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Religion is a source of comfort and conscience. As people look to their respective gods for guidance, their conclusions inform their values, drive their actions, and give meaning to events. However, that pattern isn’t always a good thing, as some religious practices aren’t so righteous. An ignoble doctrine could be a cheap excuse to set the faithful on their fellows. The results are predictably tragic, and fiction is an effective way to demonstrate that.

Audiences encounter a slew of evil religions in storytelling. These crooked systems push their followers toward some of the worst acts imaginable. Virtually no sacrifice is off the table, regardless of ethics. If members harbor doubts or regrets, leaders (divine or otherwise) have twisted methods to secure their compliance by force. What they don’t reveal is that these practices are just a means to lord over the unwashed masses. In that respect, such religions are simply tyrannies without resistance. What a scary thought!

Related: The Ten Greatest Fictional Rivalries of All Time

10 Cult of the Pah-wraiths

One man’s alien is another man’s god. Such is the case in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The show’s resident wormhole houses a group of omnipotent beings. These ethereal entities can see the past, the present, and the future. They usually forward these visions to the nearby planet of Bajor. As a result, the Bajorans see these “Prophets” as benevolent deities. The caretakers harbor a dark past, though.

The Prophets’ sinister counterparts are the Pah-wraiths. Cast out of the wormhole and banished to Bajor’s Fire Temple, they seek revenge for both their peers and the galaxy. That vengeance involves the same tactics, albeit taken to greater extremes. The Pah-wraiths induce visions to possess any willing species, forcing them to commit terroristic rituals.

These actions ultimately go toward releasing the false gods from their imprisonment. Disgraced militiaman Gul Dukat proves instrumental in this aim, as he begins a cult dedicated to the Pah-wraiths. Each party wants to pay the universe back for past wrongs, so spreading the fires of destruction satisfies them both.^[1]

9 Church of Yevon

Imagine learning that the divine savior is really the bringer of Armageddon. Final Fantasy X slowly reveals as much with Yu Yevon. In ages past, this sorcerer led his native Zanarkand against the mechanized Bevelle. His imminent loss drives him to magically conjure an artificial Zanarkand, thereby preserving it in some form. To protect its hidden location, he creates Sin: a cataclysmic monster who ravages the land and destroys any cities deemed too advanced. Of course, he doesn’t count on the effort breaking his mind, instead spawning a creature of pure instinct. He also doesn’t predict the propaganda that follows.

Centuries later, the Church of Yevon keeps the world enthralled. The priests deify the sorcerer and demonize anyone who disputes his brilliance. Moreover, they brand any technological society as heretical, saying that their profane practices bring Sin’s wrath. Saving the land requires everyone to accept Yevon as the messiah. The murderous kaiju is bad enough, but this doctrine shrouds it in revisionist history to keep people in the Stone Age.^[2]

8 Kali Cult

Yes, Kali is a real Hindu goddess, but Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom takes a ton of liberties with her depiction. In this film, a group of Thuggee cultists commits various vile acts in service to the deity. Among these sins is kidnapping the children of a nearby village, forcing them to mine for the mystical Sankara stones that grant divine power to whomever holds them. As deplorable as slave labor is, it pales next to the Thuggee’s main attraction.

These bloodthirsty killers make a grand spectacle of human sacrifice. After selecting an unfortunate prisoner, the cultists strap the victim to a metal cage. High priest Mola Ram recites a prayer to Kali before pulling out the target’s heart. Finally, they lower the cage into a fiery pit. As the prisoner bursts into flames, his heart does the same. This macabre display is what Mola Ram intends to replace all other religions, so Indy sets to work on stopping him.^[3]

7 Sith

The most powerful force in Star Wars is, well, the Force. This mystical energy field binds the galaxy together, granting telekinesis, telepathy, and other abilities to people who channel it. The Jedi use mental focus and emotional serenity to wield the Force as peacekeepers, but not everyone believes in such restraint.

The Sith strive to further their own interests. Unlike their Jedi rivals, they draw on passionate emotions like anger to fuel their feats, wielding the Dark Side of the Force with utter abandon. The universe granted them this gift, so why shouldn’t they use it to its fullest potential? It doesn’t matter if they harm a few normal people. Exercising their might is the purest expression of the Force.

That line of thinking informs many a Star Wars tyrant. Darth Sidious, Darth Revan, Darth Nihilus, and Darth Malgus all ravage the galaxy with their profane expertise. Their seductive teachings often attract equally horrible followers, most of whom are fallen Jedi. The Dark Side might not be the right path, but it is the easy one.^[4]

6 Cult of the Absolute

This group gives new meaning to brainwashing. In Baldur’s Gate III, a new religion throws the realm into chaos. High-ranking officials abandon longstanding beliefs, and legions of initiates converge on pivotal locations, leaving trails of bloodshed in their wake. The Cult of the Absolute is responsible for these phenomena. Heading the movement are the religious leaders devoted to the three gods of death. These disparate Chosen now stand united in their worship of the enigmatic Absolute. Then again, things aren’t so simple.

It turns out that the Absolute is an Elder Brain. This telepathic organism is part of the Mind Flayer/Illithid species, controlling others of its kind through a neural link. Humans are immune, but the creatures can morph them into Illithids by infecting them with tadpoles. The aforementioned Elder Brain is a slave to the Chosen, letting them weaponize its biological gifts for their own ends. With a few tadpoles, they can quash entire kingdoms.^[5]

5 Church of the Eternal Fire

A light in the darkness sounds like an uplifting prospect. The Eternal Fire starts as such. Humans within the Witcher world often face ominous uncertainty, clashing with other sentient species while avoiding nightmarish monsters. Amid that uncertainty, a fire provides a beacon for lost souls to gather, gives them strength to face the coming adversity, and drives away any encroaching evil. It’s how followers interpret that evil that creates problems.

The Church of the Eternal Fire begins to see any abnormality as part of the darkness. Elves, Dwarves, dopplers, and even Mages become personae non gratae. Purging these aberrations is the only way to ensure human safety, so the church’s enforcers round them up and burn them at the stake. They preach that the pure flames will cleanse these souls. Anyone with eyes, however, can see this practice for what it is: a witch hunt.^[6]

4 Children of Doom

Death is endemic to Conan the Barbarian, but it usually occurs in battle. This cult takes all the glory out of such a sacrifice. The Children of Doom appropriately serve a leader named Thulsa Doom. This wizard boasts a plethora of powers, the deadliest of which is his dominion over snakes. Not only does he have several titanic serpents at his command, but he can morph into a slithering creature himself. One might think this gimmick symbolizes his allegiance to a mysterious snake god, but his true agenda is his own ego.

Thulsa Doom uses people to prop up his magnificence. He routinely trades in slaves, both for manual labor and to fill his harem. At any point, he could command these servants to off themselves. They could jump from cliffs, provide food for his serpentine pets, or commit other suicidal acts. Any hesitation is nonexistent, and rarely do these destructive acts have any purpose beyond flexing. Rather than simply take life, his seductive influence persuades people to give it away.^[7]

3 Immortan Joe

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, survivors would naturally look for guidance. Immortan Joe provides that guidance in the Mad Max movies. He amasses an army of followers, promising to lead them toward a brighter future. To reach that better world, they must rise from the ashes of the ruined one. Such a pursuit often calls for their lives, as they can then rise from their own ashes to the highways of Valhalla. The Viking parallels are no accident. More so than death, however, these warriors attain glory by serving their leader.

Joe strives to build a mighty dynasty. He puts his War Boys to work on his towering citadel, building weapons and vehicles for desert conquests. More importantly, he keeps any healthy women for himself. His greatest aspiration is to father a line of future conquerors. Legacy is everything to the Immortan; he gives meaning to lost souls by making them part of that legacy.^[8]

2 Daughters of Aku

Aku proudly stands as the essence of evil. The archnemesis of Samurai Jack, he comes into being when the malevolent remnants of a divine war drift to Earth and manifest in feudal Japan. He eventually takes over the world, keeping residents under his thumb for thousands of years. Though mainly relying on demonic tricks and robotic troops, he also has a handful of sentient servants.

After several millennia, his reign heralds the Daughters of Aku. These masked assassins exist to spread the supremacy of their lord. Their High Priestess births them after consuming Aku’s mystical essence, effectively making them demon-human hybrids. To reach their full potential, they must endure years of physical hardship. This inhumane treatment seems like trauma for its own sake, but the Priestess motivates her disciples with a simple doctrine: Aku is the world’s savior, while Jack is a cold-hearted destroyer. How better to craft an elite cabal of killers?^[9]

1 Temple of Morgoth

Every evil creature in Middle-earth owes its existence to Morgoth. As one of the Valar who molded the world, he’s essentially a dark deity who wants to corrupt all creation. He wreaks utter havoc throughout The Silmarillion, turning the fantasy realm into a burning wasteland full of Orcs, demons, dragons, vampires, werewolves, and betrayers. Instrumental in these goals is his top lieutenant, Sauron. Although he eventually becomes the Lord of the Rings, this villain begins as a faithful servant. He’s so loyal that he continues his work even after Morgoth is vanquished.

As part of a grander scheme, Sauron secures a position in Númenor. This proud kingdom of Men owes its blessings to the Valar, but the Dark Lord begins preaching the word of Morgoth. On top of building a temple, he carries out human sacrifices in tribute to his master. These teachings amplify the kingdom’s growing distrust of the Valar, which ultimately leads to ruin when the Men try to invade the gods’ homeland. Thus, Sauron fells Númenor without losing a single soldier.^[10]

Modern life feels seamless. You buy a phone charger, and it fits. You send a letter, and it gets delivered. But behind that convenience is a complex web of invisible global standards—quiet, often century-old decisions that the entire planet just agreed to follow. Without them, your printer wouldn’t know how to format a page, your packages would get stuck at ports, and your calendar would be in chaos.

Here are 10 invisible standards that quietly keep everyday life from falling apart.

Related: 10 World-Changing Examples of Turning Dumb Technology into Smart Technology

10 Paper Sizes – ISO 216

The A-series paper system, including the familiar A4, is defined by ISO 216, first introduced in Germany in the 1920s and adopted internationally in the 1970s. The core idea is mathematical elegance: the aspect ratio of √2:1 means that each size in the series can be halved to produce the next smaller size while maintaining the same shape. A0 has an area of exactly one square meter, so each step (A1, A2, A3…) halves the area but keeps the same proportions. This makes it easy for printers and copiers to scale documents without distortion or manual adjustments.

ISO 216 is used by nearly every country in the world except for the United States, Canada, and parts of Mexico. In those countries, the default “Letter” size (8.5 x 11 inches) is not based on any coherent mathematical principle, and neither are related sizes like Legal or Tabloid. That’s why printing a European resume on American printers often results in awkward cropping or misalignment. Software like Microsoft Word must include entire formatting packages just to reconcile these systems. Without ISO 216, global document exchange would be riddled with margin mismatches, wasted paper, and printer errors.^[1]

9 The Global Shipping Container – ISO 668

Before standardized containers, shipping was chaotic and dangerous. Goods were packed in barrels, crates, and bags, each with different dimensions. Longshoremen manually loaded everything, which took days and often damaged the cargo. This changed in the 1950s when American trucking magnate Malcolm McLean developed the first uniform metal shipping container. ISO 668, adopted in 1968, cemented these dimensions: primarily 20-foot and 40-foot (6.096-meter and 12.192-meter) units, standardized for stacking, latching, and transporting across ships, trucks, and trains.

Today, over 90% of world trade travels in containers that comply with this standard. Ports are engineered to handle ISO containers with automated cranes, and shipping manifests are digitally mapped using their exact dimensions. Every time you buy something imported—from phones to fruit—it’s moved in these standardized steel boxes. A mismatch in container height or corner castings would make entire ships unusable. In 2021, container shortages during the COVID shipping crisis showed how fragile this system is. Without ISO 668, logistics would revert to chaos, costs would skyrocket, and global trade would slow to a crawl.^[2]

8 Time Zones and UTC

Before standard time, every city kept its own local solar time, which worked fine until the invention of railroads and telegraphs. Suddenly, coordinating train schedules across regions became impossible without a universal time standard. In 1884, the International Meridian Conference established the Greenwich Meridian as the world’s prime meridian, laying the groundwork for today’s time zones. But the real game-changer was Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), adopted in the mid-20th century and maintained by a global network of atomic clocks.

Modern GPS systems, aviation networks, satellite communications, and financial markets are all synchronized to UTC. Your smartphone, laptop, and smartwatch all ping UTC servers to update their clocks—whether you’re in Tokyo or New York. Even slight discrepancies in timing can cause GPS mapping errors, delayed aircraft takeoffs, or failed stock transactions. GPS satellites broadcast both location and precise nanosecond-level timing based on UTC. The Earth’s rotation is irregular, so atomic clocks sometimes need to insert leap seconds to stay aligned. Without UTC, the entire system of global coordination would collapse into inconsistent local guessing.^[3]

7 Screw Threading – ISO Metric Thread and UNC/UNF

The ability to screw one part into another and have it hold firmly—without cross-threading, loosening, or cracking—relies on global agreement about how threads are cut. The ISO metric thread system, adopted widely after World War II, defines everything from thread angle (60 degrees) to pitch and diameter. In the U.S., the older UNC/UNF standards dominate, but even these are now cross-compatible with metric equivalents in many industrial sectors. Engineers rely on precise tables that define tolerances for every application, from fine electronics to bridge bolts.

Thread standards are everywhere: eyeglasses, camera tripods, fire hydrants, plumbing systems, and jet engines. Without them, replacement parts would require custom machining for every repair, and supply chains would grind to a halt. A Boeing 787 has over 2.3 million fasteners, all adhering to precise standards. DIYers, auto mechanics, and surgeons benefit from these invisible agreements every day. When two parts screw together flawlessly from different corners of the world, it’s not luck—it’s a century of standardization across metallurgy, manufacturing, and geometry.^[4]

6 Electrical Plug Standards – IEC 60320 and Regional Variants

At first glance, electrical plugs seem chaotic—with over 15 different outlet types worldwide. However, under the surface, many devices still work globally thanks to the IEC 60320 standard, which governs appliance couplers—the part where a detachable power cord plugs into the actual device, like a laptop charger or printer. IEC 60320 specifies shapes, voltage ranges, current limits, insulation, and testing protocols so manufacturers can build globally certified devices.

This standard means your laptop can use the same charger base from São Paulo to Seoul—you only need a wall adapter, not a different device. It also allows regulatory bodies to enforce safety without redesigning every cord. IEC 60320 connectors like C13 and C14 (used in PCs and monitors) appear in millions of homes and server rooms. While wall outlets vary by country, internal components and plug-device interfaces are harmonized under IEC. Without this silent agreement, every device would require region-specific models, doubling manufacturing lines and choking repair ecosystems.^[5]

5 Date Formats – ISO 8601

Globally, people use wildly different date formats. In the U.S., the convention is MM/DD/YYYY; in much of Europe, it’s DD/MM/YYYY; in China and many international systems, it’s YYYY/MM/DD. Enter ISO 8601, an international standard introduced in 1988 that mandates using the unambiguous format: YYYY-MM-DD. This layout avoids confusion, is lexicographically sortable (dates sort properly as strings), and is easier for computers to interpret consistently across systems. You’ll see it used in filenames, software logs, government records, and anywhere exact timestamping matters.

More importantly, ISO 8601 prevents catastrophic errors. A reversed date format in medicine can cause a prescription or diagnostic to be misfiled by a full month. In software development, comparing MM/DD and DD/MM dates without conversion causes failed triggers or lost transactions. ISO 8601 is used in international aviation, ISO-certified manufacturing processes, and financial reporting. Systems like SAP, Git, and Amazon S3 object versioning all default to ISO 8601. Without this standard, timestamps across regions would constantly desync, breaking multi-national operations, corrupting logs, and opening security vulnerabilities.^[6]

4 Barcodes – EAN and UPC Standards

Barcodes look simple—just black lines and numbers—but behind each one is a rigid global standard: UPC (primarily in the U.S.) and EAN-13 (used globally). These were standardized in the 1970s by GS1, a nonprofit that assigns each manufacturer a unique code. Each barcode encodes information like product type, brand origin, and price lookup identifiers so that cash registers, warehouse scanners, and inventory software can understand with zero ambiguity. UPCs are 12 digits, EANs are 13, and they use mod-10 checksums to ensure scanning accuracy.

Every retailer, from Walmart to local pharmacies, uses these standards to maintain databases of millions of products. A UPC collision—if two companies used the same code—would create chaos in point-of-sale systems. EAN/UPC standardization allows products to be shipped globally without needing relabeling or repackaging. During the COVID-19 panic-buying surge, barcode scanners enabled real-time inventory tracking and resupply coordination. These strips of data are more than price tags—they’re the nervous system of global retail, quietly powering returns, restocks, and fraud detection.^[7]

3 Shoe Sizes – Mondopoint and Regional Cross-Mapping

While the general public is familiar with U.S., UK, and EU shoe sizing systems, manufacturers secretly rely on a universal measurement system called Mondopoint, defined by ISO 9407. It measures foot length in millimeters and includes width categories. Most global brands like Adidas and Nike use Mondopoint internally to design and grade footwear sizes, even if they convert to region-specific sizes for sale. Without this unifying metric, international sizing would rely entirely on eyeballed conversions or subjective fitting.

For example, a U.S. men’s size 10 might be a 44 in Europe or a 280 in Korea — but they all stem from the same Mondopoint reference. This allows factories in China or Vietnam to produce identical shoe lasts and molds for global distribution. Retailers like Zappos use Mondopoint to match international buyers with regional inventory. Even prosthetic limb companies use Mondopoint to ensure proper orthotic fit. The system is rarely printed on the box, but it ensures that the physical shoes you buy in Tokyo fit the same as the ones shipped from Berlin.^[8]

2 Credit Card Numbering – ISO/IEC 7812

Credit card numbers follow strict global formatting rules defined by ISO/IEC 7812, created in the 1980s to prevent fraud and ensure interoperability between financial networks. Each card begins with a Major Industry Identifier (MII) (such as 4 for Visa or 5 for MasterCard), followed by a Bank Identification Number (BIN), and a unique customer number. The last digit is a Luhn checksum, which can detect common entry errors instantly. This number system allows any terminal anywhere in the world to recognize, route, and authorize a transaction in milliseconds.

Behind the scenes, this format allows cross-border payments, airline ticketing, subscription billing, and fraud prevention tools to all function on the same foundation. When the U.S. transitioned to EMV chip cards, the number structure remained — only the storage and authentication changed. If credit cards used incompatible number systems across countries or issuers, global e-commerce would fracture overnight. ISO 7812 allows banks, merchants, and processors like Stripe or PayPal to all speak the same language, reducing friction and ensuring that a tap-to-pay gesture works in Berlin the same as in Boston.^[9]

1 Keyboard Layouts – QWERTY and ISO/ANSI Physical Standards

You might take for granted that every keyboard you use — from a laptop in Japan to a desktop in Sweden — feels roughly the same. That’s because of ISO/IEC 9995 and ANSI INCITS 154, which define key spacing, row offsets, and the positioning of function keys. These standards allow manufacturers to produce interchangeable keycaps, replacement parts, and input devices that remain familiar despite language changes. Even “non-QWERTY” keyboards like AZERTY or QWERTZ still use the same physical layouts beneath.

Though QWERTY dominates due to legacy adoption (originally designed to reduce typewriter jams), its continued use — and the ability to remap it — relies on consistent hardware design. Keyboard firmware, BIOS setup menus, and operating systems all assume a certain scancode mapping rooted in these standards. Gamers, programmers, and multilingual typists all benefit from knowing that the Ctrl and Shift keys will always be where they expect. Without this standard, laptop repairs, hotkey macros, and keyboard shortcuts would become a nightmare of mismatched layouts and muscle memory failure.^[10]

Ozempic is the new so-called miracle drug that, over the past few years, has taken the world by storm. The semaglutide meds are in high demand. The original use for the injection is to treat type 2 diabetes. But since people discovered it also helps them lose weight, everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Elon Musk has come out and urged their fans to get the jab.

The drug is now so popular that there have been global shortages and a large spate of knock-off copycat brands. From fears of stomach paralysis to claims it can reinvigorate your sex life, here are ten shocking discoveries about Ozempic.

Related: 10 Unbelievable Things Doctors Could Prescribe In Place Of Drugs

10 Students Work Out How to Grow It at Home using Plants

At some point soon, you could be growing weight loss meds from the comfort of your home. So say students at the University of Ottawa. In March 2025, the team announced they had devised a remarkable new way to produce drugs using plants.

The budding scientists developed a biopharming system they call Phytogene. It takes a plant and, in essence, turns it into a “machine” that can print copies of existing medication. The young researchers used Nicotiana benthamiana, a close relative of tobacco, to create GLP-1 receptor agonists. This is the class of drugs that includes the likes of Ozempic and Wegovy.

The students claim their innovative technique could help more people access the drug. It should also provide a more sustainable way to manufacture it. Student Victor Boddy explained, “Inspired by the recent Ozempic shortage, we built a proof-of-concept model system that expresses functional GLP-1 agonists in plants. We aim to create a future where people can reliably grow their own treatments at home, free from concerns about insurance, cost, or availability.”^[1]

9 Evidence Suggests It Could Recharge Your Sex Life

Taking Ozempic could give your love life a whole new whoosh of energy. Some say the drug has worked wonders on their libido. They say they have gone from feeling frisky maybe once a week to almost every day.

Researchers reckon this newfound passion could be linked to a range of factors. Obesity is known to take a toll on sexual health, so weight loss might cause a surge of desire. New body confidence, shifting hormone levels, and better sleep could all come into play as well. And some users have reported that Ozempic has harmed their sex life. A 2024 study found that overweight men have a slightly higher risk of erectile dysfunction from taking semaglutides.

For now, experts are unable to explain quite where the impact on libido comes from. More research is needed before they can untangle the complex web of human desire.^[2]

8 Study Finds Link to Rare Eye Condition

People typically take medication in the hope that it will improve their health. But all drugs have side effects, and Ozempic is no exception. In July 2024, semaglutides made headlines once again after scientists found links to a rare eye condition.

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) only impacts 10 in every 100,000 people. However, it is a serious condition that causes sudden vision loss in one eye. As yet, there is no way of treating it. The study revealed that those taking the drug for type 2 diabetes were four times more likely to develop NAION. For those medicating for obesity, it rose to seven times more likely. Even with the heightened risk, the condition is still rare. Harvard experts found just 46 cases from a study of nearly 17,000 people.

Scientists found no evidence that Ozempic is directly responsible for sight loss. They say more research is needed before they explain the heightened risk. Drugmaker Novo Nordisk also pointed out that the study did not consider other factors, like whether the patients were smokers or if they were taking the medication as prescribed. Nonetheless, scientists agree that the issue calls for further study. More trials are now in progress.^[3]

7 Surge in People Taking It in Microdoses

Move over, LSD. A new form of microdosing is sweeping the nation. The term usually describes taking a small amount of psychedelics. But now, people are microdosing weight-loss drugs. Scientists say plenty of potential benefits exist, as long as it is done with the correct guidance.

There are many reasons why patients microdose Ozempic. They might have shed the pounds already and are now trying to keep their new weight. Maybe they only want to lose a small amount. Or perhaps they cannot afford the full dose.

“It’s basically a tailored approach to dosing Ozempic to meet the needs of the individual,” says Dr. Britta Reierson, an obesity medicine specialist. “Now, where we get concerned is when this is happening without any guidance from a medical professional.” Experts warn that adverse reactions are likely if users do not follow their doctors’ instructions. They also worry that microdose users are more likely to inject after the medication has expired.^[]4

6 Could It Help Reduce Alcohol Addiction?

Ozempic is in no way a miracle drug or a magical cure for all illnesses, despite what some TikTok influencers might claim. However, studies suggest that the drug holds uncharted benefits, like helping in the fight against addiction. Ozempic is prescribed to people who want to lose weight because it reduces their food cravings. But evidence is growing that the drug lowers not just the desire to eat, but to drink, take drugs, and other addictive behaviors too.

Research found that people with alcohol addiction who took the medication had a 50% lower drinking rate than those who did not. Those with opioid disorders were also 40% less likely to overdose.

Researcher Fares Qeadan told reporters, “While we hypothesized that these medications might impact cravings and reward-seeking behavior, the observed reduction in severe outcomes for individuals with opioid and alcohol use disorders suggests a broader, more protective effect than anticipated.”

Scientists are yet to work out exactly how Ozempic works. While they are hopeful it can one day help treat addiction, they say more studies are needed before it can be rolled out. Nonetheless, Qeadan explains that the study “provides an exciting direction for future research.”^[5]

5 Scientists Might Have Found a Natural Alternative

In May 2025, scientists revealed what they believe is a natural way to copy the effects of Ozempic. They claim their method could allow people to control their blood sugar levels and cravings without the need for the contentious jab.

A team at Jiangnan University in China tested their new process on diabetic mice. They found that treatment with certain microbes could alter the compound levels in the rodents’ guts. Phocaeicola vulgatus (formerly Bacteroides vulgatus) caused the creatures to produce more hormones, including GLP-1. GLP-1 helps control blood sugar levels and hunger.^[6]

4 It Could Be Linked to Severe Stomach Paralysis

Ozempic’s main side effects are the same as most drugs. Nausea, headaches, vomiting, and diarrhea. The usual suspects. However, scientists are more concerned about the growing evidence that suggests the jab could be linked to rare forms of illnesses, including stomach paralysis.

Ozempic is known to alter the behavior of the stomach. The drug causes the organ to empty more slowly, which means food stays in the stomach longer. This appears to be playing havoc with a few patients’ insides. A 2023 study at the University of British Columbia found that people taking semaglutide had a greater risk of affliction. Although still rare, they are more likely to be hit by conditions like pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, and stomach paralysis. This was from a sample of 16 million U.S. patients without diabetes from 2006 to 2020.

“Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients thinking about using them for weight loss,” explained Mohit Sodhi, an expert in experimental medicine.^[7]

3 The Death of the Body Positivity Movement

Ozempic has killed body positivity. So say plus-size models who claim the interest in curvy women is drying up, and they are struggling to find work. Curve model and activist Felicity Hayward reckons the wave broke sometime around 2023. “Ozempic arrived into our industry, and there was a definite change,” she told reporters.

People in the industry say the rise in the drug’s popularity, coupled with shifting trends and the return of ’90s “heroin chic,” has undone what they say are positive changes over the last ten years. Others believe that fatphobia never actually vanished. They say the whole movement was a fad that some brands only got behind while it was popular.

“I think you’re seeing the separation between people that were doing it because there was a movement at the time,” says Skye Standley, who has previously modeled for Dolce & Gabbana and Rihanna’s Fenty brand, “and the people who are truly passionate about it.”^[8]

2 Prices in the U.S. are Sky-High Compared to the Rest of the World

It is hardly a shocking new truth that the U.S. healthcare market is more hungry for profit than any other country. Nonetheless, Ozempic brings home just how wildly prices can vary around the globe. In 2024, Novo Nordisk, the firm behind the drug, had to answer tough questions on its prices from the U.S. Senate HELP Committee.

The diabetes and weight-loss drug sells for around $969 in the States. In Canada, it costs $155, while in France and Germany, it costs $71 and $59, respectively. “The vast majority of the American people are sick and tired of paying outrageously high prices for prescription drugs,” Senator Bernie Sanders told Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, the CEO of Novo Nordisk.

Sanders explained that, of the company’s $50 billion sales, 72% came from the U.S. He also said he had conversed with other drug makers, who told him they could produce a generic alternative for under $100 a month. Jørgensen replied that, if Ozempic is covered by health insurance, it can cost as little as $25.^[9]

1 WHO Sends Out Global Alert over Counterfeits

In June 2024, the number of dodgy Ozempic fakes going around reached such a critical level that the World Health Organisation had to step in. The UN agency issued a global alert. They say the counterfeits are a danger to people’s health and should not be bought from unknown websites or on social media. Instead, they say that, like doctors, patients should only procure drugs from secure sources.

Medical experts first came across Ozempic knock-offs in 2022, and the WHO has been tracking the issue ever since. Authorities in the UK, the U.S., and Brazil have all been forced to step in to take counterfeit drugs out of circulation. Many of the jabs do not contain the medication that they claim to, which can cause all kinds of unwanted impacts if taken.

WHO Assistant Director General Dr Yukiko Nakatani recommends that “healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public be aware of these falsified batches of medicines.”^[10]

We typically don’t expect to see much when we look inside our mouths other than our tongue, teeth, and gums. And naturally, the most “foreign object” we’d expect to find would perhaps be some food leftover from our last meal or snack. While that’s usually true, given that there’s not much to see with the untrained eye, these news stories showcase mind-blowing accounts where strange things have been found inside both human and animal mouths.

From bizarre items, scientific discoveries, and tragic turns of fate, here are ten shocking and stomach-churning finds made inside the mouth. But beware, some of these stories are not for the faint of heart or those with a weak stomach!

10 Raccoon with Meth Pipe in its Mouth Found During Traffic Stop

At approximately 7:15 p.m. on May 5, 2025, Summit County, Ohio, police conducted a traffic stop that led to an absolutely wild encounter. Not only did the vehicle have picket fences on the front and back passenger side rather than windows, but the vehicle owner—55-year-old Victoria Vidal—had an active warrant and a suspended driver’s license. Vidal was detained without incident, but the traffic stop got even more bizarre from here.

After Vidal was detained, an officer returned to the vehicle only to discover Vidal’s pet raccoon, Chewy, sitting on the driver’s seat with a meth pipe in its mouth. While the officer removed the pipe from Chewy’s mouth, he discovered another pipe in the raccoon’s hand. Naturally, the sight prompted a search of the vehicle, which led to the discovery of approximately 7.15 grams of crystal meth, 0.10 grams of crack cocaine, and several pipes.

Vidal was charged with F3 possession of drugs, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and was cited for driving under suspension. As for Chewy, Vidal did have the proper paperwork to own the raccoon as a pet, so the animal was placed in the care of a family member.

9 Inmate Suffers Horrific Fate in Confinement

On June 12, 2022, 35-year-old Lashawn Thompson of Winter Haven, Florida, was arrested in Georgia for misdemeanor simple battery. However, because Thompson was unable to post the $2,500 bail needed, he was held at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta and later transferred to the psychiatric wing of the jail due to mental health issues. Unfortunately, the three months Thompson spent in custody would be far worse than any punishment handed down by the criminal justice system.

On September 13, 2022, Thompson was found dead in a dirty jail cell, his body riddled with insects and bed bugs. Thompson’s cause of death was initially listed as “undetermined.” His family, who claimed they were unaware that Thompson was in custody until jail officials contacted them about his death, began a public outcry for justice and a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The family went on to pursue their own independent autopsy of Thompson, but sadly, the new autopsy revealed Thompson’s death to be “one of the most deplorable in-custody deaths in the history of America.” During his three months of incarceration, Thompson—who weighed 180 pounds (81 kg) upon arrival—had lost approximately 18% of his body weight, weighing only 148 pounds (67 kg) at the time of his death.

The toxicology report was also found to be negative for medications prescribed to Thompson for his schizophrenia, with him having received the last dose of his medication 32 days before his death. Even more disturbing, Thompson’s hands, feet, fingernails, and toenails were filthy; he had over 1,000 bites, and insects were found in his mouth, ears, nose, and across his body. Ultimately, Thompson’s death was deemed a result of severe neglect evidenced by untreated schizophrenia, poor living conditions, poor grooming, extensive and severe body insect infestation, dehydration, and rapid weight loss, which led to a fatal cardiac arrhythmia.

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat requested and received resignations from three executive staff members at the jail. Multiple investigations were opened by agencies such as the Atlanta Police Department, the Office of Professional Standards, and the United States Department of Justice regarding Thompson’s death, as well as the conditions at the jail. On August 2, 2023, Fulton County Commissioners voted unanimously to award Thompson’s family a $4 million settlement regarding his death.

8 More Than 500 Teeth Found in Child’s Mouth

An unidentified 7-year-old boy, who had long complained of having a swollen and aching jaw, was taken to the Saveenta Dental College and Hospital in Chennai, India, in July 2019, after his parents began to fear that his swollen jaw might be the result of cancer. There, an X-ray of the boy’s mouth revealed a “well-defined bag-like mass” nestled in the molar region of his lower jaw. While his swollen jaw wasn’t the result of cancer, what was discovered within his mouth was much more shocking.

The sac, which weighed 7 ounces (198 grams), was surgically removed from the boy’s mouth and contained hundreds of miniature teeth—526 to be exact—ranging in size from 1 mm to 15 mm. So, how exactly did he end up with such an abundance of teeth? The young boy, unfortunately, was suffering from a very rare condition called composite odontoma, a developmental anomaly where benign tumors made of enamel and dentin are formed.

And why exactly did his parents wait so long to seek treatment? They didn’t. Well, not exactly. You see, the boy’s swollen jaw began at the age of three, and even though he was taken to a doctor, he was so uncooperative that doctors were unable to examine him or perform any sort of investigative procedures. Unfortunately, this meant that his condition went undiagnosed, and the mass simply continued to grow over the next four years.

7 Woman Found in an Alligator’s Mouth

On September 22, 2023, 21-year-old Jamarcus Bullard was walking to a job interview in Largo, Florida, but as he passed the McKay Creek, he spotted a massive alligator with a human torso in its mouth. Bullard then alerted the authorities. When deputies arrived on the scene, the male alligator—which was nearly 14 feet (4 meters) long—was pulled from the canal and loaded onto a flatbed truck before being “humanely killed.”

A necropsy of the alligator later identified the victim as 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham, a homeless woman who was living in a makeshift campsite approximately 35 to 45 feet (10 to 13 meters) from the canal. Sadly, Peckham’s death was not due to foul play, but instead, the tragic result of blunt trauma and sharp force injuries sustained during an alligator attack.

6 Mouth Bacteria Can “Melt” Certain Cancers?

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer globally. While survival rates vary depending on how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis, researchers at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ and King’s College in London made a discovery that has the potential to revolutionize treatment for these types of cancer.

In July 2024, a team of researchers led by Dr. Miguel Reis Ferreira published their findings, which revealed that patients who have higher levels of Fusobacterium—a common bacterium found in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract—in their mouth had “much better outcomes” when dealing with head and neck cancers. During the lab studies, researchers put quantities of the bacteria in petri dishes and left them for a few days. Upon their return, they found the cancer had almost disappeared! In fact, there was a 70-99% reduction in the number of viable cancer cells after being infected with Fusobacterium.

These findings are even more shocking because Fusobacterium is usually associated with the progression of bowel cancer. However, the bacteria seemingly has the opposite effect on head and neck cancers. Researchers hope these findings will lead to new treatments for patients diagnosed with mouth, throat, voice box, nose, and sinus-related cancers.

5 A Dangerous Game of Fetch

Like many dogs, Dennis Spring’s Peppah loves a good game of fetch. Unfortunately, when Spring and his two daughters decided to go on a weekend trip to Anna Bay, New South Wales, in August 2017, the family forgot to bring anything for Peppah to play with. The curious pup, however, was undeterred and quickly got to work.

Soon, Peppah returned with a rusty object that looked like a bike or car part and began initiating a game of fetch with her family. Thankfully, before anyone threw the object, Spring’s youngest daughter, 12-year-old Shenandoah, quickly noticed that the object resembled a bomb. It turns out that’s exactly what it was- an unexploded WWII mortar measuring 5 inches (15 cm) in length, which Peppah had proudly been carrying in her mouth.

Spring contacted the police, and the Royal Australian Air Force completed a controlled detonation on site, disposing of Peppah’s dangerous dog toy.

4 DIY Dentistry

Angie Barlow’s mother had a tooth removed, but during the dental appointment, she also learned that she had throat cancer. Barlow’s mother succumbed to the cancer at the age of 34, and her passing instilled a fear in Barlow of dentists that led her to take extreme measures when it came to her oral health.

Due to Barlow’s smoking habit, many of her teeth eventually began breaking into pieces and falling out. However, rather than seeking professional help, Barlow practiced DIY dentistry for over a decade, which led her to use superglue from a hardware store to glue the teeth back into her mouth. However, the situation eventually became so bad that the 48-year-old from Altrincham had no choice but to go to the dentist.

Unfortunately, by the time Barlow sought treatment, the toxic chemicals in the superglue had destroyed 90% of the bone supporting her teeth in her upper jaw. While Barlow was able to have her smile rebuilt in 2015, avoiding the dentist wound up costing her her life savings.

3 Mom Pries Son from the Jaws of a Mountain Lion

After being alerted by the sound of screaming, an unidentified mother in Colorado raced into her front yard where her two sons were playing on the evening of June 17, 2016. There, she was met with a horrific sight. A mountain lion was hunched over her 5-year-old son, and the boy’s head was inside the lion’s mouth. In a desperate attempt to save her son at all costs, the boy’s mother pried the cat’s jaws open, reached into the animal’s mouth, and freed her son’s head before running away.

Just after the attack, the boy’s father returned home from a run, dialed 911, and transported his wife and son to Aspen Valley Hospital. Thankfully, the five-year-old survived the horrific attack despite suffering deep lacerations to his cheek, a swollen eye, and having part of his scalp pulled back.

Prior to the incident, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials received reports of two mountain lions being spotted in the area. Both were later located and killed by wildlife officials.

2 Curiosity Lands Cat in Emergency Situation

When a cat named Kevin began vomiting and having trouble swallowing, his family took him to a veterinary urgent care clinic in Portland, Oregon, in June 2024. Kevin, however, was referred to the DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital for further evaluation. There, an X-ray and sedated oral exam revealed the source of the problem- Kevin had a sewing needle embedded in his mouth.

While the blunt end of the needle was pressing against the base of Kevin’s tongue, the other end was impaled through his hard palate and into his nasal cavity. Thankfully, with Kevin sedated, the needle was extracted, and he made a full recovery. But how exactly did the sewing needle get there in the first place? Unbeknownst to his owners, Kevin, known for his curious nature, snuck into a child’s room where a sewing project was laid out, and he decided to taste the needle

1 Attempt at Social Media Challenge Goes Terribly Wrong

Imagine what emergency room staff would think if they saw a man and woman walk in, with the woman’s fist fully lodged inside the man’s mouth. Believe it or not, that was the scene inside a hospital in China’s Jilin Province on March 18, 2025.

The unidentified couple was attempting a viral “hand-eating challenge” where a man is supposed to open his mouth wide enough for a woman to put her clenched fist inside. While the woman’s hand did fit inside, unfortunately, it became stuck. Although the woman tried to remove her hand from the man’s mouth, her efforts were useless. The man’s face instead became red, he began drooling, making gargling noises, and eventually his teeth clamped down on her wrist due to muscle spasms, leaving them no choice but to seek medical attention.

To solve the bizarre dilemma, hospital staff played relaxing music in an attempt to calm the couple and prevent the man from choking or vomiting. From there, a special mouth opener was used to expand the man’s jaw enough to inject a muscle relaxant. Thankfully, after approximately 20 minutes, Dr. Zhang Mingyuan was able to rotate the woman’s wrist and set the couple free.

Astronomers have spotted an apparent supermassive black hole snacking on a star 600 million light-years away, wandering through a galaxy with an even larger black hole at its core.

The event, dubbed AT2024tvd, was first spotted by the Palomar Observatory’s Zwicky Transient Facility and later confirmed by powerhouse space telescopes including Hubble and Chandra, which helped zero in on the cosmic crime scene. To the researchers’ surprise, the responsible black hole was not at the center of its host galaxy, as supermassive black holes tend to be. Rather, this one was 2,600 light-years from the galactic center—a huge distance on paper, but really just one-tenth the distance between our Sun and Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) like this one occur when a black hole’s gravity pulls on a star so violently that the less massive ball of gas is stretched, shredded, and swirled around the black hole, in a process delightfully called spaghettification. The fleeting burst of energy from the event is gargantuan, even rivaling a supernova—the explosive death of a massive star—in brightness. The burst of light is also visible across the electromagnetic spectrum, making TDEs an invaluable resource for spotting black holes that might otherwise be too quiet or hidden to detect, such as the recent rogue object.

What makes AT2024tvd special is that it’s the first offset TDE discovered by optical surveys, according to a forthcoming paper in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, which is also posted on the preprint server arXiv. The achievement demonstrates how rogue black holes—warping spacetime and shrouded in darkness as they move through the cosmos—can be spotted, as long as an unfortunate object sacrifices itself for the massive object to reveal itself.

“Tidal disruption events hold great promise for illuminating the presence of massive black holes that we would otherwise not be able to detect,” said study co-author Ryan Chornock, a researcher at the University of California – Berkeley and a member of the ZTF team, in a NASA release. “Theorists have predicted that a population of massive black holes located away from the centers of galaxies must exist, but now we can use TDEs to find them.”

The team has a couple of ideas about how the rogue black hole ended up offset in the galaxy, and so close to the supermassive black hole at its core. (The rogue black hole’s mass is estimated to be roughly one million solar masses, at least ten times smaller than the black hole at the galactic center.) One option is that the black hole was at the center of a smaller galaxy that was subsumed by the larger galaxy, and now the black hole is simply drifting through the larger galaxy. Another possibility is that the black hole was the weakest link in what was once a three-body system, and was pushed out by the bigger objects; in other words, two larger black holes may lurk at the galaxy’s core, and the rogue black hole was ejected thousands of light-years out.

“If the black hole went through a triple interaction with two other black holes in the galaxy’s core, it can still remain bound to the galaxy, orbiting around the central region,“ said Yuhan Yao, also a researcher at UC Berkeley and the lead author of the study, in the same release. But at the present moment, the team isn’t sure if the black hole was pushed out or is being dragged in by the larger black hole.

With future instruments like the Vera Rubin Observatory and the Roman Space Telescope coming online, astronomers are hopeful this is just the beginning of an entirely new class of discoveries. Because if there’s anything more unsettling than a black hole swallowing a star, it’s the idea that the hungry, hungry objects are just drifting through space in unexpected locations.