The 8 strangest natural phenomena unexplained by science

 

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From the structure of atom to the workings of the human brain, most of what we know today is the result of numerous scientific developments and explorations. Significant progress in the field of science has offered us a better understanding of the world, and even the universe, we reside in. Although one cannot deny the far-reaching contributions of science in contemporary life, there are still aspects of the Earth that remain beyond its grasp.

Below is a list of the 8 strangest natural phenomena that continue to elude the greatest scientific minds of modern times.

1. Ball Lightning

 

Too many public sightings of ball lightning have been reported to write it off as fictitious. It is literally a blazing ball of lightning that is usually concomitant with thunderstorms. What makes it incredibly intriguing is that these burning spheres are actually mobile, capable of passing through blocks of metal, wood and even buildings. They are accompanied by strong sulfurous odor, and have a lifespan ranging from 1 second to a minute.

While several attempts have been made to unravel the scientific explanation behind this event, what currently exists is a bunch of conjectures, the most popular being the vaporized silicon hypothesis by John Abrahamson of the University of Canterbury. A 2012 videotaped ball lightning event in Lanzhou, China,  forms the first recorded evidence of this mysterious phenomenon.

2. Earthquake light

 

 

Strange though they are, earthquake lights are very real. Seen before the onset of an earthquake, and sometimes even after, these bright flashes of white and blue light are localized to places with intense tectonic disturbances. Earthquake lights have a lifetime varying from a few seconds to more than ten minutes. While accounts of this rare atmospheric effulgence date back to 373 BC, more recent ones include video footage of the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake in Italy, 2010 Chile earthquake and the eruption of the Sakurajima Volcano in 2011.

The enigma surrounding earthquake lights is mostly because of the lack of substantial scientific examination, coupled with the UFO scare that was added in the early 1970s.

 3. Star Jelly

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Star Trek  universe, star-jellies, also known as ‘skymounts’, are a species of telepathic jellyfish-like cosmic organisms, first seen in The Next Generation episode, “Encounter at Farpoint”. Although quite similar to ‘skymounts’ in appearance, star shots or astral jellies are actually unexplained space globs that are often times associated with meteor showers. They are shapeless, glutinous blobs of unknown composition, that usually evaporate soon after touching the ground.

Literature and folklore abound with episodes of such occurrences, while reports of public sightings go as far back as the 14th century. Most recently, they were found at England’s Ham Wall nature reserve in 2013. Scientific minds, however, continue to puzzle over the exact causes behind star jelly, with some even claiming it to be frogspawn.

 4. Hessdalen light

 

 

Eerie sightings of unexplained lights in Norway’s Hessdalen valley have been reported since the early 1940s. They  are essentially beams of irradiant white, yellow and even red light, either stationary or free-floating, that appear 10-20 times every year. Between 1981 and 1984, increased frequency of appearance of these unnatural lights garnered a lot of attention from the general public and the scientific world alike.

Consequently, in 1983, UFO Norge and UFO Sweden, in collaboration with a number of Norwegian institutions, started what came to be known as ‘Project Hessdalen’. Years of scientific research have given rise to a number of hypotheses that sadly remain, on the whole, unproven. The mystery surrounding the origin of Hessdalen LITS (‘light-in-the-sky’) has also led many to speculate on possible UFO presence (which in itself may pertain to even human-made crafts).

5. Spontaneous Human Combustion

No matter how bizarre it might seem, spontaneous human combustion is exactly what its name suggests: humans bursting into flames without any apparent external  cause. Earliest reference to cases of spontaneous human combustion can be found in the 1673 ” De Incendiis Corporis Humani Spontaneis” by Jonas Dupont.

Scientific explanation behind SHC exists mainly in the form of conjectures, usually associated with old age, obesity, cigarette smoking and even ketosis as a result of alcoholism. Instances of SHC have been widely covered in fiction, as in Bleak House by Charles Dickens, and also the 1984 mockumentary film This is Spinal Tap.
6. The Hum

Around 2 to 11 percent of people living in specific areas in the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand are capable of hearing a constant humming sound, of unknown origin. Taos in New Mexico, Calgary in Canada, Bristol in England and more recently, Wellington in New Zealand are only a few in the list of locations where the hum has been noted. According to public reports, the hum is a kind of sustained low-pitch noise that can be detected only by a certain percentage of the population. It is usually more pronounced indoors and at night. People subjected to this relentless droning sound generally belong to the 55 – 70 age group.

Physiological effects of the hum include headaches, dizziness, insomnia, nausea and even suicide in extreme cases. Although scientific reasoning mainly points towards the usual sources of noise pollution, substantial research regarding its solution and treatment seems to be largely missing.

7.Crop Circle

 

Crop circles are basically somewhat symmetrical and even artistic indentations on the surface of fields and farmlands, caused due to the flattening of crops such as barley, maize, rye, wheat and so on. Although found mainly in various parts of the United Kingdom, they have also been reported in Australia, Canada, the U.S. and Japan. The frequency of these occurrences has multiplied since the 1970s, with nearly 700 crop circles appearing in Europe alone in the year 1990. A notable example is the June 2010 “optical labyrinth” crop circle of the Savernake Forest in Wiltshire.

Earliest reference to this mysterious phenomenon exists in the form of a 1678 pamphlet called The Mowing-Devil. What is indeed surprising is that crop circles often form overnight, encompassing sizeable pieces of land. Speculations surrounding such crop formations include the work of clandestine military experiments and even sensational UFO landings. However, the scientific world remains divided over this issue, with the majority claiming it to be man-made, while a few others pointing to changes in weather and other natural conditions.

8. Morning Glory Clouds

 

A type of tempestuous Arcus cloud that can stretch up to 1000 kilometers in length, the Morning Glory Cloud is a rare atmospheric phenomenon, quite sporadic in terms of its locations. It is about 1 to 2 kilometers high, appearing very close to the ground. It forms a striking unbroken cloud line and is usually accompanied by violent winds.

Although sightings of such clouds have been reported in various places, such as Berlin, the Arabian Sea, the English Channel and the eastern part of Russia, they are most commonly observed in Northern Australia, near the Gulf of Carpentaria region. The lack of substantial scientific examination, regarding the specific conditions that give rise to the Morning Glory Cloud, is mainly due to its highly unpredictable occurrence.