The real Roman gladiators

Does the 'lost city' of Johor exist ?

The "lost city" of Gelanggi or Linggiu, claimed to have been hidden in the jungles of Johor for more than a thousand years, does not exist, said an archaeologist in the National Heritage Department. Khalid Syed Ali, the curator of archaeology in the department's research and development division, said a team of researchers carried out a study over a month in July last year but found no evidence of the "lost city".The 15-strong team was headed by the Director-General of Mu...

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The Royal Myth of the Da Vinci Code

By Tim Callahan Like The Exorcist in the 1970s, The Da Vinci Code has become so popular (it has for weeks been number one on the New York Times bestseller list) that the mythic elements within it have given energy to a set of beliefs about the real world, beliefs that do fall under the scope of skeptical investigation. The popularity of The Exorcist was owed to its novelty, to its well researched material on the whole culture of the Roman Catholic church, and its approach to...

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The Secret Truth Behind the Da Vinci Code

A Review by Philip Gardiner The Da Vinci Code and the madness that surrounds it is indicative of one thing – the fact that in the 21st century mankind is still in the dark about a great many things. We may have sent rockets into space; we may be able to develop nano-technology and we can even heat up food with micro-wave radiation, but we are still no closer to the truth about our own religions and the secretive organisations that surround them. The most powerful of...

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Man-eating trees and death worms

The twin fields of cryptozoology and cryptobotany are bursting with tales of strange and unusual plants and animals. While the public at large is generally aware of such cryptid superstars as the Loch Ness Monster and the Sasquatch, few have ever heard of the Man-Eating Trees of Madagascar, or the Mongolian Death worms. In 1881 a magazine called the South Australian Register ran a story by a traveler called Carle Liche. He tells us that while travelling through Madagascar, he was horrified to wa...

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Age of Grand Canyon is withheld in order to appease creationists

Washington, DC — Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees. Despite promising a prompt review of its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's flood rather than by geologic forces, more than three years later no review has ever been done and the book remains on sale at the park, according to documents released today by Public Employee...

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Doubt over date for Brit invasion

Submitted by Waspie Dwarf: Julius caesar's invasion of Britain in 55BC could not have occurred on the dates stated in most history books, a team of astronomers have claimed. The traditional view is that Caesar landed in Britain on 26-27 August, but researchers from Texas State University say this cannot be right. Dr Donald Olson, an expert on tides, says that the English Channel was flowing the wrong way on this date. They instead favour an invasion of the south coast at Deal on August 22-23...

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The DaVinci Code Debunked!

By Phil KarayanThe Book the Da Vinci Code is a publishing phenomenon, selling more then 40 million copies, a New York Times bestseller for more then 50 weeks. The Da Vinci Code has caused many to rethink their whole concept of Christianity.   Just why is this book so popular?  Why is there such a fuss being made about a novel? What is the Da Vinci Code? The book is a murder mystery suspense novel, taking place in Paris and London. The story is built around “Facts” that reveal...

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Gladiators fought by the book

The Roman arena may have played host to appalling brutality in the name of entertainment, but at least the gladiators who fought there maintained certain standards. A forensic analysis of remains from a gladiator cemetery at Ephesus in Turkey reveals that unlike the gory free-for-all depicted in films like Ridley Scott's Gladiator, real gladiators stuck to strict rules of combat and did not resort to the savage violence and mutilation typical of battlefields of the era.The forensic work may ...

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The DaVinci Code Debunked! (Part II)

( Continued from Part one ) 4. Who was Mary Magdalene?: 'One particularly troubling theme kept recurring in the [Gnostic] gospels. Mary Magdalene….More specifically, her marriage to Jesus Christ” (Davinci Code..Pg. 244) 'The Gospel of Philip says that “‘the companion of the Savior is Mary Magdalene. Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on her mouth. The rest of the disciples were offended by it and expressed disapproval. They said to him, “Why ...

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The Sixth Extinction

by Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin (Doubleday, 1995) Our planet has been shaken by five major extinctions in the four billion year history of life. The first, 450 million years ago, occurred shortly after the evolution of the first land-based plants and 100 million years after the Cambrian Explosion of animal life beneath the seas. The second extinction spasm came 350 million years ago, causing the formation of coal forests. Then the Earth experienced two mass extinctions during t...

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