Justin Andress lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for lists and rankings in all categories

Justin Andress - Lists at Ranker

War TV & Film

War is a terrible, awe-inspiring monster that’s fascinated filmmakers almost as long as movies have existed. The valor displayed by everyday people and the atrocities visited on our fellow man are all captured in equal measure by war films. It’s a duality that goes to the very core of what it means to be a person. By and large, though, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/top-war-movies">war movies</a> have a tendency to go for spectacle -&nbsp;or some political message - rather than an accurate portrayal of conflict, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/veterans-share-military-inaccuracies-in-movies/alby-thompson">veterans notice</a>. That's a shame, too, because accurate war movies are some of the most fascinating, beautiful films we have.&nbsp;When done correctly, the very worst parts of humanity can be exalted into some of the most thought-provoking art in the world. Disguising the real terror of war behind a veneer of Hollywood sheen is a disservice to the real men and women who weather the storm in the service of a higher good. The tension of the danger, the brotherhood forged in the thick of battle, the lives laid down to save strangers, even the alienation felt by returning soldiers -&nbsp;they’re all great dramatic fodder in the hands of a talented artist. Here are Hollywood’s most accurate war movies.&nbsp;

24 Accurate War Movies That Absolutely Got It Right

United States

Justin Andress

Unspeakable Times

You’ve heard of Nero, of course. He’s a highlight of world history in high school - the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-roman-emperor-facts/pierce-nahigyan?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">crazy Roman emperor</a> who supposedly fiddled a tune while the city burned to the ground. When it comes to infamous Roman Emperors, Nero is a name that resonates with chaos and intrigue. So, what did Nero do to earn such a notorious reputation? His reign, which lasted from 54 to 68 AD, is peppered with tales of tyranny, opulence, and eccentricity that seem fit for a grand cinematic epic rather than a historical record.Nero's actions were controversial, to say the least. There are claims that he burned Christians to illuminate his garden parties, showcasing a brutal vanity that was both cruel and innovative in its excess. Adding familial treachery into the mix, Nero reportedly orchestrated the deaths of his brother, Britannicus, and his mother, Agrippina. The latter’s murder plot was so twisted that it allegedly involved a collapsible boat and, when that failed, direct orders for her execution. Nero's life came to a grim end when, facing revolt and the loss of power, he ordered his own servant to slay him—choosing death over an impending public execution.These episodes form only a part of Nero's complex and chilling legacy. If you've got a taste for historical scandal (and who doesn’t?), keep reading for more facts about Nero The Emperor and delve deeper into the chaotic narrative of his imperial escapades.

Nero The Emperor: The 10 Most Twisted Things Nero Ever Did

Nero The Emperor: The 10 Most Sadistic Things Nero Ever Did

Animals

What is nature's most successful predator? Anyone who’s taken a science class knows that in nature, the name of the game isn’t strength, it’s efficiency. Every species on the planet has evolved to survive with as little effort and as much payoff as possible. That goes double for nature's killing machines.Sitting at the top of the food chain, predators have more competition for survival (and dominance) than you might think. In order to stay at the top, the best hunters had to smooth out the wrinkles in their technique and become as efficient as possible. These alpha predators aren't always&nbsp;the species&nbsp;you’d expect, either. Big cats, for example, are actually pretty sloppy killers. One study of Bengal tigers, for example, said that only about <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/D/bo3635439.html">five percent of hunts result in a kill</a>. Not exactly nature’s perfect predators. So, which animal has the highest hunting success rate?It doesn’t take fangs or claws to rack up an impressive kill count, you just have to have a plan and stick to it. Here, for your consideration, are the most efficient murderers in nature.

10 Animals That Are Nature's Most Efficient Predators

10 Creatures That Are Nature's Most Efficient Killers

Zoos

Zoos are <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/zoo-secrets/michelle-nati">pretty controversial places</a>. While some zoos&nbsp;do an incredible amount for preservation efforts the world over, that definitely isn't true for all zoos.&nbsp;Keeping wild animals caged&nbsp;has its own set of unique draw backs –&nbsp;especially when the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/13-of-the-best-idiots-climbing-the-wall-at-the-zoo/danielle-dauenhauer">spectators themselves aren't too bright</a>. But&nbsp;sometimes zoos just aren't able to keep their animals locked up.&nbsp;Since the modern zoo came into being nearly a century ago, crazy zoo escapes have been a fixture of society. Sometimes, the animals are bored of captivity and make a daring escape;&nbsp;other times, gaps in their fences allow them to step free.&nbsp;When transplanted from their natural environment, animals have shown a remarkable aptitude for springing themselves from the joint. Everything from kangaroos to hippos have joined the proud tradition of animals who broke free from their cells using wildly diverse means.In honor of all those animals on the loose, here are the wildest zoo escapes in history.

Ken Allen The Orangutan Was The Houdini Of Zoo Animals

The 12 Wildest Zoo Animal Escapes Of All Time

The Wildest Zoo Animal Escapes Of All Time

Anime Characters

Anime characters with parent issues are a dime a dozen, but the mommy and daddy issues these anime characters have are hard to rival. From abandonment issues to the tragic deaths of parents, it doesn&#39;t get much worse than the situations on this list.

It seems that in the collected world of anime heroes and villains, the governing rule is that functional parents simply can&rsquo;t exist. Sure, heroes occasionally get mentors, but by and large, most anime and manga parents are either no good at the soccer mom game or are gone before they can really make a difference. This is not a landscape of Martha Kents. Main characters are either forced to watch their parents perish, leave, or simply never get written in at all.

If you thought Bruce Wayne had some parent issues, the tortured billionaire has nothing on these <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/my-top-10-favorite-anime-characters?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">anime and manga characters</a> who have some serious emotional complexity driving their relationships with their parents.

Spoilers ahead.

21 Anime Characters With Major Parent Issues

21 Anime Characters With Big-Time Parent Issues

Helen Keller

If you&rsquo;ve been granted even the scantest American education, you&rsquo;ve probably heard of Helen Keller, the incredible woman who fought her way to prominence after being left both deaf and blind at just 19 months old.&nbsp;

Thanks to the help of&nbsp;her famed teacher Anne Sullivan, Keller was no longer isolated and able to communicate on behalf of the disenfranchised. She was a tireless advocate for education and women&rsquo;s rights until her peaceful death in 1968. For decades, her perseverance and ingenuity have been righteously celebrated by legions of fans who stand in awe of her achievements. Seriously, without the benefit of sight or hearing, Keller managed to figure out a way to communicate with the world around her with unfailing accuracy. Imagine the kind of brilliance that takes.

The flip side of Keller&rsquo;s intelligence was her increasingly radical social and political beliefs. In her zest to conquer life, Helen Keller was turned on to some revolutionary (and often eccentric) perspectives, and Keller herself was never one to shy away from new ways of thought. You&rsquo;ve heard about Helen Keller&rsquo;s relationship with Sullivan and her courageous quest experience the world even though she could neither see nor hear it, but there&rsquo;s more to the icon than just the Hallmark Channel stuff.

Fun Facts For Helen Keller Day - She Brought The Akita Dog Breed To The States!

Facts About Helen Keller You Definitely Didn't Learn in School

14 Surprising Facts About Helen Keller That They Don't Teach You In School

People Trivia

If there&rsquo;s one member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that pretty much everyone in the world could name without trouble, it&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.biography.com/law-figure/j-edgar-hoover" target="_blank">J. Edgar Hoover</a>. Best known as the country&rsquo;s most famous G-man, Hoover&rsquo;s work as <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/history/timeline" target="_blank">director </a>of the FBI began in 1924, when Hoover took control, it was simply called the Bureau of Investigation. The &ldquo;Federal&rdquo; was added 11 years later in 1935.

Hoover may not have founded the FBI, but he certainly molded it into the institution citizens know today. As the head of the organization for nearly 50 years, Hoover has become a national icon, revered for the way he shaped the country&rsquo;s domestic police force. In fact, Hoover is still so revered that the FBI&rsquo;s national headquarters is named for him.

You may have read a few of Hoover&rsquo;s closely guarded tales, but you haven&rsquo;t read them all.

14 Strange Facts About J. Edgar Hoover, Father of the FBI

14 Strange Facts About J. Edgar Hoover, The Eccentric Father of the Modern FBI

Watchworthy

Watchworthy - What to Watch, According to Votes

What kid in America hasn’t found themselves swept away into the cartoon reality of a classic Disney movie? It’s almost a rite of passage for all children for the past fifty years or so. The characters in these movies speak to kids of every age, looming large in pop culture. To their audience, Disney characters are real, they just don’t look like it.Now, one Helsinki-based artist, <a href="http://jirkavinse.com/#about">Jirka Vinse Jonatan V&auml;&auml;t&auml;inen</a>, has bridged the gap between these celluloid titans and the real world. He’s taken <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/disney-princesses-as-anime-characters/crystal-brackett">Disney character fan art</a> and created a long list of stunningly realistic Disney characters. From Aladdin to Gaston, Ursula to Alice, Jirka Vinse has re-imagined <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-disney-princesses">these beloved characters</a> as deeply detailed real-world models.Ever wondered what Belle might look like with a little more texture? Have you considered whether it’s possible for Captain Hook to maintain that maniacal gleam even in the real world?Well, here’s your chance.

24 of Your Favorite Disney Characters Drawn Realistically

What Your Favorite Disney Characters Look Like As Real People

Entertainment

Nerds today are spoiled rotten. Thanks to the efforts of Marvel and Ryan Reynolds, quality superhero films are a dime a dozen. In the Dark Ages, though, before Robert Downey, Jr. ushered in a whole new era of blockbuster&nbsp;with&nbsp;Iron Man, comic book nerds seeking a little cinematic action had to really lower their standards. For every X-Men, there were fifteen bad comic book films that spawned more bad sequels than you can name.&nbsp;

Even the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/favorite-comic-book-movies?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">good comic book movies</a> had a hard time maintaining their quality over the course of an entire series. Heck, some comic book movies had trouble maintaining quality from the original to the sequel. Before Marvel realized that keeping the quality high from film to film was the perfect way to attract repeat customers, most studios would gladly squander the success of a comic book movie by sh*tting out an underwritten, underacted, and underfunded sequel <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/bad-movie-sequels-that-made-more-money/williamsbrianjake" target="_blank">(that sometimes still made bank)</a>.

But&nbsp;this was before RDJ&rsquo;s Tony Stark-shaped gift to nerds, so most comic fans were almost forced to the theaters to check out their favorite comic heroes rendered in celluloid. After all, the first one was okay, so how bad could the second be? Bad, folks. Really, really bad.&nbsp;

If you want to see an aging nerd throw up a thousand yard stare as they remember the horror, just ask him or her about the time they took a trip to see one of the following <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/worst-superhero-movies/ranker-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">bad superhero movie</a> sequels.

Superhero Movie Sequel Flops

12 Superhero Movie Sequels That Just Didn't Live Up to the Hype

Japan

For nearly 700 years, the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-samurais/reference">power of the samurai</a> held sway over feudal Japan. These Japanese warriors forged a legend&nbsp;unique among the history of the world. Before the Western world made contact with Japan, the country was segmented into a number&nbsp;of feudal states. Technically&nbsp;there was an Emperor, but for most of the last millennium, the Emperor ruled in name only. It was the daimyo, the individual leaders of each city-state, who&nbsp;really controlled the country. And at the beck and call of the daimyo were the nearly unstoppable samurai, a group of highly disciplined warriors who upheld the tenets of hard work, loyalty, and respect that have formed the foundation of modern Japanese society.First and foremost, though, samurai were fighters. Utilizing a set of tools that made Medieval knights look like total chumps, badass samurai loomed large in Japanese society from the 12th century all the way until the late 1860s. Here are some of history’s crazy samurai tales, featuring the&nbsp;men and women who helped mold the Japan that we know today.

These Stories Are Incredible 

11 Amazing Tales Of Unstoppable Samurai

True Stories Of Samurai, Ranked By Historical Martial Badassness

Abraham Lincoln

Though modern history has long since laid the crown of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-u-s-presidents-from-best-to-worst">Best President Ever</a> at the feet of Abraham Lincoln, during the man&rsquo;s lifetime, plenty of people thought Abraham Lincoln was the worst president ever. Before the Civil War erupted, before the first Republican president was <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-the-assassination-of-abraham-lincoln/setareh-janda">gunned down in Ford&rsquo;s Theater</a> (and subsequently subjected to <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/lincoln-assassination-conspiracies/mike-rothschild">ludicrous speculation</a>), anti-Lincoln quotes were extremely common in the political arena.&nbsp;

In 1861, when Lincoln took office, he was already inheriting a country steeped in domestic turmoil. Even worse, there was very little faith in his ability to get the job done. For those men and ... well, mostly it was white men. For those white men&nbsp;who feared the growing problems of an increasingly enlightened society, Lincoln was an established lightning rod for their wrath. Beyond the landed gentry, there were few people who believed in Lincoln&rsquo;s ability to fuse an already divided country.

When Lincoln&nbsp;was elected, the numbers weren&rsquo;t in his favor. He won only&nbsp;39.8 percent of the popular vote in the 1860 election. That was partially due to the fact that Lincoln had to beat three other candidates instead of just one, but it&rsquo;s still&nbsp;&ldquo;the poorest showing by any winning presidential candidate in American history.&rdquo;

Needless to say, there were a lot of people out there willing to spit some bad quotes about Abraham Lincoln. The man was despised by a large portion of the country both above and below the Mason-Dixon Line. A lot of them were convinced he&rsquo;d end up as the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-10-worst-u-s-presidents">worst president in the history of the United States</a>.&nbsp;Clearly, those people were bigoted idiots, but their stupidity sure is funny in hindsight. So here for your consideration&nbsp;are quotes from people who hated Abraham Lincoln.

Direct Quotes From People Who Thought Abraham Lincoln Would Be The Worst President Ever

US History

Before the United States laid claim to the lovely little patch of North America, the continent was a wild, untamed place and incredible true stories of intrepid frontiersman were forged on a daily basis. Among the greatest of those rugged men and women was Robert Rogers, one of the most fascinating forgotten figures of American colonial history.There's a vast sea of important figures in colonial America, from famous people like Benjamin Franklin to obscure ones like&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/badass-friedrich-wilhelm-von-steuben-facts/philgibbons">Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben</a>.&nbsp;Robert Rogers is one of the overlooked frontiersmen who had an indelible impact on the early formation of the US,&nbsp;thanks to his unflappable spirit and his penchant for success. Unfortunately, Rogers also chose to fight for Great Britain in the midst of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/a-list-of-all-american-revolutionary-war-battles/reference">all the battles of the&nbsp;American Revolution</a>, a decision which likely contributed to the total lack of true Robert Rogers stories circulating in US History classes. This bad*ss&nbsp;frontiersman, who had earned&nbsp;a reputation as a noble explorer and soldier, was ultimately shunted off to the footnotes of American history for this lapse in judgment.But one mistake shouldn't overshadow the amazing accomplishments of Robert Rogers. Here, uncovered from various texts and footnotes, are some Robert Rogers facts, along with some of the most amazing true stories from American history.

15 Rugged Stories About British Frontiersman Robert Rogers

The Story of the Most Influential Army Leader Ever Written Out of U.S. History

History

Perhaps if he’d been born a few years earlier, Geronimo would have lived out his life as an Apache chief, adhering to tradition and ensuring the safety of his people. As it happened, one of the most <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-native-american-celebrities/celebrity-lists?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">famous Native Americans</a> in history was born to a life of turmoil at the tail-end of America’s westward expansion. The life of Geronimo was fraught with heartache, true, but a life filled with pain didn’t stop the brilliant tactician and charismatic leader from making history.Born in 1829 in what is now New Mexico, the man who would become the Apache’s most famous warrior was raised traditionally. His normal life came crashing down in 1858, however, when a horrible tragedy sent Geronimo on a thirty-year quest to right the wrongs assailing his people. Though he ended his life in 1909 as a prisoner of war, Geronimo’s legacy helped raise awareness for his people’s struggles in a way few others have ever done, before or since.Legacy talk aside, this Apache warrior was someone you truly didn’t want to screw around with. In spite of the fact he spent his career outgunned and outmanned, the Native American hero was one of the most righteously feared and universally respected men ever to walk onto a battlefield.

Facts About Geronimo That Prove He's One of America’s Biggest Badass

11 Facts About The Life Of Geronimo

Nickelodeon

In 1992, American tweens&nbsp;tuned into Nickelodeon's first&nbsp;dedicated block of Saturday night viewings called <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-snick-shows/ranker-tv">SNICK (Saturday Night Nickelodeon)</a> and were greeted with a new series called&nbsp;Are You Afraid of the Dark?&nbsp;The show became one of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.ranker.com/list/anthology-tv-shows-and-series/reference">best anthology programs</a>,&nbsp;revolving&nbsp;around a group of Canadian kids who called themselves "The Midnight Society" that&nbsp;met at night in the woods and told scary stories.Whether the&nbsp;kids of The Midnight Society were talking about ghosts or goblins, the frights were never in short supply. People who grew up with the show recall&nbsp;different&nbsp;Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes as the scariest, but in case you needed a reminder, journey into the past to&nbsp;determine which of these scary episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark? are the most spine-tingling. &nbsp;

Are You Afraid of the Dark? Episodes That Scarred You For Life

20 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' Episodes That Scarred A Generation For Life

Great Depression

The <a href="http://www.ranker.com/review/great-depression/1098750">Great Depression</a> isn't only known for being the era of economic hardship and strife, it was also one of the most prolific periods&nbsp;for daring bank robbers. Sometimes referred to as the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/public-enemies-characters/reference">Public Enemies</a> Era, the 1930s saw the rise of&nbsp;great bank robbers,&nbsp;a group of reckless men (and women)&nbsp;who might have once found a career blazing a pioneer trail. Left with nothing to do but vent their rage at a government and upper class that put them in a dire situation, they turned to a life of crime. While G-men worked to take them down, these public enemies blazed a trail across the American consciousness.The escapades of bank robbers during the Great Depression were captured in newspapers with all the pulpy zeal of a dime store novel. They became pseudo celebrities and Public Enemy Number One.&nbsp;You may have heard of Dillinger, or Bonnie and Clyde, but these well-known faces are just the surface of a rogues' gallery that goes deeper than any comic book.

The 12 Most Audacious Bank Robbers of the Depression Era

Flora & Fauna

There’s no such thing as a happy story about feral kids. Though films like The Jungle Book make life among the animals looks like carefree fun, the most famous feral humans have been left tragically scarred by their ordeal. Throughout modern history, several kids have for whatever reason been left to fend for themselves in the harsh world around us.&nbsp;In each of these cases, the&nbsp;children&nbsp;learned to survive by relying on animals. They&nbsp;adopted the characteristics, diet, and behavior of whatever wild animal they spend the most time with. Even today, children find themselves lost among the animals for years at a time, only to be rescued almost against their will. These experiences have an indelible impact on the survivors who come out the other side. Even though they start with an animal taking pity on a poor, lost child, few of these stories have fairy tale endings.Here is a group of children who managed to survive insurmountable odds in spite of the fact that they had no training and virtually no chance of surviving on their own. Though the real history of feral children is darker than the movies would have you believe, these stories of survival are no less astonishing.

10 Feral Children Raised by Actual Animals

Psychology

In 1989, at the age of 29, a woman known under the pseudonym Karen Overhill went to Chicago therapist Dr. Richard Baer in the hopes of finding the source of her lifelong memory lapses. After an examination and several visits, the diagnosis came back: Overhill had a <a href="http://https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-mental-disorders/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">rare mental condition</a> - multiple personality disorder, now called <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-cases-of-dissociative-identity-disorder/christopher-myers?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">dissociative identity disorder</a> (DID). Baer determined Overhill had <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-cases-of-dissociative-identity-disorder/christopher-myers" target="_blank">17 distinct personalities</a>.&nbsp;In the decades since she began treatment, Overhill’s condition has become a well-known case study. Mental health professionals have maintained there’s a direct correlation between childhood abuse and adult mental illness, citing the example of Overhill. Baer concluded Overhill developed her 16 DID alters to cope with childhood trauma - specifically the sexual assault and torture she told Baer that she endured in the 1960s when male family members allegedly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/active-cults/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">led a cult</a>. Baer employed hypnosis and visualization methods to help Overhill reintegrate her personalities, and in 2017, he released <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Switching-Time-Harrowing-Treating-Personalities/dp/0307382672/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1490820619&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=switching+time&amp;tag=rankercom-20" target="_blank">the biography</a> Switching Time: A Doctor’s Harrowing Story of Treating a Woman with 17 Personalities.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Could You Live With This Many Personalities?

Things Most People Have Never Heard About Karen Overhill And Her 17 Personalities

Meet Karen Overhill, The Woman Who Has 17 People Living Inside Her Head

It's common for&nbsp;scientists to publish some report that says dinosaurs and birds had a lot in common physically. For some people, that might make dinos seem less terrifying. But in some cases, it makes birds seem a little scarier.&nbsp;One example is the shoebill stork, a species that many consider the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/scariest-birds-list/ranker-science" target="_blank">scariest bird</a> to walk the planet.If you’re looking for a modern-day dinosaur, then&nbsp;the elusive shoebill stork might be the closest you'll get.&nbsp;The shoebill bird is native to the marshes of East Africa. It's a&nbsp;masterful hunter and endangered species, but&nbsp;it's also a frightening creature to&nbsp;the inhabitants of the lands it occupies. If you want to understand just how bone-chillingly terrifying nature can be, then here are some reasons why the shoebill stork is&nbsp;a scary bird that&nbsp;you'd never want to encounter.

10 Terrifying Facts About the Shoebill Bird

Borderline Terrifying Facts About The Shoebill Bird

Across the world, as many as 30 million people are currently being held captive, moved from location to location as victims in the global human trafficking trade. As many as 17,500 victims are moved into the US each year. California is home to three of the FBI’s most notorious trafficking areas - San Francisco, L.A., and San Diego - while the Dallas-Ft. Worth region in <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-texas-killing-fields-cases/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">Texas</a> is home to 15 percent of the total calls sent to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The average age of those forced into this illegal trade is 12 to 14 years old.&nbsp;Global authorities have identified <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/human-trafficking-in-russia/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">Russia</a>, China, Iran, Belarus, and Venezuela as some of the top countries known for a high percentage of trafficking-related crimes. This underground black market destroys the lives of thousands of people, even as it pads the pockets of criminals with more than $32 billion each year. The following are real stories from <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/american-women-in-sex-slavery/katia-kleyman" target="_blank">real victims</a>, and many use false names out of fear of reprisal.&nbsp; &nbsp;

13 Heartbreaking Stories from Survivors of Human Trafficking

13 Human Trafficking Survivors Tell Their Heartbreaking Stories

Apparently, we&rsquo;re not getting the real story when it comes to dinosaurs. While most people on planet Earth have been content since childhood to take the word of paleontologists, botanists, and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/birds-are-just-dinosaurs/bruce-maisy" target="_blank">researchers from a wide&nbsp;variety of fields,</a> there are a few brave creative thinkers across the world who simply aren&rsquo;t buying in. According to them, dinosaurs are just a giant lie made up to turn <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/crazy-weird-real-dinosaurs/eric-vega" target="_blank">the La Brea Tar Pits</a> into a popular tourist attraction. We&rsquo;re all just cogs in the dino-industrial complex.

A simple glance through the Internet reveals dozens of examples of blogs, message boards, and even reputable news outlets that are willing to believe&nbsp;in dinosaur conspiracy theories with only <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/dinosaur-myths-that-arent-true/ranker-science" target="_blank">a tenuous ounce of &ldquo;proof.&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;In the absence of a walking, roaring, towering specimen to point to as definitive proof, scientists have been forced to go head-to-head with&nbsp;individuals of various intelligence levels who have some pretty unusual ideas about what happened millions of years ago.

Were dinosaurs real? That blissfully ignorant&nbsp;question is just the tip of the iceberg, as everyone from NBA stars to your local janitor have contributed their &ldquo;expertise&rdquo; to various conspiracy theories. Not every commonly accepted detail about dinosaurs is true - that&#39;s <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/how-did-dinosaurs-become-oil/zach-seemayer" target="_blank">not where we got oil</a>, for example - but such misconceptions are nothing for what the amateur sleuths of the internet have in mind.&nbsp;Here, for your consideration, are some of the craziest&nbsp;things people believe about dinosaurs.

13 Ridiculous Dinosaur Conspiracy Theories

13 Ridiculous Dinosaur Theories That People Somehow Believe Are True

Military

If there&rsquo;s one thing synonymous with conflict, it&rsquo;s substance&nbsp;use. The&nbsp;impact of drugs that fueled armies doesn&#39;t get a ton of publicity, but history is littered with armies that engaged in these behaviors. From ancient warriors tripping on bog myrtle&nbsp;to modern soldiers buzzed on chemical&nbsp;combinations, soldiers have long had access to&nbsp;various options.&nbsp;

In some respect, drugs that fueled armies almost seem&nbsp;necessary to engage in every form of structured aggression.&nbsp;Since science suggests <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-probe-human-nature-and-discover-we-are-good-after-all/" target="_blank">people are basically good</a>, it&rsquo;s no small stretch to suggest that the average person isn&rsquo;t adequately equipped to go out and harm a bunch of strangers simply because a superior told them to do so. In some cases, historians argue that several ancient cultures made their fierce reputations on the back of mind-altering remedies. In other words, they&#39;ve&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vice.com/read/drugs-have-been-used-in-pretty-much-every-war-ever-shooting-up" target="_blank">fueled pretty much every army ever</a>, and there&rsquo;s no sign the&nbsp;trend is set to change any time soon. So read on to learn about drugs that fueled armies, and how drugs won wars.&nbsp;

Fierce Fighting Forces That Did Crazy Amounts of Drugs

10 Fierce Fighting Forces Throughout History That Were Insanely High On Drugs

Long before the first Europeans set foot on American soil, the native people who lived there had spent centuries perfecting the art of combat. Even after visitors arrived from across the vast oceans with superior technology and weaponry, Native American guerilla tactics prevailed so thoroughly that the invaders were forced to adopt similar strategies. From the Mourning Wars tactics to the tactics of&nbsp;the French and Indian War, Native American soldiers and scouts proved themselves capable of immense cunning and incredible feats of military prowess. 

For more than 100 years, the&nbsp;Native Americans fighting to protect their territory forged new means of defense&nbsp;against&nbsp;the people who were slowly spreading across the continent. Thanks to brilliant strategists and intrepid heroes like Pontiac and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-geronimo/justin-andress" target="_blank">Geronimo</a>, Native Americans have left an indelible mark on strategic combat. The success of their tactics led to American forces adopting their combat style, as seen with <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/true-robert-rogers-stories/justin-andress" target="_blank">Robert Rogers</a>.&nbsp;

Some of the greatest strategists in the history of combat have acknowledged the genius of Native Americans. When asked about his plans for fighting in the Pacific during World War II, <a href="https://www.hoover.org/research/lessons-indian-wars" target="_blank">General George Marshall </a><a href="https://www.hoover.org/research/lessons-indian-wars" target="_blank">explained</a>,&nbsp;&quot;Go back to the tactics of the French and Indian days, [...] study their tactics and fit in our modern weapons, and you have a solution.&quot;&nbsp;Read on to discover the bloody lessons learned from the military tactics used by Native American tribes.&nbsp;

14 Ingenious Native American Guerrilla War Tactics

Guerilla Warriors: The Military Tactics Of Native American Tribes

Graveyard Shift

At the moment, prisons are the best tool&nbsp;society has to keep its criminals in check. Unfortunately, it seems kind of inevitable that when you put hundreds of socially maladjusted people into a confined space, violence will sometimes&nbsp;ensue. Unless things are handled with extreme care -&nbsp;and often they aren&#39;t - prison riots can erupt at&nbsp;a moment&rsquo;s notice and swell until no one on the premises is safe.

Throughout history, prison powder kegs have exploded in some truly brutal jailhouse riots that have claimed the lives of both prisoners and guards. Whether they&#39;re caused by gang violence, an escape attempt, or brutal prison conditions, prison riots can kick off for a variety of reasons. Of course, the result is always the same: death and destruction.

Even today, prison riots are a regular occurrence throughout&nbsp;the world&rsquo;s prison system. In late 2016, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/07/bedford-prison-riot-recent-inspection-found-unacceptable-conditions">United Kingdom&rsquo;s Bedford prison</a> saw 200 prisoners besiege the institution for more than six hours. Fortunately, only one prisoner was hurt in the riot, making the Beford incident one of the more contained prison rebellions in history. Here are some prisons who didn&rsquo;t fare quite as well.

The Most Brutal Prison Riots in History

The Most Brutal Prison Riots In History

Prison is far from pleasant, but things sink to an extra nasty level when prisoners are taken out of the yard and put into solitary confinement. Solitary confinement was originally a form of punishment practiced by Quakers and Calvinists who wanted&nbsp;to afford prisoners the quiet space to evaluate their actions, presumably while praying. Some religious sects, such as the Amish, still use <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-the-amish-shunning/erin-wisti" target="_blank">forms of social isolation</a> to punish offending members of their community, and it can wreck the psyche of those ostracized. Still, these practices don&#39;t hold a candle to&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/scary-prison-stories/stefanie-hammond" target="_blank">United States prison system</a>, which takes solitary confinement to an inhumane level.&nbsp;

These days, solitary confinement goes by a more PC name - segregation - but it takes no less a toll on the prisoners unfortunate enough to be separated from the general population and subjected to total isolation for weeks, months, and even years. Various studies have shown that putting prisoners in SHU or other forms of isolation are not only incredibly damaging to the prisoner&#39;s psyche, but is also incredibly expensive and counterproductive to what <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/scariest-prisons-in-history/danielle-ownbey" target="_blank">prisons</a> are supposed to be doing: rehabilitating prisoners to become functioning and contributing members of society.&nbsp;

You want to know what solitary is like? The best way to find out is to ask those prisoners who&#39;ve been forced to live it firsthand.

What Solitary Confinement Is Like in the US

'Far Worse Than Any Death Sentence': Horrific Realities of Solitary Confinement

Admit it, even if you&rsquo;re not deathly afraid of spiders, the little monsters still send a shiver of respect down your spine whenever one happens to cross your path. Everyone can recite a few scary spider facts, and for good reason: these little natural marvels are abundant, diverse, and occasionally, very deadly. They look like nightmares made real&nbsp;too.

Of course, spiders are also amazing. Their silk is <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/spider-silk-five-times-stronger-steel-now-scientists-know-why" target="_blank">stronger than steel</a>, they help reign in the insect population, and they&rsquo;re found on every single continent (except Antarctica)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fish-eating-spiders-lurk-on-every-continent-except-antarctica/" target="_blank">in the world</a>.

Spiders have adapted so many different skills and traits across the entire breadth of their evolution that they are WAY more horrifying than you could ever possibly comprehend. But&nbsp;hey, that&rsquo;s what lists like this are for, to let you know exactly how scary spiders really are.

13 Disturbing Spider Facts That Will Make You More Scared of Them

13 Disturbing Spider Facts That Will Make You Even More Scared Of Them

Lifestyle

For most people, vision is the most significant way of receiving and interpreting information from the world. Scientists still lack knowledge of the deepest inner workings of the brain, so there&#39;s no exact statistic to back this&nbsp;up, but most experts agree that <a href="http://www.brainline.org/content/2008/11/vision-our-dominant-sense_pageall.html">vision is&nbsp;our dominant sense</a>. But people with vision impairment&nbsp;experience the world through entirely different mechanisms. It&#39;s not better or worse - it&#39;s simply different.

Blindness does come with its share of challenges, though, considering most of the world is designed with sighted people in mind. As a result, living with limited vision means blind people have to find other ways to handle some things most people take for granted.

Top 5 Most Popular Lists

71 lists