That Did Not Just Happen Trivia Quiz

Answer: Spontaneous human combustion

Spontaneous human combustion refers to a situation in which a human body has seemingly ignited and burned with no external cause nor effect. In many suggested cases, it has been observed that the victims' surroundings appeared unaffected, despite the fact that their bodies were reduced almost completely to ash. The phenomena is rare, but it was particularly well documented by the Victorians, appearing not only in many news reports but also within fiction.

Numerous explanations have been suggested, including a "wick effect" following cigarette burns and the production of excess acetone (a highly flammable substance) within the body through alcoholism or a low-carb dieting. These explanations do not, however, appear to have universal effect and are largely unproven. The mystery remains as to whether spontaneous human combustion is an actual phenomena in itself or whether a number of "deaths by burning" have been wrongly categorised together.

Answer: Humming

The "Taos Hum" is just one of many incidences of unexplained humming noises being heard continuously within an area by a diverse and disparate group of people. In Taos, New Mexico, studies have shown that between two to eleven percent of the population of the town can hear the humming sound. The phenomena remains unexplained, and those who cannot hear it are usually skeptical of its existence.

Similar hums have also been reported in various parts of the world, including County Kerry in Ireland, where a member of the Irish Parliament brought it before the Parliament for discussion. It has also been heard in such disparate places as Costa Rica, Ontario in Canada and Australia.

Answer: Bigfoot

Though scientists believe that Bigfoot is just a combination of urban legend, mistaken identity and false reporting, sightings of the phenomena have been reported countless times over the last century. It is usually seen in the Pacific Northwest area, though it has been seen in both the USA and Canada. In 2007, a photographer claimed to have spotted a similar creature in Pennsylvania, USA, casting yet more doubt on the phenomena.

A number of hoaxes have been uncovered in respect to photos and videos of reported sightings. A well-publicised hoax in 2008 made international news before it was discovered that a frozen carcass stated to be that of Bigfoot was actually just a rubber suit.

Answer: Bermuda Triangle

Stretching from the tip of Florida to Puerto Rico, and then up to Bermuda, the Bermuda Triangle has been the subject of numerous missing persons and vessels reports over the last century. Notable incidents within that area include the loss of the USS Cyclops with all of its passengers and crew en route to Maryland, USA in 1918, and the loss of a Douglas DC-3 aircraft with all crew and passengers en route from Puerto Rico to Miami, Florida.

The majority of experts believe that there is no paranormal or bizarre explanation for these incidents other than coincidence and mechanical or human error in each case. Many scientists also cite the high incidence of tropical cyclones and violent weather, as well as the high velocity of the Gulf Stream, in the Triangle area as potential explanations for so many losses. The number of reports of compass problems in that areas has also led to some hypothesis on the potential of magnetic anomalies.

Answer: Bodies

The Tarim mummies were Caucasian, and buried in a similar manner to those found from the same era in Europe, suggesting that they were a migrated race. Their clothing was much more Western than the Chinese fashions of that era, and evidence of surgery that was not performed in Asia in that era has been found on more than one of the bodies. The mystery remains as to when, how and why these people migrated so far and yet retained such Western culture.

More than 100 bodies have been found, and they are well preserved, despite the fact that they were not specifically mummified. The Tarim Basin's proximity to the desert ensured that the bodies were dried out enough to preserve them over four millennia.

Answer: Loch Ness

From the very first report of a "water beast" in Loch Ness by St Columbia in the sixth century to modern videos and photographs, sightings of the Loch Ness Monster have continued to capture the public imagination. Though there is no indisputable evidence that the creature exists, a number of high profile searches have been conducted. In 2003, the BBC ran a search and then produced a short programming series based on it. Nessie sightings continue to be reported.

The modern obsession with the creature started in 1933 when a man named George Spicer reported that a huge, unidentified creature had crossed the road in front of his car. In the same year, a motorcyclist claimed to have swerved to avoid the same creature and a photographer took some early pictures of a blurred animal outline which he claimed were the same monster. In 2011 and 2013, photos of a creature in the lake and a video of unexplained rippling in the water have been published in British newspapers, though their authenticity and relevance have been questioned.

Explanations offered include hoaxes, misidentification of other animals such as seals (and even inanimate objects such as trees), and optical illusions caused by choppy waters in wintery conditions. The monster has now, however, passed into folklore, making it difficult for the public obsession to die down.

Answer: Nazca

In moving the top layer of red stones to reveal a white layer underneath, the Nazca culture created a series of lines which include both geometric patterns pictures of monkeys, fish and birds. The plateau on which the lines are drawn is isolated and not subject to violent weather, so the lines remain.

In considering why the Nazca Lines exist, experts have suggested that the geometric shapes could be depictions of routes for water-lines (e.g. irrigation), whilst the pictures may represent astrological or religious beliefs. It has been suggested, in particular, that the lines show constellations, which may then be interpreted as deities, to whom the pictures would serve as tributes in the hope of good harvests and water availability. The exact purpose of the Nazca Lines remains unknown, however.

Although it is known how the white surface was created, the lines are so large that any depiction they create can only be seen from an aerial view. Some experts are even of the opinion that the Nazca tribes had developed an early form of manned hot air balloon flights in order to ensure that the designs were accurate.

Answer: Stigmata

The first stigmatic on record appears to have been St Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century, who claimed to have seen a crucified angel and immediately developed bleeding sites in his hands, feet and side. It was stated by onlookers that the wounds looked to have been made by nails. Many others over the years have shown the same symptoms, though the vast majority of reported cases appear to have affected Christians.

Scientists have theorized that hysteria and self-mutilation related to mental illness are the main causes of modern cases of stigmata. The causes of historical cases, such as that of St Francis of Assisi, are still undetermined, but modern scientists have considered the idea that "Purpuras" (purple hemorrhages under the skin that usually occur symmetrically on the body as a side effect of the medieval illness quartan malaria) may have been involved.

Answer: Ball Lightning

Numerous sightings of ball lightning have been recorded over the last millennia; sightings have even been reported by all of the residents of a hospital in the Czech Republic in 2011, and (believe it or not) Tsar Nicholas II of Russia!

Most describe the phenomena as spherical balls of light that move horizontally through the area, glowing either white or a light colour such as yellow. They have further been spotted within buildings and ships, and are usually described as having exploded after only a few seconds. Though it was widely believed until the 1960s that the phenomena was a hoax, scientists have managed to recreate some of the effects of ball lighting in laboratories, and video footage has been captured.

The phenomena remains unexplained, though a variety of hypotheses have been provided, including that the balls are burning silicon, that they are detached St Elmo's Fires and that the balls are just spinning plasma.

Answer: Will-o'-the-wisp

Also known as Jack O'Lanterns and Hinkypunks, these marsh lights have been seen all over the world. They have been known for so long that they are now part of folklore in many cultures; J.K. Rowling included Hinkypunks in her "Harry Potter" series, describing them as wispy blue smoke creatures which lure travellers to their deaths in isolated moorlands.

In the eighteenth century, when methane was discovered, scientists wondered whether the reaction of methane with the gas that exudes from marshes might be the cause. Modern science, however, suggests that the phenomena is caused either by the spontaneous oxidation of phosphine, diphosphane, and methane to create photon emissions, or by vaporisation of water under rocks that have moved as a result of a tectonic shift. It has also been suggested that the lights may arise where a number of bio-luminescent creatures (e.g. fireflies) congregate in a misty area.