Apocalypse, Science & Technology

Apocalyptic Events – Super Virus & A.I. Takeover

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In this follow up  to our latest Patreon episode, Strange Matters continues the End of the World discussion with several events which could lead to an apocalyptic downfall for humanity.  In this episode we talk about the dangers of Super Viruses, as well as the threat of an Artificial Intelligence Takeover.  Both of these hazards have the potential to wipe out a large portion of humanity, if not drive mankind straight into extinction.

A “Super Virus” is any virus that is considered particularly powerful, deadly, and resistant to any type of treatment.  In order for a virus to be deadly enough to pose a threat to human life on Earth, it would have to possess several key traits.  Fortunately for us, any such deadly virus in the recent years has  been  contained and quarantined, but the risks is out there that a highly contagious and fatal Super Virus could show up at any time.

Artificial Intelligence is a term describing the intelligence that can be exhibited by a machine.  The goal being worked on currently is to create an A.I. in which a robotic machine or program had the ability to learn and think, much in the same way that a human mind works.  However, while many are excited about the prospect of man creating such superhuman intelligence in a machine, others are wary of the dangers.  An Artificial Intelligence could turn hostile, thinking of humans as its competitor on Earth, causing it to eliminate mankind rather than working alongside it.

Tune in to this episode and hear all about these two deadly events which could lead to an Apocalyptic end to humanity!

 

 

History, Unsolved Crime, Unsolved Mystery

The Lost Heiress – Dorothy Arnold Mystery

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“On a crisp December day in 1910, Dorothy Arnold walked out of the pages of life and left behind her a mystery that outdoes fiction. There have been a thousand theories, a million rumors- but not one shred of real evidence which might explain where she went, how she went, or why.” This newspaper quote perfectly summarizes the unsolved disappearance case of Dorothy Arnold, the heiress of a wealthy New York family, who vanished suddenly and without explanation. 

Dorothy Arnold was a well known and liked socialite of a prestigious family.   The young woman had aspirations of becoming a writer, though all of her submitted works came back rejected.  Dorothy was secretly carrying out a romantic relationship with an older man, against her family’s wishes.  On one fateful day in December of 1910, Dorothy said farewell to her mother and left the house to go shopping.  The distinguished Arnold family would never see her again.

The mystery of this cases revolves around the bizarre question, how does a woman simply vanish while walking along a busy city street in the middle of the day?  There are far more questions than answers in this intriguing mystery: Did Dorothy run away?  Was she abducted, kidnapped, or murdered? Did her secret lover have anything to do with her disappearance?  Was Dorothy’s depression too great to continue living? Almost any theory is as plausible as any other due to the complete lack of evidence and clues following the young lady’s disappearance.

Listen to this episode of Strange Matters and hear all about what was called at the time the most famous Missing Persons case in American History!

 

History, Unsolved Mystery

The Endless Hunger – Tarrare & Charles Domery

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In this episode of Strange Matters the unique and interesting lives of Charles Domery and Tarrare are discussed.   Infamously known as the hungriest men who ever lived, these two individuals were cursed with a constant feeling of starvation, and an insatiable desire to eat anything possible to satisfy their endless hunger.   Capable of eating in a single meal what would normally satisfy a dozen men, there is still no answer as to what was the cause for their notorious appetite.

Both Charles Domery and Tarrare lived in Europe, born in the 1770’s.   From an early age they displayed an ability to eat a tremendous amount of food.  Both would go on to serve in the War of the First Coalition, where a shortage of food drove the men to eat anything they could get their hands on, from small living animals to even grazing on grass.   Experiments would be done on both men to test the limits of their appetite, where they performed impossible feats of eating.   Though the exact cause for Charles’ and Tarrare’s endless hunger is unknown, there are several medical explanations that may provide some clues as to what made these two men so special.   Regardless, there is little doubt that these two men stand at the top of history as the two hungriest men who ever lived.

 

 

Special thanks to listener Michael Adams for sending us new Strange Matters Artwork used for this episode!

Cryptozoology, History

The Sirrush – Ancient Cryptid

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In this Strange Matters Short the legend of the ancient creature known as the Sirrush is discussed.  This dragon-like beast was heavily featured through the great city of Babylon.   The Sirrush was an obscure creature that was nearly lost to time, and widely believed to be merely a myth.  However, after its rediscovery there have been new theories and explanations that would instead claim that the mysterious beast was in reality an actual living animal!

Was the Sirrush a descendant of the dinosaurs, a leftover of an extinct species? Perhaps a rare breed that was brought to Babylon from a distant land? Or are all the new theories a fantasy, and the truth remains that the Sirrush is, and has always been, simply a made up myth or legend created by the ancient people of Mesopotamia.  Check out this Strange Matters Short and hear all about this strange and interesting creature!

True Crime, Unsolved Crime, Unsolved Mystery

Lake Bodom

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In Finland, near Helsinki, there exists a body of water over a square mile in size, known as Lake Bodom. Over 50 years ago, a small group of teenagers went out to this area to camp and enjoy a night of drinks and fun. Unfortunately the events that would occur at their campsite would fall short of anyone’s definition of fun. Sometime between the hours of 4:00 and 6:00 am, an unknown suspect, standing outside of the tent would slash and bludgeon three of the teens to death. Only one, Nils Gustafsson would survive the violent onslaught. The local police department was not only caught off guard by the gruesomeness of the crime scene, but would go on to conduct a less than thorough investigation. The unique part of this case is not just the violence but also the fact that multiple significant suspects would admit to committing the crime at different times. To this day, no one has officially been convicted of the murder of Maila Björklund, Anja Mäki and Seppo Boisman.

Unsolved Crime, Unsolved Mystery

The Mysterious Death of Debbie Wolfe

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In the winter of 1985, a young nurse named Debbie Wolfe left her shift at the hospital and headed back to her secluded cabin in the woods.  When she did not show up to work the next day, a search began to find the missing woman.  A few days later, a bizarre and unusual discovery would start off an investigation into one of the strangest deaths you could imagine.

In this episode the death and subsequent investigation of Debbie Wolfe is covered.  This unique death is made interesting by the fact that the police and detectives working the case were quite adamant that the whole thing was just a complete accident, while Debbie’s family and friends were convinced that foul play was involved in some way.  As more clues and pieces of evidence were found following Debbie’s untimely death, the amount of new questions raised would quickly outgrow what few answers were found.

Was the death of Debbie Wolfe just a freak accident that somehow seems to defy much of the evidence found? Or was there a mystery killer involved setting the whole thing up? Listen to this episode and hear for yourself about all the unbelievable twist and turns that followed the mysterious death of Debbie Wolfe.