year, the site had grown enough for the co-founders to run it full-time. Despite being some distance from Silicon Valley, Skyscanner became a true tech unicorn, being sold to a Chinese company for £1.4 billion in 2016.^[2]

8 “The Secret of Life”

In February 1953, an excited man walked into an English pub called The Eagle and declared that he, along with a fellow named James Watson, had “found the secret of life.” Had this been announced at a drinking establishment anywhere else in the world, it probably would have been dismissed as the ravings of a madman. But in the university city of Cambridge, there might just be some truth to it. It turned out that there was.

That man was the scientist Francis Crick. The Eagle was the pub of choice for him, Watson, and the other scientists they worked with at the nearby Cavendish Laboratory. Crick was, of course, announcing the discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure. The official announcement was made in the journal Nature, and it would later earn Crick, Watson, and their fellow scientist Maurice Wilkins a Nobel Prize in 1962.^[3]

7 Middle Earth and Narnia

The original name of Crick and Watson’s pub was The Eagle and Child, which was also the name of a famous pub in the rival university city of Oxford. However, this pub did not achieve fame because of its patrons’ great insights into the real world but because of their ability to create new worlds. The patrons in question are J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, two of the 20th century’s leading fantasy authors.

The pair could often be found tucked away in a section of the pub called the “Rabbit Room.” There, they would sit by the fireplace and puff away at pipes while sharing tales of Middle-earth and Narnia, the imaginary worlds where Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series would be set. Other academics from the university would also attend, and the group called themselves “The Inklings.”^[4]

6 Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island

The Eagle and Child pub dates all the way back to 1650, just a few years before another legendary literary pub opened in the city of Bristol in west England. The Llandoger Trow opened by the city’s harbor in 1664 and was named after a nearby village in Wales and a type of boat that the landlord, Captain Hawkins, used to sail. If this sounds like a scene from Treasure Island, there might be a reason for that.

Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of Treasure Island, is believed to have based the novel’s pub on the Llandoger Trow. It is even said that Blackbeard himself, who was born in the city, used to drink there. But the pub is also thought to have been where Daniel Defoe got the inspiration for his classic novel Robinson Crusoe. He reportedly met real-life castaway Alexander Selkirk there and modeled Crusoe on him.^[5]

5 The Gunpowder Plot

Not all big ideas are successful, even if they are conceived in a pub. This was a lesson that Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators found out the hard way. Still, they hold the rare distinction of having organized a spectacular failure that is celebrated every November in the UK. The now infamous Gunpowder Plot was the brainchild of a militant Catholic called Robert Catesby, who had tired of King James I’s lack of tolerance for Catholics.

In 1604, Catesby and other Catholics gathered in a pub called the Duck and Drake. There, they swore an oath of secrecy, which was no doubt required because they were plotting to kill the king by blowing him up during a visit to the Houses of Parliament. However, somebody could not keep the secret. Following a tip-off, a plotter called Guy Fawkes was caught beneath the building with gunpowder and matches. The gang was captured and brutally executed.^[6]

4 D-Day

Other explosive pub-based plans have been more successful than the Gunpowder Plot. One notable example was finalized at a quaint countryside pub called the Bells of Peover in the spring of 1944. That is where, over meals on two consecutive days, Allied Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower and U.S. General George Patton put the finishing touches to their plans for the invasion of Normandy, a crucial step in liberating Europe from Nazi tyranny.

Patton’s troops had been based in the tiny village of Lower Peover since January of that year, and they trained for their deployment to France in the surrounding countryside. They must have trusted their leaders’ plans. One serviceman’s diary, discovered in the pub decades later, describes how the soldiers were excited for the D-Day landings on June 6. Today, the pub still flies a U.S. flag, and its dining room is known as “The Patton.”^[7]

3 A Heartbreaking Ballad

Running a pub in modern times is much harder than it was in Patton’s day and earlier. Demographic changes, new entertainment options, and the adoption of a more health-conscious attitude among the public make pubs a tough business to be in today. However, one thing that is guaranteed to turn a pub’s fortunes around is being mentioned on a Taylor Swift album. And that is exactly what happened to a London pub called the Black Dog.

A bonus track on Swift’s 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department, shares its name with the pub. The lyrics narrate a story of the singer tracking a former lover there and seeing them with a younger woman. Swift has some British ex-boyfriends, namely singer Matty Healy and actor Joe Alwyn. While dating the latter, she reportedly spent a lot of time in London, allowing fans to accurately guess the pub’s location.^[8]

2 A Famous Cinematic Pub

Few pubs or bars in films have been as central to the plot as The Winchester in 2004’s Shaun of the Dead. It is where the unusual romantic comedy opens, with Simon Pegg’s Shaun being begged by his girlfriend not to spend every night there. When the zombie apocalypse strikes, Shaun’s plan is to save his loved ones and seek safety inside the pub, mirroring Pegg’s real-life zombie survival plan.

As young actors living in London, Pegg and his co-star Nick Frost would spend their free time in their local pub, The Shepherds. While there, they discussed plans for surviving a zombie apocalypse, with Pegg choosing the pub as his destination to hold out against the hordes. Their friend, the director Edgar Wright, turned the plan into the plot of the film and based The Winchester on The Shepherds, even giving the pub’s staff the same names.^[9]

1 An Important Statistical Distribution

This last idea was actually conceived in a brewery, not a pub. However, the goal was to improve the drinks served in the latter. It just turned out to have a lot of applications besides that. The brewery is also no longer British, although it would have been at the time. The idea in question is William Sealy Gosset’s t-distribution, an important statistical tool that Gosset developed in 1908 while working at the Guinness brewery in Dublin.

Gosset’s inspiration came from another scientist who thought hops with more resin made better beer. However, they could not measure the resin of all the hops in a crop. They could only test small samples and had to make an educated guess about whether the whole crop had high or low resin or if only the ones they had picked out did. Gosset’s t-distribution brought rigor to this process and can be applied to many tests with small samples.^[10]