5 Most Torturous Execution Methods in Ancient History June 3, 2009
Posted by vikasreddyd in Science, History, and the World.Tags: brazen bull, crucifixion, execution methods, executions, hanged drawn and quartered, impalement, scaphism, torture
add a comment
The world may seem cruel today and many people believe the death penalty goes too far. But few people realize how different the moral standards of our ancestors were compared to ours. In ages past, the method of death was as integral as the death itself. Extremely severe punishments were given to deter serious crimes, treason, regicide, and other high-level atrocities.
But when you think about it, which side is really the one that is atrocious? Such is the blur between the line of distinction.
Regardless of morality, here is proof that there may be some fates that are worse than death. Here are the brief details of 5 the most torturous execution methods in ancient history.
Click here to read the full article for additional details and history of each method: The Five Most Painful Execution Methods in History
Note: Viewer discretion is advised.
-
Hanged, Drawn, and Quartered
“As explained in British Criminal Law2, first the prisoner is dragged on wooden frame to the site of his execution (drawn). Then he is hung repeatedly by the neck until almost dead and is released before the final moment – this is meant to act as pre-emptive torture. The executioner will then strap the naked prisoner down onto a rack (usually to a public audience) and perform the most gruesome part of the method. He is castrated and disemboweled on the spot, and his respective body organs (genitalia, entrails, and others) are set aflame in front of his very eyes. He would still be alive at that point and will be decapitated. His body parts would then be cut up in four pieces to be gibbeted (put on public display) in different parts of the country to deter future treason.”
-
CRUCIFIXION
“The victim’s hands are outstretched and nailed to the cross, either through the palms or wrists (differing ways existed).7 Sometimes the heels of the feet are were also nailed, which would have caused tremendous pain.8 The victims are then left to die on the cross, exposed to the blistering heat of the sun. Death usually occurred from sepsis, hypovolemic shock, dehydration, or from the pain itself. Asphyxiation9 also occurs since the victim isn’t able to draw air into his lungs due to the difficulty of inhaling, and he would have to draw support with his outstretched arms (or use his nailed feet), leading to increasing exhaustion. The process of death is very slow and painful, sometimes lasting for days.”
-
BRAZEN BULL
“First you were locked inside and a fire was set under the Brazen Bull, causing it to glow yellow hot. You are left to 
slowly roast within the device in agony. In addition to that, the head of the ox was built with a system of tubes and stops so when you screamed, the sounds would be manipulated to sound like an angry bull – hence the name. Your screams of agony would be amplified as you roasted and the smoke would rise in “spicy clouds of incense.” Not a pleasant way to go.”
-
IMPALEMENT
“Public torture and rape usually came before the actual execution. The victim would be tied up and a cut was made between the rectum and genitals, where a sharp pole with a blunt end was driven through. The blunt end ensured the 
damage to the body wouldn’t cause death too quickly by pushing important organs to the side. The other end of the stake came out of the upper half of the body, typically out of the sternum. A person can live for as many as three days as he is hoisted up in the air, suspended to die slowly in agony.”
-
SCAPHISM
“First you are stripped naked and tied inside a back to back pair of canoes (or a hollowed out tree trunk). You are force-fed honey and milk until you develop extreme diarrhea, causing an accumulation of feces inside the compartment in which you are trapped.
Your executioners will then proceed to rub honey on your body to attract even more insects, such as stinging bees. Hands, head, and feet will protrude out of the boat, for attracting hungry insects. Typically, you would be left to the burning sun or forced to float on a stagnant pond of water.
Some indigenous tribes used voracious flesh eating ants to carry out the execution on victims.
The pain would have been unimaginable, especially due to insects breeding within your own gangrenous flesh (including laying of eggs) as you succumbed to physical and psychological pain, diarrhea, delirium, nausea, dehydration, starvation, septic shock, and so on. Sometimes the force-feeding would be repeated to make sure you don’t die too soon, prolonging the suffering.”
Read the full article here.
5 Deadliest Killer Ants in the World March 7, 2009
Posted by vikasreddyd in Science, History, and the World.Tags: ants, army ants, deadliest ants, fire ants, killer ants, siafu ants, soldier ants
2 comments
5 Deadliest Killer Ant Species in the World
___________________
Few people know that ants have a real ability to kill and heavily influence the environment around them. They are one of the most successful species of organisms on the entire planet, having adapated to varying climates and locations in nearly all seven continents. Some have even evolved to develop wings.
The secret to success lies in numbers – huge numbers. Out of the 12,000 species of ants currently classified, these five make it to the top for being the deadliest killer ants in the world.
FIRE ANTS
“Fire ants (0.24 inches long) have been a widespread problem in the United States after they were accidentally introduced in the 1930s. Known for their large ant mound colonies and aggressive nature, they attack in swarms following pheromones released by the first ant’s sting. So if you are stung once, you are bound to get attacked by the entire colony if you can’t get away quick enough. Small animals such as birds and even larger mammals like newborn calves often become victims because they cannot escape in time before they are devoured en masse.”
ARGENTINE ANTS
“The Argentine ant (1/10 inch long) is highly social ant species, known for extensive organization of its colonies. In 
fact, the ants are so genetically similar that individual ants can walk into a range of nearby colonies without being killed for intrusion. Merged supercolonies are destructive, especially if near human settlements. The problem with Argentine ants is that they are among the world’s top 100 animal invaders, known for killing off competing ant species in non-native geographical areas, such as in Australia. In the article linked above, the scientists state that an Argentine ant supercolony thousands of miles wide can form across southern Australia if the native ants of that region have the same genetic makeup and behavior.“
SIAFU ANTS
“The ants march through the forests in groups of millions, eating anything that moves and severely impacting the local environment (even elephants run from them). The term “killer ant” usually applies to this species simply because of the magnitude of the colony sizes (over 20 million individuals). When in large transit, the ants travel in long columns on the forest floor, with the stronger class of ants on opposite sides flanking in ready position – jaws ready. They are so strong in fact, that you can tear the ant in two after it bit into your skin and its jaw will still be locked in position. In East Africa, emergency situations call for using the actual jaws of the Siafu ants as ’stitches’, sealing off open wounds.”
Bulldog Ants
“Even scarier is the numerous predatory skills they have compared to other ant species, such as excellent vision (they can spot and follow you from a meter away), highly painful stings that can cause anaphylactic shock in allergic people, and they are very aggressive to intruders, including humans. This combination makes them responsible for the deaths of people every year in Australia.“
Bullet Ants
“Bullet ants of South America are known to have the most painful sting of insects on the entire planet, rated at the highest of the Schmidt Pain Index at 4.0+. The name of the ant is derived from the intense 24-hour pain the venom from the stings cause. Bullet ants are also giants, ranging from 18 to 25 mm long (1 inch). The venom is highly neurotoxic, causing excruciating pain when injected into mammal smooth muscle. When attacked, these killer ants release a musky order, swarm together to defend against the intruders, and literally grab and sting them to death.“
Read the full article here.
Snake Bite Treatment: Life Saving Steps and Myths March 7, 2009
Posted by vikasreddyd in Science, History, and the World.Tags: bite treatment, life saving steps, snake bite myths, snake bite treatment, snake bites, snakes
1 comment so far
Snake Bite Treatment: Life Saving Steps and Myths
_______________________
Not all of us are medical professionals. Suppose you get bitten by a rattlesnake right now in the middle of nowhere and you have a couple of friends with you. Chances are, none of you guys would have a clue what to do and what not to do to keep you alive.
Over the years, certain ‘unorthodox’ methods such as manually sucking out the venom have been shot down to be medical myths. But it is simply one out of many methods that have no inhibitory effect on the snake venom and instead, end up doing more harm than good.
The idea of snake bite treatment is to use methods that are proven to work and not endanger the bitten victim instead. While there are trivial things such as the rule that you should not drink alcohol (since it causes vasodilation of the blood vessels, increasing the rate at which the venom passes through the bloodstream), there are many other practices to consider – including certai myths you might not know about.
According to Science Daily, atleast 100,000 people worldwide are killed by bites from venomous snakes annually, with double of that statistic permanently disabled as a result of the venom. To fight this problem, life saving snake bite treatment steps must be learned and all the medical myths (practices once used) must be done away with for the safety of everyone.
Read the full article here.
Giant Insects – Japanese Giant Hornet is the Killer Insect of Japan March 6, 2009
Posted by vikasreddyd in Science, History, and the World.Tags: asian giant hornet, giant insects, giant japanese hornet, hornets, japanese giant hornet, killer hornets, killer insects, venom, wasps
add a comment
Giant Insects – Japanese Giant Hornets, the Killer Insects of Japan
There are some pretty scary things living on planet Earth, usually the bigger ones having the bad reputation. The problem is that there’s a completely different realm of things to be scared of.
When I say “scared of” I mean you should turn around and run in the opposite direction if you come anywhere too close. I’m talking about giant insects. Typically huge insects are not deadly to humans but there are certain varieties of wasps and hornets that make the use of venom in their stings. This venom is extremely potent, depending on the type of species. The Japanese Giant Hornet (also called the Asian Giant Hornet) is the record holder for the largest hornet in the world.
A single one of these insects can be fatal to an adult, especially if there is an allergic reaction. If you have been stung once before by one, the chance of anaphylactic shock is much higher if you get stung again. This hornet’s sting contains venom much more potent than typical wasps, bees, and hornets of other species. The stinger is a ¼ of an inch long – that is the size of the tip of a pencil!
Want to learn about this insect from Japan? Click here to read the full article.
But before you do, be sure to watch how only 30 of these can destroy a colony of 30,000 European honey bees in a single descisive battle. Note: The Japanese Giant Hornet’s execution method of choice – decapitation by mandibles.
The Liger – Biggest Cat in the World December 26, 2008
Posted by vikasreddyd in Science, History, and the World.Tags: animals, big cats, biggest cat, cross breeding, hercules the liger, hybrid cats, liger, ligers and tigons, lions, tigers, tigon
4 comments
When you ask someone what the biggest cat in the world is, they can’t help it but scratch their head and say, “Lion, tiger, or Tigger.” You know what I mean? Not many people know.
You can search “biggest cat in the world” on Google but the first couple of pages are just pictures and videos of hilariously obese cats – some fake and some real. If fat people are jolly, then the same must be true about cats.
Scar and Simba had unresolved issues in The Lion King.
But here’s what I’m getting at. There are cats, termed “big cats”, that dwarf those cats in physical size. Remember Scar’s lunge at Simba in slow motion in the first Lion King movie? That’s what these cats would do to obese cats all around the world.
If you mated a tiger with a lion, you wouldn’t get a tiger or a lion. You’ll get two different things: a Liger or a Tigon.
Never heard of them? The Liger is the biggest damn cat in the world and this time it’s the official title. It can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 1100 pounds. Hercules is the largest living Liger today.
Want to know more about these big cats? Read this article.
Ligers and Tigons – Biggest Cat in the World – Associated Content
The Liger can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh over 1100 pounds.
Most Dangerous Animals Extinct – Jurassic Fight Club Dinosaur Battles and Pictures December 14, 2008
Posted by vikasreddyd in Science, History, and the World.Tags: dinosaur battles, dinosaur pictures, dinosaurs, jurassic fight club, jurassic park, king kong, megalodon shark, most dangerous animals, spinosaurus, tyrannosaurus rex
add a comment
Most Dangerous Animals Extinct – Jurassic Fight Club Dinosaur Battles and Pictures – Associated Content
The Greatest Battles of Nature Witnessed in Film and Television
Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Spinosaurus – Jurassic Park III
Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Spinosaurus in Jurassic Park III
Megalodon Shark vs. Brygmophyseter (Giant Sperm Whale) – Jurassic Fight Club
Megalodons were able to kill and eat prey as large as the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
King Kong vs. Three Tyrannosaurus Rex Predators – King Kong (2005)
King Kong faced off against three T-Rex while protecting Naomi Watts at the same time.
________
To read more about these battles, which animal won, and how they destroy its enemy, read the full article here.
