Those who like to read books laced with both crime and mystery should not miss out on any of these books.

1. Big Child

Big Child has been written by Siobhan Dowd and came out in 2008. The plot of the book revolves around the body of a girl that is found in a bog. Nobody knows who she is, where she came from and what were the circumstances that surrounded her death. The book also talks about Fergus Crane’s family and their troubles.

2. The Calder Game

The Calder Game is written by Blue Balliet and came out in 2008. A young boy called Calder Pillay, a resident of England goes missing. This crime fiction novel is laced with hedge mazes, word games and mobile sculptures.

3. The Composer Is Dead

The Composer Is Dead has been written by Lemony Snicket and came out in 2009. The plot of this movie revolves around the murder of the composer and the detective which is hired to uncover the mystery. This crime fiction book is peppered with sarcastic humor with the help of which the author makes the reader understand that classical music has been butchered over the years.

4. The Crossroads

Written by Chris Grabenstein, The Crossroads came out in 2008. It is widely read by a younger age group and talks about Zack Jennings, an 11 year old who meets supernatural elements and comes in contact with a murderous tree. It is laced with action and sinister mind games.

5. A Philosophical Investigation<

This crime fiction novel is very interesting to read as it revolves around a villain who is a little too intelligent. The book talks about various highs and lows in the mans life who is almost obsessed with Wittgenstein. He believes that he can outplot anything and anyone.

6. Double Indemnity

This book by James M.Cain holds all those elements that make a crime fiction novel a success. The plotting is excellent, if not extraordinary and the narrative or the storytelling is beautiful. You will be compelled to finish the book in one sitting and feel empty when you turn the last page.

7. Malice Aforethought

Malice Aforethought has been written by Francis Iles. Crime fiction novels today are hardly humorous but this one is mysterious, ironic and funny. It talks about Dr.Bickleigh who is unlucky in almost every way possible. The plot of the book is structured in a way that can only be called cunning and laced with various twists and turns while the end is satisfying and shocking.

8. Paper Towns

Written by John Green, this crime fiction book came out in 2008. Margo Roth Spiegelman is declared missing just after she finds Quentin again and spends a magnificent night out with him. The circumstances are unfortunate and it is up to Quentin to find and connect the clues that are found. The result is that he reveals such characteristics of the woman that he was not even aware of.

9. Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash

This crime fiction novel has been written by Wendelin Van Draanen and talks about Sammy Keyes who finds a great amount of cash out of the blue. Elements like shock, excitement, mayhem and pure mystery can be found on every page of this book.

10. What I saw and How I Lied

This book has been written by Judy Blundell and came out in 2008. It is historical in nature and revolves around Evie, a 15 year old girl. It talks about her relationship with her parents and about her obsession with Americans after the World War.

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Although we, as a species, have made tremendous progress in unearthing the laws that govern this universe we live in, there are certain murky areas of our experience that remain unexplained by science. The following represent the most baffling ten of these mysterious phenomena.

1. Crop Circles

Crop circles are patterns that are found in fields of rye and corn in certain parts of the world that do not have any explanation as regards to their creation. The crops are bent near the root to create strange patterns in the field. There is a lot of debater of ‘non-human’ creation versus ‘pranksters’ – but there still does not seem to be any consensus.

2. Nazca Lines

These are a series of geolyphs – a drawing on the ground – found in the Nazca Desert of Peru, in South America. There are no known records in human history of their creation though it is well established that they are of ancient origin. Present day science is silent on this strange patterns that stretch for over more than 80 kilometers between the Peruvian towns of Nazca and Palpa.

3. The Klerksdorp Spheres

These small, smooth and polished spheres found in a mining region in South Africa, are remarkably regular with well-defined grooves that run along their surface, suggestive of non-natural genesis. Although some scientists offer natural (geological) explanations for their origin, they have not been widely accepted.

4. Déjà vu

This is the popular and all too familiar phenomena of getting the feeling that you have ‘already lived’ a particular moment in your life. Déjà vu has been the topic of heavy scientific research in the 20^th century but there is still a coherent theory explaining it to come forward.

5. Ghosts

Proponents of alternative science put forward several theories to explain the occurrence of ghosts and apparitions and all other paranormal phenomena that go along with it but most of it is bogus. Actual research tries to psychologically analyze the ‘sightings’ but has not made any significant progress.

6. Spontaneous Human Combustion

Again, in the case of spontaneous human combustion, the theories that seek to explain the phenomena have very flimsy scientific foundations and the ones that are based on scientific method cannot explain them. The cause is often attributed to ‘misreporting’.

7. The Taos / Bristol / Big Island Hum

The Taos Hum is one of the many different types of Hum that occur at various locations around the world. This is generally the phenomenon of a barely audible humming sound heard by people at certain spots over the globe, such as Big Island, Hawaii; or Taos, New Mexico.

8. Near Death Experiences

These refer to the spectrum of experiences reported by people who claim to have experienced detachment from the body and then return into the body – always in situations of impending death. Reports of a ‘tunnel’, ‘white light at its end’, ‘extreme joy’, ‘lightness’, and ‘sadness on reentering the body’ are the common patterns. Scientific theory has no explanation on this phenomenon.

9. Bigfoot

Also known as the Yeti or the Sasquatch, this is supposed to be a creature resembling half-man, half-gorilla, and of a great height. There are numerous incidents of sightings of this creature but none of them has ever been validated by the scientific community – who regard it as somewhat of a joke.

10. Human mind

This had to figure in this list. This is the most widely spread natural phenomena in the world today and has tremendous impact on this planet. Yet, today’s science cannot entirely explain how human cognition works. Simple tasks like the memory, language, and dreams remain unexplained until date.

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What was the biggest creature to have walked on our earth? The answer is no doubt a dinosaur, and definitely a sauropod. According to estimates, a sauropod may well be the largest creature to have lived on our earth even beating the Blue Whale’s weight of 175 tons and 103 feet. It is not easy to identify the biggest dinosaurs. According to paleontological research the following are the largest dinosaurs that have ever lived. However it is one of the greatest paradoxes that these giant animals that lived on our earth and left just incomplete skeletons.

1. Argentinosaurus

Argentinosaurus is the largest dinosaur whose giant size is supported by evidence. Its remains were found in Argentina and it is named after the same place. It is a giant eater of plants which measured about 120 feet from head to tail. Its weight must have been about 100 tons.

2. Sauroposeidon

Named after the Greek ocean god, Sauroposeidon was also one of the largest dinosaurs. It is said to have weight over 60 tons. This dinosaur was the tallest because evidence proves that it neck alone was 40 feet long!

3. Spinosaurus

Spinosaurus had a mouth similar to that of a crocodile and was also a very heavy animal. This dinosaur was a heavy meat eater and its sail which was an extension of its skin helped it to cool faster. It was also known to be very tall.

4. Quetzalcoatlus

This dinosaur was named after the Aztec god having wings namely Quetzalcoatl. Its wingspan was about 45 feet and it was one of the largest creatures to have lived on this planet. Research hints that this dinosaur may not have filed and must have had a purely land based existence.

5. Liopleurodon

This pliosaur has mixed features of the shark and orca and has thick jaws and large flippers plus a heavy body. They reached a height of over 50 feet, and are thought to have weighed over 30 tens equivalent to the weight of an adult whale.

6. Shantungosaurus

These dinosaurs were the most popular species and were recently discovered in China. They were about 50 feet long and weight over 50 tons and are true herbivores. They have the great skill of running with their two legs to escape attack by other carnivores.

7. Utahraptor

This group of dinosaurs weighed at least 1500 pounds and were about 20 feet long. They lived much before their other cousins who were puny.

8. Moschops

These “mammal like reptiles” looked like a cross between the frog and the crow and were found in the forests of Gondwana. These terrestrial reptiles weighed a few tons and were one of the biggest land animals in history.

9. Sarcosuchus

This group of dinosaurs was also known as “SuperCroc.” They weighed over 8 tons and were 40-foot-long much heavier than the largest crocodiles of today. In spite of their heavy bodies they lived a lifestyle similar to the crocodiles and were found in the rivers of Africa in the middle Cretaceous period.

10. Shonisaurus

Otherwise known as fish lizards these were a batch of hydrodynamic, sleek and big aquatic reptiles that lived in the Triassic period. They weighed about 30 tons and were about 50-foot-long, and had the combined features of a dolphin and blue whale. Nevada’s official state fossil is Shonisaurus.

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A number of surveys have said that the following countries are the most powerful today:

1. The United States of America

This country is the largest economy today and has the strongest army as well as a very powerful democracy. It is also said to be a superpower and its media is very influential as well. It has built itself and its power ever since it gained independence and is only getting more powerful. The country controls international relations and is a part of a number of influential bodies.

2. Russian Federation

The Russian Federation has the second most powerful army and controls a number of states in the Central Asian area. It has a very large population and immense world area. These factors allow it to stay independent and prevent external forces from meddling in the political, economic and financial issues of the country. Because of its size, Russia has the resources to become a superpower.

3. Peoples Republic of China

Peoples Republic of China is said to have the 4^th largest GNP in the world. It has gained supremacy only recently over Britain and France. It has a large army and immense potential to become the most powerful country in the world.

4. France

France is a part of the UN Security Council and is said to be the fifth most powerful country in the world. It is a great nuclear power and influences many African nations. The French have a large army which helps in maintaining law and order. It is a G7 economy and part of the European Union.

5. Britain

Britain is part of the UN Security Council as well. It has powerful nuclear weapons and the democracy is considered to be the most stable as well. As a G7 economy and as a leading country in areas like music, films and media, the country has immense influence when it comes to world politics. It is a part of the European Union as well.

6. Japan

Japan has an extremely large economy and is a leading democratic power. The population of the country is large but since the competition is intense, it features below USA, China, France and Britain.

7. Republic of India

India is very populous and has a well-known democracy which gains its power from the detailed Constitution of India. The economy is growing at a staggering rate and the nuclear weapons are becoming more and more powerful.

8. Federal Republic of Germany

Germany has the third largest economy in the world and features in the list of the most powerful European Union members. However, it was greatly affected during the two World Wars which hampered its influence over the world.

9. Republic of Pakistan

Pakistan has a very large Muslim population and powerful nuclear weapons. It is a united country but since it spends a hefty sum on military dictatorship, it has not become truly powerful. In addition to that, even though it has good resources, the battles with India have made the country very weak in these terms as well. Therefore, if it can replenish these resources and find a way to balance its political standing, it will be able to become more powerful.

10. Republic of Brazil

The Republic of Brazil is very large and is part of Latin America. It is said to hold the largest Portuguese speaking population in the world. In addition to that, the media of the country is quite stable and its relations with the rest of the world are quite secure.

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Without an inch of doubt, snakes tend to rank high among all that we shall be scared of. For the simple reason that they are among the deadliest and most toxic living beings, snakes have as much beauty of creation as any other animal.

1. The Belcher’s Sea Snake

Also known as the Faint-banded Snake. This reptile was christened John Edward Gray after the legendary explorer, Sir Edward Belcher. The Belcher is by nature quite and amiable, found mostly in the coastal areas near Philippines. The Belcher snake has a poison, which is around 100 times stronger than the Inland Taipan. However, the snake is not known to deliver a lethal dose every time.

2. The Inland Taipan

It is by default a local of the deserts of Australia. The snake is known to be docile, and coy, which should be good news, for its default venom is strong enough to deliver a fatal blow to around hundred full grown humans. Venom around four hundred times stronger than that of a Cobra.

3. The Beaked Sea Snake

Another big time exploit in world of snakes. This snake is known for its venom and is spotted around the rim of the Persian Gulf up to those of Australia without fail. A dig of this reptile has enough power to kill 10 men. Also this snake is known for biting without aggravation and is to blame for almost half of all sea snake bites and most of the deaths thereafter.

4. Krait

It is known for its venom which happens to be around fifteen times stronger than that of a cobra. There are accidents of people being bitten by this snake when they end up surprising it. Mostly, because the krait may take a shelter in domestic civil areas.

5. The Philippine Cobra

By the very implication of its name is found on Philippines Islands and has a way of flaring its hood. This way of the cobra has given it a special category among snake charmers.

6. The Indian King Cobra

It is simply the largest of the venomous as it can take on a length up to 13 feet in length and gain somewhere around 9 kilograms of weight. Though it does not come with the strongest of venoms, it sure does know the art of pumping a good quantity of its venom into its victim.

7. Russell’s viper

A lot many people consider the Russell’s viper as being the most venomous snake in Asia. Its high presence among civil population has made it quite a killer.

8. The Black Mamba

The Black Mamba found in Africa is not a high time man killer because of its nature, but because of the fact that its territory has been invaded by humans and also because it is found in some 14 nations world wide. In fact, besides being a poisonous snake, the black mamba is the fastest snake by all measures, which can reach a speed of around 20 kmph.

9. The Yellow-Jawed Tommy Goff

It is also known as the ‘Fer-de-lance’ is locally found in many areas of South America. This snake is reputed for having a very bad nature and severe temperament, which make this snake strike a very high, which is not matched by many snakes. There fangs seek heat patterns, an ability which makes them deadly at night hunts. Be it man, animal or simply fun.

10. The Multibanded krait

It is better known as the Many Banded or Taiwanese Banded krait will be the last mention in our list. The snake is mostly found in the Indian subcontinent. The venom of a multibanded krait is known to paralyze people before killing them.

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Of all the aquatic species that have the power to cause the death of humans, this list compiles the ten most dangerous of them. The modus operandi of all of these animals may be very different – yet each one of them is what we would call ‘dangerous’.

1. Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri)

Although ‘box jellyfish’ denotes the entire Cubozoa class, the most dangerous of them all is the deadly Chironex fleckeri. The venom of this species is the most deadly in the animal kingdom and is reported to be able to kill 60 humans within a period of 3 minutes.

2. Yellow Bellied Sea Snake (Pelamis platurus)

The venom of this dangerous sea snake is several times more potent and deadly than the most venomous land snake. The bite itself is painless and may even go unnoticed by the victim. Symptoms start showing around after half an hour of the bite, and if immediate medical attention is not received, the victim goes into cardiac arrest after six to twelve hours.

3. Saltwater crocodile

Crocodiles are territorial and they do not like intruders. They have been known to attack small boats and canoes and result in human deaths. Though you may argue that this is not exactly an aquatic animal, it hardly matters when you are been attacked by in water.

4. Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

All of us are familiar with the Great White – the popular star of the movie “Jaws”. Great Whites are expert hunters and know how to immobilize prey and render them helpless while they finish them off. There are reported incidents of Great Whites being responsible for the deaths of innocent swimmers off the coast of USA.

5. Blue-Ringed Octopus

This common name refers to several octopus species of the genus Hapalochlaena – small and beautiful octopuses that have a venom powerful enough to kill humans.

6. Cone Shells

Belonging to the family Conidae, these gastropods live in mud and show very little signs of life. However, if picked up (because of their bright colors) they can bit with their harpoon like teeth and cause death. Their venom contains neurotoxins and is fatal.

7. Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia physalis)

It is commonly mistaken to be a jellyfish because of its striking resemblance to them. Although its venom is not very potent, it does have the power to kill off the victim by cardiac arrest if instant medical attention is not received. Deaths caused by stings from this animal are very rare but they do occur.

8. Lionfish (Pterois volitans)

This is a small, spiny, striped, exotic creature found in some regions of eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Considered venomous, the lionfish has a typical way of turning upside down and exposing its spines. Although its venom is not fatal, it causes severe pain, headaches, and vomiting – unless medical supervision is received, the sting can take serious proportions.

9. Stonefish (Synanceia)

The genus Synanceia is popularly called stonefish, and consist of several species of small, shy, and sometimes very beautiful fish that are at the same time capable of stinging you with deadly venom if disturbed. Typically, stonefish stings occur because they are stepped upon, as they are hard to distinguish from stones under the water.

10. Fire Coral

These are marine organisms that are not actually coral and are typically members of the genus Millepora. Their stings are not fatal but can cause severe burns on the skin. It can become fatal if the victim develops an allergic reaction to the chemical injected in the sting.

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The aim here is to list out ten of the most expensive accidents that have taken place over the years. The lives that have been lost are undoubtedly priceless and cannot be measured in monetary terms.

1. Chernobyl

This is considered to be the most expensive accident in history. This disaster was the biggest catastrophe in socio-economic terms as half of the Ukrainian area was contaminated. About 1.7 million people were affected and 200,000 had to leave the area. The overall cost is estimated at $200 billion.

2. Space Shuttle Columbia

The wing of the Space Shuttle Columbia was damaged after which it was destroyed. The shuttle cost $6.3 billion and the investigation cost was estimated at $500 million. Additional costs were estimated at $300 million. The overall cost was $13 billion.

3. Prestige Oil Spill

The Prestige oil tanker, in 2002, was carrying heavy fuel during a storm in Spain. One of the tanks burst and the captain asked for help multiple times but nobody followed his instructions. Naturally, the storm destroyed the ship and the tanker split after which 20 million gallons of oil was released into the sea. The cleanup cost was estimated at $12 billion.

4. Challenger Explosion

Because of a faulty O-ring, the Space Shuttle Challenger took a mere 73 seconds to deteriorate. One joint was not sealed because of which the gas reached outside. The external tank then released liquid hydrogen, resulting in an explosion. The replacement costs were $4.5 billion and other costs were estimated at $1 billion.

5. Piper Alpha Oil Rig

In 1988, a few technicians were carrying out a routine check of the valves and 100 valves were supposed to be replaced. However, they forgot to check one. The same night, one of them pushed a button which was attached to the liquid gas pump. What followed was the costliest oil rig accident in history. The entire platform burst into flames and collapsed. Over 150 workers died and the damages were estimated at $3.4 billion.

6. Exxon Valdez

Even though this oil spill does not feature on the list of the largest oil spills in history, it was definitely the most expensive one. This is because the Prince William Sound is located in an extremely remote area. The ship’s master did not pay attention to the controls which caused the ship to crash. The cumulative clean up cost is estimated at $2.5 million.

7. B-2 Bomber Crash

This stealth bomber took off from Guam in 2008 and crashed shortly after. According to investigations, the data in the computers was distorted. The aircraft then moved up which caused it to stall and consequently crash. The losses accumulated to $1.4 Billion.

8. MetroLink Crash

This accident took place during September 2008 and is considered to be the worst train accident in California. A freight train and the commuter train crashed into each other, resulting in the death of 25 people. The losses amounted to $500 million.

9. Tanker Truck vs Bridge

In 2004, a tanker trunk and a car had an accident. The truck was carrying over 30,000 liters of fuel in Germany on the Wiehltal Bridge. The truck fell 90 feet, resulting in an explosion which ultimately destroyed the bridge. Repairs were estimated at $40 million whereas the replacement cost was $318 million.

10. Titanic

The Titanic sank during 1912 and the accident is said to be the most famous ones till date. The ship was considered to be the most luxurious of its time. When an iceberg hit the Titanic, the ship split in half and about 1,500 people died. $150 million were lost to the oceans.

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A carnivore is one which eats meat and these animals depend solely on animal tissue for the purpose of extracting nutrients on a day to day basis. The following are the top 10  largest carnivores:

1. Southern Elephant Seal

The Southern Elephant Seal is said to be the largest carnivore to have lived till date. The adult males have large proboscis which they use for making roaring sounds that are very loud. They do so during the mating season.

2. Walrus

While males can weight 2,000 kilograms, females weigh at least 1,200 kilograms. Their necks are extremely thick and can move with the help of all fours. They take the help of their entire body when they swim and do not use their flippers as much. The Walrus is bald and its skin is wrinkled. When they are young, they are brown in color which fades as they grow older.

3. Stellar Sea Lion

This carnivore also goes by the name of the Northern Sea Lion. This species is almost extinct in the northern Pacific. The Stellar Sea Lion is named after Georg Wilhelm Stellar. Their numbers have declined due to unknown reasons in Alaska.

4. Grizzly Bear

The Grizzly Bear also goes by the name of silvertip bear and is native to North America. Grizzlies are said to stay alone along rivers, ponds and streams. The females can give birth to a minimum of one and a maximum of four young which weigh only 500 grams each. A female Grizzly or sow will attack anyone of anything if her cubs are in danger.

5. Polar Bear

Polar Bears are found in the northern part of the Arctic and are said to float on ice floes through the day. While an adult male stands at 8.5 feet and weighs 900 pounds, a female adult will stand at 6.5 feet and weigh 500 pounds. Each polar bear has a black mouth, nose and eyes and off-white fur.

6. Siberian Tiger

Siberian Tigers can weigh over 700 pounds and can stand at 9.5 feet. While their base color is orange, their stripes are black and they have white markings that are found on their faces. These carnivores are powerful hunters and are very territorial. The tiger has broad and soft pads which allows it to follow its prey silently.

7. Lion

The Lion belongs to the cat family and the genus Panthera. The males can weigh over 250 kilograms while the females weigh a little less. A majority of the Lion population resides in Africa and Asia while the species is almost extinct in India.

8. American Black Bear

The American Black Bear is native to North America and can adapt itself to a number of habitats and environments. The population of these bears is quite widespread and they are not in danger of getting extinct any time soon. This bear is said to have inspired “Winnie the Pooh”.

9. Giant Panda

The Giant Panda is native to large parts of China and is a part of the bear family. It has large black patches around its ears, eyes and all over its body which is generally round in shape. Even though it features under the list of the largest carnivores, its diet consists mostly of bamboos.

10. Spectacled Bear

This bear is also referred to as the Andean Bear and is found in South America. This bear’s fur is black and it has markings on its chest and face which are beige in color. While the males weigh at least 130 kilograms, the females can weigh 82 kilograms.

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