Highlights of the week October 30 - November 5
In this edition of the week's highlights, we break down some myths, find out what happens when you meet a whale, and take a stroll through an excavation in Greece.
Scientist tells the truth about witch hunts
If you assume it was a British scholar, you would be absolutely right. Jonathan Durrant of the University of South Wales has studied the history of the Inquisition and the persecution of witchcraft. Writing in The Conversation, he compiled a list of the most common myths of the time.
More than 50,000 people were executed during the active witch hunts. Most of them were women. It is worth noting that these "trials" did not take place everywhere: about half of all trials took place in Germany. The rest were mostly in other Western European countries.
Another interesting fact is that the executed women were not followers of pagan cults at all. They were ordinary Christian women who had been denounced by their neighbors. Yes, in the past, noisy parties were dealt with much more radically.
A whale hit a surfer
Jason Breen was windsurfing on a beautiful Australian day when the water suddenly opened and the body of a humpback whale slammed into the 55-year-old.
The multi-ton carcass barely felt the impact and quickly plunged into the depths of the ocean, dragging the unfortunate surfer with it. Jason was saved from a terrible death by the fact that the cable connecting the athlete's leg to the board broke, freeing Breen from his underwater captivity.
On the surface, the Australian quickly climbed back on the board and discovered that his camera had been filming the whole time. Thanks to him, the epic moment is now available for all to see. Of course, the chances of such an encounter are close to zero, but now the surfer has another vivid memory in his piggy bank.
An unexploded bomb has been defused in Athens
The Greek army carried out an operation on Thursday to remove a 225-kilogram landmine left over from World War II. The explosive find was discovered during excavations for the construction of a new urban project.
This project will include a park, shopping centers, hotels, casinos, and many entertainment venues near the seaside district of Glyfada, south of the capital. Of course, no one wants a neighborhood with shells, but experts fear that this is not the only surprise from the past they will discover at the site.
