The article discusses 9 mysterious phenomena that were widely believed but have since been solved or debunked. These include:
1. The Holy Shroud of Jesus, which was found to have been created in the 13th century through carbon dating.
2. The strange sounds in the Pacific Ocean, which were attributed to the breaking of icebergs.
3. The fairy rings in Angola and Namibia, which were found to be caused by sand termites.
4. The Ica stones, which were revealed to be a hoax created by Basilio Uschuya and Dr. Javier Cabrera.
5. The transmutation of mercury into gold, which is possible but not economically viable.
6. The extinction of the Mayan civilization, which was attributed to a combination of factors including deforestation, drought, and civil wars.
7. The aging process, which is caused by the shortening of telomeres in cells.
8. Bigfoot, which was revealed to be a hoax created by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin.
9. The Bermuda Triangle, which was found to be an exaggeration and not a uniquely hazardous region.
These examples highlight how myths and legends can be debunked by scientific inquiry and evidence.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Holy Shroud of Jesus was tested with a carbon dating test, which revealed it was created in the early 1260s.
2. The strange sounds in the Pacific Ocean were discovered by the USA during the Cold War using microphones on the seafloor.
3. The sound was found to be produced by icebergs breaking apart.
4. The "fairy rings" in Angola and Namibia are circular patches of higher vegetation, which were formed by sand termites digging tunnels.
5. The Ica stones, which appeared to show advanced civilizations, were found to be a hoax created by Basilio Uchuya and Dr. Javier Cabrera.
6. Mercury can be transmuted into gold, but the energy costs required to do so are more expensive than the gold produced.
7. The Mayan civilization disappeared due to a combination of factors, including deforestation, drought, and civil wars.
8. Telomeres are the main source of aging in the human body, as they shorten when cells divide, causing tissues to stop regenerating.
9. The legend of Bigfoot was a hoax created by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in the 1960s.
10. The Bermuda Triangle is a myth, and the number of disappearances in the area is not higher than in any other part of the ocean.
11. The Bermuda Triangle's reputation is due to exaggerated and invented stories, as well as the area's powerful and turbulent currents.
12. Statistical analysis shows that the number of disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle is not higher than in any other part of the ocean.