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The ritualistic killing of children was a common religious practice in some of the prominent pre-Colombian cultures. The Olmec civilization, which flourished in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico between 1200 and 400 BCE, may have been one such society. Evidence of the brutal practice was found in the El Manatí sacrificial bog, where the skeletons of an unknown number of infants were uncovered. How many times a year did the Aztecs celebrate religious festivals with child sacrifice? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The candirú is a parasitic freshwater catfish typically found in the Amazon River. The translucent, eel-shaped “toothpick fish” is reputed to be the most feared fish in the river and earned this distinction because of its proclivity for attacking and entering the human body via any available orifice, especially the urethra. The creature has protruding spines which make it nearly impossible to remove from the body without surgical intervention. How does the fish locate its human host? 
Biologically speaking, senescence is the process of deterioration that follows the development of an organism. In 1965, Leonard Hayflick discovered that normal diploid cells divide in cell culture about 50 times before entering a senescence phase during which they can replicate no more. Each cell division shortens the telomere of the cell’s DNA, thus ticking back an “inner clock” for each subsequent copy of the cell. How does this mechanism protect the body from disease? 
In 1955, a businessman reported seeing a frog-faced humanlike creature under a bridge in Loveland, Ohio. Nearly 20 years later, local police reportedly sighted the elusive creature, dubbed the Loveland Frog, and unsuccessfully attempted to shoot it. One of the officers allegedly described the creature as standing 3 to 4 feet tall, weighing between 50 to 75 pounds, having leathery skin, a frog- or lizard-like face, and, possibly, a tail. What are some explanations for these sightings? 
The pileus quadratus, a type of Roman skullcap topped with a horizontal square board, has given rise to a number of similar cap styles, among them the biretta worn by the Roman Catholic clergy and the academic mortarboard cap. The academic headgear is embellished with a tassel or liripipe, which may be dyed black, colored to represent the graduate’s area of expertise, or matched to a school’s colors. According to urban legend, why did some UK universities cease to use the cap? 
According to Zoroastrian tradition, a dead body is unclean and must be disposed of in a safe manner. To prevent the pollution of earth or fire, dead bodies are placed atop a tower, where they are exposed to the sun and birds of prey. The towers are circular raised structures with nearly flat roofs that are divided into three concentric rings; one ring is designated for the bodies of men, one for women, and one for children. Who coined the term “tower of silence”? 
At 12,160 sq mi (31,494 sq km), Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in Eurasia. It is also the world’s deepest lake, with a maximum depth of 5,714 ft (1,742 m). Located in southern Siberia, the clear, oxygen-rich waters are home to a wide range of aquatic plants and creatures, including such unusual species as the world’s only freshwater seal, and can sustain animal life more than 5,200 ft (1,600 m) below the surface. What percent of the world’s surface freshwater is held in Lake Baikal? 
The saron is a musical instrument that features prominently in Indonesian musical ensembles. It typically consists of seven bronze bars placed on top of a resonating frame, called a rancak. Sarons typically come in a number of sizes, and each size is pitched differently. A seated performer strikes the instrument with a tabuh, or mallet, to produce a musical note and uses his free hand to then grasp the ringing key and dampen the sound. What materials are used to make saron mallets? 
The practice of drilling a hole into the skull to expose the dura mater surrounding the brain is an ancient surgical procedure dating back to prehistoric times. It is the oldest surgical procedure for which evidence (in the form of human remains) has been discovered. Modern physicians continue to perform trepanations, though the medical rationale surrounding the surgery has since evolved. Which artist gained notoriety for performing a self-trepanation and then screening a film of the procedure? 
In the late 1400s, Pope Sixtus IV, his nephew Gerolamo Riario, Archbishop Salviati, and members of the wealthy Pazzi family hatched a plot to assassinate Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici. The Pazzi and Medici families were rivals, but the Pazzis were merely tools in the conspiracy, which aimed to increase Riario’s power in Florence. On April 26, 1478, while attending High Mass at the Duomo, Giuliano was stabbed to death. What happened to Lorenzo?