8. Human Mysteries
Stones from Her Eyes - If you think stones raining from the sky are unusual, how about when they drop out of a girl's eyes? In October, a 15-year-old girl from Jharkhand, India was taken to a hospital because tiny stones were emerging from the corners of her eyes. The doctors admitted they had never seen anything like it and were at a loss to explain it. Before the stones dropped out, the girl reported terrible headaches (as you can imagine). Oh yes, the stones also appeared out of her ears and nose as well. "Stones from the eyes is a strange phenomenon as this has not even found mention in medical literature," one of the doctors said.
9. Religious Mysteries
Weeping Icons - 2004 saw its fair share of religious statues and paintings that weep and bleed. Every year, dozens of such incidents are reported around the world. Many are assumed to be faked and churches rarely assert that they might be genuine miracles. Without fail, however, hundreds or even thousands of the faithful (and curiosity seekers) flock to the icons to see for themselves. One such "miracle" took place in St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church near Cleveland, Ohio. Church members reported that an icon of the Virgin Mary on the altar began weeping an oily substance on a Saturday afternoon. A priest who has been at the parish for more than 30 years called the phenomenon a sign from God. And it wasn't that church's first such miracle. Back in 1990, an icon of Jesus appeared to be weeping. (Full story.)
10. Lost Worlds
Atlantis Found - Again - Every year or so, an explorer claims to have finally, definitively discovered the ruins of the lost continent of Atlantis. Claims have been made for the Celtic shelf, Ireland, the Bahamas, off the coast of Cuba and even Antarctica. In November, when American researcher Robert Sarmast said he had really found it this time, on the Mediterranean Sea floor between Cyprus and Syria, his claim made headlines around the world. His team said their sonar equipment detected evidence of large, apparently manmade structures, including two straight walls on a hill stretching for more than a mile. The configuration, they said, matches accounts of the great city as described by Plato more than 2,000 years ago. Further expeditions to the site, the team hopes, will prove it once and for all. (Full story.)
